“She will still have Wilwulf’s three young sons. People will say they are the genuine heirs. We’re hardly better off.”

Wigelm said: “We have to kill her. It’s the only way to be rid of her.”

They were at their mother’s house, and now she interrupted them. “You can’t kill Ragna,” Gytha said. “Not right under the nose of the king. He couldn’t let you get away with it.”

“We could put the blame on someone else.”

Gytha shook her head. “Nobody really believed that last time. They won’t even pretend to believe a second time.”

Wigelm said: “We’ll do it when the king’s gone.”

Wynstan said: “Idiot, Ragna will be safely ensconced in the nunnery on Leper Island by then.”

“Well, what are we going to do?”

Gytha said: “We’re all going to calm down.”

“What good is that?” said Wigelm.

“You’ll see. Just wait.”

That night Edgar and Ragna slept together in her house. They lay on the rushes, in each other’s arms, but they did not make love: they were much too distressed. Edgar took consolation from holding Ragna. She pressed her body to his in a way that seemed loving but also desperate.

She fed the baby twice in the night. Edgar dozed but he suspected that Ragna did not sleep at all. They got up as soon as it was light.

Edgar went into the town center and rented two carts for the journey. He had them brought into the compound and stationed outside Ragna’s house. While the children were given breakfast, he loaded most of the baggage on one cart. He put all the cushions and blankets on the other, for the women and children to sit on. He saddled Buttress and put Astrid on a leading rein.

He was getting what he had longed for over many years, but he could not rejoice. He thought Ragna might eventually get over the loss of Alain, but he feared it could take a long time.

They all had their traveling clothes and shoes on. Gilda and Winthryth were coming with them, as well as Cat and the bodyguards. They all walked out of the house, Ragna carrying Alain.

Gytha was waiting to take him.

The servants and children climbed onto the cart.

Everyone looked at Ragna.

She walked up to Gytha, and Edgar walked by her side. Ragna hesitated. She looked at Edgar, then at Gytha, then at the baby in her arms. Tears were streaming down her face. She turned away from Gytha, then turned back. Gytha reached for Alain, but Ragna did not let her take him. She stood between the two of them for a long moment.

Then she said to Gytha: “I can’t do it.”

She turned to Edgar and said: “I’m sorry.”

Then, holding Alain tightly to her chest, she walked back into her house.

The wedding was huge. People came from all over southern England. A major dynastic conflict had been settled, and everyone wanted to make friends with the winning side.