Jonah clasped his hands together. “I should have known my sister would be safe with any friend of Tristan’s.”
Something changed in the atmosphere. Something Frida didn’t understand.
Callum stood up slowly. “Entirely safe, I assure you.”
“Good.” Jonah gazed at Callum for all the world as if he were about to challenge him to a duel. Frida gave her head a slight shake, wanting to signal to her younger brother that he had no reason to act so.
What a time for Jonah to become concerned with her wellbeing.
“There is no cause for vigilance on your part, brother.” She made her voice deliberately light, smiling brightly at them both.
Callum seemed to relax. He placed her jar and roll of bandages neatly in the box and fastened the lid. “There is always a cause for vigilance,” he replied, his tone equally cordial. “Jonah is right to be concerned.”
“Thank you, Callum.” Jonah clapped him on the shoulder, having to reach up a little to do so. “As we are all friends here, let us sit awhile.”
“Very well, but I must return to my men before long,” Callum replied, following Jonah’s lead and sinking down onto the settle.
Frida couldn’t help bristling, at the interruption as much as the inference that as a mere woman she could not look after herself. “I maintain that Jonah had no need to be alarmed,” she stated. “You do not need to guard me, brother.”
Jonah’s laugh sounded genuine enough. “Forsooth, Frida, I have no wish to face Tristan’s wrath should anything happen to his favourite sister.”
Frida only just resisted the urge to throw a cushion at him. “Naught is going to happen to me. Besides, who says I am his favourite sister?”
“’Tis a well-known family secret.” Jonah turned to Callum. “What say you, as Tristan’s friend? Is Frida here his favourite sister?”
Callum appeared uneasy, and Frida could well guess why. To what end was Jonah asking such awkward questions? She opened her mouth to excuse the need for a response, but Callum was already speaking.
“I am sure that Frida would be anyone’s favourite sister. Just as, if I were his brother, I would no doubt wish to avoid Tristan’s wrath.” He smiled genially at them both, so genially that she thought she must have misinterpreted his earlier discomfort. “At Lindum, we all feared being drawn against him in the joust.”
Jonah nodded, his eyes still fixed on Callum. “Ah yes. You trained together at Lindum.” He paused. “And did you fight alongside Tristan more recently?”
Callum’s response came instantaneously. “I have been in France this last year.” He angled his body so that Frida could no longer see his face, addressing his next question entirely to Jonah. “And where did you say Tristan had been?”
“Scotland.”
This time there was a pause. “Aye, that was what I thought you had said.” His voice was strained.
Perchance with the effort of making so much light conversation.
Frida got to her feet. “I have been idle here long enough.” She looked expectantly at the two men, hoping that Jonah would melt away and that Callum would mayhap offer to return to the orchard.
But even as the traitorous thought formed in her mind, she knew that propriety had stretched thin enough between herself and the handsome knight.
He would take his leave. As he must.
As would undoubtedly be for the best. When she next saw him, she must ensure her thoughts ran more evenly.
As expected, Callum rose to his feet and bowed. “I shall bid you good day and find my men.” His voice was short and it seemed he was deliberately avoiding her eye.
Frida swallowed down her disappointment and curtsied as gracefully as her ankle would allow.
“Thank you again, for everything.”
She hoped for a smile, even a small one, but Callum’s face was dark as he turned to leave.
She waited until his heavy footsteps had passed through the great hall before turning on her brother.
“Jonah, must you always spoil everything?”
