Arne closed the door behind him but remained close to it as he took his leathers off and hung them to dry over a chair.
“It was better than sitting out in the open, praying it was a friend walking through the door.”
“It was,” he agreed. “And am I?”
“What?”
“A friend?”
Gemma thought for a long moment, then slowly nodded. “For now.”
Chapter Ten
Gemma refused to acknowledgehow relieved she was that Arne had come back alone and that he hadn’t told the other men about her presence. “Who were they?”
Arne nodded. “Caelin, will you put some more wood on the fire and tend it so it doesn’t go out while the venison cooks?”
“Be careful, Caelin.”
“Yes, Mama,” he said but he exchanged a look with Arne and she knew Caelin didn’t want her to fuss over him. Caelin sat himself down by the fire, the poker in one hand and set about deciding which log to put on next, and where to place it. So long as he was distracted and not paying attention to whatever Arne wanted to tell her. She’d heard the other men and realised he had been right. A woman alone, especially with a child, was in danger from any number of sources.
“Hunters, they said. Most of them were Norsemen,” Arne said. “And at least one Dal Riatan.”
“With the Norsemen?”
“They seemed comfortable to be together. One told me he had a new bride from amongst their people,” Arne said. “I’ve heard they call themselves theGall-Ghàidheal, the ones whose villages have mixed.”
“Oh.”
“They asked me if I had seen you. There’s a reward for taking you to the king.”
Gemma gave a start, then swallowed, trying to calm her racing heart. “Just me?”
Arne shrugged. “Both of you. Although each of you is almost as valuable alone.”
Gemma frowned at him. “Surely it is Caelin who—”
“You could have another child.”
“But—” She paused. She had wondered if Rhun had sent her to Car Luel last year with that in mind. Had there been a man there whom Rhun had promised her to? Would he have told her? She was no longer sure. They had been heading south with Marcant’s sister, the disgraced Lady Ula, intending to send Lord Cenydd north to claim his place as the new lord of Car Cadell. En route, however, she had been abducted, and when Cenydd had been the one to send rescuers to Alt Clut for her, she had wondered if he had considered marrying her himself. But he had sent her to Kirkjaster as soon as she had arrived back at Car Cadell after her rescue, so that did not seem likely.
“I’m sure it would not be difficult for the king to find you another husband whether you wanted one or not.” Arne remained in the doorway, watching her. “And there are many lords among the Britons who would be happy to father a potential future king.”
She nodded. “I suppose there are. And my brother might choose to negotiate a marriage except I don’t believe it’s in his interest for that to happen. His own position is far more secure if Caelin and I are both gone. I think that was why he sent us to Car Luel last year.”
“And then there is Lord Marcant—”
“Yes. I find it strange that Marcant himself did not push for that, either last year or even earlier. His wife died before I married. Perhaps my father saw the threat he posed even before he murdered Lord Cadell.”
“It is strange he is not married,” Arne said.
“It is. Marcant and my father were great friends. Until… I’m not sure. There was an argument a few years ago. After I was married. I never really understood what it was about.”
“Will you return to Ir Ysgyn?”
“I don’t think I can. At least not until I have spoken to my brother. Even then, I will be forced to fit in with their plans.”
“And what if those plans mean your son gets his lands back? Or even that he gets to be king?”
