She slipped away while he and Ivarr were haggling over Lida’s price. She caught sight of Lida before she mounted the stairs. The girl was avidly watching the proceedings, pleased to be the subject of so much contention. There was no alarm or even disappointment that she was being sold to another.
But Erika realized, with despair, that her own reaction would have been much different were she in Lida’s shoes. Erika would have been devastated if Selig were getting rid of her. Sweet Freya, had she been foolish enough to fall in love with her own husband, just as his sister had warned might happen?
Chapter 40
SELIG WAITED UNTILthe sun had nearly set before he sought out his wife. He found her in the kitchen, overseeing the last-minute preparations of the evening meal. He had been there earlier himself, to fetch the makings for a private meal, which he already had stowed on his horse.
He had also had to explain to Turgeis what he was about so the giant wouldn’t follow. He hadn’t exactly got his wholehearted approval, but Turgeis did seem to feel that as long as Erika was with Selig, she was safe.
Though the incident had happened that morn, Selig still wore a fine coating of salt. He hadn’t washed it off for two reasons. He enjoyed the reminder of what his wife had done. And he wanted an excuse that he could blame on her to talk her into joining him for a swim. He would need the excuse. The one time he had seen her again today, she had given him a look meant to freeze him on the spot. She had not calmed down yet.
Nor did she look any more amenable now. But one other thing in his favor was that afterspending time in the kitchen, she appeared as hot as he was, though she could not feel as sticky. Yet the heat was going to aid his cause, too, or at least it should have. Of course, knowing his wife, he realized she could let a little thing like her temper get in the way of her own preference.
Mayhap he wouldn’t ask her after all, but just take her to the lake and throw her in. They could discuss if she would like to swim after that.
His teasing nature favored the latter course, and to accomplish it, he feigned a stern expression to throw Erika off guard, which would hopefully, also, keep her from arguing with him.
He motioned her outside, and as soon as she came through the door, he said, “Come with me,” and started off to where his horse waited.
She didn’t budge farther. “Where?”
He had to come back to get her, and he took her arm this time to start her forward. “We go for a short ride,” was all he said.
She still dragged her feet. “But the meal—”
“Can wait.”
He tossed her up onto the horse. She was scowling at him by now, so after he had settled in the saddle himself, he relented enough to offer, “You will not mind this ride, Erika. ’Tis something I thought to share with you, and you will find it pleasant if you will but—relax.”
She said nothing, and the ride to the small lake was indeed short. By the time they gotthere, Selig thought better of throwing her in. He dismounted and helped her down. Dusk was full upon them, with just enough light left to see the wildflowers in bloom and the tranquility of the setting. He had chosen the evening to come here; that way, her modesty would be less disturbed if he actually managed to get her in the water with him.
“My sister loves this place and comes here often with Royce,” he said. “For that matter, my parents also swim here frequently when they are visiting.”
Erika couldn’t quite picture his parents swimming in this lake, but his telling her so somehow put her at ease. “What do we here?”
He grinned before he said, “I am going to wash off the fruits of your temper. Notice I am not going to make you do it for me, though by rights I should. You might enjoy a swim yourself, after such a warm day.”
He didn’t wait for her answer, but turned his back on her and dove into the water, clothes and all. She was surprised enough by that to put her suspicions aside for the moment. He came up laughing, and shaking water from his hair so that drops reached her even on the bank. He was like a playful child in the water, and when he wasn’t looking at her, she smiled at his antics.
The waterdidlook inviting, deliriously so, but she would not, of course, swim with him. To do so would be to forgive and forget, and she wasn’t going to make that mistake again.She wasn’t even going to thank him for selling his leman, because he hadn’t actually gotten rid of the woman. Lida would still be around, albeit Ivarr’s now. But who was to say Selig wouldn’t still make use of her with his friend’s blessing? And in that case, what he had done was no more than a meaningless gesture, and she had accomplished nothing by making a fool of herself over it—except to amuse her husband.
She had also wondered about that, his amusement, yet could she make no sense of it. Any other man would have been furious over what she had done today, especially since she had done it in front of his men. Another man might have beat her then and there. Of course, Selig couldn’t do that with Turgeis there to stop him. Yet he could have punished her in some lesser way, and even Turgeis had to draw the line at interfering when shewasin the wrong.
Part of her continued anger was defensive for that very reason. She shouldn’t have attacked him and reviled him so publicly. She had been wrong to do that, and worse, for such a stupid reason. It was no wonder his friends found it so entertaining. Husbands wereneverfaithful. Why should Selig be any different? But she still couldn’t figure out why he had found her “jealousy” so amusing.
She was still watching him when he began to remove his clothing. Tunic, cross-garters, leggings, boots, all were tossed up on the bank near her. It was dark enough, and he was deep enough in the water, that she didn’t feel shehad to look away—yet. But this was what she had expected to begin with. Where he was concerned, she couldn’t help but be suspicious of his every action, and in particular, his attempts to use that potent charm of his on her. And his smiles. His smiles had to be most suspect.
Damned Viking. Why did he have to be so different from other men? Why did he have to be so desirable?
It is not in his nature to hurt women.
Nay, just those who were foolish enough to love him.
“I like it not, swimming alone,” he called up suddenly in a coaxing tone.
“Then you brought the wrong woman with you,” she called back.
“I brought the right one.”
