Page 59 of Bride Takes a Charmer
Sorsha took pity on Edra and spoke up, “Edra has a malady this morn and cannot bring it. If you want a meal, you can fix it yourself.”
Corliss muttered something under her breath and turned to face the shelving where the foodstuff was placed. As she went about preparing her morning fare, she ignored them.
Before Sorsha left, she helped Edra rise. “Perhaps it is best that you take to your bed for a little while. You can return later after a rest.”
Edra bobbed her head. “Aye, I shall, Milady. I want to check on Lady Maven too.”
“We shall see you later, Corliss.” Sorsha snatched the bucket that she needed to collect the wisps and guided Edra from the kitchens.
How could the lady hold such disparaged thoughts about her own grandmother? Sorsha thought Mamo’s devotion to her husband was kind of romantic, especially in the way she spoke of joining him in the hereafter. Mamo missed her love. Sorsha would miss Shaw if she ever lost him. Maybe she should tell Shaw that she loved him.
She mused about it as Edra ambled inside, and then as she moved down the lane to the last cottage and knocked at the entrance.
A young lass opened the door.
“Good day, I am helping Edra by collecting wisps.”
The lass invited her inside. “Milady, we are pleased ye have come. Here,” she said, and hastened to the small kitchen area inside the cottage. “We only have one wisp. Da headed to the fields to help with the harvest and Ma was called to help birth a bairn. I am looking after my brother and sister.”
“And I am sure you are doing a fair job of it. What is your name?” Sorsha hadn’t known that the midwife lived there and so close to the fief, or that she had a daughter who was adept at watching children. She thought Gillian would like the lass. She wasn’t old enough to marry but she would make for the perfect lass to look after her daughter when she needed someone other than poor Enid.
“Kathleen, Milady.” She curtseyed slightly and hastened to the door.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Kathleen. Perhaps you can come and have supper with us soon? My daughter would be happy to have another lass to join us.”
The sweet face of the freckled lass perked up and she nodded. “I should like that, Milady.”
“I shall let you know when.” Sorsha crossed the threshold and continued down the lane, knocking at doors and collecting wisps. When she couldn’t fit anymore in the bucket, she hurried to the stables to give them to Jonah.
She spotted Shaw helping a man fix a cart down the lane, kneeling next to the wheel. From afar, she greeted him with a wave and a smile. As much as she wished to go over to him, there was no time to waste and she continued to the stable where she found Jonah and set the bucket on the ground.
As she did so, she noticed a horse inside a nearby stall. It was snowy white and quite large. Its mane was long and braided with fashionable ribbons. That gave her the idea that the horse belonged to a woman.
“Mistress Edra had me collect the wisps for you, Jonah,” she told the stablemaster. She couldn’t help but move closer to the stall and peered over the door. It was a mare. She came to investigate Sorsha. “What a lovely horse.” Sorsha reached out to pet its nose.
Jonah bent to retrieve the bucket. “Oh, watch yourself, Milady. She’s quite ornery and nips.”
“Who does she belong to?” Sorsha withdrew her hand but longed to touch the mare anyway.
“She is Milady Corliss’s mare. Corliss does not like anyone touching her animal. Why, she will not even let me feed it or care for it. I keep my distance from it because she oft tries to take a bite of me now and again.”
Sorsha wanted to laugh. Of course, Corliss would have such an animal, one as difficult and persnickety as she was. She turned away from the animal. “Do you need more wisps?”
“Nay, Milady, this should do well enough. Ye collected a good many. My thanks. I should be getting back to my duties.” He bowed to her before he stepped away.
“Good day then.” Sorsha stepped out of the stable and when she saw Shaw still fixing the wagon, she decided to go to him.
“Ye look fetching this day,” he told her as she drew closer, and stood. “This is done,” he told the farmer, who thanked him. Sorsha waited while he collected his tools.
“I just collected the wisps for Edra. She is run down this day so I thought it best to aid her.”
“That’s good. I’m sure she appreciated that. You are a good woman. Do ye know how much I want to kiss ye right now?” Heswiped his hands together and frowned at the dirt on them. “But I need to clean up first.”
Suddenly, they heard Edra’s voice and looked to see her practically running down the lane toward them in spite of her aches and pains. “Milady,” Edra called, “I cannot find Milady Maven anywhere. I checked her bedchamber, the entire keep, and around the grounds. She is nowhere to be found.”
At that moment, Walen and Niahm approached. Walen said, “What is happening?”
“Mamo is missing. We should search for her,” Shaw said.