Page 40 of Fortress of Snow

“Oh. That is very kind. I just have two stops to make first.” They led their horses by their bridles through the streets until they came to a tiny wattle-and-daub house, half-hidden by a much larger three-story home down a side street.

Mazy knocked on the door and a little boy opened it, dressed only in a ragged oversized shirt.

“Can you take this to your mother?” Mazy handed him a bag of the leftover food from her stall—bread and pasties, mostly.

The little boy took it from her hand and turned and yelled, “Mama! Mazy brought bread!”

Mazy walked back to Sir Berenger, smiling inside at the little one’s enthusiasm.

“Oh, Mazy! Thank you,” the mother called out from the doorway.

Mazy turned and said, “You are very welcome. I hope you all are in good health.”

“Thank you, thank you! Yes, yes. How are you?”

“Very well.” Mazy could see the woman staring past her at Sir Berenger, who was holding their horses. She waved fare well to the woman and hurried away.

“Who was that?” Sir Berenger asked.

“Althea. She is a widow with seven children. I often bringher my leftover bread and pasties. I don’t like to sell day-old goods, so...” She shrugged.

“That is very kind of you. I’m sure you are helping her a great deal.”

“It makes me happy to think that I am.”

When she glanced up at him a few moments later, Sir Berenger was still looking at her with a strangely intense but gentle look, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite speak.

Afraid she would be embarrassed by what he might say, she said, “Now I need to lock up the rest of the things in the back room of the alehouse where I live. It is not far.”

Finally he spoke. “You impress me very much with your generosity.”

“Because I give away food that I cannot sell? That is not so generous.”

“How do you even know that woman?”

“It is a long story.”

“Tell me.” His head was bent close to hers.

“I saw her walking through the market one day with all her children. I could tell the children were hungry by the way they looked at the pasties I had on display, so I gave them some food and asked their names. I found out that one of her children was sick and she was looking for some remedy for her. So I asked where she lived and went there the next day to look in on the child and to take them some more food. Now I go every few days. I have two other widows I give leftover food to as well. There are a lot of poor people in London.”

“I can imagine.” Sir Berenger’s brows drew together, and they walked in silence until she reached home.

She unlocked the back door with a key, remembering why they had started locking the door, how she had found a robber there one day after finishing at the market.

Once inside, they unloaded the packs from her horse’s back and left them in the storage space and locked the door again. She then installed her horse at the livery stable next door.

“I suppose I should tell Ro and her father that I am going somewhere with you so she won’t be worried if I’m a little late.”

“Of course.”

They went around the front of the alehouse and he waited for her while she went inside the Swan.

Mazy searched the smoky alehouse for Ro before catching a glimpse of her bending over a barrel of ale. Thomas Sadler was standing close to his daughter and caught sight of Mazy.

“You’re back.”

Mazy approached and said, “I’m going out again. I didn’t want you to worry about me, but I’m going to the Sword and Shield for supper.”