Val wasn’t distressed that he and Vesper had a bit of an adventure ahead of them. Reining his horse over to the side of the avenue, he dismounted his steed and went to help Vesper dismount, his big hands around her slender waist as he lifted her from her horse. She was warm and firm beneath his hands and it was a struggle to let her go once her feet hit the ground. He very much wanted to keep his hands on her. But he forced himself to release her, removing his hands and taking the reins of both horses and handing them over to McCloud.
“Do you mind waiting here for a few moments?” he asked. “I promise I shall not keep your daughter overly long.”
McCloud shook his head. “I shall wait here for you.”
Pleased that the father hadn’t insisted on coming along to chaperone, Val dug into the coin purse at his belt and pressed a silver coin into McCloud’s hand.
“There is a food stall there,” he said, pointing to the next stall over where pies of some kind were sitting out, cooling after having been removed from the fire. “Consider that coin part of your stipend for managing my southern territory. Find something to eat and we shall return.”
McCloud didn’t have the strength to protest. He was hungry and the coin in his hand bespoke of a fully belly, so he simply nodded his head as he watched Val and Vesper head down the avenue. The more time they spent together, the better for the chances of a marriage sooner rather than later, so McCloud was in full support of the pair spending time together. All of this was going better than he had anticipated.
With a lingering glance at Val and Vesper, he turned for the food stall.
With McCloud involving himself in meat pies, Val took Vesper’s hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow as they headed down the avenue. It was a bright day, a cloudless sky, and people were beginning to wind down their business for the day as the afternoon waned. The weather was still cool, however, in spite of the sunny skies and a cool wind blew off the sea, stirring the drifting leaves.
But to Val, it was the most beautiful day he’d ever known. With Vesper on his arm, he was as proud as a peacock. He glanced at her once, twice, three times, finally meeting her eye. She smiled and so did he.
“I have not had the chance to tell you how beautiful you look today,” he said. “Your gown is most becoming.”
Vesper looked down at the dark yellow garment. “You flatter me, my lord,” she said. “I am pleased that you like it. I made it myself.”
“You are extremely talented.”
Vesper simply grinned, draping her free hand onto his elbow as well, now gripping him with both hands as they made their way down the avenue. They weren’t even really paying attention to the merchant stores; the only had eyes for each other. Val was thinking on paying her yet another compliment because he liked how her dark hair glimmered in the sunlight when the glint of something else caught his eye. He turned to look, seeing that they had ended up in a cluster of jeweler stalls.
These stalls were more fortified than usual merchant stalls because of the value of the contents. Even though they were actual structures, small one-room shops or even two-room shops, the windows and doors were fortified with iron grates. The stall in particular that Val was looking at had two armed men at the door and he could see that there were necklaces being displayed behind the barred windows. Pulling Vesper along, he went straight to the armed men.
“My lady and I wish to inspect the wares,” he said. “Will you admit us?”
The armed men looked him over; Val was wearing full complement of mail protection including his heavy de Nerra tunic, colors of crimson and white with a gold lion stitched on the front that had exaggerated claws. He was also wearing his broadsword, an enormous and very expensive piece of equipment. The men pointed to the broadsword.
“No weapons inside,” one man said. “Leave it with me.”
Val shook his head. “I will not,” he said flatly. “I am the Itinerant Justice for Hampshire and this sword is worth more than what you will make in your entire life, so you will either admit us entrance or I will find another jeweler who will happily take my money. Make your choice.”
The men eyed him, indecisive, but the fact that his sword was, indeed, expensive and fine told them that he was more thanlikely who he said he was. Begrudgingly, they unbolted the iron gate and admitted him and the lady into the small business. Then they locked the door tightly behind them.
Once they were inside the structure that smelled strongly of dirt, a small man with a strange cap on his head swiftly approached them. “My lord?” he asked. “May I serve you?”
Val nodded. “Something pretty for my lady’s neck,” he said. “I see that you have necklaces you are displaying in your window.”
The old man with the stringy hair nodded eagerly. “Indeed, m’lord,” he said. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“Nay. Just bring what you have.”
The old man turned for the rear of the shop. “Then you will sit. I shall bring you a selection.”
He dashed off, leaving Val and Vesper standing in a rather barren room with a table and a few crude seats around it. As Val led Vesper over to the table, she balked a bit.
“What do you mean to ask for something pretty formyneck?” she asked quietly, concerned. “I thought we were looking for something for your mother?”
He looked at her squarely. “I lied,” he said. “I wanted to purchase something for you because… well, you will not laugh at me, will you?”
“Of course I will not laugh.”
He took a deep breath. “I wanted to get you something that will remind you of me. Something that brings a smile to your lips every time you look at it because you know it is something I gave to you as a token of my esteem for you.”
Vesper fought off a grin. “I already know of your esteem for me,” she said softly, although she was deeply touched. “Just as you know of my esteem for you. I do not need a gift from you to remind me of that.”
