“Thank you so much for taking us in,” Jonathan said, taking off his hat and holding it as though he were nervous. “My name’s Jack, this is my sister Vera.” Valerie nodded in greeting.
“A Vera in Veram! Well how would you be?” Emme laughed, her hand rubbing her belly absent-mindedly.
“Lawrence. My wife Emme.” Lawrence smiled and shook Jonathan’s hand.
“You were attacked? That’s awful,” Emme said.
Jonathan nodded. “They took everything but the clothes on our back, one horse and its saddle bags, and some of our money.”
“That’s dreadful.” Emme shook her head. “So much of that going around these days.”
“What?” Valerie blurted out. Jonathan had told her to keep quiet and follow his lead, but she had not been able to stop herself.
“Mmm…” Lawrence replied, “It’s been terrible. So many brigands running about the countryside, it’s becoming very unsafe to travel.”
“Not that we would at the moment anyway,” Emme giggled, indicating her stomach.
“No, I imagine not.” Valerie smiled.
Emme brought over four steaming mugs and indicated they sit at the table. Valerie did so and wrapped her hands around the mug, breathing the tea in deeply. She was sure it was just the act, but she was feeling very tired and sorry for herself, especially in the face of this couple’s obvious happiness.
“After you’ve drunk, I’ll take you upstairs to bathe and change,” Emme said. “You’re taller than me, but I’m sure we’ll find something for now.”
“Likewise, when they ladies are done,” Lawrence said, and Jonathan smiled in thanks. “You’ll be looking to purchase some new clothes, I suppose?”
“Yes,” Jonathan said, “we were hoping to, indeed. We should have enough coin for the basics.”
“Ah, well you’re in luck! Emme’s father is the tailor here abouts, he can fit you out with what you need. You’re lucky to have made it to Kailan. We may be small, but you’ll find everything here the same as in a big town!”
Jonathan nodded. “That is fortunate. Is he open this afternoon?”
Emme seemed to think. “Yes, he should be in. Or he will be for his only daughter.” She and Lawrence laughed, and Jonathan joined so Valerie tittered a little to keep up the appearance she was on the ball.
Honestly, she felt very out of her depth. She had no idea what was expected of her or how to act. These people seemed so genuine and wonderful. She could not imagine someone like Lord Wilmont, or even deWynstryngham, taking in strangers who claimed to be traders that had been attacked.
She was not used to pretending to be someone she was not, and she was surprised how easy and almost natural Jonathan seemed to find it, sliding into the role as though he truly was Jack the trader. She was also in awe of their hosts’ generosity, especially when they did not seem to have an awful lot to their name like most of the people she knew.
“Come, Vera. I’ll take you up and we’ll get you clean and changed.” Emme stood awkwardly, but with a smile on her face.
Valerie smiled in return and followed Emme up the stairs. The stairs lead to a small, square landing with three doors opening off it. Emme must have seen her looking.
“We are fortunate to have three upstairs rooms.” She was blushing. “This was my father’s house. But when we found out we were expecting, he said he would swap with us. He said he didn’t need the room anymore and that we would get more use and pleasure from it.”
“That was very generous of him.” Valerie smiled.
Emme bowed her head and directed Valerie into one of the rooms. There was a double bed, a small wardrobe, and a chest. Emme pulled open the wardrobe and rifled through until she found was she was looking for. She pulled out a light blue dress. It was simple in design, just plain cloth cut with long sleeves and a full skirt. That day, though, Valerie thought it a most beautiful dress. Emme laid it out on the bed.
“This one was always a bit long for me, and I never got around to shortening it before I got too big for it. It shouldn’t be too short on you. Come through to the washroom.”
Emme led Valerie across the landing. This room had a bathing tub, washstand and mirror.
“Would you like some help, or some privacy?”
Valerie hesitated for a moment. With the amount of blood and dirt on her, her clothes were probably stuck fast and help would be good. But could she really ask that of a pregnant stranger?
