“You know what I mean. Worried that your loyalties are now divided.”
“I am hardly the first jarl to marry the daughter of an enemy for the promise of peace.”
Björn regarded him carefully. “I know that, and they know it, too. It is simply that here, with these people, everything is new and different. They don’t understand.”
“They choose not to understand.”
“And you have to deal with that. You need to keep them all together. Us all together.”
Tormod regarded Björn, concerned his cousin would not meet his eye. He expected this from Ulf. Ulf always challenged him, but Björn… Björn was solid, reliable. If Björn was worried, then Tormod really did need to take action.
“Find out what you can,” he instructed Björn. “Then find me and we will speak. Bring Arne.”
Björn nodded at him grimly.
Tormod headed for the hall, and through it to the room he and Aoife shared.
Chapter Twenty-three
Tormod wasn’t surprised tofind Aoife already washed and dressed, but hewassurprised to find she had piled her clothes neatly on the bed and topped it with the small pouch of her valuables that she had arrived with. “What are you doing?”
She jumped and turned to look at him, grabbing the pouch and pressing it to her chest. She relaxed when she recognised him. “You are alive.”
“Would you have preferred it if I wasn’t?” He threw the fur over the end of the bed and strode to where a fresh set of clothes was laid out for him.
“No. I was worried. I…” She turned away from him as he dressed, and he wondered if the tears he had seen in her eyes were for him or herself.
“What were you doing?” he asked gently.
“Preparing to leave. To see my father. I have to ask him why…”
“Don’t.”
She froze. “But…”
“Why do you think he will help you now?” Tormod asked. “Besides, there is no one here that I can spare to take you. No one that I could be sure would come back to me from your father’s lands unharmed.”
Aoife remained still, biting at her lip.
“You heard those men last night. If they are willing to kill you, then what worse fate awaits any of us… barbarians?”
“You are not barbarians! But you have come here, taken our lands and—”
“These lands were empty, my lady,” said Tormod. “No one defended them. We only wished for a new place to call home.”
The two of them stared at each other across the room. Then she dropped her gaze.
“I wish for nothing more than a home, also,” she said quietly.
“Your home is here now, with us.” He didn’t examine why he felt the need to reassure her. How much easier it would be to simply let her go and find a wife from amongst his own people. And yet something about her called to him.
“I need to know why my father was willing to let me be killed. Something is not right at Car Cadell and I need to know what it is. Until I do, I don’t think any of us are safe.”
“I will keep you safe.”
For a moment her face lit up with hope.
Then there was a knock at the door.
