Lord of Fire,Lady of Ice(50)
Brant stared in wonderment.
The seneschal turned back to the pile he’d been digging in. Still chuckling, he admitted, “It was glad we were when she decided it would be too much unnecessary labor.”
Brant shook his head. He got the impression that his wife had spent many hours in the hidden sanctuary. In some serene way, the place felt of her. He ran his hand lightly over the table as he made his way along it. Spotting a pile of old children toys by the wall, he kneeled to pick up a tattered doll. “What is this?”
Edwyn walked over and took the doll fondly in his wrinkled hands. “I had forgotten about these. M’lady made ‘em one year fer the cotter’s children. These were left over. Methought she’d gotten rid of ‘em.”
Brant studied him in disbelief. “It seems my wife has many talents. Did she ever just play as a child?”
Edwyn gave Brant a pained look. The old man cleared his throat and tenderly laid the doll back in the corner as if it were a real child and turned back to his papers. “Surely you know of her sleeping habits. There are many hours in the day fer her.”
“Has she always had trouble sleeping?” Brant refused to let the subject drop. He tried to sound like he knew what the man was talking about. In truth, he had never spent a night with his wife. How could he know her sleeping habits?
“It’s not my place to say.” Edwyn didn’t look at him. “I have no wish to be disloyal to m’lady.”
“What if I command you?”
“M’lady has been through much pain in her life. I will not add my betrayal to the list.”
“You say pain. Like what?” Brant wondered what the man was not telling him.
“I am sure the plans are here somewhere,” Edwyn tried to change the subject.
“You never answered. Did she ever just play as a child?” Brant watched the man’s face carefully. Why didn’t he just answer the question? It was simple enough.
Edwyn gave Brant another pained look and chose his answer carefully. “Nay. There was a time she was like other children, but m’lady is smart. She spent most of her time teaching herself many things. I suppose, in a way, that is how she played, by learning all she could.”
“What changed, Edwyn? Children do not just stop playing one day because they are smart.” Brant stepped to the old man, not giving him a chance to avoid answering. He was growing uneasy about what was deliberately being kept from him. “What am I not being told?”
“Perchance you should speak with Lady Della.” Edwyn tried to turn away, but Brant put a restraining hand on him to stop the retreat. The old man sighed, unsure.
“I am speaking with you,” Brant insisted.
“Mayhap you should ask yer wife.” Edwyn risked much in naysaying his lord.
“Edwyn, it is obvious you care for m’lady.” Brant let go of his arm. “So you must know her.”
Edwyn nodded, giving up any pretense of looking for the papers. “Well, m’lord. I know her well.”
“Then you know she will never tell me.” Brant hated to admit it. “Why does she dislike me? Because I am a Viking?”
“You cannot blame her fer the prejudice. She was very young when it happened.” Edwyn pulled a stool from under the table and sat. He gestured for Brant to do the same. He thoughtfully scraped his nail against a splinter in the old wood. Digging the offending piece up, he swiped it away with the back of his hand, pondering his words for a long moment. “I only tell you because I believe it best you hear it from someone who knows and not a bit of distorted servant’s gossip.”
“I understand.” Brant sat.
“M’lady’s mother, Lady Strathfeld, was a caring woman and she was extremely close to her daughter. She took the child everywhere with her. A kinder or more devoted mother I have ne’er seen. When Lady Strathfeld was very much pregnant with her second babe, Lord Strathfeld took the family to the coastal villages. A boat had just arrived in one of the towns bearing goods from faraway lands—silks, exotic spices, fragrances, jewelry. You know the like.”
Brant nodded, willing the man to get on with the tale. Already his stomach tightened in dread. He kept his face blank and listened intently to every detail.
“Lord Strathfeld left his wife and child to look at the wares, telling young Della to make sure she looked after her pregnant mother. Back then, Strathfeld was a younger man, anxious to expand his fortunes. He met up with some traders and wanted to make arrangements to invest in their ship’s next voyage. The men got drunk on foreign mead and before they knew it, they’d passed out.