Page 78 of The Very Virile Viking

"And who is this?" Magnus asked pleasantly, ignoring the taunting words and looking at Lily, who hadn't yet been introduced.

Sometimes you just had to admire his self-control… in more ways than one. Angela would have to tell him that later when he was using his self-control in other ways.

"This is my daughter, Lily. She is a student at Sinclair Academy for Girls."

"See, Faðir , girls go to school here, even when they have seen fourteen winters, as I have," Kirsten said.

"I want to go to school."

"Me, too," Dagny said.

"Not me," Njal and Hamr said at the same time. She thought they'd left, but they must have come back, not wanting to miss anything.

Just then Jogeir limped in, carrying Lida, who must have just awakened from her nap. Angela wished she'd known. It was hard on Jogeir's leg to go up and down the stairs. Poor tyke !

"Goo," Lida said in salutation to the visitors. If anything, the little one was consistent. As soon as Jogeir placed her on her bare feet, she proceeded to give Jow, who was still bandaged and not his usual energetic self, some slurpy kisses.

"Who… who are all these children?" Carmen asked.

"They are mine," Magnus said, raising his chin defensively. He probably knew what was coming next…

from experience.

Carmen was doing a quick silent count. "All nine of them? You have nine children?"

Uh-oh, here comes the "male chauvinist pig" remark.

"Actually, I have eleven living children… and two dead. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Male chauvinist pig," Carmen muttered under her breath.

"Carmen…" Grandma cautioned.

Carmen literally bit her lip for a long moment to stem the flow of invectives she surely wanted to hurl at Magnus. Finally she inquired of Magnus in a super-sweet voice, "Haven't you ever heard of birth control?"

"Not till lately. Believe you me, my life would have been different if I had." Then, realizing how that must

sound, he added, "Not that I do not cherish every one of my precious children."

"Pfff!" Njal said behind him.

"Not precious enough to buy me a free-can bow and arrow," Hamr added.

Without even looking, Magnus reached behind him and took both boys by the scruff of the neck and proceeded to lead them toward the back door. "Boys," he said to Torolf, Storvald, Jogeir, and Kolbein, "we have work to do in the vineyards."

Jogeir reached down for Lida, who was playing with the tassels on a throw rug, and handed the baby to Grandma before following his brothers and father outdoors.

"Girls, why don't you show Lily the paintings you've been working on," Grandma suggested. "I bought them some paint sets at the mall several days ago, and they show remarkable talent," she told Carmen.

Gladly, the three girls went upstairs, chattering already like good friends. Lily could be heard saying something about a majorly cool guy who had just moved next door and already was playing tonsil hockey with her airhead girlfriend. Kirsten and Dagny looked duly impressed by this new language.

"I'll be right back," Angela said and went outside. "Magnus, wait a minute."

He turned and came back. With her standing at the top of the steps and he at the bottom, they were about he same height.

"Don't be offended by Carmen. She's like that with everyone."

"I was not offended, sweetling. I was more concerned about my bratlings offending her." He smiled softly at her and reached up a hand to caress her face. "Try to rest this afternoon. We were up all night driving. Then you spent the morning with the fire inspectors. You must be exhausted."