Chapter Twenty

After bathing in the loch and letting the sun dry him, Liam went to the hall for the evening meal. He was looking forward to seeing his family. The thought welled in his chest for a moment before the sadness of the situation crept in.

He’d not be able to hold Gwennie or play with her. He wouldn’t risk his wife worrying he was too rough or dangerous to play with her daughter. He’d never given it a thought before, but now when he was near the lass, he was careful not to do anything that could be confused. And the little girl didn’t need him anyway. She had her mother. Liam would see Gwennie was provided for. That was the extent of his duties, though it went against his way not to play with a child.

He loved bairns. The way they needed little encouragement to laugh and squeal.

He looked around the hall and gasped when his gaze fell on his wife with her arm tied in a sling. He practically leaped over the tables between them to get to her. “What’s happened?”

She glanced away. “I’m fine. I tripped on the stairs. Kenna said it’s broken and that I’m not to lift anything for a few weeks.”

“Should you be in bed, resting?” he asked, trying to care for his wife as a husband should.

Things happened to wives. He knew well enough the pain Bryce had felt for losing his first wife and child. Liam wouldn’t have been able to bear it.

“I’m not in much pain. It’s just…well, I’ll need help. I can’t lift Gwennie.”

“Of course,” he said quickly as he reached down for the little girl. She reached up to him, a bright smile on her face and he backed away. “Oh. Uh…” He looked around the room for the nurse or anyone else. “Mayhap…”

“Up,” Gwennie demanded, still holding her arms toward him. He lifted her and smiled when she settled in with her head on his shoulder. She was heavy with sleepiness and would be out in no time.

He pressed a kiss to her hair. How much he’d missed her these last days. She held up the wooden rabbit fisted in her small hand, and he kissed the bunny as well, as was the way they did things.

“She’s had a busy day trying to keep up with the lads,” Ev said.

Liam laughed. “It won’t be long before the lads are chasing her. They’ll have to get through me first,” he said protectively.

“I do not doubt it.”

He held the sleeping girl as they ate their meal, then carried her to the solar where Andrew was already sleeping with a nurse on duty.

Evelyn had said Gwennie would be fine in their room, but he didn’t want to risk Gwennie climbing into their bed and causing further injury. The nurse would see to her for the evening.

The woman moved to take Gwennie, but Liam shook his head and carried her to the small bed she used when she stayed here with the other children. He tucked her in and took the rabbit to set it on the small table between the beds. “Sweet dreams, love.”

When he turned, he saw Ev watching from the doorway with a smile.

“She’s exhausted.”

“Perhaps we could go to bed early as well,” she suggested.

“Of course. Your arm must pain you.” He frowned as he led her to their room. He helped her with her gown and settled her in their bed. “Perhaps I should stay in the hall so not to bump it while you sleep.”

“I’m sure that’s not necessary.” She patted the mattress next to her in invitation, but he held firm.

“I don’t want to cause you more damage.”

“But it doesn’t hurt at all. In fact, I’m certain it’s not really broken. I’ll probably be fine by tomorrow.”

“Kenna is a healer. She’s not often wrong when it comes to these things. I’d prefer you be careful. Broken bones are a serious matter.”

Liam sat on the edge of the bed and bent to kiss her. It was meant to be a soft, sweet kiss, but like most times when their lips met, it spiraled into something more heated. When he pulled away from her, he frowned again at her arm.

He’d not be able to make love to her like this. With another quick kiss, he moved to the door. “Rest well. I’ll check on you in the morning first thing.”

As he settled in on a bench in the hall, and the men had quieted from giving him grief for being kicked out of his bed, Liam stared up at the high ceiling above him. He remembered all the years he’d lay in this room sending wishes and dreams up to the stones above him.

Tonight, he didn’t have to dream of his family to come claim him, for he knew where they were. He didn’t need to wish for love, for he felt it growing in his heart for his wife and daughter.

No. Tonight he prayed that his wife would heal quickly. And even hoped that for once in her life, Kenna MacKinlay was wrong.

…

“You were wrong,” Evelyn accused Kenna the next morning when she found the woman in the solar.

“How so?”

“This is a disaster,” Evelyn tugged off the splint supporting her fake injury.

Mari leaned forward. “May I just mention, I warned you of such possibilities.”

“Hush,” Kenna waved Mari’s words away. “It was the perfect plan. I saw him holding and playing with Gwennie while you ate your dinner. It worked splendidly.”

“He cut up my food and fed me,” Evelyn said, flatly.

“He was attentive. That’s not such a bad thing for a husband to be.”

“Except my husband is so worried he’ll make my injury worse he won’t sleep with me or touch me.”

“Oh.” Kenna winced. “I hadn’t anticipated that.”

In truth, Evelyn was angrier with herself than with Kenna. The woman had tried only to help. Evelyn shouldn’t have attempted to mislead Liam.

“I should have just spoken to him directly.” Evelyn let her head fall into her hands. She hadn’t realized what a coward she was until she’d started navigating a marriage.

“Aye. A direct approach is usually the most successful,” Kenna agreed. “I’m sorry I didn’t suggest it.”

Evelyn shook her head. “In truth, it might be better this way. Liam wants a family to love. It’s a simple enough wish, and he deserves to see it fulfilled more than any person I’ve ever known.”

“It seems an easy thing,” Mari said. “Which means there must be something complex keeping it from happening.”

Evelyn nodded. “I promised my daughter I’d always be there for her, and then my father forced me to break my vow by sending her to stay with someone in the village so no one in our clan would know she was my child.”

Kenna gasped and set a kind hand on Evelyn’s shoulder. “I can’t imagine such a thing.”

“When I had the chance to run away with Liam and take her, I renewed my promise that Gwennie would be my priority. I never wanted her to feel I didn’t love her.” She took a breath. “But already I’ve left her with others so I could be with Liam. Last night when he didn’t come to our bed, I realized how much I’d been distracted by him. I can’t be distracted. I’m a mother.”

Kenna sat up straighter and she and Mari exchanged a look of surprise. “Do you think us bad mothers because we leave our children in the nursery at times to be with our husbands?”

“Of course not. I’ve seen you both with your children and know how much you love them.”

Mari nodded. “We do love them very much. They are our hearts and souls. But our husbands are as well. One day, sooner than we think, and with the Lord’s blessings, our children will grow and move on with their own lives and we will have but our husbands for comfort. Having a close bond with our children is important, but not more or less so than the bond we have with our men.”

Kenna nodded in agreement. “Mari and I understand your fears. Our father was obsessed with our stepmother’s happiness over that of our own. But I’ve come to realize my heart is capable of loving everyone within its grasp. My children don’t suffer because I’m smitten with my husband.”

“You can have it all,” Mari said with a sly smile. “And I hope that you do.”

Evelyn looked over at her daughter playing with the other children and knew she was in no danger of ignoring Gwennie. She knew equally well Liam would not dismiss his responsibilities to their daughter.

She needed to make things right with her husband if there was any chance of having it all.

“Might I leave my daughter with you again so I can take care of matters with my husband?” she asked.

Kenna smiled. “We wives are always happy to help one another. How do ye think there came to be so many children to look after in the first place?”