ionna heaved out a sigh. “I hope you’re right. So far my husband doesn’t seem thrilled with the idea of fatherhood, and yet he seemed eager enough to plant his seed. He boasted that I’d deliver an heir within a year of our marriage. I guess he knew what he was about.”

“The laird has a lot on his mind. His responsibilities are great right now. He’ll come around. ’Tis likely a shock to him at the moment. You watch. He’ll be boasting and spreading tales of his virility before you know it.”

“He just seemed so … angry,” Rionna said softly.

Sarah shrugged. “He’ll get over the shock of it soon enough. Now about the men …”

“Aye, I should reassure them that I am well and that Caelen hasn’t murdered me. He’s had enough trouble with them of late.” Rionna sighed unhappily. “I know not what is going on with my clan, Sarah. Only a few have given Caelen their loyalty and support. I know not what they wait for or why they hold back. Surely they cannot have been more content under my father’s rule.”

Sarah patted Rionna on the hand. “Some men just don’t like change. They don’t like anything that isn’t their idea. Having a new laird forced on them—an outsider to our clan—’tis a hard thing for many of them to swallow. And ’tis pride that gets in their way, for the laird is pointing out their shortcomings and ’tis a humiliation to them.”

“Help me up and into a gown. ’Twill ease my husband’s mood if he sees me in womanly apparel. Perhaps he’ll not bellow at me too loudly for gainsaying his order to remain abed.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Sarah said wryly. “ ’Tis enough if you soothe the men’s worry that he’s dispatched you and is even now having his man bury you.”

Rionna rolled her eyes at the amusement in Sarah’s voice and threw her legs over the side of the bed. A few moments later, she was attired in a gown of amber cloth with gold-colored threads. ’Twas the first time she’d worn the gown since Sarah had sewn it for her. She’d wanted to save it for a special occasion. Avoiding her husband’s ire seemed good enough.

“You look beautiful, lass. Already, carrying the babe has given you a softer glow about you.”

Rionna paused on her way to the door and turned with a sigh. “Gannon.”

Sarah frowned as if just remembering Caelen’s commander herself. Then she shrugged. “ ’Tis unlikely he’ll lay a hand on you. Oh he’ll bluster and try to bar your way, but between the two of us we should be able to make him back down.”

Rionna didn’t have Sarah’s confidence that Gannon wouldn’t physically subdue her.

“Perhaps ’twould be better if you called Gannon inside. I’ll stand behind the door and when he comes in, I’ll hurry out behind him.”

Sarah chuckled. “You’ve a devious mind, lass. ’Twill work if I inject enough panic into my cry. Take your position, but remember to be quick. He won’t like our trickery.”

Rionna gathered her skirts in her grip and then hastened to stand behind the door. Sarah positioned herself across the room and then cried Gannon’s name.

Immediately the door burst open and Gannon ran inside the room. Not taking even a moment to see his reaction, Rionna grasped the door, darted around it, and ran down the stairs. His bellow of outrage followed her all the way down.

Urged on by the heavy tread of his footsteps on the stairs, she ran for the door leading out into the courtyard. She nearly slipped in the snow, righted herself, and ran toward her husband, whose back was to her.

But the men saw her. They lowered their swords in the midst of one of Caelen’s instructions and stared curiously as she skidded to a stop just beyond Caelen’s right elbow.

They glanced between her and Caelen, their expressions wary, and when he turned so that she could see his face, she knew why.

His expression was so coldly furious that she took a step back, her heart leaping into her throat. Gannon strode up behind her and suddenly she was pinned by two extremely angry warriors.

“You were not to allow her from her chamber,” Caelen snapped at Gannon.

“ ’Twas not his fault,” Rionna said softly. “Sarah and I tricked him.”

“You have a deft hand at trickery, wife, wouldn’t you say?”

His tone took her aback. Her mouth fell open at his accusation. She couldn’t be sure exactly what he accused her of, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

Her chin went up a notch. “I merely wanted to assure the men that I was well.”

