Brede finds a full bed

Brede stood for a moment as dumb as the doorpost against which he leaned. He had been on horseback all morning, riding with his reeve over all his lands on both sides of the river in order to catch up on the harvest and discuss how the rents were to be collected and paid. All he had wanted was to come home and lie down until dinner with his wife and babies.

But his bed was full. Eirik lay where Brede usually did, with Estrid beside him, and his daughter was sleeping on Eirik’s broad chest, and his son sprawled across Estrid’s belly.

Estrid and her brother had been laughing about something, but they had stopped abruptly when he opened the door. Now Estrid blushed, and Eirik looked up at him with a broad grin and narrowed eyes.

“Oh, Brede!” Estrid giggled. “We weren’t expecting you until dinnertime.”

“It’s almost time.” He stepped into the room, but he did not wish to close the door. It would seem to be an invitation to Eirik to remain.

“Oh, look, Kitten,” Eirik smiled, “I think your husband he want me to get out of his place.”

“No! Eirik, don’t move. You’ll wake the baby.”

“I know, but, so, you will never get any more babies if I’m always here.”

“Eirik!” she laughed. “Don’t mind him, Brede.”

“Don’t mind me!” Eirik said. “Just pretend I’m a dog, like you already do.”

“I should like to change my shirt before dinner,” Brede muttered.

“Don’t mind me,” Eirik repeated. “I saw you naked already, boy. Estrid did, too–I think.”

“Oh, no!” Estrid giggled. “I always make him put out the light.”

Brede scowled. This was not even true.

“So, pay attention then!” Eirik laughed. “This is your chance.”

“No, he said only his shirt.”

Brede turned his back to them and jerked off his tunic.

“Maybe if you ask nice?” Eirik suggested. “It’s nothing to be scared of. I shall protect you if it try to bite.”

“Eirik!” she scolded. But she laughed.

“Estrid? Oh!” Synne said as she wandered through the open door and saw Brede standing shirtless in the corner.

“Synn?” Brede said.

“I was about to ask Estrid, but – but may I go out for a short ride before dinner with Malcolm and Stein and Eirik? If Brit comes?”

“Certainly not,” Brede said. “Brit? She’s only nine.”

“Oh! But Stein will be there! He’s my cousin! He will protect me.”

“Protect you from what?” Brede snapped.

“Protect her if it try to bite!” Eirik laughed.

Estrid giggled.

“What?” Synne asked.

Brede glared at him.

“Oh, Brede, don’t be so worried all the time,” Eirik said. “All the boys aren’t so bad as I.”

Brede felt a quiver of fury run over him. How dare he make such flippant reference to the way he had treated Brede’s own sister?

“Eirik, he’s a nice boy, he keep it muzzled all the time. And Stein he think himself so pretty he don’t look at the girls. And Malcolm? Synne knows he only love Iylaine.”

He winked at Synne, and both Brede and his sister were glaring at him then.

“Ah! Don’t mind me, Synn,” Eirik said, and he gently lifted Dyrne and laid her on the bed against her mother’s arm. “Your brother he want my place here in his bed,” he said as he rose to his great height, “and so, I get up and leave him this baby, and I take you all out for a ride. You trust me with your sister, don’t you, Brede?”

He smiled down on Brede, and his blue eyes were as insolent as they had ever been.

“Eirik, don’t be such a bother,” Estrid said. She wasn’t laughing now.

“I can’t help that, Kitten. But, so, I go bother somebody else now. Brede is tired, and mostly tired of me, I can tell.”

He winked at Brede as he went out.