The Lost Lady Page 13

  The tinker made his way slowly up the road, his passage wasn’t slowed by pain or fatigue, but by his examination of the scenery. He had heard that Lander’s Keep had recently blossomed under the care of a young lady and the return of its lord. The King’s Champion was known far in wide for his skills on the battlefield, and it was also well known that he had not been home for some years. The tinker, Thom Little, had made the familiar journey a number of months earlier to find the Champion’s aunt, the fair Lady Emmalyn, had taken residence in the hall, but to the tinker’s mind, it had been no place for any lady. That was no longer the case.

  Flowers blossomed, adorning the newly whitewashed cottages in a rainbow of color. The new village garden flourished in contained chaos. The people who greeted him were smiling, and women rushed out to check his wares, and barter trinkets with him. As he finally made his way into the courtyard of the keep, he was surprised at the transformation.

  A group of finely dressed people emerged to greet him.

  “Lady Emmalyn, a pleasure to see you again.” The tinker swept off his hat and bowed in a flourish.

  The lady smiled, as she looked to her female companions. “Tinker Thom. Good to see you back again.”

  “It is always a joy to stop at Lander’s Keep.” Thom let down the legs on the cart so the ladies could take a look.

  Emmalyn called to the others. “Lady Christabel, Mistress Adela. Tinker Thom Little has the best merchandise in the country. Come and take a look. Lady Luveday!” Emmalyn looked around. “Where is Lady Luveday?”

  Elysant dragged a reluctant woman from the keep. “I have her, Lady Emmalyn!”

  “Alright Elli, I’m coming.” The last lady was not much to look at compared to Lady Christabel’s dark tresses and thin frame, but Thom liked the look of her. He had heard of Lady Luveday, and of the trouble, the young Christabel had caused the keep and its lord. There was something cold and hard about the court lady, but Luveday was a summer daisy, and Thom took to her as she started a conversation with him and only glanced at his wares.

  “Tinker Thom Little. Lady Emmalyn speaks highly of you.” Lady Luveday watched the women coo over jewelry and other bobbles but took no interest in them herself.

  The tinker blushed as Lady Emmalyn nodded. He wasn’t a young man, nor was he old, but he blushed like a young girl at the compliment. “Tinker Thom is the best tinker north of town, that is for sure, Lady.” He said of himself and gave her a bow.

  She smiled, showing a pretty row of white teeth. “You travel far and wide, or so I’m told.” She paused in thought. “Do you visit all the keeps of the land?”

  Thom wasn’t sure if the lady was fishing for some news. “Every town and keep both great and small, Lady. I trade with them all.” He said proudly.

  Lady Emmalyn examined some fine ribbon as Elysant looked at strands of beads hung from the rack in the middle of the cart. Lady Christabel found a bottle of perfume that she liked and turned to Lord Iain how had come out after them. The tinker remembered the man. He had seen the King’s Champion on one of the many tournaments, though the Lord had taken no notice of the likes of him. Thom had a sixth sense when it came to people. He could tell the good from the bad just by looking at them. Watching the Lord and his future lady talk a moment in private, he got the feeling that they would not fit together, but both of their edges were rough. They’d fit poorly and grind against each other and wear the other down like iron against iron. They’d dull each other until there was little left. He shook his head; these noble marriages were never about the important things. Money was little comfort in a cold bed with a cold woman that bore only one son. In his tinker’s mind, a warm bed, a soft woman that was willing to bare you lots of barns was what marriage was all about. A helpmate, a friend, and partner were worth much more than a chest of silver and a plot of land, but he was a tinker, not a nobleman. Some nobles didn’t have the sense God gave a goose.

  Lord Iain nodded a greeting at the tinker and moved to Lady Luveday’s side. She chatted with the tinker asking about the places he had been. The crops and other things, and laughed at Thom’s jokes, until the Lord appeared at her elbow and her laughter stopped.

  “Anything you would like, Lady Luveday?” The lady’s brow furrowed as she looked at the cart.

  “I have no coin, My Lord.” She whispered to him.

