Page 71 of Promises to Keep

Kaitlyn asked, “What is it?”

“I canna think, let me…” I climbed ontae the small flatbed which had barely enough room for my arse, and tucked the bags I carried under my arms. The cart started tae go, leaving Kaitlyn standing on the road, laughing with her hands out, feigning incredulity.

I tugged on the driver’s coat, “Och nae! Ma femme!”

He pulled the horse tae a stop and Kaitlyn jogged up. I patted my thigh and she climbed ontae m’lap. “Hold on, mo reul-iuil, tis gonna be a bump—”

The horse began tae move and the cart lurched forward, the cask splashed against my back.

“Anguilles… what dost ye think is in the cask?” The cart bounced and was more uncomfortable than a swayback mule and barely faster than our feet.

She said, “I don’t know, but hold on,” she twisted, holding on around my neck, and pried the lid up. “Oh my god, Magnus! It’s writhing!” She dropped the lid.

“Och I ken the word — tis eels.”

She wretched.

The cart hit a pothole and more water splashed down my back. She said, “Oh my god, what if one jumps out and gets on us!”

I joked, “I regret every decision I hae ever made.”

* * *

We were let off at the gates of a large bustling market, streets and streets of vendors, baskets full of food, carts everywhere.

Kaitlyn put her hands on her hips. “Thisought to be enough food for you.”

We brushed each other off. Our route had taken us through busy city streets. I used the edge of m’shirt tae wipe black exhaust and dirty grime from her face. “Och nae, I daena ken if tis better, ye look like a chimney sweep.”

“You do too, and you smell like the ocean.” She wretched again.

I said, “Mistakes were made, thankfully Lady Mairead inna here tae see us.”

We walked intae the market.

I scoped around tae see if we were being followed or watched, I felt edgy bein’ out in the open, with a hungry pit in my stomach.

We came tae a table where we purchased a loaf of bread with some spreadable soft cheese and then at another table I bought a pile of sliced beef. Soon enough we had full stomachs and a bottle of wine tucked under my arm for later. I asked for directions and then we strolled in that direction.

We arrived as the sun went high and it grew hot.

We stood on the top step in front of Lady Mairead’s door. I joked, “Add tae our general look of uncleanliness, the stench, and we are verra ill-prepared tae appear on Lady Mairead’s doorstep.” I banged on the door.

Nae answer.

There was a window beside her door, we peered in and up the stairs, but twas dark inside. Below us was a gallery at street level, we looked through the window, it was dusty and looked unused.

CHAPTER 36 - MAGNUS

“Watch for trouble.” I dropped our bags tae the stoop, dug through one tae pull out a piece of cloth. I wrapped it around m’hand, then with m’back tae the street, I punched the glass pane. I pulled jagged pieces free of the frame, and dropped them tae the ground. I reached in and opened the door.

“She is going to kill you.”

“Aye.” I ushered Kaitlyn in. “I am still trying tae decide if I ought tae risk rescuing her, perhaps I ought tae leave her be, twould be safer.” I closed the door behind us then we went up the darkened stair tae her sitting room. The furniture was covered in sheets, the curtains were pulled, there was an eerie dust-filled, dim grayness over the luxuriously furnished room. “She haena been here in a while.” I ran m’finger through the dust upon her secretary desk and began searchin’ through the drawers.

Kaitlyn said, “It seems disrespectful to rifle through her things.”

“I agree,” I flipped through some old bank statements. “But I daena see how else tae find her. At first I just wanted tae live up tae my promise, now I am certain she is in trouble. I need tae find her.”

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