The Viking’s Touch(15)
‘What do you mean?’ demanded Ingvar.
‘I mean that Drakensburgh will have additional protection from now on.’
‘You speak in riddles.’
‘Plainly, then—my men and I will be providing that protection.’
Ingvar’s face became a mask of cold fury. ‘Drakensburgh has no need of your services.’
‘The lady thinks it does,’ replied Wulfgar. ‘From what I saw the other day I’m inclined to agree with her.’
‘That was an unfortunate misunderstanding.’
‘It was certainly unfortunate, but I don’t think there could be any misunderstanding.’
‘You meddle in matters that do not concern you.’
‘But they do concern me—now.’
Ingvar glared at him and then turned to Anwyn. ‘You cannot seriously intend to allow these pirates to remain?’
‘Pirates, no,’ she replied. ‘But I do intend to let Lord Wulfgar and his men remain.’
For a moment he surveyed her in chilling silence. ‘I am sorry to hear it. I thought you had better sense.’
‘My sense is unimpaired.’
‘I think you have made a foolish decision that you will come to regret very soon, my lady.’
‘I will stand by my decision nevertheless.’
‘I see.’
‘Let’s hope you do,’ replied Wulfgar.
The two men faced each other in silence for a moment. All pretence of goodwill was stripped from Ingvar’s expression now to reveal naked hatred.
‘I will not permit any man to meddle in my affairs, or to steal what belongs to me.’
At this Anwyn felt her anger flare. She controlled it. ‘There is nothing here that belongs to you, my lord. Nor ever will.’
‘You’re wrong, Anwyn. All you are doing is to postpone the inevitable. I always get what I want, one way or another.’
Wulfgar’s hand rested casually on the hilt of his sword. ‘You would be well advised to forget all thoughts of Drakensburgh, and its lady.’
‘So you intend to take them for yourself then, Viking?’
‘If I did, it would still be no business of yours.’ He intercepted a look of sparkling indignation from Anwyn and ignored it, continuing, ‘You have nothing more to do here, my lord, except to leave.’
Ingvar threw him a savage glare. ‘I’ll leave—for now.’ With that he turned on his heel and strode away.
Anwyn let out a long breath. ‘We have not heard the last of him.’
‘Of course not.’
‘Doesn’t that bother you?’
‘Why should it? I have his measure.’
‘And if he opens hostilities?’
‘Not if…when.’
‘You think it inevitable?’
‘It is inevitable, and when he does I shall kill him.’
Anwyn’s eyes flashed indignation. ‘That was not what we agreed. I said I wanted no bloodshed.’
‘We don’t always get what we want.’
‘We made a bargain, Wulfgar.’
‘So we did.’ He surveyed her steadily. ‘But, if it comes down to a choice between my death or his?’
‘It won’t.’
‘It might.’
Indignation dissolved to be replaced by something quite different. She knew then that, were there ever to be a choice between the two of them, Ingvar would lose hands down.
‘Then you would have to kill him,’ she replied.
‘Just so.’
She experienced an inner qualm as the true implications of her plan came home. ‘So it begins.’
‘Aye, it begins, but you knew it would.’
‘I suppose I’d hoped to have more time.’
‘Better this way; everyone knows where he stands.’
She nodded. ‘I suppose so.’ Then, recalling a detail of the recent conversation, continued, ‘What did you mean by that remark to Ingvar just now?’
‘Which one?’
‘You know which one.’
‘No, enlighten me.’
She reddened slightly and the green eyes took on a militant sparkle. ‘When you said it was none of Ingvar’s business if you did take Drakensburgh for your own.’
‘Ah, that one,’ he replied.
‘What did you mean by it?’
‘Exactly what I said.’
Her colour deepened. ‘You had no right to say any such thing unless…’
‘Unless what?’
‘You were being deliberately provoking.’
‘Of course it was deliberately provoking. The man was almost rampant with jealousy.’
‘He has nothing to be jealous of.’
Wulfgar raised an eyebrow. ‘No? Well, what the eye doesn’t see…and he wasn’t here last night, was he?’
Anwyn’s cheeks went scarlet. He grinned appreciatively and took a step closer.
‘Is it coming back to you now, Anwyn?’
She glared at him. ‘It came back long since, you rogue. Did you think I would be unaware that you had taken advantage of me?’
‘What I took was a kiss, lady, though the rest would have been simple enough.’
‘Why, you utter…’
‘When I take a woman to bed I prefer her to be sober, you see.’
Anwyn’s eyes blazed scorn. ‘So that she will remember?’
‘The pleasure is all one-sided else.’
‘The pleasure is all one-sided anyway,’ she retorted.
Wulfgar regarded her curiously. ‘If so, you were in bed with the wrong man.’
‘It was not my choice to be in his bed at all.’
‘The man would be careless indeed who, having once taken you to his bed, could not persuade you to return there willingly and often.’
Something in his expression set her heart to beating as fast as it had erewhile, and all at once the memory of that stolen kiss returned with force. Unable to bear his scrutiny, she looked away.
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about and it is irrelevant anyway.’
‘Irrelevant is not the word I would use. On the contrary, it seems highly pertinent.’
‘I drank too much.’
‘In vino veritas—in wine is truth.’
‘Only a loss of inhibition, which I now regret.’
‘Do you?’ He paused, waiting. ‘Look at me, Anwyn.’
Heart pounding, she forced herself to face him. ‘What happened last night was unfortunate and it will not be repeated.’
‘I’m sorry to hear it.’
‘And I am sorry that my actions gave you to think that I…that we—’ She broke off, floundering.
‘I do think so. That kiss was no pretended passion and we both know it.’
‘Even if it wasn’t, the matter can go no further. Surely you see that.’
‘Clearly our views differ on this point.’ He smiled wryly. ‘But you’re probably right.’
‘You know I’m right. We must forget it ever happened.’
‘Some things are not so soon forgotten.’
‘This is a business arrangement, my lord, nothing more.’ She paused. ‘I regret that I should have given you reason to think otherwise. It was most unwittingly done.’
‘So, what now?’
‘Can we let things go back to being as they were before?’
‘If that is what you want.’
She nodded. ‘Thank you. And once again, I’m truly sorry about what happened last night.’
‘I wish I could say the same,’ he murmured, as she walked away.
Chapter Eight
In the days that followed, Wulfgar made it his business to find out as much as he could about Drakensburgh. A more detailed exploration of its defences confirmed his first thought that the place would be easy enough to hold. It was a good start. What he needed to do next was to forge two disparate groups of men into one cohesive fighting force. To that end he organised a series of training sessions that would bring everyone together and allow him to gauge the mettle of the Drakensburgh contingent. In this, too, he was pleasantly surprised. Whatever else he might have been, it seemed Earl Torstein had known how to choose able fighters.
He had seen little of Anwyn since the night of the feast. They met only at the table now where, he noted with wry amusement, she limited her drinking to ale and that in small quantities. Her manner towards him was unfailingly courteous, but it was also professionally distant. No mention was ever made of that previous brief intimacy; indeed, it might never have happened. Moreover, he was fairly certain that she had been avoiding him. Initially it had the merit of novelty, but he found that fast wearing off. What made it worse was the growing suspicion that it was no mere feminine wile to increase his interest: she meant it. Once or twice, during the morning training sessions, he caught a glimpse of her, usually with the child, but she never even glanced his way. Refreshments were supplied to him and his men, but it was a servant who brought them. She had effectively thrown up a defensive barrier and intended to remain behind it.