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‘Time to wake up, beauty,’ he said more abruptly than he intended. ‘We have tarried too long here as it is.’
Her eyes blinked. Her mouth trembled slightly. She stretched her arms over her head. His body reacted instantly. Desire, pure and simple. He’d be wrong to think more of it.
‘I didn’t mean to sleep,’ she said, drawing her knees up to her chest.
‘After that exercise, I’m far from surprised.’ He ran a hand down her flank. He watched her nipples contract and knew she wanted more of him as well. ‘Passion can tire you out.’
She sat up abruptly. Her black hair covered her like a veil, hiding her expression. ‘It never has before. Normally my head spins with thoughts.’
‘You’ve never been with me before.’ He drew her back into his arms. He wanted to destroy all traces of the man she’d been married to, who had done this to her and imprisoned her spirit so she was afraid to show her passionate nature. When she forgot herself, the passion crackled from her fingertips. ‘There is the difference.’
‘I...I suppose so.’
‘I know so.’ He pressed his lips against her temple and attempted to control his temper. He wanted to run his sword through her husband for doing this to her. ‘Was he that rough with you? How often did he beat you?’
She looked up at him. ‘How...how did you know he beat me?’
He touched the silver scar on her shoulder. ‘I assume this did not come by accident.’
‘Egbert was a violent man.’ She gave a sad smile. ‘If you believe my cousin, it turns out that he saved his violence for me. He couldn’t stand the fact that I was more intelligent than he. He used to mock my reading habits and my love of music.’
A jealous anger swept through Brand. ‘Did he share your bed?’
‘I always had to go to his.’
‘The one I now sleep in.’
‘Yes.’ The word hissed from her lips. ‘But it stopped...after I lost our baby. It was then the real violence started.’
‘I’m sorry. You don’t have to speak of it.’
‘I must.’ Her throat worked up and down. ‘I want you to understand why he said I was not a true woman. It was his fault. He beat me because I pointed out a tafl move he should have made.’
Brand wished he could kill Egbert slowly, piece by piece. Hitting a woman was bad enough, but to hit a pregnant woman was completely unconscionable. The worst thing was that he knew Egbert had died too quickly and without suffering. The only thing he’d wanted that day was to defend Sven against the treachery of the Northumbrians. He could not even say that it was his sword. He knew what Halfdan thought, but for his part, he could not be sure.
‘It is good he is dead or otherwise I’d kill him.’ He lifted her chin so she could look him in the eyes. ‘A true warrior fights other warriors, not women or children. It is part of my creed. He also keeps his word and defends the others in his felag.’
She watched him for a long time, her throat working up and down. Finally she looked away.
‘I could never forgive him. Ever, no matter what the priest said,’ she whispered.
‘You know my feelings about that man.’
She wrapped her arms about her waist and shuddered. ‘It makes it easier to know that. It helps. Thank you.’
His heart contracted. He hated to think how she must have felt waiting for him that first night. He reached over and kissed her forehead.
‘Shall we make new memories there or shall I come to you?’
Her eyes swam. ‘I don’t understand what you are saying.’
‘The wooing is over, Edith.’ He put his hand on her shoulder. ‘You are now my concubine in truth. We will sleep together from now on...for as long as I have need of you.’
She scrambled out of his arms and dressed rapidly. Her head spun. She had been so stupid. She had never thought about the consequences. She had considered they had put all that nonsense behind them. Brand hadn’t. She’d been very naive.
‘Your concubine?’ she squeaked when she had her clothes on. Brand, she noticed, made no move to cover his nakedness. He appeared to be totally at peace with it.
‘After what we shared, you hardly think I want only one time? It is not in my nature to sneak around.’
‘But...but...I thought... Did I please you?’
‘It went beyond pleasure.’
She tried to form her thoughts into a coherent train rather than the chaotic jumble. The one thing that sang through loud and clear was that far from being a failure at this, she had succeeded. Brand wanted her as a man wants a woman. Egbert had been wrong. She was capable of being feminine and pleasing a man.
