“Aye,” Elizabeth said, becoming antsy in her seat.
When the carriage finally pulled to a stop inside the village, Elizabeth opened the door before any of the guards had a chance to. Ryan was there seconds before she jumped down, grabbing her under her arms and lowering her to the ground. He sighed, shaking his head as he helped Flora out.
“Ye’re excited, I see,” he laughed when he released Flora, keeping an eye on the child.
“I am,” Elizabeth said proudly, her head swinging in all directions as she took in all of the stalls. “I havenae been to the village inages.”
“The last time she came was less than a month ago,” Ryan told Flora. “Just before ye arrived at the castle.”
“For a wee lass, that is ages,” Flora said, smiling at the way Elizabeth was restraining herself from running off. “Ye’ll have to show me all the best vendors,” she suggested as she began to walk toward the throng of people. “I’ve only ever been to the seamstress.”
“I ken all the best shops!” Elizabeth said excitedly, grabbing Flora’s hand and taking the lead. “We must get sweets as I said, and I like lookin’ at the furs. Sometimes the man sellin’ them will let me pet some of the softest pelts he’s got.”
“Well, we’ll have to visit him, willnae we?” Flora agreed indulgently.
Luck seemed to be on Elizabeth’s side as she caught sight of the woman with the sweets almost immediately. Her stall was filled with all sorts of confections and sugary foods. There were even a few pastries that were different than anything Flora had ever seen before.
“Ach, I was wonderin’ when I’d see ye again,” the woman said when Elizabeth came to a halt in front of the stand, dropping Flora’s hand as she looked over the selection. “I’ve got a bag set aside just for ye.”
“Ye do?” Elizabeth said, leaning forward as the woman retrieved it from behind the counter. “Really?”
“Of course,” she replied, dropping it into the girl’s outstretched hands. “I dinnae want to run out of yer favorites before ye had a chance to stop by.”
“What do we owe ye?” Flora asked, glancing toward one of the guards who was approaching with a pouch of coins.
“Ye daenae have to pay for this,” the woman assured her, a warm and welcoming smile on her lips. “Consider it an apology for nae bein’ set up the last time this darlin’ thing came.”
“Thank ye!” Elizabeth said, already digging in the bag and pulling out a candy.
“Ye’re quite welcome, dear,” the merchant said. Then, she shifted her gaze to Flora. “I havenae seen ye before. Ye must be new.”
“Aye,” Flora said, grateful that the woman either didn’t know about her past or was choosing not to mention it. “I arrived at the castle nearly a month ago now.”
“I hope ye’re settlin’ in well,” she said kindly. Her smile morphed into something sly as she shifted her gaze. “I’d love to keep chattin’ with ye, but it seems Elizabeth has spotted somethin’ down the way.”
“Ach, Elizabeth!” Flora called after the girl, grabbing onto the front of her skirt and lifting it, so she could run after her. She glanced over her shoulder at the merchant and said, “Thank ye again!”
When Flora caught up to Elizabeth, she was at the fur merchant’s stall, chattering away. He held out a cloth for her to clean off her fingers, and in his other hand was an incredibly soft-looking pelt. As Flora approached, he held the brown fur toward Elizabeth.
“This is the softest I’ve ever felt,” Elizabeth marveled.
“Aye, it is, isnae it?” the merchant said. He locked eyes with Flora before turning back to Elizabeth. “Yer maither’s nae here?”
“Nay, but Flora agreed to come with me,” Elizabeth confirmed. She turned around then, grabbing Flora’s wrist and bringing her closer. “Here, touch it!”
Obliging Elizabeth’s request, Flora reached forward, stroking the fur. Just as the girl had said, it was incredibly soft, softer than anything else Flora had ever touched. After getting a good feel, she removed her hand, not wanting to think about how much such a fine pelt may cost.
“Ye’re right, that’s quite nice,” Flora said, putting a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder as the crowd surrounding them became thicker. Her hand tightened slightly. The guards stayed close, but that didn’t stop her nerves. “Come now, I’m a wee bit peckish. I dinnae have time to eat before we left since ye were sokeen on gettin’ here. Perhaps we can find somewhere to have a hot meal.”
“Aye!” Elizabeth said, already shifting her focus to the new task. “Maither always takes me to the inn to eat when we come to the village. We should eat there. They always have the best stews!”
“That sounds delicious,” Flora said, hoping they’d be able to find a table that was tucked away from the crowds. “Ye ken, ye dinnae tell me why ye wanted me to come along with ye today rather than yer maither.”
Elizabeth pouted a bit, looking put out. “Maither was busy with somethin’ and couldnae join me.” She glanced up at Flora before amending, “But I wanted ye to come along even if Maither was comin’, too. I enjoy spendin’ time with ye.”
Flora smiled at the earnestness with which Elizabeth spoke. As they approached the inn, Flora said, “I will always be available to spend time with ye or play with ye. All ye have to do is ask.”
The grin she got in response was brilliant.
