Laila was a bit stunned. She still had the money Jacob had given her, but it was hidden away. There was nothing she could think of that she wanted as she gazed around the market. There were multiple stands built up next to each other in sort of a sloppy semi-circle with two rows.
People were hawking hanging slabs of meat, stacks of pottery, iron tools, bundles of wool, and other useful items. It was quite a contrast from her father’s castle. In comparison, McGowan castle was a bustling metropolis, complete with a market and orchard, a keep and a hall, hog pens and chicken coops. Willby castle was nowhere close to such standing, and for a moment, she thought of her father and how he was haunted by his debts. For half of a second, she felt pity for running away, and then she remembered Lord Hamilton and shuddered.
As she walked, she noticed a small child huddled in the muck between market stalls, pale and thin, holding her hands out as a beggar. As the child’s hands stretched out, Laila could see the bones of her wrists protruding from the underfed hands, and she felt a wave of pity come over her.
Bending down beside the child, Laila asked, “What’s your name?” The child looked up slowly, and Laila saw the effects of malnourishment on her hollow cheeks.
“Mary,” the child croaked.
“What are you doing out here, Mary?” Laila asked gently.
“Tryin’ tae eat,” Mary answered.
“Where’s your parents?” Laila asked.
“Dead,” Mary answered plainly.
“Dead?” Laila repeated, taken aback.
“It’s normal,” Mary replied with a shrug, holding her hands higher. “Got a copper?”
“It’s normal,” Laila said, reeling mentally.
“Mum got sick, Pa got killed,” Mary said, stating her condition so simply and coolly that Laila shuddered at her acceptance of her situation. Laila fought back the tears and quickly fished out the piece of silver, depositing it into little Mary’s skeletal hands. The child’s eyes grew wide as she saw the coin, and she quickly snatched it back into her ragged clothes. Without another word, the child turned and ran into the depths of the market, no doubt eager to spend what she had come across. Laila stood up slowly, stunned by the brutality of Mary’s world.How can this be normal?
“Well, that was a kind act,” Lady McGowan said, appearing behind her.
“Ah,” Laila said, flustered. “I only, it shocks me so.”
“Shocks you?” Lady McGowan replied, a bit of surprise on her face. “I thought ye were an orphan, dear; nothing should shock ye.”
“Well, yes, I mean only that I was shocked to see it here.”
“It has gotten worse,” Lady McGowan said, frowning. “I must speak with Gavin about it. Winning a war seems only to go so far. It still leaves many dead, many children without parents, and many in poverty.”
“But what can be done?” Laila asked genuinely.
“You’re the orphan, dear,” Lady McGowan replied with a mournful gaze. “You tell me.”
“Why, Lady McGowan!” an elderly woman’s voice floated above the crowd, and the pair turned to look. Laila felt her stomach do a flip as she saw Kyle walking up beside an older woman, making their way through the market. “Ye should be in bed!”
“And ye should be by me side!” Lady McGowan called back, her face lighting up with joy. “Oh, Sophie, it has been too long!”
“My dear, you look ready tae burst,” Sophia said, lightly embracing Lady McGowan. “Come, what are ye doing out?”
“Oh, I can’t stand that stuffy keep,” Lady McGowan replied. “And with the feast this evening, I needed a breath of air.”
Laila saw Sophia looking her up and down, and the old woman gave her a wink as if she had just unraveled her entire life with that one look. Before Laila could say anything, Sophia took Lady McGowan by the shoulder and said, “Come, help me find some new wool.”
“Oh, very good,” Lady McGowan said with a smile. “Just like the old days.”
The pair walked off into the market, and Laila suddenly found herself alone in the crowded street with Kyle, who looked upon her sheepishly. His face was bruising, his lip was split, and his eyes were heavy with a hangover.
“Laila,” he said, breaking the silence between them.
“You seem a sort better than last night,” she said, admiring the way his cloak sat upon his broad shoulders and how his red hair fell down his neck.
“I’m not sure I feel that way,” Kyle said, and she saw him blushing a bit. She bit down on the inside of her lip to prevent her smile from showing.
