Alred tries to see nothing
“Beloved, thine eyes are like drops of dew before the dawn, reflecting all the thousand stars!” Alred cried as Gunnilda opened the door to him and little Margaret.
“Beloved – oh! What was I going to say? Beloved, your nose is like a hump-backed snail, what feeds among the wilted lettuce!”
Alred laughed. “That’s a good one! I shall write that down.”
“Oh you better not! Her Grace might find that and think you was writing poems about her.”
“My lady would never dream that anyone could compare her nose to a hump-backed snail, my darling. What are you doing this fine morning? Need any help?”
“Oh, I’m just sewing,” Gunnilda said, attempting to stuff her work into her basket before Alred could see it.
“Wait, wait – that looks like a baby’s dress, or mine eyes deceive me. Gunnilda, you sly creature! Do you have a secret from your beloved one?”
“Well, I guess it won’t be a secret for too much longer,” she blushed.
“May my lady and I be the first to congratulate you?”
“Well, I guess Egelric beat you to it.”
“That Egelric! He always is beating me to it, whatever ‘it’ may be. I declare, darling, I am becoming rather jealous of that Egelric.”
“Your Grace may just take that up with him,” Gunnilda laughed.
“One of these days I shall.”
“I guess I never had the chance to sew pretty dresses for my babies before,” Gunnilda said as she folded up her work. “They just grow up so fast, you always think it’s not worth the trouble. But this is the first baby to be born in this fine house, so I guess I want it to be dressed real fine too.”
“I like to see you looking happy, dear,” he smiled.
“Oh – do I?” she laughed, but he thought then that suddenly she didn’t.
“Or not. What is it, Gunnilda?”
“Oh! I don’t know. I guess I’m just tired.”
“Now, I don’t quite believe it. You can’t look me in the eyes and say nothing is the matter.”
“No, I guess I can’t,” she agreed, looking away.
“Is it something I can help with?”
“Well, I don’t know. It’s – it’s just, it’s the new moon, you know.”
“I know.”
“And are you going to let Egelric go out there again by himself to meet that – that monster?” She had tears in her eyes now.
“I don’t know how I can stop him.”
“You’re his lord, aren’t you?”
“He may be our only hope, Gunnilda. The creature can’t hurt him.”
“The creature hurt him twice! I had to look at that bruise on his neck for days! And he’s just sick for worrying over it, I can see it.”
Alred sighed. “I don’t like it either, dear. I would feed the creature a peasant a month for the rest of my life to save that one man, may God have mercy on my soul for saying it. But Egelric believes this is his fight. And remember – he believes that the elf knows something about his son.”
“Oh, Egelric!” she cried with a harrowing sob, hiding her face in her hands.
“Ah, now,” Alred murmured, taking the baby back to Wynna’s room to leave her with the girl and her two little brothers. But when he returned to the kitchen, Gunnilda was already drying her face at the rain barrel.
“Did I not see anything just now?” he asked softly.
“You didn’t see nothing just now.”
“All right.” When she didn’t turn back to him, he asked, “Shall I leave you alone?”
“Well, I guess it’s not real neighborly of me, but I guess you should.”
“Shall I leave Margaret?”
“I guess she would do me some good.”
“Then I shall return for her before dinner. Don’t let her eat any needles or anything.”
“She knows: no needles before dinner! We don’t want to spoil her appetite.” Gunnilda said, trying to laugh.
“Goodbye, dear. I hope I shall see you happy again soon.” But he wondered now whether he ever had.
