Page 9 of Haakon's Fate
The Icelander’s wife nodded, her eyes hardening. No wonder she hated the man.
A few years ago, her second son, Torsten, and his now wife, Aife, had been attacked by a man called Ranulf, who had been part of a gang of thugs whose aim had been to rid the county of Norsemen. One of the despicable men involved in the conspiracy had been none other than her uncle Baldwin. His guilt, however, had never been proved. All her life, Gytha had heard how hermother had escaped a life of misery by marrying a good man and it seemed it really was the case.
In that sense, her situation had been much like Eadhild’s, who would escape Alberic’s cruelty thanks to her union to Halfdan.
A wave of sadness flooded through Gytha at the thought that her friend would no longer live near her.
“Is Wolf here?” she asked, determined to focus on the task at hand.
“No, I’m sorry. He and Sigurd have gone with Magnus to see his brother in the next village. They left this morning and will spend the night there.” Merewen bit her bottom lip, as if sorry to have to tell her she had come all this way for nothing. “But go see Haakon, it will be just as well. He’s been working on this investigation along with my husband and he knows all there is to know. He will tell Wolf what you told him as soon as he comes back.”
Gytha was grateful for the suggestion because the idea that she had left her father alone at this difficult time and then come all the way here for nothing was too depressing to contemplate. She had meant to help find Osberga, and she would. “Where can I find this Haakon?”
She had often heard of him through her father. She knew he was the one helping Wolf but because the three of them usually met here, with Matilda, she had never seen him.
“Come, I’ll take you there.”
They walked through the village, keeping a flow of polite conversation going. After a while Merewen slowed down a little and turned to face her.
“Gytha, I just wanted to say, I’m sorry for your loss. I heard what happened.” Yes, of course. Being married to Wolf, she would have. In fact, the whole county would have heard of the shocking collapse of the church roof. “Please send your fatherour love. He’s become a dear friend, having helped all our sons in one way or the other since he was elected.”
“I will.”
Just as they passed the well, a woman called out to Merewen from her door.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I’d forgotten I had promised to go see Sigrid. She needs?—”
“Go. If you just tell me where to find Haakon’s hut, I’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, we’re almost there anyway. It’s the one over there, with the beech in the middle of the chicken coop, do you see?”
“Yes.”
Gytha headed for the hut, which appeared to be at least as big as Wolf’s. How many children did this Haakon have, to need that much space? The door opened before she could even knock, as if the man had been warned of her arrival and wanted to spare her the trouble of lifting her hand.
Gytha blinked.
Oh, Lord.
Every time she had heard Haakon’s name—and that had been almost every day of late—she had imagined a man near Wolf’s age. Not…this, a man in his prime. She had assumed he would be slightly stooped and frail. He was straight as a silver birch and strong.
She had thought she didn’t know him. But she did know him.
He was none other than the man she had met in the forest the other day, the one who had protected her and Eadhild from Alberic’s ire. The one she was supposedly about to marry. The one who had kissed her with soul-wrenching passion when they’d parted ways.
The one she had obsessed about since then.
“Gytha?”
He looked as shocked as she was, which was no surprise. She had appeared on his doorstep unannounced, and he had almost run into her on his way out. He would be wondering if he was not dreaming. She was asking herself the same thing.
And then the meaning of what he’d said hit her.
“How do you know my name?”
He frowned, apparently taken aback to hear this was the first thing she would ask him. “Alberic, your neighbor. He said… It’s rather a long story.” He lifted a muscular arm to run a hand through his hair. “He thought I was Wolf’s son and he?—”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m here because I have some important information to give you.” Suddenly she was sure she had better leave as soon as possible. The man might not be Wolf’s son but he posed as much threat to her as a real wild animal would. Seeing him lift his arm had done inexplicable things to her insides. “Can we talk?”
