AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘You should have allowed me to break the news gently,’ she said in an undertone while they waited for the wine.
A twinkle shone his eyes. ‘You were the one who kissed me in full view of the shore.’
Sayrid moved the tunic so that it was tighter about her neck. Had he seen the scars? The question stuck in her throat.
‘An impulse,’ she choked out.
‘You should act on impulse more often.’
‘There is no great love for sea kings here,’ she said, pointedly changing the subject. ‘It is one of the reasons why I made the elaborate defences.’
‘Your system might not be orthodox, but it works. I doubt I could have found my way through. A magically protected harbour. I know Inga thinks so.’
Sayrid felt the heat on her cheeks increase. ‘I wanted to take precautions. I had to go away from here to make a living, but I wanted to make sure that no one suffered for my absence. I’ve seen far too many holdings raided and seafarers returning to a pile of ash and all the sheep gone. And you can’t always trust ships who go in with their shields hanging.’
‘You did this? I thought your father…’
‘He would have done it if he’d considered it,’ she said far too quickly and instantly regretted it. She disliked criticising her father. Speaking ill of the dead never did anyone any good. She took a horn of wine from one of the serving women and held it out to him. ‘He had other things on his mind. The might of his reputation kept most away in any case. May your reputation do the same. The people who work the land deserve to live in peace and not be harried by sea kings.’
‘I see.’ Hrolf drained it in a single gulp before mouthing the appropriate words accepting the hospitality. ‘And your father is responsible for all this?’
‘What do you mean?’ Sayrid rubbed the back of her neck. A deep-within-the-bones tiredness swept over her now that she was home. She wanted to leave everything, find her bed and sleep. Her muscles ached from the fight. And she had no idea what tonight would bring. All she knew was that more than ever she wanted to protect the people who had served her so well.
‘The farm and hall have prospered. After his death. Your sister is young and your brother’s reputation inspires no confidence in his ability to successfully manage such an undertaking.’
‘I have to be away. More often than I’d like, but someone must take our goods to market and I’ve been cheated before.’ She watched the sunlight play on the waves, remembering how Bloodaxe and the others had laughed at her, offering her barely any gold for their timber and wool.
‘And your brother wasn’t capable? He is a grown warrior.’
She opened her mouth to protest and then shut it again. The less said about Regin the better. ‘There were reasons.’
He looked as if he wanted to say more. She rapidly shook her head.
‘There are people who will want to greet their new lord. It is well that I am here with you as they would never have believed this tale otherwise.’
‘Will you give me a private tour after we get the introductions done?’
Her heart did a little flip. He must not have noticed the scarring. She was safe for a little while longer.
‘There is sure to be a mass of things which require my attention. I’d barely come home before I had to leave for the Assembly.’ She gestured to her clothes. ‘I’m damp and should change.’
‘But they can wait. Everything can wait until later. The sun is warm. Give them time to light the bath hut.’ He brought her hand to his lips. ‘Consider it an order if you must. But I want you as my tour guide and no false modesty about someone else having responsibility for this estate.’
Sayrid straightened her shoulders and tried to ignore the tingling sensation that coursed through her. ‘You’d be better served by any number of people.’
He laced his fingers through hers. ‘But I want you.’
Sayrid froze. Hrolf in this sort of mood was far more dangerous than when she had fought him for her life.
Chapter Ten
‘This is the barn where we keep the hay,’ Sayrid said, making her voice sound very matter-of-fact and practical rather than breathless and full of anticipation, which was how she kept feeling with Hrolf standing so close to her. As the tour progressed, his broad shoulders kept bumping her more and more frequently. With each touch, she found herself more reluctant to move away. ‘We can go see the hiding places for the women in case of attack, but they are a little way from the main hall.’
‘Another day. I assume they are a reasonable march.’
‘Not too far. I wanted the women to be able to hide quickly. They are well stocked.’
