Ruby arched a brow in question.
” ‘Tis a custom for a husband to gift his bride with some special token the morning after the first bedding to show his pleasure. In fact, the marriage is not considered valid in some places until the morgen-gifu is given.”
“Really?” Ruby asked, looping her arms around his neck and giving him a quick kiss of thanks. “And were you pleased?”
“How can you doubt it?” he growled into her ear.
By the time they arrived down in the hall, the servant grapevine had carried the story. Hrolf and Dar laughed rudely in their faces, and all day he and Ruby were subjected to wide speculation on exactly what they did with the honey. Some said it was even on the floor and walls, which was, of course, ridiculous.
For two days, they basked in their newfound love, spending long hours in bed, walking or riding through Hrolf’s lands, planning their future together.
On the afternoon of the second day, Thork told her, “I must return to Jomsborg for a while. I have a commitment to fulfill.” Ruby turned sad eyes on him, and for the first time ever Thork wished he was not pledged to the Jomsvikings.
“Will you quit then?” she asked hopefully.
“Yea, I will, but not until my duty is completed.”
“How long?”
He shrugged uncertainly. “I know not. I promise it will be as soon as possible.”
“Then where will we live? What will you do?”
“Trading is what I do best,” he said tentatively, “but where we settle will be determined by safety.” Thork’s first choice would be to stay on his grandfather’s lands, but chances were Eric would hound him there. In truth, to him it really did not matter where he lived, as long as Ruby and the boys were with him.
Thork hugged Ruby closely to his side as they sat down under a tree on a carpet of new-fallen leaves, and Ruby told him of the first time she and Jack had made love in such a crisp bed. Thork nuzzled her neck, trying to halt her words, not wanting to hear of her love for another man, even if he only existed in her mind.
“Then we shall make love here, sweetling. I will erase the old memories for you.”
Ruby said nothing, but he could see the pain in her eyes. She would never forget this Jack, the imaginary husband. Before she surrendered to his imploring hands, Ruby asked sweetly, “Do you think I could start up a small lingerie business? You could sell the sets on your trading voyages.”
Lord, the witch had a habit of asking irrelevant questions at the most inopportune times. Thork’s chest shook with suppressed laughter.
“What? Why are you laughing at me?” Ruby asked, shoving him in the chest.
“I cannot believe you want me to become a trader in women’s undergarments. Next it will be condoms.”
Affronted, Ruby asked, “Don’t you think there would be a market for lingerie? And, no, I wouldn’t sell condoms.”
“You are serious, are you not?”
“Sewing and making lingerie is what I do best,” Ruby explained. “You have already said you don’t want more children. What would I do all day? Besides, if you’re too embarrassed to sell women’s underthings, I could come with you and do the trading.”
Now that was a thought to boggle the mind. Ruby on his trading voyages! Thor’s balls! He would accomplish naught but making love until his staff wore itself out from overuse. He smiled down at his enticing wife. Ruby’s tunic and chemise hung off one shoulder from his persistent efforts. He reached out a hand and touched the creamy skin.
“Well?” Ruby persisted.
Huskily, he agreed, “If ’tis what you want, wench, I will let you put some women’s lingerie among my trading goods.” Lord, he probably would have agreed to lace his boots at that point.
Then the crunch of autumn leaves under their nude bodies and whispered love words wiped out all thought of business.
Later, back in their chamber where they laughingly picked crumbled leaves from some very intimate places on each other’s bodies, Thork began to have second thoughts. Ruby talked excitedly about plans for her lingerie business. And she wasn’t talking about a few sets of undergarments sewn together in her spare time. She spoke of a separate building for cutting and producing the lingerie, hiring a half dozen women to help her, then expanding later. Thor’s blood! She would fill a ship with her lingerie alone.