Chapter 3
Gytha knocked on the door of Wolf’s hut with a confidence she didn’t quite feel.
Her father had intended to go see the Icelander that morning but at the last moment had been prevented from going. Her uncle Baldwin, a nasty individual they fortunately rarely saw, had barged into the house as he’d prepared to leave, roaring his anger at the way the last few days had been handled.
As the news her father had meant to deliver was important, she had offered to go to the Norsemen village in his stead.
Little Osberga’s safety was at stake. The quicker they acted, the better.
And besides, she had always secretly dreamed of helping him in his investigations.
This was the opportunity to finally do something useful.
Eadhild had decided to accompany her. While Gytha delivered her father’s message to Wolf, her friend would go to Halfdan and ask him if she could stay with him from now on.
“I cannot stay another moment in my house,” she’d told her, shouldering a bag containing a change of clothes and her most precious possessions. “Now that we have agreed to get married, I will go live with him. It’s the best way. Only I…I wish I didn’t have to leave you in such a terrible moment.”
Such a terrible moment.
Six days after her mother’s death, she meant.
Her death had been a shock, undoubtedly, due in the main part to the sudden and very unusual nature of it.
Four people had been killed along with her when a stone had fallen from the church roof in the middle of mass.
That had been horrific enough, but then some individuals had taken malicious pleasure in claiming that the five victims had been punished for their crimes.
This accident happening in church was surely a sign from God himself, proof that he was not happy with them.
Hearing this had been unbearable. Gytha hadn’t known the poor others who had died but she knew that her mother had been the soul of generosity and had never caused anyone harm in her all too short life. To claim that she had deserved to be killed in such a way was beyond cruel.
Her death was the reason Baldwin had irrupted into their house that morning.
He had resented being kept in the dark about the arrangements concerning her funeral.
But her mother and her despicable brother had hardly spoken since her wedding.
He was the last person they would have wanted around at this difficult time.
“I will be fine,” Gytha said, giving her friend’s hand a squeeze. “You do what you need to do. And I agree with you. You cannot stay at home, it is too dangerous. It will not be long before your father understands that we lied to him and I am not the one betrothed to a Norseman.”
There was no saying what the man would do then. It was not safe for Eadhild to remain within his reach. She needed to go be with her future husband, who would look after her.
“You know,” her friend said, “we never talked about the passionate kiss you shared with the—”
“We didn’t because there is nothing to tell. We needed to convince your father I was the reason for going to the Norsemen village, that’s all. I think it worked.”
“It did. I cannot thank you enough. But I shouldn’t have used you thus. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Gytha soothed. She certainly didn’t resent the lie. Because without it she wouldn’t have experienced what would surely remain the best, most passion-filled, thrilling kiss of her life. She just hoped what she thought didn’t show on her face.
The two women rode in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. As soon as they reached the village, they parted ways, Eadhild assuring her friend she would come visit often.
At the first knock, the door of the hut opened on a woman she assumed to be Merewen.
“Good afternoon. I’m here to see Wolf on behalf of my father, the reeve.”
“Of course, come in.”
Gytha entered the place she had imagined many a time. It was just as welcoming as she had supposed but Wolf was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was outside, feeding the animals or tending his garden?
“My father has important news but he couldn’t come in person to deliver it. His brother-in-law Baldwin stopped him from going as he was leaving. I believe you know who I mean?”
The Icelander’s wife nodded, her eyes hardening. No wonder she hated the man.
A few years ago, her second son, Torsten, and his now wife, Aife, had been attacked by a man called Ranulf, who had been part of a gang of thugs whose aim had been to rid the county of Norsemen.
One of the despicable men involved in the conspiracy had been none other than her uncle Baldwin.
His guilt, however, had never been proved.
All her life, Gytha had heard how her mother had escaped a life of misery by marrying a good man and it seemed it really was the case.
In that sense, her situation had been much like Eadhild’s, who would escape Alberic’s cruelty thanks to her union to Halfdan.
