Page 37 of Sweet Mead for Lady Martine

“You’ll die from not knowing how to relax,” continued Uncle Joe. “You are following in your father’s footsteps.”

“Mayhap I am, but it is my job to do so now that Father is gone.”

“You have another responsibility as well.”

“What are you suggesting?” asked David. “That I take the day off when we’ve already lost our inn and I’m trying desperately to get it back? Because if so, I’d never do that.”

“Neither did your father,” Uncle Joe mumbled under his breath.

“Where’s Mother?” asked David, looking around the room. “I didn’t see her in the living quarters this morning and neither was she in the kitchen.”

“She’s gone. She left early this morning for the alehouse,” Joe told him. “Cecelia went with her. We’re low on wine and ale and might not even have enough to make it through the night.”

“What?” David’s head snapped upward. “Already?”

“It was that crowd we had on the stormy night,” said Dirk, talking as he chewed with his mouth open. “They drank a lot.”

“For drinking so much, I don’t see enough coin here.” David ran his hand through the coins in the money box, the metal pieces clicking together.

“Dirk gave away a lot of drinks that night,” Joe told him.

“I had to!” Dirk finished chewing and swallowed. “The customers were angry and I had to appease them so they wouldn’t fight. You know how everything gets busted when fights break out.”

“I suppose that was a good idea,” answered David. “Fighting would only ruin more of our belongings and that would cost more to replace in the long run.”

“I’m sure the girls will be back soon,” said Joe.

David looked up from his work. “I don’t want Cecelia hauling those heavy barrels. She’s pregnant! We don’t want her to go into labor early and have another situation on our hands like we did with Lady Sage.”

“Nay, no one wants that,” agreed Dirk.

“Cecelia and Mother can’t load the cart by themselves. Why didn’t you go with them to help, Dirk?”

“Didn’t know they were going.” Dirk poured himself a big cup of ale to wash down the bread he’d devoured.

“Never mind.” David snapped shut the ledger and put it back behind the counter. Then he took a handful of coins from the box, putting the box and ledger back in the secret compartment behind the drink board, being sure to lock it. “I’ll go to the alehouse and load the barrels myself. You two clean up the tavern and check the rooms upstairs while you’re at it. Any paying guest needs to either leave before we open for business or pay for another night.”

“We have no guests,” said Joe. “Just one customer of Cinnamon’s and he hasn’t come downstairs yet.”

“Then clean everything else for now. I don’t want this place looking filthy when Martine arrives.”

“This isn’t a castle, it’s a goddamn tavern, David,” said Joe. “You can’t expect so much out of us.”

“I’ll take care of Lady Martine while you’re gone, don’t worry,” said Dirk with a loud belch.

David donned his cloak. “Tell her that I’ll be back soon. Be sure not to let her leave to look for me. She’s under our protection now and needs to stay here. The roads are filled with thieves and cutthroats. We’ve made a promise for her safety and we need to keep it.”

David headed out the door and to the stables for his horse. He should have sent Dirk to the alehouse since Martine would be there soon, but David needed to do this. Dirk wasn’t good with bartering or making deals for good prices. David needed to haggle with the alewives today because what he wanted was more than just wine or ale. What he wanted was important. Not to him, but to Lady Martine.

“My lady. Enter.” Dirk stood at the open door to the tavern, extending an inviting arm as Martine dismounted her horse. Dexter, the castle guard ran over to help her.

“I’m fine, Dexter. I don’t need help to dismount, but thank you.” Martine, much like her cousin Raven, preferred to do things for herself.

It was a cold but sunny day, almost making her forget it was winter. Excitement coursed through her because she knew David was inside. Martine couldn’t wait to see him again.

“May I take your horse, my lady?” A boy ran out from the stables to collect it.

Martine wasn’t sure if this was someone who worked for David, or if the boy was a thief, just pretending to stable her horse when he really planned to steal it.