By then her head had cleared somewhat and fragments of the previous evening began to return. As they did her brow creased. She could recall leaving the hall now, but she had not been alone. All at once other details reasserted themselves into the missing areas of the picture. Anwyn paled. She had left the hall with Wulfgar and he had walked her back to the bower. Except that they hadn’t walked straight back. Her heart began to thump in her breast. He had taken her in his arms and kissed her and she had let him. Her cheeks went a shade paler. Goodness alone knew what he had intended. She swallowed hard. She knew exactly what he had intended. In a sudden leap of intuition she knew who had carried her to her chamber and who had put her to bed.
Crimson colour replaced the pallor in her face. Had he…had they? She took a breath, trying to calm herself, trying to remember. They had kissed and then he had carried her. What had happened after that, she had no idea. Except that she was still wearing her clothes. She removed her gown and the linen kirtle beneath it and scrutinised the flesh beneath, but her body bore no indications whatever of any sexual intimacy. Feeling weak with relief, she pulled the kirtle back on and sank down on the edge of the chest nearby.
What a fool she had been, albeit unwittingly. He might so easily have taken advantage of the situation. She shivered, feeling suddenly cold. For a moment Torstein’s face returned and Anwyn was sickened; her late husband wouldn’t have hesitated. He’d have stripped her without a qualm and used her at his will. Yet seemingly Wulfgar had not followed up his advantage. Relief mingled with shame. What must he think of her? How was she going to face him again after this? Yet face him she must, somehow.
When she had donned a fresh gown and tidied her hair, she went to find Eyvind. The child was with Ina, watching the farrier shoe a horse. For a moment the old warrior met her gaze over the child’s head and he smiled faintly. For one awful moment she wondered if he knew what had occurred last evening. Then common sense returned and she told herself not to be so stupid.
‘I’ll look after him, my lady, if you have business elsewhere.’
She thanked him and, breathing a sigh of relief, left them there. A glance around revealed plenty of the Sea Wolf’s crew, but no sign of her captain. Recognising Hermund, she decided to ask.
‘He’s gone to the ship with some of the men, my lady.’
She did not know whether to be relieved or disappointed. ‘I see. Well, no matter, I’ll speak to him later.’
‘I’ll tell him you were looking for him, shall I?’
‘Don’t trouble yourself. I’m sure to meet up with him eventually.’
She began to retrace her steps, when she caught the sound of hoofbeats. She heard an exchange of greetings and then the gates swung open to reveal half-a-dozen riders. As she recognised the foremost of them her heart leapt towards her throat. Ingvar!
Caught unawares, Anwyn stopped in her tracks, trying to force her mind to lucid thought. The horsemen pulled up outside the hall and she saw Ingvar take a comprehensive look around. Then he said something to his escort and they dismounted. With a sigh she bent her steps that way.
He saw her coming and, as she drew nigh, offered a courteous greeting. However, his customary smile was absent and the gold-brown eyes were speculative. This interview wasn’t going to be easy. To play for time she invited him and his escort into the hall.
‘Perhaps you would care for a little refreshment after your ride, my lord?’
‘Thank you, no. I would speak with you, my lady. Alone.’
The tone was sharper than usual, almost a command, and Anwyn felt the first stirrings of annoyance. Nevertheless, she nodded.
‘As you will.’
She led the way to the hall and then, when they were out of earshot of anyone else, she turned to face him, waiting. His gaze burned into hers.
‘Would you care to tell me what is happening here, my lady?’
‘What is happening?’
‘With the repairs to the ship.’
‘Oh. They are progressing well, I believe.’
A little of the tension went out of him. ‘I’m glad to hear it. How much longer is it going to take?’
‘Not long—a day or so at most.’
‘I’m sure you will be glad to see the back of the mercenary force.’
‘On the contrary,’ she replied, ‘I have nothing to complain of.’
‘Been minding their manners, have they?’
