“Lady, I have a question that has bothered me since we met. Why is it that you sound different from all the others?”
“Because I’m from a different place. In my homeland, everyone speaks like I do.” Of course I knew the question that would follow. Hadn’t I been asked the very same thing a number of times already.
“And where is your homeland?”
I daren’t tell him that line about there being a huge tunnel under Doral Castle that led to my strange, small and unknown country, because it was simply too hard a story to swallow. Bern was the one who’d suggested the idea of there being a tunnel, but he might have been pulling my leg, teasing me. Bern knew I wasn’t telling him the truth, not the full truth, but he was prepared to wait. Something about Storr’s manner screamed a lack of patience. Storr would not be humored in the same way. I needed a believable story and needed it now. I looked up at him and, as much as I yearned to look away, made myself stare straight into his eyes.
“Have you ever been to the very bottom of England?”
He shook his head.
Thank heaven! I was banking on that answer. “There’s a tiny island at the very bottom of England. It’s just a fishing village, really. No one bothers with us down there because we’ve got nothing worth stealing. We enjoy a quiet way of life. Nothing happens on my little island, nothing but fishing. Can’t remember the last time a stranger came to our shores.”
He studied me closely, like he was carefully weighing up my answer. Could I be speaking the truth? Then he gave a slight nod, as if prepared to give me the benefit of the doubt.
“You seem too clever, too worldly to be from a simple peasant fishing village.”
I was getting good at looking directly at him and telling blatant lies. “My father could read. He taught all his children how.” I hoped that explained my strange accent and my endless, unusual knowledge. Ever since I’d landed in this century, I’d been accused of knowing too much.
He reached for my hand but I quickly pulled it from his reach. It was a reflex action and done before I could stop myself.
“Then you are a long way from home, Lady Caitlin. I’d like to know how you traveled here.”
“Boat. Sailed up the coast.”
“Did you come to marry the Laird?”
That sounded plausible. Why not run with that idea? “That was my father’s intention.”
“I see. Well I have sad news for you, then.”
I gasped and struggled to draw breath. “Is he dead?”
His slow, easy smile returned. He made me wait for the answer. I think he was giving me time to adjust to the thought of life without Bern. “No, not yet.”
“Not yet? What does that mean?” The blood was rushing around my ears blocking out the sounds of the ocean, even making his words hard to hear.
“Come,” he said, sliding his arm around me. “The wind is up. I’d better get you back inside.”
Once we were back inside the castle courtyard, I was able to hear him more clearly. He turned, waiting for me to catch him up. “I went into your room to find you.”
I nodded. Of course I knew that. How could I forget bursting into my room with Elspeth, my hands holding apples, finding him there, sitting on my bed? He could have sat in the chair.
“I was waiting for you, and while I waited, I had a little look around. I’ve always had an inquisitive nature.”
I tried to swallow but the knot in my throat was too large.
“I found unexpected treasure. How is it that you have the most beautiful Norse gown under your bed? I have not seen the likes of such a thing in a very long while. Last time I saw someone in such a dress, it was for the crowning of a king.”
“Ah, um, I brought it with me, from my homeland. It was a present from my father. I have no idea where he got it from. Most likely he traded it, for a boat full of fish.” I held my breath. Was that a feasible answer? Was a gown worth more than a boat load of fish? How would I know?
Anyway, it looked as if Storr wasn’t prepared to call me a liar—just yet. Instead he nodded.
“I see.” He rubbed his hands together as if about to eat the juiciest cut of meat. “I would like you to be my guest in the hall this eve. You will sit with me at the top table and, you will wear your magnificent dress.”
My stomach twisted. Thank heavens Bern’s men would not be in the hall to see. To any Scotsman looking on, it would seem as if I’d changed sides.
Chapter 14
Caitlin
When I got back to my room, the Viking costume was laid out and waiting for me on my bed. I had no idea who put it there but it wasn’t Elspeth. I hunted her down and found her in the kitchen muttering in worried tones to Ada. When she saw me, she came running into my arms.
“I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me.”
She pulled away so she could have a better look. “Are ye sure? So what did he want?”
“Yuk, he wants me to dress up in that Norse costume I arrived in. And then he wants me to sit with him tonight, at the top table. Can’t say I’m keen on the idea.”
“Could ye pretend you’ve taken poorly?”
Ada rolled her eyes. “He’s taken a liking to ye, plain as the nose on my face.”
I sighed. “I know. I just hope he doesn’t try anything, you know what I mean.” It was clear that they did. We all knew that if Storr decided to act on his impulses, there’d be little I could do to stop him.
Much later, Ada helped me into the dress. I stood in front of a shiny metal pot in the kitchen and tried to see my reflection. I was beginning to loath this garment. Ada had offered to braid my hair to make me look like a Viking woman but I chose to do the exact opposite, and wore is out, unruly and loose. The last thing I wanted was to decorate myself to appeal to Storr. This was no date, at least I hoped it wasn’t.