A wave of sadness flooded through Gytha at the thought that her friend would no longer live near her.
“Is Wolf here?” she asked, determined to focus on the task at hand.
“No, I’m sorry. He and Sigurd have gone with Magnus to see his brother in the next village.
They left this morning and will spend the night there.
” Merewen bit her bottom lip, as if sorry to have to tell her she had come all this way for nothing.
“But go see Haakon, it will be just as well. He’s been working on this investigation along with my husband and he knows all there is to know.
He will tell Wolf what you told him as soon as he comes back. ”
Gytha was grateful for the suggestion because the idea that she had left her father alone at this difficult time and then come all the way here for nothing was too depressing to contemplate. She had meant to help find Osberga, and she would. “Where can I find this Haakon?”
She had often heard of him through her father. She knew he was the one helping Wolf but because the three of them usually met here, with Matilda, she had never seen him.
“Come, I’ll take you there.”
They walked through the village, keeping a flow of polite conversation going. After a while Merewen slowed down a little and turned to face her.
“Gytha, I just wanted to say, I’m sorry for your loss.
I heard what happened.” Yes, of course. Being married to Wolf, she would have.
In fact, the whole county would have heard of the shocking collapse of the church roof.
“Please send your father our love. He’s become a dear friend, having helped all our sons in one way or the other since he was elected. ”
“I will.”
Just as they passed the well, a woman called out to Merewen from her door.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I’d forgotten I had promised to go see Sigrid. She needs—”
“Go. If you just tell me where to find Haakon’s hut, I’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, we’re almost there anyway. It’s the one over there, with the beech in the middle of the chicken coop, do you see?”
“Yes.”
Gytha headed for the hut, which appeared to be at least as big as Wolf’s. How many children did this Haakon have, to need that much space? The door opened before she could even knock, as if the man had been warned of her arrival and wanted to spare her the trouble of lifting her hand.
Gytha blinked.
Oh, Lord.
Every time she had heard Haakon’s name—and that had been almost every day of late—she had imagined a man near Wolf’s age. Not…this, a man in his prime. She had assumed he would be slightly stooped and frail. He was straight as a silver birch and strong.
She had thought she didn’t know him. But she did know him.
He was none other than the man she had met in the forest the other day, the one who had protected her and Eadhild from Alberic’s ire. The one she was supposedly about to marry. The one who had kissed her with soul-wrenching passion when they’d parted ways.
The one she had obsessed about since then.
“Gytha?”
He looked as shocked as she was, which was no surprise. She had appeared on his doorstep unannounced, and he had almost run into her on his way out. He would be wondering if he was not dreaming. She was asking herself the same thing.
And then the meaning of what he’d said hit her.
“How do you know my name?”
He frowned, apparently taken aback to hear this was the first thing she would ask him. “Alberic, your neighbor. He said… It’s rather a long story.” He lifted a muscular arm to run a hand through his hair. “He thought I was Wolf’s son and he—”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m here because I have some important information to give you.
” Suddenly she was sure she had better leave as soon as possible.
The man might not be Wolf’s son but he posed as much threat to her as a real wild animal would.
Seeing him lift his arm had done inexplicable things to her insides. “Can we talk?”
“Of course. If you just, er…give me a moment first?”
Gytha nodded and made to go to the bench he’d indicated in the shade of the tall beech.
Before she could move, she caught a glimpse of the inside of the hut.
A beautiful woman, and blonde, inevitably, was putting order to her clothes.
On the table next to her were a comb, a washing basin and a piece of cloth.
That she had just used them to have a wash was screamingly obvious.
But it was mid-afternoon, not morning.
What was going on? Had she interrupted a tryst? Was that why Haakon had not invited her inside just yet? Because he’d wanted to see his lover out first?
A surge of heat spread through her chest. What was that? Jealousy? No, she refused to believe that was what the feeling was, even if it bore an unfortunate resemblance to it.
A moment later, the woman came out. She threw her arms around Haakon’s neck with an ease bred of familiarity. “Thank you for last night.”
“Anytime.”