The guests that worried Esme most, though, were the ones who would begin arriving tomorrow, some of them members of the Witan, possibly even Archbishop Dunstan, who would represent the king. Despite all that she had done to Toste, she’d never thought he would abandon her to face these notables alone. Her life… her future… was at stake, and he had just ridden off.
She found Bolthor sitting at the far end of the great hall before a small hearth, sipping a cup of mead. Apparently, he had needed to escape the din and chaos, as well. Perhaps he felt abandoned by Toste, too.
She put a hand on his sleeve and sat down on a bench beside him. “I cannot believe the noise,” she said.
He nodded. ” ‘Tis always this way when Vikings get together. And Eirik and Eadyth, though they can claim only one-fourth Norse blood betwixt the two of them, are more Viking than some pure-blooded ones. Comes from Eirik being raised mostly in Viking households, I suppose.”
“Do you… or Toste… have any blood connection to them?”
He shook his head. “No direct or close kinship, but we have been comrades for years in battle and at Norse al-things. I fought beside Tykir at the Battle of Brunanburh where I lost my eye.”
“And Toste—do you not feel abandoned by him now? Like me?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Abandoned? Why would I feel abandoned? Why would you? He should be back tonight or on the morrow at the latest, methinks.”
Esme shook her head to clear it of the fuzziness caused, no doubt, by so much weeping. “What mean you?” Suddenly, a question occurred to her. “Did he not go looking for his brother’s killer?”
“Nay.”
“Where did he go?”
“He did not tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“Where he was going.”
“Nay, he did not.” Esme felt like shaking the giant skald… as if she could! “Where did Toste go?”
“To Evergreen,” he said. “I thought you knew.”
Shock rippled over her. It was the last answer she would have expected. Softly she informed him, “No one told me.”
He shrugged. “No doubt everyone thought you knew.”
Now she felt like shaking Toste. But he had gone to Evergreen. For her? “Why did he go?”
“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.”