Page 50 of Sweet Mead for Lady Martine

Chapter 11

“Lady Martine, are you all right?” asked Cecelia later that day.

Martine kept her nose in the ledger and spoke only when she needed to when dealing with David. She wasn’t sure if she’d scared him off telling him she loved him and wanted to marry him, but at the time she thought he felt the same way about her. She supposed this was all her fault. Martine was the kind of person who knew exactly what she wanted in life and went after it. Mayhap David was still unsure. She decided if she just gave him a little space and time then mayhap he’d come around. When she went back to the castle later tonight, she’d have to talk with Sage and Josefina. Since they were commoners at one time, mayhap this reaction from David was a normal thing. She just wasn’t sure.

“Yes, Cecelia, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” Martine did her best to smile and pretend that nothing was bothering her. The dog had followed her again, and was sticking to her like he never wanted her to leave. Too bad she couldn’t say the same about David.

“Oh, no reason. It just seems like you and David are at odds today, but mayhap I’m imagining things.”

Martine sat at a table at the far side of the tavern since customers had been coming in for the past few hours. She wanted to stay far away from everyone until she could sort things out.

“We are fine. There is just a lot of work to do, but things are starting to look up.”

“You mean with the inn?” asked the pregnant girl excitedly, rubbing her belly.

“Yes.”

“Do you think the funds will be there soon to pay off all the rent we owe?”

“Yes,” said Martine. “Things are going well. I am sure the coffers will be filled soon and the debt will be able to be repaid.”

“Oh, that is wonderful news,” said the girl, her face glowing. “I was afraid I’d have to birth my baby in a stable and raise it in the wild.”

“No, no, Cecelia.” Martine laughed. “Everything is going to be fine. You don’t need to worry. Excuse me, I need to put this ledger back with the cash box. Customers are starting to arrive and I don’t want them to see where David keeps it.”

“He’s the only one with the key to the secret place,” said Cecelia. “I hardly think the money is in any danger.”

“You’re probably right,” said Martine, getting up from the table. Patch growled lowly, surprising her. “What’s the matter, boy?” she asked, bending over to pet the dog with the ledger books tucked under her arm.

“Who let that flea-ridden thing in here?” Cinnamon walked up, glaring at the dog. Patch continued to growl and now Martine realized that the dog didn’t like the whore. “Go! Get out of here!” Cinnamon reached down as if she were going to hit the dog, but David came up behind her and grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t touch my dog,” he warned the hussy.

“That dog doesn’t like me. I want it gone,” commanded Cinnamon.

“Mayhap the dog is a good judge of character,” said Martine.

“What is that supposed to mean?” The whore glared at her.

“She didn’t mean anything by it. Now go, get to work,” said David, releasing her wrist.

“I’ll go, but since she took away all of my rooms but one, I can’t make money anymore. I’m going to go broke, David. Tell her to give me back the extra rooms for my clients.”

“I can’t do that,” said David. “Lady Martine has been helping us, and I agree with all of her changes.”

“All of them?” asked Martine, getting a strange look from David. He knew what she meant. There was one of her ideas that for some reason he did not agree with at all and that was marriage. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand his quick change of mood from this morning.

“I need to get that back under lock and key with the cash box,” said David, taking the ledger from her. She followed. He went behind the drink board and used his key to open a secret compartment. He slipped the ledger in with the box and closed it up and locked it once again.

“We need to talk, David,” she told him.

“It’s not a good time,” he said, busying himself behind the drink board. “I have a feeling we’re going to be busy tonight. Now that the Mountain Magic has arrived and word has gotten out, the business is picking up quickly just like you said. Please be sure to thank your cousin’s great-grandfather for letting us purchase it and for giving us such a good price.”

“I will,” said Martine. “David, your debts will be able to be paid off in full soon if we can keep this up.” She took a seat at a high stool at the drink board.

“We have you and your excellent skills to thank for that.” He filled up the metal goblet and slid it across the drink board. “Sweet mead for Lady Martine.”

“Thank you, David.” She purposely reached out for it, touching his fingers, letting them linger. He looked up and they exchanged a look of love.