“I haven’t, no.” So far as he knew, Ruarc was still confined. He’d continued the punishment this day, wanting to break more of his cousin’s defiance. He didn’t want Ruarc starting a war.
Then again, Sosanna was Ruarc’s sister. He deserved to see her, and though Patrick was wary of the man’s reaction, he had an obligation to arrange it.
“Sosanna shouldn’t be around the others now,” he told Isabel. “Except for Ruarc and you, I don’t want anyone else near her.” It would give the young woman time to heal, without having to face questions.
“You want me to take care of her,” she said, “when you believe the Normans hurt her?” Disbelief shadowed her face. “She’ll scream at the sight of me.”
“Then don’t speak,” he advised. “Don’t let her know who you are.”
“She has seen me already and knows I am Norman. I won’t lie to her.” She moved apart from him, feigning interest in a pot of simmering water. “I’ve been here for almost a sennight now. And in that time you’ve kept me away from everyone.” Hurt glimmered in her eyes. “I don’t want to continue like this. I don’t know your language, I don’t know your customs.” She lifted a dipper of water and watched it pour back into the pot.
He wanted to say something to her, to explain it all. But how would she react, knowing that he intended to set the marriage aside, after her father had gone?
“Do you want me to take you back to England?” he asked.
“Don’t be foolish. You and I both know that will never happen.”
He stood and approached her, taking the dipper away. “And if I allowed it? Is that what you would want?”
She turned to face him. “I want what every woman wants. A family. A home of her own.” Sadness and regret crossed her face. “A true marriage.”
Patrick didn’t apologize. Though he was sorry she’d become a victim of this bargain, he could never grant what she wanted. “You ask what I cannot give.”
“No.” Her voice held a note of sadness. “I ask what youwillnot give. And I don’t understand why. I’ve done nothing to deserve this.”
“Walk with me.” He didn’t wait for an answer but held the door open. It was best to be honest with her, though she might not like the truth.
Outside the afternoon had already waned into evening, a light breeze ruffling the tall grasses outside the ringfort. He led her to an outcropping of rock where the sea stretched before them. It was a favorite spot of his, where he could look out at the rest of the world. The rhythmic waves pulsed against the rocks.
“I know you hate my people,” she began. “But I am not to blame for the past. And you’re blaming me for my father’s deeds.” She sat upon the grasses leaning against a slab of limestone and wondered why he’d brought her outside the ringfort.
Hismouthwassetin a firm line, as though he were reluctant to speak. Weariness edged his eyes, and though he held the powerful strength of a warrior, his face was angular and thin. At his brows, the long strands of hair held a slight curve, as though they had once been war braids.
“I told you that my brother Liam ruled over the tribe until last summer.”
Isabel inclined her head, remembering that his elder brother had died in battle.
“The people chose me to succeed him, though Ruarc also competed for the right to be king.”
“What of your brothers?”
“Bevan had no wish for it, after the deaths of his wife and daughter. And Trahern said it was my duty to take Liam’s place.”
His arms rested against his knees, the leather bracers crossed. “You and I are more similar than you might think. Neither one of us can control our destiny.”
Isabel didn’t like the direction of his conversation. “I don’t choose to live that way. Every man has the power to lead his own life. Even you.”
“I am a king. My power belongs to the people.”
“Then that makes you more of a servant than a king.”
“That may be so. But I give what I must to help them.” He reached down and picked up a smooth stone, fingering it in his palm.
“What can I do to help?” she asked.
He tossed the stone away and shrugged. “Look after Sosanna for a time.”
“And after that?” She sensed a reluctance in his voice, as though he were hiding something from her.
