Page 33

Mairead stood beside the pool, wringing her hands as she regarded him warily. "Have I displeased you, my husband?"

"No, not at all. Come, join me..." He extended his hand and forced a smile to his lips. "Please."

He watched as she undressed, the sight never failing to arouse him. His cock hardened as she stepped forward, picking her way with care across the flat rocks which surrounded the pool. As soon as she was close enough she grasped his outstretched hand and allowed him to assist her into the waters.

"This is good." She sighed and turned to lean her back against his chest. He brought his arms around her and revelled in the friction of his engorged cock against her smooth buttocks. Mairead did little to assuage his hunger as she rubbed against him.

"Little temptress," he murmured into her damp hair. "But sadly this must wait. Did I not say I wished to discuss a matter of some importance with you?"

"You said you wished to talk..." She twisted her neck to look back at him over her shoulder, "... and I surmise from your grim expression that it will not be a matter to my liking. Does... does this matter concern Edyth?"

"It does."

"And her... indisposition?"

"Yes. That."

Mairead turned to look him full in the face now. "Is she pregnant?"

Gunnar gaped at her, incredulous. Where did his normally level-headed wife get such a deluded notion from? "No! At least, I do not think so. How would I know?"

"You would know, if you... if you…"

"Oh, for fuck's sake." He glared at her as her meaning sank in. "You actually believe I have been fucking my little house slave?"

"No, no I do not. At least I did not believe it, not until you started this. What am I supposed to think?"

"You are supposed to think that you are my wife. I adore you, and I want no other, least of all a skinny wench. Why would I even look at Edyth when I have you?"

"Because she is very lovely. Everyone can see that..."

"As are you. That is equally obvious."

"So, you are not about to tell me that you wish to set our marriage aside?"

Now Gunnar could only stare, open-mouthed. He had known he was handling this badly, but only now did the depth of his ineptitude become clear. Long moments passed before he regained his voice.

"No, I am not," he ground out. "You are my heart, that will never alter. I love you, I love our children..."

" Our children?"

He made no attempt to conceal his exasperation. "Your children, our children, what is the difference? We are a family and I have no desire to change that. Ever. Do I make myself clear, Mairead? I would not wish there to remain any lingering doubt between us on this matter."

She peered up at him, her eyelashes damp now. He suspected the waterfall was not wholly responsible. Her lip quivered as she sought her next words.

"I am sorry. I should have thought before I spoke..."

He flattened his mouth into a grim scowl.

"Yes, you should. I have given you no reason to doubt me and you may be very certain that you will be sorry.

I have had no cause to turn you across my knee these past months, but I consider it needful now, to demonstrate that I mean what I say.

First though, I must address the real reason we are here. "

"Yes, Jarl." She appeared contrite, though far from fearful at his promise to spank her.

Maybe he had left such chastisement longer than was strictly wise.

He could have found a reason to bare her bottom for a few well-placed slaps, had he cared to look.

He gave his head a sharp shake in an attempt to clear it of such distractions and return to the matter at hand.

He saw no merit in beating about the bush and opted to come straight out with it.

"I find I must whip Ferris again. I know that you found this distressing previously, but it is necessary. I wished you to know of my intention, and to understand the reasons for it."

Mairead’s heart lurched. "Ferris? The man you flogged that first day I was here?"

"The same," confirmed Gunnar.

"He has been stealing again?" Or worse? Had she been wrong to keep the slave’s misguided threats to herself all these months?

Gunnar shook his head. "Not to my knowledge, though it would not surprise me. He... he has attacked Edyth."

Now it was his wife's turn to appear incredulous. Mairead stared at him, her emerald eyes wide. "Attacked? In what way has he attacked her? Is she hurt?"

"She will live, but yes, he did hurt her. Matters would have been considerably worse had Steinn and Weylin not heard her screams and intervened."

"Oh."

Gunnar watched his wife's features, saw her complexion pale as the implications of his account sank in. "He... he attempted to rape her?" Mairead's voice had dropped to a whisper.

"From what Steinn and Weylin have said I must conclude that he did. You understand I cannot allow this to go unpunished?"

"No, of course not." Gunnar was relieved that she appeared to agree with him, at least on the need to mete out justice. "What happened?" she demanded. "When..."

