Valiant Valerie (the Ballad of Valerie of Mor Book 1)

Chapter Eleven

Jonathan spent the next day with Lawrence. They wandered all over the village, picking up bits and pieces that Jonathan assured Valerie was necessary. She was not entirely convinced that he was spending any more wisely than she had in Clade, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt that he knew what he was doing.

Valerie, meanwhile, spent the day helping Emme with her housework. She washed the clothes they had arrived in, they had dried, and she had fixed up the tears Jonathan had made. Her repairs were not very good, despite the kind face Emme put on when she saw them, but she had felt useful and proud of herself when she was done.

While the washing dried and Emme was having a rest, Valerie wandered the main street. She had found a little pottery shop and decided to see if they had a jug and basin she could buy to replace the one Jonathan broke. She wandered inside and had a look around.

The potter obviously had a lot of free time and not a lot of customers. There was crockery by the cartload, strange sculptures in various sizes, chamber pots and many pots and jugs and basins. She found a lovely one, painted white and decorated with daffodils. She thought it did not look particularly feminine but neither too masculine, and could be a real gift to both Lawrence and Emme.

The potter seemed to finally realise he had a customer and scuttled out from behind his counter. He was a tiny old man, hunched over no doubt from years of leaning over his potter's wheel.

"Can I help you, miss?" he asked, peering up at her.

She picked up the jug and basin. "I would like to buy these please."

He took them from her, nodding. "Funny thing to be buying on your travels."

She smiled. "It's a gift actually. For Lawrence and Emme."

"Lovely couple. They have that hideous monstrosity his aunt gave him, though."

Valerie laughed nervously. "My...brother accidentally broke it. He was unwell and fell, taking it with him and it smashed."

He laughed with obvious glee. "Oh well. This is a much better choice, even if I do say so myself. Three coppers please, my dear."

She handed him the money and thanked him.

When she got back to Lawrence and Emme's, she managed to sneak upstairs and put the gift in the second bedroom without anyone seeing – Emme was out checking the washing and the men must have still been out.

Valerie helped Emme get dinner ready again that night and they spent the night talking and laughing with much yawn-filled interruptions.

Valerie almost forgot the jug and basin until Jonathan came back down after looking for something to show Lawrence.

"Vera, what's this doing on my bed?"

"Oh no!" She jumped up and took it from him. Holding it out to Emme and Lawrence, who were sitting together on the sofa, she said, "I bought this for you today, and I almost forgot to give it to you."

Lawrence took it from her, beaming.

"Oh, Vera It's beautiful. Thank you!" Emme squealed.

"You didn't have to do that," Lawrence said.

"No, I know. But I passed the potter's shop and I felt terrible...Jack broke your other one. It was the least I could do after you've taken us in and looked after us so well."

The night concluded soon after that, Emme and Lawrence seemed almost too surprised and grateful to just sit and talk anymore.

Back in their room, Jonathan hugged her.