Iliana was not sure why she was bothered by the idea of Duncan’s taking a mistress. ’Twas common for husbands to do; besides, she did not want the great, smelly oaf in her own bed. Still, she had not been pleased at the possibility. In fact, the thought of it had plagued her, making her most irritable the first morning after he had not joined her in their chamber. But Ebba had informed her that her husband had spent the night sleeping in his sister’s empty room. Alone. He had done so every night since then, much to her relief.

“Are ye even listening to me?”

Iliana pulled herself from her thoughts and met her husband’s annoyed glare. He had held his temper through dinner and during the first part of their ride home, waiting until they’d reached this spot. Then he had suddenly grabbed the reins of her mount and drawn their horses to a halt to make his announcement.

“Aye, husband,” Iliana murmured now. “This is where Dunbar land begins.”

He nodded grimly. “Ye would do well to remember that in future, wife. For if ye ever leave Dunbar land again without me permission, I shall beat ye.”

Her back stiffening, Iliana eyed him warily.

“And once I’ve finished beatin’ ye, I’ll most like lock ye up fer a goodly time as well.” The grim expression that accompanied his words seemed to indicate the conviction behind them, and Iliana shifted uncomfortably as he continued. “I do not make such a threat idly. Yer actions were beyond foolish today. They could have got ye killed. I don’t ken who yer enemies were at Wildwood, but as a member o’ the Dunbar clan, ye now have a whole new set o’ ’em to add to it. Anyone o’ them could have taken ye today and done with ye as they willed; whether that be rapin’, or killin’, or both, and I would’ve been able to do naught about it except to avenge the wrong done ye after the fact.”

Iliana blanched, only now beginning to realize just how foolish she had been.

Duncan nodded solemnly. “I can see ye understand how thoughtless and emptyheaded yer actions were. That bein’ the case, I’ll say no more about yer foolishness in chasing after the spice merchant so. Howbeit, know this. It was a waste o’ time. Ye’ll no be wastin’ me coins on spices. I’ve plans for them already as ye heard this night, and I’ll not have ye wastin’ me newfound wealth on spices and cloth and the like.”

“Aye, husband,” Iliana murmured, eager to soothe him.