As she stood there trying to calm herself, she spotted Aymer walking toward her. He didn’t appear jovial but had an unsettled look on his face, evidenced by the purse of his lips and pull of his brows.
“There ye be, Milady,” Aymer, the gate watchman said when he reached her on the lane. “I was looking for ye.”
“Good day, Aymer. Why were you looking for me?”
“I hoped ye would find the lad Caden and keep him busy. Aye, for he is intent on pulling pranks on the clan this day. By God, he has done some tomfoolery. Usually, the lads do such deeds on Hunt the Gowk day, aye, but alas, they were being punished then and had no time to attend to such antics. Caden has told every person that he’d crossed this day that someone was searching for them and to find whoever it was… He told the same falsehood to at least ten people. Och, no one is searching for anyone. The lad has our clansmen and women scampering around for naught.”
Eva withheld the urge to giggle at such a folly because the gate watchman seemed angered by what Caden had done. “Hunt the Gowk? I never heard of such a thing.”
“’Tis usually done on the first day of April, but as I said the laird punished the lads because one of them fell through the stable roof. Hunt the Gowk means ‘hunt the cuckoo’ or foolish person because that’s what they are for falling for such a prank.” Aymer pressed backthe tangled mane of his hair and chortled.
“I would help you but I am headed to the market. When I return, I will find Caden and keep him busy and out of trouble.” Eva was about to march on but turned back to Aymer. “I wanted to ask… The horses my da sent… Are they still in the stable? Breckin has not given them away yet, has he?”
“Oh, Gracious God, I plum forgot to tell him about them. My brother, Alton, took them and I suppose they are still in the stables. I can ask him. Why, Milady?”
“I wish to give Caden and Connor each their own horse and I changed my mind. I will keep one of them for myself, the horse I used during my trek here.” Eva smiled at the man who seemed confused by her request but then he nodded and seemed to accept her order.
“I shall tell my brother Alton to pick the horses for ye.”
“My thanks, Aymer. I shall return soon.” Eva waved to Aymer and continued onward on the lane. Ahead, she saw Ise-Olcan who barked in greeting. “Go home.” But the dog wouldn’t heed her command and followed instead. Eva didn’t mind so much that the dog trailed her.
As she passed the encampment of the ailing, she lowered her head sorrowfully because she hadn’t anything to give them. None of the sick greeted her or waved but hunched over and seemed unaware of her presence. Many of them covered themselves with tattered cloth, even over their faces. She suspected they did so to hide the bumps and atrocious evidence of their infirmity. Eva pulled her tartan tightly around her and hurried past, almost sprinting ahead. She reached the market and had a single purpose for attending but now, another thought came to her.
She stopped by Master Amos’s building, commanded that Ise-Olcan stay outside the door, and stepped inside. He was speaking with someone so she didn’t interrupt him. While she waited for him, she perused the section that seemed to be where the kitchen items were stored. There were a good many items and she didn’t know where tobegin in selecting a pot or other needed objects.
He finished with the person on whom he was waiting, before he turned to her. “Milady Buchanan, ’tis good to see ye again. Can I help ye?”
She explained her dilemma and sighed heavily when she finished. “I need to purchase items for my kitchen but I do not know where to begin… What is needed for cooking and such?”
“Oh, ’tis easy enough, Milady. Ye need a good cooking pot, and some good spoons with long handles. Maybe a long spit to cook meat on. I shall show ye.” Amos walked toward a section of his stall and motioned to items stacked in crates.
“I am going to have a good many items to offer for sale, Master Amos. Can we do a trade or perhaps barter for what I need?”
“Aye, of course, Milady. I can pull some items that will be useful to ye and hold them aside until ye bring your trade.”
“There is another matter… Any items that you sell, I want you to use my share of the coins to buy foodstuff and clothing for the people in the encampment down the lane. Can you do that for me?”
Amos’s bushy eyebrows rose in awe. He shook his head and cleared his throat. “Ye want me to buy foodstuff and take it to them, Milady? I fear no one will go near enough to them, even me because we know not what ails them. ’Tis risky what ye ask.”
“I do and before you reject my offer, I hope that you will do your good Christian duty to those poor people. All I ask is that you buy bread and food items for them. They can use warm blankets and garments too. You can take the items and leave them close by if you do not want to get near them. And if you do, I wish them not to know who gave them the alms. Will you do that for me?”
Amos pressed his hands over his dusty tunic and nodded. “Very well, Milady, but only because ye are the laird’s wife and I cannot refuse to do your bidding. I will buy the items and have them delivered to the needy as ye requested but shall leave them nearbywhere they can find them.”
“Good. I will be going through my things in the next day or so and shall have them delivered to you for the trade. I shall send a list of the items that I wish to sell and expect an accounting when next I see you. Once I repay for the cooking items, all other coins should go toward the food and items for the ailing. My thanks, Master Amos.”
He bowed. “’Tis a pleasure, Milady, doing business with ye. I will have my lad bring the kitchen items ye asked for after I receive the goods from ye.”
“Wonderful, have them delivered to the longhouse on the island. ’Tis the farthest abode there and cannot be missed. Or ask Aymer, he shall direct you,” she said and gave a quick wave.
Back outside, Ise-Olcan barked and seemingly skipped beside her as she made her way back to the bridge. Halfway along the lane, the dog took off, and Eva assumed she was going home.
When she crossed the bridge, she saw Aymer speaking to Caden. The poor lad had his head lowered and it was apparent he was being reprimanded for his earlier jest. Eva stopped near them and waited for Aymer to cease his tirade. “Aymer, I will see to Caden now. I need you to fetch Connor for me and bring him to the longhouse. We shall spend some time there this afternoon.”
“Aye, Milady,” he said and walked away ahead of her.
She fixed her gaze on the boy. He had an expression of chagrin on his face and wouldn’t meet her gaze until she lifted his chin with her fingertips. “I heard what you did earlier.” She kept herself from laughing but, truly, it was somewhat humorous. She was sure her mirth shone in her eyes. “Let us keep you out of trouble. I need some help at the longhouse and there is something that I want to talk to you and Connor about. Come along.” Eva walked next to him and Caden was oddly quiet. Of the two brothers, he was the talker and Connor was the silent, pensive one.
But then he surprised her when he said, “Am I in trouble, Eva?”
