Page 274 of The Evening and the Morning

“I’m saying that Ethelred will see this as a political problem, rather than a simple matter of crime and punishment.”

“Hell. So how might he solve the problem?”

“He may think the simplest answer is for you to marry Wigelm.”

Ragna stood up, furious. “Never!” she cried. “Surely he wouldn’t force me to marry the man who raped me?”

“I don’t think he would force you, no. And even if he were inclined that way I suspect his new Norman queen would take your side. But you don’t want to clash with the king if you can help it. You need him to think of you as a friend.”

Ragna struggled to accept all this. She recalled that she had once been quite shrewd about politics. She felt passionately angry and indignant, but that was not helping her to develop her strategy. She was lucky that Aldred was here to open her eyes. She said: “What do you think I should do?”

“Before Ethelred gets the chance to suggest the marriage, you should ask him to make no decision about your future before the baby is born.”

It was a sensible idea, Ragna thought. The whole picture would be changed if the baby died. Or the mother. And both happened frequently.

Aldred must have been thinking that, but he said something different. “Ethelred will like the idea because it will offend nobody.”

More importantly, Ragna thought, it would give her time to renew her friendship with Queen Emma and win her as an ally. There was nothing so valuable as a friend at court.

Aldred stood up. “I’ll leave you to think about that.”

“Thank you for taking care of my money.”

“Edgar traveled here with me. Will you see him?”

Ragna hesitated. She thought with regret of their last encounter. She had been too paralyzed with self-disgust to talk sensibly. He must have been terribly upset by her pregnancy, and her mood must have made that even worse. “Of course I’ll see him,” she said.

When he came in she noticed how well dressed he was, in a fine wool tunic and leather shoes. He wore no jewelry, but his belt had a decorated silver buckle and strap end. He was prospering.

And his face bore an expression of eager optimism that she knew well.

She stood up and said: “I’m glad to see you.”

He opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace.

He was careful of her belly, but he hugged her shoulders hard. It almost hurt, but she did not care, she was so pleased to be touching him. They stayed like that for a long moment.

When they broke apart he was smiling like the boy who won the race. She smiled back. “How are you?” she said.

“I’m all right, now that you’re free.”

“Have you finished your bridge?”

“Not yet. What about you, what’s your plan?”

“I have to stay here until the king comes.”

“Will you come to Dreng’s Ferry afterward? Our plan could still work. You could take refuge in the nunnery for as long as necessary. And we could talk at leisure about... our future.”

“I’d like that. But I can’t make any plans until I see the king. He is in charge of noble widows. I don’t know what he might do.”

Edgar nodded. “I’ll leave you for now. I have to buy iron. But will you invite me to dinner?”

“Of course.”

“I’m happy to sit around the table with the servants and children, you know that.”

“I know.”