Chapter Nineteen
The town of Appleby
How can she expect me to make a decision when I think everything is beautiful on her?
That was what Addax was thinking as he faced Emmeline, who was holding up a piece of yellow silk. Shopping for silks wasn’t exactly his idea of a good time.
“I am not going to tell you what to buy,” he finally said. “You must make the decision. You are going to wear it, after all. Not me.”
Three months after his return to Alston, a wedding was on the horizon, and Emmeline was shopping for bright, new fabric.
Six months of mourning was all she could manage when it came to Maximilian, and in speaking with a priest at Our Lady of Grace in Appleby, it was agreed that six months was long enough due to the short nature of the marriage.
But there was another reason.
Emmeline was pregnant.
That was to be expected, given that Addax bedded her every day.
Every single day. The more he had of her, the more he wanted, and they were evidently fertile together, because she was nearly two months along.
Addax was over the moon about the impending child, and so was Emmeline.
Happy, content, and in love—it was imperative that they marry soon.
The priest agreed.
But Addax wanted his brother present at the very least. He knew that Essien had gone to London to speak to Henry on his behalf, so it was a waiting game now.
Essien knew where to find him, and every day, Addax watched the horizon for his brother, but he couldn’t wait much longer.
Meanwhile, he insisted that Emmeline purchase some new clothing because he didn’t want her wearing anything she’d worn when she was married to Maximilian.
Call it selfish on his part, but it really wasn’t.
When he looked at it, and when Emmeline wore it, it reminded them both of those unhappy days.
New wardrobe, new husband, new life.
That was what Addax wanted.
The largest town near them to shop for dry goods was Penrith, but Emmeline refused to go to that town, knowing Maximilian had spent so much time there.
She also knew that his mistress was there, along with his bastard, so she refused to go anywhere near Penrith.
That meant they traveled to Appleby, which was south of Penrith along the River Eden.
It was a quaint little town with a decently sized merchant district, and it had a street dedicated to jewelers, some of which had purchased ore from Alston.
Addax had taken a small escort into town, including Adonis, who was happy to get out and about.
As Adonis and the escort were given permission to walk about town for an hour or so, at least until Emmeline was ready to depart, Addax took her to the first of two larger merchants in town.
The first one, in a narrow, skinny, three-storied building that leaned precariously, was stuffed to the rafters with goods including fabrics, furs, combs, and even perfume.
Emmeline couldn’t make up her mind about anything because she didn’t shop very often, so she’d asked Addax to make up her mind for her.
But he was taking a stand.
“I realize you are not going to wear the fabric,” she said, holding up a swath of yellow silk in front of her. “I am simply looking for some help in deciding if this is a good color or not. What do you think?”
“I think anything you wear will be beautiful because you’re wearing it.”
She grinned, lowering the fabric. “You are very kind,” she said. “Do you like the yellow or not?”
“I like the yellow.”
Chuckling, she handed the fabric off to the shopkeeper’s wife for a dress length. Then she picked up a beautiful green brocade.
“Look at this one,” she said, holding it up so he could see it. “Do you like green?”
“I like green.”
Another fabric was given over to the shopkeeper’s wife. Emmeline began poking around some more, touching fabric and holding it up to the light to see if it was something she would like.
“Ad?”
“Aye, love?”
“What was your mother wearing the last time you saw her?”
That brought him to a halt, and he looked at her curiously. “Why do you ask?”
She turned to him. “Because I should like to pay homage to her with a color you remember,” she said quietly. “Do you recall anything special she wore?”
He had to think on that question, but it was a very sweet sentiment. That didn’t surprise him when coming from Emmeline.
“I seem to remember her wearing a red dress once,” he said. “It was for a festival called Qurucu, which means the Founding. There were all manner of games and contests, and she wore a red dress to match what my father was wearing.”
“Qurucu,” Emmeline repeated. “It sounds like a tournament.”
He laughed softly. “Aye, it does,” he said.
“It was for the most part, only there weren’t knights on horseback with big lances trying to smash one another.
I remember having sweets there—milk boiled down so it was solid, made into balls, and then covered in flour and fried.
They soaked them in honey and rosewater so it absorbed all the sweetness.