He gestured widely, his hand sweeping over the assembled warriors. “As they can see, you are hale and hearty, no thanks to your foolishness. Now if that is all, we’ve training to finish.”

Her chest clutched at his dismissive, caustic tone. “My foolishness? What is it you speak of, husband?”

He took a step forward and stared down at her, his face so cold that she shivered. “I will speak to you later, when I am not so gripped by anger. Until then, return to our chamber and do not leave it. Are we understood?”

Her mouth fell open. She gaped incredulously at him. What on earth could she have done to anger him so?

She was sorely tempted to knee him in the cods and leave him writhing on the ground in agony. She pressed her lips into a thin line and sent him a stare that would wither a flower in full bloom.

She turned and when Gannon would have taken her arm, she jerked away and gave him an equally icy stare. Over her lifeless body would she obey her husband’s dictate to wait in their chamber for him to take her apart for some imagined slight.

She stomped inside and went in search of Sarah. Caelen should be filled with joy. He was going to be a father. It had been his wish for his seed to bear fruit with all haste so as to further seal his leadership over his new clan.

Now the McCabes and the McDonalds would be joined by blood. Caelen had everything he wanted. Why then did he look upon her as though she’d handed him the worst betrayal?

“You cannot avoid the laird forever,” Sarah warned.

Rionna shot her a glare. “ ’Tis not avoiding as much as it is me not obeying his almighty dictate. He can go to the devil. And to think I wore a dress for him.” She looked down in disgust at the beautiful amber gown that had a fair number of wrinkles in it now.

Sarah chuckled and resumed her knitting. The two women sat in Sarah’s cottage as the fire blazed in the hearth. ’Twas past the hour of the evening meal but Rionna had eaten—at Sarah’s insistence—in the quiet of Sarah’s cottage.

“You can’t miss meals now, lass,” she’d cautioned Rionna. “ ’Tis likely what made you faint. You didn’t break your fast and then you overexerted yourself.”

Rionna had given in to Sarah’s prodding and eaten a bowl of stew but she couldn’t even remember the taste. The only thing firmly entrenched in her memory was her husband’s furious expression. And his coldness to her. She had no explanation for it. One moment they were sparring, and aye, he’d been in a black mood because of the men, but surely that couldn’t be blamed for the horrible way he’d reacted to her pregnancy. Was he really so angry because she was carrying? It made no sense. Not when her bearing an heir was of such import to the alliance between the McCabes and the McDonalds. Her babe could go a long way in mending the animosity the McDonald men currently bore Caelen.

“I admit, I’ll never understand the mind of a man,” Rionna said with a sigh.

Sarah tsked under her breath. “ ’Tis good you learn that now, lass. ’Tis a foolhardy endeavor to even attempt such. The mind of a man changes on a daily basis and a woman is never sure which way it bends from one moment to the next. ’Tis why ’tis best to allow them to think they are the master of their domain and go quietly behind them and do things the way you like.”

Rionna laughed. “You are a wise woman, Sarah.”

“Having outlived two husbands already, I’ve gained more wisdom about men than a woman needs to know.” She shrugged. “ ’Tis not hard once you’ve learned they’re mostly bluster and gruff. If you can look beyond that and ignore their bite, they’re not hard to live with. You give them a little petting, stroke their pride a bit, and follow it with a kiss here and there, and they’re well content.”

“Aye, I used to think you were right,” Rionna said as she stared into the flames. “But my husband … ’tis disloyal of me to discuss him so, but he drives me daft. One moment he is as tender as a man can be and the next he’s as cold as the winter’s snow.”

Sarah smiled. “Because he’s not yet decided what he thinks of you, lass. You’ve got him so flustered that he doesn’t know if he’s coming or going. He’ll figure it out eventually.”

“How typical that I must wait on him to make his mind up before we can be at peace,” Rionna grumbled.