  He looked down at her and Thom thought he saw something soften in the knight’s eyes. “Consider it a boon from your lord. You have worked hard and healed Lord Benedict. You may have whatever your heart desires.” He stated magnanimously. The women looked on in wonder. Christabel looked displeased for a moment, but the women urged Luveday to look, holding up items they thought she might like.

  “What about this scarf?” Mistress Adela offered her a blue piece of raw silk. “Or this Perfume; ‘tis rose oil? Or this green ribbon, it would look fine on your gown!” Elli said as she rounded the cart. “Here is a fine comb! Or a kirtle of blue for you?” Emmalyn offered.

  The lady looked at her companions and smiled. Christabel held up one of his finer pieces, a gold necklace with a fine amethyst stone. “What about this Lady Luveday? The stone is large and lovely.” It was an expensive piece for sure.

  The lady smiled and looked to the Lord. “I may have anything I like?”

  Benedict walked stiffly arriving late to stand beside Sir Gregori and the other men that watched the women. “What is going on here?”

  Gregori leaned down to whisper at his friend. “Iain has offered Lady Luveday a boon. Anything she wishes…” He said raising his eyebrows. Benedict looked startled.

  “Trouble afoot.” He whispered back. Instead of interrupting, Benedict decided to see what would happen. While the women continued to offer up items, the men all watched Luveday who finally took a step closer to the cart.

  She looked to Thom, who knew right away that the lady wanted nothing in his cart and smiled at her. She smiled back, and he thought she had gotten his meaning. He was not insulted that she did not wish to purchase anything, for he got the feeling that what she wanted was something better than trinkets and bobbles.

  Luveday looked at the cart and the women who looked on so expectantly. Nothing appealed to her, mostly because she had many of these items in the chest in her room, though none but Elysant knew they were there. Luveday thought the items best stay put away, until a time when they were needed. No, nothing in the cart appealed to her, but there was something that she wanted.

  “I may have anything I like?” She turned to ask Lord De Lane, and he nodded, so she stepped closer to the cart, examining it to play along a little. She smiled at the tinker, which he returned, and she could tell that he knew she was not going to choose one of the items in his possession.

  She turned back to Iain as Elli offered up a pot of some herb or spice. “Does this boon come with a time limit?” His head turned slightly to the side as he looked at her quizzically, so she rephrased her question. “Is your offer only for this moment, only for the items in Tinker Thom’s cart, or does it extend further?”

  He seemed to get her meaning and looked concerned but didn’t recant his offer. “Anything you wish.” He stated, and Luveday thought she could hear the hesitancy in his voice. The men mumbled among themselves.

  Luveday turned back to the tinker. “Thank you, Tinker Thom Little, but I will not be buying anything from your cart today.” The tinker smiled once again while the women looked on with expressions ranging from disappointment to curiosity.

  The lord paid for the women’s purchases and even bought some of the spices for Emmalyn and Luveday. He worried about what he had done. Especially when he later asked Luveday if she was sure there was nothing she wanted, and the lady had said, “I am saving my boon for something special.” What had he gotten himself into?

  Luveday knew exactly what she wanted. This boon was a godsend, and she was not going to waste it on bits of glass and metal. What she wanted would take a good deal of time, but she was sure it was a practica
l wish. So, the next morning she entered the stables to find the stable master, Farrier Wells. He was a grisly old man who had cared for the Champion’s horses through the fanfare of royal tournaments and terrible battles. He had taught the lord how to ride a horse, and if he could teach an eager boy, Luveday thought, could he not teach a reluctant woman?

  Iain had not asked her what she wanted, merely watched her the rest of the evening. She would have told him if he had asked, but instead, she watched him brood over her puzzling statements. She could see he was worried about what she would ask for and even the men whispered about it. The women looked at her with a critical eye. Agnes had even told her she was a smart girl, though the woman did not know what she would ask for.

  Farrier Wells was cleaning out a stall while a lad wiped down the Lord’s mount. It was early yet, but the lord had already been out riding. The lad saw her and cleared his throat to get his master’s attention. Wells looked at her startled. Of course, he knew who she was, especially since she worked with Barth the Blacksmith, but she had never entered his stables before.

