Highlander The Cursed Lord (Highland Intrigue Trilogy 3)

Too late, she thought, but there was time for him to learn of that and she was fearful of how he would receive the news.

There was, however, a question that had her curious. “Why didn’t you tell Lawler about the attempt on your life?”

“My father would send warriors to protect me, and I do not want the intrusion, not that any of that should concern you.”

“I was but curious,” Bliss said.

He ignored her response and asked, “Your side heals well?”

“A stitch in my side time and again, but the wound has healed well,” she assured him knowing why he asked and eager herself to couple with him and hopefully conceive. Though once she did, she feared his reaction and she could not help but feel he would have every right to his anger.

“And you have been taking what you need to prevent a child?”

The lie slipped from her mouth. “Aye.”

He gave a quick nod and went back to sharpening his daggers.

Bliss returned to her stitching, her hands busy and her mind wandering. She hoped she conceived quickly then her bargain would be fulfilled. It would mean no more worry for her sisters. They would be safe.

She had hoped to wed someday—nay—she had hoped to love someday. But the older she got the more her thought of finding love had slipped away. She had begun to resign herself to a future of a doting aunt to her two sisters’ future children. This bargain with Rannick’s father had changed that. She had a chance of having a child of her own, but she also had a good chance that the curse would strike her dead as it had done to Rannick’s three previous wives.

“Something troubles you?”

She raised her head to find Rannick standing in front of her once again.

He pointed to her lap. “Your hands have stopped stitching. Do you regret our bargain?”

“Nay,” she said, shaking her head. She would never regret saving her sisters and was glad this was one time she could speak the truth and that brought a smile to her face. “I am glad to be here.”

He stared at her, a scrunch to his brow. “Make no mistake, Bliss, I am not a kind man.”

That was debatable. She had seen a kind side to him and an unkind side. But the Highlands could be unforgiveable and sometimes what was unkindness to some was survival to another.

She thought to ask him of the possible battle that might affect Clan Loudon, but she feared raising suspicion, so she held her tongue. Surely, Lawler would find a way to let her know how her sisters were doing. And if not, then surely Annis would.

“Two days. You have two more days to rest and heal, then we seal our bargain, and we see the winter out together. Two days,” he repeated and walked away.

She watched him go and gave thought to what she was about to do to this man who had already suffered through no fault of his own. How did she continue to lie and deceive him?

Lies hurt, but so did the truth sometimes.

The question was, could she live with this lie and the lies that continued to build with it? And what if Elysia had wed Saber? It would mean she was already safe from a forced marriage. That still left Annis to protect. She had never intended to lie to Rannick, but when she first saw him, she feared telling him the truth, feared there was no other way to keep the bargain. Guilt and fear weighed heavily on her, and she did not know what to do.

Would he understand if she confessed all to him? Or would her sisters suffer unwanted marriages because it was too difficult for her to lie and save them?

Her stomach churned with worry, and she stuck the threaded needle in her torn garment, gathered it in her hands, and stood.

“Something wrong, Bliss?” he asked from where he worked on his daggers.

“I am suddenly tired,” she said. “I am going to rest.”

He nodded. “Rest will help heal you.”

She entered the cottage, dropped her garment in a basket and discarded her cloak on a lone peg before going to the bed and sitting on the edge. She was overwrought with worry and the only thing that would help was sleep. She dropped on her side and closed her eyes, leaving her boot-covered feet to dangle off the bed. She had no strength or wont to remove her boots. She felt torn in what she should do and hoped with rest her head and worry would clear enough to let her see reason and find a clear solution to her problem.

“Let me see your wound.”

Bliss’s eyes flew open. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard Rannick enter the cottage. He stood near the bed, looking down at her. The way he towered over her, and his imposing stance, intimidated.