“If you wouldn’t mind helping me out of my shirt that would be wonderful, thank you.”
Emme smiled and came to help her. Valerie had her hands in the air and was trying not to breathe in the muck on the shirt covering her face when she heard Emme gasp.
“What is it?” Valerie wheeled around, shirt still around her ears.
“Oh, Vera! You poor lamb. Look what they did to you.”
Valerie’s breath returned; she had panicked the baby was coming for a moment. Then Valerie’s panic returned again because she thought she was probably supposed to care more about the cuts and bruises than she was seeming to. It was almost lucky she had got into that fight in the first place. At least it helped to back up their story.
“Yes, it was horrible,” Valerie said quickly, hoping it was the right thing to say.
“I can imagine! Oh, it just makes me so frustrated. All these rogues sweeping the countryside. Like we didn’t get enough of that in the war!”
Valerie’s heart lurched. “Did you get a lot of that?”
“Oh, yes. Some people seemed to think that because there was a war on it gave them the right to pillage small towns like ours. Thought nobody was looking. Cowards for not going to the front, I think. Either you stay at home and protect your family or you go and fight, there’s no need to bring more heartache to the rest of us.” She had teared up a bit, but seemed to compose herself now. “It got better as the sickness hit. If you can call that better. So many dead, but all naturally and the robberies and rapes stopped.”
At the mention of the plague, Valerie felt herself tear up, for Edmond and little Daniel but also for what these people must have faced. They couldn’t lock themselves up in their castle and wait until it all went away.
Emme dampened a cloth and started wiping Valerie’s skin, making sure to be gentle with her wounds. “Did you not get a lot of it where you’re from?”
Valerie shook her head. “No, we’re from…Mor. It was quieter there.” She hoped Jonathan had not concocted a different story for them, the less untruths to remember the better in her book.
“Yes, I heard that. Lucky I suppose. Still, I wish the grand folk would think more of us littler folk when they wage their grand wars. I lost three brothers to the war, and the fourth came back minus a leg.” She shook her head. “Still, no use mourning what we lost when we can focus on the future.” She smiled at Valerie. “Have you and your brother always been traders.”
“It’s been in our family, yes. I started to travel with my brother after our father died.”
“So much death in recent years,” Emme mused sympathetically.
They stood in silence for a few minutes, Emme wiping the cloth over Valerie in sure, steady motions. Eventually, she came to stand in front of Valerie and smiled.
“Right, I think that’s that done. Let’s give your hair a good rinse.”
Valerie let Emme tip water over her head, barely noticing the cold or Emme’s apology for it.
Valerie felt bad for never considering what other people went through with the war and then the plague. Well it was not that she never considered others, it was more that she had always felt her suffering more important to her. She supposed it was all relative; Emme had lost people and she had lost people, the difference in belongings and status between them did not diminish that. But still, Valerie was left feeling very selfish by the end of it all.
Emme scrubbed at Valerie’s hair then rinsed it out again. By the time she was finished, the water was
almost black with dirt. Emme sat Valerie down and began brushing her hair. Valerie started to protest, but Emme hushed her.
“You have such beautiful hair,” Emme said. “I didn’t notice how red it was before. Such a deep colour.”
Valerie smiled and looked in the little hand mirror, then laughed aloud. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t have noticed. It was near black with grime!” To Valerie, who saw herself in the mirror most every day, her hair seemed to blaze a bright red there was such a difference between it clean and dirty.
Emme smiled in response.
Soon, they had Valerie’s hair plaited and she was dressed in the light blue dress. The material was softer than she would have expected. It was not harsh like her uniform or the bed covers of Clade’s inn, nor was it as stiff as the material her princess clothes were usually made of. It was soft and pliable, so she could move with ease. She could not help but pat it in awe.
Emme laughed. “Have you not had cotton clothes before?”
