moccasins, he offered them to Silvia. She took them tentatively, as if appraising them.
“They seem nice enough,” she muttered, glancing up quizzically.
“You can try them on in the back, if you’d like, miss. I assure you, they are of the upmost quality.”
Silvia immediately scampered off with the clothes. Carter eyed the store clerk curiously.
Is he going to try pulling anything else?
“While your friend changes, why don’t we talk about price?”
Carter shot the clerk a grin. “Sure. You have another set like that? We need two of everything for her.”
“Certainly.” The clerk quickly gathered a second set of clothes, setting it on the counter. “For two full sets of clothing, plus the two jackets, it will cost you fifteen silver rugbas.”
Carter resisted the urge to furrow his brow.
That’s too high. A gold rugba is worth twenty-one silver at the current market price. There’s no way I can afford nearly an entire gold piece, especially after buying Dullahan and the cart.
“That’s unfortunate,” Carter sighed, smiling faintly. “I’ll have to shop elsewhere for my companion’s clothes then.”
“B-but ! ”
“I would love it if I didn’t have to travel all over the market today. After all, wouldn’t it be a shame if I had to explain why such a premier shop as yours couldn’t help me?”
“Sir, there’s no need to be hasty.”
“After what happened with the coats, I’d be pressed to — ”
“Eleven!”
Carter smiled.
Bingo.
“What was that?” Carter asked, pulling out his coin purse.
“E-eleven rugbas. I’ll give you all of it for eleven rugbas.”
“Hmm.” Carter pretended to mull it over, savoring the moment. “Drop it to eight, and you have a deal.”
The clerk’s eyes glazed over, his mouth hanging half open.
“Eight? A-are you serious? I’m already losing money on this deal!”
“Well, you could stand to lose a lot more. Consider the extra discount incentive to return some day. You do value loyal customers, do you not?”
The shopkeeper’s eyes narrowed, his scowl unbecoming of his profession. Grabbing a long, wool scarf from behind the counter, he set it on top of the coats.
“Ten,” he muttered, “and I’ll throw in the scarf for the lass. Don’t want her catching a cold when the winds pick up for the season.”
Carter grinned. Taking ten silver coins from his coin purse, he counted them out onto the counter and shook the clerk’s hand.
“Deal. Nice doing business with you.”
The shopkeeper mumbled, scooping the coins up as he resumed his position behind the counter. Carter picked up his purchase, and the door at the back of the room swung open. Carter looked up, his jaw involuntarily dropping. Silvia’s new wardrobe fit snugly against her slender body. Carter swallowed, forcing his mouth shut.
“Well? How do I look?” Silvia asked, striking a pose.
Carter was speechless.
“That good, huh?”
Carter scowled, his cheeks burning. Picking up the scarf, he threw it at her, diffusing the sudden tension. Snatching it out of the air, Silvia wrapped it around her neck. Hiding her mouth, she gave Carter a devious stare.
“Good thing I have you to protect me from all of those lustrous suitors, aye sir knight?”
Carter groaned. “God. Come on, let’s get out of here.” Striding across the room, he stepped back onto the street. Silvia followed close behind him, pulling her coat over her as the wind picked up.
“That was quiet a show we put on for that man, eh?” Silvia asked, coming up next to Carter as she gazed around the market.
“Yeah,” he admitted, grinning. “He’ll be okay though. Traders are resilient. He’ll be back to his old self by the time his shop opens tomorrow.”
“No doubt. Still, that was rather fun.”
“Just don’t let it go to your head. Remember, we could easily end up on the other side of the same coin one day.”
Silvia puffed her cheeks, looking at him like a pouting child. “There’s always
“They seem nice enough,” she muttered, glancing up quizzically.
“You can try them on in the back, if you’d like, miss. I assure you, they are of the upmost quality.”
Silvia immediately scampered off with the clothes. Carter eyed the store clerk curiously.
Is he going to try pulling anything else?
“While your friend changes, why don’t we talk about price?”
Carter shot the clerk a grin. “Sure. You have another set like that? We need two of everything for her.”
“Certainly.” The clerk quickly gathered a second set of clothes, setting it on the counter. “For two full sets of clothing, plus the two jackets, it will cost you fifteen silver rugbas.”
Carter resisted the urge to furrow his brow.
That’s too high. A gold rugba is worth twenty-one silver at the current market price. There’s no way I can afford nearly an entire gold piece, especially after buying Dullahan and the cart.
“That’s unfortunate,” Carter sighed, smiling faintly. “I’ll have to shop elsewhere for my companion’s clothes then.”
“B-but ! ”
“I would love it if I didn’t have to travel all over the market today. After all, wouldn’t it be a shame if I had to explain why such a premier shop as yours couldn’t help me?”
“Sir, there’s no need to be hasty.”
“After what happened with the coats, I’d be pressed to — ”
“Eleven!”
Carter smiled.
Bingo.
“What was that?” Carter asked, pulling out his coin purse.
“E-eleven rugbas. I’ll give you all of it for eleven rugbas.”
“Hmm.” Carter pretended to mull it over, savoring the moment. “Drop it to eight, and you have a deal.”
The clerk’s eyes glazed over, his mouth hanging half open.
“Eight? A-are you serious? I’m already losing money on this deal!”
“Well, you could stand to lose a lot more. Consider the extra discount incentive to return some day. You do value loyal customers, do you not?”
The shopkeeper’s eyes narrowed, his scowl unbecoming of his profession. Grabbing a long, wool scarf from behind the counter, he set it on top of the coats.
“Ten,” he muttered, “and I’ll throw in the scarf for the lass. Don’t want her catching a cold when the winds pick up for the season.”
Carter grinned. Taking ten silver coins from his coin purse, he counted them out onto the counter and shook the clerk’s hand.
“Deal. Nice doing business with you.”
The shopkeeper mumbled, scooping the coins up as he resumed his position behind the counter. Carter picked up his purchase, and the door at the back of the room swung open. Carter looked up, his jaw involuntarily dropping. Silvia’s new wardrobe fit snugly against her slender body. Carter swallowed, forcing his mouth shut.
“Well? How do I look?” Silvia asked, striking a pose.
Carter was speechless.
“That good, huh?”
Carter scowled, his cheeks burning. Picking up the scarf, he threw it at her, diffusing the sudden tension. Snatching it out of the air, Silvia wrapped it around her neck. Hiding her mouth, she gave Carter a devious stare.
“Good thing I have you to protect me from all of those lustrous suitors, aye sir knight?”
Carter groaned. “God. Come on, let’s get out of here.” Striding across the room, he stepped back onto the street. Silvia followed close behind him, pulling her coat over her as the wind picked up.
“That was quiet a show we put on for that man, eh?” Silvia asked, coming up next to Carter as she gazed around the market.
“Yeah,” he admitted, grinning. “He’ll be okay though. Traders are resilient. He’ll be back to his old self by the time his shop opens tomorrow.”
“No doubt. Still, that was rather fun.”
“Just don’t let it go to your head. Remember, we could easily end up on the other side of the same coin one day.”
Silvia puffed her cheeks, looking at him like a pouting child. “There’s always
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