Winter snorted. “Orval woke me because Dalan was having a bout of gas.” She would have said more but a knock at the outside door cut her short. She moved out of sight of the door, gesturing for Amari to answer it.
“Mistress Amari, how be you this day? And the twins?” A small, wrinkled woman was standing there, a younger girl behind her, their arms laden with baskets of clean linens.
Amari blinked and opened the door wider. “Well, thank you,” she said as the two women bustled in, exchanging the clean for the dirty bundles on the floor.
“We’ll get this back, quick like,” the older one muttered, half under her breath. “There’s bedding and nappies here that will tide you over.”
“This bundle be the dirty nappies?” The young one grinned as Winter nodded. “Hope those pisspots search it.”
A flood of thanks overwhelmed Amari; it had been miserable trying to keep up with the wash. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she whispered.
“If’n he looked up from his books now and again, the Master would see that he’s well-liked, especially by the booksellers.” The older woman rolled her eyes. “He’s been scribing for us and figuring for us whenever we comes around.”
“He’s got our respect and affection,” the younger one said. “And there’s many a hand willing to pitch in.”
“After all Master Orval’s done for us, tucking a few extra things in the wash is no chore.” The older woman smiled, then sniffed. “What them guards don’t know is none of our business.”
A chill ran down Amari’s spine. She’d forgotten the guards.
“Best we come more like every other day instead of weekly, Mistress.” The older woman raised her voice loud enough for the guards to hear as they both headed down with their bundles.
“Many thanks,” Amari called behind them. She could see the guards at the base of the stairs, nodding to the laundresses. She shut the door and turned to Winter. “Can Orval afford this?”
“He gets a small stipend from the Crown.” Winter opened the oven and was using a cloth to pull steaming dishes from within. “This part of the city is working men and women, most with a deep and abiding distrust of the Crown and the Guard. No good comes of association.” She paused and looked closely at Amari.
“But Orval has lived here a long time, and while he is of the Blood, he is one of us. He makes time to aid those that knock at his door and takes nothing in return. Even if on occasion he walks into people in the market when he tries to read as he walks.” Winter rolled her eyes.
“There won’t be talk of coin. And there won’t be talk of the oddness of a sudden marriage. People here ask no questions and offer no information.”
Amari sank onto a stool by the table and watched Winter dish up a plate of food. “We tried to keep up—” she started to explained, but Winter made a hushing noise.
“Or course you did,” Winter said. “But it’s been ten days and I should have checked on you before this. Eat now. Those babes will need feeding soon. Once Orval wakes, we’ll change the bedding and get that room set to rights.”
Ten days? Amari had eaten her first mouthful before that sank in. She’d lost track of all time, awash in the cycle of feeding and cleaning and sleeping. How could ten days have passed?
She frowned at the plate and took another bite, only to look up when Winter cleared her throat.
The older woman’s eyes had gone suddenly hard.
“I don’t know, and don’t want to know, what you are doing here. Your business is your own. But don’t hurt him, you hear me?”
Amari nodded, the threat clear. But the woman deserved honestly, if nothing else. “I hear. I will try not to.”
Winter grimaced. “He’s getting attached to the babes. It may already be too late. I fear—”
The inner door opened. “Too late for what?” Orval asked, yawning as he limped into the room. He was wearing nothing but trous and looked sleepy and rumpled. To Amari’s eyes, he looked oddly boyish without the thick robes he usually wore.
“Too late in the day for your stipend to be delivered.” Winter said firmly. “Your rent’s overdue.”
Orval nodded absently, looking at the table. “Is that egg pie?” he asked, his eyes lighting up. Amari smiled as he hastened closer.
“And kav,” Winter offered him a mug. “Strong and black. You need it.”
“The skies bless and keep you.” Orval sat and took the mug with a grateful sigh.
“Eat while you can and I’ll give you the news, such as it is,” Winter said as she dug into the clean linens. “Here,” she tossed Orval a tunic.
Orval pulled it over his head as Winter prepared him a plate. To Amari’s amusement, dressing rumpled his hair even more. Orval caught her eye and gave her a sheepish grin as he dug into the food. “Good news?” Orval asked Winter before sipping his drink.
