Simon led her to the nearest bench. He sat down, leaning forward slightly with his elbows propped on his knees. Then he looked up at her with an odd little smile.
“I almost think I know what you want to tell me,” he said. “There’s another man that you like better than me?”
“That is true,” replied Kristin softly.
“I think I know his name too,” said Simon, his voice more harsh. “Is it Erlend Nikulauss?n of Husaby?”
After a moment Kristin said in a low voice, “So this has come to your attention?”
Simon hesitated before he answered. “Surely you can’t think me so stupid that I wouldn’t notice anything when we were together at Christmastime? I couldn’t say anything then, because my father and mother were present. But this is the reason that I wanted to come here alone this time. I don’t know whether it’s wise of me to speak of this matter, but I thought that we ought to talk of such things before we are joined in marriage.
“But as it happened, when I arrived here yesterday, I met my kinsman, Master ?istein. And he spoke of you. He said that he saw you walking across Clement’s churchyard one evening, and that you were with a woman they call Brynhild Fluga. I swore a sacred oath that he must have been mistaken. And if you tell me that it’s untrue, I will take you at your word.”
“The priest was right,” replied Kristin stubbornly. “You forswore yourself, Simon.”
He sat in silence for a moment before he spoke again.
“Do you know who this Brynhild Fluga is, Kristin?” When she shook her head, he said, “Munan Baards?n set her up in a house here in town after he was married—she sells wine illegally and other such things.”
“Do you know her?” asked Kristin derisively.
“I’ve never been inclined to become a monk or a priest,” said Simon, turning red. “But I know that I have never acted unjustly toward a maiden or another man’s wife. Don’t you realize that it’s not the conduct of an honorable man to allow you to go out at night in such company?”
“Erlend did not seduce me,” said Kristin, blushing and indignant. “And he has promised me nothing. I set my heart on him though he did nothing to tempt me. I loved him above all men from the first moment I saw him.”
Simon sat there, playing with his dagger, tossing it from one hand to the other.
“These are strange words to be hearing from one’s betrothed,” he said. “This does not bode well for us now, Kristin.”
Kristin took a deep breath. “You would be poorly served to take me for your wife, Simon.”
“Almighty God knows that this seems to be so,” said Simon Andresson.
“Then I trust that you will support me,” said Kristin, meek and timid, “so that Sir Andres and my father will retract this agreement between us?”
“Oh, is that what you think?” said Simon. He was silent for a moment. “God only knows whether you truly understand what you’re saying.”
“I do,” Kristin told him. “I know that the law is such that no one can force a maiden into a marriage against her will; then she can bring her case before the ting.”
“I think it’s before the bishop,” said Simon, smiling harshly. “But I’ve never had any reason to look into what the law says about such matters. And don’t think you’ll have any need to do so either. You know I won’t demand that you keep your promise if you’re so strongly opposed to it. But don’t you realize … it’s been two years since our betrothal was agreed upon, and you’ve never said a word against it until now, when everything is being prepared for the betrothal banquet and the wedding. Have you thought about what it will mean if you step forward and ask for the bond to be broken, Kristin?”
“You wouldn’t want me now, anyway,” said Kristin.
“Yes, I would,” replied Simon curtly. “If you think otherwise, you had better think again.”
“Erlend Nikulauss?n and I have promised ourselves on our Christian faith,” she said, trembling, “that if we cannot be joined in marriage, then neither of us will ever take a husband or a wife.”
Simon was silent for a long time. Then he said wearily, “Then I don’t understand what you meant, Kristin, when you said that he had neither seduced you nor promised you anything. He has lured you away from the counsel of all your kinsmen. Have you thought about what kind of husband you’ll have if you marry a man who took another man’s wife as his mistress? And now he wants to take as his wife another man’s betrothed.”