“ ’Tis hard to soothe a savage beast when you’re here and he’s there,” Sarah pointed out.

“ ’Tis cold and I’m not venturing out,” Rionna grumbled.

“The problem is you’re both as stubborn as an old mule. Neither of you will give an inch. ’Tis no way to make a success of a marriage.”

“If I make a practice of yielding so easily, then I’ll always be yielding and he’ll never bend.”

“Aye, that’s true as well.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” Rionna asked in exasperation.

Sarah chuckled. “If I knew that, no one would ever be discontent, now would they? I think ’tis something you’ll have to muddle through on your own.”

“Maybe,” Rionna said grudgingly. “But ’tis nothing I’ll discover tonight. I’m tired.”

“And grumpy.”

“With good reason.”

“Go to sleep, lass. Your husband will be looking for you soon enough and you’ll not be getting to sleep then.”

“I’ll not hide from him,” Rionna vowed.

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what exactly do you call what you’re doing?”

“I’m defying his order.”

“And hiding while you do it,” Sarah said in amusement.

“Nay, I’ll not hide from him. ’Tis high time I discovered why it is he’s angry.”

Rionna stood, her fingers curling into fists.

“You be careful on the walk back, lass. ’Tis snowy and icy out tonight. The good Lord doesn’t seem to be able to decide if he wants it to rain or snow.”

“I’ll be careful, Sarah. Thank you for your company. And your counsel. ’Tis good sometimes to have someone to listen.”

Sarah smiled. “Aye, lass, it is. Go now and make peace with the laird. ’Tis celebrating the two of you should be doing now.”

Rionna said her farewells and hurried through the snow back to the keep. By the time she made it to the steps she was shivering, as a mixture of snow and rain drizzled down her neck.

She went inside, stomping her boots free of the ice and snow, and walked into the great hall to warm herself by the fire before going in search of her husband.

She didn’t have to look far.

He was sitting at the table with Gannon and many of the McDonald warriors. When he saw her, he rose, his eyes narrowed and his lips set into a fine line. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down. The man hadn’t even realized she hadn’t obeyed his command to retire to their chamber. Had he planned to starve her to death?

Ignoring his less-than-pleased look, she marched over to the fire and stuck out her hands to warm them, presenting her back to the laird.

The more she gave thought to the matter, the more furious she became. She’d done nothing to gain his ire. And if he wasn’t happy about the babe, ’twas his own fault. He certainly hadn’t done anything to prevent her becoming with child.

When she was sufficiently warmed, she turned without looking in her husband’s direction and walked calmly toward the stairs.

“You sorely try my patience, wife,” Caelen called out.

She halted at that and slowly turned until she pinned him with a glare that hid none of her own mounting ire.

The men stared between their laird and Rionna with ill-disguised curiosity. It didn’t suit Rionna to have it out with Caelen in such a public fashion, but she was just furious enough not to care.

“And you try mine, husband. Perhaps when you’ve figured out what it is that I’ve done to displease you, you can let me know. Until then, I’m going to bed. ’Tis been a most eventful day.”

Rionna was shaking by the time she reached her chamber. It had taken all her courage to calmly walk out of the hall with Caelen’s face a storm cloud of anger. ’Twas wrong of her to show such disrespect in front of the men, but ’twas just as wrong for him to air his grievance with her in front of others.

She had no desire to remain in this chamber, or wait his convenience, stewing all the while she waited for him to make an appearance. But neither would she give the impression that she was hiding by retreating to her former chamber.

But ’twas God’s truth all she really wanted was to be alone so she could sleep in peace. She was so weary and tense that she wanted to melt into her bed and remain there an entire day. And her head was beginning to throb.

She paced back and forth in front of the fire until she realized that he was going to make her wait. With an irritated sigh, she undressed and put her gown carefully away so that it wouldn’t be ruined. ’Twas a beautiful gown and perhaps one day she’d have a chance to wear it when it could be appreciated.