'Hallo, sprout.'

“Hallo, sprout,” Malcolm said and dropped himself gracelessly in a chair.

Dunstan sighed and marked his place in his book.

“What are you doing in here?” Malcolm asked. “It’s too hot to sit and read.”

“It’s too hot to do anything else.”

'It's too hot to do anything else.'

“My cousin gone out riding? Druid wasn’t in his stall or in the pasture.”

Dunstan smiled. “Sometimes I wonder whether you come here to see your old horse or to see your new sweetheart.”

“Perhaps I come here to see you, my pretty!” Malcolm cackled. “But seriously,” he said with a weary sigh, “sometimes I ask myself the same question. At least my horse lets me kiss him.”

“And ride him.”

'And ride him.'

Malcolm whipped out his knife and held the blade pointed menacingly across the room at Dunstan. Dunstan only laughed, as did Malcolm after a moment, and he put his knife away.

“She went out with Eadwyn and Bertie,” Dunstan said. “She never said she was expecting you.”

“That’s what comes of trying to surprise her. I find her out with other boys. But since I can’t see her, why don’t we go swimming? That’s the only thing to do in this heat. There’s a good lot of girls down there.”

'There's a good lot of girls down there.'

“What will Iylaine say to that?”

“I was thinking of you, stupid sprout.”

“I thank you, but that isn’t necessary.”

“Sprout,” Malcolm sighed, “your betrothed is ten years old. Not only is she too young to care, but you’re going to go mad if you wait till she’s grown. You’re practically fourteen.”

“Oh, shut up, Malcolm. You’re not exactly an old rake yourself.”

'You're not exactly an old rake yourself.'

“No, but my girl is thirteen.”

“You’ll still need to wait, considering who her father is.”

“He loves me!”

“Not that much!”

“Anyway, sprout, she won’t even kiss me, as I said. May your virtuous heart be at ease. Now put the book away and let’s go swimming.”

'Now put the book away and let's go swimming.'

“I don’t know,” Dunstan sighed. “Don’t you have something to do this afternoon?”

“I did, but it’s free now. Say,” he said and sat up eagerly. “Here’s news for you: your good friend Sir Osfrey Ealstan is at the castle with the Baron, and guess who came with him?”

“Freya and Ana?”

“Correct. Now keep guessing.”

“Oh, God…”

'Oh, God...'

“That’s right!” Malcolm crowed. “The fair Lady Eada! But they’ll be staying at the castle with us, so I’m thinking the good Sir Osfrey has returned to aiming a little higher, in terms of stature, than your wee father.”

“God grant it be so!”

“Such a tall lady would look rather silly next to the Duke anyway.”

“As if that were my only objection!”

“Granted, although it’s not her fault that her father is such a lickspittle.”

“That’s not my only objection either,” Dunstan grumbled.

“I know, sprout, but you know your father is bound to marry again someday anyway.”

'I know, sprout, but you know your father is bound to marry again someday anyway.'

“I don’t know about that.”

“He’s only… what? Younger than the King. Thirty-​​eight! He’ll go mad, too, if he doesn’t marry again eventually.”

“I think he loved my mother too much for that,” Dunstan said softly.

Malcolm shrugged. “The King loved his first wife and loves his second too.”

“That’s not the same.”

“Why not?” Malcolm snapped. “Do you suppose your father is the only man who ever loved a woman properly?”

“No, I don’t. Listen, Malcolm…” Dunstan sighed. “Let’s just go swimming.”

'Let's just go swimming.'