Page 76 of Her Reluctant Highlander Husband

“No!” the boy admitted, causing them all to laugh.

The older girl was watching Dorie, her eyes squinting. Nadia, if she wasn’t mistaken.

“Papa, who is that?” It was the oldest boy who finally asked. He was tall, but his face still held the soft curves of youth. This was Philip, then.

“Right. I guess we should just get on with it then.” Her father seemed nervous.

Just then a blond woman hurried down the steps with a warm smile. At first Dorie thought it was another child, for she was small. But as she came closer, it was clear from the resemblance to the oldest daughter that this was Harriet, their mother.

The woman her father had married even though he still loved Dorie’s mother.

Something made Dorie want to reach for the woman and pull her into an embrace. Some bond of kindred spirits, she supposed. But she suppressed it and remained in place as her half brothers and sisters stared at her expectantly.

“Children, this is your sister,” her father announced.

Four sets of eyes narrowed on her in disbelief.

Little Geneva gasped as her eyes went bright. “You look like me,” she said happily.

“Yes. I see the resemblance.” Dorie smiled down at the little girl, happy to be accepted. “I guess we both look like our father.”

“Why does she talk funny?” her little brother George asked.

Rather than pop him in the nose as Mari had suggested, Dorie laughed. “Because I’m Scottish.”

“I don’t have a Scottish sister,” Philip, the oldest, said in shock.

“It turns out you do. This is Dorie. She’s come to live with us.”

“For how long?” Nadia asked, her eyes still narrowed.

“For as long as she wishes. And I expect you all to welcome her and treat her like a sister.”

Dorie’s smile faltered as she watched George contemplate the request and then smile in the most devious way for someone so young. She made a note to check her bed for frogs—or worse—before sliding beneath the covers.

“Welcome, Dorie. It’s so nice to meet you,” the blond woman offered as she came closer and pulled Dorie into a hug. “Dorien wrote to me of you. He’s so happy to have found you.”

“Are you upset to have me here?” Dorie whispered. She knew the children would come around eventually, but this woman was not blood and had no reason to accept her. In fact, she might hate Dorie for being an intruder, the bastard daughter of her husband.

But Harriet kept smiling. “I’m not upset at all. You’re part of our family now.”

“Thank you.” Dorie squeezed the woman’s hands.

“Come, we have your room ready. You would probably like to rest on something that stays still before dinner.”

“Aye.”

“Aye,” George imitated with a giggle, earning a frown from Philip and Nadia.

Geneva came closer and took Dorie’s hand. The resemblance between them was uncanny. The same shiny black hair and blue eyes that seemed almost too big for the elfin face gazing up at her. Geneva stayed with Dorie until she was settled in her room and Harriet shooed her away.

“Welcome home, Dorie. Let us know if there’s anything you need.”

She gave her stepmother a warm smile. “Thank you.”

Harriet closed the door, leaving Dorie alone in the room. The bed was extravagant and soft. She kicked off her shoes and slipped out of her gown to rest in her shift. But as she lay there, all she could think of was the empty space in the bed next to her. The space that would have been filled with her husband if she were still at Dunardry.

She wondered what he was doing right now.