The Evening and the Morning

After crying for hours, Ragna tells Cat, Bern, and Agnes about Inge. She knows that Wynstan kept Inge and Garulf hidden until after the wedding so that she could not protest beforehand. She goes to the cathedral to talk to Aldred, who is surprised that she did not know about Inge. Inge was the reason Ethelred did not approve of the marriage in the first place. In addition, Wilf still has not paid the fine for marrying Ragna against Ethelred’s wishes. Aldred explains that Inge was “set aside,” or divorced, which means the marriage to Ragna is legitimate.

Aldred says that Wilf loves her, which is to her advantage. He advises her to win a steady stream of small victories to exert some measure of control and to gain allies. He also counsels her not to make Wilf feel guilty, as his reaction could be unpredictable.

After they make love that night, Ragna asks Wilf about Garulf and about Inge’s background. Inge’s father was a secretary to Wilf’s father. Inge does not have noble blood, so her children cannot be heirs. When Ragna asks if he will have sex with Inge, Wilf is angry and says she will never have control over whom he brings to bed.