No wonder she was confused. Norah’s mother had impressed upon her when she was small that noble-women always kept some sort of covering or ornament upon their heads when in public. It was simply what was done.
“My headband was ruined,” Norah said meekly. The more she could blend in, the better it would be for both of them. “We’re looking for something to replace it before we continue running our errands.”
The woman’s slightly furrowed brow smoothed. “Please look around. And let me know if you need anything adjusted. My girl can fix it immediately if you do.”
Norah thanked her and began examining thehats and head coverings on display. With every second that they were out in public, the more she felt like her bright red hair might as well have caught on fire. People in this part of the western realm didn’t generally have red hair. The last thing she needed was for word of her little escapade to reach the pirates’ ears, should they still be around.
Phillip tried to be helpful by holding up random hats, but he was about as helpful as Norah’s father might have been on such an occasion. Over and over again, he held up the biggest and most ostentatious hats he could find until Norah finally laughed.
“The idea isnotto draw attention to myself,” she said, putting the wide, round hat back on its perch. “I’m looking for something more like… like this!” She hurried over to the far corner of the room, where a set of little netted head coverings sat. She picked up one with black netting, little white pearls, and blue fabric beneath that nearly matched the dress she wore.
The look of confusion on Phillip’s face made her laugh again. “It’s a snood,” Norah said, untangling her quickly braided hair and holding it up against it in the little looking glass that had been set out for customers.
“That looks lovely on you,” the woman said. She was now eyeing Norah’s flaming red hair with more interest than Norah was comfortable with, but there was nothing to be done for that.
“Could your girl help me with my hair?” she asked the woman, breaking the woman’s focus.
“Oh. Yes, yes, my lady.” The woman shook her head slightly as though to clear it. “Laura! Laura, come and dress this fine lady’s hair!”
Laura, a pretty, plump girl with dark hair and even darker eyes, ran in from the back, several pins tucked into her apron. “Of course, Madame!” she exclaimed. Then she turned to Norah and sucked in a sharp breath. “Are you…” she began.
“She’s a distinguished customer who needs her hair done up properly,” her mistress said severely. “Now jump to it!”
The girl’s face nearly turned the same color as Norah’s hair, but for all her blustering, not more than five minutes had passed before Norah’s hair was neatly braided again and pinned expertly beneath the netted covering. A few locks peeked out just above her forehead, but by themselves, they didn’t draw nearly as much attention. And even that really wasn’t so bad, as taming and tucking away her curls had made her hair look nearly auburn.
“Thank you,” Norah said earnestly as they paid. She glanced at Phillip for confirmation as she pulled out the coin purse, and he nodded. So she paid both the woman and her apprentice, but before she could close it, Phillip removed two more coins and handed one to each. And to Norah’s surprise, he put his finger to his lips, turning to each, before tapping the side of his nose, a stern look suddenly on his face.
“Of course,” the mistress of the shop said, dropping into a deep curtsy. “This shall be our secret.” She sent a severe look at her apprentice, who stuttered out an echo of reassurance. “No lady needs to hear it circulated when her headband is ruined!”
That done, Norah stepped out of the shop once more, this time with a heavy sigh of relief and a renewed desire to see the world she had once been a part of.
“Do you remember this?” she asked Phillip as he stood beside her. He only looked back at her with curious eyes.
“I mean being outside the palace,” she said. “It’s only been three weeks, and I already feel as though living here was another lifetime.”
He turned and looked down again at the cobbled streets, which teemed with life as the sun began to fall toward the west in the big blue sky.
“Come,” Norah said, tugging on his arm. “We can’t be gone for long. So let’sstart with tarts!”
They did get their desired tarts. The knowing look that the bakery’s mistress sent Norah, however, made it clear that Norah’s old friend wasn’t fooled by her sudden finery. But to her relief, the good woman said nothing, only filled their hands with the requested lemon and raspberry tarts, as well as miniature biscuits, scones, and little drops of a foreign treat she calledchocolate.
Norah moaned with pleasure as she finished off her tart outside the crowded bakery. “Oh, I’ve missed those!” Then, realizing what she had said, she turned quickly to Phillip. “Not that your chef has been lacking!” she said quickly. “I only–” Before she could finish, though, Phillip had shoved a piece of chocolate in her mouth, keeping her from apologizing any more and grinning as he did.
Norah had never eaten so many sweets at once in her life, and she feared it would upset her stomach, as Nanny had always warned that too many sweets would make her ill. But Norah wasn’t so worried as to forego purchasing a little package of dried, sweetened squid from a street cart near the dock. Then they wandered from store to store, pointing and observing as they pleased. He, of course, kept her arm tucked in his as he always did. But as the crowd grew thicker in the cool of the summer evening, he pulled her more closely against him, making Norah feel both safe and confused by the embarrassing rush of hope that he would hold her closer still.
They stopped anywhere they liked, including a bookstore, where Phillip purchased a book for Norah about mermaids and one about ancient weapons for himself. Then they wandered toward the beach, where Norah nearly squealed when she saw that a group of musicians had begun playing. Despite the early hour, other people had already begun to join them, including other musicians, and several couples were dancing barefoot in the sand while others clapped in time to the music and watched or sang along.
A memory suddenly surfaced in Norah’s mind and body as she recalled the dance in the square that her neighbors had pulled her into weeks ago, and she was nearly suffocated by a sudden longing for Phillip to twirl her about in his arms as her neighbor had done.
Norah wanted to dance.
She turned to look up at Phillip to see what he thought of the scene before him. His gaze was not on the dancers, however, but rather the musicians. And before she could say anything, he had dragged her over to them. Then he let go of her hand and gestured to the nearest violinist for his instrument and his bow.
Norah began to hurry toward him, sure the man would object and that she would have to explain to Phillip that commoners often kept their instruments to themselves. But before she could say anything, the man handed over his violin and grasped the hand of a woman standing nearby before leading her into a dance. And Norah was suddenly very glad she hadn’t intervened, for the look of joy on Phillip’s face was one that she’d never seen before.
He gets to be a part of something,she realized. How many times had he ever had such a chance before? And how many would he get again? Her heart squeezed in her chest, and Norah, for the first time in a long time, found herself sending up a prayer to the Maker.
Let us fix this. Let this not be the last time.
