Sigefrith asks a favor of Matilda
“Matilda, dear,” Alred said softly.
Matilda looked up from her embroidery and smiled her dreamy smile. “Oh, Sigefrith,” she said when she saw who stood behind her husband. “We don’t often see you here so late.”
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Sigefrith learns something about Leofric
It was only just dawn, and Sigefrith had risen early so that he might write to Theobald without interruptions for a change. With two children of interrupting age, plus Malcolm, plus his wife, plus Eadgith and Leofric and their children all staying at the castle, he was rarely allowed an hour of peace.
But apparently even rising at dawn was not enough, for he heard the door open behind him, and someone enter the room. It was not a servant, unless it was a servant that wanted to be punished for entering without knocking.
And such quiet feet could only belong to a woman, he thought. Oh, Maud! Had she come to him of her own will? And for what? He hoped, for a moment, and almost believed, that she simply wanted to see him, like one of the shy deer that came to her now even when she did not sit with a handful of corn.
Githa has news for the Earl
Githa smiled at the Earl smiling at his little boy. She wondered whether he ever smiled at other times.
She had heard from the servants’ gossip that things at the castle had remained unchanged since the Countess had died. Her bedroom had not been opened since her body had been carried out of it, and the children’s rooms remained locked up as well.
Alred goes looking for Sigefrith
Egelric heard boots in his front room and came out of the kitchen to find Duke Alred and little Lady Margaret, the former looking around in confusion. The doors were all wide open to the spring air, but a fire burned in the hearth, and Egelric had a rag in his hand.
“What are you doing, Squire?” Alred asked. “Housework?”
Eadgith is surprised in her bed
Lady Eadgith opened her eyes. Where was she? The bedding smelled like tansy, but it was so much finer than what she knew… But of course, this was Lord Hwala’s new castle. She had found him—and soon she would see Leofric. Her heart contracted painfully. Just then she could almost wish he had died at Hastings. There would have been no dishonor in that.
She turned over in the bed. It had taken her so long to fall asleep, thinking about what all of this meant, and now, by making the effort to remember where she was, she had brought the rest to mind.
She could not see the color of the sky through the blue and green glass of Sigefrith’s pretty windows. She couldn’t tell how much longer she would have to wait.
Leofric is surprised in Sigefrith's study
“This had better be good, Sigefrith,” Leofric grumbled when he was shown into the King’s study. “The man wouldn’t tell me what it was about.”
“I told him not to tell you,” Sigefrith said, dropping his pen and rising from his chair. “I wasn’t expecting you to come tonight, however. Perhaps it’s just as well—everyone is asleep.”
Sigefrith is surprised in the garden
Sigefrith sighed in contentment. He had gone outside to walk off his frustration with the letter he was trying to write to poor Eadgith, but he had wandered into Maud’s garden and had felt his worries fall away as if he had been welcomed back into Eden.
Maud had made room for him on her little bench and had even thrown an arm over his shoulder when he sat. Britamund lay daydreaming on the grass, lovely in an uncharacteristic moment of repose. Colban ran up and down the paths on his short legs, shaking a stick at butterflies and attacking monsters that were apparently hiding in the bushes. And his little ginger-baby sat before him, picking apart the flowers that grew around her.
Alred goes to get some sense and some cake
“Mama!” Bertie cried as he came into Gunnilda’s kitchen.
Gunnilda dropped her towel and bent to hug him.
Malcolm goes to the glade
Malcolm shook his head. There was Baby, wandering around in a patch of flowers—just like a girl—and yet occasionally stopping to kick and stomp on them—just like a boy. She was too funny. He paused at the edge of the wood to try to think of a funny name to call her.
But suddenly she stopped her stomping and her kicking and, as far as he could tell, began to cry. Malcolm frowned. Someone had been picking on her again. He would go find out who.
Iylaine goes to the glade
Iylaine knew of a glade where bluebells grew. She had never been as fond of flowers as Wynnie or the other girls, and bluebells were all the more disappointing for being so frail once picked. But she had awoken that morning with such an aching loneliness…
And it made no sense at first, because her Da was home. She had not even wanted to go riding when he had offered to take her with him to the mill, and this was so surprising that a possible illness was briefly considered. But she felt fine, she said—she only wanted to be alone. Her Da had wrinkled his brow at this request and told her she was becoming a shy one these days, but he had left her alone.
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Chapters“God’s wounds! You don’t think I know what color eyes anyone has around here, do you? I would have to sit and think a while to tell you what color eyes my children have. They do all have eyes, don’t they?”
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