As her father had said, Lara was not a biddable young woman and only a fool would imagine that she viewed this marriage with favour. She was more than capable of creating a spectacular scene. The possibility created a knot of tension in his gut. He had no idea how he would handle such a scenario never mind trying to visualise how her father would react if she exposed him to ridicule. The situation had all the potential for disaster. The only thing he could do now was to play his part and see this through. His men had greeted the news of his impending marriage with amused interest but also with absolute understanding of the reasons for it. ‘With all those extra swords we’ll crush Steingrim like a louse,’ said Unnr. ‘Jarl Ottar is proving to be an invaluable ally.’ ‘Quite so,’ replied Finn. ‘He does you much honour in wishing for a closer alliance. In fact, it does all of us honour.’ The others voiced their agreement.
