“Well, well, well,” Sigefrith growled. “Look who just slithered in.”
Leofric turned, startled enough to lay a hand on his sword. He left it there for a moment – watching his face for a sign of what kind of reception to expect, Sigefrith thought.
“Welcome home.”
It was after midnight, but Sigefrith had been awake and sitting up with little Emma when a guard came to tell him that Leofric had ridden in.
He met Leofric before the stables. Apparently he only had just had his horse taken inside.
“I wasn’t expecting to find anyone awake so late, runt,” Leofric said. “I’m as tired as a dog and as hungry as wolf.”
“Hoping to sneak into the fold?”
“I was hoping to find a scrap to eat in the kitchen and then curl up someplace warm to await the day.”
“Come to the kitchen and I shall throw you a bone. Where’s the boy?” Sigefrith asked as they walked up towards the castle. “We had a letter from him last month, but it was dated November. He had married the girl but the baby hadn’t come yet.”
“He was still with Tryggvason when I left last month.”
“Shall I congratulate you, grandfather?”
“You may certainly do so, and with reason. I have a magnificent grandson, I would have you know.”
“We shall drink to his health then. What kind of a runt is he?”
“The blond-headed, blue-eyed, mighty-lunged kind. They call him Haakon, and it suits him well.”
“I suppose we shall forgive them for that someday.”
“I don’t mind. He’s a delightful man, is Tryggvason, once he has finished roaring at you.”
“By delightful you mean debauched.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Leofric laughed. “But he meets you cup for cup. I’ve taken quite a liking to these Norsemen, though I feel like a raven in a dovecote among them.”
“What does the boy mean to do now? Stay with the delightful father-in-law?”
“Damned if I know. He told me you offered him a knighthood and six hides. At sixteen, Sigefrith?”
“Well? I was eleven when I became lord. If he means to take a shortcut to being a man, I suppose I can meet him there.”
“Lord Hwala never offered me six hides of land.”
“Lord Hwala would have had to have taken them from some other worthy. I have more land than worthies here.”
“So why not give him sixty?” Leofric laughed.
“I gave you sixty, or close to it, but you’ve been more than mere trouble to me over the years. Although I must admit that lately you’ve been nothing but.”
“I? What have I done? I haven’t even been here since last June!”
“That’s part of the problem, Leofric. You have two wives and left them both to me. And one of them you left in a sorry state, if I may be so bold.”
“I’m sorry, Sigefrith. I told you I was sorry. I told her I was sorry, I mean. And my little Leila, too, for being away so long. How is she? How are my babies?”
“Your babies are sick, Leofric. Both Cedric and Raegan are ill, as are my two youngest, Alred’s two girls – he had a boy last November, by the by, but he isn’t sick. And who else? Cenwulf’s boy Baldwin is sick. Damn! He was married last December to a cousin of his. You have been away a while.”
“My babies?”
Sigefrith sighed. “I believe Cedric is out of danger. Raegan got sick after him, so she will doubtlessly be better soon.”
“My poor little Leila,” he murmured. “I went home first, but they told me she was here. I simply got back on my horse and kept riding.”
“She isn’t here, she’s with Alred.”
“With Alred?”
“I have Eadgith here, remember?”
“So you sent Leila to Alred?” Leofric asked, growing annoyed.
“So I sent Leila to Alred. Eadgith is my cousin.”
“It was her idea, wasn’t it?” he growled.
“I don’t even remember, Leofric,” Sigefrith sighed. “It made more sense for Leila to go to Alred.”
“Matilda can’t stand her!”
“Oh, they’re great friends now. She has more in common with Matilda than with Maud.” Sigefrith winced and brought his hand to his forehead for a moment. He would have to explain to Leofric about Maud. Later.
“So now you won’t receive Leila and me because Eadgith is here?”
“I should be happy to receive all of you at once if I thought you could behave, and if I thought it would not be more painful to them than keeping them apart. You left me with two injured women, I remind you.”
“What did I ever do to my Leila?”
“You left her without so much as a farewell kiss, Leofric. You skulked around here for weeks after Sigefrith left, waiting for an opportunity to beat your wife half to death, as far as I can tell, and then ran off in a fit of panic or guilt or I know not what, leaving even me to find out about it from a groom.”
“I left to find her son for her,” Leofric replied sullenly. “And I didn’t mean to hit her, Sigefrith.”
“At some point you had to have had the inspiration. She didn’t accidentally fall on your fist three or four times.”
“Granted, but I didn’t ‘skulk around’ here for that purpose. I had been drinking that night, Sigefrith. And you don’t know what she can be like…”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses. There are no excuses. You did it, it was wrong, that’s all that matters. I hope you recognize that. Now, I want to make one thing clear: I know the law and the church may say that you are the master of your wife, but I am the master of this castle, and in this castle women are not struck. I don’t care whether they belong to you or not.”
“I shan’t touch her again.”
“I am pleased to hear it, as will she be. I hope furthermore that she will not, in fact, need my protection, and that you will not touch her even outside of this castle, if she chooses to live elsewhere.”
“I said I shan’t touch her.”
“See that you do not.”
“Yes, my lord,” Leofric grumbled.
Chapters
What a jerk. *grumble* I wish he had stayed away.