Page 44 of Haakon's Fate
“It is. I told you they had become quite close,” Eadhild whispered back.
Apparently they had. “Isn’t Sven’s wife worried? I mean, it…” Gytha’s voice trailed.
She had not meant to suggest that Eahlswith was a fool for trusting her husband not to renew his acquaintance with a former lover or Freydis a shameless seducer who didn’t care about his new wife’s feelings. Still, despite what she had claimed, Gytha couldn’t help but wonder at the unusual situation.
“Yes, I know exactly what you mean. But Freydis married Ralph only last week, after a few months together and it’s obvious she’s no longer interested in Sven, but deeply in love with her husband and he with her. You might have seen him around, since he is Haakon’s cousin.”
“I haven’t, no.”
At the mention of Haakon, Gytha felt herself flush red. Why had Eadhild brought him into the conversation at the first opportunity? Did she suspect anything?
She touched the earrings gingerly. The sting of the piercing could still be felt but she didn’t mind. It reminded her of what he had done for her.
“I think I will go and see Wolf and my father, if you don’t mind. They were waiting for my opinion on the way to proceed regarding Osberga.”
Haakon was finishinghis cup of mead when the door behind him opened on Gytha. How he knew it was her without looking he wasn’t sure, but he did.
“Gytha,” Wolf greeted, confirming his suspicions. “Come sit here. We were just discussing what to do now because Matilda agrees, it makes sense to think that Osberga would have tried to get back to her.”
What he didn’t tell her was that the poor woman had been so overwrought at the idea of her daughter setting off on such a perilous journey alone that she’d had to be taken home.
“And I’m not even there to meet her. If anything happens…” she kept repeating, shaking her head. “If Gundulf sees her in the village, he will— He was the one who wanted to send her away to that blasted farm! And I said nothing! I should have?—”
“Hush, my love,” Inga, ever patient, had soothed. “’Twill be all right. Soon you will be reunited with her and no one will take her again.”
The men had left her to deal with a sobbing Matilda while they went back to Wolf’s hut to decide on the best course of action.
Gytha had joined them just when they had decided that someone other than Matilda would have to go to the village to investigate. The possibility that she would be recognized was all too real. They couldn’t risk the man who was still her legally wed husband seeing her and claiming her back or following her back to the safe hiding place she had found for herself. Besides, her emotional responses, all too understandable, might jeopardize the success of the mission. To say nothing of the horrid disappointment she would face if they didn’t find Osberga, after all.
“Haakon, you’re going to have to go in my stead,” Wolf declared.
Judging from the faces around the table, the words had taken everyone by surprise, but none more so than Haakon himself.
“Me?” he asked, doing his best not to sound too shocked.
“Yes. Unfortunately, I have promised Magnus’ brother in the next village to help him deal with some Icelanders I know and cannot delay. But even if I hadn’t, I would have asked you to go. You have proved your ability more than once and this isa mission better suited to a younger man who will not mind sleeping outdoors.”
Elstan nodded. “I agree. We trust you unconditionally. But if I may, I think we should send someone with him. After all she’s been through, little Osberga might be daunted by such a formidable man coming for her and refuse to follow him back here. A woman, a Saxon bearing some token from her mother would help reassure her.”
Haakon lifted his head, guessing where this was going. When the reeve turned to look at his daughter, who was sitting to his right, he’d already understood she would be chosen to accompany him. As to how he felt, he couldn’t say.
“This is where you come in, Gytha. You will go with him.”
“Me?” She sounded just as incredulous as he had before.
“Yes. You have asked to help me for years, and you know just as much as I do about this affair. This was your idea. Wouldn’t you like the chance to be the one bringing mother and daughter back together?”
He could see her hesitate but there was no faulting the two men’s thinking. Being in the company of a gentle, caring Saxon woman would indeed make it easier to convince the wary little girl to follow him to the village. He knew Gytha would accept, placing Osberga’s safety above her own misgivings.
“What say you?” Wolf exchanged a glance with Elstan. There was no mistaking the meaning behind this glance. The two friends thought this turn of events was amusing. “A few weeks back, you two pretended to be betrothed when you didn’t know one another. Surely this is no more taxing?”
“Indeed. We are not asking you to play any role this time, just to cooperate and fulfil a mission. Surely you can do that?”
“Yes,” Gytha whispered.
Haakon swallowed. He was going to spend the best part of a week with her. Alone.
Fuck.
