Page 51 of Forever My Lass

Her dark angel demonstrated his love for her on a regular basis. Whether it was rubbing her feet while she’d been pregnant with Jane, reaching for her hand in the dark at the theater, meeting her gaze from across the room, or in bed when he made love to her so tenderly and passionately, Sebastian’s heart was hers.

“This argument isn’t really about my telling Madeline what I know, is it, Sebastian?”

“What the devil is that supposed to mean?”

Guilt flashed so quickly across his face that if she’d not been looking for it, she wouldn’t have seen it. Annoyed by his stubbornness in hiding what was troubling him, Anna planted her hands on her hips and eyed her husband with irritation.

“It means, you’re still angry with me for insisting I come to Scotland with you. I would have thought you’d be happy that Jane and I are with you, but you certainly don’t act like it.” The fierce accusation made Sebastian stiffen as his gaze met hers before he quickly returned his attention to undressing.

“I am not angry with you for accompanying me.” His voice had the same stilted note it always did when he was hiding his emotions behind the wall he would occasionally throw up between them.

“Aren’t you? Ever since we left London, you’ve acted as if our daughter and I are a burden to you.” Her accusation made Sebastian stare at her in stunned amazement. She sniffed her disgust at his reaction. “Don’t you dare deny it, Lord Starling. However, I’ll make it easy for you. I’ll take Jane to Aberdeen tomorrow, and the two of us will take the first available train back to London.”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” Sebastian snarled. “I’m not about to let my wife take any more risks with her health than absolutely necessary.”

“What?” Anna’s mouth fell open in astonishment for several seconds, before annoyed disgust made her hands fly up in a gesture of angry confusion. “What the hell are you talking about.”

A groan escaped Sebastian as he shoved one hand through his hair and bowed his head. When he didn’t answer her, Anna closed the distance between them and poked his chest with one finger.

“I asked you a question, Lord Starling. What risks am I taking?”

She’d barely finished asking her question, when Sebastian roughly pulled her into his arms and buried his face in the side of her neck. The shudder that rippled out of him and into her made Anna draw in a soft gasp of fear.

“Sebastian, please. Tell me what’s wrong.” When he didn’t speak, Anna stroked the nape of his neck with her fingers in a soothing gesture. “Please, my dark angel. What makes you think I’m in some sort of danger?”

“Pennington said giving birth to Jane was very difficult for you.” Sebastian dragged in a ragged breath as he lifted his head. “He said you needed to rest for several months, and traveling across Scotland is not what I call rest.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Anna exclaimed angrily. “Resting doesn’t mean I have to stay in bed for six months. That man knows as much about women and babies as Hamish or Smitty.”

“He came highly recommended, Anna.” Her dark angel’s expression held a small bit of umbrage at her questioning his choice of doctor.

“A recommendation you received from other men, not their wives.” Anna eyed him with exasperation. “For the record, Lord Starling, Dr. Pennington will never come near me or any of our children ever again.”

“Whether or not the man attends you in the future is not the issue. I’m worried you’re not getting enough rest. You fall asleep against my shoulder when we travel, and you have demonstrated an increasing tendency to sleep late.”

“You seem to forget we have a daughter who needs attention, night and day. You sleep through the night. I don’t.”

“Then why haven’t you asked for help?” The bewilderment in his voice made her heave a sigh of exasperation.

“I don’t need help. I’m doing what every woman has done since the beginning of time, and I love doing it. So, would you please, stop acting like a mother hen.” Anna scowled up at him before she gently cupped his cheeks. “I love you, my dark angel, but I’m made of much sterner stuff than that old goat of a doctor says.”

Anna pulled his head down to kiss him gently, and Sebastian’s arms wrapped tightly around her as he returned the caress. When he lifted his head, he smiled at her before another frown suddenly furrowed his brow.

“What now?” Exasperated, she rolled her eyes.

“No matchmaking.” It wasn’t a request. It was an order, and Anna shook her head.

“Matchmaking? What the devil are you talking about, now?” She feigned innocence, and Sebastian released a quiet sound of irritation.

“You know damn well, what I’m talking about, Lady Starling.”

“Such language, my lord.” Her pretense at being scandalized made Sebastian grunt with exasperation.

“Don’t change the subject, Anna. You’re not to meddle in Iain’s personal affairs. I like him, and I need him to accept my offer to manage my investments in Aberdeen. I trust him to look out for our best interests. So no matchmaking schemes. Is that understood?”

“I’m not the one you and Iain need to be worried about.” Eying him with restrained amusement, she snorted with laughter. “Grace and Ainslie are as stubborn as their father. I think the two of them will do whatever it takes to have Madeline become a permanent member of the household. The man is going to have his hands full with those two girls if he lets Madeline leave.”

“Then let Iain deal with them. I don’t want my wife trying to throw my friend and his governess together.”