Page 13 of Her Reluctant Highlander Husband

“Then it’s settled. We’ll see you in the morning.”

She squeezed the women’s hands as they prepared to leave, hoping to convey her gratitude. Mari and Kenna had treated her as a friend. Dorie couldn’t thank them enough.

“Everything will be fine soon,” Kenna promised. “We’ll see to that.”

The look the sisters exchanged gave Dorie a moment of worry. They were smiling pleasantly, but even Dorie—who didn’t spend much time with people—heard an undertone of threat in the woman’s voice.

Dorie pitied anyone who was unfortunate enough to upset Kenna MacKinlay.

…

Bryce had just sat at the table when the two ladies next to him turned to glare. He swiveled to see who they were casting their scowls at but saw no one beside him.

That could only mean…

Bloody hell.

“What did I do?” It was best to get clarification first before launching into a defense.

“We went to visit Dorie today. She’s been in her new home for a few weeks now. Have you stopped by to visit?”

“Nay. That is to say, not yet,” he quickly revised when their eyes narrowed on him. “I haven’t had the chance.” He winced at the lie and ducked his head when it was clear the women didn’t believe him. “But I hired a lad to check in daily, and I provided more than a month’s worth of food. She should be fine for another week or so until I can visit.”

“He provided food,” Kenna said to Mari in a deceptively pleasant tone. He knew the sisters were working up to a good dressing down. He wasn’t yet sure if it was deserved. Chances were good he was guilty of whatever fault they found in him.

He glanced at Lach and Cam, who simply shook their heads in pity. Bollocks. There was no saving him.

Mari, usually kinder than Kenna, smiled indulgently and tilted her head. “We did notice you provided ample ingredients.”

“Kind of you, it was,” Kenna added, her eyes snapping with fire.

He was clearly in trouble. He still couldn’t quite figure out why…

“It seems…” Mari continued with her index finger poised at her lip in thought. The woman seemed polite and demure, but those hands had killed a duke with a fireplace poker, so Bryce was wise to be wary. “…you might have forgotten to make sure she knew how to use the supplies properly, in order to feed herself.”

“Or might you have just dumped her there and run off without seeing if she needed anything more?” Kenna accused. “And before ye even think of blaming poor Gordon, he did exactly as you asked. He brought wood and asked if she was well. It wasn’t for the lad to notice she’d hardly used the wood. And even if she nodded in answer to his question, she most certainly isn’t well.”

Bugger. Bryce frowned and let out a breath, realizing he deserved their anger. He was a piss-poor excuse for a husband—but he’d admitted to such before he took her to wife. Still, he should have done better by her. He’d practically shoved her into the cottage and run back to his old life. His life with no responsibilities save feeding himself and seeing to his own needs. Christ, he truly was the selfish bastard they accused him of being.

In his defense, he had gone to check on her once, but he’d seen her walking in the village with Mari and Kenna and turned back before he was noticed. He’d seen enough to know she was clothed and had shoes.

“I’ll go check on her tomorrow,” he said quickly.

“No need. We’ve already invited her up to the castle tomorrow to teach her to cook and to help sew some new gowns for her,” Mari informed him.

“But I bought her gowns.” In this he could not be judged. He’d even seen her wearing one of them that day in the village.

“You ordered her gowns from Shifty Sarah McNaub. Those dresses are nothing but stingy scraps, and so thin they’ll never get her through winter. She needs something decent that actually fits.”

“I bought her shoes,” he noted quietly, but stopped when their glare settled on him yet again. He’d had her shoes delivered instead of taking them to her himself to make sure they would fit.

Shame turned the tips of his ears hot. He looked at the food on his tray and let out a breath. He couldn’t very well eat it now. Not knowing Dorie might be going hungry. What kind of man had he become? Letting his wife fend for herself in the cottage. Hadn’t he left Maggie and wee Isabel alone only to come home and find them dead? Was that what he wanted to happen to Dorie? He shuddered at the thought.

She was not to blame for any of Bryce’s pain.

He gathered some food and lurched to his feet. He gave them a nod before heading out of the hall toward the gate. As he strolled through the village, he remembered the feeling of excitement he used to experience when walking this path.

Back then, he’d been returning home to Maggie. Even if he’d only been up at the castle for a day of drills she would grace him with a wide smile when he entered their home.