“Aye. The islanders. The Norsemen. They all come. They all go. But the Picts remain. That is what Aidan says.”
Apparently Malcolm thought a lot of what Aidan said.
“But why do they keep coming?” Lachlann smoothed his bare hand over the skin, assessing the cleanliness of the scraping. “Is it land they seek?”
“They fight for control over all things. Long ago, it was raiding the abbeys for the gold, then the land for farming, and sometimes people for slaves.”
“And when ye came here, ye didna mind leaving yer clan?”
“We stayed with my clan at first. When my parents died unexpectedly, I had no reason to stay, so we came here. Besides, Domelch never liked my clan. She cried herself to sleep every night.”
“And Ethne came as well?”
“Domelch said she could find something for the lass to do, so we brought her with us.”
“Something for her to do like cooking and seeing to Finn?”
“Aye and now Domelch has decided she will be wife to Uradech.”
* * *
When they returned with the boat, Malcolm went to help unload the fish, but Lachlann held back under the pretense of cleaning their tools. Aldred jumped out first into the shallow waves to beach the small vessel high on the shore, while Niall offered a hand to assist Domelch ashore.
Uradech was directed by Malcolm to grab the other side of the large basket now loaded with silver fish flapping for air, which he almost dropped. The man was inept at everything. Domelch followed, giving orders before they even made it all the way into the cave. Niall came, red-faced, soaked tunic, and hair messily clubbed back, to stand alongside Lachlann where he waited for the others to continue into the cave.
Lachlann couldn’t contain his grin. “And how was the ocean this morning? Wet?”
Niall glowered at him before untying his hair and shaking loose the water and sand. In a quiet voice, he finally asked. “Was my discomfort worth it? Did ye learn anything?”
“Malcolm told me how he wed Domelch, and came here with her after the death of his parents,” Lachlann said. “Except for his arm band, everything else was acquired by him.”
“And did he say how he’d acquired them?”
Damn!
“He didn’t specify.” Lachlann cringed. Niall’s question was a good one and he should have pressed Malcolm.
The redhead nodded thoughtfully.
“There is to be some big meeting later in the summer.” Lachlann’s voice was louder than it needed to be, but he felt some relief at this added information. “Aidan will attend. If anyone knows of any hidden silver, it’s him. I dinna believe he will just tell us of it, not even if it’s been found by them and used.”
Aldred chose that moment to join them. He flashed a grin. “It seems ye may have been breaking up the consummation this morning. Sticking yer nose where it does not belong. Ethne and Uradech are to be married.”
“Ye told him about that?” Lachlann turned on Niall, his accusation louder than he’d intended.
One single, red brow raised high, along with Aldred’s perplexed frown, flooded Lachlann’s face with heat. He continued defensively, “I heard her tell him no.”
“As did I.” Niall’s brow remained raised.
“Ye’ve upset the apple cart. Explains why Uradech is always shooting arrows at ye from his beady little eyes.”
“If there is to be a consummation, should she not be saying ‘aye’?” Lachlann’s heart was racing. Their damned expressions, accusing him, but he couldn’t say for certain why he felt so disappointed.
“Overly chivalrous, even for ye,” Aldred said.
Lachlann scowled. “There is no such thing asoverlychivalrous. There is only chivalrous.”
“And the way ye yanked him away from her side? He fell right on his arse?” Aldred barked a laugh. “What a sight that must have been.”
