“Aye, but I saw her face when she left.”
“She was angry.”
“Och, aye, that she was, but she was also hurt.”
“And I am sorry for that but this is for her own good.” He glared when Callum made a harsh sound of derision. “’Tis. I am but a knight and that honor was given to me by my own cousin. If I wasnae here, I would have to be selling my sword to some laird. Now that I am healed I will be back to sharing a room with three of my brothers. I have no land. I dinnae e’en have a wee cottage to put her and the lads in. Aye, I have a wee bit of coin but nay enough to keep a lady like her.”
“But ye will.”
“What?”
“The trade ye started. It has served ye and Scarglas verra weel. I was shown some of the improvements that trade has brought ye, as weel as some comforts and luxuries.”
“It isnae a particularly safe business. Ships sink and take all the coin ye spent or would have gained down with them. And, aye, this wine trade with Ignace may prove profitable but ’tis too early to tell. I havenae built the trade up beyond the one ship, either.”
“I can provide ye with the names of a few of my kinsmen who can help with that.”
“But only if I wed your cousin.”
“Nay, I wouldnae do that to my cousin. Wouldnae do that to the mon I will be in trade with, either. If naught else, it would constantly put me in the middle and that is nay a place I want to be.”
The door to the room slammed open startling both men. Brian gaped at Arianna. Her gown was wrinkled, her hair was half down and half pinned up, and if she had a sword in her hand he would have been considering making a run for it. He did not think he had ever seen a woman so furious.
“Callum,” she said, and Brian was surprised that such a dainty, bonnie lass could sound like she was growling.
“Aye, cousin?”
“Leave.”
“Going.”
Brian thought that wide grin on Callum’s face was unnecessary. He also thought, that as a fellow man, Callum should have made some attempt to protect him. If nothing else, the man should have shown some concern about the fact that his cousin looked ready to murder his new trading partner. He could not stop himself from jumping slightly when she slammed the door behind her rapidly retreating cousin.
“Arianna,” he began, trying to use the most soothing voice he could.
“Ye are an idiot,” she snapped. “Who do ye think ye are to make my decisions for me as if I am some child? Did ye ask me if I wanted to leave? Nay. Ye decided it was best for me.”
Brian wondered how she could make that sound like some perversion.
“Weel, I will have my say now and I will tell ye what I think and ye will listen.”
Since she was silent and glaring at him, Brian decided she was waiting for some response. He nodded.
“I allowed ye to make love to me. Do ye think I do that with just anyone? I didnae e’en do it much with the mon I thought was my husband.”
“Aye, but the passion ...”
“Shut up. I am talking. I ken that I was weak, allowing Claud to make me think less of myself, but am I nay recovering from that weakness? Aye, I am, but ’tis clear ye still think me some weak child or ye wouldnae have been deciding things for me. And ye think I care about silks, jewels, fine homes, and all? What have I done to make ye think that, I ask? Naught. I ate thrice-cursed rabbit for days and ne’er once complained, did I?”
“Nay?” Brian was not sure what eating rabbit had to do with anything but he was beginning to think he would be the idiot she claimed he was if he interrupted her now.
“Nay, I didnae. I didnae complain about the dirt, sweaty horses, cold beds on the ground, or the lack of clean, silken gowns. I cannae understand why ye think I am such a delicate, particular lass. As for all this weel-born nonsense? I was born in a bed just as ye were. My parents have coin, aye, and enough to make sure all their daughters have dowries and their sons some sort of inheritance that will allow them to wed where they please, but they are nay wealthy and they are nay particular about who their children wed. My sister married a blacksmith. My mother was the bastard daughter of some rutting goat of a laird and the village alewife. Ye, sir, are the only one who seems to fret o’er such things.”
“But ...”