reached for another branch and cut several in silence. The Spaniard took them from her, one by one. Though he said nothing more, Brianna felt the need to fill up the silence. ‘You travelled a long way for your sister.’
‘Adriana and I have always been close.’ In his voice, she heard the affection, but a moment later, he added, ‘I had to be sure Liam was worthy of being her husband.’
‘My cousin will be king one day. There is no one more worthy than he.’ She gathered a pile of branches and returned his knife.
‘What of your own husband?’ he asked. ‘If your uncle is king, then was he—’
‘I don’t want to talk about Murtagh.’ The hurt was still fresh within her, and she had no desire to explain why she had wed the miller’s son. Her husband had been hardworking and honest, although her family had not been pleased by her choice to wed him. Her father had not forbidden it, but neither had he approved of the match.
‘Forgive me if I brought up bad memories.’ He used the knife to detach another branch, adding it to her basket. ‘It was curiosity, nothing more.’
She bit her lower lip, realising how snappish she’d sounded. ‘It was a year ago today that he died.’
Arturo stopped cutting the branch, the knife still partially embedded in the wood. ‘You made the wrong choice to come here.’
She sent him a questioning look, not understanding, and he added, ‘On the one-year anniversary of my wife’s death, I drank myself unconscious.’
A hint of a smile tugged at her. ‘And was it a wise choice?’
‘I didn’t think so the next morn. But at the time, it made it easier to bear.’ He reached down and lifted up the basket of branches. ‘It’s not easy to let go of someone you loved.’
‘No.’ In truth, she felt as if she were betraying Murtagh, just by talking to the handsome stranger. But in his eyes, she saw the reflection of her own grief. Without knowing why, she confessed, ‘Murtagh was killed by the Lochlannach. With that spear.’
‘My wife died in childbirth.’ Though his words were spoken without emotion, she saw the flash of pain on his face.
‘And the baby?’ she couldn’t stop herself from asking.
He stood so still, she knew the answer before he spoke it. Quietly, he shook his head.
The echo of emptiness resonated within her, and she heard herself asking, ‘Did you love her?’
‘Very much.’
‘Then why would you follow me here?’ she blurted out.
Arturo reached out for the spear and handed it to her. ‘I remember the grieving and the loneliness. When I look at you, I see myself as I was, a few years ago. I thought you might want a friend who understands.’
The air turned cooler and snow began to fall around them. It dusted his hair and cheeks, while all around them it swirled in a blinding dance.
‘All I want is someone to teach me how to fight,’ she said at last.
His gaze narrowed. ‘For what purpose?’
‘To kill the man who took my husband’s life.’ She took the basket from him, sending him a challenge of her own. ‘Go ahead and tell me how foolish that is.’
Instead, he shook his head. ‘It’s not foolish at all. You’re angry.’
‘Yes.’ She gripped the spear, feeling the rush of injustice filling her up inside. ‘When I first lost him, I spent months weeping. I could hardly get through the days. And now, I feel this rage every time I think of the Lochlannach who killed him.’
‘Killing him won’t bring back your husband.’
‘It would make me feel better.’ She let out a sigh and handed him back his blade, exchanging it for her own. ‘I need a way of filling up the hours of the day.’
A smug expression slid over his face. ‘There are many ways a beautiful woman can spend the hours of her day.’
She sent him an exasperated look, knowing exactly what he was implying. ‘No, thank you.’
His voice deepened as he sheathed his blade. ‘I can teach you what you wish to learn, Brianna.’ The seriousness on his face made her stop walking, as she realised he was no longer teasing. ‘But only if you swear to me that you won’t hunt this man down alone. Put your anger into the training, and you may find that it eases your grief.’
His offer surprised her. Her own father and uncles had refused to let her near the weapons. ‘Why would you agree to this?’
‘I spent the year after Cristina’s death fighting in any battle I could. Releasing the anger is better than holding it in.’
Brianna studied his dark brown eyes and saw the truth of his words. The physical aspect of training would make her feel better, even if she ended up destroying the weapon. She wanted to punish herself with exertion, until at night she fell into a dreamless sleep. And then, perhaps, she wouldn’t feel the emptiness.
She shivered against the winter air, and the snow had begun to accumulate around them, coating the pine branches in a frosted white. Arturo picked up the basket and nodded for her to accompany him back to Laochre. ‘In return, I ask that you take me to visit the lands nearby. I want to see what I can of this country, before I return to Navarre.’
It was a reasonable request, one she could grant easily. ‘All right. Until Liam and Adriana marry.’
Though he inclined his head in agreement, she worried that spending a great deal of time with Arturo was not a wise idea. Even while walking with him, a dormant part of herself stirred, as if awakening from a long slumber.
Being trained by this man would be a dangerous game indeed.
Chapter Two
The next morning, the ground was covered in several inches of snow. Brianna stood back within the inner bailey, watching the soldiers spar. Most were fighting with light colc swords, and they wore armour made from leather. All of the men, including Liam, took part in the training. But her attention was drawn to Lord de Manzano. He held a lighter sword made from Damascus steel. The blade was beautiful, and he stood speaking with Connor MacEgan, Rhiannon’s father, who had already begun working with the men. Though Connor had lost the use of one of his hands, it made no difference at all in his fighting. He went from soldier to soldier, speaking to each man and offering adjustments to improve their skill.
When he spied her, Connor came forward and smiled. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here, Brianna. Have you seen Rhiannon this morn?’
She shook her head. ‘Not yet.’ But from the guarded look on the man’s face, she suspected something was amiss.
‘If you see her, tell her I was looking for her.’
Brianna agreed but didn’t miss the way his eyes searched the fortress. Her cousin’s confession yesterday, about the love charm, made her