‘Yes, a good deal better than others have done.’
He did not pretend to misunderstand. ‘Grymar will not make the same mistake again. You have my word on it.’
‘The lady will have a lot more than that,’ said a voice from behind them.
Anwyn’s heart leapt towards her throat and she turned quickly to see Wulfgar. She had not heard him approach and had no idea how long he had been there. Spots of warm colour leapt into her cheeks and for a moment they surveyed each other in silence. However, his expression was enigmatic.
‘What do you mean?’ demanded Ingvar.
‘I mean that Drakensburgh will have additional protection from now on.’
‘You speak in riddles.’
‘Plainly, then—my men and I will be providing that protection.’
Ingvar’s face became a mask of cold fury. ‘Drakensburgh has no need of your services.’
‘The lady thinks it does,’ replied Wulfgar. ‘From what I saw the other day I’m inclined to agree with her.’
‘That was an unfortunate misunderstanding.’
‘It was certainly unfortunate, but I don’t think there could be any misunderstanding.’
‘You meddle in matters that do not concern you.’
‘But they do concern me—now.’
Ingvar glared at him and then turned to Anwyn. ‘You cannot seriously intend to allow these pirates to remain?’
‘Pirates, no,’ she replied. ‘But I do intend to let Lord Wulfgar and his men remain.’
For a moment he surveyed her in chilling silence. ‘I am sorry to hear it. I thought you had better sense.’
‘My sense is unimpaired.’
‘I think you have made a foolish decision that you will come to regret very soon, my lady.’
‘I will stand by my decision nevertheless.’
‘I see.’
‘Let’s hope you do,’ replied Wulfgar.
The two men faced each other in silence for a moment. All pretence of goodwill was stripped from Ingvar’s expression now to reveal naked hatred.
‘I will not permit any man to meddle in my affairs, or to steal what belongs to me.’
At this Anwyn felt her anger flare. She controlled it. ‘There is nothing here that belongs to you, my lord. Nor ever will.’
‘You’re wrong, Anwyn. All you are doing is to postpone the inevitable. I always get what I want, one way or another.’
Wulfgar’s hand rested casually on the hilt of his sword. ‘You would be well advised to forget all thoughts of Drakensburgh, and its lady.’
‘So you intend to take them for yourself then, Viking?’
‘If I did, it would still be no business of yours.’ He intercepted a look of sparkling indignation from Anwyn and ignored it, continuing, ‘You have nothing more to do here, my lord, except to leave.’
Ingvar threw him a savage glare. ‘I’ll leave—for now.’ With that he turned on his heel and strode away.
Anwyn let out a long breath. ‘We have not heard the last of him.’
‘Of course not.’
‘Doesn’t that bother you?’
‘Why should it? I have his measure.’
‘And if he opens hostilities?’
‘Not if…when.’
‘You think it inevitable?’
‘It is inevitable, and when he does I shall kill him.’
Anwyn’s eyes flashed indignation. ‘That was not what we agreed. I said I wanted no bloodshed.’
‘We don’t always get what we want.’
‘We made a bargain, Wulfgar.’
‘So we did.’ He surveyed her steadily. ‘But, if it comes down to a choice between my death or his?’
‘It won’t.’
‘It might.’
Indignation dissolved to be replaced by something quite different. She knew then that, were there ever to be a choice between the two of them, Ingvar would lose hands down.
‘Then you would have to kill him,’ she replied.
‘Just so.’
She experienced an inner qualm as the true implications of her plan came home. ‘So it begins.’
‘Aye, it begins, but you knew it would.’
‘I suppose I’d hoped to have more time.’
‘Better this way; everyone knows where he stands.’
She nodded. ‘I suppose so.’ Then, recalling a detail of the recent conversation, continued, ‘What did you mean by that remark to Ingvar just now?’
‘Which one?’
‘You know which one.’
‘No, enlighten me.’
