the money Per owed the trader, the amounts being noted by the making of marks on the stick at the time the debt was incurred. As was the custom, the stick had been split lengthwise--Rozenn had kept one half and Ketill the other.
'Father! Father! Mistress Kerber is here with her husband's money.'
Out of the corner of her eye Rozenn spotted the red-haired man with the sharp nose, seated on a bollard near the Duke's quarry ship, whittling a stick. It occurred to her that he was uncommonly interested in the conversation that Abbot Benoit was having with the ship's master, but just then Ketill bustled up with his half of the tally stick, and the red-haired man was forgotten.
'Mistress Kerber.'
With much smiling and not a little relief, Rozenn noted, on the part of the trader, she put the two sticks together. 'Here, Ben, hang on to these, while I count the money out.'
Moments later the money was counted out into Ketill's broad and callused hands. Ketill and Osgood checked the amounts marked on the tallies.
When they were satisfied. Ben shifted. 'May I?' he asked, holding the tally sticks aloft.
Ketill nodded. 'Aye, lad, you do the honours."
Ben smiled, brought his knee up and the sticks smartly down. They snapped with a crack. 'I witness that this debt is settled in full,' he said, formally.
Free at last! The relief was as heady as strong wine. Per's debts were settled, to the last penny. Rozenn's purse felt lighter, but what of it? There was enough to do one last deal with Ketill. However, it wouldn't do to look too eager...
Pointedly, she closed her purse.
'My thanks, Ketill, for your patience,' she said. And now I have one last proposition to put to you.'
'One last proposition?" The trader frowned. 'Mistress Kerber, I had thought that you and I would be doing business for years to come."
She shook her head. 'I'm afraid that's not likely. You see, I am planning to journey to England to join my brother, Sir Adam.'
At her side, Ben sucked in a breath. 'Rose--'
'And I may not return,' she continued firmly. 'I was wondering how on earth I, who cannot ride, could get there. But then I remembered that your family is based somewhere in the north of England, and that you and Osgood must return there between voyages."
Ketill's gaze had narrowed, but he smiled. 'You wish to book passage in my ship, yes?'
'Yes. For myself and, possibly, another.'
Ben had hold of her sleeve. 'England, Rose? You are serious!'
'Yes, I'm going to join Adam.' She met Ben's dark eyes steadily, but a certain intensity to his expression gave her pause. He looked pleased, excited almost--how strange. 'But, Ben, I have already told you. I had word from Adam, and he has invited Ivona and me to join him.'
'Yes, yes, I remember that, but...but you really mean to go?"
Rozenn put her hands on her hips. 'I cannot speak for Ivona, but as for me, why, yes, I intend to go. Why shouldn't I?'
Ben ran his hand through his hair and sent her a crooked grin. Yes, he was definitely pleased. 'No reason.' He took her hand and steered her away from Ketill and Osgood.
She hung back. 'Wait a minute, my business with Ketill is not concluded.'
'It is for now." A muscle twitched in his jaw, and, with Rozenn firmly in tow, Ben continued down the quay, dragging her farther from Ketill and Osgood.
'I beg your pardon!'
'We will discuss this over supper,' Ben said, marching with her towards the street that led up to her house and the White Bird at the top of the escarpment.
Ben. Sometimes he was most odd. Rozenn found herself smiling at his back before she came to her senses enough to resist his pull. 'Ben, I will have supper with you, but I must book passage and with Ketill and Osgood while they are in port. Not only are they the most trustworthy of the traders, but they live in England, where I intend to go.'
Ben came to a halt so abruptly that she ran straight into him. Instinctively, they reached to steady each other. Ben's hands slid down to hers and they stood at
'Father! Father! Mistress Kerber is here with her husband's money.'
Out of the corner of her eye Rozenn spotted the red-haired man with the sharp nose, seated on a bollard near the Duke's quarry ship, whittling a stick. It occurred to her that he was uncommonly interested in the conversation that Abbot Benoit was having with the ship's master, but just then Ketill bustled up with his half of the tally stick, and the red-haired man was forgotten.
'Mistress Kerber.'
With much smiling and not a little relief, Rozenn noted, on the part of the trader, she put the two sticks together. 'Here, Ben, hang on to these, while I count the money out.'
Moments later the money was counted out into Ketill's broad and callused hands. Ketill and Osgood checked the amounts marked on the tallies.
When they were satisfied. Ben shifted. 'May I?' he asked, holding the tally sticks aloft.
Ketill nodded. 'Aye, lad, you do the honours."
Ben smiled, brought his knee up and the sticks smartly down. They snapped with a crack. 'I witness that this debt is settled in full,' he said, formally.
Free at last! The relief was as heady as strong wine. Per's debts were settled, to the last penny. Rozenn's purse felt lighter, but what of it? There was enough to do one last deal with Ketill. However, it wouldn't do to look too eager...
Pointedly, she closed her purse.
'My thanks, Ketill, for your patience,' she said. And now I have one last proposition to put to you.'
'One last proposition?" The trader frowned. 'Mistress Kerber, I had thought that you and I would be doing business for years to come."
She shook her head. 'I'm afraid that's not likely. You see, I am planning to journey to England to join my brother, Sir Adam.'
At her side, Ben sucked in a breath. 'Rose--'
'And I may not return,' she continued firmly. 'I was wondering how on earth I, who cannot ride, could get there. But then I remembered that your family is based somewhere in the north of England, and that you and Osgood must return there between voyages."
Ketill's gaze had narrowed, but he smiled. 'You wish to book passage in my ship, yes?'
'Yes. For myself and, possibly, another.'
Ben had hold of her sleeve. 'England, Rose? You are serious!'
'Yes, I'm going to join Adam.' She met Ben's dark eyes steadily, but a certain intensity to his expression gave her pause. He looked pleased, excited almost--how strange. 'But, Ben, I have already told you. I had word from Adam, and he has invited Ivona and me to join him.'
'Yes, yes, I remember that, but...but you really mean to go?"
Rozenn put her hands on her hips. 'I cannot speak for Ivona, but as for me, why, yes, I intend to go. Why shouldn't I?'
Ben ran his hand through his hair and sent her a crooked grin. Yes, he was definitely pleased. 'No reason.' He took her hand and steered her away from Ketill and Osgood.
She hung back. 'Wait a minute, my business with Ketill is not concluded.'
'It is for now." A muscle twitched in his jaw, and, with Rozenn firmly in tow, Ben continued down the quay, dragging her farther from Ketill and Osgood.
'I beg your pardon!'
'We will discuss this over supper,' Ben said, marching with her towards the street that led up to her house and the White Bird at the top of the escarpment.
Ben. Sometimes he was most odd. Rozenn found herself smiling at his back before she came to her senses enough to resist his pull. 'Ben, I will have supper with you, but I must book passage and with Ketill and Osgood while they are in port. Not only are they the most trustworthy of the traders, but they live in England, where I intend to go.'
Ben came to a halt so abruptly that she ran straight into him. Instinctively, they reached to steady each other. Ben's hands slid down to hers and they stood at
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