Free A Viking For The Viscountess by Michelle Willingham

guess his thoughts. “At the moment. But we can’t simply walk in and take possession of the house. Someone would find out, and I would be guilty of trespassing.” She shook her head and admitted, “I shouldn’t have let you bring me here. I don’t know how you talked me into it, except that I didn’t know what else to do.”
    He ignored her doubts and continued, “If the house rightfully belongs to your son, then it is not trespassing.”
    “I have no means to prove it. I’m still searching for the evidence.” She followed him along the property boundaries, both of them remaining out of view from anyone who might see them. “But when I find it, I will reclaim this property for Harry.”
    Arik inspected the land surrounding the house, searching for any threat. There did not seem to be any outward danger, which made him even more wary. A property of this wealth would never stand unprotected.
    “I am going to take a closer look,” he told Juliana. “Wait here.”
    “But you don’t have to—”
    He touched a finger to her lips. “Do not fear for me.” He’d gone on enough raids to recognize danger when he spied it. The house appeared abandoned from what he could see.
    With a sword in his hand, he strode to the iron gates and examined them. The craftsmanship was like nothing he’d seen before, as was the lock that bound them. When he attempted to break it open with the hilt of his sword, the gates held fast. Yet, there was nothing to prevent him from climbing over them.
    “Mr. Thorgrim—truly, you needn’t do this.”
    Still she refused to call him by his name. He ignored her words, sheathing his weapon. A gnarled walnut tree rested nearby, and he climbed up, moving across the tallest branch to drop over the tall hedge that grew beside the entrance. Keeping his back to the hedge, he sniffed the air for the evidence of a hearth fire. There was nothing, save the cool winter air.
    Silence hung over the property, making him more confident about entering the grounds. He continued along the path of crushed rock leading toward the house. A curved staircase led up to the doors, and he spied elaborate handles upon each. He touched one, astounded at such symmetry. He pulled the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge.
    With the hilt of his sword, he pounded on the wood, demanding entrance. The low thud echoed in the stillness, but no one came to the door. He kept his sword ready, listening hard for any sound, while his other hand rested upon his battle-ax. He narrowed his gaze upon the door, wondering whether he should attempt to hack at the wood with his ax, when he heard footsteps from behind him.
    He spun with his sword, prepared to swing, when he saw Juliana standing a few paces away. “Wait.” She hurried forward, and he saw that the gates in the distance were now open.
    He sheathed the weapon. “How did you get inside?”
    A guilty look passed over her. “I used the keys. I tried to tell you, but you weren’t listening to me.” She withdrew a narrow iron key and showed it to him. With an apologetic look, she added, “Also, I wanted to stable the horses and ensure that no one was here before I joined you. But you needn’t chop the door down.”
    He crossed his arms over his chest while she slid a different key into the keyhole. The door unlocked, and she pressed down on the handle, pushing the door open.
    The interior smelled of dust, as if no one had set foot inside the dwelling for months. “When did you leave?” he asked Juliana.
    “Last summer. Marcus came and escorted me out, but I kept a key that he didn’t know about.” She rubbed her shoulders against the chilly interior, walking through one room, then the next. “I thought he would have been here by now, but it seems he must have had a reason to stay in London during the winter.” She frowned, adding, “And it doesn’t seem that the servants took very good care of Hawthorne House.”
    The space was dizzying in its vastness. Arik had