Chapter Seventy-Six

Two whole days had passed and she was eager to be going home. Her mother had grilled her thoroughly about her ordeal and Beyla had been keen to emphasise that perhaps Kaan hadn’t done too much wrong. That had led Aunt Astrid to let out an oath and pretend to look out of the window slit.

“I don’t have a silly crush on him,” she said. “He’s not my type.”

That was when she realised there was someone behind her and she whirled, only to find herself wrapped in her father’s welcome embrace.

“Our child has become a woman without us noticing, Miriam.”

“You, maybe. I knew a while ago,” her lady mother retorted.

As usual, she didn’t understand the wordless look which passed between them and heated those plumper than ever cheeks. Would she gain weight when she reached that ripe old age? Hopefully not. Njord would have nothing to do with her then. He might even fall out of love with her.

She was seeing him later by the stables, though no-one knew. How they felt about each other was scarcely a sec