Page 26 of The Cursed Highland Bride

“I am nae wrong.” Even as Dunn said the words, the deepest parts of his heart and mind knew them to be untrue.

Tor smiled knowingly at his brother. “Let us pray ye live long enough tae eat those words.”

CHAPTER TEN

Katarina spent the next several days attempting to better know her new home and people. During the day, she spent every waking hour working with the women of the clan. By night, she expended every effort to avoid her new husband. To her surprise, he appeared to be doing the same. She had expected him to seek her out to perform their marital duties, but he had not done so. Though she knew that she should be pleased and grateful, she found herself instead feeling angry and uncertain.

She knew that she had pleased him in bed, as he had told her in the throes of passion, but he had not acted thus in the time since. Enough! she chastised herself. You are well shod of him. Dressing for a day of work out in the kitchen garden, she left her room and went down the back stairs to the kitchen below. She and Dunn had not broken their fast together since her first morning at the castle. They had dined together in the great hall in the evenings as their duty dictated, but that had been the extent of their contact since the awkward moment in her bedchamber.

She grabbed a bannock from a platter in the kitchen, then slipped quietly out of the door to the garden. She ate quickly, then kneeled in the dirt to pull weeds from the cabbage and kale beds. Reaching in under the cabbage leaves to check the soil for moisture, she was startled to have her hand enveloped by a warm, furry, wriggling mass. Retrieving her hand, she lifted the large cabbage leaf to find a nest of baby rabbits. Smiling, she returned the leaf and searched the garden for the kits’ mother. Not wishing to keep her from her babies, Katarina quickly finished her job, then took some kale and cabbage into the castle cook.

“There is a nest o’ rabbit kits in the cabbage bed,” she informed the rotund woman stirring pottage over the fire in a large iron pot. “I left them alone.”

The cook smiled. “I will see tae them. They will make for good eating when the time comes.”

“They appear tae be newly born.”

“They will grow with time.”

Katarina left the kitchen, water bucket in hand, and found the mother rabbit crawling under the cabbage leaf to feed her children. “Guard them well, little mother, for they may well be made the laird’s supper.”

Heading toward the castle well, she caught sight of the men training. Dunn and Tor were instructing young boys off to the side of the field. Seeing such young lads fighting with ferocity and determination made Katarina want to do the same. She had been greatly displeased at how easily the Morgan soldiers had defeated her in the fight for her family’s encampment and when they had come to take her back from Dunn. Either time, she could have been killed or worse. She had been taught to fight by her father and grandfather so that she might defend herself on the road as they traveled, but it had not been enough. These men of the Scottish Highlands and islands fought with a fierce voracity that was overwhelming to behold, let alone when on the opposing side.

Leaving the bucket at the well, she sojourned down to the practice field to watch them more closely. When Tor noticed her watching, he nodded in her direction to his brother. Dunn turned and studied her for a moment, passing his wooden sword on to his brother. He walked over to Katarina and sat down on the grass beside her. “My lady,” he murmured in greeting.

“My laird,” she returned the courtesy.

“What brings ye tae the field this day?”

“I wish tae learn how tae better fight. I was too readily defeated in my last encounter.” She was careful not to refer to the attack on her family’s encampment.

Dunn’s brow arched in surprise. “Ye have nae need o’ it. Ye are under my care now.”

“I wish tae learn all the same.” She held her ground, her jaw set firmly in determination.

Dunn studied her face, then nodded his approval. “As ye wish. I will have Tor instruct ye. As my master o’ arms, it is his duty.” Standing, Dunn arose and went to speak with his brother. They conversed for a brief moment, then Tor nodded. He turned to smile at Katarina and motioned for her to join them. Katarina stood and did as bidden. Dunn moved so that she could face Tor and handed her a wooden sword. “Show us what ye can do,” he instructed, then took a step back to watch.

Katarina faced off against Tor and did her best to hold her ground but was disarmed in mere moments. “Again,” Tor instructed, motioning for her to pick back up the training sword.

She obeyed and set her stance once more, determined to do better. Tor spoke to her as she moved, instructing her to correct her mistakes. This time, she managed to hold on to the sword a brief moment longer than the last but was still disarmed in short order. “Again?” she questioned, causing Tor to smile.

“Aye, again.” The two fought on for some time until she got so tired that she lost all progress.

“I believe it is time tae rest, wife,” Dunn interrupted, clearly having seen her difficulty. There was something in his eyes, but Katarina could not tell if it was disappointment, disapproval, or both. “Ye may continue upon the morrow.” He reached out and took the wooden sword from her hand, and his fingers brushed against hers. A jolting tingle raced up her arm to her spine and settled there, causing her mind to feel foggy and unsettled. With one brief touch, he had nearly undone her. Lust flared in his eyes, and she pulled away.

“I must return tae the garden.” She excused herself and departed as quickly as dignity would allow her. Seeing to the rabbits was definitely a better idea than lusting after her husband in front of so many of his men.

* * *

Dunn watched his wife walk away. It took every ounce of his self-control not to grab and drag her off to his bedchamber. When his fingers had touched hers, he had felt a jolt of need course through him that he was not prepared for. One simple, unintentional touch should not have done so much damage to his carefully constructed fortress protecting him from her. He had spent the last several days building up a mental defense against her, yet just looking at her beautiful form and face caused his body to tighten. Her touch ignited a fire that would not be extinguished.

“Ye want yer wife,” Tor observed. “From the look in her eyes, it is clear that she desires ye as well. Go tae her, brother. Make a life for yerself with her.”

“I cannae,” Dunn shook his head in protest. “It is best if I keep my distance.” Turning to face his brother, he leveled a warning look. “I will nae have this out with ye again.”

Tor raised his hands in acquiescence. “As ye wish. I will speak o’ it nae more.”

“I would thank ye for the mercy were it nae so late in the offering.”