Free Sandra Hill - [Vikings I 01] by The Reluctant Viking Page B

last crust out of its reach.
    “You know, Tyra, your bread crumbs remind me of a story my children used to love about a boy and girl who got lost in the forest even though they had a plan involving—can you believe it!—bread crumbs. Would you like to hear the story?”
    “Yea! Yea! Yea! I love stories ever so much! Almost as much as ducks! Or puppies! Or strawberry tarts!”
    “Shush, Tyra,” one of her sisters said. They’d all moved closer, and it seemed Tyra wasn’t the only one who lovedstorytelling. Some slid onto the bench beside her and others sat on the grass in front.
    “The name of my story is Hansel and Gretel ,” Ruby began. “Once upon a time…” When she finished the beloved children’s story, the girls begged her to tell it again.
    “Will you be staying with us long?” Tyra asked.
    “I don’t know. King Sigtrygg has a foolish notion that I might be a spy for some enemy called Ivar.”
    “Ivar the Vicious!” several of the girls gasped simultaneously and moved away from her in horror. “A spy!”
    “Actually, the king is more interested in investigating my claim of kinship with the Viking Hrolf in Normandy.”
    “You’re related to Hrolf?” a once-again fascinated Astrid asked. “I saw him years ago in Hordaland. Massive built he was. Even taller than my father. And handsome as all the gods.” She blushed then at her overexuberance.
    “Girls, your mother needs your help,” Olaf called from the back of the house. His daughters turned and ran up the yard to hug him once again. Ruby laughed to hear certain names mixed in their excited chatter, like Hansel, Gretel, Ivar, Hrolf and Ruby.
    Olaf raised questioning eyes to Ruby after the girls went into the house by a back door. He sauntered down the yard, looking very pleased with himself, and sank down onto the bench beside her, legs outstretched, totally relaxed.
    Men! They were the same throughout the ages. Give them a little love and they became putty. Out of the blue, a niggling idea crept into Ruby’s mind. Maybe she should have done a lot more of that with Jack during the past year. In fact, there was no question about it.
    Shelving that guilty thought to the back of her mind, Ruby turned to Olaf and said, “So, it’s that good to be home again?”
    “Better,” he countered and smirked. Then he added,“In my excitement over being home, I neglected to take precautions over you. ’Tis my good fortune you did not escape. In the future, one of my servants will guard you at all times.”
    “Humph! That’s not necessary. Where would I go? Down to the harbor? I can see it now, me trying to stowaway on a ship bound for America. It probably isn’t even discovered yet, for heaven’s sake!”
    Olaf shook his head at her strange words. “Ever do you persist with these far-fetched stories. Did Sigtrygg not warn you about it?”
    “Yes, but I didn’t think you would mind.”
    “That I do and especially with my children.”
    Olaf stood to return to the house when Ruby’s attention was caught by Thork, who approached from downriver, accompanied by two small boys with fishing lines over their shoulders.
    When the boys, about eight and ten years old, saw Olaf, they dashed forward, calling out his name. As the dark-haired boys got closer, Ruby’s heart started beating wildly. It couldn’t be possible! Oh, my God! They looked just like her sons did at that age.
    Ruby jumped from the bench and ran toward them. “Eddie! David! How did you get here? I’m so happy to see you!”
    Before they could react, she hugged each of them, causing their fishing catches to drop to the ground. She felt them pull away from her embrace and saw their eyes roll pleadingly toward Olaf and Thork for assistance.
    She turned in bewilderment to Thork, while Olaf told the boys to come to the house with him and wash up before dinner. Both boys looked back over their shoulders at her as they walked up the hill, the older one with some hostility at her familiar