Page 117 of A Tale of Two Vikings

“To help you.”

Tears, which she’d thought dried up, welled immediately in her eyes and her heart seemed to constrict in her chest. “For me?”

“Yea, we talked—Toste, Eirik, Tykir and me—and we have concluded that there is something odd going on at Evergreen…something unusual. Else why would your father covet such a small estate? Toste went to investigate. He hopes to return with information that can be used in your petition afore the Witan.”

She bit her bottom lip with worry. “It could be dangerous.”

“Mayhap, but Toste is dangerous, too. Do not worry. He will return. He specifically asked me to keep you safe till he does.”

Esme brightened and slapped a hand over her racing heart. Toste must care for her. He must.

With that, she went off to find Eadyth and Alinor. Suddenly her life seemed hopeful. Toste had not abandoned her, after all.

Eadyth and Alinor were in a storage room on an upper level, sorting through silver knives, wooden platters, spoons and goblets, and pretty cloths to put on the tables for the feast. They looked up and said, “Greetings, Esme.”

“Greetings,” she said. “Can I help?”

“Yea,” Eadyth answered. “Help us set aside anything that can be used by all our extra guests.”

“We will need more bed linens, too,” Alinor reminded Eadyth.

While they worked, Esme asked, “Why did you not tell me that Toste had gone to Evergreen?”

“You did not know?” Eadyth seemed genuinely surprised.

“The lackwit did not tell you.” Alinor remarked, more as a statement than a question. “How like a man.”

“Alinor is right in her assessment. Men do not think words are necessary. They think we can see into their thick heads.”

“Have you fallen in love?” Alinor inquired of a sudden, then immediately put up a halting hand. “Nay, you do not have to answer that, Esme. It was impertinent of me.”

But she answered just the same. “I am sore angry with the lout for some of the things he has done, but, yea, I suspect that I have fallen in love with him. More the fool am I.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Does Toste love you?” Leave it to Alinor to get right to the heart of the matter.

Esme threw her hands in the air. “If he did not tell me he was going on a chivalrous errand on my behalf, dost think he would inform me of his inner feelings?”

“Betimes a woman can sense these things,” Alinor said.

“Well, his lovemaking was spectacular,” Esme revealed with a flaming face.

“Do tell,” both women said with avid interest, placing the objects they’d been sorting back on a table and giving her their full attention.

“I couldn’t speak of that, except to say that he did that thing for me that men don’t like but which women adore.”

“And that would be?” Alinor asked, a suspicious tone in her voice.

“You know—the woman’s favorite position in bedsport.”

Eadyth grinned at Alinor and said, “I cannot wait to hear this.” They both looked at Esme.

There was no escape now. So Esme said bluntly, “Like a dog.”

Eadyth looked at Alinor, and Alinor looked at Eadyth. Then they both burst out laughing. And they continued to laugh till tears rolled down their faces. Esme just gaped at them in puzzlement.

Woof, woof, woof…

’Twas said that, in many bedchambers at Ravenshire that night, dog-sex took place. Bolthor swore he would write a saga about it.