Page 52 of A Highlander’s Heart

“Has she no’ been here to go over the menu with ye?”

The woman shook her head. “Nay, Laird. Maisie handles all of that. As ye ken she did it for yer uncle.”

And also shared his bed, he knew. “’Tis time for my wife to take over those duties.”

The cook shrugged her shoulders and stood there watching him.

He turned and left the kitchen, twice as mad as he’d been when he left the bedchamber. Thinking of that, he turned back again and returned to the kitchen. He pointed at one of the maids and said, “Go to my bedchamber and clean it, bring clean warm water, dump the chamber pot, and fix the bed hangings.”

She blushed a bright red and glanced at Mary. The cook nodded to her. “Go, Eileen, do as the laird asks.”

He then turned his attention to Mary. “And ye answer to Lady Gunn from now on.”

Now to find Maisie and get to the bottom of this.

After asking numerous people, Maisie was not to be found. If she still thinks of herself as in charge, why was she missing right as the evening meal was about to be served?

He’d searched for Emma at the same time. No one had seen her all day, and she was nowhere he looked.

In his search, he cleared up a few things that had been making his wife miserable. No one would treat his wife any way except with respect or they would be tossed from the castle.

Forgetting about his meal, he downed a mug of ale and reviewed all the places he’d looked for his wife. After a while, he realized the only place he hadn’t checked—besides the lists—was the stables.

So he made his way there and approached one of the stable hands. The man said, “Aye, Laird, yer wife said she was doing an errand for ye, so I gave her an easy ride since I wasn’t sure of her ability.”

Morgan placed his hands on his hips, his fatigue completely gone with this news. “When was this?”

The stable lad chewed on a piece of straw. “’Twas right around time to break yer fast.”

“And it ne’er occurred to ye to find me and tell me she’s been gone since morn?”

“What is the problem, Laird?” Duncan walked from the back of the stable, wiping his hands on an already dirty piece of linen.

“My wife. The lad tells me she left this morn and hasn’t returned. Said she was doing an errand for me. Which is no’ true.”

He walked past the lad and Duncan, to lead Demon from his stall. His thoughts were in a whirl as he saddled the horse himself. Where could she be? He mounted up and raced from the stables to the village.

Chapter Thirty-One

After a day of wandering about, mostly feeling sorry for herself, Emma spotted an inn at the end of the village square.

During her time at the village, everyone had been friendly—certainly more than she was finding at the castle—but to her annoyance and embarrassment, no one seemed to even know their laird had taken a wife.

Once she’d identified herself, however, they were very pleased to hear the news. Some of them hadn’t even known the former Gunn was dead and that Morgan was now the new laird.

She thought that strange since generally villages were very gossipy. But here, it was almost as if the lack of the news had been created on purpose.

The inn appeared clean and with a small fire burning, warm enough to take the chill out of the air. Since it was growing close to the evening meal, she ordered a bowl of stew and a mug of ale.

She could not remember when she’d been so very tired and miserable. If only she could tell herself it didn’t matter, that she had no feelings for Morgan, and especially that she would be fine going back to Castle Leod.

But she couldn’t fool herself. She did, in fact, care for Morgan, and was even afraid she’d fallen in love with the annoying man.

He had a way of looking at her that melted her bones and made her feel like taking off her clothes and lying down.

His lovemaking was tender and sweet, and other times ferocious and intense. She enjoyed both sides of him. But it was not just that part of their marriage that drew her.

Morgan was a strong, compelling man. He was recovering not just from physical injuries, but from being thrust unexpectedly into lairdship, while trying to gain back the trust of his men, while not appearing weak because of his injury.