Page 42 of Wed to the Highlander

A knock came at the door. Always an interruption.

“What is it?” he snapped.

“A message, my lord,” a voice called. “There’s trouble at Glen Morven.”

Duncan swore under his breath.

“The calm was too good to last,” she murmured, leaning heavily against him.

“No truer words…”

“Go,” she urged when she really didn’t want to. “I’m feeling much better now. Truly.”

“I’ll send Lachlan.”

She laid her hand on his cheek and urged, “You’re exactly right. Your people are depending on you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“You had better no’. And they’re our people,” he corrected strongly. Then, in a more controlled voice, “I’ll try to be back by nightfall.”

“Are you still vexed with me?” she asked, although she suspected seeing the tension in his jaw.

He framed her face with big, work-roughened hands. “No’ angry. Frustrated you can’t see what’s clear as day.”

She tried to speak, but he kissed her—soft and deep and lingering.

When he drew away, he rested his brow against hers. “We’ll talk more when I get home.”

She nodded, preferring not to bring up her faux pas again, however.

His hand slid protectively over her stomach. “You must take extra care now,mo chridhe. Of both of you.”

Then he strode out the door and was gone.

She pressed her hand to her belly, still stunned by the truth of it. A child. Their child. For the first time, she felt the stirrings of hope. It was bittersweet because she also wanted to share her happy news with Cici and Andrew and her mother.

Chapter 12

Maggie sat on the edge of the bed, shawl drawn tight around her shoulders, watching Duncan pull on his boots.

“Maybe you should stay in bed today,” he said, his tone edged with concern.

“Yesterday’s dizziness has passed. Now that I know the cause, I’ll be more careful.”

“I’m putting Fiona in charge of you while I’m gone. She has three bairns and will know what to watch for.”

“I don’t need a keeper, Duncan.”

“This from the woman I had to drag out from under a collapsing pile of moldering timber.” He suddenly sat down hard beside her.

Alarm flared. “What is it? Are you ill?”

“Aye,” he whispered, looking a bit green. “I just realized I skelped my pregnant wife.”

She blinked then laughed softly. Only Duncan would worry about a spanking after a near-death rescue. “You didn’t know, and I’m fine. No harm, no foul.”

“I’m glad for that. And for your forgiving nature.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek then rose to leave. “I have a meeting with the Camerons. I suspect they’ll balk at my proposal and dig in their heels.”

Isla’s kin. She swallowed her instinct to ask if she’d be present and instead voiced the question that had been on hermind for weeks. “Your clans are barely civil. Why is a Cameron living here?”