“What you said, Thork, was that you would never marry anyone, and I—”
“Argh!” he exclaimed, rolling his eyes upwards. “I am plagued. First, my grandfather. Now, this shrewish woman.” He removed his hands from her arms abruptly and she dropped to the ground, stumbled, then fell to her knees. He didn’t even bother to help her to her feet. Instead, he glared at her in stony silence.
“How could you promise to marry Elise?” Ruby asked tearfully. “How could you do that to me… to us?”
“How could I not?” He threw his hands up in despair. She could see the muscles tense in his clenched jaw.
“But you’re married to me.”
“Nay, that I am not… nor ever will be,” he replied tiredly, as if he were sick of repeating his denial.
“Then it truly is over,” Ruby said softly, with numb resignation.
Thork shook his head doggedly. “Nay, it has not yet begun, witch.”
Ruby stared at him in disbelief. “There can be nothing between us now. Nothing.”
” ‘Tis not for you to decide.”
“What are you suggesting?”
Thork leaned his face close to hers, almost nose to nose, and smiled, but the warmth never reached his ice-blue eyes. “My meaning is abundantly clear. You have bedeviled me and delayed me. For that, I intend to exact payment… in full… and you know perfectly well how.”
“No!”
“Oh, yea! Never doubt it.”
The tent flap swung open suddenly and Vigi peeped his head in tremulously. “Master Thork, the wench be missing.”
“Oh, really?” he said, stepping to the side so that Vigi could see Ruby still kneeling on the hard-packed earth. Vigi’s eyes almost popped out as she scrambled to her feet.
Tears welled and overflowed Ruby’s eyes as Thork directed. Vigi, “Take her back to her tent and guard her well this time. She is not to leave the tent the entire day. If I see her anywhere near the betrothal ceremony in the assembly tent, you will have not only your sale to a slave trader to contend with, but a lack of limb, as well.”
Ruby looked back at Thork over her shoulder as Vigi led her out. His steely countenance barred any further exhortations on her part.
“I do not wish to speak to you again, wench, until you are on my ship two days hence, and then you will understand well and good how you will pay.”
The next day, Ruby was, in fact, imprisoned in her tent. She could hear the bustle of festive activity outside, probably the betrothal feast. Vigi brought her meals in the morning and midday and removed her chamber pot, but he would say nothing to her many questions. Finally, when it was almost dark, Aud came to her. She took one look at Ruby’s sleepless eyes and tear-ravaged face and opened her arms for comfort.
“Oh, child, why do you torture yourself so?” she crooned as she held Ruby kindly. When she pulled back finally and wiped her face with a square of linen, Aud asked, “Dost my grandson mean so much to you?”
Ruby nodded on a sob.
“But ’tis only a betrothal, and he has no fondness for the girl.”
“Oh, Aud, can’t you see? This means we can’t ever be together. I thought… I thought because he looked just like Jack that Thork would love me, too. I wanted this to be my second chance to make things right with my husband.”
“If ’tis any consolation, Thork looked as miserable the entire day as you do now. He barks at any who comes near him.”
“Even Elise?” Ruby whispered.
“Most of all, Elise,” Aud replied with a sad grin. “The girl probably cries her eyes out as we speak.”
“Do you mean… do you mean Thork isn’t with her?” she choked out hopefully.
Aud laughed at Ruby’s obviousness. “Girl, is that what you have been thinking, that the marriage is to be consummated this eve? Nay, some couples do such, but not in this case, especially because of Elise’s age.”
Ruby felt an odd consolation in knowing that Thork would not make love to his intended bride. And who knows where she would be in two years when Thork and Elise finally married?