Page 64 of To Tame a Viking Warlord

And his stubborn, beautiful wife was going to cross the sea to hide it from him.

He folded the letter away and did not say a word.

***

Saddell Abbey

THE CROSSING WAS CALM. Samira was sick over the side twice and told him it was the swell. Torstein held her hair back both times, agreed that it was a very bad swell, and kept his face perfectly straight.

They rode up from the shore on a bright cold morning and through the abbey gate. Sister Eithne led them to the private courtyard, where the sun fell across the cloister and a young woman sat on a stone bench with a very large Highlander beside her.

The Highlander looked up. His expression went sour.

"Torstein Hagansson," he said.

"Kieran MacKenzie." Torstein's hand drifted to his belt out of pure habit. "Have ye come to spit on something?"

"Only a grave. And I was told I cannae." Kieran looked him up and down. "Ye look well for a man who is about to be skinned alive by his wife."

Torstein narrowed his eyes. "What do ye know of it?"

But Samira was no longer listening to either of them. She was staring at the woman on the bench, who had risen and was staring back at her.

"Naomi?" Samira said.

"Samira!" Naomi crossed the courtyard and took both of Samira's hands. "You are well. I prayed you had found your way."

"I did. And you. Did you remember to eat?"

Naomi laughed. Then her hand went to her own belly, still flat beneath her gown, and her eyes went bright. "For two, now."

Samira's breath caught. Without thinking, her own hand moved to the same place.

Naomi saw it. So did Kieran. And so, Samira realized far too late, did her husband.

She turned slowly.

Torstein was standing in the middle of the courtyard with his arms folded, looking at her hand on her belly. He did not look surprised.

"You knew," she said.

"Aye."

"How long?"

"Since the Abbess wrote to me. Before we sailed."

"Before we sailed." Her voice rose. "You let me lie to you across the whole of the sea!"

"I wanted to see how long you would keep it up." A grin was breaking through now, and he did not try very hard to stop it. "You are more stubborn than I thought, wife."

"And you are a fool!"

"I told ye," Kieran said to Naomi, loud enough for everyone to hear. "He's a dunderhead, and she's too stubborn for her own good."

Naomi elbowed him in the ribs. "Hush."

"I'm only saying."