‘Uncle Thorarinn has serious business to attend, because things might be getting dicey soon.’ She said the words as if she had learned them by rote, rather than words which came naturally. Perhaps the errant pair had expected Rand to question his daughter.
He cursed under his breath. ‘Before I left, I gave orders that if, by some minor miracle, the pair appeared here, they were to be detained. Who decided to disobey me?’
The nurse hurried forward and scooped Birdie up. ‘My lord, a messenger arrived yesterday. We thought he might have come from you, but he only stayed a brief while and spoke to Lord Thorarinn. He refused to stay and threatened to slit men’s throats. I wanted them to spend the night in hopes of Thorarinn reconsidering.’
‘But he refused?’
‘His temper became even worse, and he upset Birdie.’ The old woman curtseyed. ‘I thought it best that they depart.’
Rand swore under his breath until Birdie covered her mouth, saying she didn’t think his words were nice. Rand mumbled an apology.
‘They left directly after the messenger, didn’t they, Nurse,’ Svanna said, ‘if the messenger arrived yesterday?’
The nurse regarded her as if she’d grown two heads. ‘Aye, you are right about that one, and Birdie was wrong. The rain was starting, not ending.’
‘It can’t be helped,’ Svanna said, forcing the sense of regret back down her throat. There was little she could do now. She had to keep going forward rather than trying to alter the past. ‘No doubt I will get to meet both of them soon.’ She added for Birdie’s benefit, ‘I was looking forward to it. You made them both sound interesting, Rand.’
Wriggling out of her nurse’s arms, Birdie gave Svanna a quizzical look and then stuck her nose in the air as if she was determined to ignore this stranger who had arrived with her beloved father.
‘Auntie said that she was going to take me to court to finally meet my grandpapa,’ Birdie said. Her brow knitted. ‘She made it sound exciting. Lots of things happen at court. She said that I’d be at the centre and that was a good thing. Is it a good thing, Papa? To be at the centre?’
‘I’m sure I don’t know,’ Rand answered as if he were thinking of something else.
‘It will be when it happens,’ Svanna said, hunkering down to bring her face level with Birdie’s. She wanted to make things right with the little girl, not simply because it would make her peace-weaving easier but because she wanted to be the right sort of mother for Birdie. ‘Sometimes things are even better when you are a little older, even if you don’t think so at the time.’
‘I am older than I was yesterday but not as old as I will be tomorrow. When my nurse says it, I laugh.’
Svanna glanced towards the older woman. ‘Your nurse sounds like a very wise woman.’
Birdie took two steps backwards. ‘Who is this lady, Papa? She talks funny.’
‘This lady is my new wife, Svanna Guthardottar. And she is from the North, but I think you will like her just the same. She fights for what she believes in and she is kind.’ Rand touched his daughter’s nose with a light tap. ‘I dare say you sound funny to someone from the North.’
* * *
Birdie’s eyes went big and she stuck her thumb in her mouth. Her jaw took on a stubborn aspect, one that reminded Rand of his late wife when she took a notion to be unreasonable in her head. He hoped that Birdie would not prove difficult with Svanna. He knew all too well how important first impressions were and how he’d failed miserably in the past. And he suspected that his ire at Thorarinn and Rhiannon would not have helped, but it was too late.
‘The child is tired. She wouldn’t settle for her nap, kept insisting exciting things were going to happen,’ her nurse murmured as if that explained everything.
‘They have,’ Birdie said with a huge smile. ‘I’m normally right about exciting things.’
‘Shall we get the lady Svanna inside? I’d hardly like her to think our hospitality was lax.’
Rand scooped his daughter up again and balanced her on his hip. Coming home meant having her in his arms once again. As always, she appeared to have grown considerably in the time he’d been away. He wished he could remain with her always, but he’d promised Máel Sechnaill when he’d married Bridget that he would serve as his eyes and ears where required. It had not mattered as much when Bridget was alive and at court, but now there was a gaping hole whenever he was gone.
Little point in wishing for things to change, he’d made that bargain long ago. He simply had to go forward and be content, even if being content was getting harder and harder.
‘Will she be my new mother?’ Birdie whispered in his ear. ‘I don’t remember my real mother. But you need a mother to be a real family. I prayed for one, but one who is kind.’
‘Svanna is my wife,’ he said, trying to keep his footsteps steady as he carried the little girl into the hall. He wished he knew who had filled his child’s ears with such nonsense about real families or why the little girl had taken it to heart. But maybe he’d done one thing right in marrying Svanna and giving Birdie hope. ‘We will sort everything out later, but she is exceptionally kind.’
Birdie nodded as if she accepted his verdict. ‘Auntie said that maybe I could have a real family with her, but I can stay with you now, can’t I? I like it when you are with me.’
Rand tightened his hold on the little girl and tried to keep the sense of foreboding from bubbling up. He’d not anticipated Rhiannon making noises about fostering Birdie. It was most likely a passing fancy. Like her sister, Rhiannon blithely made promises which later she found impossible to keep.
‘Did your aunt say where she was headed?’ Rand asked his daughter. ‘Any little scrap that would help your old papa?’
Birdie shook her copper curls. ‘Uncle Thorarinn refused to tell. They had an argument. Auntie wanted to take more trunks, but he called her an unreasonable spoilt brat.’ She put her hands over her ears. ‘Lots of screaming. I’m not a brat, am I?’
