Free The Highlander's Woman (The Reckless Rockwoods #3) by Monica Burns

the evening wore on. Patience had just taken a trick when Louisa’s butler appeared at her side.
    “There is a messenger for you, my lady,” Hughes bent over to discreetly whisper in her ear. “They say it’s urgent. I’ve shown them into his lordship’s study.”
    “Thank you,” she said with a nod as she took another trick. Had someone come to tell her Julian had been hurt? Her heart slammed into her chest before she tried to dismiss her fear. She wished she could feel nothing, but she did.
    “Are you all right, Patience?” Caleb laid his hand over hers as an odd frown darkened his handsome features.
    “I’m fine.” She smiled with a cheerfulness she didn’t feel. “It’s just a message for me.”
    “Isn’t it rather late for someone to be delivering messages?” Helen murmured. The worried expression on her sister-in-law’s face made Patience’s heart lurch, but she shook her head. “I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll be back in a moment. Sebastian, Devin, will one of you take my place until I return?”
    Her eldest brother looked up from his chess game with a scowl as Devin announced checkmate with a jubilant cry of victory. With a grimace of self-disgust at his loss, Sebastian grunted his agreement to Patience. As he stood up, he warned Devin a rematch would be expected at a later date as he moved toward Patience’s seat at the table. Her brother bent to kiss his wife’s cheek then straightened to smile at her.
    “Are you and Helen winning?”
    “Yes,” she said with satisfaction as she arched her eyebrows at Caleb. Percy simply groaned with amused disgust that he and his brother were losing the match. Caleb shook his head.
    “Your winning streak is about to end, Patience. We both know Sebastian is not a very good player,” Caleb taunted, his slurred speech indicating he was well on his way to being completely drunk. Sebastian frowned at his youngest brother’s condition, but didn’t say a word, despite his obvious desire to chastise Caleb.
    “Then I’ll return as quickly as I can to prevent any real damage.” Patience went up on her toes to kiss Sebastian’s cheek. “Please do your best not to muck up what I’ve achieved, Sebastian.”
    “I shall rely on Helen to keep me in line,” he said with an arched look at Patience.
    “Something I do every day, my love,” Sebastian’s wife said with a teasing laugh.
    Satisfied her winning streak was fairly safe, Patience left the drawing room and hurried to the study. God help her if something had happened to Julian. His betrayal was devastating, but she still loved him no matter what he’d done to cause her pain. The study was softly lit by the blaze in the fireplace, while a small gas lamp spread its light over one of the reading tables. Patience looked around the empty room with a frown of puzzlement. She was certain Hughes had said the messenger was waiting for her in the study. Behind her the soft thud of the door closing made her whirl around in surprise. One hand pressed to her stomach, she froze at the sight of Julian. For a moment, she thought he was a hallucination. Patience blinked as if that would erase the image in front of her. When he didn’t disappear, she drew in a breath of relief. He was all right. Nothing had happened to him.
    “Why are you here?” The tremor in her voice angered her. She didn’t want him to know she’d been worried about his safety or how he could still make her heart flutter when they were in the same room together. She drank in the sight of him. He looked tired. Tired and dusty. Dressed in breeches and his riding jacket, it was apparent he’d ridden to Westbrook Farms rather than taking the train. The realization made her think he’d been eager to reach her—unwilling to wait on the train.
    “Your sister sent word for me to come.”
    “Louisa should not have done that,” she said hoarsely.
    “I would have come with or without her invitation.” The resolute note in his words made her heart