Page 49 of The Cursed Highland Bride

Esmerelda nodded. She walked over to the bed and lifted his shirt to examine his bandaged wound. Blood had seeped through and left a crimson stain. She placed her hand on his cheek and frowned. “Ye have a fever.”

“I have been made tae consume one o’ cook’s teas. It will pass. Dinnae change the subject.”

Esmerelda shook her head, frowning. “Nae if the wound turns. Let me look at it.” Without waiting for an answer, she began to unwind the bandages around his torso.

Dunn swatted at her hands in frustration. “I did nae call ye here tae tend tae my wounds.”

“Nevertheless, I will do so.” She continued unwrapping the bandage and frowned further at sight of the wound. “A blade?”

Sighing, Dunn surrendered to her care. “Aye, the blade o’ a luchd siubhail named August Raymond.”

Something flashed behind Esmerelda’s eyes. Dunn thought it was recognition.

“Do ye ken that name?” he asked warily.

Esmerelda nodded slowly. “I have heard it said.” Her tone was reserved, hesitant.

“And?” he urged impatiently.

“He is o’ a violent reputation. How did ye encounter him?” Her dark eyes met his in concern.

“He was after my wife.”

“Yer wife? Why was he after her?”

Dunn frowned. He did not like discussing his wife with her, but he needed answers. “He was betrothed tae her sister.”

Esmerelda shook her head. Her eyes were filled with worry. “She did nae tell me his name, only that they had fled her sister’s betrothed. Had I kenned that it was he, I would have warned her tae keep running. Where is she now? Did he take her?”

“He tried, but he did nae succeed. She is still on Morgan lands searching for her sisters, and when ye lift this damned curse, I can finally go and make sure she’s safe.”

“Ye love her.” It was not a question. Esmerelda’s hands stilled as she tended his wound. “I can hear it in yer voice. My curse has come tae pass.” He could see the pain in her eyes, and he did not like the guilt he was feeling about his treatment of her and the other women that he had been with.

“It has,” Dunn growled to hide his inner turmoil. In spite of his guilt, he was still quite angry with her for cursing him in the first place. “Now, lift it!” He winced in pain as he attempted to move away from her.

Esmerelda stopped him with a hand to his chest. “It is nae so simple as saying it is done. Ye must be brought tae desolation and return tae me o’ yer own will.”

“It has been done. I sent for ye. Now, tell me what I must do tae be released from this curse o’ love.”

“Ye still dinnae ken that love is nae the curse.” Esmerelda shook her head in disappointment at him. “A curse cannae make ye fall in love with someone. Only ye can do that.”

He looked at her in surprise. “But ye said…”

Esmerelda raised her hand to stop him. “I cannae make ye fall in love with anyone. If I could do that, would I nae have made ye fall in love with me?” He could hear the pain of her admission in her voice.

Dunn sat and thought about what she said for a moment. “And the curse?”

“That she could bring about yer desolation.”

“Aye, that.” He arched his brow in frustration.

“A self-fulfilling prophecy if ye dinnae see the error o’ yer ways and change.”

“Ye are telling me that I love her o’ my own free will and that the curse had nothing tae do with it?”

Esmerelda nodded. “Aye.”

Dunn gave her a doubtful look. “How can that be? There is nae way that ye could have kenned that I would fall in love with one o’ yer kind.”