"This morning. Edyth was on an errand for Aigneis when she encountered Ferris returning from the lower meadow.

It seems the man has been declaring his admiration for the wench since she first arrived here, but I am given to understand she does not return his interest. On this occasion, Ferris was not prepared to take no for an answer.

There was an argument, then he dragged the girl into a stand of trees and attempted to take her by force.

Luckily Weylin and Steinn were inspecting rabbit traps nearby and heard the commotion. .."

"How... how far did he get?" His wife’s voice was breathy, her shock clearly profound.

"Edyth's clothing was torn, and there is much bruising about her shoulders and breasts. Her face, too."

"He... he slapped her? Beat her?"

"Aye, it looks like it. By the time Steinn and Weylin came upon them she was on the ground and Ferris was lying on top of her. She had ceased to fight him. It is just as well my men were close enough to stop him in time."

“It is my fault…”

“Nay, love, it is Ferris’ fault and he shall be made to pay.”

“It is my fault,” Mairead insisted. “I knew… I should have told you…”

“You knew? What did you know? That he lusted after Edyth? To be fair, most of the males in Gunnarsholm lust after the lass but Ferris was the only one who?—“

“No. I knew what he was like. Ferris is a violent man who threatens women” She wriggled in his arms so that she was facing him. “He… he threatened me once.”

“He did what?” Gunnar could not believe what he was hearing. “How did he threaten you? When?”

“S-soon after I arrived here. It was while you were away, chasing the raiders who stole your sheep.” In short, stumbling bursts she confided to him the details of her conversations with Ferris. Gunnar grew more livid with each syllable.

“And why am I only now learning of this?” He had promised her a spanking for doubting his fidelity but this was worse. Much worse. By Odin she would not forget this day’s punishment any time soon. “All these months you have been afraid of him?”

“No. No, I was not afraid. I… I thought him harmless, an embittered fool, full of threats but powerless to hurt anyone. It seems I was wrong.”

“You were. You were wrong about Ferris and wrong to keep this from me. I would have ensured he could harm no one.”

“With your whip?”

“Aye, with my whip. He deserves no less.”

Mairead was silent, but he did not make the mistake of interpreting this as acquiescence. “There is more?”

She nodded.

“Tell me. Now.”

“He wanted to kill you.”

Gunnar snorted. “I daresay.”

“He wanted me to help him.”

“What?”

“He wanted me to murder you while you slept. He… he thought I might because I was also a slave and by killing our master I would be showing loyalty to my people.”

“I have to assume your loyalties were more complex than he believed.” Or so Gunnar fervently hoped.

“Of course they were. You were never other than kind to me, and to my children. I would never lift a hand against you.”

“Yet you kept that man’s secrets, knowing what he plotted.” He could not in those moments have explained to her the depth of his disappointment.

“I believed him powerless. He could never have harmed you without my aid?—“

“Or that of another.” Gunnar was baffled by her naivety if she truly believed the discontented thrall would be deterred simply because she refused to help him. “If Ferris sought to conspire with you, why not with others? He would likely have found an accomplice eventually.”

Mairead’s eyes widened as the truth of his words sank in.

“Oh God,“ she moaned and buried her face in her hands. “I was a fool. You must hate me.”

“Hate you? I am angry with you, more bloody angry than I can find words for right now, but I could never hate you. You are my wife, and I love you. Have we not already established that?”

“But, what about Ferris?”

“He will get what he deserves,“ growled Gunnar. And for himself he would find the entire business rather less distasteful than he had imagined. Ferris would come to bitterly regret his conduct here at Gunnarsholm.

Neither spoke for several minutes. Mairead’s sobs subsided, as did Gunnar’s temper, to be replaced by a deep sense of relief. Matters could have gone very differently, though Edyth might not share his satisfaction with the outcome.

Apparently Mairead thought so too. "Thank the sweet Saviour that Steinn and Weylin were close by and able to rescue poor Edyth. You are quite certain she will recover from her injuries?

“Aye, I believe so, though she is very shocked and distressed.”

“That is to be expected.”

“Steinn wants her. Even now. I gather he has always wanted the lass but has been uncharacteristically slow to make his desires known. It might be best if they were to wed…”

“But, what if she does not feel as he does? Especially after…this.”

“She would find safety in marriage. He is a good man.”