All too quickly, Storr sent Nelly to my chamber to fetch me. I followed her toward the hall with a heavy heart. Elspeth waved, putting on a brave face but it was obvious that she didn’t envy my position. Elspeth planned to spend the evening in my room. Since Storr had forbidden her from eating in the hall, she didn’t have much choice but to hide herself away.
I entered the great hall, and as soon as I was past the screens, I saw him. There were four other Viking warriors in the hall too, along with a sprinkling of castle children, older women, and the younger serving girls. Storr stood out because he was proud and polished, dressed in the best that stolen jewels could buy. He held himself in a different way too, as if he was above the barbarous ways of the men under his command. He’d washed his hair and it hung in blond waves, falling over his tunic. I suspected that he had somehow acquired fresh leather trousers and was wearing them to please me. All the effort he’d gone to set my teeth on edge.
“Come, Caitlin,” he said, waving me forward. “Stunning,” he mumbled, looking me up and down. There was an eagerness in his eyes that made my nerves tense. I’ve seen that look before, in the eyes of the farm dogs before they were let loose on the sheep.
Storr poured wine, a brimming goblet full. “The cook has made us pigeon and ale pie. Do you eat pigeon in your homeland, your fishing island, Lady Caitlin? You must eat sea birds, I think? Gulls of some sort, perhaps?”
It took me a moment to realize that he was expecting an answer. “Ah, no, we don’t eat seagulls. Lots of fish. And oysters and the shellfish that hide in the sand.” Surely I couldn’t go wrong with that answer. People have eaten oysters for thousands of years.
His mouth turned down. “I see,” he said, as though I’d suggested a repulsive fare. “Oysters are poor man’s food, and not to my taste.”
I grinned, and it took me a moment to realize I’d done so. If I could find differences between us, differences he didn’t approve of, then maybe he would stop looking at me with such appetit
e. I half expected his tongue to dart out and lick my cheek. But in the end all he did was sip his drink. Storr was a tightly contained person. He’d consider showy signs of lust to be beneath him. They were the actions of his men, not him.
Ada moved toward us, offering bread and a sizable bowl filled to the brim with precious butter. I watched two Vikings dip their fingers into the bowl then lick the creamy butter off their fingers. Storr watched every gesture I made and saw me notice his men.
“They act like mangy, starved wolves,” he said, as if he and I were above their level. The other Vikings were grabbing the castle women too, and the girls were doing their best to dart out of reach. Storr did nothing to stop that from happening though.
It was then that I noticed wee Hamish struggling along under the weight of a hefty beer jug. Hamish was only seven or eight and small for his age, too. “You have our children serving you now?” I asked.
He followed my eyes and settled on the figure of Hamish swaying, trying to refill a Viking’s horn mug without spilling a drop. He didn’t manage it and got cuffed over the head for his trouble. Of course the more he was threatened and hit, the shakier he became.
Storr seemed to find nothing disturbing in the scene. So I decided to point out the problem. “The poor lad’s nervous, terrified of your lot. Why can’t you leave the kids alone? They’re only children. They’ve done nothing wrong.”
Storr studied my face. “This boy is precious to you?”
“All of the children are. Why are you putting one of our lads to work, anyway? There are plenty of serving women floating around.”
Storr shrugged. “My men often choose a lad or two to take back with us, for the journey home. The boys do not take up much room in the boat and are good for scurrying about serving our needs during the long journey across the sea.”
He watched my mouth fall open. “You can’t. You can’t have Hamish. You can’t kidnap him or any other child. If you do, then that makes you a monster.”
His brows rose. Then he stood and yelled something in Norse to his men. I did not understand a word of course but I realized soon enough what it was about. One of the Vikings snatched the jug from Hamish’s hands and pushed him toward the doors of the hall, yelling at him to leave. Storr turned back to me. “I told the men that the one you call, Hamish, is to be left here. If you wish us to spare that child, then that is what we shall do. You see now, Lady Caitlin, how eager I am to make you happy?”
I nodded, more troubled than ever.
Once the pie arrived, Storr waited till everyone was busy eating before saying what he’d wanted to say, or had been trying to say all night. “I’ve finally made up my mind.” He whispered. “After I leave here, I’ve decided to sail to a new country. I shall not return home. This has been a hard decision to make, but, I believe that I have made the right choice. I’ll miss my homeland, of course, but my birth land is not the right place for me anymore.”
“A new country?” What country was considered new in 1263? America? Australia? Couldn’t be those.
“Have you heard of Greenland?” There was awe in his voice.
I decided that it was safest to pretend I hadn’t. “Is it warm there?” I asked.
He waved my question aside. “It is green, and surely that is the only thing that counts. My new country will be bountiful and grow riches all year round.”
The Greenland I knew was covered in ice, for much of the year anyway, but I didn’t say that. “You are taking your wife and sons to Greenland, how exciting.” I was trying to encourage him and hurry his journey along.
His eyes warmed. “Isn’t it just! I knew you would agree. There is nothing like a new country, an adventure to get the blood flowing. I shall be rich and powerful in this new land, a king of sorts.”
