Days of Air and Darkness - Katharine Kerr [43]
“Far too late,” Jill said, thankful that she was lying about this supposed pregnancy. “They’ll never take me back now.”
“Well, my heart aches for you, lass, but you waded into this mucky river, and now you’ll just have to dry your own clothes. You lasses! Ye gods! Thinking you can roll around with any man who takes your fancy and not have to give the Goddess the tribute she demands. Lasses weren’t like this in my day, they weren’t. We knew the right side of the blanket from the wrong one. Now, it’s a nasty impious thing you’re thinking of, and even if I could do a thing about it, I wouldn’t, and neither would any honest woman, neither. You’d best get yourself to the temple and beg the priestesses to do something about that man of yours. No doubt he’ll try to run out on you, but our gwerbret will put a stop to that if the holy ladies ask him. Lasses! Ye gods, didn’t you think?”
Jill hastily rose and began babbling something about having to leave. The old woman followed and caught a startled Rhodry by the arm.
“You’d best do the right thing by this lass and marry her, Silver Dagger,” she announced. “Maybe she was stupid, but you lads are the scum of the earth, getting lasses with child and then riding on again. You had the fun of getting the baby, and now you’d best turn your hand to supporting it.”
This tirade was attracting quite a crowd. The cheese seller strolled over, the egg woman hurried up—everywhere folk stopped and turned to listen. When a scarlet-faced Rhodry tried to stammer out some excuse, the crowd snickered and grinned. A couple of stout older men, one of them quite well-dressed in the checked brigga of a merchant, trotted over and made the old women bows.
“Now what’s this, Gwedda?” the merchant said. “Has this lad dishonored this poor lass?”
“He has, and now she’s with child. You men! A rotten pack, all of you.”
“I’m going to marry her!” Rhodry squealed. “I swear it! Come on, Jill!”
Rhodry grabbed her arm and dragged her along as he shoved their way through the snickering crowd. Once they got clear of the market square, they ran all the way back to their inn. As soon as they got into the refuge of the dark, smoky tavern room, Rhodry grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.
“You and your ideas! You might have warned me!”
“I figured you wouldn’t have gone along with it if you’d known.”
“Cursed right! All I want now is to get out of here. Everyone’s going to be smirking every time we walk out on the streets.”
“There’s still the bounty. We can’t just ride away from it.”
Rhodry groaned. Jill was about to say somewhat soothing when she noticed a little boy, wearing torn brigga and the sleeveless remains of a shirt, hovering in the doorway. Thinking he was a hungry beggar child, she went over to offer him a copper. He took it tight in one grubby fist and looked her over with solemn dark eyes.
“Be you that lass who was in the market? The one they was laughing at?”
“I am. What do you think about that?”
“Naught. My Gram said that she wagers she could help you.”
“Oh, does she now?” Jill knelt down to look him in the face. “And who is your Gram?”
“Just my Gram. She lives on our farm. She said I should find you, like, and tell you.”
“Ah, I see. And where is your farm?”
“Not far. She’s gone back with the wagon. Do you want to come back with me?”
“I do, and here, I’ve got a horse. You can ride it, too.”
The boy grinned to reveal missing front teeth. Jill supposed that he was too young even to know what kind of errand he was running. She told him to wait and hurried back to Rhodry, who was less than pleased at the thought of her going off alone.
“I don’t want to alarm old Gram,” Jill said. “Besides, usually this kind of woman won’t speak in front of a man. Let’s not put her off. She’s the only clue we’ve got so far.”
“Oh, well and good, then. But don’t drink whatever it is that she brews up for you, will you? The Lord of Hell only knows what it’ll do to you.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve a plan in mind.”
Jill saddled up her horse, lifted the boy up