Lili says she doesn't know

Sir Egelric’s steward was sitting with him when his visitors came, so he could not blame Ethelwyn for the interruption. He couldn’t blame anybody, for the visitors showed themselves in. It was Alred and the Earl.

After the briefest of greetings, Alred said, “I’m certain you’re already tired of men asking you where your wife is as soon as they have said good morning, but: Good morning, where is your wife?”

“She’s playing with the boys,” Egelric said, “if the squeals we’ve been hearing are any indication.”

Egelric nodded at his steward, who went at once to fetch his lady. “I gather the purpose of your visit is not merely to pay your compliments to my bride?” he said.

“We had planned to leave you two alone at least until the novelty wore off before that,” Alred said. “But we need to ask her where – ah! Good morning, my dear. Now I see where the sun has been hiding this morning.”

“Where?” she laughed as he kissed her hand.

“In a corner of your smile, of course.”

Alred had not revealed by word, glance, or sigh that he had been disappointed by Lady Lili’s sudden marriage. Egelric was confounded. But Lady Lili herself had proven to him that he was not a good judge of appearances, at least not lately.

“Forgive us,” Cenwulf said gravely, “for interrupting your morning, but we have been troubled today, and hope you may help us.”

“I?” she laughed.

“This morning we discovered your brother-​​in-​​law and your friend Raedwald had stolen away in the night, taking all of their affairs, and not only their horses but also your sister’s and her maid’s.”

“And my sister?” she gasped.

“Your sister is still here, and is greatly disturbed.”

“To such a point,” Alred said, “that one is inclined to believe that she was not told of their intent to flee, and does not believe they will soon return.”

“Oh, poor Hetty!” she wailed, and she looked to Egelric for reassurance, it almost seemed to him.

“Do you have any idea where they might have gone?” Cenwulf asked her.

“No! Only to Ireland, as they planned at first.”

“Where in Ireland?” Cenwulf asked.

“How can they get to Ireland in the middle of winter?” Alred cried. “There’s nothing but Norse ships in those seas.”

“I don’t know…” she said.

“Perhaps it is time to tell us what they meant to do in Ireland,” Cenwulf said.

“I don’t know,” she said and looked to Egelric again.

“Did you accompany them with no idea of what they intended to do?” Cenwulf asked.

“I only follow my sister. And she only follows her husband. And her husband only follows Raedwald.”

“And Raedwald only follows…?” Cenwulf scowled.

“I don’t know!”

“Gentlemen,” Egelric interrupted. “Perhaps we might be seated and discuss this calmly?”

Lili sent him a grateful look and came, moreover, to sit at his side.

“Lady Lili,” Cenwulf said, “forgive me my questions. My King is worried that your friend and your brother mean us ill. Is it not possible that they are going to our enemies instead? The Normans perhaps?”

“I don’t know. I only know they meant to go to Ireland. We never meant to come here at all. But the Norsemen caught us. And Raedwald never expected my sister to have a baby coming, and he was very angry that we could not leave at once.”

“And so they left without her,” Alred said. “I like that!”

“Perhaps they had something to do that could not wait,” Cenwulf muttered.

“Perhaps they were only waiting for the snow to melt so you could not track them,” Lili suggested.

“That’s possible,” Alred admitted. “It’s the first time the ground has been quite clear since before Christmas. Shortly after you arrived.”

“How is my sister?” Lili begged.

“She is not well,” Cenwulf said. “If you cannot help us by telling us where your brother might have gone, you could at least help us by coming to see your sister. My wife is close to her confinement, and I do not like to see her disturbed.”

“May I?” Lili asked Egelric.

“You may go where you please,” Egelric told her.

“You may come back with us now if you like,” Alred said.

“Thank you,” she said to the both of them. “I shall go dress if I am no longer needed.” She looked to Egelric.

“Go dress, by all means,” he said.

It was still very strange to him to have a woman who thought she needed his permission to do things. Elfleda had always done as she liked, and Sela had never learned that there was such a thing as permission to be had.

It was very strange to have a woman who could speak to him… very strange to be awoken by a soft voice murmuring awkward Gaelic into her pillow… very strange to hear a woman singing in unexpected places as he walked through the castle. It would be far less strange to wake suddenly from this dream.

“What do you think, old man?” Alred said softly after she had gone.

“I am the last person to ask,” Egelric sighed. “I don’t know what’s what any longer.”

“Is she honest?”

“I can’t even decide whether what she did to me was honest.”

“She seems to like you,” Alred shrugged.

“I shall tell you what she said to me. I asked her why she did it, and she admitted that she did not want to go with Raedwald when he went on.”

“Is that so? But I still think she likes you.”

Egelric did not know what to say to that.

“Thus she believes that life here is preferable to whatever Raedwald was taking her to,” Cenwulf said darkly. “Despite the fact that she claims not to know where or what it was.”