Rose dragged through the heavy snow, still wondering why her parents suddenly had this bright idea. The comforting prospect was that at least the snow on the roads wasn't as thick as the snow in her front yard.
Rose imagined how ridiculous she must look, swallowed up by the big black coat as she trudged toward the market.
The journey took longer than needed, not because of the snow but because she took her time looking around. Even though Rose would never admit it, her parents were right that she needed to get out of the house.
The snow formed a huge blanket over houses and people's yards. Some had tried to clear it as best as they could, but it didn't dent the mountain of snow.
Rose reckoned they would still have to deal with at least another month of this much snow before things might start to get a little warmer.
She saw the door of a house burst open as two children, a boy and a girl, ran out and jumped onto the snow. Their mother, who rushed after them, didn't seem very pleased about this as she scolded and dragged them back into the house.
Rose chuckled as she walked on. She had been quite a handful when she was younger. It didn't help that her mother couldn't easily run after her. She smiled at the memory. It had been a while since she thought about her childhood, but recently she kept recalling long-ago memories.
Rose eventually got to the entrance of the market. She slowed down but didn't enter, as she planned to head to the merchant's house first.
The snow on the path towards the market wasn't as thick, and Rose wondered if it had been cleared, but the roads were frozen and slightly slippery.
The market was busy, but Rose wasn't surprised. The whole town had been locked in their houses during the storm, and now that the storm was over and the sun was out, they could step out.
Rose heard a sound and jumped out of the way just as a carriage went by. It had come from the marketplace. If she had been any slower, the carriage would have hit her.
She put a palm to her chest, her grip on the basket tight. Her heart was still beating fast from the narrow escape when the carriage stopped abruptly. Rose's heart, already racing, began to pound harder.
She had a weird feeling as she remembered when the crown prince had stopped her right in front of the marketplace. Perhaps it was too soon to head out. It wasn't as if they needed anything. If she kept carefully using the foodstuffs as they had, they should have enough food for at least another two or three weeks.
Her next thought was to bolt into the market, but it was too late, as the coachman was rushing off the carriage while looking in her direction. Rose held the basket with both hands as she stood rooted to the spot.
He rudely gestured for her to come to him, and Rose looked around her to confirm it couldn't be anyone else. When she looked back at the coachman, he was angrily stomping his feet as he started to approach her.
Rose said a silent prayer as she walked forward. She didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself, nor did she want to incur the wrath of whoever was in the carriage.
It was a black carriage with the baron's symbol on it; Rose didn't have to rack her head to figure out whose carriage it was. She winced as she tried to figure out what the baron wanted with her.
She met the coachman halfway and he glared at her, looking her up and down.
"Milady wants ye," he said, still glaring at her.
Rose's eyes widened. She didn't know if this was better or worse. What could the baron's wife possibly want with her?
"Why?" she heard herself ask, and the coachman glared at her some more.
"Don't ask questions."
Rose nodded and walked right to the carriage, just as the thick curtains that covered it were swung to the side and a head peeked out.
Rose blinked twice as she laid eyes on the baron's wife. She had heard rumors and vague descriptions of her, but this was the first time she would ever see her.
The baron's wife looked young with her small hat and dainty gloves. There was an innocent look to her face, but Rose didn't think she was even faintly as nice as she seemed but she might just be wary of nobles.
"My lady," Rose said immediately and bent her head.
"You are Rose, aren't you?" the lady asked, still peeking over the window.
"Yes, my lady."
Rose didn't miss that she didn't have the dialect of the locals, but this wasn't completely surprising. The baron's wife wasn't from Edenville. Rose wasn't sure what town, but she knew she was a noble daughter from elsewhere.
"I always wondered what you look like. Your red hair stands out, but it is the coat that tells me," she said.
Rose smiled sheepishly as she kept her head down. She didn't know what this was about. She was worried the lady was about to embarrass her and ask her to take off the coat. It wouldn't be the first time something like that happened.
"I should have come to say my thanks," Rose finally said, still unsure if this was the right response.
"You should," the woman said, but there was no malice in her voice. "Do come by the house sometime," she added and pulled the curtain.
Before Rose could even reply, the carriage started to move. She realized she hadn't even noticed when the coachman left her side.
When Rose finally lifted her head, the world seemed to stir back to life. She hadn't noticed until then that everything had gone silent. People pretended to carry on with their activities, but Rose didn't fail to notice the glances cast at her.
Rose adjusted the basket and sped to Madame Razel's house. She couldn't linger in the marketplace anymore.
She was also worried about the last thing the baron's wife had said. She didn't think she meant it, and even if she did, Rose didn't think she should take her up on her offer.
She shouldn't have said those words that prompted the lady to invite her to the castle, but Rose hadn't known what else to say and had been worried she was in trouble.
The lady didn't seem angry at her, but Rose didn't want to take any chances. She would pretend she didn't hear those words, and it didn't seem to be an order. It seemed more like a gentle suggestion.
Besides, only the heavens knew what rumors were already going around the marketplace as the baron's wife stopped to talk to her. If they saw her going into and out of the baron's mansion, it would only solidify Madame Oliver's accusations.
Rose didn't want anything that would make her the topic of conversation. More than anything, she just wanted the days she had with her parents to last—no rumors, no nobles, no unwanted summons—just them.
The gate of the merchant's house soon came into view, and Rose didn't bother knocking before pushing the gate, which she knew would be open, and walked right in.
She saw two young boys shoveling the snow. They glanced at her but didn't say anything before turning away. Rose didn't think much of this, as the doors of the main house opened and Madame Razel sped through them.
"Rose!" she called with wide arms. "I am so 'appy to see ye. Can ye believe my shock when one of my maids said ye were at the door?"
Madame Razel pulled Rose in for a hug. "How is yer mot'er? I heard an important physician from the capital came to look at her. He is a lord, isn't he?"
Rose simply nodded. She was not surprised that Madame Razel knew this. What she was worried about was how many people she may have told.
"My mother is fine," Rose simply said. "I came here to thank you. I should have done it sooner."
"Oh, don't mention it, child. I know things must be tough for ye this period. Ander married Emma. If that ever 'appened to me, I would be devastated. They are also expecting a child together."
Rose winced. While coming, she had forgotten about the one trait of Madame Razel—she couldn't stop gossiping.
"Yes, but that's not why I am here," Rose replied, trying to move the conversation. "I heard you wrote letters for my parents."
"Well, I didn't particularly write them. Mi husband writes better. I just took down what they wanted to send and he helped them figure out the rest. But the last letter was sent through the baron. I guess that's why it reached the capital. Mi husband wasn't so sure about the others.
"I am not surprised—even Ander couldn't get into the capital because he didn't have proper documentation and had no reason to be there. The guards at the gate turned him away, and I think that's what happened to the letters too."