1633:The Danish Scheme by Eric Flint Page B

Mette realized what Luke was talking about. "Men! Can't you ever concentrate on what's at hand?" Mette finished the dickering and paid for the sewing supplies. When she got Luke outside, she asked, "All right, what's the plan?" Luke explained as they continued walking home. By the time he had finished, Mette nodded agreement. "I just hope it works."
    Luke reached over and took Mette in his arms, "I couldn't have done this without you. I can run a ship, but trying to handle children is something I have no skill with."
    "You'll do fine, Luke. You just need a little more experience."
    A child's shout caught their attention. “And speaking of experience, here’s a chance for you to get some.” The children came running up to greet them.
    “Did you get us anything?” cried the smaller McDermott children.
    “Not today, little ones. Now be good and go with the captain into the family room and maybe he will tell you a story. I’ll have supper there soon.”
    Little Ilsa hugged Luke’s leg. “Can you tell us the story of the bear? I missed it when you told it last time.”
    “All right, but first everyone get ready for dinner. If you do it quickly, I should have time. After supper, your mother may have another story to tell you.
    The children scattered to get the table ready for dinner. When they were finished, they gathered in a circle around Luke and he recited the story of his ship’s encounter with the polar bear. The children were entranced until the final scene, when, on cue, Svend let out a bear roar. All the children squealed and laughed. Shortly afterward, Anna came in with the dinner meal, followed by Mette with flagons for herself and Luke.
    * * *
    Ilsa and Sean clapped when Mette sat down in the "story" chair after dinner. The two little ones climbed in with her. The others settled down around Luke.
    "And now, my story. It’s very short and I’m not sure how it will end, but you can help finish it. There once was a widow with five children.”
    “Just like us, Momma?”
    “Yes Ilsa, just like us.” Mette continued, “She loved her children, but had been lonely for a long time. One day, a foreign prince stopped, seeking shelter. He was there on a quest to visit the king, but it took a long time to get in to see His Majesty. He was a good prince and treated the whole family well. Eventually, his great quest would lead him to seek an assistant to help with the journey.” Svend looked from his mother to Luke, as he realized where the story was leading. He smiled, but Luke motioned for him to hold his thoughts. "The prince was lonely and he came to love the family. One day, he asked the widow to marry him. The lady sat her family down after supper that night and told them a story to see how they felt about having a new father. The end.”
    Luke rose and stepped over behind Mette. He took her hand in his and continued, “Children, your mother is the lady in the story. I’ve asked to pay court to her, but before we decided, we wanted to see how you felt first.”
    Luke was suddenly buried in a mob of happily crying children, hugging him. A smothered, “I think they approve,” sounded from the bottom of the pile.
    * * *
    Luke and Mette planned for a small wedding but their friends decided otherwise. Time became a precious commodity. Two days before the wedding, Luke and Mette agreed that Mette would remain in Copenhagen until the resupply fleet sailed. That would give her time to sell the inn and for Luke to get a solid house built. They left unsaid the other reason for delay, the chance for famine the first winter. Luke was worried that the land near the planned site for the fort might not be productive enough. If none of the farmers chose to accompany the miners south or the crops failed, the first winter would be tough.
    The day of the wedding arrived, bright and clear. Crews from the three ships, the stockholders, the settlers, and all of Mette's friends filled the nave of For Frue Kirk, the Lutheran