Davie the Mage (Generations of Eredwynn Book 2) by Daniel B. Harris Page A

here tonight?”
                  “Having the two of you sleep here is just fine. This bed is large enough for a small army and if you’ll notice, my husband is already drifting off. So, goodnight to everyone and I’ll see you in the morning!”
                  There were goodnights said all around and I even managed a sleepy goodnight, too.
     
                  The next morning I woke and dressed quickly. I rushed downstairs to the staff area and let them know the situation and that we’d have an extra twenty guests indefinitely. The kitchen instantly went into overdrive. I told them that if they needed to purchase any supplies to let me know and I’d get whatever funds were needed.
                  After breakfast, my hero James showed up with new employees for the castle. He brought a lady named Ewayn to work as the scribe and treasurer. He knew how bad the regent had left our financial business and had discussed it with her. He also brought a man named Lambin to be the Chamberlain. He would help with the house staff and work with Ewayn to get everything situated in our pitiful financial department. They were given side-by-side offices in the keep proper. Both offices had very nice apartments attached to the back and they said they would be perfectly content. Before we left, I let Ewayn know about the staff’s pay raise and said that I wanted it to stay that way unless situations dictated otherwise. I gave her the key to the vault and wished them both luck. James said that they had both been out of work when he’d approached them and that they had jumped at the chance.
                  James and I made our way out of the castle and down to the construction site. The workmen had started at first light and were in full swing. Ribs of three small ships were taking shape with the help of some magical woodcarving. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits and the work was going quickly. Alec had raised the rock on the beach so it could be used to anchor the dock to the shore. They were building a sort of box, with two fingers of the dock going out into the ocean thirty yards apart, and they would be connected at the ends to each other. James explained that it would make it easier for boats to unload across the dock into the square center, which would be secured all around by nets. There were also smaller unloading areas for independent fisherman who would want to keep their catch and pay, separate from the province-owned fisheries.
                  After a little over an hour, several tables were brought out for food and drink for the workmen. The tables were cared for by close to two dozen very happy young ladies. James asked, “Are all of those girls from the raid last night?”
                  “Most of them are. You can pick mine out of the crowd. You wouldn’t even recognize the rescued girls from the girls who were brought here. When they arrived they were in very poor shape with tattered clothes, bodies and spirits.”
                  James nodded. “My mother told me the conditions they’d found when they were searching the castle. The man had girls shackled in the dungeon and locked in their rooms. The two Halfling girls that were brought to me to return home told me horror stories that I didn’t want to believe. I got them home first thing this morning and it was a very happy reunion.”
                  “I don’t know what I’ll do with them all but as long as they are pitching in and willing to work, I can’t see putting them out. Lia says I’m too tenderhearted but I think that if people can help, they should. I think Amber has already adopted four of them as consorts. She’s almost as bad as Star when it comes to adopting strays. I know that my mother will be thrilled about it because it will increase the chances of grandchildren for her to spoil.”
                  James laughed,