Bertie peeks

Bertie was so excited his belly hurt. His Ma said that might also be because he didn’t eat enough, but how could she expect him to eat on a night like this? Egelric was home! Egelric was his favoritest man in the whole world, after his Da. And wouldn’t he have lots of stories to tell!

But it was getting dark, and still no Egelric. His Da said that maybe he had important business at the castle and might come in the morning. His Ma said that she would just put Baby to bed soon if he didn’t come.

But Bertie couldn’t imagine waiting until the morning to see him! He couldn’t go to bed with a bellyache like this. What could he do?

Bertie looked slyly around the room at his family. His Ma was nursing the baby. His Da was holding Baby on one knee and Wynn on the other and telling them a story. Nobody was paying attention to him.

“Well, I guess I have to go pee,” he said quietly. “And I guess I have to check on them new kittens, too, before bed.”

“Don’t you be long, Bertie,” his Ma said without looking up from the baby.

“I won’t.”

Bertie trotted out the door. So far so good! He couldn’t go as far as the castle, but he could always run up to Egelric’s house. If no one was there, he could be home quickly enough that no one would notice he was gone. And if Egelric was there—why, he would be the first to see him! And he could tell him about the new baby, and the new kittens, and everything! His Ma wouldn’t have anything new left to tell him by the time he was done! Bertie laughed with glee as he ran up the path through the woods.

Bertie found that the outside door at Egelric’s house had been left standing open. He paused on the step and listened—he could hear voices inside! Egelric was home! But maybe he had those Scots with him. Bertie’s stomach felt a little sick. But he had to see—he would just open the inside door and peek.

Bertie saw three men in kilts and—he recognized the voice—the King! Bertie was starting to think it hadn’t been so clever to come here. But then—

“Oh, there, little mousie!” one of the men called softly in a funny accent. He strode up to the door and pulled it open. “Beware the cats!”

Bertie screamed. The man looked like a devil!

But the man only laughed.

Suddenly Bertie found himself in Egelric’s arms. He was safe!

The men were all talking to him and laughing. The scary man said he had two little boys just his size—but the King was asking him if his mother knew he had come into this den of thieves. Were they really thieves? Bertie hung on tight to Egelric’s neck.

“Bertie, is your Ma here?” Egelric asked excitedly. “And my Baby?”

“No, Egelric, she’s to home—she don’t know I’m here. Oh! and she has a new baby,” he gushed, “what she named Egelric like you—we call him Young Egelric and you can be Old Egelric—” Here the men laughed. “And—and my tiger cat had nine kittens, except one died, and Ma has been helping nurse the new ladyship and I got to hold her before you ever did, and—and Father Brandt says I may learn to read, and Ethelmund made me Noah’s ark, and—oh, I forgot the rest!”

Egelric laughed—oh, he had such a good laugh! “That doesn’t leave much news for your Ma to tell me.”

“I know!” Bertie smirked.

“Is Baby still awake?”

“Well, I guess so. My Da was telling her and Wynn a story.”

“Could you run and ask her to bring her up? Tell her I can’t wait till morning to see her, and I’ll come marauding down with my band of Scots and steal her away if she doesn’t hurry.”

Bertie looked uneasily at the strange men.

“Bertie,” Egelric laughed, “this is my cousin Colban, and this is my cousin Malcolm, and they won’t steal any babies, don’t worry!”

“Well now, I would no say that, but we always give ‘em back when we’re done with ‘em,” tall Colban winked.

“Run, Bertie!—go get your Ma and that Baby, and bring them back to me. And you stay with them, too, in case they need any protection from a man.”

Bertie ran.