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“Just don’t do anything that would tear open those stitches.”
“Have no fear. It hurts enough before I even get to that point.”
Mair was home from the market and unloading her cart when Elwyn arrived at the dairy. Before Elwyn even reached her, Mair said, “Now, you have to tell me why you need men’s clothing.” She grabbed Elwyn’s arm and marched her into the house.
“Well, remember what you said about men falling out of the sky and into your garden?”
“That didn’t happen!”
“I doubt he fell from the sky, but I did find him in my garden. He’d been injured, and I patched him up, but his shirt was torn and bloody.”
“What happened to him? Where did he come from? And, most important, is he handsome?”
“I don’t know what happened, and neither does he. That’s the odd thing. He doesn’t remember who he is, but he doesn’t have a head injury. As for handsome, I suppose he might be, especially when he smiles.”
Mair grinned. “It sounds like you’ve claimed him, then, if you’re noticing his smile.”
“It’s a nice smile,” Elwyn admitted, feeling her face grow warm.
“I suppose I’ll have to wait for the next man who falls out of the sky.” Mair led her up the stairs to one of the rooms, which looked disused. The mattress on the bed was bare. Mair opened a chest and dug around, then handed Elwyn a shirt. “Do you think this would fit?”
Elwyn held the shirt against herself and said, “I think so.” Then, hoping she wasn’t getting into painful territory, she said tentatively, “You never mentioned a brother.”
“He’s been gone a long time. Like so much of the rest of the village.”
Elwyn couldn’t tell if that meant he’d left or was dead, or something else, but Mair looked uncharacteristically serious, so she dropped the subject.
“Does he need other clothes?”
“All he has is a shirt and breeches. He was wearing armor over that.”
“Armor? Really? So a knight in shining armor with a nice smile landed in your garden. Some women have all the luck.”
“I’m not sure I’d call it lucky, since I don’t know who he is. He may be a terrible person. Or he may have a family back home.”
“And you’re alone in your house with him?”
“Well, not entirely alone. And he’s not moving very quickly, so I think I’m perfectly safe for the time being. If he hasn’t regained his memory by the time he’s healed, I may suggest that he find a house in the village to move into.”
“That sounds like a good plan. Then he’ll be fair game for the rest of us. Here are some breeches and a jacket. Oh, and he’ll want clean socks.” She handed a bundle of clothing to Elwyn.
“Thank you.”
“It’s not as though anyone was using them, but there’s been no one to give them to.” Mair grinned. “Maybe whatever it is that draws people here heard my pleas and has started bringing us men.”
“I’m more concerned with what happened near enough to the village that a wounded man was able to make it to my cottage.”
“Is that why you asked me about hearing something?”
“I don’t think he was hurt in my garden, but the person who hurt him may be close by. My patient couldn’t have gone far in his condition.”
“That is troubling.”
“I’d best get back to him. Thank you for the clothes. And since we don’t know who might be looking for him, I’d appreciate it if we could keep this between us.”
“Your secret is safe with me. Mostly because I have no one to talk to other than you and Lucina.”
“And everyone else in the market.”
