Page 19 of The Naiad's Lover

“He is not.”

“Well, you came to the right man for help. I could teach you myself but I’m not getting in that lake until midsummer at the earliest, not even for a good friend such as yourself. It takes that long for the water to warm up, and my old bones won’t like it. My nephew Ral, on the other hand, is young, hearty, and restless. A regular dunking in cold water can only do the boy good.”

I eyed Henrik. “If you’re still hoping that I will fall in love and marry him?—”

Henrik threw back his head and boomed out a laugh. “He’s far too young for the likes of you.”

“That is not what you said when you tried to get me to marry him before.”

Henrik shrugged, unabashed. “Was I supposed to ignore the fact a rich and available widower had moved close to town, and me a family man with two wonderful nephews ready to settle down?”

“Yes. I wasn’t available.”

“Didn’t know you’d taken up with the Naiad of Laskeld himself, did I?”

“You saw me with him.”

“Right, but everyone knows he doesn’t come back for seconds. At least, he didn’t before you.”

I merely lifted my brows and took a sip from my tankard. “What about Mikko? Do you think he’d do it?”

“You don’t like my little Ral?”

“He’s a charming boy. Mikko is a sensible man. As I have thus far proven to be impossible to teach, I might need Mikko’s pragmatism and, more importantly, his patience. Also, Ral isn’t little.” He was the same height I was, six foot two inches. Perhaps even a shade taller. Considering that he was in his early twenties, he wasn’t really a boy, either.

“Mikko is a sensible man,” Henrik said. “You’re not wrong there. Far too sensible to get in the lake before midsummer.”

“Then I’ll ask Ral, if you think he’ll be amenable.”

“Oh, he’ll jump at the chance. Ral’s sweet on you, you know.”

“On…? On me?”

“Come, now. No need to look so surprised. Why shouldn’t he be sweet on you?”

“Why…? As you just pointed out, I am twice his age!”

“True, true. In case you hadn’t noticed, your naiad is more than twiceyourage, with a few thousand years on top.”

“I’m sure you’re mistaken. There’s no reason for a lad like Ral to turn his attention to a man like me.”

“I’m guessing he has a fancy for plain and stern,” Henrik said. “I wouldn’t worry yourself about it.”

Plain and stern?

Plain, yes, but…was I stern?

“I’m sure he’ll be able to keep it in his breeches,” Henrik went on. “If he doesn’t, a sharp word from you will do it.”

“If he doesn’t, what he’ll get isn’t a sharp word from me, it’ll be a nasty fright from Sayan. Possibly a near drowning.”

Henrik’s tankard paused halfway to his mouth. “I’ll ask Mikko for you,” he said.

“Thank you.”

4

On the following Saturday, I opened the door to a brisk knock, and looked into Ral Jonasson’s cheerful face.

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