Viking Love Beyond Time (Time Travel Romance) (40 page)

             
With a growl Edric pushed her back onto the cloak and kneeling between her legs he pulled them apart.  Alodie felt his pulsing, throbbing, staff  push against her very core, and slide into the warm wetness inside her.  With a little sigh she wrapped her legs round his back and slid towards him.  Taking her buttocks in either hand he half lifted her as he plunged into her warm and willing body.

             
All too soon Alodie felt her insides begin to convulse in ecstasy and reaching up she pulled him toward her, raking his back with her fingernails and biting him on the shoulder.  “I love you, I love you, I love you” he whispered as he nibbled her ear and with almost a scream Alodie felt her whole body throb as she was hit by a violent orgasm.  Sweat poured from her brow as she squirmed in the throes of rapture.  As if on cue Edric began to quicken his plunges and with a groan he too shuddered and climaxed.

             
Panting and drained, neither of them moved, then Edric lifted his head.  “If I die tomorrow Alodie, I will die happy - thank you”

             
She drew a deep breath.  “Actually, Edric, I never thought we would go so far.  I thought you were just going to kiss me”

             
He laughed wickedly “Let’s say I just got carried away”

             
“Do you still want to marry me Edric or have I cured your fever?” she asked, brushing a stray lock of hair from his brow.  He kissed her gently on the nose then rolled onto his back, the cold air hit her and she began to fasten her chemise.

             
“I have been with women before Alodie” he said quietly “I am thirty years old, a man not a boy, but I have never in my life experienced anything as wonderful as making love to you tonight.  If I live to be a hundred I will remember it”

             
“We should not have done it Edric” she replied after a moment “what if I am with child”

             
“I hope you are - you will have to marry me then” he countered, fastening his shirt.

             
“You will taunt me with this all our married life Edric, you will say that I was easy and that I am a loose woman, I did not let Luke touch me until our wedding night” standing, she pulled on her gown.

             
Edric laughed and began to fasten the laces at the back.  “Never, my love, I swear” he said and kissed the nape of her neck then pulled her round to face him and planted a kiss on her forehead.  Finishing dressing, he fastened her cloak, then his own, and took her hand.  He glanced up at the sky, the moon shone almost redly in the clear autumn air.  “However, I agree with you, we had better be getting back to the hall, it is not seemly to be out alone so late and you newly widowed - Godgyth may think we have misbehaved!”

             
“And who would be blamed if she did think that?  Me!  You would carry no blame at all!”

             
Edric laughed and rubbed her arm affectionately.  “The curse of Eve, Alodie, you women are the tempters, we men the innocent victims of our desires!”

             
“Damned unfair, isn’t it?” she observed archly.

             
They walked in silence up the road.  It had turned quite cold in the last few minutes and a wind had begun to blow.  Alodie shivered and Edric put his arm around her.  “May I shrivel and waste Alodie, if you or Tom or Nerissa ever have any cause to shed tears because of me”

             
For the first time in what seemed like years Alodie began to feel happy.  She did not know why, the feeling just existed within her.
Everything is going to be alright
she said to herself
Edric will look after us
.  It never occurred to her to wonder at her change of outlook, of how Alodie the woman had taken over from Austen the star ship captain.

             
When they arrived back at the hall thirty minutes later it was in darkness.  Giggling like children Alodie and Edric crept upstairs hand in hand and, as Alodie stopped outside her door, Edric tried to follow her into the room.  “My lord of Lamporth you are insatiable!” she whispered “Godgyth won’t be asleep you know.  She’ll be lying awake waiting for us to come in, disapproving like anything!”

             
Edric cocked his head to one side.  “Who is that snoring then?” he asked.

             
“Your father?” questioned Alodie.  Admittedly the snoring was loud.

             
“Not he, he’ll be lying awake wanting to know whether or not you have accepted me”

             
Alodie gasped.  “You mean - he knew you were going to ask me to marry you?”

             
“I think he must know you’ve accepted.  My father knows me.  I am too much of a gentleman to be out alone at night with a lady without doing the honourable thing and asking her to marry me.  He also knows you are too much of a lady to allow yourself to be out with me this late without having accepted.  Also I have talked of nothing else but marrying you since I heard of Luke’s sad demise.  May I come in for a while?”

             
“I think not Edric” she replied, fumbling with the latch.

             
“Well then, I’ll see you tomorrow morning, we could go riding if you like”

             
She smiled “we’ll see, goodnight”

             
Edric took her in his arms and leaning her against the door kissed her deeply “I love you Alodie” he murmured into her ear when he had released her.

             
“You’re a good man Edric, sleep well” she whispered and slipped into her room, closing the door behind her.  After a couple of seconds she heard his footsteps retreating down the corridor and smiled.

             
Undressing quickly she jumped into bed and pulling the covers up to her chin tried to get her thoughts into some kind of order.  “Oh Alodie you idiot!” she said out loud “you have accepted another proposal of marriage not a fortnight after your late and unlamented former husband has died - girl you are mad!” With that final thought she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

**************

             
Alodie woke up late the following morning, so late that by the time she arrived downstairs the rest of the household were already at breakfast.

             
Taking a bowl of porridge she sat down at the only available place - next to Edric, who turned to her and smiled with such love in his eyes that Alodie blushed.  The look had not gone unnoticed by Godgyth and Aelfric and Alodie saw the amused glance that they exchanged.  Only young Swein did not look up at her, he seemed intent on his roast boar.

