[Lhunardawen]

Relieved at the arrival of Lord Eodwine and Norjm, Ginna quickly excused herself and retreated to the safety of the kitchen, where there were no little girls to catch her unawares with sudden exclamations of "You like him, don't you?"

She stopped at the threshold and sighed, grateful that she had not been obliged to respond to Fliede. Ginna wondered how Harreld must have felt about the comment . . . or how he would have felt if Ginna did respond.

The very thought made Ginna flush. She had no idea how she would respond. Perhaps that was why she was careful not to be seen when she talked to Harreld: she did not want to risk being confronted about it. But her precautionary measure had been to no avail, and a visiting child, of all the people in the Mead Hall, had breached her defences! It was not as though, however, Fliede had really accomplished anything. No one had followed up her query. Ginna was simply thinking too much, and decided to think no more of it.

Kara was putting down a tray of bread on the table when Ginna entered the kitchen. "There you are," she said, "I thought you had disappeared for good!"

"I'm sorry," Ginna replied as she took the tray. "There are more people who will be having lunch here. I'll bring this out for them."

"Maybe we could join them, if the lord does not mind. I'll get some water and follow you."

Ginna did not really feel like being around a lot of people, after what had just transpired. She feared that Fliede might have trouble keeping her tongue in check, and with Eodwine back there . . . she did not even want to imagine the scenario. She quietly dropped the tray of bread on the table, hoping to stay unnoticed amidst Lys's storytelling, and started back towards the kitchen.