Page 28 of Paying the Viking's Price

‘You treat Brand Bjornson well.’ Hilda slipped her fingers from Edith’s and Edith knew that she didn’t really believe the words, any more than Edith believed them. ‘A well-satisfied man makes life easier for everyone in the household, as my mother used to say.’

‘The saying is new to me.’

‘That doesn’t make it any less true. You can do it, Edith. Please him rather than confronting and challenging him. I’ve faith in you. We’re all counting on you.’ Hilda hurried away.

‘That is what I’m afraid of,’ Edith whispered after Hilda had gone.

* * *

A faint pink-grey light seeped into the room. Edith lay on her bed, hardly daring to move a muscle. The noise of the feast had died seemingly hours ago and still Brand had not come to bed.

She hugged her knees to her chest. At first she had feared he would arrive and be disappointed and then she had wondered why he had not come. But she lacked the courage to go looking for him.

In the early days of her marriage, she’d gone looking for Egbert and had ended with a hard slap to her face for her pains. Lying in this bed brought all the horrible memories back about every time she’d displeased Egbert. Hilda’s confession helped slightly, but she knew she’d contributed to it. Egbert’s touch had never excited her, never made her feel anything but repulsion, whereas Brand’s insulting kiss had sent her senses aflame.

What could she expect from a Norseman with Brand Bjornson’s reputation?

For some reason, he had found a better place to sleep. This entire exercise had been designed as a humiliation. That ended now! Edith slammed her fist down on the bed.

She wasn’t going to stay here, waiting for someone who might never appear.

Edith knew once the hall started to stir that everyone would know and no one would look her directly in the eye. She’d experienced this before with Egbert and had always vowed that she was never going through such a thing again. Ever.

‘I obeyed your order. Now I’m doing what I want.’

She pulled her gown on, but didn’t bother with any head covering, leaving the bed unmade to show that she had been there and left the room without a backward glance.

The entire hall was silent. Various different Norsemen lay sprawled asleep where they had passed out. Edith delicately picked her way around them. They smelt the same as Egbert’s men after a feast—ale-soaked.

Outside, the sky was tinged pale pink. Edith breathed in the morning-scented air. Always this time was her favourite part of the day, when she could think and plan without interruption. For a heartbeat she allowed herself to believe that all this was as it had ever been. Here was home.

She went into the stables and discovered that the stalls were now full of the Norsemen’s horses. Rather than being silent as they had been since Egbert left, they were full of stamping and soft breath. The huge barn smelt right again. Edith went over to Meera, her horse, and rubbed the mare’s nose.

‘I wonder what you make of all these creatures invading your stable, Meera?’

The mare whinnied and butted her head against Edith’s hand, searching for a treat.

‘I haven’t brought you anything.’ Edith glanced about her. ‘You can have some hay.’

She went over and gathered some. She saw with a frown that whoever had been in charge of feeding the horses yesterday had made a mess of the hay, scattering it everywhere. The mare gave her a look of disgust when she put the hay in her manger.

‘It is no good hoping for an apple. There won’t be any of those until the autumn.’ Edith scratched Meera behind the ears as the horse bent her head and gobbled the hay. Strictly speaking, she supposed Meera did not belong to her any more, but the horse was more than an animal which she rode, she was a friend and friendship wasn’t dictated by arbitrary ownership.

Her hand stilled in mid-stroke. She had to hope Brand had different views than Egbert about women riding as well. Her fingers grasped Meera’s forelock. She would ride, no matter what he said.

‘But I will try for a carrot,’ she said as Meera lifted her head. ‘Surely Brand can’t begrudge me one carrot or parsnip. Or one ride either.’

After talking softly to the horse for a little while longer, Edith left the stable. Even without trying, her mind had made a list of things that needed to be done in the stable and yard. Little things if left unattended would result in much larger things happening. She tried to forget it, telling herself that it wasn’t any of her concern now that the fencing was loose or the straw not evenly distributed. And goodness knew how those horses were shod and how much iron would be needed. She had to physically stop herself from going and checking the iron supply.

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