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“What do they want?” he asks.

“Most won’t tell me, others are just stupid things,” he replies. “One woman wanted you to remove a wart and another is sure that someone has put a curse on him.”

“A curse?” asks Illan, amused.

“Yes, a curse,” replies Jorry. “He claims that his continued losing at cards is due to a curse. I told him it’s probably just that he’s no good. He didn’t like that and told me so in not very friendly words.”

“I’m sorry you guys have to put up with that,” he says. “Maybe when the word spreads that I don’t see anyone, then they’ll go away.”

“I hope so,” Jorry sighs. “If not, I’d like a shack or something out there we can relax in. Now’s not too bad, but in the winter, it could get bad out there.”

They eat in silence for a while, each digesting what’s been said. Suddenly from outside, they hear the sound of wagons rolling toward the house. Uther gets up and goes out to the front room and shortly his voice can be heard as he says, “Delia’s back.”

Jiron gets up and hurries out, Tersa right behind.

James finishes another bite and then says to Ezra as he indicates his plate, “I’m not finished yet.” Then he gets up and goes out to meet them as well. He finds Delia and Tersa giving each other a hug in welcome. Shorty is getting down from where he’d been driving the wagon and Scar, Potbelly and Stig are dismounting from their horses.

“I told you we’d make it here by dark!” he can hear Potbelly say to Scar.

“Alright, here,” Scar says as he hands over several coins.

“How’s the trading business?” James asks Delia when he approaches.

“Not as good as I’d hoped,” she tells him. “But I’m just starting out and have no contacts. Few will trust me with their loads, but give me time and I’ll win them over.”

“I’m sure you will,” he says. “We’ve just sat down to dinner. You’re welcome to share with us.”

“That’s okay,” she says. “I doubt if Ezra had planned on so many, we’ll just eat our own food tonight. Though tomorrow morning we’ll take advantage of her cooking before we set out.”

“Leaving so soon?” he asks.

“Afraid so,” she tells him. “The merchant we dropped the shipment off to in Wurt has commissioned another one to Bearn. And of course it needs to be there yesterday so we haven’t any time to dally.”

“I understand,” he says sympathetically. “The customer comes first.”

“At least now that I’m trying to make a name for myself,” she says.

“Thanks for sending Shorty with the letter and the crystals,” he says.

“You’re welcome,” she replies. “I knew you were looking for them and there was no need for you to wait because of some impatient merchant.”

“I appreciate that,” he says. “I know you’ve got things to do, so come on in once everything gets settled.”

“I will,” she tells him.

He hears Jiron and Tersa catching up on things with Stig and the others as he walks back to the house. When he enters the kitchen, Ezra looks to him with a slightly strained expression. “Don’t worry,” he says, “they’re not coming to dinner.”

“We might have enough,” she says as the tension begins to leave her.

Shaking his head, he tells her, “Delia knows you haven’t planned for them and doesn’t want to drop in at the last minute with so many mouths. She said they’ll fix their own but will be looking forward to some of your cooking before they pull out in the morning.”

Relief now evident on her face, she nods and says, “They’ll not be disappointed.”

Next to her, Roland pats her on the hand and says, “I’m sure they won’t be.”

James sits back down and finishes his meal. Jiron and Tersa never make it back in by the time he’s done and Ezra is ready to clear the table. He tells her to go ahead, that they’ll not likely be back to finish.

He goes out to the front room and sits in his favorite chair by the window as he watches them finish getting the horses and wagons set for the night. Roland comes in and builds a fire in the fireplace in anticipation of the cool of evening. Even though it gets hot here in the day, after the sun goes down, it