Elfleda Says Too Much

The Wodehead farm was on the road that led from the King’s castle to the main crossroads. At the crossroads, the road led south to the domain of the Duke of Nothelm and north to Bernwald Castle and the Earl’s lands, which stretched as far as the hills opposite the Baron’s keep on the other side of the valley.

From her house, Elfleda could only look out onto the church just down the road or towards Lothere Castle, but the crossroads were hidden by a tall stand of trees behind the Hogge farm. However, the Hogge farm was located right on the crossroads, and from there Elfleda could see all of the comings-​and-​goings between the three castles.

Thus Elfleda had been spending the morning these past few weeks with Gunnilda Hogge. Gunnilda and Elfleda had been best friends in happier days, and Gunnilda was a simple enough woman to overlook the complicated features of Elfleda’s personality. And she was a busy woman as well, with the house and the farm and two youngsters running around—she was happy to see Elfleda coming because Elfleda was a guest who didn’t mind helping out with the chores while she chatted. And Elfleda had never mocked her for marrying a simple-​minded man, even before they came to Lothere.

Meanwhile Elfleda kept an eye on the road. Every morning, around the time Alwy and the other men headed out to their winter work, she saw Duke Alred walking up the hill towards Bernwald castle—or the Selle farm.

On this morning, as the Duke went by, she finally saw what she had been waiting for. She had seen the Earl riding to Lothere Castle earlier that morning, the Countess alongside, so Duke Alred wasn’t going to see them. Meanwhile she knew it was market day and Theobald Selle wanted to sell his black horse, so he wouldn’t be at the farm either. That left only one person whom the Duke could be going to see every morning and who would be home today, and that was Githa Selle.

But Elfleda’s luck was better than she expected, for soon after she saw the Duke go by, she saw the Duchess coming down the hill to the Hogge farm to leave little Lord Dunstan play with Bertie Hogge while she got some rest. Elfleda did not stop to consider the effect her action would have on the fragile woman—or if she did, the idea must have pleased her, for she did not waste words when she danced up to the Duchess and greeted her with “Good day! I see you are going to meet your husband.”

“My husband?” Matilda asked, confused.

“Of course, I just saw him going up the road to see Mistress Selle. I am sure you must be planning to spend the morning with them.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Oh—I’m sorry, I thought you knew—I didn’t mean to—oh, silly me, what have I said now?” she affected a laugh.

The Duchess frowned.

“Excuse me, Your Grace,” Elfleda said, curtseying low. “Never mind me. I had better run home.”

Elfleda would have liked to have stayed to see what Matilda would do, but she knew better than to let Matilda think she was being watched. She would have to wait to hear the effects of her speech at a later time.