'It's good to be home, Gunnilda.'

“It’s good to be home, Gunnilda,” Egelric said with a sigh of satisfaction. “Good, good, good.”

“It’s good to have you home,” she smiled.

“I suppose it will be a disaster in there – I didn’t have a chance to straighten things up before I left. I hope one of the hands took out the trash and the food at least. Let’s go inspect the damage.”

“It’s cold in here,” Iylaine complained as they stepped inside. “Let’s go back.”

“Just let your Da make a fire and then we’ll see,” he said. “Don’t you want to be home with your Da again?”

“I’ll light a candle, at least,” Gunnilda said.

'I'll light a candle, at least.'

“Why – it’s all clean!” Egelric cried.

“That’s right,” Gunnilda smiled proudly. “I been coming in here once a week or so and building a fire and airing it out. And I cleaned it all up after you left.”

'That's kind of you.'

“That’s kind of you, Gunnilda,” he said. “I never asked you to do that. I never thought of it, to tell the truth.”

“Oh, it’s nothing!” she blushed.

“The kitchen too?” he asked, turning to look.

'The kitchen too?'

“Of course the kitchen, and I must say that you are a rather untidy man, Egelric Wodehead.”

“I suppose I didn’t have my mind on housework at the time,” he said softly.

“And the bedroom too – I went and changed the sheets every week as we do to home, and kept everything all nice and dry,” she said proudly.

“You went in the bedroom?” he asked, his voice tightening.

“Well, sure. You don’t want moldy sheets do you?”

Without a word, Egelric walked over to the bedroom and opened the door. He stood in the doorway, staring down at a chest that was pushed against the wall.

He stood in the doorway, staring down at a chest.

“Did you open this chest?” he asked.

“Why, sure I did. I was looking for the sheets, but anyway, it needed airing, and I put some tansy in there to keep the moths – ”

“You had no business getting into that chest!” he barked.

'You had no business getting into that chest!'

“I – I didn’t – ”

“Those are Elfleda’s things in there! You had no right to touch any of that!” he shouted.

'You had no right to touch any of that!'

Gunnilda gasped.

“That’s her wedding dress in there, and the little clothes she made for her baby, and the flowers I – and all – and all her pretty things!” His voice broke. “You had no right!”

“I didn’t mean – ”

“Get out! Get out of here!”

“Da!” Iylaine wailed.

“Come, Bertie,” Gunnilda choked, leading her dazed little boy to the door.

“Da!” Tears had begun to run down Iylaine’s upturned face, and Egelric took her in his arms.

Egelric took her in his trembling arms.

“Hush, Baby,” he said, stroking her fair hair to calm the both of them.

“Why did you say that?” she asked after a time.

“I don’t know, Baby,” he sighed. “I was unhappy that anyone touched your Mama’s things.”

Iylaine lifted her head and looked steadily into his face. “Da, she’s dead. That means she won’t never come back.”

“I know, Baby,” he said, tears filling his own eyes.

'I know, Baby.'

“She don’t need those things. She won’t be mad at you any more.”

“Perhaps I was keeping them for you, Baby.”

“I don’t want ‘em!” she cried. “You made Gunnie cry!”

“And my Baby too,” he said softly.

“When I make Wynnie cry I have to go ‘pologize.”

“Baby, how did you get so wise?”

“I don’t know, Da. How did you get so tall?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just grew that way.”

“I guess I just grew wise,” Iylaine said, laying her head on his shoulder with a weary sigh.

She laid her head on his shoulder with a weary sigh.