Chapter 21 #2
“I told you to keep her safe!” he roared, his face an inch away from the reeve’s. “I trusted you. I thought you’d look after her. What have you done to her, you maggot?”
“I haven’t done anything to her. I think you might have, though.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” he growled. “I haven’t seen her for more than a week, as you well know.”
“No. But I wager you saw her about a month ago.”
“What the fuck are you—”
And then it hit him.
A month ago.
Yes, he had definitely seen her then. All of her. He’d made love to her all night. On his last possession he’d even found it impossible to leave her heat before exploding in pleasure.
And this was the result. She was not retching from hunger or lack of warmth, of course not, what was he thinking? This was a different kind of ailment. He let go of the reeve’s collar and fell with his back against the wall. His legs no longer supported his weight.
“She’s with child,” he whispered, collapsing to the floor.
He’d pushed the notion that his loss of control might have consequences to the back of his mind because he wasn’t sure what he thought of the possibility but there was no choice but to face it now.
And he was…elated. What would Eahlswith think, though?
This might well scare her or she might be furious. Or both.
She might never forgive him.
Oh, what had he done?
“I cannot be sure, but yes, I think she might be with child,” was the reeve’s answer. “This is the third morning in a row she’s been ill, when the rest of the day she’s fine, if a little bit tired.”
“I need to see her.”
“Yes. Worry not, she’s not been put in a dank, dark cell, nor is she starving. I made sure to give her all the comfort I could without appearing suspicious. It was important the family saw I was taking this seriously. But I promise you she has not suffered.”
“No, I know. Of course. I brought her here because my father trusts you.” Sven sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry for barking at you. Only, for a moment, I didn’t think.”
The man scoffed. “Don’t worry I’ve endured far worse. Will you be able to stand, though?”
Everything within Sven bristled. He had never been accused of being a weakling before, and he was not going to start now, when he was about to be a father. A father!
Sven shot back to his feet, invigorated at the thought.
“Yes. Take me to her.”
Eahlswith was rinsing her mouth with ale when the door behind her swung open.
She was not surprised. The reeve regularly came over to visit her and she knew he had noticed her bouts of morning sickness.
Was he starting to suspect what she had come to accept?
She was with child, there was no doubting it.
It was not just the sickness, though this was rather damning.
But she hadn’t had her courses since that night spent with Sven in her house, that night he had spilled inside her.
Secretly she had come to hope that his seed might have taken root.
She smiled to herself. It was as if someone—perhaps Edwin himself, from wherever he was—was making sure she accepted her feelings for Sven. A child was the best way to ensure that he became part of her life.
“I’m fine, don’t worry,” she started to tell the reeve, before she was swept up off her feet by a huge, hulking Norseman. “Sven!” she squeaked. No one else would be strong enough or bold enough to do this.
Their faces only inches apart, she stared into his amazing eyes and was shocked to see them shining with what looked suspiciously like tears. Her own were burning. He’d made it, he was back. He hadn’t died. She could breathe again.
“Alva. Thank the gods you’re safe.”
“Of course, I am,” she said, trying to smile. “How could I not be, when you made sure to take me somewhere safe?”
With her still in his arms, he sat down on the stool behind him. His hold around her was firm but careful. Then he glanced at her stomach, awe and pride lighting his face. That look could only mean one thing.
“You know,” was all she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I know,” was his answer, pronounced in the same husky tone.
“Are you not—”
“I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
Everything within her relaxed. He knew about the child and he was pleased. It was all she wanted to know for now.
She assumed that he had found her sister and brought her back to face her punishment.
He wouldn’t be here otherwise. She didn’t need to know more.
Ealawynne was dead to her. The reeve would do what was necessary, all she needed to know was that Sven was safe and that he wanted this baby.
If truth be told, she had worried about his reaction.
Though he had explained to her that he was ready to settle, considering his past, she couldn’t help being dubious.
There also was the possibility of him doubting the paternity of the babe, since he knew she had welcomed men to her bed on occasion.
But he hadn’t even asked any questions, taking for granted that he was the father of the babe she was carrying.
“I’m not completely sure yet,” she forced herself to say.
She didn’t want him to be too disappointed if she turned out not to be with child after all.
But why else would she be sick in the morning and feel fine the rest of the day?
This was no illness, she felt it in her bones.
And of course there was the fact that she had missed her courses. They should have arrived two weeks ago.
“No, I know ’tis not always easy to know for sure. But we’ll find out together.”
“Yes.”
“And…” He made a face. “I’m sorry for that night in your house. I didn’t mean to trap you into anything. Only you felt too… It was too… I could not stop myself—”
Eahlswith cut him with a quick kiss on the lips.
