Kevin nodded patiently. “I realize that,” he said. “But the duke wants his wife properly clothed and this was the nearest village. Do you, or do you not, have a seamstress we can engage?”
The priest thought hard on that question. “There are a few women in town that might be able to help,” he said. “But the trouble would be in purchasing the fabric needed. We have but one merchant in town and I am not entirely sure he would carry such fine goods as a duchess would need.”
Kevin shrugged. “We have little choice at this point,” he said. “If you will tell me where I can find this merchant, and someone to sew the garments, I would be grateful.”
The priest opened his mouth to tell him but he suddenly stopped himself, scratching his head thoughtfully. It was clear that a thought had occurred to him because he had a rather queer expression on his face.
“I would assume you have money to pay for a wardrobe befitting a duchess?” he asked somewhat hesitantly.
Kevin crossed his big arms in a suspicious gesture. “I do,” he said, as if daring the priest to try and take it from him. “Why do you ask?”
But the priest didn’t have thievery in mind; he was thinking on another less violent option, especially in light of the enormous and obviously well-trained knight. “I may have a solution,” he said, rubbing his chin. “Your mention of procuring fine clothing made me think of something I’ve surely not thought of in years.”
Kevin was interested. “What is it?”
The priest gestured back behind him, in the general direction he had come from. The cloisters were back in that direction, a common sleeping and eating room for the two priests of the parish and their eleven underlings.
“About ten years ago, a local lady passed away without any family,” he said. “She was a good soul, very wealthy, and when she died, she left all of her possessions to the church, some of which are clothing and jewels. They have spent years in storage because no one around here is wealthy enough to pay what they are worth. You… you would not be interested in looking at these items, would you?”
Kevin nodded quickly. “Absolutely, I would,” he agreed, surprised at the suggestion. “Allow me to collect the lady and we will go with you to see what you have. If they are serviceable items, I will pay handsomely for them.”
The priest nodded eagerly, thrilled at the prospect of selling off expensive items that had been useless to him for so long. As he shuffled back the way he had come, Kevin made his way over to Annavieve. She was still on her knees, head lowered in prayer, and he reached down to gently touch her on the arm and get her attention.
“My lady?” he said quietly. “We may have found a solution to your clothing problem. Will you come with me, please?”
He was pulling her up to stand and Annavieve quickly crossed herself again, ending her prayers, as she stumbled after him.
“Solution?” she repeated, somewhat incredulous. “Here?”
Kevin simply nodded as he escorted her from the sanctuary, following the priest out of a side door and into a small, cluttered yard beyond. It was muddy and smelled like a barnyard, with animals running about. A goat with a heavy udder and her kid milled around, eating the weeds that grew along the edge of the sanctuary, and an old man sat on a stool pulling wiltedvegetables out of a basket next to him. But the priest pulled Kevin and Annavieve past the man cleaning vegetables and on into the dilapidated dormitory beyond.
It was cool and dark inside, with a hearth that hadn’t seen a recent fire. Everything seemed very cold and dirty. Annavieve had no idea what was happening and, apprehensively, she stuck close to Kevin. Although he had her elbow when they’d crossed the sanctuary, somehow, she was now holding on to his arm with both hands as she found herself in an uncertain situation. She was clinging to his big arm tightly as they followed the priest to the opposite end of the dormitory.
“Where are we going?” she hissed at Kevin.
He wasn’t sure what to tell her, unsure of what they were truly about to see. “The priest has something he thinks might suit our needs,” he said. “Quiet, now. Let him show us.”
She fell silent, doing as she was told. They came up behind the priest just as he was pulling trunks out from underneath one of the beds. There were at least two trunks that they could see and Kevin went to help the man because it seemed that the trunks were heavy. Eventually, there were four total trunks underneath one bed, big things that Kevin pulled out so they could open them up and gain a better look, but the priest moved to another bed and pulled out two more medium-sized trunks from underneath.
Kevin ended up pooling all of the trunks together as he and the priest threw open the lids. Annavieve gasped when she saw what was inside. Although dusty and somewhat aged, bright silks, damasks, and brocades came into view. Time could not dull the beauty of the fabrics and she began pulling them out, very carefully, to see their details. There were spider-web fine shifts of silk and linen, brilliantly woven surcoats, belts, hosiery, and cloaks. One trunk entirely contained shoes, very finely made.
Thrilled beyond words, Annavieve began holding up the surcoats in front of her to see if they would fit. The priest watched anxiously.
“What do you think, my lady?” he asked timidly. “Do they meet with your approval?”
Annavieve nodded as she held up a gorgeous emerald green silk. “They are lovely,” she said. “However did they come into your possession?”
The priest watched her run her hands over the green silk. “There was a fine woman in our parish named Lady Ashford,” he said. “She resided at Ashford Park, not far from here. When she died, she left no heirs, so she left them to the church. Unfortunately, her servants ran off with most of the fine coinage and silver, but we managed to collect her clothing and jewels, which she had hidden. I was hoping that someday we might be able to sell them.”
Kevin watched Annavieve as she draped glorious gowns over her arm, admiring luxury she had never seen before. Truly, Lady Ashford had dresses and accessories that were quite spectacular and Kevin picked up a yellow and red brocade, holding up the garment and realizing something right away as he spread it out in front of him.
“Lady Ashford was a round woman,” he commented. “If Lady de Ferrers wants to keep some of these things, we will most definitely need a seamstress to alter them. I suggest you send for someone now. We have no time to waste.”
Annavieve looked up from the gold silk she was inspecting. “Can I have some of these, then?” she asked anxiously. “I realize it is a good deal to ask, but I would be happy with one or two of these lovely things.”
A smile played on Kevin’s lips as he looked at her. “If you want them all, you shall have them all,” he said. “I doubt the priest will find anyone else to buy such expensive things.”
Annavieve beamed like a woman who had just been gifted with the entire world. “Truly?”
