“Surely ye willnae buy herbs at the start of the fair,” Scarlett said, placing a hand on her hip as she came to a halt. “We shall have to carry them about all day.”
Edith pouted. “Ye refuse me?” she asked, holding a hand to her chest in a dramatic gesture. “Even after I have just passed the physical examination?”
“Och.”
“Now, I shall have to make ye buy me herbs.” She grabbed Scarlett’s hand. It was her turn to drag her friend to any cart of her choosing.
They stopped in front of a flower cart, and Scarlett’s eyes widened in surprise at the beautiful display.
“Gracious…” She turned to face Edith. “These are beautiful.”
A satisfied smile spread across Edith’s face. “They arenae just beautiful,” she said, slipping into her element. “Do ye ken that almost all of these can make very potent brews?”
Scarlett’s brows rose. “Truly?”
“Aye.”
Edith named every flower that her friend touched, explaining its benefits. Even the cart owner looked very impressed.
Soon, the flower cart became a small center of attraction. Young girls gathered to watch her talk, dragging their mothers along and coaxing them into buying flowers.
“Ye should have any flower ye want,” the cart owner said at last. “’Tis me gift to ye, ladies.”
Edith beamed. She picked a bouquet of wild lavender—her favorite plant—and Scarlett chose roses, their soft, graceful petals suiting her perfectly.
They walked through the fair some more, running into Violet before they found the men under the shade of a tree, surrounded by a group of children.
Where is Aaron?
Edith’s eyes sought him before she’d even realized it, but she did not allow herself to dwell on thoughts of him. Instead, she focused her attention on the entertainment in front of her.
Caelan, it turned out, had a particular talent for delighting children. Within moments of arriving at the green, he found himself surrounded by a small crowd of them, all clamoring for his attention with the fearless enthusiasm only children possessed.
He lifted one onto his shoulders, spun the wee lad until he shrieked with delight, then set him down to scoop up another.
Edith laughed at the commotion as the children scrambled to be next. Beside her, Violet watched with a soft, unguarded smile.
“He would make a good faither,” she murmured, more to herself than to anyone.
Edith glanced at her, something warm settling in her chest. “Aye,” she said thoughtfully. “That one… I can see ye with.”
Violet’s cheeks flushed. “Mr. O’Keif?”
“Aye.”
“He would never look at me twice,” Violet said, though there was something hopeful beneath the dismissal, something she could not quite hide.
Edith opened her mouth to argue, but she had already crushed the girl’s hopes once.
’Tis better if I daenae interfere.
At that moment, Aaron emerged from somewhere beyond the fields. His demeanor was different now, his expression considerably softer than it had been all morning.
He took a child from Caelan’s shoulders and, lifting him easily, spun him once before setting him down. He laughed with the children as they flocked to him, spinning them in circles.
Edith stared at him in surprise. She had never seen him as light and free.
He crouched slightly to speak to a boy, and something in her chest stirred as she watched the interaction.