She reddened slightly and the green eyes took on a militant sparkle. ‘When you said it was none of Ingvar’s business if you did take Drakensburgh for your own.’
‘Ah, that one,’ he replied.
‘What did you mean by it?’
‘Exactly what I said.’
Her colour deepened. ‘You had no right to say any such thing unless…’
‘Unless what?’
‘You were being deliberately provoking.’
‘Of course it was deliberately provoking. The man was almost rampant with jealousy.’
‘He has nothing to be jealous of.’
Wulfgar raised an eyebrow. ‘No? Well, what the eye doesn’t see…and he wasn’t here last night, was he?’
Anwyn’s cheeks went scarlet. He grinned appreciatively and took a step closer.
‘Is it coming back to you now, Anwyn?’
She glared at him. ‘It came back long since, you rogue. Did you think I would be unaware that you had taken advantage of me?’
‘What I took was a kiss, lady, though the rest would have been simple enough.’
‘Why, you utter…’
‘When I take a woman to bed I prefer her to be sober, you see.’
Anwyn’s eyes blazed scorn. ‘So that she will remember?’
‘The pleasure is all one-sided else.’
‘The pleasure is all one-sided anyway,’ she retorted.
Wulfgar regarded her curiously. ‘If so, you were in bed with the wrong man.’
‘It was not my choice to be in his bed at all.’
‘The man would be careless indeed who, having once taken you to his bed, could not persuade you to return there willingly and often.’
Something in his expression set her heart to beating as fast as it had erewhile, and all at once the memory of that stolen kiss returned with force. Unable to bear his scrutiny, she looked away.
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about and it is irrelevant anyway.’
‘Irrelevant is not the word I would use. On the contrary, it seems highly pertinent.’
‘I drank too much.’
‘In vino veritas—in wine is truth.’
‘Only a loss of inhibition, which I now regret.’
‘Do you?’ He paused, waiting. ‘Look at me, Anwyn.’
Heart pounding, she forced herself to face him. ‘What happened last night was unfortunate and it will not be repeated.’
‘I’m sorry to hear it.’
‘And I am sorry that my actions gave you to think that I…that we—’ She broke off, floundering.
‘I do think so. That kiss was no pretended passion and we both know it.’
‘Even if it wasn’t, the matter can go no further. Surely you see that.’
‘Clearly our views differ on this point.’ He smiled wryly. ‘But you’re probably right.’
‘You know I’m right. We must forget it ever happened.’
‘Some things are not so soon forgotten.’
‘This is a business arrangement, my lord, nothing more.’ She paused. ‘I regret that I should have given you reason to think otherwise. It was most unwittingly done.’
‘So, what now?’
‘Can we let things go back to being as they were before?’
‘If that is what you want.’
She nodded. ‘Thank you. And once again, I’m truly sorry about what happened last night.’
‘I wish I could say the same,’ he murmured, as she walked away.
Chapter Eight
In the days that followed, Wulfgar made it his business to find out as much as he could about Drakensburgh. A more detailed exploration of its defences confirmed his first thought that the place would be easy enough to hold. It was a good start. What he needed to do next was to forge two disparate groups of men into one cohesive fighting force. To that end he organised a series of training sessions that would bring everyone together and allow him to gauge the mettle of the Drakensburgh contingent. In this, too, he was pleasantly surprised. Whatever else he might have been, it seemed Earl Torstein had known how to choose able fighters.
He had seen little of Anwyn since the night of the feast. They met only at the table now where, he noted with wry amusement, she limited her drinking to ale and that in small quantities. Her manner towards him was unfailingly courteous, but it was also professionally distant. No mention was ever made of that previous brief intimacy; indeed, it might never have happened. Moreover, he was fairly certain that she had been avoiding him. Initially it had the merit of novelty, but he found that fast wearing off. What made it worse was the growing suspicion that it was no mere feminine wile to increase his interest: she meant it. Once or twice, during the morning training sessions, he caught a glimpse of her, usually with the child, but she never even glanced his way. Refreshments were supplied to him and his men, but it was a servant who brought them. She had effectively thrown up a defensive barrier and intended to remain behind it.
