Free The Winter Love by April Munday Page A

“I feared you at first, but I knew soon enough that you meant me no harm.”
    Henry smiled and Eleanor smiled back.
    “It is time for us to collect Solomon and go. We will stay at Edward’s house tonight, then we will go to Abbot’s Ridge tomorrow.”
    Although she would have preferred to stay on deck and watch all the ac tivity, Eleanor went with Henry. As she stepped onto the quay, she remembered that Edward’s promise had now expired.
     
    Henry led Solomon through the narrow streets and Eleanor walked at his side. It was not far to Edward’s house, but Eleanor found her feet dragging as she turned constantly to look at each new sight.
    They had passed through a narrow gate, squeezing through with heavily-laden carts and men carrying sacks. Behind the gate the road wound up a short incline and onto a slightly wider street crowded with merchants’ houses. Eleanor looked up at the brightly-coloured signs that hung above them, telling what was traded in the rooms below. The fronts of the houses were open to give access to customers and Eleanor could see the myriad wares being sold. What a wealthy place this must be. Many of these things must come from far over the sea, for she didn’t even recognise them. Henry answered her first few questions, then he started identifying things for her without her asking. Long before they reached Edward’s house, she had to ask him to stop, for she couldn’t take it all in. It was not just the shops and their goods that fascinated her, but also the people they passed in the street. There were so many of them and they were all, it seemed to her, richly dressed. When she saw a man walking with a falcon on his arm she turned to Henry, “This must be a very big, very wealthy town.”
    “Not so big. It used to be bigger and wealthier and more people lived here, but the French raided it when I was a child and so much was destroyed that many of the people who survived just ran away and never came back. Where we’re walking now was burnt to the ground. Even the churches...well, it was a very bad time.”
    “Did you live here then?”
    “No. We were at Abbot’s Ridge. Some of those who ran away ran to us and we brought food for those who survived a few days later. I came with my father and my older brother. By then the bodies had started to rot for there were too few people left to bury them all. The French had killed as many animals as they could, as well. They destroyed everything they could.” He stopped and Eleanor wondered how many such sights he had seen in his time as a soldier. “Anyway, it’s a wonder it’s as big as it is.”
    “Trade,” Eleanor guessed.
    “Yes,” said Henry, “but the cost of protecting that trade is very high. There, that’s Edward’s house.”
    He pointed to a house where t he sign of a wine barrel hung above yet another shop that opened onto the street. A customer was inside tasting some wine. He raised his cup to them as he saw them, then turned back to the young man who was assisting him. The young man waved at Henry and smiled shyly at Eleanor.
    Edward was already there, directing the unloading of a cart. His servants we re also in the street receiving his orders. Edward turned to greet them as they arrived.
    “Welcome to my home.” He spread his arms expansively. “I have to spend the night on board, so Henry will sleep alone in my room and Sister Margaret can sleep in the other room. You will find the bed more comfortable than the floor of my cabin.”
    Eleanor wondered for a moment whether he knew that she had shared his bed with his brother for the last two nights, but decided he did not. She turned to Henry and saw that he was angry at his brother’s words. She changed her mind; Edward must know that they had shared the bed and Henry knew it.
    “I slept well enough, thank you. I have known much worse.” It was useless to add that she would have been happy to sleep on the floor. Henry’s seasickness obviously diminished him in