Together, Elayne and Thomas doubled the number of lanterns to sell. Elayne bartered with one of the castle carpenters to build her sturdy frames for dipping tapered candles. She and Mrs. Logan spent a day rendering fat into tallow and dipping candles for sale. They had fun experimenting with the creation of the candles by adding natural colorants, and for others, oils pressed from flowers.
Elayne tasked the carpenter to make small wooden crates to hold the candles. The candles would be less likely to get broken on the journey to the Grant clan. The tops of the crates bore thecrest of Clan MacPherson, burned into the top and on one end. The carpenter made larger crates with lids for her too.
Mrs. Logan had busily sewed and embroidered blankets and knitted warm booties for bairns. She and Elayne used one afternoon to make soap, and Elayne added fragrant oils to the batch. Later, she packed bars of soap with the new linens they had received as wedding gifts. Mrs. Logan had sewn two new goose-down pillows as a wedding gift, and Elayne carefully packed away the treasured items.
Thomas worked industriously the morning of the first day of the summer market. It was sunny and warm. Often he toted items to the tables, making many trips between the forge and the tables. William had more tables set up than the previous year, which enabled them to display a greater variety and quantity of items.
One table held handmade pillows, blankets, and linens. Another offered oilskin sacks of various sizes, candles, and soaps. Other tables had horseshoes and short nails and useful tools and farm implements, while another held assorted weapons and handheld lanterns. Tenting covered the tables at the market in the event of summer showers.
“What are ye looking forward to, Thomas?”
“I want to get my fill of the meat pies and honey cakes. And I can’t wait to see the sword fights. Cailean told me he would give me lessons in sword fighting one afternoon before ye leave.”
Elayne’s eyes sparkled in learning her husband had offered to teach Thomas the basics of sword fighting.
After the items had been placed on the tables, Elayne took Thomas and bought him meat pies for his breakfast. Afterward,Thomas carried their lanterns and sported several dirks on his belt to barter with.
Cailean gave Elayne a bag of coins for items they would need in their new home. She judiciously purchased spices for cooking, fine cloth to sew into linens, pillar candles, and assorted fabrics. Elayne also bought needles and embroidery threads in many colors, hoping to use them for gifts in the future.
Cailean came in search of his wife when he had a break from his duties, and he strolled with her through the market. “Ye ken, we will want to commission yer clan to complete work for us in trade or for coins.”
“I ken, and I dinna want to spend more of yer coin than necessary. We will need it for items at the castle. That’s why Thomas and I have shrewdly bartered with many of the merchants. I had to use coins for a few of the merchants though.
As they wandered among the many merchants, Cailean noted how Elayne stroked a handmade rug in shades of blue. And he saw how she examined the design and quality of the weaving. Elayne’s eyes twinkled when she looked at that rug.
“Do ye admire this rug, Elayne? Does it remind ye of something?”
“I do admire this one over the others. It reminds me of the colors of the loch. It is a lovely rug.” Cailean and Elayne strolled among the other stalls until returning to her family’s tables. He greeted William, Mrs. Logan, and Thomas.
“Elayne, I will see ye later for dinner if nae before.”
Cailean asked William, “Can I borrow Thomas for a few minutes for a small job? Can ye spare him?”
“Aye, that would be fine.” William nodded to Thomas, who accompanied Cailean.
“What job do ye have?”
As they weaved their way between rows of tables, Cailean said, “Elayne loves a particular large rug she spotted. As a surprise for our new home, I wish to buy it for her. I ken how well ye can keep a secret,” Cailean said with a smirk. Both smiled at each other. “To save coins for our journey, I want to barter. I noted ye have items to barter on ye.”
“Aye, I do. I can get more if ye need.” Cailean and Thomas arrived at the table and Cailean made the first overture. “My wife is interested in yer rug, but it is costly. I ken it is of fine quality, but would ye be willing to barter for quality-made items?
“Our blacksmiths have crafted fine dirks and useful lanterns to carry and light yer way. Each lantern contains a candle and flint. I have used one myself. In the Highlands, it’s useful and comforting. Especially on dark and stormy nights.” Thomas placed small and large lanterns on the table along with two sizes of dirks, enabling the rug merchant to decide which he wanted in trade.
“Last year, these items sold out in a couple of days. If ye don’t select yers now, they will disappear.”
As a last item of enticement, Thomas placed a polished ax with a leather sheath on the table for inspection. Immediately, the man’s eyes lit up while his wife opened and inspected the lanterns. “He is a newly married man and wishes to please his wife, my sister,” said Thomas to weaken the merchant’s resolve.
The man said, “The rug costs five pieces of silver. But ye can have the rug for the ax, one dirk, and two lanterns. I ken this is a fair trade. Which sizes do ye want, wife?”
“One large and one small, please, husband,” she said with a pleased smile that lit up her eyes.
“What say ye?”
Cailean looked pointedly at Thomas, who nodded. “Aye, we will take it.”
“Here are yer items.” Thomas retrieved the spare dirk and returned it to its sheath.
“If my wife should return, please dinna tell her I bought it for her. I wish to surprise her.”
