Page 48 of Summer of the Viking

‘Shall we go?’

As they went away from the farm with Urien carrying her small pile of belongings, Alwynn’s heart clenched. Valdar had rescued Urien. It would be easy to fall for him, but it also would be the biggest mistake of her life.

She had to remember what Theodbald had called her. That she had no right to happiness. All her children had withered in her womb.

She had to stop believing that a hero would come and rescue her. Valdar was not a magical warrior sent to right wrongs. He was a man who stayed because he owed her a life debt and he would be leaving when the autumn winds arrived. The trouble was her heart was having a hard time believing it.

‘You seem very thoughtful. Is there anything else that needs to be done?’

She rapidly composed her face. ‘Owain thinks you are a hero. He doesn’t know of many who would go against Cleofirth. He’s been known to use his fists.’

‘A strong sword arm normally beats a pair of heavy fists.’ Valdar caught her chin between his fingers. ‘And you have my arm.’

Chapter Nine

‘Gode was happy to accept Urien. She thinks you will be better served with me closer now that I have healed,’ Valdar said, appearing in the hall’s garden, where Alwynn was busy tidying the plants. She had retreated there after they returned. Her place of sanctuary where few dared venture. She might only have established the garden after Theodbald’s death, but already it had flourished.

The perfumed air hung heavy and she could almost taste the rain which would surely come.

The entire hall buzzed with talk about Cleofirth’s comeuppance and Urien’s rescue. There would be thunder before nightfall. The shadows were already long, stretching over the beds. Soon she’d have to go back into the hall and face the whispers and gossip.

A number of the women blamed Cleofirth, but she blamed herself. She should have visited the farm and looked properly at the barns after her husband died. She had known Cleofirth and her former steward had been as thick as thieves. All she had done was to allow Lord Edwin to become stronger.

‘Will she stay there?’

‘She understands what is at stake. Gode has promised to look out for her. Gode will find an extra pair of hands useful.’

‘What is that supposed to mean?’

‘Your old nurse is slowing down,’ he said finally.

‘There is little I can do about that. She refuses to move in here and neither will she allow me to examine her. I will always be the pupil in her eyes.’ Alwynn sighed. ‘Cleofirth beats his wife, but it is not against the law.’

‘It should be.’ Valdar also sighed. ‘Right now she wants to return to her home as soon as the misunderstanding is cleared up.’

There was nothing she could do to force Urien without demanding a trial and the inevitable punishment that would follow. She could tell that Valdar was not happy about the situation either.

‘More reason to distrust Cleofirth,’ Alwynn murmured. ‘It is a far worse problem than I suspected. I blame myself. It was very easy to accept his word and I had no wish to intrude on Urien and her grief.’

‘Once you know about a problem, it can be solved.’ His face became hard. ‘We will find a way of keeping her safe. She will be fine with Gode. Gode seems to have a way with injured creatures.’

‘What would you suggest I do?’ she asked, hugging her waist. ‘Edwin will do very little. The sheep have been returned and Urien accepts the blame. I suspect Cleofirth will try to take Urien back and she insists that she wants to go. You saw how she clung to him when we left.’

‘Give her a few days. She may speak out once she feels safe.’

Alwynn concentrated on the rosemary. ‘I hated looking into her eyes. They are so dead now, so unlike the girl I knew before her marriage. Urien was so full of fun. If there was any mischief about, Urien was sure to be in the thick of it. She made us all laugh. I honestly thought she was happy. I hate myself for believing him. But she won’t leave him.’

‘A hard fist caused those bruises.’

‘For now, she swears that a cow kicked a bucket into her face when she was doing the milking yesterday morning. Clumsy, but not unheard of. And she swears that she put the animals there and then panicked when she heard you were searching for missing sheep.’

He raised a brow. ‘Do you believe that?’

‘Until she tells me otherwise, I have to give her the benefit of the doubt.’ Alwynn concentrated on pulling up a weed, rather than meeting Valdar’s eye. She could hardly confess about the rumours which had swelled about Urien before she left. ‘She kept going on about what a wonderful husband he is and how good he is to her. She blames herself for not having any surviving children and she swears that they were all his.’ Alwynn’s voice trembled on the last word. ‘I wish...I could make her stay with us, but the law of the land won’t let me. She belongs to her husband. She swears that she doesn’t want to become a nun.’

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