“I think everyone in the keep and village probably does by now.”
“I told those women that ye wouldnae have married anyone but a noblewoman, but is there someone at Dunbeath who willna be pleased ye married?”
“Are ye asking if I was involved with someone?”
“Aye, or someone who thinks they deserve to be yer wife.”
“There’s nay one serious. There are women at the tavern, but that’s their business. There’s a widow I’ve been with a few times, but I made it clear from the beginning that if she even hinted at something permanent, then I would walk away.”
“Do ye have any weans? Ye ken how I dinna, but I dinna think I ever asked.”
“Nay. I’ve always been careful. Do ye ken there are ways to couple without risking that?” Thor swore to himself that he wouldn’t ask such questions, and now he had.
“Aye. I ken.” Greer’s voice was soft as she responded. At the guilt in Thor’s eyes, she shook her head, realizing what he thought. She didn’t want to speak aloud anything to do with a man violating her back channel. “I never have. I dinna ken how I escaped that. I often wished that had been the preference. I wouldnae have feared the pox or getting with child.”
“That’s why I—”
“It’s all right to admit ye have a past and what ye did. I dinna hold it against ye.”
“But ye’re moving to a place where ye will meet these women. I dinna want ye to feel uncomfortable.”
“I ken ye arenae going back to any of them. I ken ye love me. It might be a wee awkward, but I feared someone begrudging me marrying ye. I didna want a woman thinking I stole ye from her or thinking she might steal ye from me.”
“There’s nay one like that.” Thor grinned. “Ma mama wouldnae allow it. She’d have ma cods if I led a woman to believe that, and she would skelp them if they claimed any lies.”
“I like yer mother.” Greer waggled her eyebrows.
“Greer, she likes ye too. I ken she does. Before we left Dunbeath, I saw her face when Rose said she was riding with me to the Gunns, and ye insisted on going too. It pained her, and she feared for ye if there were a battle, and there was. I also saw her relief when she arrived and found ye hale. I ken she suspects something between us, so I think it will relieve her to ken we’ve nae only come to peace, but we’re married.”
“Willna it hurt yer family’s feelings that we didna include them?”
“They willna love it, but they’ll understand.”
“Father Bennett said we can marry when we’re ready. But I havenae brought it up because I want yer family to be there. I dinna want to take that from them.”
“Ye’re nae taking aught, but I appreciate ye considering them. I admit I’d like them to be there too. I want to marry ye right this minute, but I havenae pushed for the kirking for that reason.”
“I suspected as much.” Greer looked toward the bailey wall as though she might see through it. “That still doesnae resolve when we can leave here.”
“I wish I kenned more aboot where they are and what they want. I dinna think either is far. Mayhap the Gunns returned to their keep, but I dinna believe the bluidy Sassenachs rode all the way back to London. But nay one has seen hide nor hair of them. It makes me wonder if they’re hiding on Gunn land. If they are, do Matthew and the others ken? I canna see them condoning it since they’re a threat to their plans for ye.”
“I’ve been thinking the same things.” Greer’s cheeks filled as she exhaled a slow breath. “I dinna like it being so unresolved. I also dinna want to leave Rose and Blaine. They’ve been so kind and generous, but we canna stay here much longer. I ken they willna ask us to leave, but this isnae our home. I’m ready to leave when ye say we should.”
“I’m glad ye told me. I didna want to ask or insist.”
“I ken.”
“Let’s talk to Blaine and Rose together and ask Marcus to join us.”
“Ye really dinna like him, do ye?”
“I think he’s an excellent warrior, and he trains his men well. But I dinna agree with some things he lets his men discuss.”
“Have ye heard some of them talking aboot me again?”
“There hasnae been a death in the clan, so nay. They just arenae respectful of women in general. Mayhap I’m sensitive because I have two sisters and a passel of cousins who are lasses. But ma cousins and I would never say those things where people could hear us.”
“Ye’d say them in private?”