             
“You slept late Alodie” said Godgyth “I did not hear you come in.  In fact if Edric hadn’t gone out after you I would have been afeard for your safety”

             
Edric took Alodie’s hand and drawing it to his lips, kissed it.  “I would die before I would let anything happen to Alodie” he murmured.

             
“Really my son?” said Aelfric quietly.

“Yes really father” he replied.

             
Alodie gently but firmly removed her hand from his and began to eat her porridge.  “Do you have anything to tell us?” cut in Godgyth “such as what happened to you two last night”

             
“We went for a walk on the beach Gytha, that’s all” mumbled Alodie between mouthfuls.

             
“Until almost cockcrow?” she asked disbelievingly.

             
“We had a lot to talk about” laughed Edric “and you can make of that what you will - well Alodie, are we going riding or not?”

             
Alodie finished her porridge and pushed her bowl away “I ride for half an hour every morning with Swein here, don’t I Swein?  When I come back we’ll go for a gallop if you want”

             
Climbing to her feet Alodie took her cloak from the peg and walked out into the early morning sunshine, almost tripping over a stray chicken which ran clucking into the barn.  Swein was following almost on her heels and they walked in silence to the stable.  The horses were ready and, as Swein began to mount, Alodie put her hand on his shoulder. “Very well young man, we’re not going anywhere until you tell me what is wrong”

             
Swein swung round to face her and Alodie took an involuntary step back at the anger in his eyes.  “I did not kill yon bastard Edmundson so you could throw yourself at some other Saxon milksop!” he snarled, then throwing himself onto his horse and dragging its head round, he galloped out of the stable.  With a sinking heart Alodie mounted and followed him.

             
They galloped without slowing through the village, out onto the lane and down to the beach.  The tide was in and Swein rode his horse to the edge of the sea and cantered along the shoreline.  After a couple of miles the mare began to tire and Swein allowed her to slow to a walk.  Alodie pulled alongside him and put up her hand to push the hair out of her eyes.  “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked quietly.  The boy sniffed, loudly.

             
“Nothing to talk about lady, you’re in love with Edric of Lamporth.  I must admit he’s more of a man than Edmundson but still a Saxon
nithing
”

             
Alodie drew a quick breath.  “That is a very rude comment to make Swein,  I am a Saxon
nithing
as you put it, these are my people” the boy turned to look at her, anger and hate blazing in his young eyes.

             
“You are not a
nithing
lady, you are the wife of Herger Sigvardson, the greatest warrior ever.   Why, yon Lamporth would not even be able to lift  Herger’s  sword!  I cannot understand why you even look at him!”

             
Alodie sighed.  “You must understand Swein, I was forcibly married to Herger, against my will.  I never spoke to him and I never even saw him without his helmet.  Is he a hero of yours?”

             
Swein laughed aloud and patted his horse’s neck.  “Lady, you must understand, the boys in my country fight, sometimes until blood is drawn, to be Herger in their play battles.  A hero of mine?  He is the hero of everybody - there are women in
Norway
and
Denmark
who would kill one another to be bedded by him!”

             
“Swein!” snapped Alodie.

             
“...........and do not lie to me Lady Alodie, I am not blind, I have seen your son, you spoke to him alright!  Aye and more!”

             
Alodie wrinkled her brow.  “What do you mean?”

             
The lad smiled at her in a knowing way then put his hand up to shield his eyes against the glare as he looked down the beach.  “Fear not, lady, you’re secret’s safe with me, see, here is your Edric, I quite like him really, t’is a shame that when Herger recovers and comes to claim you he will be killed, still it cannot be avoided”.

             
With that, the lad dug his heels into the mare’s flanks and set off back in the direction of the hall, passing Edric without a glance. 
What on Earth is the kid talking about?
she thought
it’s as if he thinks he knows something I don’t - or do but am not telling anyone.

             
She shrugged, patted her horse’s neck then glanced up as Edric’s stallion skidded to a halt next to her.  He was looking particularly handsome this morning, his happiness seemed to have given him an inner glow.  He was wearing a cream jerkin, blue braeis tucked into blue hose and brown shoes cross gartered to the knee.  His dark brown hair was tied back with a thong, he was sun-tanned and his teeth showed white and even when he grinned, which was what he was doing now. 
I must be mad
Alodie said to herself
Edric worships me and he’s the answer to a maiden’s prayer, I might as well face facts, I’m stuck here in ninth century Wessex and I’m going to have to get married.  I am going to make a real effort to be happy with this man, he is too good  to be made miserable.

             
“Alodie” he gasped “a messenger has just arrived from the king.  This year they are having a great feast at Chippenham to celebrate Christmas and Queen Aehlswith has commanded your presence as her chief lady in waiting.  T’is a great honour my love!”

             
Alodie smiled and manoeuvred her horse next to Edric’s.  She heard his indrawn breath as she ran her fingers along his leg and up to the gap at the top of his shirt where the thick black hair crowded into his throat.  “Edric, have you told Godgyth and Aelfric of our betrothal”

             
“N - no, but I think they are guessing - Jesu Alodie, do you know what you are doing?”

             
She ran her tongue along her top lip and smiled “No, but I think I’m just beginning to discover.  We’d better let them know, don’t you think, then we can announce it publicly at Chippenham”