A Viking For The Viscountess Read Online Free PDF

her, ordering him back to the house, Juliana squared her shoulders and faced down Mr. Thorgrim. “I am grateful to you for bringing me home. And I hope you will have a safe journey back to…wherever you came from.”
    Her words did not have the impact she anticipated. His face grew shielded, his mouth frowning. “Is there no man to protect your household?”
    She stiffened. “I do not need a man to keep my son safe.”
    Thorgrim took a step closer. “If you have no man, then I will stay with you this night.” He eyed her damp gown. “For you are not safe without someone to stand guard.”
    “You will not.” The words escaped her with more force than she’d intended. “I mean, there is no need. You—”
    But he was already striding toward the door, with Harry standing at the entrance. Juliana clenched her arms around her chest, watching over her son. He appeared to be talking to Thorgrim, while the man stood in the doorway, observing the interior of the small house.
    She was about to follow, but Grelod stepped in her path. The older woman stared at Juliana and demanded, “Where did he come from?”
    “He saved my life last night when I was pulled out to sea.” She started to go after the pair of them, but Grelod held her back. A strange expression came over the woman’s face.
    “Then he is the answer you’ve been seeking,” the old woman warned. “I can sense the spirits surrounding him. You must keep him.”
    Keep him? It wasn’t as if the man were a stray dog. And what did she mean, the answer you’ve been seeking ? The only answer Juliana needed was a way out of this poverty. And judging from this man’s demeanor and appearance, he was not a duke in disguise. More like a beggar who had washed up on shore.
    A very handsome, tantalizing beggar, who had known exactly how to touch her last night.
    Juliana’s face flushed scarlet when she remembered what she’d allowed this man to do to her while she was dreaming. More and more, she felt as if she’d fallen beneath a spell. Caught up in her dreams, she’d surrendered to his seduction. It bothered her that a stranger would affect her so violently, giving her the greatest sexual pleasure she’d ever experienced. It was the only desire she’d ever known, if the truth be told.
    No, he didn’t belong here. And the sooner she bid him farewell, the better.
    She closed her eyes, shaking off the wayward thoughts. “I have no intention of ‘keeping him,’ as you say.” Juliana stepped past her, toward the door. “I’ll speak with him, and then hopefully, he’ll sail off to wherever he came from.”
    As she passed her maid, the matron began muttering under her breath in Norwegian. It sounded as if she was casting a magic spell, for Juliana caught words about a summoning, and something about the moon and the goddess. A chill prickled over her spine, for she had sensed an otherworldly moment, a few hours ago.
    Juliana opened the door to her house and saw her son standing, pointing to one object after another. “Chair,” he said, pointing to the wooden seat.
    “Chair,” Arik repeated. He was listening intently to her son, repeating back every word Harry spoke.
    “You said he can’t speak English, Mama,” Harry reminded her. “But I’m teaching him to talk.”
    Juliana ignored her son’s declaration and demanded in Norwegian, “What are you doing, Thorgrim?”
    “As your son said. Learning your language.” He pointed to several objects around the room and named each one in English. When his hand touched the chair, he moved his fingers over the curved wood. “Did your husband make this?”
    She shook her head. “My father did.” A wave of sadness came over her, for his death had come so swiftly. He might have been a humble fisherman, but a wiser man she’d never met. She missed him dearly.
    Thorgrim seemed to sense her sadness and offered, “He was skilled.” Glancing around the house, he studied the interior intently, before his gaze fixed