Page 84 of The Evening and the Morning

“I’m just checking the goods before my brother buys them.” He shot an arch look at his pals, and on cue, they burst out laughing.

Ragna glanced at Gytha and saw the trace of a smirk on her lips.

Ragna said: “Next time the Vikings raid, I hope you brave men will be there to meet them.”

Wigelm was silenced, unable to work out whether that was a compliment or a curse.

Ragna took the opportunity to make her exit.

A man could be fined for touching the breast of a woman, but Ragna was not going to make a court case out of the incident. However, she vowed to find a way to punish Wigelm.

Outside, she turned to Gytha and said: “So, Wilf has prepared a house for me?”

Her phrasing was deliberate. It was Wilwulf’s responsibility to make sure she was comfortable. He had probably left it to Gytha to make the arrangements, but Ragna would complain to him if dissatisfied, not Gytha, and she wanted Gytha to understand that from the start.

“This way,” said Gytha.

Next to Wigelm’s home was a cheaper house with draughty wattle-and-daub walls. Gytha walked in and Ragna followed.

It was adequately furnished, with a bed, a table with benches, several chests, and plenty of wooden cups and bowls. There was a stack of firewood by the hearth and a barrel that presumably contained ale. The place lacked any touch of luxury.

It was a poor welcome, Ragna felt.

Gytha sensed Ragna’s reaction and said hesitantly: “No doubt you have brought your own personal choice of wall hangings and so on.”

Ragna had not. She had expected everything to be provided. She had money to buy whatever she needed, but that was not the point. “Blankets?” she said.

Gytha shrugged. “Why do you need blankets? Most people sleep in their cloaks.”

“I noticed that Wilf has plenty of blankets in his house.”

Gytha did not reply.

Ragna looked around the walls. “Not enough pegs,” she said. “You didn’t think a bride might have a lot of clothes to hang up?”

“You can put in more pegs.”

“I’ll have to borrow a hammer.”

Gytha looked puzzled, then realized that Ragna was being sarcastic. “I’ll send you a carpenter.”

“The place is too small. I have five maids and seven men-at-arms.”

“The men can be lodged in the town.”

“I prefer them near me.”

“That may not be possible.”

“We’ll see.” Ragna was angry and hurt. However, she needed to think and plan before taking action. She turned to Cat. “Fetch the other maids, and tell the men to bring the baggage.” Cat went out.

Gytha tried to regain the initiative. She adopted an authoritative tone and said: “You’ll live here, and when Wilf wants to spend the night with you he will either come here or invite you to his house. You should never go to his bed uninvited.”

Ragna ignored that. She and Wilf would work things out without the help of his stepmother. She resisted the temptation to say so.

She had had enough of Gytha. “Thank you for showing me around,” she said in a tone of dismissal.

Gytha hesitated. “I hope everything is all right.”