Ruby sat up in the bed, confused. Thork grabbed her forearms with pincerlike fingers and pulled her roughly toward him. He shook her so hard she fell back on the bed.
“You lying, stinking bitch!”
“What? What did I do now?”
“You are a virgin,” he spit out reproachfully. “All those stories you told of a husband and sons were lies. All lies! Who are you, and what do you here? Who sent you?”
“A virgin! Are you crazy? I’ve made love hundreds of times.”
Thork leaned over her threateningly, pinioning her shoulders to the bed with the palms of his hands. “I know a maidenhead, madam, and you have one. The lies end here.”
Tears streamed down Ruby’s face, blurring her vision. There was nothing—nothing at all—she could tell him that would convince him of the truth.
Sweet Lord! A virgin! Ruby thought. Who would have ever thought it?
“You know you can work your wiles on me. You know how much I want the bedding of you, but know this, too—it will never happen now. Never! And if you lie about your virginity, what other duplicity do you practice? I would sooner bed with a snake than a deceitful woman.”
Ruby sobbed aloud, but Thork seemed immune to her pain. In truth, Ruby knew he was in as much pain himself.
“Stay away from me if you value your life. I get no joy in my strength over the weaker sex, but you push me too far. I cannot promise I will not hurt you if you approach me again.” Then he got up and stormed out of the room, barefoot and bare-chested. The door slammed after him, shaking the wood door frame.
Ruby cried for hours, alternately sobbing, then racking her brain for answers to the dilemma she was in. When dawn light streamed through the window, Ruby still hadn’t slept, and she knew she needed help. Would it be Dar or Aud? She decided to try Aud first.
Ruby opened the door and saw Vigi sleeping across the entryway, barring her exit. “I’d like to go to the pond to bathe. Will you accompany me?”
“Thor’s blood, woman! ‘Tis scarce daylight. Besides, you bathed yestermorn.” He stood and rubbed sleepily at his eyes, then glared at her.
“I need to bathe,” she asserted. “Shall we wake your master Dar to get his permission?”
“Nay,” he muttered grumpily. “I am awake now.”
Ruby went first to her tower room to get a change of clothes and noticed the gift she’d brought for Aud and forgotten to give to her. She put it on the pile of clothing, linen towels and soap she would carry with her. She awakened Ella to come with her to guard against Vigi’s roving eyes when she bathed.
“Are those bruise marks on your arms?”
“Yes.”
“Because you told that barmy tale in the hall yestereve about shaving legs?”
“No.” Ruby didn’t want to tell her the whole story. Besides, she had a bone to pick with Ella. “Did you tell someone about my master plan to get Thork to marry me?”
“Who sez I did?” Ella’s querulous voice rose indignantly.
“Thork knows about it.”
“Well, mayhap I might have mentioned it to Vigi.”
“Vigi! He’s as much a scandalmonger as you are.”
“Well, I never!”
“I don’t mean to argue with you,” Ruby sighed. “I just have to be careful with you, Ella, if you’re going to repeat everything I say.”
“Well, you never said not to say anything.”
“Let’s consider this a blanket statement for the future. From now on, I don’t want you to tell anyone anything I say. Is that clear?”
“Yea, that it is.” Ella shuffled along beside her, having been properly chastised, but it wasn’t long before she asked, “So, why did he bruise you?”
Ruby couldn’t help laughing at Ella’s effrontery.
“Because he discovered I’m a virgin.”
Ella’s mouth dropped open, and Ruby could see a good portion of her discolored teeth. “Nay, it cannot be so!” she exclaimed incredulously.
“That’s what I thought,” Ruby said with a laugh. “Apparently, it can.”
Ella chuckled, then burst into a full-blown guffaw. “A virgin… a virgin… oh, ’tis too much… and I can jist imagine how ’twas when the young master found out. Was it before or after he dug his spade in the soil?”