She despaired that her shattered heart would ever be the same again.
She was starting to love Eirik. The lout! She was starting to hate Eirik. The lout!
She cried at her conflicting emotions. She pulled at her hair when she could not stop thinking about the sweet life she had envisioned. A fleeting gift—cherished for a moment, then lost.
Then Eadyth got angry.
She called Eirik every foul name she could think of, and then had to listen to Abdul repeat each word, with infuriating precision, back to her.
She threw the wood trencher and all its remaining food against the wall. Then, failing to find anything else to throw, she tore apart the mattress and threw the straw stuffing about the room.
When she finally calmed down, hours later, Eadyth was her old self again. Cool. Sensible. A little wiser. And fit to kill.
Late afternoon shadows danced through the arrow slits as she plopped down with a whoosh of flying straw onto the remains of Eirik’s bed. And she began to plan.
Well, I have fallen for the soft words of a deceitful man once again. So that just means I am weaker than I thought. But now that I know my weakness, I must strengthen my defenses. How do I do that? Hmmm. I will have to get away—for a time, at least—from Eirik and his seductive tongue… and lips… and hands… and… oh, Lord!
Mayhap I could go back to Hawks’ Lair. ‘Twould not be unsafe if I took enough guards with me. Then, when I am stronger—when my bones do not melt at his mere glance, when my heart does not leap at his slightest touch—then I can confront Eirik with new terms for this marriage of ours, which is not really a marriage, after all. First, I will have to escape Eirik’s prison. But, Sweet Mary, how will I ever escape the pain of my breaking heart?
With renewed determination, she picked up one of the heavy side supports which had splintered off Eirik’s bedstead in her tirade and walked to the door.
“Brian… Brian, is that you out there?” she called sweetly.
“Yea, mistress,” the guard answered tentatively. “Did ye get the message I slipped under yer door? Ye were makin’ so much noise I did not know if ye heard me.”
“Message? What message?” Eadyth looked down and saw a piece of parchment on the floor, half buried in the scrambled rushes. Unsealing it, she read the note Eirik had sent to her from Jorvik.
Eadyth,
I have been delayed. Expect my return tomorrow afternoon. I bring with me a beautiful girl. I know the maid will captivate you, as she has me. I will explain all, Eadyth, and we will talk of those other matters we left unresolved. Trust me, dearling.
Your husband, Eirik
Eadyth leaned back against the door, closing her eyes on the cruel pain which shattered her heart. A beautiful girl! Captivated! The brute did not even hide his indiscretions. A suffocating sensation constricted Eadyth’s chest as she crumbled the note in her hands and tears slipped once again from her eyes.
Trust him? How could she do that? He wanted to rut with his mistress and, at the same time, have a wife waiting meekly here at Ravenshire for him, as well. Even worse, he would bring his leman to Ravenshire.
And how dare he call her “dearling” after betraying her so? She wiped her eyes with the back of a hand and wondered, with a catch of breath, what endearments he used for Asa.
Girding herself with resolve, Eadyth pushed herself away from the door.
“Brian, would you send Bertha up here with a broom and some cleaning cloths?” she called through the closed door. “I need to sweep up a slight mess in my bedchamber.”
He muttered something, but then she heard him stomping off.
“Here comes trouble,” Abdul squawked, and Eadyth shot him a glare. The parrot lifted his arrogant nose, ignoring her growling admonition. “Here comes big trouble.”
Eadyth narrowed her eyes menacingly. She would have to do something about the rude, far-too-insightful bird. But not now.
Tapping her foot impatiently, Eadyth awaited Bertha’s arrival. Very soon, the key turned in the lock. Bertha held the door open with her wide rump and edged inside, carrying the cleaning supplies. The door swung shut after her with a loud bang.