“No, really?” Zach said with reverence. “I love both of those. Well, food actually, but fruit pies and pea soup are two of my favorite things.”
“There be fig and pear, and, currants and apple,” the man said.
“One of each,” Zach said, taking money from his pocket. “And of course some pea soup.”
“It’s an early morning for the likes of you to be out of your bed, if you don’t mind me saying so, sir? Or a late night and returning home?”
“It is the first.” Zach’s yawn had his jaw cracking. “Sleep eluded me.” He braced a hip on the cart and took a bite of the pie he was handed. The delicious scent wafted up his nostrils. The pastry melted in his mouth.
“A woman then.” The man cracked a smile on his craggy face.
“Very astute of you, sir,” Zach said with feeling. “Have you ever thought you’d known a person well, only to find out you don’t, and in fact they’re playing an entirely different game you can’t understand?”
The man considered that for a moment while Zach finished his first pie and then started into the fig and pear one.
“Equally as superb,” he said with a mouthful. He then toasted the man with the pie.
“Well now, if you’re wanting my opinion,” the man said, to which Zach nodded because—well—why not? “It’s to do with how they’ve always seemed to you, is my thoughts on the matter. If you’ve never had cause to feel anything but respect for said person, it’s my guess they’re the same, but the shock of change has altered your way of thinking.”
He and Mary had fought most of the time they’d known each other, but he’d never hated her… not really. It was just the way they’d always been with each other… until now.
But did he like and respect her?A little voice in his head said that yes, he did.
“It’s likely that they, for some reason, have trod another path they haven’t felt a need to share with you.”
Zach didn’t like that Mary had secrets. Dangerous and dark ones that could see her hurt.Was she a villain?He just couldn’t reconcile himself with that.
“What say you, Bessie?” the man said.
The old woman ambled over and studied Zach, her rheumy eyes taking in his clothes and face.
“Well now, Bobby, I have a few thoughts on the matter too,” she said in a thick north country accent.
Tired but no longer hungry, Zach still felt the simmer of anger over what Mary had been up to as he sipped a superb mug of pea soup. He was also now highly entertained by Bobby and Bessie. He’d not expected to encounter such wonderful company upon leaving the house at such an inhospitable hour.
“Do you respect this woman?” Bessie asked him.
He nodded because he’d be lying to all three of them if he didn’t. Mary might annoy him, but he still respected her, which was one of the reasons he found it so hard to believe she’d been deceiving them all.Deceiving him.
“Do you trust her? Is she a good soul?” Bessie asked him.
He nodded again without hesitation. His family liked Mary very much, and she was a friend to the women his brothers and cousin were wed to.
Bessie sucked in her lips briefly. “Then she’s doing something that needs to be done. Something she don’t want anyone else to know about. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not good just because you’re not aware of it. It’s my belief if she’s a good one, then her actions are for good not the opposite,” Bessie added wisely. She then shuffled back to her cart as a man arrived.
“Thank you,” Zach said, handing out more money to both Bobby and Bessie. “You’ve both been very helpful.”
Bobby grinned again, and Bessie ignored him.
Purchasing a bag of chestnuts from the next vendor, he crunched them on his walk. When he felt the hour was a reasonable one, Zach arrived at Gabe’s front door. Was Bessie right in saying Mary’s actions were good not bad?
“Good morning, Fairfax. Were you lurking in the front entrance?” Zach said when the butler opened it.
Fairfax smiled like he did most things, calmly.
“No indeed, sir, I was dusting the paintings.”
Zach studied the artwork in here. “I see that one has yet to meet its maker?” He pointed to the painting with the ship listing to the left.
