“I know.”
Ragnar could hear none of it from the distance he had chosen. “Speak up, lady!”
She put her hands to her mouth as if to shout, and whispered again—for her father’s benefit. “If he thinks I am going to strain myvoice just because he has a louder one and is comfortable raising it, he can think again.”
Garrick had to put a hand to his own mouth to hide his chuckles. Below, Ragnar was holding a hand to his ear, but he still hadn’t been able to catch her words. He tried twice more to get their talk going, but though her lips moved, no sound reached him.
At last out of patience, he moved his destrier forward, directly below the wall, to demand, “Can you hear menow, Lady Kristen?”
She leaned slightly forward over the wall so he couldn’t miss her smile. “Certainly, Lord Ragnar. And it was good of you to come. After all, circumstances have changed somewhat since last we spoke.”
“I thought they might.” Smugness, which grated. “Is my sister being sent out?”
Kristen’s smile didn’t alter. “Nay, but you may come safely inside now and be welcome.”
“And what makes that offer any more appealing than when I last rejected it?”
“We are now related—through marriage.”
It took him all of two seconds to grasp the meaning of that and explode. “What have you done? If you have forced her to wed him—”
“On the contrary,” she cut in, her tone still quite pleasant. “Erika looked quite willing to me. But you need not take my word for it. You can ask her yourself.”
“Where is she?”
“Likely still abed.” His face went florid at that. Kristen rubbed it in a bit harder. “DidI forget to mention yesterday that your sister and my brother have become enamored of each other?”
“You spoke only of his revenge.”
“And would you not agree it was a fine revenge, making her fall in love with him? Unfortunately, he got caught in it himself.”
“You are lying!”
“Actually, ’twas just yesterday, before your arrival, that my own mother caught them—well, let us say neither one of them was screaming for help.”
“Neitherone? You would have me believe your brother would object to—!” He could not finish. He was at that moment so exasperated by impotent fury that he could have pulled every one of his hairs out—and strangled Lady Kristen.
“You may discuss with your sister the how and the why, Lord Ragnar. The fact remains, she is a member of my family now, my own sister-in-law. She was wed last eventide, with much pomp and ceremony. The celebration lasted long into the night. Mayhap you could hear it?”
He was glaring up at her as if he would like to cut her into little pieces. “She would not marry without my permission,” he gritted out.
“She did not need yours when she had permission from a king—his insistence, actually.”
Ragnar flushed several shades of red; then, quite suddenly, all color left him with the implications of that last statement. “The Saxon king is within and you did not tell me?”
Kristen merely shrugged. “His presence here was unrelated to the issue.”
Unrelated? He had besieged the King of Wessex. If Guthrum heard of it, Ragnar would know his wrath, and he had this vixen here to thank for that.
Kristen judged his expression accurately and added, “Alfred was to leave Wyndhurst today. As our two kings are presently on very good terms, I will assume you will likewise wish to keep him from becoming any more involved in this and grant him safe passage.”
“Certainly,” Ragnar said quickly and with obvious relief. “He may leave at any time.”
“You might like to assure him of that yourself when you come inside. And I suppose I must repeat, you may do so safely now, because of our new relationship. However, if you are still distrustful, my younger brother Thorall has volunteered to come out to abide in your camp the while you visit with your sister. I would have offered to be hostage for you myself, but my husband is a jealous man. He would not permit me to go among so many Vikings. So what say you, Ragnar Haraldsson?”
“Open your gates, lady.”
Chapter 32
