Sir Sigefrith gets a surprise upon his return

Sigefrith pulled open the door abruptly and the giggling girls gave a satisfying shriek of alarm. He and Eirik laughed and stepped inside.

Estrid hopped up from the bed with a wide smile and ran to embrace her brother, but Hilda only sat up and scowled. “Oh, very well done, Sigefrith,” she said in Norse. “If you have awoken Haakon, you may have the fun of getting him to sleep again.”

“I meant to wake him anyway,” he said eagerly in English as he went to peek in the cradle. “Look how big he has grown! But he’s sleeping, so I suppose Mama gets her turn first.”

“Don’t call me Mama,” she pouted. “I’m sure I’m not your mother.”

Estrid snickered.

“Come, my kitten,” Eirik said to his sister. “We have brought home a new squire for the King, and it would behoove you to get to him before Eadgith does. His mother is a Norsewoman, and I believe he will find that sort of maid suits him better than an English girl.”

Sigefrith looked over at him and frowned. He did not like the way they had all joked about Brede and his sister before they had even met, but all the same, he did not like Eirik plotting to steal him away from her before he had a chance to know her.

He did like Brede very well, although he had doubts that his father would find him at all worthy of his daughter. But there were so few young gentlemen around at all, aside from Eirik himself – and Eirik would not do for Eadgith. Sigefrith knew him too well. And Eirik knew Sigefrith better than to try.

“We had better leave Mama and Papa alone in any case,” Estrid giggled.

“Shut up, Estrid,” Hilda said.

Estrid stuck out her tongue at her and went out on Eirik’s arm.

Sigefrith locked the door behind them. “Now no one shall surprise us as we did you two, and if anyone makes you shriek it shall be I.”

“Must you be so vulgar?”

“See whether I don’t.” He pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her.

“Did you miss me?” she asked. “I wager you didn’t.”

“Didn’t I?” he asked, trying to kiss her.

Hilda pulled her face away. “I’m sure the four of you found plenty of Danish ladies to help you forget.”

“Hilda! Eirik was the only one who found any Danish ladies, and he had no one to forget. Be a good girl and talk to me, if you don’t want to kiss me. How have you been? How has Haakon been? Good Lord, I have been nearly mad from missing you two,” he said, giving her a squeeze.

“He’s been nearly mad from his teeth coming in, and I’ve been nearly mad from him. He just sits and cries all the time.”

“So pick him up and love him, poor man.”

“That’s easy for you to say. Well, you may pick him up and love him yourself, now. I’ve earned a rest.”

“And you shall have it, poor girl.”

“Oh, no I shan’t! Not for long! We have another baby coming before Easter,” she announced with a pout.

“We do?” he gasped. He had not thought of this.

“Oh, yes, we do!”

“Already?”

“Oh, yes, already!”

“Good Lord!”

“Well you might say.”

“But, my Hilda, aren’t you a little pleased?” he asked, alarmed at her expression.

“I’m sure you are,” she sulked. “You want to have thirty children, never mind what it will do to me.”

“Perhaps not thirty, and perhaps not so soon,” he laughed, “but I should rather not send this one back whence he came, as long as he’s already on his way. How do you feel, poor girl?” he asked tenderly.

“I feel dreadful,” she pouted, but she lay her head on his shoulder at last. “I am sick every morning, and no one cares. I still have to get up and take care of Haakon.”

“I shall be here to take care of the both of you now.”

“I am surprised to see you at all. You weren’t there the first time, and I didn’t expect to see you this time either, before the baby comes.”

“But I am here now, silly girl, so what’s the worry? And we shall be in our own home before he comes, with your own maids and your own husband, and you shall not have to lift a finger.”

“And a nurse for the babies.”

“Certainly. And my mother too.”

“Oh, yes,” she sighed, and she lifted her head. “At least she is good with the baby. But you must remind her that I am to be mistress in my house.”

“Now, Hilda…”

“What? She thinks she’s Queen here, I should not be surprised to see her calling herself Lady when we are at home.”

“But she is a lady,” he teased. “She is the wife of a lord, and you are only the wife of a humble knight.”

“But it is still my house.”

“Of course it is your house, and of course you shall be mistress. My mother doesn’t mean to take your place. Come, Hilda. Don’t pout. We shall all be very happy.”

“Oh, you don’t know what it is to be a woman,” she sighed.

“And you don’t know what it is to be a man, else you would let me kiss you already,” he said, aiming for her lips again, but settling for her neck when she pulled her head away.

“Oh, not now, Sigefrith! We have all night for that, though you had better let me get some sleep or I shall be miserable tomorrow. I want you to take me up to meet the King’s new squire, first. Is he young? Is he handsome?”

“Hilda! Am I not young and handsome enough for you?”

“Not for me, silly! I meant for Estrid.”

“He’s younger than I and handsomer than I. How is that?”

“Oh, perfect!” she cried happily. “He’s not younger than Estrid, is he?”

“How old is she again?”

“Thirteen.”

“Brede is fifteen. He’s also your cousin and mine, by way of Swein Forkbeard, though he is close cousin to Sigefrith, on Lady Hwala’s side.”

“Oh, that’s too perfect, if he has royal blood!” she squealed.

“Sigefrith means him for Eadgith,” he smiled.

“I’m sure your father would think him too low for Eadgith, were he Swein Forkbeard himself,” she sniffed.

“He would be right, too.”

“Oh, I’m sure you love your sister more than me,” she pouted.

“I love no one more than you, my Hilda. Let’s stay here and I shall show you.”

“Oh, no! Take me to meet that squire – what’s his name?”

“Brede.”

“Take me to meet Brede. Then we shall see.”