‘Not as often as it used to.’ Rand stroked his jaw and then rejected the suggestion. Why would the woman run away with Thorarinn if it wasn’t all-consuming love? Like a worm which refused to die, he could hear Bridget mockingly saying that he was in the right place at the right time for her rebellion and love had only come later. ‘Part of me is pleased that he finally discovered someone who adores him.’
‘But could she have had a flirtation with Turgeis at court?’
He shook his head. Svanna was worse than a dog with a bone when an idea came into her head. ‘A remote possibility, but I don’t understand why it matters.’
‘Turgeis holds grudges,’ Svanna said quietly. ‘Your cousin has spirited two of his prey away. First you. Now Rhiannon. He is unlikely to forgive that. We need to find that couple before he does.’
‘My men are searching for them.’
‘The same men who were supposed to keep them here if they reappeared?’
Rand winced. Once again, Svanna had a point. ‘Where do you think they have gone? Speak plainly, Svanna.’
‘Hopefully, your cousin doesn’t see Dubh-Linn as a safe place from which to catch a ship to the North.’
‘He has more sense than that. He has a deep loathing for the sons of Drengr and a finely developed sense of self-preservation.’
‘But a deep love for his bride. He thinks you’ll be angry with him.’
Rand stared at the braid. He didn’t want to tell her about his sense of foreboding. The scouts should have returned by now with some sort of news. If Turgeis knew Svanna was at Donaghmoyne, would he target her? He rejected the notion as unlikely and the defences would protect her, unlike if they were out on the open road.
‘I did the only thing that could be done, which was to go to Islay. I intended to go after them when I returned. I left an order for their detention.’
‘Did Turgeis expect to see Rhiannon with you? Could that be why he pointed the sword straight at you?’
‘How should I know?’ Rand pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to think logically. His sister-in-law had always been flighty, flitting from one man to the next. Bridget had confidently expected her to settle as she grew older.
The scenario Svanna described sounded implausible, but it did explain. He hoped for Thorarinn’s sake that Rhiannon hadn’t suddenly developed cold feet or had been playing some elaborate game.
‘What does Turgeis know about Donaghmoyne?’
Rand shrugged. ‘She might have come here because she thought it was the last place anyone would look for her.’
‘Why did they go abruptly? Why did this messenger turn up and what did he say?’ Svanna tapped her finger against her mouth. ‘We’re playingtaflbut can’t actually see the board.’
‘I wish I knew,’ Rand said, pleased to be able to admit a weakness in that way. ‘I wish I knew where my men were as well. I’d hoped one of them would return with information by now.’
‘If Thorarinn knew Turgeis expected Rhiannon to travel with you, then he might have been waiting for a signal that Turgeis had returned and went to ground. I presume it is well known that you keep your most precious belongings, including your daughter, here.’
Rand hated the way his insides twisted. Thorarinn would never intentionally put Birdie at risk. He was many things, but he never turned his back on family. ‘He wouldn’t do that. You speculate wildly.’
‘They left. Your men have yet to find them. From everything you have said about him, I don’t think Thorarinn is a traitor. I suspect that Rhiannon is frivolous, with few thoughts in her head beyond her own requirements.’
‘How did you form that opinion?’
‘From what Birdie and her nurse said, and what they left unsaid.’ Svanna spoke slowly, as if attempting to explain something blindingly obvious to a child. ‘It was an early lesson my foster-mother taught me—to pay as much attention to what isn’t being said as to that which is being said.’
‘And I didn’t?’
‘You failed to notice the fatal attraction the two shared.’
Rand pinched the bridge of his nose and attempted to control his temper. Svanna made it sound as if it was his fault for being concerned with other matters. He’d known nothing about the love affair until the couple eloped together. He shifted uneasily. He wasn’t entirely sure that he would have stopped it if he’d known. He might have counselled a different course, but ultimately, he knew Bridget had greatly desired her sister’s happiness. She’d loathed the way their father used all his daughters as counters in his quest for power. All Rhiannon had to do was mention her fears to him and he’d have helped her, but she’d failed to. He stilled.
‘Máel Sechnaill’s game-playing with his daughters must stop,’ he muttered.
‘Playingtaflor dice is fine in its place, but real-life consequences hurt,’ Svanna said softly.
He caught her hand and raised it to his lips. ‘Forgive me for being in a foul temper. I’m worried. It has nothing to do with Agthir or your appointed task.’
