Lady Eadgith invites herself

Leofric bounced his baby and spoke to her occasionally when she seemed to ask a question. She babbled on and on, talking about her day or the Lord knew what else, but mostly, he knew, to put off her bedtime as long as possible.

He kept one eye on Eadgith meanwhile. She was no better than the baby, chattering on and on about Leia’s day and God knew what else. She too was seeking to put off Leia’s bedtime.

It had been the same for the last three evenings. When he came to the nurse’s room after he finished his work, he always found Eadgith in place of the nurse, and she would hover around him and talk about everything but what she had on her mind until he would quite pointedly wish her goodnight and go away.

She was waiting for him to speak, and he would not. Oh, no! He would do nothing to put her at ease. On the contrary, he only desired to be cruel to her. She deserved nothing more so long as she meant to come cringing up to him like a dog who had earned the first kick and was frankly worthy of another. It was only because she was so kind to Leia that he tolerated her simpering at all.

But Leia was yawning now with her little pink mouth, and he decided that that was the last of the fun any of them would have this day.

“So, my dove,” he said to the baby, “I am not certain whether you are sleepy or only asking for a worm.”

Leia cried, “Ah!”

“Don’t listen to her,” Eadgith smiled. “I believe she’s tired. She ate not long ago. No more worms for this baby bird tonight.”

“Then it’s down into the nest with you, and with the ugly old crow as well. Will you give Eadgith a kiss, my bitty?”

Leia gave her a kiss, and indeed she tried to flee to Eadgith’s arms, knowing that she had no chance of avoiding her bed as long as she stayed with him.

“No, no, Leia,” Eadgith scolded. “If it’s time for bed, it’s time for bed.”

“Thank you for staying with her today,” he said to Eadgith, as he did every evening.

“You and she are very welcome,” she smiled brightly.

“Good night.”

“I – good – ” She flushed and suddenly clutched the cloth of her skirt in great handfuls where it hung over her thighs.

He lifted an eyebrow and tried not to sneer at her. This confusion was the farthest she had gone in four days.

“Leof,” she whimpered.

“What?” He would not make this easier for her.

“Don’t send me away, please.”

“I am not sending you anywhere. I am going to put Leia to bed. You may stay here or go home or go to Jerusalem for all I care. Good night.” That was even a little crueler than he had intended.

“I want to go with you,” she said. It was as honest a reply as he could have wished, but her voice was beginning to squeak, and he knew what that meant. Son of a serpent! If she cried now, she could go to hell for all he cared.

“Why?” He would make her answer.

“I want to stay with you.”

“Why?”

She hesitated. “What?”

“I want to know what you want. Tell me and I shall decide whether I wish to give it to you.”

“What do you mean?” Her voice was growing even again, though he thought it was only because she was honestly confused. Well, he would explain.

“What do you want? Do you want a baby? Do you want this baby? Do you want your pleasure? Do you want your revenge against Leila? Against me? Do you want a joke on Hilda? What is it?”

She gaped at him. She was not pretty so.

“Well?” he growled. “What do you want?”

“You,” she squeaked.

“Me? You lie.”

“No!”

“Yes,” he sighed and shifted the drowsing baby on his arm. He was tired of baiting her. He only wanted this to be over. “What do you want, Eadgith? You don’t want me. No woman who knew me ever wanted me for my own sake.”

“I did. I do.”

Of course she would say so. He almost wished he could believe her.

“I have missed you terribly, Leofric,” she gushed. That was unexpected.

“Missed me?”

“Yes, you, you. I never should have left you that night. I wanted to stay.”

“You should have stayed then,” he sighed and turned away from her. He no longer desired to be cruel to her, but neither could he bear to look at her. “It would have meant a great deal to me,” he muttered.

“It isn’t too late.” She laid a hand on his arm. “I went away, but I came back before it was too late, don’t you see?”

“Eadgith,” he sighed in exasperation. “That bed is too small for two anyway.” It was a ridiculous argument, and he was surprised to hear himself using it. If that was the best he had…

“Tomorrow we shall ask Eadie for another,” she said and slipped around to stand in front of him. Her eyes were bright. “It will do for tonight. I shall sleep my head on your shoulder as we did – do you remember? When you were so ill that winter?”

She began to laugh a slow, deep laugh that reminded him more readily than did her words. He stared down at her in confusion. He could almost see that laughing girl in her now. He had nearly forgotten that they had once been accomplices as much as spouses.

She laid her hands on his sides and smiled up at him. “They made you sleep alone, and every night I sneaked in to see you.”

“Son of a serpent!” he cried softly so as not to wake the baby. “They said I might die, and you came anyway. I believe you were trying to kill me, woman!”

“I wasn’t trying to kill you,” she laughed. “I was so afraid you would die I wanted to spend every moment with you.”

“Did you truly?” he smiled. He could almost believe it of her then if she could still look at him with those eyes now. “Are you certain it wasn’t simply because I was too weak to do anything but let you have your way with me?”

“Oh, you poor man!” she said, laughing low. “All you had to do was lie there and enjoy yourself.”

“That’s what you called letting a sick man get his rest!”

“You got better, didn’t you?”

He laughed and put his free arm around her shoulders. “Son of a serpent! And now I am a tired old man and need my rest.”

She leaned her body against his and patted his chest, just above the old scar. “Take me with you and I shall help you get it.”