Page 23 of Her World In His Hands

He scowled at Thor as he entered the hallway with the other gods trailing behind him. “Dear me, don’t any of you possess any manners?”

Thor took a threatening step forward.

Loki help up his hands. “Alright, calm down. I manged to get out one word while Njord attempted to throttle me and that word was, Skadi, but— ”

He stopped talking and rolled his eyes as everyone about him disappeared. “It is hardly my fault if no one stays around long enough to hear my explanation… Oh, Odin! You are needed at Skadi’s castle!” he sang out, then promptly vanished himself.

Sassa steppedinto her entrance hall with a sigh of relief. She’d barely kicked off the muddy shoes before the dogs raced through and mobbed her with excited barks and squeals of joy.

“Thank goodness you’re all right! Where on earth have you been? Your disappearance has had us all frantic with worry!” Mrs Murray exclaimed.

“Disappearance?” she replied bewildered, she’d only been gone half a day... an ancient memory stirred, of a day she spent at Njord’s palace nearly a thousand years ago; of returning to her house to discover she’d been gone a week.

“The men have been searching for you every day since your disappearance, in fact they are out now looking for you. Iona has been out of her mind with worry!” Mrs. Murray told her.

“Iona? She’s here… where?”

“Well, I assume out with the men, searching for you again.”

“Men? What men?” A horrible thought dawned.

“The men you employ up at the hotel gym. They have been staying here ever since you went missing. Where have you been?”

Sassa hadn’t told Mrs. Murray the nature of the club at the hotel. It was as she feared, Iona had met her father, but did either of them know they were father and daughter?

“Madam?”

“Hmm?” She’d missed what the housekeeper had just said.

“You’d better telephone Iona and call off the search.”

“Oh yes, of course.” She smiled absently, her mind racing.

“I’ll fetch you some tea and toast. You look as though you could do with a bite to eat.”

“That would be lovely, thank you Shona.”

She moved into the drawing room where the usually tidy room showed clear signs of male guests. An abundance of discarded magazines and newspapers littered the surfaces along with half-drunk mugs of tea and coffee.

“I’m sorry I haven’t had time to tidy up in here. They all left so fast while I was still clearing the kitchen from breakfast, and then you arrived home.” Mrs. Murray set a tray of down before her and began to collect up the mugs.

“Shona, leave all that, and go and put your feet up. It looks like you’ve been housing an army. You must be shattered!”

“Well, if, you’re sure?”

“Go. I’ll tidy in here and finish in the kitchen. Take a couple of days off. I can manage.” Sassa shooed her loyal housekeeper out of the room.

“I might go and spend a night at my sister’s if you’re certain?”

“I insist. Go and pack and don’t worry about a thing. The men won’t be staying here tonight, and Iona and I will manage just fine by ourselves.”

She waited until Shona had gone before she stretched out on the couch with a sigh. Picking up her tea she cupped her mug in hand and pondered her situation.

“Hello Sassa, I must say it is a pleasure to meet you at long last.”

She jerked upright; shock caused her to spill her tea in the process. Mopping at the stain with her napkin, the wet mark simply vanished before her eyes. Lifting her gaze to stare at the intruder she gasped with sudden recognition. “Odin, I presume?” There could be no mistaking the golden god like figure that stood before her so tall and bronzed.

He inclined his head affirming his identity and grinned engagingly. “You recognised me.”

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