Page 44 of Dancing On Air

“You’ll get used to it after a while,” said Connor, removing a wheelbarrow from the back of the wagon as well. He then handed his brother a pair of knee-high boots, and donned some himself. They’d have to not only shovel up the sludge, but then haul it away and bury it in a vacant field. Some farmers used it as fertilizer, but Connor wasn’t friends with any of the farmers, and wasn’t willing to go door to door asking if they wanted to buy shit.

Most gong farmers just dumped it in the river or lake, but Connor refused to defile the waters in that manner. After all, that is where his family obtained their drinking water since they didn’t have a well. It was also where they bathed. He waded out into the pit of sludge trying to ignore how demeaning this damned job was, or how bad it smelled.

“Isn’t that Eleanor and her cousins?” Leoric stretched his neck, waving to the women as they headed across the walkway with the two orphan girls, heading for the church.

Connor looked up to see Eleanor wearing a bright blue gown. Her hair was braided and wrapped around each ear, and she wore a small veil on her head. Even from this distance, he could see her rosy cheeks and glowing disposition. She glided with grace over the stone walkway, while Connor stood knee-deep in smelly waste. He couldn’t help thinking she probably smelled like roses right now, while he stank like—nay, he refused to acknowledge any of this. It would only make the job harder, as well as drive him mad.

“Don’t wave to them, you fool,” he growled at his brother, sinking the shovel into the cesspool. “Don’t even look their way.”

“My, you sound bitter,” said Leoric, taking a few squishy steps into the cesspool, standing near Connor. He coughed and started to gag just from the smell. “God’s feet, this stinks. I don’t want to do this.”

“Then leave. I can handle it alone,” said Connor, not wanting to see his brother be as humiliated as he was right now. “Why don’t you go home and watch after Father? I’m not sure Ginevra and Alaric should be with him alone if he’s been drinking, which I’m sure he has.”

“Nay, I should stay here and help you. Besides, Father says I need to start helping with the executions. I’m sure this isn’t half as bad as that.”

“You have no idea.” Connor scooped the sludge into the wheelbarrow.

“I can do this,” said Leoric, looking down at the cesspool, coughing and gagging again. This time he nearly vomited.

“Go!” commanded Connor, snatching the shovel out of his brother’s hand and throwing it to the ground just outside of the cesspool. “I never should have let you come with me in the first place.”

“Are you sure about this?” Leoric’s face turned red and he bent over and retched.

“You are of no use to me if you can’t even scoop a shovelful without gagging.”

“Well, mayhap it would be a good idea after all if I’m there to watch after our siblings. I might check the rabbit snares on the way back and search for some wild parsnips or herbs we can use in the pottage.”

“Fine. But you’ll have to walk back since I need the horse and wagon to get this job done.”

“It’s all right. The walk in the sunshine and fresh air will do me good. Mayhap it’ll help to calm my roiling stomach.” Leoric eagerly hurried through the muck, removing his boots when he got back to the wagon.

“Be careful,” called out Connor. “Don’t let Sampson’s guards see you. We have enough trouble as it is.”

“I’ll be careful, I promise. I’ll blend right in to the woods, so don’t worry.” His brother left at a run, leaving Connor standing there by himself to do the disgusting work that a man with noble blood in his veins should never be doing.

He looked up to see Eleanor on the walkway overhead. The walkway led from the second-story bedchambers to the church. She was watching him, and it made him angry as well as humiliated. Their eyes interlocked. Then she raised her hand to wave at him, but stopped in midmotion. Her cousins came back and dragged her away.

Connor lowered his head, pulling at his hood harder, trying to cover as much of his face as possible. Then he dug his shovel into the sludge once more, trying to think of anything but his shame. Eleanor had just seen him at what had to be one of the lowest point of his life.