“Dost think Toste will return in time for the feast?” Sarah asked shyly.
Her sister Sigrud nudged her with an elbow. “We only wondered because he loves to dance and surely there will be dancing at the feast.”
Eadyth smiled at the two blushing girls, who were quite attractive with the silver-blond hair and violet eyes of their mother.
“I’m sure he’ll be back by then,” Alinor interjected. “And, yea, Toste and Vagn were always expert dancers, as I recall.”
“Toste is a little old for you girls,” Eadyth said gently.
“Moth-er!” the twins exclaimed as one.
After the twins left to search their wardrobes for garments fine enough to wear to the feast, Esme still sat at the table with the two women, who regaled her with stories.
“I cannot believe some of the outrageous things we did as young women,” Alinor began. “One time, when Tykir and his men kidnapped me to take me back to King Anlafs court, I put a potion in his ale. Blessed Lord, he spent two whole days in the garderobe for my misdeed.”
“Well, I pretended to be an aged crone for the first few months of my marriage to Eirik. How outrageous is that?”
“I can beat that. There was the time I tied Tykir’s hair to a chair so he could not chase after me when I ran away. He was naked at the time, of course.” Alinor grinned impishly at the memory.
“I think the most outrageous thing I ever did was planning my own mock death. I put all these animal bones and entrails in a shed, hoping that Eirik would think it was me.”
Esme was amazed that these women admitted—nay, took great pleasure in—their outrageous antics. It was probably why she blurted out, “Well, none of that is as outrageous as what I have done.”
She immediately slapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Eadyth and Alinor were staring at her with decided interest.
“What have you done, Esme?” Eadyth asked softly.
“Oh, I cannot say. You would think me the most evil woman on earth. You would hate me. You would be so shocked. You would banish me from Ravenshire forthwith.”
“Esme, my dear, there is nothing you can say that would shock us. Believe you me, we have seen and done it all.” Alinor’s freckled hand patted Esme’s pale white one in comfort.
Esme was not comforted. “You are wrong. You would be shocked.”
“The reason for your nervousness these past few days—it is not because you worry over the Witan’s verdict, is it?” Eadyth asked hesitantly.
“I worry over that, of course, but it is not my biggest concern. I am in such trouble.”
“What have you done?” Alinor demanded to know.
“I kidnapped Toste and have him tied to a bed in the woodcutter’s hut, naked,” she blurted out all in one breath. Surprisingly, it felt good to finally unburden herself of this secret.
And Alinor had been wrong. They could be shocked, as evidenced by their gaping jaws.
“Now? He’s in the woodcutter’s hut now?” Eadyth finally managed to choke out.
“Naked? Tied to a bed?” Alinor added, also in a choked voice.
Esme nodded. “But I can’t release him till he agrees to my proposal.”
“A marriage proposal?” Alinor beamed at her.
“Nay, not a marriage proposal. God’s bones! Why would I want to marry the lout?”
Alinor and Eadyth grinned at her vehement reply. Then Alinor said, “Tell us everything,” and Eadyth concurred with, “Yea, everything.”
After she’d explained everything to them, the two women just stared at her with astonishment. At first, Esme didn’t know how they felt about her outrageous actions. But then Eadyth whooped and patted her on the back. “I said from the beginning that you and I were going to get on well.”
“Yea, you are a woman after my own heart.” Alinor gave her a warm hug. “You saw a need in your life and took matters into your own hands. Who can argue with that?”
“Well, Toste, for one. And probably your husbands.”
“Men!” Alinor exclaimed as if their opinion was of little importance.
“Show us,” Eadyth said then.