Page 34 of His Forgotten Highland Bride

But when he’d arrived back at the house with his da, his mother did not look distressed. She was kissing the man he’d seen her wrestling with. And his father had gone into a rage.

He’d grabbed her and practically dragged her off to the castle. Once there, they’d gone to their room. Once again, Ronan had been left outside the door. He’d heard the yelling, the slap of leather, and his mother’s wail.

His father left the room first, and Ronan went inside to see his mother. She’d been crying, and her lip had a bit of blood. He’d hurried to get a cloth to help her, but instead of accepting his offer, she’d snapped at him.

“This is your fault.”

For the few years before his father died, he heard the same sounds coming from their room, and in his youth, he’d thought it was his fault that his father hurt his mother because of him.

But later, when he knew to shed light on what had truly happened, he’d realized his mother had betrayed her vows. And instead of accepting the blame for her misdeeds, she’d held Ronan at fault.

Later, when he was thirteen and living at Cluny Castle with his new family, he’d seen his mother sneak off to another man’s home. Ronan had stayed far enough away to see but not close enough to hear the sounds coming from inside.

His mother smiled like a cat when she left the cottage to return to the castle. Ronan watched as his mother sat beside his stepfather with an adoring smile. She kissed him as if he were the only man holding her heart, and he foolishly believed all the sweet words.

It was a lesson he’d never forgotten. Women were deceitful. Women lied. Women blamed others for their wrongdoings. Only a fool believed he alone could win their heart.

But no matter their crimes, they should not be beaten.

“I would never deliberately hurt my wife. Ye have my word on it.”

The only answers from the table were a snort, a sniff, and a rolling of eyes. He’d already betrayed that vow to them and guessed it was true. He hadn’t tried to strangle her on purpose, but he had deliberately left her behind for five years.

The anger he’d seen in her eyes the night before was born of the pain he’d caused when he’d left. She’d likely thought the worst of his reasons. He needed to explain that his desertion had nothing to do with her. It was merely a temporary escape from the duty that had suffocated him.

He didn’t get to explain it during the morning meal, for she left the hall. She hadn’t even broken her fast. Curiosity had him on his feet to follow her. It didn’t take long for him to spot her when he stepped outside. She didn’t appear to be in any hurry as she secured a basket under her arm and headed for the village. She walked past the first two cottages along the path and knocked at the third.

A man opened the door. From how the morning sun shone in Ronan’s eyes, he could not tell if the man was young or old, but he could tell by his height it was a man.

Just moments ago, he remembered watching his mother sneak off to another man’s cottage, and now he was watching his own wife do the same thing. It seemed Ewan had been right that she’d taken a lover or many.

There was only one way to find out.

***

The mornings were Brenna’s favorite time of the day. Not only was she usually free of worrying about Ewan, but the mornings offered a fresh start—the chance to find happiness.

She greeted Mr. Campbell as the children gathered around her. By now, they knew her basket contained treats, and they waited with big eyes for her to dispense the tarts she’d managed to get from the kitchen while the women were busy with other things.

She didn’t want to have to explain what had happened to her throat. She’d seen the way her guards had reacted. Somehow, she expected the women of the kitchens to be even more fiercely protective than four strong warriors.

Brenna was handing out the first tart when she jumped at the sound of someone beating on the Campbells’ door. Her first worry was that Ewan had found her and would hurt this family because he knew Brenna cared for them. Had he sought her out to threaten her again? Or maybe worse.

“Open up!” a man bellowed, and the pounding continued.

Like yesterday in the forest, she’d thought she’d been safe alone. It was too early in the day for Ewan to be awake. Perhaps Ronan’s return kept the man from sleeping the day away in the beds of different women.

Brenna braced herself as Mr. Campbell opened the door. But it was Ronan, not Ewan, who stormed inside, taking up much of the small space in the cottage. His brows nearly touched in the middle as he took in the four small children gathered around Brenna and the baby in her arms.

“What’s this?” he demanded.

“This is wee Rabbie. His mother is not feeling herself quite yet from birthing him, but she’s doing a bit better today.” She turned to hand the small bundle to the family’s oldest daughter.

Mr. Campbell gave a quick bow. “I don’t have much to offer you, my laird. But I can get ye a pint of ale if you wish.”

“Aye. Thank you, sir.” He grasped the man’s shoulder. “Ye have a fine home and family. My apologies for barging in and frightening ye.”

Brenna sniffed, knowing exactly why he’d barged in. He still thought her unfaithful. He could follow her around and make accusations until he ran out of breath, but he’d never find her guilty of such a thing.