“What? Oh, I’m not sure. But they’ve never been so comfortable.” Valerie smiled.
“You do make a strange trader’s daughter.” Emme said.
Valerie looked up sharply, expecting to see suspicion on the young woman’s face, but she was smiling and shaking her head.
Emme took a step back. “As I thought, that dress fits you an awful lot better than it ever did me!”
Valerie twirled around, smiling and Emme laughed.
“How unlike you,” came a voice.
She turned and saw Jonathan leaning against the doorframe, Lawrence just visible behind him. The smile was still wide on her face, and she did indeed feel different. More relaxed, perhaps.
Jonathan smiled in return, but it did not quite reach eyes that had a faraway look in them as though he was looking through her rather than at her.
“Come, Vera. Let us leave the men to it. Lord knows we’ve taken long enough.”
“Thanks, dear,” Lawrence said. “This way, Jack,” he said and turned to the washroom.
Jonathan turned, holding his side and grimacing in an effort to conceal whatever pain he felt. Valerie started towards him, but he waved her away.
“I’m fine. Go downstairs and rest, sister.” He was so short with her, he veritably snapped. Valerie’s hand whipped back to her body and Emme put an arm around her.
“Let us leave them to it. Your brother looks sore tired and I’ll bet is looking forward to a good wash.” Emme guided her down the stairs and sat her at the table.
Valerie sat, starting to relax again. Of course Jonathan would be tired. He had slept much less than her and had no doubt done a lot more of the fighting in Clade, regardless of her ability. He would be right again after a wash, a change of clothes, and some real rest.
Emme pottered about the kitchen, humming as she went, while Valerie sat and thought.
Suddenly, there was a crash and Lawrence was shouting for help. Valerie was up the stairs in a matter of seconds – not unaware of how easy her dress was to move in.
I must get more like this, she thought as she ran to the washroom.
Jonathan sat on the floor, the washstand knocked over beside him. The jug and basin used for washing were lying in pieces in a puddle of water.
“I am so sorry,” Jonathan was saying.
Lawrence shook his head and helped Jonathan to sit on the chair. “These things happen. I’m not surprised, with you in your state.” He tutted as he picked up the pieces and the washcloth.
It was not until Lawrence was standing behind Jonathan that Valerie noticed what had made him fall over. His stomach had a huge slash in it that was bleeding freely. Jonathan looked up and she locked eyes with him. She had no idea what he saw in her eyes, but she hoped it was hurt, anger and sympathy. What she saw in return was an apology and she felt her anger melt away.
“Can I do anything?” she asked.
“Just sit with him while I get some things to clean him up.”
“I’m sorry about the jug and basin,” Jonathan said again.
Lawrence smiled. “I never much liked them. They were a gift from my aunt on our wedding.” He chuckled and she heard him walking down the stairs. Muffled voices floated up.
She rushed to Jonathan’s side and knelt down, ignoring the water seeping into her dress. “Why didn’t you tell me you were so badly injured?” she hissed, inspecting it more closely.
“There was hardly a need to worry you when I was doing quite fine on my own thank you. I just got a bit light headed after it started bleeding when Lawrence took off the bandage.”
“You bandaged yourself? When did you bandage yourself?”
“When you were asleep.” He swatted her hand away. “I’m fine, stop fussing. I’ll be right again once the bleeding’s stopped.”
“That he will,” Lawrence said, coming back into the room. “Those brigands did a number on you, Jack.”
“They did, Larry. But that’s what my Pa trained me up for. Never know when a trader has to protect himself on the road.” Again Jonathan was the more open trader’s son, not the somewhat stony minstrel Valerie knew.
“Too right. Too right!” Lawrence was nodding as he started cleaning Jonathan’s wound.
“You’ve done this before?” Valerie asked Lawrence.
“Aye, too many times on the battle field I’m afraid. I was trained up as a medic during the war. Not much call for that sort of thing now I’m home and there’s a fine medicine man in the village. But I help out when I can and like to do my part.”
