She said nothing on the way to Anselm’s settlement. Erin had brought a cart for her to ride in, promising to bring her horse to her as soon as the mare had regained some strength. Brenna still said nothing, and it was with a heavy heart that he left her at his old master’s home.
Brenna was fussed over by Linnet, who treated her like an invalid after exclaiming over her condition. She was not allowed to step one foot from the bed, nor did she try. Her every whim would have been catered to, but she demanded nothing. She ate very little of the food placed before her, even when Linnet scolded her severely. Brenna grew weaker instead of stronger. She would explain nothing, respond to nothing, until the day Cordella visited her.
“Linnet tells me you are wasting away, Brenna,” Cordella said smugly, sitting on the edge of Brenna’s bed. “This pleases me greatly.”
Brenna appeared not to have heard. She simply stared at her stepsister with her expression unchanged. This riled Cordella more than a scathing response.
“Did you hear me, Brenna? I am glad you are dying. ’Twill mean you will not be around to tempt Hugh away from me. And he does wander with my belly so big.”
Still Brenna did not bat an eye, and Cordella got up from the bed to pace around it.
“Hugh cannot do enough for me, nor can his father.” Cordella paced more quickly, her huge belly preceding each step she took. “But I have not had such beautiful gifts as your Viking gave you. You are spoiled, Brenna! You are never satisfied! Why did you run away from him? Now you are here where you are not welcome. Always when you are near, I lose what is mine. Not this time, though. I will not let you take Hugh from me—I will kill you first!”
Brenna followed her with her eyes. “You are a fool, Della,” she said in a weak voice. “I would sooner die than take Hugh from you. He disgusts me.”
“You lie! You want everything that is mine!”
“Your ridiculous fears are groundless, and you sicken me with your jealousy. I want naught that is yours. I want no man, ever again.”
“Not even your precious Viking, who cast you aside for another?” Cordella laughed shrilly. “Yea, I know of Morna, his one true love.”
Brenna sat up in bed for the first time in days. “Get out of here, Della!”
Cordella crossed to the door, then surprised Brenna with a smile of genuine warmth. “So your spirit returns. Mayhaps now you will live just to spite me, eh?”
With that she left the room, leaving Brenna immersed in confusion. Did Cordella purposely make her angry? Did she in truth not want Brenna to die?
Linnet came into the room, relief on her features. “You are better finally?”
Brenna ignored her question. “What has come over Della?”
“She has changed greatly as life grows within her. She worried over you when no one could find you. She cried to me that she had wronged you terribly and she feared she could never make amends.”
“I find this hard to believe.”
“We all feared you were dead, Brenna. ’Twas a foolish, foolish thing you did!”
Brenna sighed and lay down again. “The only foolish thing I did was to return to Garrick.”
“Nay, child. You are alive, and now you must make an effort to regain your strength.”
“There is much that I have to tell you, Aunt.”
“First you will speak to Heloise. She has been waiting many days to talk to you. I will find her and bring you food. And this time,” she added sternly, “you will eat it all.”
Brenna waited patiently. Shewouldrecover. She was hurting no one but herself by wallowing in self-pity and grief. She was through not caring whether she lived or died.
Suddenly Anselm’s words came to mind. “I would see Brenna free, rather than belonging to someone else.” She belonged to Anselm again, and by his words, he must set her free, even if she had to reveal to him that she had heard him say this. It would mean all her suffering was not in vain.
Heloise came into the room followed by Linnet, who carried a large tray of food. Brenna felt hunger gnawing at her belly, but that could wait a few minutes more.
“I have killed an enemy of the Haardrads, and in so doing, by Viking law, I demand my freedom.”
Her words surprised both women to the point of speechlessness, and she quickly went on to explain what had really happened to her. “You may not believe me,” she said in the end, “just as Garrick refused to accept the truth. But I swear, with God as my witness, that all I have said is true.”
“’Tis an incredible story, Brenna,” Heloise said at last.
“You must admit ’tis hard to believe you could survive such a long journey at this time of the year.”
