Page 54 of Haakon's Fate
“I mean that after she left you she found love and understanding with a woman from my village.”
“Heryou mean?” This time he did more than glare at Gytha. He actually lifted his spade. “That woman has been fucking mywife? Is that why she’s come here and inquired after her damned daughter?”
Haakon stepped in front of her, the scene reminiscent of the day they had met, when he had defended her against Alberic, and then when he had stopped Oswald from hitting her.
“Not her,” he said through gritted teeth. “But Matilda is now happy with someone who knows what to do with a woman in her arms and give her the pleasure she is owed.”
A few sniggers were heard from the group of men on the other side of the fence. This time Gundulf took note. His face went a violent shade of puce because he knew he would hear about this humiliation for months to come.
“You bastard!” he shouted even louder. “You’re enjoying telling me that in front of my friends!”
“I am. I will admit.” It was nothing less than he deserved for what he’d done.
“Well, tell Matilda I will never take her back even if she came crawling on her knees, do you hear?”
Haakon didn’t even answer. This would never happen. And they had nothing to gain by staying longer.
Silently, he took Gytha by the arm and led her away.
16
“Well, that was a waste of time.”
Gytha looked more dejected than Haakon had ever seen her. Loath to add to her disillusion, he didn’t comment, even if he agreed. After leaving Matilda’s husband they had gone to ask the few people who’d agreed to talk to strangers if they had seen a little girl lurking around the village. They had not, and worse, they hadn’t seemed to care. But they had tried to find out more about the woman Matilda was now living with. That piece of information had definitely roused their interest.
Yes, it had been a waste of time but it had been worth a try nonetheless. After all, what other ideas did they have?
“After more than a year, I doubt Gundulf would have recognized Osberga even if he’d caught a glimpse of her,” Gytha carried on, sending a rock flying into the distance with a well-aimed kick. “He obviously never paid her much attention. He just wanted to be rid of her. She was just a girl, unimportant at best, a nuisance at worst.”
Had Haakon not known Gytha had had a happy childhood, he would have wondered if she was not talking about herself. But he knew her parents had been in love and had lavished attention on her. So, was she thinking of her friend Eadhild? With a father like Alberic, it was all too possible she had been despised for being a girl. Halfdan had told him once that he wished to give his wife the happiness she had never known as a child. Perhaps that was what he’d meant.
In any case, Gytha was right about Osberga. Even if she had reached the village, she wouldn’t have gone to find her mother’s husband, but someone else, someone she could trust. But who? Was there even such a person? He was starting to think they would never find the poor girl. Was she still alive? Alone in such a dangerous world, it would be what his Saxon father called a miracle if she was not dead.
“Did you hear him talk about the woman he had married? No wonder Matilda left.” Gytha was bristling with anger. “I cannot bear to think what she endured married to such a man.”
“I know. Men can be real bastards.”
Feeling rather dejected himself, he walked toward the horses. Where should they go now? He had no idea, but he didn’t relish the idea of going back home and telling Wolf and, even worse, Matilda, that they had not found anything useful. But they could not stay here indefinitely, waiting for an elusive girl to arrive.
He was checking the girth on Sleipnir’s saddle when an old woman called out to him from somewhere in the bushes. He recognized her as the one who had stood by the well during their confrontation with Gundulf.
“Here, young man, a word if you please.”
Followed by Gytha, he walked over to the bushes. It was obvious the villager had chosen the place to avoid being seen talking to them. This was promising. Did she have the information they wanted but knew the others would be angry ather for sharing it with strangers? He nodded and waited to hear what she had to say.
The old woman seemed to hesitate then started.
“I overheard you talk with Gundulf earlier. I just wanted to thank you.” She chuckled. “It was time someone put the awful man in his place. Telling him his wife was now being bedded by a woman was an inspired idea. It will cause him nightmares for the weeks to come and make him the butt of everyone’s joke. He will not like that, but I will.”
“It was no lie,” Haakon answered tersely. He could not help being disappointed, for he had hoped she would have information for them. She didn’t. She just wanted an opportunity to relish in Gundulf’s humiliation. “Matilda is now happy living with one of my friends.”
This caused the woman to still a moment. “Well, good for her, I say. I wish I had experimented more in my younger years. After all, not all men are gifted at giving their women pleasure. I betyouhave no complaints, though, my girl, have you?” She winked at Gytha, who reddened slightly.
“Indeed,” he said, putting an end to her embarrassment. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a long way to go.”
Night would fall soon and Haakon would have liked to make the most of the last sunrays to put some distance between them and Gundulf, who he didn’t trust not to come after them with his spade and his pitchfork.
“Before you go, what is your name, if I may ask?”
