But he didn’t move from the door.
As Kevin kept watch of Gethin’s hired men, and the hired men kept watch of Kevin, Juliandra began the inspection of the goods that had come from France. She knew that the men with weapons were posturing suspiciously around her, but she was more interested in the contents of the seven large trunks.
Truth be told, if she wanted to escape, she could have – she could have let her father’s men attack Kevin while she ran away, but that wouldn’t do her father any good. As much as she wanted to get away, she had to behave herself if she was to obtain her father’s freedom.
Sadly, an escape was out, but somehow, there was more to not wanting to escape than simply holding to a bargain with an English knight. It was Kevin himself that might have been holding her back.
Might.
Perhaps she simply didn’t want the man to think badly of her, or perhaps she might have liked talking to him.
At the moment, she wasn’t entirely certain.
But she couldn’t dwell on it. She began pulling items out of the trunks as Kymbal gathered his vellum and ink, preparing to take inventory. Three of the trunks were fabric – all kinds of fabric, while the fourth trunk contained neatly stacked baskets of things like combs, ribbons, thread, and the like. The fifth and sixth trunks contained dresses that were already made – loosely basted, to be finished by the woman who would purchase the garment and refined to her figure.
The premade garments weren’t unusual in larger cities, but they were quite a novelty on the Marches. For Juliandra, they were a godsend because it meant she could have something to wear without having to go to the trouble of making dresses herself.
Juliandra spent a great deal of time going through every single garment, and there were twenty-seven of them. She finally settled on a total of seven, setting them aside while she hunted for thread to match so she could finish them herself. She also gathered up other necessities, including hose, ribbons, combs, soap, and the oils she so dearly loved. The last trunk that had been brought from France contained soaps, oils, and perfumes, and she had her pick of the latest.
The collection of items and the inspection of her father’s latest shipment went on through the morning. By that time, the tension had died down between Kevin and Gethin’s men, and Kevin simply stood by the rear door, watching Juliandra as she wandered in and out of the shop, both checking inventory and gathering what she needed.
In truth, he couldn’t seem to watch anything else.
Kevin hadn’t been around Juliandra enough to have time to simply observe the woman. Other than watching her sing when she first appeared at Wybren, he hadn’t had time to really study her, but now he was. He watched her fluid movements and her beautiful hands, which she used frequently to gesture with when she spoke. He was trying not to stare, but it was difficult.
The more he watched her, the more intrigued he became.
Intrigued with the woman he had lied to.
He had to keep reminding himself of that, a reminder not to fall victim to his weakness of finding her attractive. He had to admit that she was someone who easily had his attention, in all aspects, and it didn’t take him long to realize his heart was racing again. It probably had been ever since he took her off her horse and brought her into the shop.
A simple merchant’s daughter.
But his reaction to her wasn’t so simple – and it was growing worse, which left him feeling unbalanced, and Bannon’s words kept coming back to him –
What’s going to happen when she finds out you lied to her about her father?
He didn’t have an answer.
As the morning dragged on, he was growing restless, becoming anxious to leave. Juliandra was discussing the contents of the new trunks with Kymbal, directing him to put them on sale. Meanwhile, she’d had one of the soldiers bring out a smaller trunk to pack her new items in, and she was doing so carefully when Kevin came up behind her.
“Are you ready to depart?” he asked quietly.
She glanced up at him, shielding her eyes from the sun overhead. “I am,” she said. “I believe I have everything I need.”
“Good,” he said. “Seal up the trunk and I shall have Cal carry it for you.”
Juliandra did as she was told. As Kevin bent over it to pick it up, she turned to Kymbal.
“I am not entirely certain when my father will be returning,” she said, trying not to side-eye Kevin. “Soon, I hope, but meanwhile, you must keep close watch on everything. If my father has not returned by the beginning of the next month, you have my permission to pay his men their usual wages.”
Kymbal looked at her curiously. “You will not do it?”
She shook her head. “Nay,” she said. Finally, she had to look at Kevin, unsure what to tell the old man and looking for some suggestions. “I… that is to say, I am…”
“The lady and her father are my guests at the moment,” Kevin said without hesitation. “In the interest of peace on the Marches, we have established an alliance and they are my guests, which means they will not have the time to come to Pool frequently. If you need to send word to the lady or her father, send it to Wybren Castle. Meanwhile, you are expected to maintain the integrity of your lord’s business, as you have so aptly been doing all these years. The lady seems to have a good deal of trust in you, so do not break that bond.”
Both Juliandra and Kymbal were looking at Kevin in both shock and surprise – Juliandra with shock that Kevin should actually tell Kymbal what was going on, however cleverly he had phrased it, and Kymbal with surprise to know that his liege was allied with a Saesneg. As far as he knew, Gethin had no love for the Saesneg. But then again, Gethin ap Garreg didn’t much have love for anything except his daughter.
With that in mind, the old man simply nodded.
“Thank you, my lord,” he said. “I will.”
Kevin didn’t want to give the man the opportunity to ask more questions, so he simply turned away, heaving Juliandra’s trunk onto one broad shoulder. Taking the lady by the wrist, he led her out of the shop where another knight and the horses awaited.
As Kymbal watched them ride off down the street, there were many questions in his sharp, old mind, but questions that would evidently have to wait for answers.
It was a curious situation, indeed.
CHAPTER NINE
The dress was going to be quite fetching.
After returning from Pool, Juliandra spent a good deal of time unloading the trunk and organizing the contents. While she’d been away, the servants had stripped the bed she’d slept on, including the mattress, and she had been told that everything was being washed and the mattress restuffed. Therefore, she had been greeted with a barren bedframe in the center of that massive gatehouse chamber.
With her return to Wybren, and knowing that she was going to have to make the best of her situation, she focused on her new clothing and on the broken-down wardrobe. She had pulled out all of the smelly, old clothing and put them aside, while keeping some of the more expensive pieces that simply needed to be cleaned or mended, or both. One of the items was a glorious leather robe, sleeveless, with a fur lining, and although it was too long for her, it would make a wonderfully warm cover on cold nights.
She wondered how many of those cold nights were in store for her.