Free Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsey Page B

his window, Royce watched the scene below in the yard. He saw the lad protest being covered and try to throw Thorolf off, saw the larger Viking slap his backside and shout something in his ear and then cover the boy’s head with his arms, which forced Thorolf to lie half on top of the boy. They were still after that, as were the others. The guards had erected a shelter from therain in front of the storehouse. The rest of the yard, growing muddy, was quiet.
    “Which is the one Eartha said attacked her?”
    Royce glanced down absently at Darrelle. She had come to stand beside him at the window, having put away the ivory pieces of the game they had just finished playing.
    “The Viking did not attack her. He simply protested her treating his wound.”
    “But she said—”
    “I saw it all, Darrelle, and the old woman exaggerates in the telling.”
    “If he were to have laid hands on me, I hope you would not take it so lightly,” she grumbled.
    “I would not,” he said, grinning.
    “Which one is he?”
    “You cannot see him now.”
    “Alden said ’twas only a boy who wounded him. Is he the one?”
    “Aye, the youngest among them.”
    “You should have had him whipped, then, if you saw him lay hands on Eartha.”
    “Too many were ready to fight for him. ’Twould have served no purpose but to have more wounded.”
    “I suppose,” she agreed, though with reluctance. “They cannot build our wall if they are dying. The wall is more important. They are few and can be controlled, but the Danes are many.”
    Royce chuckled. “I see Alden has convinced you that they are needed.”
    “You would have killed them all,” she reminded him with a haughty look that made him smile. “At least he realized they would better serve you alive.”
    “Is it not time for you to check on Alden?” Royce threw the hint out deliberately.

    Darrelle clucked her tongue indignantly. “You could have just told me to go.”
    “I would not be so churlish,” he replied innocently, pushing her toward the door.
     
    Royce stood at the window often, watching the Vikings labor. It was an indication that he had yet to accept their presence at Wyndhurst that he felt unease except when he had them within his sight. He was not so in favor of using them to build his wall as Alden and Lyman were, for he would be meeting the Danes on the Wessex borders when the time came to fight them again, and he was doubtful they would ever push so far south as to do damage to Wyndhurst.
    But since King Alfred wanted his lords to fortify their holdings, and since they had ample stone at the old Roman ruins near here, he had agreed a stone wall should be built, whether it would ever be needed or not. And already the Vikings had set the stones that had taken months for the serfs to bring here, and this done in only a week’s time.
    “Meghan tells me this has become a new habit of yours, Cousin.”
    Royce swung around to see Alden in the doorway. “Should you be up so soon?”
    Alden groaned. “Not you, too. I get enough coddling from the women.”
    Royce grinned at the younger man as Alden made his way slowly to the open window to stand next to him. “Your company is welcome, for I find I brood too much on the past in here alone. But, God’s truth, I cannot help but feel they will try something now that they are near all mended, so I find myself ever standing here watching them. Only two of them remain unable to carry the stone with ease.”
    Alden leaned out the window, and then he whistledsoftly at what he saw across the yard. “’Tis true, then! We need more stone already.”
    “Aye,” Royce admitted grudgingly. “Only two of them are needed to lift the largest stones that it took five of the serfs to carry. In the same amount of time, the serfs are still not finished with the shelter I set them to build for the Vikings next to the storehouse. It will be another few days before they can be locked in there at night. Then we will not need so many men to