by Kris Tualla
On those points she would remain immobile. “Please remind him as soon as you feel it’s proper,” she whispered, shushing the tiny voice in her head telling her to flee and quickly, before it was too late.
Torvald gave her a condescending look. His voice singed with sarcasm. “Yes, dear.”
Dagny’s cheeks stretched hot and tight with her feeble smile. Unable to present an alternative, she had just agreed to share the cabin with him. “I suppose we should get settled, then,” she said, her tone more of a question than a statement.
“Why don’t you do that, sweetheart? You are so much better at these things than I am. I would probably make a mess of it.” Torvald glanced at the door. “I’ll go explore the lay of the land—or should I say, the ship—while you do so.”
Dagny found herself relieved by the thought of a few minutes alone. Her composure was unraveling like loose yarn under a kitten’s frantic assault. “Will you come get me when we set sail?”
“Of course!” He kissed her soundly, ending with a loud smack. Flashing a white, toothy smile, he winked one amber-brown eye and closed the door behind him.
Dagny drew a nervous breath and investigated her tiny domain. At the foot of the bed was a small, simple wooden table and chair. A single wall sconce held a small oil lamp, but there was no flint. And no chamber pot.
“I suppose we might carry a lit candle from another part of the ship,” she mused. “But how do we—”
Her thoughts were interrupted when the cabin door swung open, pushed by a man she had never seen before. His jaw dropped and he stared at her as if seeing a startling apparition. For a moment, neither one moved.
“Oh! I b-beg your pardon!” His face flushed, making his blue eyes darken in contrast. The first thing Dagny noticed was that the man had to bend over to come through the door. He had to be well over six feet tall. The second thing she noticed was his handsomely sculpted face.
He flashed her a crooked grin and backed out, pulling the door shut; the barrier again stood solidly between them. Only then did Dagny remind herself to breathe.
THE HANSEN FAMILY TREE
Sveyn Hansen* (b. 1035 ~ Arendal, Norway)
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Rydar Hansen (b. 1324 ~ Arendal, Norway)
Grier MacInnes (b. 1328 ~ Durness, Scotland)
Eryndal Bell Hansen (b. 1327 ~ Bedford, England)
Andrew Drummond (b. 1325 ~ Falkirk, Scotland)
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Jakob Petter Hansen (b. 1485 ~ Arendal, Norway)
Avery Galaviz de Mendoza (b. 1483 ~ Madrid, Spain)
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Brander Hansen (b. 1689 ~ Arendal, Norway)
Regin Kildahl (b. 1693 ~ Hamar, Norway)
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Martin Hansen (b. 1721 ~ Arendal, Norway)
Dagne Sivertsen (b. 1725 ~ Ljan, Norway)
Reidar Hansen (b. 1750 ~ Boston, Massachusetts)
Kristen Sven (b. 1754 ~ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Nicolas Hansen (b. 1787 ~ Cheltenham, Missouri Territory)
Siobhan Sydney Bell (b. 1789 ~ Shelbyville, Kentucky)
Stefan Hansen (b. 1813 ~ Cheltenham, Missouri)
Kirsten Hansen (b. 1820 ~ Cheltenham, Missouri)
Leif Fredericksen Hansen (b. 1809 ~ Christiania, Norway)
***
Tor Hansen (b. 1913 ~ Arendal, Norway)
Kyle Solberg (b. 1919 ~ Viking, Minnesota)
Teigen Hansen (b. 1915 ~ Arendal, Norway)
Selby Hovland (b. 1914 ~ Trondheim, Norway)
***
*Hollis McKenna Hansen (b. 1985 Sparta, Wisconsin)
Kris Tualla is a dynamic, award-winning, and internationally published author of historical romance and suspense. She started in 2006 with nothing but a nugget of a character in mind, and has created a dynasty with The Hansen Series, and its spin-off, The Discreet Gentleman Series. Find out more at: www.KrisTualla.com
Kris is an active PAN member of Romance Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, and Sisters in Crime, and was invited to be a guest instructor at the Piper Writing Center at Arizona State University.
“In the Historical Romance genre, there have been countless kilted warrior stories told. I say it's time for a new breed of heroes. Come along with me and find out why: Norway IS the new Scotland!”