Valerie was struck once again by their kindness. She and Jonathan complete strangers, yet given these people’s trust. She smiled, vowing to do something to help them if they could before they left.
She went downstairs and asked Emme if she could do anything.
“No thanks, Vera.” She smiled, bringing another two cups to the table and passing one to Valerie. “When Jack’s all sorted, we can go over and see my da if you like? As long as you’re both up to it?”
Valerie gulped down the sip she had taken. “Thank you. That would be good. We wouldn’t want to impose on you longer than necessary.”
Emme waved her hand in dismissal. “Nonsense. It’s nice to be able to help you out. We don’t have a lot, but what we do have we’re happy to share with those in need. When are you planning on leaving?”
“I don’t know,” Valerie replied, touched by their kindness. “Tomorrow maybe. We were thinking of getting passage downriver. We have some family south we had planned to visit.”
“The docks here are a good place to book passage then. But will Jack be well enough to travel?”
Valerie sighed. “I suspect he will think so.”
“Typical man,” Emme laughed.
Jonathan and Lawrence came down the stairs then.
“Jack tells me they’re looking to head south down the river.”
“Vera was just telling me.”
Jonathan looked at Valerie as though to tell her to be careful what she said. She wished he could read her mind, because then he would know she was doing her best to say as little as possible without seeming rude to their hosts. Strangely, Jonathan nodded as though he could in fact read her mind.
“I was just saying you probably think you’re well enough to get going tomorrow,” Valerie said.
“Oh, no. Come. At least let me help you reprovision tomorrow and maybe head off the next. Da will be able to get you a decent amount of clothes sorted with an extra day as well.” Emme looked between them.
Jonathan looked to Valerie and she nodded.
“All right. He’ll plan to leave the day after tomorrow.” He smiled at their hosts. “Is the inn close by?”
Lawrence huffed, “You’ll stay with us, of course. Won’t they, Emme?”
“Yes, you must. You’ve already lost enough. You shouldn’t have to spend coins on a bed as well.”
“Oh no, we couldn’t impose on you further,” Jonathan said.
“Hush. I’ll hear no more of it,” Emme said. “There are two beds in the second room and that is where you’ll will stay until you board a boat heading south.”
Valerie knew when they were beaten, but she was not sure Jonathan did. Thankfully, he just smiled and nodded.
“Good,” Emme said. “Are you up for a visit to my father?”
Jonathan touched his stomach, but nodded. “Yes, I think so. The bleeding’s stopped again now.”
“Good. Good.”
Emme and Lawrence led the way to a small shop around the corner. There was a big window in the front and two wooden figures, a man’s and a woman’s shape, wearing presumably examples of the clothes Emme’s father sold.
“Emme! Lawrence!” An older man walked into the sales room. “You bring guests!”
“Da, this is Jack and his sister Vera. This is my father, Nicolas Coton.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr Coton.” Jonathan shook Mr Coton’s hand and Valerie nodded.
“You folk must be from out of town.”
Jonathan nodded as Lawrence answered, “They were set upon by brigands, lost nearly everything.”
“Goodness, is nothing sacred? Are you all right?”
“A few bumps and bruises, but we’ll live. We were actually hoping to buy some clothes from you. We managed to hide some of our money.”
“Of course, of course! What do you need?”
“I will need three or four shirts, two pairs of trousers and some new boots. My sister will need two dresses, a skirt, two shirts and a pair of boots. Will that be a problem?”
“Not at all, how long will you be staying?”
Jonathan and Valerie exchanged glances. “We were hoping the day after tomorrow, but we have no set plans. Our family is expecting us, but will not worry if we were a few days later than expected.”
“Even at this time?”
“Yes, we did not give them a set day for our arrival, and they will expect trading may keep us.”
Valiant Valerie (Ballad of Valerie of Mor #1) Page 10