The tone was imperious. So was the man’s expression. He was one of the king’s party, with two others by his side, all three of them waiting for her to answer. And there were now so many people, horses, and baggage wains in front of her, she had to go up on tiptoe to see whom he referred to.
But she should have known by the description of “Celt.” “My husband, Selig the Blessed, and only half Celtic. His other half is pure Viking.”
“You are bothDanes?”
Revulsion, as if the word were the foulest curse. Erika was too numb to care.
“He is Norwegian,” she said, pushing herself away from the wall. “I am the only Dane here.”
She returned their rudeness with her own, walking away from them, but they were immediately forgotten. She had to get away from this crowd to decide what she should do. But with Selig in the bailey and apt to notice her wherever she went…She pushed her way through the gate after all.
Lord Durwyn watched her leave with narrowed eyes. “I do not like this,” he said, turning to one of the men with him. “Find Ogden and tell him to follow her. He can take one other with him, but they are not to lose her. Tell him Aldwin will bring word if they need do more than that.”
The first man slipped away to locate the three others who had entered Wyndhurst with Durwyn. Aldwin, who remained with him, asked, “What is it you suspect, my lord?”
“You did not recognize that black-haired Viking with Alfred? You should have, since we left him for dead last month. Ogden wears his sword even now.”
“One of the king’s delegates?” Aldwin gasped. “Nay—a twin mayhap?”
“When Alfred cut short his business in the west to return here, and there stands a man with him who should be dead? I think not.”
“Then we must leave—”
“Do not be a fool. If I am to be accused, I must know it. If I am, then it will be that Viking who will do it. So do not associate yourself with me or come near unless I bid you, for it will be up to you to take the woman and use her against him, to get him to withdraw his accusations. You know where to hide her?”
“Certainly.”
Durwyn nodded. “I have a feeling we will know one way or the other as soon as I show myself, so stay near enough to hear what transpires. You can judge for yourself if the woman needs be taken. You can do so, I trust?”
“Aye.”
“Good. Then let us find out now.” Durwyn started to leave, but turned back to add one more thing, almost as if he had forgotten. “And, Aldwin, if I do not leave Wyndhurst by, say, late this afternoon, kill the wife.”
Durwyn made his way through the crowd then, not to approach the king, but to make himself visible. As he had guessed, both Alfred and the Viking moved toward him as soon as he was noticed by them. He was not worried, though. It would be his word against the other man’s, and the other man was aViking. Who, after all, could trust the word of a Viking?
It went exactly as he had supposed it would, except that Lord Royce had to translate for the man, since he didn’t speak Saxon, and Durwyn didn’t bother to admit that he spoke Celtic. But this merely added to the confusion, and in his favor, so he was not displeased by it.
As Durwyn had expected, he was accused of the very crime he had committed. Of course he denied it. His feigned disbelief and then outrage were worthy of applause. And Alfred’s frown said clearly he didn’t know whom to believe. There was no proof, after all.
What he hadnotexpected was for the hotheaded young man to backhand him, and before he could even get up from where the blow had landed him, he’d heard Royce explain, “You have called him a liar by yourvery denials, Lord Durwyn. For that he challenges you.”
“This is an outrage! I cannot be expected to fight a damned heathen—”
“’Tis my brother-in-law you speak of, so be careful what you call him, or my challenge will follow his. And frankly, my lord, I am inclined to believe him, particularly since I know you had good reason to keep a Dane from wedding the girl your son should have wed. You were a fool not to bring your objections to Alfred.”
“And I would have if I had even known such was in the offing. But I was not aware of it, I tell you! I knew naught of it until I but recently joined the court.”
“So you say. His contention says differently. Yet are you challenged now, so it really no longer matters who is telling the truth, does it? So do you accept, or do you let him cut you down where you lie? And I assure you, he would not hesitate to do so.”
Durwyn got hastily to his feet and said shakily, “I accept—but I need time to recover from my travels first. I am no longer a young man.”
Royce heard the snorts clearly, two of them, and knew without looking that they came from Turgeis and Garrick, both older men than Durwyn, who was not yet twoscore years. Durwyn’s flush said he had also heard them. Yet was it Alfred who decided the matter.
“Three hours hence, my lords. Lord Durwyn may rest during that time, break his fast, sharpen his weapons. What he may not dois depart Wyndhurst without my leave. And there will be no wergild accepted in lieu of this challenge. Unless I hear a confession in the interim, the challenge will go forward as issued and accepted.”
Chapter 44
“MY LADY, YOUmust come with me.”
