Page 59 of Viking in Love

He nodded.

“I thought you were teasing.”

He shook his head.

Before she could say any more, he leaned down, brushed his lips quickly over hers, and whispered. “Tomorrow. Night one. I cannot wait.”

And Breanne, chagrined as she was, tingled.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Partings are such sweet sorrow…

Caedmon stood out in the bailey, giving last-minute instructions to Wulf and Geoff.

Breanne and her sisters were in a huddle, weeping and hugging as if the world were coming to an end. Vana was unrecognizable, dressed as a boyling, with her white blonde hair plaited up under a cap. Her role would be as pig herder for some of the hogs being led to market, a role that Vana found amusing but elicited scathing commentary from Breanne. The other two sisters were actually looking forward to their trip to Heatherby. Ingrith could not wait to plan a wedding feast, and Drifa was hoping to find fresh flowers to decorate the bridal head wreath, as well as all the tables. Geoff was having great fun over the prospect of riding up to Heatherby with two beautiful women and seeing his betrothed’s reaction.

Rashid was going to Heatherby, as well, it being thought he would draw too much attention to Vana if he accompanied her and Wulf. The two Viking bears, Ivan and Ivar, would accompany Wulf and Vana, against Wulf’s wishes (he would have preferred a smaller party to avoid detection), insisting that they had been sent by King Thorvald to protect the sisters, and since Vana was the one in trouble, would be remiss in their duties if they stayed behind. The two Vikings were pretending to be slaves that Wulf was taking to auction.

As the ladies started to mount, Rashid came up to Caedmon and said, “So, you have developed an affection for one of the princesses.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” he lied.

“Are you saying that any water in a desert will do? That any woman would suffice in the bed furs, princess or not?”

“Personally I have never taken an ugly woman to bed,” Geoff interjected.

“But you have awakened next to a few,” Wulf countered with a laugh.

Idiots, both of them!

“Do not missay me, Rashid,” Caedmon asserted. “You go too far betimes.”

The Arab shrugged and said, “On occasion, God sends almonds to those with no teeth.”

“What does that mean?”

“Good things sometimes go to the undeserving.”

“Breanne is a good thing?”

“A very good thing.” Rashid patted Caedmon on the shoulder and mounted his horse.

Breanne was bawling like a banshee as her sisters left. When she caught Caedmon watching her, however, she straightened and raised her chin high. The glower she cast his way said, unfairly, that it was his fault she was so miserable.

Ah, well, in for a saint as well as a sinner.

“Tonight, m’lady. I will be waiting.”

You could say it was their first dinner date…

Caedmon had gone about his regular business throughout the day, but always at the back of his mind was this thought: Tonight! And: Big nipples.

He had bathed and shaved before coming to dinner, and he noticed that Breanne, at his side, must have bathed, too. Her hair, even though plaited into one long braid, was lustrous and redolent of roses from her sister’s soap. Her face was shiny from being well scrubbed.

Before they left, Wulf and Geoff had handed him gifts. Since they were not wont to exchange presents, he had to assume there was some jest involved. There was.

Wulf’s “gift” had been a sack of small apples.