Anyone would be tempted to give in to my doe eyes?
A blush suffused her face at the thought.
“Well, you could send one of your men with me. Or just come yourself…”
He sighed. “Ye are a stubborn lassie, are ye nae?” He sounded resigned rather than angry.
Lilliana could not help but smile. “So, does that mean you will escort me?”
Kayden sighed again. “I didnae say that, but it wouldnae look good if I lost ye so soon. I might send a man ahead to make sure ye are safe. He shouldnae get in the way. All ye are doing is delivering supplies, ye hear?”
“Yes!”
Jumping to her feet, Lilliana hurried off to her rooms, eager to change into something more suitable, collect Betsy, and be on her way before he changed his mind. Her mood was much improved.
10
There was an unexpected addition to their party as they walked towards the village. Rua shuffled alongside them, shoving his nose into everything. Betsy watched him warily, jumping a time or two when the dog got too close to her, but Lilliana was glad of his presence. There was something very comforting about the massive hound.
The road was muddy, and she was glad of her sturdy shoes. Thankfully, the village was not far. It was not long before cottages appeared through the morning mist, and soon the spire in the middle of the village square came into view.
“Did Moira tell ye where to deliver these too?” Lilliana asked the groom as they drew closer to the market.
“Aye, I ken just the stall. The lassies use it to sell vegetables from the castle, but I think it is empty today,” he said, pointing out a wooden stall to the side of the road.
Lilliana went to it, excitement building at the chance to do some real work. Even as they walked past some villagers, most did not even look at her, although some of the children began to follow them, pointing at Rua in awe.
The dog settled down by the stall, and Lilliana smiled down at him. She set about arranging the supplies that Moira gave her. Betsy helped where she could, while the groom walked a short distance away before settling down on a small bench near the main path.
Lilliana turned to Betsy. “What should we do now? Call out that we are here? Did Moira wish to sell these or just give them away?”
Betsy shrugged. “I don’t know, My Lady. Let us just wait for a while and see what happens.”
The groom cleared his throat. “We should just hand them out to anyone who comes up to the stall. We shouldnae accept coin for necessities provided by the castle. It wouldnae set a good tone.”
Lilliana nodded, though she was on pins and needles, waiting for someone to come to them. She knew that they had been spotted, but no one came closer than the next stall for half the day.
She called the groom over. “Would you kindly walk amongst the villagers and tell them that we are here with supplies? That we know what we are about? Tell them I might be English, but I am also Lady McGill, so I have a duty of care towards them.”
“Yes, Me Lady,” he said with a small bow before taking off.
Lilliana could see him talking to some people and pointing at her, and she did her best to look friendly and approachable. Still, people walked past with looks that spanned from suspicious to downright hostile.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a woman with a child in her arms hovering uncertainly a few feet away. She bent down over the table, pointlessly rearranging the bags and bottles,willingthe woman to come closer.
Eventually, she took a deep breath and looked up, meeting the woman’s wary gaze. She looked even younger than Lilliana, but she was half bent over with exhaustion.
Lilliana smiled encouragingly and nodded to her. The woman took a step closer, her eyes narrowed. The child in her arms was crying.
“Pardon me, Me Lady.”
Lilliana stepped forward eagerly. “Yes, can I help you?”
The woman blinked at her, seemingly surprised. “Erm, it’s me boy. He is sick.”
The boy in her arms gave an obliging hiccough as tears continued to stream down his face.
Lilliana examined him closely. “Can you tell me what is wrong with him?”