She had never thought he’d done that on purpose, to force a decision out of her.
“I don’t feel trapped. I know exactly how it was that night, as it was the same for me.
And I’m not sorry.” Quite the opposite, she loved this child already.
“All I felt when I started to suspect I might carry your babe was joy.”
He kissed her in much the same way she had done earlier. “Thank you for saying that.” He placed a loving hand over her stomach. “Still, I’m sorry it took me so long to get back to you. You should not have faced such a discovery alone.”
No, perhaps not. But what was done was done, and he was now back.
“What was the delay?” She knew he would have done everything as fast as he could.
“Ealawynne had traveled further than I thought, so I had to chase her all the way to the village where she had taken refuge and then ride all the way back.”
“I’m sorry, it cannot have been pleasant to travel with her.”
The tight smile he gave her was an answer in itself. “No,” he said tersely.
Had Ealawynne tried her wiles on him, Eahlswith wondered?
She wouldn’t be surprised if the woman had thought to sway him from his purpose that way.
Surely he hadn’t been tempted? Then she remembered Godstan’s fascination for the fact that the two of them looked so much alike.
Wiglaf too had told her as he’d pounced on her that the idea of bedding twin sisters intrigued men.
Did Sven agree? Had he been intrigued also?
Should she ask him what had happened during their travel?
No. After what he’d done, after the trust he’d just shown her, she decided that trusting him back was the least she could do.
Her sister might well have done her best to tempt him, but that didn’t mean he’d succumbed.
She had made a fool of herself once already, with Freydis, assuming the worst, she would not do the same mistake twice.
“It was even more trying than you can imagine but it isn’t all bad news,” Sven told her with a gleam in his eyes she could not account for. “Because we actually rode past your native place on the way back. And we made a small detour.”
“Oh?”
He stood back up to deposit her on the stool and knelt at her feet. Then he extracted a piece of wood from the purse at his belt. It was more or less square, a little bigger than her palm. One side was carved with a familiar image she had thought never to see again. Her heart stopped at the sight.
“I take it that’s the one?” Sven asked, looking full of hope.
“You…It is. But how…?” Though he was handing the piece of wood to her, she didn’t dare take it.
But it was indeed her father’s carving, the one he had done on the door frame of their hut, the one Edwin had wanted to get for her. The carving that had cost him his life. Seeing it brought her so much joy and so much pain that Eahlswith couldn’t handle it.
She started crying. She couldn’t help it.
Whether the child she was carrying was responsible for this sudden flooding of emotion or the memory of Edwin’s death or the realization of what Sven had done, she couldn’t say.
Probably a bit of everything. She hid her face into her hands and dissolved into tears.
“Don’t cry, please Alva. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Sven sounded almost panicked.
“I’m not crying,” she said through her tears. “Not really. It’s only… I love you.”
He stilled and then buried his head into her lap, holding her tightly by the waist. “Oh, I love you too. Both of you.”
Eahlswith placed a hand over his head, feeling blessed and indescribably happy to have finally put her doubts and fears at rest. It had been high time.
“I love you, Sven.”
Sven already knew he would never tire of hearing those words.
Finally, he had overcome Eahlswith’s scruples and won her heart.
And now he was holding her and their child in his arms. His chest felt fit to burst with happiness and gratitude.
Finally he had found the woman he would spend the rest of his life with.
And he knew it would not be anything like between Steinar and Astrid.
Even if it had started in lust, their union would never turn sour.
“You asked me to tell you what I’d said that night when you’d tied me to the wall,” he said, sitting back on his heels.
“Yes,” Eahlswith breathed. There was such hope in her eyes that he felt his own burn.
“Well, that was what I told you, that I was in love with you.”
At the time he’d been less definite, but she didn’t need to know that.
She didn’t need to be told of any doubts he’d once had, because now he was certain.
He didn’t think he was falling in love with her, he was in love with her.
Would be for the rest of his life. He’d just told her as much.
And even better, she returned his feelings.
“I suspected as much. Why did you speak in Norse for such an important declaration?”
“I didn’t realize I was doing it. I don’t always choose the language that comes out of my mouth.”
“I envy you. It must be wonderful.” She smiled. “Cwenthryth is learning Norse, with Steinar. Will you teach me also? And our child?”
“Anything you want, ást mín. My love,” he specified when she tilted her head. “Our children will be like me, part Saxon, part Norse.”
Children. The word sent a shot of delight up his spine. Yes. If he had his way, there would be many in the years to come, the family he’d always wanted.
Eahlswith sighed. “Sven. Please. Take me out of here.”
She was back in his arms before she had time to blink, where she belonged. “Yes. I’ll do better than take you out of here. I’ll take you home.”