Quite delicious, especially to a child who could not get enough of them. ”
“Sounds wonderful,” Emmeline said, putting her hand on her still-flat belly. “I think I could use some sweets when we are finished with this.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Surprisingly, I am,” she said. “I feel well enough today.”
“Good,” he said, leaning over to kiss her on the ear when no one was looking, and then he placed his hand gently on her stomach. “It makes me very sad when you feel so poorly that you cannot eat anything.”
She looked over her shoulder, smiling up at him. “I am grateful for every pain, every sick feeling,” she said. “That means our son is growing strong in my belly. I am grateful for anything that comes with it.”
He kissed her again, this time on the forehead, as she turned back around to look for red fabric.
The shopkeeper’s wife and daughter joined her, and soon, the three of them were poring over new fabric that they’d just received.
It was a veritable explosion of finery, and Addax thought this might be a good time to slip away.
He had a little shopping of his own that he wanted to do pertaining to their coming marriage.
“My lady?” he called to her. “Emmy?”
She had been busy chatting away with the shopkeeper’s wife and daughter, so he had to call her once more before she finally turned to him.
“My love?” she responded.
He gestured to the street beyond. “I must see to something,” he said. “I will return shortly. You are not to leave this stall.”
“Where are you going?”
“That is none of your affair.”
It was clear he had a secret. With a grin, she waved him on. “Go, then,” she said. “I have plenty to keep me occupied.”
She was already inspecting a red silk, and he headed out of the door.
The merchant himself, a tall man by the name of Ingram, was standing next to a couple of wagons parked in front of his stall, in conversation with another man who seemed to either be bringing goods or taking them.
Wooden boxes were being moved around the wagons. Addax caught Ingram’s attention.
“I am in need of a goldsmith,” he told the merchant. “Can you direct me to one in town?”
Ingram pointed north, up the avenue. “Up there,” he said. “Next to a man who sells knives, and only knives, there is an alley that has silversmiths and a goldsmith. His shop is guarded, my lord, so you must show your purse before they’ll let you in.”
Addax nodded. “My thanks,” he said. “What is the man’s name?”
“Eduard Goldmann,” the merchant said. “You may tell him that Ingram sent you.”
“Again, my thanks,” Addax said. He was forced to move aside because someone was trying to pack a wooden box into the wagon right where he was standing. He noticed that the wagon was mostly full. “It looks as if someone has made a large purchase. How fortunate for you.”
But Ingram laughed. “Nay, my lord,” he said. “This is my brother, Neif. He is going home and taking half of my stock with him.”
“Where is home?”
“Amsterdam. His wife’s family has a business that makes jewelry.”
Addax nodded. “Then I wish him safe travels,” he said.
The horses in the lead wagon were startled by something at that moment, and Addax found himself grabbing the bridle of the horse closest to him to keep the animal from bolting.
He gave it a few pats in a calming manner.
“This is a young horse. Too young and inexperienced for a wagon, I’d say. ”
“The livery sold the team to me,” Neif said. “It was all they had.”
Addax looked the horse over. It was strong, but skittish. He patted the animal on the neck. “I would keep a tight rein if I were you,” he said. “You do not want him to run away. By the looks of him, he’d run straight into the ocean, and you might get to Amsterdam the hard way.”
Neif snorted softly. “I hope not, my lord.”
Addax petted the horse one last time and let it go, turning to Ingram. “Thank you for the information,” he said. “I’ve a goldsmith to see.”
Appleby was busy on this day because they had a license to hold a market every fifth day of the week, so people had come in from the countryside for the market, which consisted of an entire meadow full of farmers.
The meadow itself was right next to the village square, so people were filtering in and out of the market where fruits, vegetables, livestock, and other goods were for sale.
As Addax headed down the main road, he thought about checking out the horses, as he had already several and tended to collect them, but he wanted to find a goldsmith to commission a ring for Emmeline.
He still had the pin she’d given him, and he wanted to have a ring made for her with the same word inscribed:
Worthy.
But he had to do it quickly, because he didn’t want to take the chance that she would conclude her business sooner than expected and, in spite of her promise not to leave the stall, come looking for him.