"This is good." She sighed and turned to lean her back against his chest. He brought his arms around her and revelled in the friction of his engorged cock against her smooth buttocks. Mairead did little to assuage his hunger as she rubbed against him.
"Little temptress," he murmured into her damp hair. "But sadly this must wait. Did I not say I wished to discuss a matter of some importance with you?"
"You said you wished to talk..." She twisted her neck to look back at him over her shoulder, "... and I surmise from your grim expression that it will not be a matter to my liking. Does... does this matter concern Edyth?"
"It does."
"And her... indisposition?"
"Yes. That."
Mairead turned to look him full in the face now. "Is she pregnant?"
Gunnar gaped at her, incredulous. Where did his normally level-headed wife get such a deluded notion from? "No! At least, I do not think so. How would I know?"
"You would know, if you... if you…"
"Oh, for fuck's sake." He glared at her as her meaning sank in. "You actually believe I have been fucking my little house slave?"
"No, no I do not. At least I did not believe it, not until you started this. What am I supposed to think?"
"You are supposed to think that you are my wife. I adore you, and I want no other, least of all a skinny wench. Why would I even look at Edyth when I have you?"
"Because she is very lovely. Everyone can see that..."
"As are you. That is equally obvious."
"So, you are not about to tell me that you wish to set our marriage aside?"
Now Gunnar could only stare, open-mouthed. He had known he was handling this badly, but only now did the depth of his ineptitude become clear. Long moments passed before he regained his voice.
"No, I am not," he ground out. "You are my heart, that will never alter. I love you, I love our children..."
"Ourchildren?"
He made no attempt to conceal his exasperation. "Your children, our children, what is the difference? We are a family and I have no desire to change that. Ever. Do I make myself clear, Mairead? I would not wish there to remain any lingering doubt between us on this matter."
She peered up at him, her eyelashes damp now. He suspected the waterfall was not wholly responsible. Her lip quivered as she sought her next words.
"I am sorry. I should have thought before I spoke..."
He flattened his mouth into a grim scowl. "Yes, you should. I have given you no reason to doubt me and you may be very certain that youwillbe sorry. I have had no cause to turn you across my knee these past months, but I consider it needful now,to demonstrate that I mean what I say. First though, I must address the real reason we are here."
"Yes, Jarl." She appeared contrite, though far from fearful at his promise to spank her. Maybe he had left such chastisement longer than was strictly wise. He could have found a reason to bare her bottom for a few well-placed slaps, had he cared to look. He gave his head a sharp shake in an attempt to clear it of such distractions and return to the matter at hand. He saw no merit in beating about the bush and opted to come straight out with it.
"I find I must whip Ferris again. I know that you found this distressing previously, but it is necessary. I wished you to know of my intention, and to understand the reasons for it."
Mairead’s heart lurched. "Ferris? The man you flogged that first day I was here?"
"The same," confirmed Gunnar.
"He has been stealing again?"Or worse? Had she been wrong to keep the slave’s misguided threats to herself all these months?
Gunnar shook his head. "Not to my knowledge, though it would not surprise me. He... he has attacked Edyth."
Now it was his wife's turn to appear incredulous. Mairead stared at him, her emerald eyes wide. "Attacked? In what way has he attacked her? Is she hurt?"
"She will live, but yes, he did hurt her. Matters would have been considerably worse had Steinn and Weylin not heard her screams and intervened."