  “Lady Luveday, good morrow.” He set down his rake and anxiously wiped his hands on the leather jerkin he wore. “Can I help you, lady?”

  She smiled at him, and Wells felt himself smile back, though he knew his smile wasn’t anything as pretty as hers. He could tell what the fuss was about, this was a good lady, not like the Lord’s bride, beautiful though she may be.

  “Yes, please, Farrier Wells.” She looked over her shoulder at the boy who held the rope to Iain’s great gray destrier. The animal was slightly smaller than the draft horses but could run a good pace. Benedict’s mount was much smaller, near an Arabian if Luveday guessed right and was as quick as lightning. “I am sure you have heard that Lord Iain has offered me a boon?” The man nodded and looked suddenly concerned, and Luveday wondered why men always seemed to jump to the worst possible conclusions. “I have decided… that is I would like…” She tried again and took a breath, “to learn to ride a horse.” She paused a moment to clarify. “I know this will take you away from your duties as most of the men are in the fields this time of year.” The man looked relieved enough to fall over. Luveday wondered if she should offer him a chair, then wondered about just what he had imagined she would ask for. She suddenly realized she didn’t want to know.

  “Ye wish to learn to ride?” He asked grinning.

  She nodded. “I have never had the opportunity to learn, and I believe it is a good skill to have.” She looked at the horse that suddenly came to nuzzle the waist of her dress. She turned and offered it her hand. It smelled it and gummed it a moment but didn’t bite her. She patted his muzzle, and he leaned into her shoulder as she stroked his neck. Luveday had no experience with horses. Being a fan of my little ponies and watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy didn’t count. She thought she would be scared of such a large and powerful beast, but she wasn’t, then again, she wasn’t going to have to ride him either. She imagined it would be a different story should she have to mount him, or God forbid, Benedict’s Arian. It might be smaller, but that speed would terrify her.

  “He seems to like you, Lady. Gus, finish muckin’ the stall and put Ironwood away.” The boy nodded curtly and say, “Yes’um,” before getting to work. “You’re not afraid of the big brute. That’s a good sign. Them court ladies don’t much care for the animals.” He looked at her. “You say you’ve never ridden?” He asked.

  “Never.” She stated flatly. She still stroked the horse’s neck.

  Wiping his hands on his shirt, he looked her over. “Well, I guess we have a lot to do.”

  They started by choosing a mare, one of the pack horses who was steady and calm. Luveday spent the day learning about a horse. How to feed her, and brush her, and clean her hooves. By afternoon she was exhausted, and she hadn’t even been on a horse yet. Wells had assured her that they would take it slow and that he could teach her to ride astride and side saddle, which was very popular in town.

  By day three she was saddling her own horse, and Iain had finally found her hiding place and what had captured the attention of his stable master.

  Today’s lesson was about tack and how to tie things on a saddle. Luveday had learned how to hobble a horse and was working on knots. Wells had given her a piece of rope and sat her on a stool to practice while he finished his own duties, and that is where De Lane found her.

  He watched her for a moment before making some noise to alert her to his presence. Luveday glanced up, too focused on her task to much care who had entered the stables until she saw that it was him. They looked confused at one another and just stared for a moment until Wells returned to greet his lord.

  “Lord Iain. Do you need your horse saddled? The boy has been doing a fine job, has he not?” Wells asked. Gus had only been helping in the stables for a few months, but Wells could see the boy had a gift with horses.

  “Aye, he’s been doing well, though he doesn’t know how to saddle Ironwood like you. He’ll learn.”

  “That he will, My Lord, that he will.” Wells agreed and was happy that De Lane thought well of the boy. He watched the lord as he watched the lady work. “Here now, Lady. How does it fare?” She showed him the length of rope, and he took it and tested the knots. Her work was good. She learned quickly and listened well. The men and boys he had taught always thought they knew how it was done, even though they’d not spent a minute on a horse’s back. Not this lady, she listened and waited for him to instruct her. She didn’t show any fear, and when she said she wanted to know everything about caring for and riding a horse, she meant it, not shying away from the hard and dirty work. His estimation of her grew each day, and he could see why so many spoke so highly of her.

