Page 12 of Summer of the Viking

‘Can we move yet?’ He tried to stretch, ignoring the screaming pain in his shoulder. ‘Do you deem it safe?’

‘Lord Edwin’s men have left the beach.’ She absently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. ‘Now is an excellent time to move.’

‘You know who they were.’

‘Yes, I know.’ Her mouth held a bitter twist. ‘If I’d had any doubt about this particular order to kill strangers being fulfilled, today—the first time I’ve been out gathering sea coal on the shore—has quashed it.’

‘But you disapprove of the order.’

‘We are a Christian country. Hospitality should be given to those who don’t abuse it.’ She shrugged. ‘And there are some who take far too much pleasure in changing the custom for the worse.’

He nodded. Her words confirmed what he suspected. She had suffered a recent setback and was unhappy with the new regime in the area.

He fought back the urge to protect her. Alwynn’s problems were none of his business. He needed to concentrate on returning home and bringing Girmir to justice. But he found it impossible to completely silence it.

‘Do you think you can walk without assistance?’ she asked, tilting her head to one side and revealing the sweep of her neck.

‘What man ever refuses a beautiful lady when she is offering him her arm?’

Her green eyes darted everywhere but at his face and her cheeks became a delightful pink. ‘You speak with a silver tongue.’

‘I speak the truth.’ He tried to rise and stumbled to his knees. ‘My time in the sea took more out of me than I thought possible. It feels like I have fought several battles and yet I’ve not lifted my sword today.’

‘You fought the sea and won. It is enough for one day.’

‘That is one way to put it, but until a battle is won, I don’t give up.’

She put her arm about his shoulders. Their breath interlaced and their gazes locked. Valdar forgot everything but the curve of her upper lip. His mouth ached to drink from hers.

He leant forward and slowly traced the curve with his forefinger. Her flesh trembled, but she didn’t move away from him.

‘And that was for?’ Her husky voice broke the spell.

‘Luck.’

Chapter Three

By the time they reached the small cottage where her old nurse lived, Alwynn’s back was screaming from her exertions and her nerves were in tatters. Alwynn was pleased that Gode was off visiting her niece helping with the latest child in that brood. She’d encouraged it because Gode rarely had anything to do with her niece. Proof that her nurse was mellowing in her old age.

Right now the fewer people who knew about this half-drowned warrior, the better. Any whisper and Lord Edwin could be down on them, demanding to know why this man wasn’t dead.

She knew what his wrath could be like. She had faced it when she refused his unseemly offer of becoming his mistress.

A small sigh escaped her throat. She had to face facts. She’d very nearly kissed a stranger. What sort of woman did that make her?

Thankfully the half-drowned man had behaved impeccably about it.

But her body felt alive in a way that it never had when Theodbald had touched her. Then she’d recoiled from his damp touch and had wanted everything over as quickly as possible. The marriage bed had been a duty rather than a pleasure.

One single touch to her lips from this man, from this stranger, and she was ready to melt in his arms.

Alwynn wrenched her thoughts away.

She had to give Merri credit. The girl had stuck with her side of the bargain and helped, rather than finding an excuse to scamper off. Now Merri stood, shifting from one foot to the other. ‘Is Purebright mine now?’

‘Purebright will be happy to have you combing him.’

‘It means you can’t sell him if we need more gold. Like you did with the other horses.’

Alwynn shrugged. There was little point in saying how much it had pained her to sell off the good horses and Purebright was far too old and cantankerous to be sold. ‘We need at least one pony.’

‘Can I go now and tell him the good news?’

‘Go. And you can tell any who asks that I’m helping Gode out with the garden.’

Merri gave a nod. ‘Don’t worry, I can keep a secret...even from you.’

‘And that is supposed to inspire me with confidence?’

Merri gave a cheeky smile. ‘Shall I get you some more water? Gode lets me do it when I visit her. When I return in the morning, he will be all better, you’ll see.’

The man seemed to go in and out of consciousness, sometimes helping to walk and sometimes needing to be dragged. She had serious doubts if he would last the night, but one glance at Merri’s earnest face told her that she could not confide that piece of information.

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