Chapter 9 #2
There was no other option. He would have to sit there and listen to the tale of Gytha and another man.
More importantly, he would have to do his best not to imagine her in the arms of this Saxon, whom he imagined as frightful as the draugrs of his mother’s stories, these undead, rotting creatures roaming the land of the living.
“Theodebert was her first love, but he was slightly older than she was and didn’t seem as keen as her.
Nevertheless, my wife and I didn’t think it wise to say anything.
Youth must be allowed to run its course and we trusted Gytha would soon come to see he was not the man for her.
What harm was there in letting her see for herself where this first experience would lead? ”
“Mm.” Haakon found himself nodding when privately he thought that the man was a fool for not valuing the treasure he’d found in Gytha and her parents irresponsible for not warning him against the foul, decaying draugr.
“The day after I announced would stand for election Theodebert asked her to marry him. She was delighted and never thought to see a link between the two. Neither did we, frankly, until he retracted his offer a week later when I lost to another candidate by the name of AEthelbald.”
“Yes. That would have made it quite obvious he was only interested in an alliance with a powerful man’s daughter,” Haakon said through gritted teeth.
If Theodebert didn’t really care for Gytha as a person, why had she stayed with her?
Mm, perhaps it was better not to wonder why, for fear of doing exactly what he had vowed not to do and imagine the two of them in bed together.
Because there was no doubt that the man had stayed for sexual gratification.
“But wait, did you say you lost the election?”
Yet he was now reeve. How was that possible?
“Yes. Two days after the election, AEthelbald was found dead in his house, stabbed. Evidently, he had made enemies who did not wish to be punished now that he was reeve. I offered to find out who his killer was and when I did, was given the position in his stead. It had been a close vote anyway.”
Now that he mentioned it, Haakon seemed to remember Wolf telling him something to that effect.
“I bet Theodebert was mightily displeased to see he had missed the opportunity to join a powerful family,” Haakon sneered. It was hard to feel sorry for the man.
“Not at all. The next day, he was back with a gift of precious cloth and a second offer of marriage for Gytha, saying he had been too hasty and made the mistake of his life. This time my wife and I knew we would tell her what we thought of him and his motives as soon as he left. We shouldn’t have worried she would be taken in by his duplicity, though.
She was so incensed at his presumption that she gave him the tongue lashing of his life.
” Elstan gave a laugh tinged with tenderness.
“You don’t know my daughter very well and she can appear quite meek, but let me tell you, she hides quite a fiery nature. ”
Oh, Haakon knew that. He had never thought her a particularly timid creature, however. She certainly wasn’t above haranguing potentially dangerous criminals when they caused her to drop her embroidery into the mud—or kiss lust-filled, coarse Norsemen who talked about impaling her on their cocks.
Not that he could tell her father that, of course.
“So, you see, Theodebert never got to enjoy the fruits of his efforts. But alas, the damage within Gytha was already done. That day, she convinced herself that while I was reeve, any man approaching her would do so only to gain an alliance with me. She doesn’t trust they could come to her for any other reasons. ”
Yes, she had said that Oswald’s decision to marry her had more to do with her father’s position than the appeal she exerted over him.
Haakon wasn’t convinced that was quite the case, as the bastard had not abandoned his views on her when it had become clear she would never be his wife.
Clearly, he still wanted her, even if it was only to rut with.
But after her experience with Theodebert he understood why Gytha would think men were not to be trusted.
“Surely she must know that she is an attractive young woman?” he said, doing his best to sound matter-of-fact.
Attractive seemed a particularly weak word to describe her but he could not tell her father that she was so alluring she could send him hard with a glance and make him lose his mind with a sigh.
“We tried to tell her as much but I believe Theodebert’s appalling behavior hurt her so much that she is not ready to risk her heart again.
She wants to be chosen on her own merit, which I can understand, and she is convinced it will not happen while I’m reeve.
” Elstan straightened his back, his decision made.
“So I will step down come winter. There is no other choice. She is my daughter and I love her. I will not condemn her to solitude and self-doubt for another six years.”
“No. I understand.”
It wouldn’t be fair.
Haakon took another swig of ale and swirled the liquid left at the bottom of the cup.
He had wondered many times why a woman like Gytha, beautiful, engaging, and unafraid of her sensual side, was still unmarried.
Say what she might, he suspected there would be no shortage of men willing to have her if she cared to look.
Well, now he knew why she was still unattached.
Because she was convinced that being beautiful, engaging and sensual was not enough to catch an honest man.
“What became of this Theodebert?” he couldn’t help but ask.
Elstan made a gesture indicating he didn’t know for sure and cared even less. “Last I heard he had gone to London.”
Far away then. Good. Because Haakon couldn’t promise he would not plant his fist into his face if he ever met him, and ensure his resemblance to a decaying corpse was clear for all to see.
There was a silence, only interrupted by the popping of the fire in the hearth.
“Well, all that doesn’t change the fact that we still don’t know where poor Osberga is,” Elstan said, wiping his hands on a piece of linen.
“No.”
The men stood up, having finished their meal.
“I will go see how my daughter is doing and then I’m going to investigate what happened to Alfred at the door. He would never have allowed Oswald to get into the house in the middle of the night, that is for sure, so I suspect something happened to him. I mean to find out what.”
Yes, Haakon wanted to know as well. “I will help, if I can, ask the neighbors if they heard anything suspicious in the night.”
“Are you sure it’s all right for you to stay another night? I’ve already asked much of—”
“I am.”
Until he was certain Oswald was well and truly gone, he was not going anywhere.