  “What is going on here, Lady Luveday?” Benedict and Gregori, John and Perivale all entered the stable in search of their lord and curious why Lady Luveday had been spending so much time away from the keep.

  Luveday seemed surprised that they had not heard of her current endeavor. “Farrier Wells is teaching me to ride. Right now, we are working on knots.” She stated simply as she rose to her feet.

  “Well done, lady. Those are fine knots, sure to hold tight.” Wells handed back the piece of rope. “Keep practicing until you don’t have to think about trying them. It’s a skill that has saved me life a time or two.” He added as he passed the men to yell something at Gus.

  Iain looked at her confused. “Riding, knotwork?” He asked as she walked by him.

  Luveday smiled. “You did say I could choose anything I liked for my boon…” She commented and greeted the men.

  Benedict laughed heartily at how wrong they had all been. The men had argued and bet amongst themselves about what exactly the lady would ask for. She had not been swayed by trinkets, and the men worried that she would have a sharp eye out for finer and more expensive game. Instead, she had fooled them all.

  “And what’s so humorous, Lord Benedict?” She looked at him annoyed but had trouble not smiling. The man’s laughter was infectious.

  The men smiled at her, all knowing the reason for their friend’s humor. “Oh, Lady.” He took a deep breath and grabbed her about the waist to swing her around. She gasped and laughed at his antics. “You never cease to delight.”

  “Oh, stop you!” She laughed. “Mind your leg.” Shaking her head, she untangled herself from him and stepped aside. Her lessons were done for today, and she had work to do in the keep. She walked away, but the men heard her words clearly. “It’s enough to turn a woman’s head if she’s not careful!”

  Later that evening, after dinner, a group sat around the hearth sipping wine. Lady Christabel and Mistress Adela had joined them on this rare occasion, while the usual people were in attendance. Lady Emmalyn and Lady Luveday shared a padded, high backed bench beside Gregori facing the fire, Lord Iain sat to the left of the coffee table before them. Elli sat on her stool beside the fire working on her sewing though Luveday warned that the dim light was not good for her eye
s. Men came and went, and some stayed to momentarily take up the spot next to their lord, recently vacated by Lord Benedict, to chat about some matter while Christabel and Adela sat across from De Lane and tried to ignore everyone else. Gregori, who sat closest to the women had tried to converse with them, but the ladies didn’t seem up to it. Many wondered what drew them to the fireside until Christabel addressed Luveday directly.

  “I hear you are learning to ride, Lady Luveday.” She stated with a lofty air.

  Luveday wondered where this conversation would be going as many eyes turned to her. “Yes, Lady Christabel. I have never learned and thought it a good skill to have.”

  “Yes, a very good skill, but a waste of your boon if you ask me.” The lady looked around and at Luveday in particular. She seemed to look her over, and many hackles rose as she commented, with no small amount of contempt, about Luveday’s appearance. “If I were you, I would have asked for a new gown and some shoes, or perhaps a few as you only have the two.” The Lady ignored her nurse’s looks and attempts to chastise her.

  Luveday looked passed the lady’s shoulder to shake her head almost imperceptibly at Elli who had come out of her seat, ready to defend her friend. Luveday was not one to pick fights and certainly not over her attire. Her hackles didn’t rise at the remark, because it was the truth. While she knew Christabel had meant to wound her with the statement, Luveday couldn’t say she cared a whit about a spoiled child’s opinion and let it pass. There was nothing she could do about it anyways. She had had three sets of clothes as gifts from Lady Emmalyn, but one gown had been ruined tending to Benedict that first day and Luveday would not ask for anything else. The Lord and Lady had been too generous as it was.

  “Of course, Lady Christabel, but I have no need for dresses as fine as yours.” She looked at the girl’s ruby velvet and had not one iota of envy for it or the fancy embroidery. “It would be impractical. I should be too sad when it got dirty or ruined. No, nothing like that for me.” She looked to Emmalyn who continued to sip her wine. “I should think that riding is worth much more than a gown or a shiny bobble. I will get much more enjoyment out of it in the long run.” She took a sip and watched the girl pout. “It is a skill for a lifetime.” She added silently to herself, teach a man to fish and all that, she thought.