The Wreath (Kristin Lavransdatter #1)(81)

“Maybe not here in this country. That’s also why I want to head for Sweden. Her forefather, Laurentius Lagmand, was never married to the maiden Bengta in any other way; they never received her brother’s blessing. And yet she was considered his wife.”

“There were no children,” said Fru Aashild. “Do you think my sons would keep their hands off their inheritance from you if Kristin were left a widow with children and there was any doubt that they were born legitimate?”

“You do Munan an injustice,” replied Erlend. “I know little of your other children. You have no reason to be kind to them, that I know. But Munan has always been my loyal kinsman. He would like to see me married; he spoke with Lavrans on my behalf. Otherwise, by law, I can sue for the inheritance and the good name of whatever children we may have.”

“With that you will brand their mother as your mistress,” said Fru Aashild. “But I don’t think that meek priest, Jon Helges?n, would dare risk trouble with his bishop in order to marry you against the law.”

“I confessed to him this summer,” said Erlend, his voice muted. “He promised then to marry us if all other means were exhausted.”

“I see,” replied Fru Aashild. “Then you have taken a grave sin upon yourself, Erlend. Kristin was happy at home with her father and mother. A good marriage with a handsome and honorable man of good family was arranged for her.”

“Kristin told me herself,” said Erlend, “that you said she and I might suit each other well. And that Simon Andress?n was no fit husband for her.”

“Oh, never mind what I said or didn’t say,” snapped his aunt. “I’ve said so much in my time. I don’t think you could have had your way with Kristin so easily. You couldn’t have met very often. And I wouldn’t think she was easy to win over, that maiden.”

“We met in Oslo,” said Erlend. “Afterward she was staying with her uncle in Gerdarud. She came out to the woods to meet me.” He looked down and said quite softly, “I had her alone to myself out there.”

Fru Aashild sprang up. Erlend bowed his head even lower.

“And after that ... was she friends with you?” asked his aunt in disbelief.

“Yes.” Erlend’s smile was wan and quivering. “We were friends after that. And she didn’t resist very strongly; but she is without blame. That was when she wanted me to take her away; she didn’t want to go back to her kinsmen.”

“But you refused?”

“Yes, I wanted to attempt to win her as my wife with her father’s consent.”

“Was this long ago?” asked Fru Aashild.

“It was a year ago, on Saint Lavrans’s Day,” replied Erlend.

“You haven’t made much haste to ask for her hand,” said his aunt.

“She wasn’t free of her previous betrothal,” said Erlend.

“And since then you haven’t come too close to her?” asked Aashild.

“We made arrangements so that we could meet several times.” Once again that quavering smile flitted across his face. “At a place in town.”

“In God’s name,” said Fru Aashild. “I’ll help the two of you as much as I can. I see that it will be much too painful for Kristin to stay here with her parents with something like this on her conscience. There’s nothing else, is there?” she asked.

“Not that I know of,” said Erlend curtly.

After a pause, Fru Aashild asked, “Have you thought about the fact that Kristin has friends and kinsmen all along this valley?”

“We must travel in secrecy as best we can,” said Erlend. “That’s why it’s important for us to get away quickly, so we can put some distance behind us before her father comes home. You have to lend us your sleigh, Aunt.”

Aashild shrugged her shoulders. “Then there’s her uncle at Skog. What if he hears you’re celebrating a wedding with his brother’s daughter in Gerdarud?”

“Aasmund has spoken with Lavrans on my behalf,” said Erlend. “He can’t be an accomplice, that’s true, but he’ll probably look the other way. We’ll go to the priest at night and keep on traveling by night. I imagine that Aasmund will probably tell Lavrans afterward that it’s improper for a God-fearing man like him to part us once we’ve been married by a priest. Rather, he ought to give us his blessing so that we will be legally married. You must tell Lavrans the same thing. He can state his own conditions for a reconciliation with us and demand whatever penalties he deems reasonable.”

“I don’t think Lavrans Bj?rgulfs?n will be easy to advise in this matter,” said Fru Aashild. “God and Saint Olav know that I do not like this business, nephew. But I realize that this is your last recourse if you are to repair the harm you have done to Kristin. Tomorrow I will ride to j?rundgaard myself if you’ll lend me one of your men, and I can get Ingrid to the north to look after my livestock.”




Fru Aashild arrived at J?rundgaard the following evening just as the moonlight broke away from the last glow of the day. She saw how pale and hollow-cheeked Kristin had become when the girl came out to the courtyard to receive her guest.

Fru Aashild sat next to the hearth and played with the two younger sisters. Secretly she watched Kristin with searching eyes as the maiden set the table. She was thin and silent. She had always been quiet, but it was a different kind of silence that had come over her now. Fru Aashild could imagine all the tension and stubborn defiance that lay behind it.