Elfleda Makes an Acquaintance

The heavy drifts of snow that had kept her housebound through most of February had finally melted, and Elfleda was eager to be out on the prowl—such was the term her husband Egelric used to describe these morning outings. After her chores were done, she went out in search of gossip—particularly the scandalous sort. No servants’ hall was too humble, no peasant’s hut too lowly for Elfleda, as she often found the juiciest secrets among people who were only too pleased to speak ill of their betters.

Her favorite topic was the goings-​on at Nothelm Keep. She had already seen for herself that the Duke no longer walked up the hill to the Selle farm, and she had since heard from the Nothelm servants that the Duke and Duchess had taken up separate quarters within the castle.

But Elfleda hadn’t been able to get anything out of Githa herself. The oddest thing was that Githa and Theobald seemed to get along fine, as if nothing had happened. Elfleda thought that proved Theobald was not the man he seemed—but then Elfleda’s ease at cowing her own husband had already given her a poor opinion of the true mettle of men.

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Alred Faces the Truth

Theobald threw himself back into his work the next morning, as usual, but farm work allowed plenty of opportunity for reflection. He’d sent Githa off visiting, for she’d been hovering anxiously around him all morning, begging reassurances that he had indeed forgiven her. He needed time to think.

She’d awoken him in the darkest hour of the night, having just remembered the occasion when Alred walked in on her bath, desperate to tell him the whole truth right away. He had mumbled something about not blaming her for what was obviously an accident and begin drifting back to sleep, but he had started awake a few minutes later and asked her whether this happened before or after Alred had started visiting her for the ointment.

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Alred Makes a Decision

Duke Alred rode out across the castle bridge and pulled Jupiter up once they were on the road. Which way? He couldn’t bear to see anyone. Serfs and farmers were coming up the road in either direction, so he headed straight out across the downs that lay between the castle and Nothelm.

The winter cold had redescended during the night, and at this hour the earth was still stiff with frost. Jupiter had been looking forward to the morning gallop he had been enjoying as of late, so Alred gave him his head and they tore off across the field, scattering the sheep as they went.

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Alred Sees the Queen

Duke Alred had spent the first ten years of his adult life sleeping on the cold ground, and with the constant knowledge that this night might be his last. He had grown a bit soft in the past three years, but he still knew how to command himself to sleep.

Matilda, who was not so gifted, was furious to find him snoring peacefully when she crept into the room later that night to fetch a fur robe against the chill. She hated him all the more for his appearance of guiltlessness, and went off shaking with the desire to strangle him.

When Alred awoke, however, a pall of self-​reproach lay heavily over him. He couldn’t yet explain why—it was all a misunderstanding, of course. He lay a while, considering what he had best do. Try to talk to Matilda? He passed his hand over the cheek she had slapped. Perhaps he had better wait for her to cool down.

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Theobald Comes Home

Theobald saw he would have to leave the barn and go back up to the house. The animals were restless—they knew that he only made an appearance at this time of night if there were a birth or an illness among them, and both made them nervous.

Anyway, he would have to have it out with Githa. He tried to imagine how it would go—he wasn’t even sure what a man was supposed to do in such a situation. Was he supposed to stay with her? Would she rather want to go to—him?

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Alred Comes Home

It was quite late when Alred came in, so he was surprised to see the Queen sitting in his hall with the baby sleeping in her lap. “Oh, good evening, Your Majesty,” he said brightly. “I was just out for a walk in the woods with the dogs. It looks like there’s a family of boars in there and…”

Maud rose majestically as he spoke and laid Yware in his arms. “Put the little lord to bed and then go see Matilda. I am going home.” She left, without another word.

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Colburga Comes Home

Cenwulf stretched out on the bed with a sigh of relief. He had finally managed to transfer the fussy Lady Eadith to her cradle without waking her, for the only way he knew to get her to sleep was to rock her in his arms. And the meeting with poor Theobald had taken a lot out of him as well. Who would have thought that Githa Selle of all people…?

He drummed his fingers on his stomach as he waited for his wife. He had heard her chattering with Witburga as she came up the stairs into the castle, and he imagined she must be putting the girl to bed in her tower room.

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Githa Comes Home

When Githa Selle returned home from the castle with little Athelis, she found the fire in the hearth nearly burned out. She thought briefly that one of the animals must have been sick for Theobald to still be out at the barn so late, and began undressing the drowsy baby for bed. After she had Athelis tucked in, she moved towards the hearth to stir up the fire, but let out a sharp cry when she saw her husband slumped over in the dim kitchen.

“Theobald! Are you sick? What is it?”

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Alwy Wants To Know

“Gunnie,” Alwy said as he and his wife were getting the squirming children ready for bed, blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding in other homes that night, “When do you s’pose that priest will get here?”

“Oh, Alwy, I swear you’ve asked me that question three times already this week. He’ll get here when he gets here! What are you in such a rush about, anyway, are you hoping to get married or something?”

“Well, I don’t know, Gunnie, I guess I’m already married. To you,” he added helpfully.

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Theobald Learns

Theobald Selle was eating a lonely supper. The Countess had come by earlier and taken Githa and Athelis up to Lothere Castle to dine with the Queen. Theobald wasn’t fond of fancy dinners and even less fond of the haughty queen, so he was content enough to stay home, but he missed the bright smile of his wife across the table and the silly prattle of his daughter who bounced on his knee while he ate. Instead he stared into the fire and drearily mused about what he might plant in the lower field come spring. It was presently a sodden mess due to the unseasonal thaw.

He was altogether pleased to be interrupted by a knock on the door. He thought it might be one of his workers, but it proved to be Earl Cenwulf instead, carrying an oddly-​shaped bundle wrapped in a wool blanket. Once inside, Cenwulf opened the bundle to reveal a drowsy little baby, the Lady Eadith, who had been left behind by her mother as being too young to appreciate a dinner with the Queen.

Cenwulf was distinctly uncomfortable with his mission here, and somehow it had seemed that the presence of a baby would prove calming—for him or for Theobald he couldn’t say. He bounced Eadith awkwardly while Theobald politely inquired into the state of his family and his barns and his cattle.

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