The Collector | 18+

【02】Anatomy of a Ship

"Is everything alright?" a deep voice asked behind me.

The tiny hairs on the back of my neck rose at once, and another of those shivers crept up my spine. Was it me, or was the room suddenly hot?

With an artificial grin bending my lips, I turned to the tall glass of water that was Ulrik Westergaard. Ugh, he had to know just how attractive he was, which explained why he was dripping with confidence.

"Yes, sorry about that, sir."

"Please, call me Ulrik."

No, that wasn't happening. He'd remain Mr. Westergaard. My unruly libido would be—even more—all over the place if we were on a first-name basis.

"Has he shown you the entire gallery?" I politely asked.

"Not all of it, no."

With a gesture of my hand, I invited him to proceed. Mr. Mullins would be back soon, so all I had to do was to keep the man busy long enough until I could return to my findings. Hopefully, Henry wouldn't worry too much about my lengthened absence.

"I suppose Mr. Mullins already explained, but this wing is dedicated to the Brits and Vikings history, from as early as the ninth century to the thirteenth one," I explained.

"Yes, he mentioned that. You are from the Viking department, aren't you?"

Surprised that he would know such a detail about my position here, I gave him a confused look. "I am, yes. How do you know?"

"We have common friends."

I raked my brain to try to find who it could be. Throughout my years here, I'd met quite a few people in Norway. The first one that came to mind, though, was the most logical explanation, given Mr. Westergaard's apparent interest in history and museums. "Do you mean Dr. Henriksen?"

The glimmer of amusement tainted with surprise that sparkled in his eyes told me I was right. "Yes, I do mean Gustaf."

Just then, we passed by a class of young children amassed around their teacher. Protected under a glass case, there was a longship model, and the class was looking at it with interest.

"Is this a warship, ma'am?" a little boy asked his teacher.

"Yes, I suppose so."

With a grimace, I turn to Mr. Westergaard. "My apologies, but I cannot let misinformation spread."

In all honesty, sharing my passion and passing it on to others was my favorite thing in the world. Also, I could use a brief break from the man's bewitching aura.

"Actually, Vikings used their ships for many reasons," I explained, making my way next to the glassed case. "A longship like this could be used for commerce, or exploration, or as you've said, war." The teacher looked at me with surprise, but when she saw the interest the kids were showing, she allowed me to continue.

"Do you see how flat the bottom is?" I asked them, gesturing toward the relevant part at the same time. When I looked up, Mr. Westergaard was looking at me with interest, his arms crossed over his broad chest, muscles bulging under the perfectly tailored sleeves of his suit. I cleared my throat, uneasy, and continued. "Well, because of the way they shaped their boats, Vikings could sail into very shallow waters without having the keen touching the bottom. It meant they could sail right onto a beach and attack swiftly. They were also known to sail up rivers, which brought them deep into enemy territories and gave them a tactical advantage."

"What happened if there was no wind?" a red-haired girl asked.

Before I could answer, Mr. Westergaard's baritone voice rose in my stead. "Well, when Njörd, the god of sea and wind, didn't favor them, Vikings used oars to keep moving. That way, they never had to wait for their explorations to continue. Also, do you see how the boat has the same shape in the front and in the back? Having their ships shaped like this meant they could sail in the opposite direction without having to maneuver the boat around."