“That’s impressive,” I lied. I didn’t care if he became Lord of the ice and snow or anywhere else as long as it wasn’t here. Bern and his men would be returning soon, very soon. I prayed for the hundredth time that Bern was still alive.
Storr’s face pressed closer to mine. “I chose you the moment I laid eyes on you. You stand out, Lady Caitlin. You are different to the others.”
“Chose me?” My nerves tightened.
“Yes. For your beauty, of course, but also because you seem high-born and because I sensed that you were the sort of woman who’d seize an opportunity. Someone who would not run away from the unknown.”
“Ah . . .” I said, knowing he had me all wrong. I certainly would run from life in such a remote spot. In my century, Greenland has a city with lots of people but in 1263, I doubted there was anything there other than ice, and Vikings. Surely what he suggested would be like going to live in the North Pole?
His shoulder brushed against mine. “Laird Bern does not have long to live.”
“What?” I shouted, making everyone turn.
Storr waved his arm in a gesture that told everyone to go back to the business of eating. He hesitated for a moment before speaking again, waiting for the buzz of conversation around us to begin. “’Tis what happens to men in battle. They die. Warriors never live long.”
“But you talk as if Bern is injured already? You must tell me what you know.”
“Your laird returns soon. And when that happens, he will die. That is the plan.”
I tried to shrug, pretending I didn’t care, although I doubt I convinced him. What would Storr do to me if he knew I was in love with Bern? What would he do to Bern? Then it all became clear. I think I’d known all along what was really happening, but I just didn’t want it to be true. If this band of Vikings were nothing more than opportunistic raiders, they’d be long gone by now. Raiders burst in, stole, and then fled. They didn’t hang around. I realized that my anger must be showing up on my face but I was too cross to care.
“I thought you and your men were here for a few nights, no more than that. Aren’t you leaving soon?”
“Yes, we are leaving, but not till Tor Castle’s leaders are dead.”
I knew, deep down, that they were here to do much more than raid but, hearing his intentions still shocked me. Storr and his men were some type of small, medieval execution squad. My eyes darted around the room, finding Ada. Bern and his men needed to be warned.
Storr talked on, oblivious to the fact that I was falling apart. I could barely think straight, let alone make small talk.
“My wife and sons will not be coming to live in Greenland with me. I decided that, once and for all, yester-noon.”
“Oh,” I muttered, itching to yell, I don’t care! My mind raced with what needed to be done. But how would I do it?
“Yes. I shall live in Greenland from now on, permanently. This will be my home, a new base for myself and for my followers. I will run Greenland like a mighty all-powerful king.”
I wanted to scream, shut up, I need to think! My nerves were singing, and it was taking all my energy to remain seated. Why was he telling me about his new life, his dreams? I needed to flee, to run from the hall and find Elspeth. We had plans to make, plans that couldn’t wait. I looked down at my trencher, at the untouched wedge of pie and wondered how I’d swallow any of it. My throat was closing over; eating and drinking and making dinner conversation was now out of the question.
“There is more,” Bern muttered, as if he’d been saving the best bit to last. “You feature in my plan too, Lady Caitlin. I plan to take you with me.”
My head snapped around. “What?”
“Yes. You will accompany me on this grand adventure. I have decided that you will be my new wife in Greenland.”
My head throbbed. “But I’m marrying Bern, remember?”
“Have you already forgotten? Bern will not live long. How can you marry a dead man, hmmm? I will give you what you deserve—a prosperous life away from this miserable place. You will bear many
sons in my name and they will all become brave warriors of the North.”
Why was he looking at me like that? Did he expect gratitude, or excitement even? I was fighting with myself, trying to guard my feelings but it was difficult to mask the horror I felt. I had no intention of staying in the past, not even for Bern. The idea of going to live with Storr in Greenland was too ridiculous.
“You must excuse me, Storr, you have given me so much to think about. I cannot eat my meal now, I’m afraid. Please forgive me. Best I lie down.” I jumped up, not giving him a chance to argue. Like a cornered sparrow, I flitted across the hall till I found the right door, then darted for freedom.
Elspeth was not in her room or mine. Where was she? That girl had a penchant for trouble and for never being where you said she’d be. I could do nothing but wait so I barricaded myself in my room. Elspeth could come find me. Once I had the chest wedged behind the door, I paced. The rushes scratched and snapped under my feet. My pacing body threw monstrous shadows over the wall and my thumb nails suffered from my pent-up tension. I’m not sure how long I walked to and fro, long enough to release some anxiety and tire myself out. Sleep was out of the question, of course. I’d almost given up hope of seeing Elspeth that evening when I heard her distinctive rap against the outside of my door.
“Coming,” I hissed, dragging and then pushing the chest clear. I took one look at her watery eyes and blotched face and torn clothes and knew she had bad news of her own. She slipped in through the gap then slammed the door closed. Her eyes met mine, a tear dribbling down onto her lips. I sensed that she dreaded telling me her tale.
“What’s wrong?”
Tears splashed her cheeks. “I was leaving the kitchen and got cornered.”
Snowflakes in Summer (Time Tumble Series Book 1) Page 13
