Page 103 of Her Accidental Highlander Husband

If you need us to march on London, you have only to send word and we’ll be there, ready to stand with you in an attempt to save your family.

Your brother in honor,

Lachlan James Campbell MacKinlay

Laird of Clan MacKinlay

Cam swallowed the large lump in his throat.

What good would the MacKinlay army do him now, anyway? It was easy enough for Lach to promise things now that there was no need for it. An empty alliance wasn’t worth Cam’s time.

Not when he needed to focus on a way to save his wife.

Chapter Thirty-Six

When Cam set the letter off to the side of his plate and turned back to his food, Mari took it as an invitation and picked it up to read it herself. She’d expected it would be some sort of apology, and she was right. When she was done, she folded it again and put it back. Silence continued for a few bites as she waited him out.

“I’ll not forgive him,” Cam finally blurted.

“But you’ve forgiven me, and I’m the one who forced him into it.” It wasn’t fair that Lachlan should be punished for respecting her wishes.

“You’re wrong,” he seethed, not looking at her.

“It was me that went to Lachlan and asked him to escort me to the English when it was clear there was no other ch—”

Cam’s fist slammed down on the table, causing the dishes to rattle and Mari to jump. “I dinna say ye were wrong about coercing my cousin into going along with your piss-poor plan. I’m saying you’re wrong about me forgiving you. I haven’t.”

With that, he rose from the table and left the room.

She sat there in shock, expecting that her kind, gentle husband would return and apologize for his outburst, but he didn’t.

Instead, she heard the front door slam.

She rested her hand on her belly to comfort their child, who had shifted when she’d startled.

“It’s fine, little one. He’s just upset. He’ll be back.”

He’d been here for months and not once mentioned he still held anger over her role in her return to London.

She knew well what he was doing. He was building walls between them to protect himself. Distancing himself in a futile attempt to avoid the pain when the time came.

Part of her wanted to go to him and tear down those walls. Force him to let her in. But another part of her felt relieved, because those walls he built would serve to protect her as well. They didn’t have much time left. Only a few weeks before the bairn arrived, and then the trial would begin.

It was late when Cam arrived home. She was already in bed, but she hadn’t slept, and not just because the June heat made her restless and uncomfortable. She had not yet figured out what to say to him.

All these months, they’d walked side by side and hand in hand on a layer of ice. They’d been kind and gentle with one another so as not to break through the surface and face the frigid cold beneath.

It was time they confronted the truth. She just didn’t know how to begin.

Cam’s skin was warm and damp when he slid into bed and pulled her close. “I know you’re awake. You’re not snoring.” His attempt at humor didn’t work this time. They couldn’t laugh this off any longer. He let out a breath and kissed her neck. “I’m sorry for what I said, and for scaring you.”

“Then you have forgiven me?” she asked to see if he’d lie. They’d get nowhere if they couldn’t speak the truth, as ugly as it may be.

“Nay. But I hadn’t realized until it came out of my mouth. That wasn’t the way to address the subject.”

“I’m glad you’re finally speaking of your feelings. It does no good to let them fester and become worse.”

“I don’t want to spend our final days angry with one another. But I am angry at you, Mari. And I canna even tell ye why.”