Alred decides to go up

Leofric stood a moment in the shadows, hoping, now that he was there, that he would not be noticed after all. He was relieved to see that Alred was not wearing his sword.

It was Dunstan who saw him first. “Leofric!” he cried and ran across the hall to fling his arms around him. This was already surprising: Dunstan had never been so affectionate in company.

“Well, runt,” Leofric said and shook him roughly. “What do they feed the boys in Denmark to make them grow so quickly?”

“Fish!” Dunstan laughed. “Lots of fish!”

Now that he had a second look at him, Leofric did not think that he had grown so very much after all. It was merely that he was standing taller than he ever had.

And now that he had a third look at him, he was reminded that of all of Alred’s children, Dunstan was the only one who had Matilda’s eyes. He was even beginning to have the look of King Harold and old Cynewulf in his face, which showed just how much he resembled his mother.

Leofric was still smiling down on the boy when he heard Sigefrith’s greeting. How happy he should have been to see them all home! But it was all lost to dread…

“There you are at last!” Sigefrith said. “I knew you were getting old, but I had no idea it was getting so bad that you were going to bed immediately after supper!”

“I wasn’t sleeping,” Leofric muttered. He couldn’t even meet his eyes! Would this be another shame upon him? And his daughter had not yet looked at him.

“I told you, Sigefrith!” Alred laughed.

“Now, wait a moment!” Sigefrith said. “We don’t know what he was doing in his bed, while not-​​sleeping. He could easily have been darning his hose.”

“That’s only the explanation he gave Sir Leila when he took them off. I’m certain he had a more difficult time convincing her he needed to darn her gown.”

“Only wanted to tack up the hem a bit,” Sigefrith proposed.

“Up to her waist!” Alred laughed.

“I wasn’t with Leila,” Leofric interrupted.

“Ohhhh…” Alred said knowingly.

Eadgith turned her back to her father, and Drage only blinked vaguely across the room from upon her shoulder.

Leofric felt his boldness returning with his anger. “I was with Eadgith,” he said.

Now even Alred appeared speechless.

“Are you all well?” Leofric asked them before Sigefrith could comment or Alred make a joke.

“We are all very well, thank you, sir,” Sigefrith bowed. “And you seem sound of wind and limb.”

“We have never worried about the soundness of his wind,” Alred said, “though we have often been troubled by its sound. However, I believe I speak for all assembled when I say we are reassured to know that your limb is still in good order.” He then turned to Caedwulf, who was doubled over in a fit of giggles, and said, “Am I the only one who finds it disturbing that this infant found that so amusing?”

“I believe he has been laughing since the part about the wind, and missed the second part,” Sigefrith said.

“Ah! That is more like.”

“Where’s your brother, runt?” Leofric asked Dunstan as Alred and Sigefrith began teasing the Prince.

“He stayed in Denmark with Godwine and Magnus,” Dunstan said.

“What?” Leofric gasped, surprised that Alred would have sent Yware away so soon after the death of his mother. He knew that Alred had brought him home again the first time he had taken him to Denmark only because she could not bear to be parted from him.

Leofric had thought he had spoken softly, but Alred seemed to have heard. Before Dunstan could reply, he turned to his daughters and said, “That reminds me, ladies: Where is your little sister?”

“She’s upstairs in Leofric and Eadgith’s room,” Margaret replied promptly.

“Oh, she is? And do you see her sometimes?”

“I see her every day, or most days. And she’s so cute, and so funny!” Margaret said eagerly. “She talks and talks, and babbles and babbles, and she thinks you know what she’s saying, and she even asks you questions and waits for you to answer!”

“My goodness! What shall I do if she finds my answers stupid?”

“She doesn’t care!” Margaret laughed. “She just talks and talks to hear herself talk!”

“Like you and Gwynn, a bit?”

“No!” Britamund said. “Gwynn and Meggie never wait for you to answer!”

Leofric’s attention was transfixed by Sigefrith’s searching stare, but he was startled back into consciousness of the others when he heard Alred speak his name.

“What?” he asked, his heart pounding in alarm.

“I said that I suppose she’s sleeping now?” Alred repeated. His voice was softly wistful.

This was what Leofric had been dreading. He could have said she was sleeping – for indeed she was – and he could have had a last night’s reprieve, but he would not be a coward. Certainly he could not be a coward beneath such a stare from his son-​​in-​​law, and before the scornful back of his daughter.

“I told Eadgith you might wish to see her this evening,” he replied evenly. He knew that his own sword was in his room. If Alred were to take it and slay him with it, it might be the last, best use to which it could be put.

Sigefrith only dropped his eyes when Alred himself turned to him. Leofric was ashamed to see the change in them as they looked down at Alred.

“Perhaps we might go up for just a moment and see whether she’s sleeping yet?” Alred suggested to Sigefrith. His voice revealed him to be struggling with his cowardice as well, and Leofric was yet more deeply ashamed.

“Leofric,” Sigefrith said evenly, “your son went directly home. If you go now you might manage to see not only him, but also, and more importantly, Haakon and Dora and Blithe.”

“If you think I should,” Leofric said.

“I think you should.”