‘He thought we were prostitutes,’ Blake said quietly. ‘I got mad.’
He glanced sideways at her. ‘You could have asked your neighbour to go with you.’
‘What for?’
‘To make life easier for yourself.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Next time I’ll just go along with the suggestion, since the notion of a woman doing business with their skirts down is so confronting.’
Harlan’s gaze slid to hers. ‘Even the prostitutes have male escorts.’
‘I think they’re just called customers.’
He looked forwards again. ‘Funny.’
His lack of a smile suggested otherwise.
Blake weaved between the merchants negotiating with buyers. She looked over her shoulder to ensure Eda was still following, and her eyes met Harlan’s in the process. She felt his stare to the tips of her fingers before looking away.
‘Blake?’
Looking around, she spotted Odo standing next to a pile of crates ten feet away. He dumped the one he was holding and turned to her, grinning. His smile faltered when he noticed Harlan beside her.
‘In trouble with the law again?’ he joked.
Blake made her way over to him. The Irish sea merchant had taken over after his father lost a foot in a boating accident a year back. ‘Good morning.’
Odo looked past her. ‘Where’s Kingsley?’
Blake felt a sting start in her nose. She swallowed to get rid of it. ‘I’m afraid you’re stuck with me moving forwards.’
Odo looked from her to Eda to Harlan. ‘Clearly I’ve missed something.’
Blake snuck a glance at Harlan, who was pretending not to listen. ‘Kingsley passed away.’
Odo’s face fell. ‘How?’
So many questions. ‘Fishing accident.’
‘I’m sorry. Where was he fishing?’
‘I’m afraid we’re in a bit of a rush today.’ She reached inside her cloak and pulled out a coin pouch, holding it out to him. ‘It’s all there.’
Odo took the pouch and tucked it into his pocket, then disappeared behind the crates. He appeared a moment later carrying six rolls of fabric. ‘They’re heavy.’
‘We’ll manage,’ Blake said.
Eda took half of them.
‘You speaking yet?’ Odo asked her.
Eda ignored him. She hated being asked that question.
‘Her hearing gone as well?’ Odo whispered to Blake.
Blake gave him a tight-lipped smile. ‘Thanks for these.’
‘Have you thought any more about my offer?’
