Page 73 of Sweet Mead for Lady Martine

“Thank you, my lord,” said David.

“As for the whore, I’ll leave that decision to the Lord Warden since he is the one who hears the trials. Lord Garrett?”

Lord Garrett stood up. “Thank you, Lord Corbett, but in this case, I will leave the decision to David, since he and his family were the ones to suffer.”

“Me?” asked David, slapping his hand against his chest. “I’m just a commoner.”

“Not for long,” Rook said, making them all laugh again.

“Martine, what should I do? What do you think?” David looked to her for his answer. She appreciated the fact he respected her enough to ask her opinion. However, she didn’t feel comfortable making this decision.

“You do what you feel is right,” she told him. “After all, she did steal from you and almost ruin your business and cause you to lose your home.”

“Yes, she did,” said David. “Mother, Sisters? Dirk and Uncle Joe? Do you want to see the girl punished?”

“I don’t like to see anyone punished,” said Greta. Her daughters nodded in agreement.

“I don’t know,” said Dirk.

“It’s up to you,” answered Uncle Joe. “We are no longer in danger of losing the inn and she’s confessed.”

“Yes,” said Martine. “She did give back the money.”

“But she did something horrible. She’s a thief,” said David. “Surely, you must think she needs to be punished for it.”

“I agree, punish her,” Ava spoke up. “Put her in the dungeon. Kill her! Do anything at all to her, but she is not going home with us.”

“Hold on,” said David, putting his hand in the air. “I’ve made my decision.”

“What is it?” asked the Lord Warden. “Do you want her imprisoned?”

“Yes, and no,” he said.

“David, what on earth does that mean?” asked Martine.

“I, Lord Warden, would like to suggest that Cinnamon goes to live with Oldrich and Ava in Northumbria.”

“What? Nay!” spat Ava.

“Thank you,” said Cinnamon, but David wasn’t done.

“There’s more,” he said. “Once they are there, Cinnamon must marry Oldrich.”

“Thank you,” said Oldrich, happy about the decision.

“Marry? Him?” asked Cinnamon, wrinkling her nose.

“What’s wrong with marrying my brother?” Ava asked, looking like she wanted a fight.

“I can’t be married. Not in my profession.”

“That’s the last part,” said David. “Cinnamon must give up being a whore.”

“Give it up? Never,” said the whore.

“It’s either that, or you go to prison or a convent,” David told her.

Rook started chuckling again.