Emma hesitated, chewing on her lip. “I… I don’t feel very well. I don’t suppose somebody else could fetch it?”
Now,thatwas out of character.
Delphine tilted her head to one side. “Well, it’s too far for me to walk, lassie. I’d send a soldier, except they’re likely to come back with yellowberry instead, and ye know how poisonous thatis. If ye are ill, of course—”
“Nay,” Emma interrupted with a sigh. “It needs to be fetched. I’ll go for it at once, Delphine.”
Delphine watched her prepare to leave, removing her apron and putting on the special one designed for gathering herbs, with a dozen large pockets sewn into the front, all secured with a button. The girl seemed to be moving in a daze, not seeing or hearing anything.
Is sending her out a mistake?
“Have a care, lassie!” Delphine called.
Emma paused at the door, smiled weakly, and slipped out into the hallway.
“Ah! There ye are!”
Emma flinched, nearly dropping her basket.
She felt vaguely sick when she saw Astrid scramble to her feet and hurry towards her. The woman had been sitting on the ground beside the Keep wall, a cloak wrapped around her. Emma glanced nervously back at the open gates, beyond which she could see the inside of the courtyard. Safety. She could just dart back inside. Astridmightfollow her, but…
“Please, hear me out,” Astrid said breathlessly. “I know that ye and I are not friends…”
“I have no reason to dislike ye,” Emma said dubiously. “I am working, I’m afraid. I can’t stand and chat.”
She turned on her heel and began to march away towards the secluded woodland path. To her horror, Astrid followed.
“I’m here to apologize,” Astrid explained. “I… I let myself be blinded by my feelings for Thomas. It’s silly, really. It’s not like he would love me if it wasn’t for ye.”
“He doesn’t love me,” Emma snapped, walking a little faster. It did no good. Astrid and her long legs easily kept up the pace.
“Oh, I think he does. I saw it when ye came to the Sinner. I’m sorry I tried to cause trouble between ye. As ye may have guessed, Thomas never did give me that necklace. It’s not something he usually does, I expect. Ye truly are special to him.”
Emma’s shoulders sagged at that. She hadn’t worn the necklace since or even showed it to Delphine. She’d tucked it away in a drawer, along with the memories of the night she’d spent with Thomas.
It wasn’t even a full night, really. How long had they even spent in that office, anyway? A few snatched moments, half an hour, or an hour. It was nothing, really. She was foolish to think that it had meantsomething.
“For what it’s worth,” Emma said, sighing, “he hasn’t spoken to me since then. I’ve not seen him since.”
Something crossed Astrid’s face in a flash. Was it pity? Triumph? Emma couldn’t tell and honestly didn’t have the energy to work it out.
Now that they were a fair distance from the Keep, she started to keep an eye out for brass berries. The things were wretchedly hard to find.
“Well, I’m sorry,” Astrid said, still keeping pace. “I’ve been thinking and thinking about it, and I wanted to apologize. I’ll not get between ye again, I swear.”
Emma waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. There’s nothing to forgive, really. If he chooses ye, then good luck to ye. Ye would make a fine Lady MacPherson.”
A flash of hunger flickered across Astrid’s face.
“Aye, I think I would. Tell me, what are ye looking for?”
“Brass berries.”
Astrid wrinkled her nose. “What are they?”
“They’re tiny yellow-brown berries. Ye can use them to treat stomach aches, indigestion, the pain ye get from yer monthlies, and so on. As ye can imagine, they are very popular. But they’re hard to find. They only grow under wide, leafy plants. Like this one, for example.”
Emma squatted down and lifted the heavy, broad leaf of a rhubarb plant. She peered underneath and gave a crow of delight.
