She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his back.
“Pretending everything is wonderful isn’t working,” she whispered. “It was unrealistic to think we could keep all of our fears inside and not be affected by them. I think it’s better that we are honest with each other and ourselves.”
He nodded and shifted to hold her. “Are you scared?” he asked quietly.
“Yes. Terribly.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Cam had gone on errands early the next morning and still arrived first for breakfast. He filled his plate and had just taken his seat when a woman’s scream had him running out of the room.
“She fell down the stairs,” Parkes said from the foyer, clearly upset.
Cam raced to get to his wife. The baby. But it wasn’t Mari lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, but the dowager. The prideful biddy was attempting to get up, using her cane to support herself and failing at the attempt.
“Be still, woman, until we assess how badly you’re injured. Parkes, send for a healer,” he ordered.
“At once, sir.”
“I’m fine,” the dowager barked, but winced and whimpered as the final word crossed her lips.
“Aye, I see that. Let’s check you over.” As he did on a battlefield with wounded soldiers, he went about checking her legs and arms.
“Unhand me, you savage! That is not the proper way to touch a lady.”
“Trust me, Your Grace. I well know the proper ways.” He winked at her to make sure she was thoroughly offended by his remark. When he could see she was in no great harm, he continued his campaign simply to ruffle her, now that he had the opportunity.
“Please just go back to your meal and leave me my dignity, so I might get back on my feet.”
“That will not do at all. Your foot is broken. I believe your wrist is, as well.”
As if to challenge him, she turned her foot and promptly hissed. Then she moved her wrist and winced.
“It’s back upstairs with you, Your Grace.”
He slipped his arms under her frail body and lifted her up, being careful because she might have lesser injuries in other places.
“Put me down, you brute!”
“I’ll do so soon enough.” With a nod to Parkes to lead the way, Cam carried the dowager up the stairs she’d just fallen down and into her elaborate suite of rooms at the farthest side of the house away from his and Mari’s.
He settled her in bed and removed her slipper, noticing how the skin was already turning purple.
“Well, you’ve gotten what you wanted,” she snapped at him when he propped an extra pillow behind her back so she could sit up.
“Nay, hardly. You didn’t break your neck, did ye?” Cam laughed so she knew he was teasing. It was so easy to rile her up, he couldn’t seem to help himself.
As expected, he was awarded a glare of surprised disgust.
“What has happened?” Mari rushed into the room.
“I stumbled on the stairs and your barbarian of a husband couldn’t stash me away in my rooms fast enough.”
Mari blinked at him as he chuckled. “Her foot and her wrist are most likely broken. A healer is on the way to confirm. I merely wanted her to be comfortable.”
“He wanted me out of the way,” the dowager muttered. “And we don’t have healers, we have physicians.”
“Ah, I’m sorry.” Cam crossed his arms. “A physician will have to do, I guess.”
Her lips pulled up tighter, and he hid a smile. He really couldn’t help himself.
“I’ll bring up some breakfast for you,” Cam offered.
“I’ll not eat anything you’ve touched.”
“I’m not planning to touch it.”
“Please stop.” Mari raised a hand at each of them. “I’ll bring you your meal—”
“Nay.” Cam shook his head. “I’ll not have another lass fall down those stairs. Especially not the one carrying my babe in her belly. I’ll get the food, and you will eat it, you miserable old crow.”
With that he left. He passed the physician on the stairs as Parkes led him up to the dowager’s room. The man’s eyes went wide, and he moved to the far side of the steps so as not to risk brushing against Cam’s kilt.
Bloody English.
Cam offered the man a menacing smile, and he practically ran the rest of the way up the stairs.
Had Cam known being in London would be so much fun, he might have visited sooner.
…
Mari sat with the dowager as the physician checked her over. Cam had been correct. Her foot and wrist were both broken.
Her former mother-in-law looked close to tears when the man told her she would need to stay in bed indefinitely. “People who stay in bed never leave them,” she complained.
“You’ll be up and around soon enough. Sooner if you mind what I say and stay off that foot until it’s healed properly,” the physician scolded.
“These people—”
“I used to live here,” Mari reminded the woman stiffly. “And I can assure you I have no need for any of your fancy possessions. I’ll not be able to use them where I’m going.”
That shut them up.
The dowager looked away and let out a breath. “Very well. I’ll stay up here and hope for the best.”
“I’ll make sure you’re taken care of,” Mari promised.
She didn’t know why she felt the need to see to the woman’s health and comfort. The dowager had been nothing but nasty to Mari every time they’d ever shared the same
