“What advantages?” She didn’t know why she pressed it.
Slowly, he turned his head to look at her. “Tormod seems happy with his new wife, and their child will most likely have been born by now.”
Gemma felt a twinge of guilt. She should have stayed to help instead of using the onset of Aoife’s labour as a convenient distraction. Been with Aoife. Her only consolation was that Rhiannon was there and her Norse husband seemed to care for her. Certainly more than her own family ever had. “I will pray for the safe delivery of the child.”
“Even a Norse one?”
“The child will be Aoife’s, too.” She swallowed and turned away. From outside came a stronger gust of wind and the creaking of timber from the roof.
“This snow will get worse before it gets better. We must simply try to survive here for the next few days,” Arne said, but he was looking up at the roof with worried eyes.
Chapter Thirteen
Later, Arne brought inmore wood to last them through the night. It had finally stopped snowing, but it was growing much colder and he was worried. It would be treacherous underfoot if the deep snow froze, but deciding whether to risk staying here or trying to return to Kirkjaster was a difficult one. If they did attempt to return tomorrow, they would head for the shore. Maybe they would be lucky and Ulf would arrive with horses.
He stacked the last of the wood against the wall, safely out of the reach of sparks from the fire. Caelin was asleep beside the cubs, and Gemma had finished clearing up and putting everything away. Now she stood watching her son sleep, a frown creasing her brow.
Arne moved over beside her and looked down at the boy, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. “What’s wrong?”
“What if he wakes up and they are dead?”
He turned her to face him, took her hands in his own and squeezed them reassuringly. “Then he must accept it. Animals die. He needs to learn to understand the world.”
“I know, but it will remind him of…”
“Of his father?”
“Yes.” She looked down at their joined hands.
“And his sister?” He let her go and for a moment thought she would reach for him, but she didn’t. Instead she sat, staring down at her sleeping child.
Arne sat on the other chair. “What happened?”
“It is hardly a tale worth telling.”
“Still, I would like to hear it.”
“Why?”
“Just to know more about you.”
“Really? Or will it just give you more reasons to distrust me?” Did she think he would use the information against her somehow? He was rightly suspicious of her, but the more time he spent actually talking to her, the more his curiosity was growing. But how could he persuade her to trust him with the truth? Gemma was frowning at him. She had as much right to distrust him as he did her. Perhaps it was time for them both to try something else. To try trusting. He took a deep breath and reached for her hands. Initially she pulled away, then swallowed and let him wrap his hands around hers.
“I… One of the reasons for my suspicion is… I’m not sure… I don’t really understand how someone like you ended up here.” He kept his eyes on hers, pleased when she held his gaze.
“Someone like me?” She tilted her head to the side and the movement was so regal he nearly laughed at the irony.
“A princess… running away and sleeping in a shieling on the moors in the snow with one of your enemies. One who is not equal in status.”
“You followed me,” she said with a sigh. “And I have very few options. No one else wants us. Rhun sent us away. I assumed when he sent the traders to rescue me that Lord Cenydd would take me in, but he sent me directly here… with you.”
Arne nodded. “Lord Cenydd has never explained his request. He merely asked for a favour from Tormod.”
“Our peoples are supposed to have an alliance.”
“We have. And our alliance with Lord Cenydd is clearly more substantial than the one with your brother. Did you think Lord Cenydd would wish to marry you?” Arne didn’t want to consider why the thought angered him.
“If he wanted that, then he would not have sent me here,” Gemma said. “I don’t think. Unless Cenydd was worried Rhun or Marcant would find me too easily at Car Cadell?”
