Chapter 16
I climbed aboard, and the woman slipped around me as smoothly as the snakes of Whispering Scree. She cupped her chin in one hand and nodded. “Yes, I believe I have something for you. It only depends on how many coins you’re willing to dole out.”
One of the women leaned to one side and peered out a front window. “If he’s anything like his horse, he should be carrying a whole mountain of coins!” Her comment caused the whole company to burst into laughter.
The shopkeeper frowned and waved her hand at them. “That’s enough of that, or I won’t be letting you ladies in here during shop hours.”
Some of them puckered their lips into a pout, while one of their number lifted her end of the heavy quilt. “But your shop is the only place large enough to hold us all and this heavy thing, Amelia!”
Amelia wagged her finger at them. “Then you’d better behave.” She turned back to Cassian and me with a wide smile. “I’m so sorry for that.”
Cassian shook his head. “There’s no need to apologize, but I must admit we don’t have as much coin on us as the horse hints at.”
“That’s quite all right,” Amelia assured him as she strolled over to a basket of clothes and rummaged through the stack. “Your pretty wife has such a fine figure that I’m sure I have some clothes here from my daughter that will fit her perfectly.”
I blushed under the compliment, and Cassian’s eyes twinkled as they looked me over. “Yes, she is quite a beautiful woman.”
One of the quilters paused in her work and sighed. “I wish my husband would say that about me.”
A woman on her left nudged the complainer with her elbow. “He’d say it more often if you’d stop burning his food while you were daydreaming.”
The woman lifted her nose and resumed her edge. “A woman can dream a little, can’t she?”
“Yes, but not when her husband expects a steak and ends up getting a lump of coal.” The group twittered, and the woman fell into a sullen silence.
“Ah-ha!” Amelia straightened and spun around to show what she held. It was a pile of clothes that included a pair of pants and a blouse. “I suppose your wife will be wanting another pair of trousers like the ones she has on.”
“I’d be grateful for that,” I confirmed.
“Trousers are better for travel, anyway,” Amelia confirmed as she held out the pile to me and nodded at a set of narrow stairs behind her large chair. “You can change up there in my loft.”
I took the clothes and bundled them up the stairs.
The ‘loft’ was actually a cozy apartment, fitted with a small kitchen, sitting room, and a bedroom.
The windows looked out on the streets at both the rear and front of the shop.
I kept my distance from both ends, but I couldn’t help but notice people hurrying up the rear street, their faces filled with joy and curiosity.
The clothes turned out to be a near-perfect fit, other than the sleeves being a tad too long. I walked down the stairs with my old clothes tucked under one arm and a little apprehension gnawing at the back of my mind. Cassian had been speaking with Amelia, but turned at my reappearance.
A smile slipped onto his lips, and his eyes shone with approval. He held out a hand to me at the last bit and inclined his head. “You look ravishing, my darling.”
I had to suppress a snort. “Thank you, dearest.”
Amelia looked me over and rubbed her chin in one hand. “The sleeves are too long, but I think this will do nicely. Would you like me to hem them up?”
“Thank you, but we’ve had a long journey and are in need of a rest,” Cassian replied as he dug into his pocket. He drew out a few coins, which he held out to Amelia. “You have been very kind.”
Amelia craned her neck and studied the coins before she plucked only one from his open palm. “That will do.”
“Surely the cloth is worth more than that,” Cassian objected.
One of the quilters laughed. “Don’t bother arguing with her, young man! Once Amelia’s made up her mind, nobody can change it for her!”
Amelia pocketed the coin and smiled at us. “Just think of it as a belated wedding present to the two of you. How long have you been married?”
Cassian looped an arm around my waist and drew me against his side so we both faced the seamstress. “Four happy years.”
“Then may you have dozens more ahead of you.”
“And the same number of children!” one of the women chimed in, leading to a cackle from the gaggle.
Cassian turned to the quilting party and pulled me over to them with the most charming smile on his lips.
“You are all very kind, and we must fall on your kindness one final time. My wife and I are in need of a place to sleep. I expect you ladies with your intimate knowledge of the area can tell us where we might find a room.”
“The squire always has a spare room to rent out to travelers,” one of the women spoke up.
“Where might we find the squire’s home?” Cassian wondered.
“He has the biggest house in the village,” the woman told him as she nodded at the door. “You just go up the road a ways, and you’ll see it.”
“And he has a fence around his yard,” another spoke up.
“And grass to lie on, of all things!” a third chimed in with an animated shake of her head. “Not an animal is allowed to touch it!”
Cassian bowed his head. “Thank you, ladies, you’ve been most kind.”
One of the quilters lifted her nose. “Not kind enough to tell you that that skinflint will charge you a great deal for the room!”
Cassian’s eyes twinkled with a mischievous light. “I see. We haven’t many coins, but I’m sure we’ll find some goodness in his heart-”
A cackle arose from the women, such that they drowned out Cassian’s words. One of them slapped their quilt-covered knee. “Goodness? In that cold heart? You’ll be as likely to find blood in a rock as goodness in his heart!”
“I’m sure we’ll find the squire quite agreeable to our price,” Cassian assured them as he looped his arm through mine.
“Not likely!” one of them retorted.
Cassian bowed his head. “Thank you for the advice, and thank you for the clothes.”
Amelia clasped each of our hands in hers and smiled at us. “Just think of it as a belated wedding present. May you two have a long and blessed life together.”
A faint blush accented my cheeks, but the king, true to his apparently strict upbringing, merely bowed his head. “We thank you for your kindness.”
We slipped out, arm-in-arm, onto the bustling street. The busiest part of the whole thoroughfare was around Niveus. The horse was surrounded by admiring adults, and more than one wide-eyed child stretched out their hand to pet his sleek coat, only to be yanked back by their parent.
Cassian strolled up to Niveus and set his hand on the side of the horse’s neck before his gaze fell on a wide-eyed girl. “Would you like to pet him? He’s very gentle.”
The girl looked up at her mother, who pursed her lips but nodded.
The little lass took a cautious step forward and stretched out her short hand.
She couldn’t have possibly reached Niveus’s great neck, but the horse leaned down and turned his head just slightly in her direction, pushing his neck into her palm.
The girl squealed and put both her hands on his neck, stroking away, much to the pleasure of Niveus. Other children leaped forward, and soon Niveus’s head was lost in a sea of eager hands.
Cassian patted the top of the horse’s head, the only place visible. “Stay here and entertain them. We’ll be back shortly.”
Niveus’s reply was to whinny softly, which caused the children to squeal. Some even wrapped their arms around his head in a squirming hug.
Cassian took something from one of the rear bags, and then grasped my arm and guided me out of the curious crowd. I expected him to lead us up the road deeper into the village, but he led us to the outskirts and onto the main road.
“Aren’t we going to go see the squire?” I asked him.
His eyes twinkled with mischief. “In good time, but first we have to fetch something that will convince the gentleman to lower his fee.”
“And that is?”
“It’s a surprise.”