‘I’m not sure yet. I’m thinking.’
‘What is there to think about?’
‘Shhh.’ She waved a hand to quiet him, staring with pursed lips and a look of intense concentration into the distance for a while before shaking her head. ‘No. It doesn’t make sense.’
‘What? Which part?’
‘The part about your stepmother being responsible. Did she hate your brothers’ women, the ones who died?’
‘No. She was fond of them both, especially Ingrid.’
‘Then why would she have killed them? Her own grandchild, too?’
‘I doubt that was supposed to happen. Things probably got out of control. Maybe that’s why she was so upset afterwards.’
‘But you said that your brother Alarr was badly injured as well. Why would she have ordered an attack on her own son’s wedding? Surely there were other occasions she could have used? Why risk him and your other brother, Sandulf?’
‘I just told you, because things got out of hand.’
‘No.’ Her tone was infuriatingly matter of fact. ‘If all she’d wanted was to leave her husband then there are easier ways. Why so much violence?’
‘It’s not just a theory. I have proof!’ He reached for the leather pouch he kept on a cord around his neck, tipping the contents into his hand. ‘These are the pendants Rurik and Sandulf discovered were used to pay the assassins. They recognised them as ones that belonged to Hilda, presents our father gave her after the birth of each of their sons.’
‘They look valuable.’ She reached a hand out, running a finger over one of the gold and silver ridged arrows. ‘Still...’
‘What now?’
‘That’s evidence, not proof. Did the assassins say she was involved?’
‘No. We never gave them a chance.’
‘We?’
‘Sandulf killed one in Constantinople. I killed another in Strathclyde.’ He frowned, feeling a need to defend his actions. ‘The man was a cold-blooded monster and he was about to kill Sandulf.’
‘Then what about Hilda? What did she say when you asked her about them? Did she have an explanation?’
‘I don’t know.’ He cleared his throat awkwardly. ‘I didn’t get that far. Joarr found us before I could even mention the pendants.’
‘So you didn’t think to ask her about them before you threatened her at swordpoint?’
‘As I said, I lost my temper, but it was a bluff. I thought I could make her confess.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘What do you think your brothers would say if you told them this?’
He gave a brusque laugh. ‘Brandt wouldn’t say anything. He’d just glower. Alarr would call me a fool. Rurik would give me a shove and then try to defend me and Sandulf would probably shake his head and say it was all his fault somehow.’
‘Well, at least you know you acted stupidly.’
‘You know you can stop talking again whenever you want.’ He clenched his jaw. ‘Yes, I acted stupidly, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong about Hilda.’
‘It doesn’t prove that you’re right, either.’ She leaned forward towards him. ‘Using her own jewellery to pay the assassins doesn’t make any sense. Why would she use anything that could be traced back to her so easily?’
‘Because she never thought she’d be found out.’
‘But she would have known that her sons would want revenge for their father. That means she would have known there was a strong chance they’d go after the assassins. Why would she have risked them recognising these pendants?’
‘Maybe she made a mistake.’