“Dear God.” It had not occurred to Edgar that they might go so far. They were ruthless enough to kill Ragna, but it could get them into major trouble. However, they were risk-takers. He was seriously alarmed. “We have to protect you, somehow!” he said.
“I have no bodyguard now. Bern is dead and the men-at-arms switched their loyalty to Wigelm.”
The two women servants could hear their conversation now, for they were speaking at normal volume, and Cat reacted to Ragna’s last remark. “Filthy beasts,” she said in Norman French. Bern had been her husband.
Edgar said to Ragna: “You probably have to leave this compound.”
“It would seem like giving up.”
“This would be temporary, until you can put your case to the king. Which you can’t do if you’re dead.”
“Where could I go?”
Edgar considered. “What about Leper Island? There’s a sanctuary stool in the nuns’ church. Even Wigelm wouldn’t dare to murder a noblewoman there. Every thane in England would consider it a duty to kill him in revenge.”
Her eyes sparkled. “That’s a clever idea.”
“We should leave immediately.”
“You would come with me?”
“Of course. When could you leave?”
She hesitated, then made up her mind. “Tomorrow morning.”
Edgar felt it was sounding too easy, too good to be true. “They may try to stop you.”
“You’re right. We’ll go before sunrise.”
“You’ll have to be discreet until then.”
“Yes.” Ragna turned to Cat and Agnes, who were both listening, wide-eyed. “You two, do nothing before supper—just carry on as normal. Then, when it’s dark, pack what we need for the children.”
Agnes said: “We should take food. Shall I get some from the kitchen?”
“No, that would give us away. Buy bread and ham in the town.” She gave Agnes three silver pennies from the purse Edgar had brought.
Edgar said: “Don’t use your own horses. Sheriff Den will lend you mounts.”
“Do I have to lose Astrid?”
“I’ll come back for her later.” He stood up. “I’ll stay at Den’s place tonight. I’ll speak to him about borrowing horses. Will you let me know, later this evening, that everything is ready for the morning?”
“Of course.” She took both his hands in hers, reminding him oftheir piercingly intimate conversation at his house in Dreng’s Ferry. Were there more intimate moments ahead? He hardly dared hope. “And thank you, Edgar, for everything. I’ve lost track of all you’ve done for me.”
He wanted to tell her that it was done out of love, but not in front of Cat and Agnes, so he said: “You deserve it. More.”
She smiled and released his hands, and he turned and left.
“We could just kill Ragna,” said Wigelm. “It would make everything simple.”
“I’ve thought about it, believe me,” said Wynstan. “She stands in our way.”
They were in the bishop’s residence, on the upper floor, drinking cider: it was thirsty weather.
Wynstan recalled Sheriff Den’s threat to kill him if anything happened to Ragna. But he dismissed it. Many people would have liked to kill Wynstan. If he feared them, he would never step out the door.
Wigelm said: “Without Ragna, I would have no rival for the ealdormanry.”