In this supposition he was quite correct. Anwyn had sedulously avoided his company where possible, taking care to busy herself with domestic matters during the day. There were also Eyvind’s needs to look after as well, so it wasn’t particularly difficult. Yet in spite of her best intentions she found herself looking forward to the evenings when she knew she would meet Wulfgar again. On the surface of it the conversation flowed smoothly: she would ask him what progress he had made with the men and he would tell her how he had spent his day. She listened attentively, asking questions at intervals, thoughtful and pertinent questions that revealed a sharp mind and excellent grasp of what he was trying to achieve.
‘You would have made an able commander,’ he said, as they lingered over the remains of the meal one evening.
Anwyn shook her head. ‘An able commander needs to be able to acquit himself well in battle. I fear that my skills stop far short of that.’
‘It is not hard to learn the rudiments of sword play. What is much more difficult is to master fighting strategy.’
‘Is it?’
‘Beyond doubt, and yet you always know what I’m talking about.’ The tone was casual enough but it warmed her nevertheless.
‘I pay attention.’
‘I know.’ He leaned back in his chair, regarding her steadily. ‘Another unusual quality in a woman.’
Anwyn returned the look. ‘Was that remark intended to be provocative?’
‘That’s right. Did it succeed?’
It drew a reluctant laugh. ‘Yes, it did, you rogue.’
His cup paused in mid-air. ‘Am I a rogue?
‘Yourself best knows.’
‘Hmm. Unpromising territory, I admit. Let’s talk about something else.’
‘Now that’s an unusual quality in a man.’
His eyes gleamed. ‘How so?’
‘In my experience they like to talk about themselves—at length.’
‘Are we so tedious?’
‘How truthful would you like me to be?’
‘I would wish y
ou always to be truthful with me.’ The words were quietly spoken, but they bore the ring of sincerity.
It wasn’t what Anwyn had been expecting and for a moment it threw her off balance. So did the look in his eyes. ‘I will try to be,’ she replied.
‘Good. A successful business arrangement depends upon it.’
‘Yes, of course.’ She was relieved and grateful that he had brought the conversation back to business. It was much safer ground, as he must have realised.
‘Speaking of business,’ he continued, ‘I need to familiarise myself with Drakensburgh as a whole. To that end I wondered whether you would ride out with me tomorrow.’
Anwyn’s heart gave a little leap. Suddenly the footing was distinctly shaky again. ‘Well, I don’t…I mean, I’m not sure…’
‘It would be very useful to me—enable me to see the whole picture, as it were.’
‘Would it?’
‘Most certainly.’ His blue eyes were earnest. ‘I already have a sound grasp of the inner defences, but I don’t want to leave anything to chance.’
‘Oh, I see.’
‘It’s a matter of strategic importance for the safety of all concerned.’ He paused. ‘Of course, if you’re too busy…’
‘No…yes…I mean I am busy, but not so much that I couldn’t spare a little time.’
‘Thank you. I’d appreciate it.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘Perhaps Eyvind might like to come along—with Ina, naturally.’
Anwyn smiled. ‘I’m sure he would like that.’
‘That’s settled, then.’
She bade him goodnight a short time later and, watching her go, Wulfgar let out a long breath. Hermund regarded him askance.
‘Well, I reckon I’ve heard it all now,’ he said, in accents suggestive of grudging admiration. ‘Strategic importance, eh?’
‘All right, I exaggerated. I admit it.’
‘Exaggerated? I never heard a more desperate ploy in my life.’
Wulfgar raised an eyebrow. ‘Desperate? Hardly.’
‘Well, you had me fooled.’
The reply was short, pithy and rude. Hermund guffawed.
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