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Authors: Bertrice Small
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“wishes that all married couples loved each other as truly as you two do. It does my heart good to see such a warmth in a cold world.”
Now Eada turned her glance to Mairin. “And what this, my lord? Who is this pretty child you bring to Aelfleah?”
“I bought her from a particularly unpleasant slave merchant who had high hopes of taking her to Byzantium and selling her for less-than-wholesome purposes,” replied Aldwine Athelsbeorn. “He was reluctant to part with her, but with the good bishop’s intercession the slaver saw the error of his ways, and I was able to rescue the child.”
“Ah, poor little one,” said Eada sympathetically. She smiled up at Mairin. Then her gaze moved to Dagda. “And this one, my lord? Was he also being mistreated by your slave merchant? He does not look to me like a man to be abused.”
Aldwine laughed. “This is Dagda mac Scolaighe, who is the child’s guardian.” He quickly explained to his wife the story Dagda had told him.
When he finished Eada nodded with sympathetic understanding. “You are welcome to Aelfleah, my child,” she said.
“She does not understand English, but she will soon learn from you,” Aldwine told his wife. “She speaks only Breton or Norman French.” He smiled up at Mairin. “My wife bids you welcome to Aelfleah, Mairin.”
“Is she willing to be my new mama, my lord father?”
He looked a bit nonplussed as to what to say to her. Children were always so impatient, and as brave a man as he was, he wasn’t quite certain how to broach the subject with his wife. It had somehow seemed simpler in London.
Then Eada asked, “What is it the child says about her mama, my lord? That word I could understand. If she is to stay for a while I shall indeed have to teach her English.”
With a quick prayer, and the decision that a direct approach was the best way, he said, “Mairin, for that is her name, my love, wishes to know if you will be her new mama.”
Eada staggered slightly and her pale face grew even paler. For a brief moment her pain-filled eyes closed. When they reopened she said in a shaking voice, “Edyth cannot be replaced, my lord. Surely you are not so callous as to believe so.”
“No,” he answered her, “Edyth cannot be replaced, nor will she return from her grave to us, my love. Our daughter is dead. I am not so cruel or unfeeling that I would attempt to replace one child with another as one might replace one puppy with another. Edyth does not need us anymore, Eada, but this child does. When I first saw her in the marketplace, her proud little face so frightened and forlorn, I knew then what I must do. In your heart, my loving one, you know too. God has given us another child, not to take Edyth’s place, but rather to make her own place in our lives. As you have suffered, so too has this little one suffered. Mairin has asked you a question, my Eada. What shall I tell her?”
Eada looked again at Mairin, who stared back, her little face an impersonal mask. Then for a tiny second Eada saw the naked vulnerability in the child’s violet-colored eyes. In that instant her heart went out to the little girl. She reached out with eager, loving arms to lift Mairin from the horse’s back, saying as she did, “Of course I will be her mother, my lord husband. It is obvious that you have become her father.” She gave the child a hug, kissing her upon both cheeks as she set her upon the ground. “It is easy to see she has already wrapped you around her tiny finger even as Edyth did.” Then taking Mairin’s hand in her own Eada led her new daughter into the hall at Aelfleah .
“Praise be to our good Lord Jesus and his Blessed Mother,” said Bishop Wulfstan softly.
“Your wife is a good woman,” Dagda said, the relief in his voice obvious. “My little lady will be safe with her, and for that, Aldwine Athelsbeorn, I am in your debt. You have but to tell me what you desire of me for from this moment on I am your liegeman, and you
Now Eada turned her glance to Mairin. “And what this, my lord? Who is this pretty child you bring to Aelfleah?”
“I bought her from a particularly unpleasant slave merchant who had high hopes of taking her to Byzantium and selling her for less-than-wholesome purposes,” replied Aldwine Athelsbeorn. “He was reluctant to part with her, but with the good bishop’s intercession the slaver saw the error of his ways, and I was able to rescue the child.”
“Ah, poor little one,” said Eada sympathetically. She smiled up at Mairin. Then her gaze moved to Dagda. “And this one, my lord? Was he also being mistreated by your slave merchant? He does not look to me like a man to be abused.”
Aldwine laughed. “This is Dagda mac Scolaighe, who is the child’s guardian.” He quickly explained to his wife the story Dagda had told him.
When he finished Eada nodded with sympathetic understanding. “You are welcome to Aelfleah, my child,” she said.
“She does not understand English, but she will soon learn from you,” Aldwine told his wife. “She speaks only Breton or Norman French.” He smiled up at Mairin. “My wife bids you welcome to Aelfleah, Mairin.”
“Is she willing to be my new mama, my lord father?”
He looked a bit nonplussed as to what to say to her. Children were always so impatient, and as brave a man as he was, he wasn’t quite certain how to broach the subject with his wife. It had somehow seemed simpler in London.
Then Eada asked, “What is it the child says about her mama, my lord? That word I could understand. If she is to stay for a while I shall indeed have to teach her English.”
With a quick prayer, and the decision that a direct approach was the best way, he said, “Mairin, for that is her name, my love, wishes to know if you will be her new mama.”
Eada staggered slightly and her pale face grew even paler. For a brief moment her pain-filled eyes closed. When they reopened she said in a shaking voice, “Edyth cannot be replaced, my lord. Surely you are not so callous as to believe so.”
“No,” he answered her, “Edyth cannot be replaced, nor will she return from her grave to us, my love. Our daughter is dead. I am not so cruel or unfeeling that I would attempt to replace one child with another as one might replace one puppy with another. Edyth does not need us anymore, Eada, but this child does. When I first saw her in the marketplace, her proud little face so frightened and forlorn, I knew then what I must do. In your heart, my loving one, you know too. God has given us another child, not to take Edyth’s place, but rather to make her own place in our lives. As you have suffered, so too has this little one suffered. Mairin has asked you a question, my Eada. What shall I tell her?”
Eada looked again at Mairin, who stared back, her little face an impersonal mask. Then for a tiny second Eada saw the naked vulnerability in the child’s violet-colored eyes. In that instant her heart went out to the little girl. She reached out with eager, loving arms to lift Mairin from the horse’s back, saying as she did, “Of course I will be her mother, my lord husband. It is obvious that you have become her father.” She gave the child a hug, kissing her upon both cheeks as she set her upon the ground. “It is easy to see she has already wrapped you around her tiny finger even as Edyth did.” Then taking Mairin’s hand in her own Eada led her new daughter into the hall at Aelfleah .
“Praise be to our good Lord Jesus and his Blessed Mother,” said Bishop Wulfstan softly.
“Your wife is a good woman,” Dagda said, the relief in his voice obvious. “My little lady will be safe with her, and for that, Aldwine Athelsbeorn, I am in your debt. You have but to tell me what you desire of me for from this moment on I am your liegeman, and you
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