Alred has an awkward conversation

“Alred!”

A soft voice was calling him, and a pair of light, slippered feet were running after him. He smiled to himself before he turned. Wouldn’t it be something to be fifteen again?

“How may your humble servant be of assistance?” he asked with a bow as young Eadgith came up to him, panting slightly through parted lips and flushed beneath her freckles. She was a pretty girl.

Alred was even beginning to see how freckles could add interest to an already lovely face, just as a sprinkling of pepper could perfect an otherwise excellent dish. Of course, one mustn’t overdo it, as Eadgith’s mother did – or as Cook did with her stews.

“I should only like to speak with you for a moment,” she said, and immediately her freckles nearly vanished atop the dark blush of her cheeks.

“That is a favor I should be asking of you, but since you ask, it would be my pleasure.”

“You won’t tell anyone what we say?”

“I never share a lady’s secrets. Shall we stroll over to the garden?”

“Oh, no – not there,” she said anxiously.

“You don’t like the garden? Well, how about the armory?”

“Not either,” she smiled. That was better.

“Very well, those are my ideas. You decide.”

“Let’s go…” she looked around. “Let’s sit on that log over there.”

“I should not have proposed so humble a seat for so fine a lady, but if it amuses you…”

“Oh, come!” she laughed, and she took his arm and dragged him to the log that lay in the shade of a tree. To be fifteen again!

“Now, I ask you again,” he said, “how may I be of assistance?”

“I want to ask your advice,” she began hesitantly. “Because you… you seem to know about such things, and because you once gave me some advice that has often come to mind, and it worries me.”

“Oh, my. I’m certain I never meant to worry you.”

“But it was good advice – I think.”

“Could you remind me what it was? I so often give good advice that I lose track…” he shrugged helplessly.

She laughed and then grew serious at once as she thought of what she was about to say. Her face was a delight to read. “Well… you once told me that I should be careful not to… not to fall in love with the first man who ever paid attention to me.”

“Have you?”

“I don’t – no! I mean, I don’t know. I mean – surely the first man is not necessarily the wrong man.”

“No… But it does make it difficult to know what he means by you. You have nothing with which to compare him.”

“That’s true,” she admitted. “So how would I know?”

“Ah! Did you mean to ask me to judge for you?”

“No,” she blushed and looked at her feet. “I should only like to know how to tell whether a man… really cares, or whether it is simply a game to him, or a… a distraction. Do you understand?”

“Hmm…” Alred rubbed his nose thoughtfully.

He had begun to have doubts about Brede at one point, for he had seen him whispering with Estrid after he had begun paying attention to Eadgith… But young Sigefrith had assured him that he was keeping a close eye on the two, and that Brede had been nothing but a gentleman with his sister thus far.

Even old Sigefrith, who seemed to watch the two with less pleasure – although he had been the one to hatch the idea of pairing Brede with Eadgith in the first place! – had to admit that the boy had done nothing objectionable as far as anyone knew.

“Well, let’s see,” Alred said. “Has he ever behaved in an ungentlemanly manner with you? And by that I mean precisely what you imagine, and perhaps quite a few other things that you can’t imagine yet, bless your innocent heart.”

“Oh, no! Never! Never! Only sometimes… sometimes when he kisses my hand, he holds it in both of his instead of one. Does that mean something?”

He laughed. “I suppose it implies rather more affection than does a single hand.”

“You do the same with Leila.”

“Do I? Jupiter! But Sir Leila and I are fellow knights. I suppose I can take such liberties with her. But anyone can kiss a hand. How does he look at you? Does he look like he wants to eat you?”

“Eat me?” she laughed. “No. Sometimes he says he would like to, though,” she blurted and blushed again.

“Jupiter! That’s serious.”

“It’s only a joke.”

“Oh, it’s only a joke until someone gets devoured, and then who’s laughing?”

She giggled.

“I don’t know, dear. Does he ever look at you in such a way that it frightens you? I find that ladies are clever at spotting the men that mean ill by them, but only if they listen to their intuition.”

“No, he doesn’t frighten me,” she said slowly, “except that he’s so… big?”

“Ah, you reassure me, darling,” he laughed. “Now I know you haven’t fallen in love with little me.”

“You’re taller than I am.”

“Bless you, child!”

“I’m not truly frightened of him. I don’t feel easy with him, as I do with you. When he’s there, it’s as if… he’s as big as the whole room. He fills the whole room.”

“Jupiter, you’re far gone!”

“Do you know what I mean?”

“My dear, I married a woman wider than the whole world. I know precisely what you mean.”

“When he looks at me, it rather makes me sad. Because his eyes are sad.”

“Oh?” Alred did not at all share that opinion of Brede’s eyes. “Perhaps they are only sad when they look at you.”

“I don’t know.”

“But if it is so, then it’s a good sign. If he is sad because he thinks he has no hope of winning you, then it is an excellent sign. A man who only means to play with you will either stop looking at you entirely, or look as if he meant to devour you, as I said.”

“Oh!” She smiled hopefully at him.

“You might try showing him that smile the next time he looks sadly at you, and see where that leads. However, my dear… I know you won’t listen, but I should be remiss if I did not say it: please, if you find that your sad-​​eyed suitor means well by you, have him talk to your father before you give your heart too irrevocably to him,” he said gently. “Indeed, don’t give him anything you can’t take back.”

“I know,” she murmured.

“There!” Alred said, slapping his knees. “That was the most awkward conversation I have had in some time. But I thank you for allowing me to practice on you. Fortunately I have only two daughters.”