"No,and I say that knowing that I may yet gain more lands, wealth, and power.William understood why I refused his generous offering. He was not evensurprised. He also said that, once he knows more of the lands he now seeks torule, he will try to better my prize. Where is Eada, Vedette?"
Nervously,for she knew Drogo would be furious, she replied, "She went back toPevensey."
"Alone?"was all Drogo could say as he fought back a sudden surge of anger born of hisfear for Eada's safety.
"No.Godwin is with her."
"Andthose two babes of his, too, I have no doubt."
"Theyrefused to be left behind. They are terrified that he will leave them as somany others have."
"So,Eada is traveling over a land torn apart and devastated by this war with a boy,her hounds, and two babes. How could you let her indulge in such madness?"
"Shewas not prepared to heed my warnings or pleas. Both were weakened by the factthat I understood why she had to leave. Drogo, all signs pointed to your beingoffered a wife. Eada knew it for fact in that way she has of knowing thingsothers do not. Unfortunately, her gift would not tell her if you would acceptthe wife. She knew that if she stayed and you returned with a bride but stillwanted her, she would not be able to refuse you. Being nothing more than yourleman would slowly kill her. I knew that as surely as she did. What choice didI have?"
Drogodid not know enough about Eada's feelings for him to argue that. "Wherecan she go in Pevensey? And how can she survive? The army took almosteverything."
"Iam sure there are still things the army could not find, not in the short whilethey stayed in the town." Vedette blushed and sent him an apologeticsmile. "I also gave them some supplies."
"Donot look so afraid. I am glad that you did. Where in Pevensey will theygo?"
"ToOld Edith's house. What are you going to do?"
"Followher." Drogo paced the tent as he tried to sort out his plans. "I mustinform William that I will be leaving. Since my lands are in Pevensey, Ibelieve I will gather up all I own and travel to them. All we can do is praythat the weather does not worsen or I may not be able to reach her until thespring."
Drogocursed as he and Unwin carried his belongings out of his room and down thenarrow, dark stairs. It had taken a week to gain an audience with William onlyto have the man request one last duty of him. Aiding yet another group ofNormans who had arrived to see what they could gain now that the fighting wasover had stolen away another eight days. There had been two bad storms, but theweather had cleared again and he was eager to leave London. By the time hereached Pevensey, it would have been three weeks or longer since he had lastseen Eada. His insides were knotted with fear for her. At the moment, he couldnot even be sure that she was still alive.
"Wewill find her," Brun assured Drogo as he loaded the heavy chest andDrogo's armor into the cart.
"Youfeel certain of that, do you, despite all of the dangers she must facethroughout the journey and probably in Pevensey itself?"
"Yes.She is small and pretty, but she is Saxon. She is like the land you now claim.It will allow you to rule it and change it, but you will never truly conquerit. In truth, I think Eada will be far less compromising," he added with agrin, laughing heartily when Drogo was unable to argue.
Twenty-five
"Godsave us, but it is cold," Godwin muttered as he entered Old Edith'scottage and hurried to warm himself by the central hearth.
Eadastirred the pot of stew cooking over the fire. It had been almost a month sincethey had left London, and she felt they had succeeded in making themselvessecure and comfortable for the winter. Godwin had hunted down eight chickensand four pigs, which meant that they could use a few for food and still haveenough for breeding in the spring. Most of what Edith had stored away was stillthere, and although it was not much, it would certainly keep starvation fromtheir door. Although they occasionally saw soldiers, no one troubled them, thelittle cottage promising no gain to anyone with a covetous eye. If her heartdid not ache so for Drogo, she would have been happy.
"Haveyou heard anything today?" Godwin asked as Welcome crawled onto his lap.
Shegrimaced with a mixture of irritation and her own deep sense of unhappinessover the apparent failure of her unwanted gift. "Nothing. No warnings, nopromises."
"Ireally thought he would come after you."
"Hehas what he came to England for. I can give him nothing. Godwin, even peoplelike us do not always have the freedom to follow our hearts. A man like Drogohas even less. He is chained by birth and obligation. Yes, I am heartsore thathe has not come; but if he now has a wife, I am glad that he has shown thekindness to leave me alone."
"Andyou have had no warning that someone would come to claim these lands?"
"None."She looked at the small box she had set on a shelf near the door. "I thinkthat when spring comes I will go to William myself and tell him of theselands."
"Butif he does not know, why should you tell him?"
"Becausehe will learn of them some day. There is no stopping that discovery. If I goand tell him myself, I will lose nothing and I might actually gain some say inmy future."
"Asyou say, you can lose nothing." He set Welcome aside and stood up. "Iwill just fetch some wood and make certain that our stores of firewood arestill full and dry."
Eadawatched him leave and sighed. He was good company, as were the children, yetshe still ached with a loneliness she suspected nothing could cure. Nothingexcept Drogo. She missed him so much that some nights she could not sleep shewas so twisted with longing. Even though all their time together had been spentin the very heart of the war, of the defeat of her own people, she easilyrecalled quiet times, happy times, and, especially, passionate times. Shetossed some herbs into the stew and once more tried to convince herself thatshe would never see Drogo again. Eada knew that, as long as she still hoped,she would still hurt. One day, she prayed, she would be able to think of Drogowithout pain.
