Page 77 of Her Reluctant Highlander Husband

Did he ever think of her at all?

Chapter Twenty-Five

Bryce rolled out of his bed before dawn, having slept horribly the night before. The bed was much too empty without Dorie in it. Her scent had faded from the room when the maids had changed out the bedding, and he hated the absence of her from his life.

To keep his mind busy, he focused every waking minute on how to take Baehaven. He manned a small party that rode out and kidnapped a McCurdy guard. Lachlan was able to get vital information from the man regarding the state of the infighting within their clan.

As expected, the other clan was splitting apart. Father against son. While a more even split might have worked in their favor, it was still an advantage to have the McCurdy men distracted with their own problems.

“We’ve plenty enough men to take the McCurdys in their current state. Our warriors are well trained and strong,” Bryce reported to Cam and Lach.

“They are trained and strong, but not so much so that they can take on three McCurdy soldiers each if the enemy remains banded together,” Lach said. “I’ll not risk my men unless victory is clear. Which means we need you to go to the Campbells. I’ll send Liam to the Stewarts.”

“We don’t need them.”

“Are you saying this because you do not want help, or because you’re not as bright as I gave you credit for?” Lach paused. “Or perhaps you have a death wish? I tell you, cousin, I have many great things to live for and I’ll not let ye drag me into a fight we’re not sure to win,” Lach said with his arms crossed over his formidable chest.

Bryce wasn’t able to refute any of the given choices. Mayhap because the answer lay somewhere between all three. And he didn’t want to think about how much the last option appealed. To be cut down in battle had been his wish for years after he lost Maggie. He’d been reckless on the battlefield and even picked fights with traveling soldiers in hopes of putting an end to the pain without having to do the deed himself.

But he’d never been able to stand there and allow a blade to fall on him without reacting. Some small part of his soul didn’t want to die and always raised his arm in defense each time.

Lach, indeed, had many reasons to stay alive. Three boys and another child on the way. A healthy, happy wife. The respect of his clan.

Including Bryce.

“It certainly won’t hurt to have more men,” he reluctantly agreed, though he hated the idea of a delay.

“I’ve sent word to the Fletchers, so we have their assistance when we’re ready. Once everything is in order and we have three times the men the McCurdys do, then we attack, and not before.” Lach spoke with the authority of a laird, but also with reason that had eluded Bryce since Dorie’s carriage rolled away.

He didn’t want to put his men or family in danger, even if he didn’t much care about what happened to himself. He wanted to leave that afternoon for Baehaven and be done with it. But he would wait.

The end would come soon enough.

Either for the McCurdys, or for him.

…

Dorie had settled in at Sutherland House, but she couldn’t say that she felt at home. She’d never seen such lovely things, and the house was filled with beautiful furnishings, paintings, and objects. Her siblings treated her kindly, but as they would a stranger rather than family. Either because she wasn’t a full sibling or because of the age difference between them, she had not been brought into the circle of their secret jokes and knowing looks.

Harriet was wonderful, though. A pleasant mix of friend and mother, offering advice and comfort when needed.

Her father spent time with her each day, checking to make sure she was happy and didn’t need anything. She couldn’t imagine she would ever need anything more. She had been given more dresses in the few weeks she’d been there than she’d ever owned in her whole life combined.

Her father had even gotten her a dog. Though he wasn’t a great beast like Rascal, he was happy and obedient. She’d let the other children name him, so she was the proud owner of a white pup named Brownie.

But even Brownie felt like a character in the books she read while in seclusion rather than part of her real life. Day after day she waited to settle into the feeling that this was all real. She was happy at Sutherland House, but not like she’d been at Dunardry.

A week later, she felt no closer to being at home.

Especially on the morning it was confirmed that she was not carrying Bryce’s child. Dorie cried for hours, realizing only then that she’d been holding out hope to have a reason to go back to Dunardry and Bryce.

But she no longer had a reason, so it was time for her to move on. This was her life now, and she would have to make the best of it.

That evening she put on a fancy dress and a strained smile and went down to dinner.

Everyone was quiet at first, as if they knew how fragile she felt, like she might break at any moment if someone said something comforting.

Thankfully, dinner with the children proved to be distracting.