Eadyth’s heart began to pump wildly. Eirik’s thumb drew erotic circles on her wrist where he continued to hold her hand. Surely he could feel her racing pulse.
“Do you object?”
She shook her head and cleared her throat. “No doubt I will have to sell a great many more candles and honey and mead to cover the expense,” she said, trying hard not to succumb to the seductive magic of his fingers and imploring eyes.
He chuckled softly. “Ever the shrew, Eadyth! Nay, those coins came from my own pocket.”
Then another part of Eirik’s words came back to her, painfully. “So Asa has an enticing body, does she?” No doubt her breasts wobble like cows’ udders.
The brute grinned, and despite her elation over his good news, Eadyth felt an uncommon urge to wipe the grin off with a slap.
“Well?” he said finally with a self-satisfied smirk. “Do you not want to know why I severed my ties with Asa?”
The magnetic pull of Eirik’s pale eyes drew her to him, but she fought mightily, feeling her defenses crumble. “Because you found another mistress?” she offered weakly.
“Nay,” he said, the edges of his lips tilting upward.
“Because Asa has grown fat and slovenly… and… and her breasts no longer wobble?”
Eirik’s mouth dropped open in disbelief at her crude words. Then he recovered himself. “Nay, Asa is gloriously beautiful.”
The idea of a slap to his mouth became increasingly more attractive. “Then why?”
“Because I have a wife who pleases me greatly, in the bed and out. When she is not disobeying my orders, that is, or masquerading as an old crone, or attacking me with bees, or nagging at me shrewishly, or demanding I do her bidding, or usurping my authority, or calling me foul names, or—”
Eadyth pulled her hand out of his grasp and put her fingertips to his lips, halting his words. “But that is all the time,” she said on a groan.
He held her fingers at his lips, then nipped and suckled on the tips, one at a time, causing her to inhale softly with delight.
“Yea, ’tis,” he agreed, “but I have decided to allow you time to change your waspish ways if—”
“If?”
“—if you will continue to please me in all other ways,” he said smoothly.
And Eadyth thought that would not be such a sore fate.
John and Larise and Godric ran up the steps of the dais then, all speaking at once. Barefoot and covered with grime, they smelled like the stables. Normally, Eadyth would have chastised them. Today, it did not seem so important.
Emma straightened in Eirik’s lap and brightened with pleasure, clearly wanting to be with the other children, but fearing to leave the safety of her father’s arms. But then, all of a sudden, Emma jumped off Eirik’s lap and ran to the figure following behind the children. It was Tykir.
Dressed in fine wool braies and a short-sleeved, knee-length tunic of a soft brown color, Tykir looked the fierce Viking warrior. His long blond hair hung down to his shoulders, but it had been braided off to one side to highlight a rakish gold loop earring. Wide metal armlets encircled the huge muscles of his upper arms. He walked toward them jauntily, knowing full well the handsome image he portrayed.
“Blessed Lord, I had best lock up all the maids in the keep,” Eadyth muttered.
“And you call me a lusty lout!” Eirik responded, but with an affectionate regard for his brother.
“Uncle Tykir!” Emma yelled happily and threw herself into Tykir’s open arms. Wrapping her thin arms around his neck as he twirled her in a circle, Emma giggled like any normal child. Her laughter rippled merrily around them, sweeter than a harpist’s music. And Eadyth began to believe, finally, that Emma really might recover.
Eadyth and Eirik exchanged grateful looks.
Eadyth rose and gave Tykir a kiss of welcome, then slapped his hand away when he tried to pinch her backside.
“I thought you were coming back here days ago,” Eizik grumbled. “I could have used your help training the new men and patrolling the northern reaches of Ravenshire.”