Page 18 of Wedded to the Heartless Highlander

She’ll nae find the comfort she needs here.

“Nay, Erica,” he said, firm but gentle. “We’ll come back here soon enough, but for now, yer place is by me side, and we must leave.”

For a moment, Erica looked like she might protest, but with a barely audible sigh, she lowered her green eyes and nodded. “Very well,” she mumbled.

Hunter leaned down and made a show of planting a kiss on her forehead for the curious guests before leading her back to her family.

The resolute look on Lady McFair’s face all but gave away the fact that Hunter had already decided that they’d leave before speaking with Erica, and he caught the frustrated sideways glance his wife shot him.

“A grand affair, indeed,” Laird McFair said as he embraced his daughter. “Safe travels, me dear.”

“We’ll miss ye!” his younger children said in unison as they clung to Erica’s skirts, looking up at her with wide, teary eyes.

It was a moment of farewells, filled with warmth and emotions that made Hunter nearly sick to his stomach. He sensed that Erica, too, was uncomfortable beneath it all.

What could ye possibly ken about life to be uncomfortable with this?

He then realized he was taking her away from her family.

“I’ll leave ye to ready the horses,” he said, begging off to ensure their timely departure while also giving her an excuse to have a little bit more time with her family.

The entire affair had not just made his gut twist, but it had also soured his mood. He thought back on the last couple of days while he readied the horses.

What a mess! A marriage today, and come tomorrow, I’ll be carrion for the heir vultures.

Distracted by the thought of what his never-satisfied council was going to propose next, he failed to notice the slight figure standing on the threshold of the stables.

“Me Laird?” her small voice called, quivering.

Hunter merely paused in adjusting the bridle and turned to look at Erica’s maid, his eyebrow raised in a silent invitation for her to continue.

“I wanted to—to thank ye for lettin’ me come wit’ ye both,” she said, overly gleeful at the prospect. “I ken Me Lady will be grateful to ye as well.”

Hunter turned back around to finish readying the stallion as he replied, “Neither of ye need to be grateful, Kara. It was necessary.”

“What was necessary?” Erica’s voice rang out.

“Nothin’, Me—Me Lady.”

Hunter knew that Erica was about to press her maid and probably even pull her up, so he cleared his throat. “We’re ready.”

He said nothing more in answer to the scowl his wife fixed him with as led the horses past them and out of the stables, toward the carriage waiting for them in the courtyard.

As he connected the reins, he heard a strange noise behind the carriage. Hunter paused and leaned forward just enough to see that sore loser, James Morris, push off the shadowed corner he had been stalking them from.

Sauntering over to them with a smirk on his lips, James waved at Erica, who met him halfway. “Well, congratulations on yer union, Erica,” Hunter heard him say.

James’s gaze lingered on Erica for a little too long before he leaned in closer.

“… ever need help… I’ll be there…” Hunter heard him add.

Unfortunately, James’s voice was too low for Hunter to hear the rest. So, he turned around and quickly finished hooking up the horses to the carriage to get them out of there.

The sooner we get out of here, the better…

Hunter wiped his hands on his pants and looked up again, expecting to see his wife standing by the carriage door, but she wasn’t there.

“Christ,” he spat out and took large, foreboding steps toward where he last saw them.