Alred nearly gets himself killed

Matilda had just finished her letter, but the thought did not cheer her. Would she even have time to send it, or would she carry it herself? And what could her cousins do for her? She could hope for no more from them than that they share their exile with her and her sons.

But she didn’t trust Morcar, and now that she knew he lived, she had to plan for the possibility that he had betrayed them. Why could he not have gotten himself killed? And yet – he was the last great man of the old order, and she would be sorry when he died. Not many living men remembered her father or her old uncle now.

“What is it?” she snapped when she heard a knock at the door. “I was not to be disturbed!” Unless it were Egelric himself, she would send the unwanted guest out on his tail.

“What is this!” she shrieked when an unkempt peasant opened the door. “Who let you in here?”

The man leapt forward and threw himself at her feet. Matilda’s hand was already feeling under the table for the hidden dagger – where was it?

“Lady! for pity, spare a moment for your humble servant, who loves you so well!”

That voice! Matilda slipped off her chair and fell to her knees next to him. “Alred?”

Even Alred could not keep up the joke any longer. “Yes!” he whispered.

“I could have killed you, you fool!” she hissed after his lips had moved on from hers and begun travelling down her neck.

Alred sat back and laughed. “My Matilda!”

“Come, see the children!” she said eagerly, standing and pulling him to his feet.

“Now just a moment, lady,” he said, dragging her to a halt as she tried to lead him down the hall. 

“First I want to see you. Besides, I’ll give the boys nightmares if they see this ragged peasant appear in their room first thing in the morning.”