Page 97 of Her Accidental Highlander Husband

As expected, he was awarded a glare of surprised disgust.

“What has happened?” Mari rushed into the room.

“I stumbled on the stairs and your barbarian of a husband couldn’t stash me away in my rooms fast enough.”

Mari blinked at him as he chuckled. “Her foot and her wrist are most likely broken. A healer is on the way to confirm. I merely wanted her to be comfortable.”

“He wanted me out of the way,” the dowager muttered. “And we don’t have healers, we have physicians.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.” Cam crossed his arms. “A physician will have to do, I guess.”

Her lips pulled up tighter, and he hid a smile. He really couldn’t help himself.

“I’ll bring up some breakfast for you,” Cam offered.

“I’ll not eat anything you’ve touched.”

“I’m not planning to touch it.”

“Please stop.” Mari raised a hand at each of them. “I’ll bring you your meal—”

“Nay.” Cam shook his head. “I’ll not have another lass fall down those stairs. Especially not the one carrying my babe in her belly. I’ll get the food, and you will eat it, you miserable old crow.”

With that he left. He passed the physician on the stairs as Parkes led him up to the dowager’s room. The man’s eyes went wide, and he moved to the far side of the steps so as not to risk brushing against Cam’s kilt.

Bloody English.

Cam offered the man a menacing smile, and he practically ran the rest of the way up the stairs.

Had Cam known being in London would be so much fun, he might have visited sooner.

…

Mari sat with the dowager as the physician checked her over. Cam had been correct. Her foot and wrist were both broken.

Her former mother-in-law looked close to tears when the man told her she would need to stay in bed indefinitely. “People who stay in bed never leave them,” she complained.

“You’ll be up and around soon enough. Sooner if you mind what I say and stay off that foot until it’s healed properly,” the physician scolded.

“These people—”

“I used to live here,” Mari reminded the woman stiffly. “And I can assure you I have no need for any of your fancy possessions. I’ll not be able to use them where I’m going.”

That shut them up.

The dowager looked away and let out a breath. “Very well. I’ll stay up here and hope for the best.”

“I’ll make sure you’re taken care of,” Mari promised.

She didn’t know why she felt the need to see to the woman’s health and comfort. The dowager had been nothing but nasty to Mari every time they’d ever shared the same space.

But there was something about facing death that made Mari want to treasure every bit of life while she had the chance. She would make sure she had no regrets over how she’d lived her life at the end. Caring for people—even surly dowagers—made her feel needed. As though she actually served a purpose here on Earth.

She rubbed her stomach as she remembered her true purpose.

To love her husband and child for as long as she drew breath.

…