The Brat Page 0,81

not want it outside the gates. I needs must have it close by to cook with," he protested.

" 'Twill be little enough effort to walk a ways to get it rather than risk a death in the castle."

"What?" he asked with bewilderment.

"Do you not know that growing parsley in the garden means there will be a death in the house before the end of the year?" she asked with exasperation. "Honestly, you are practically ensuring my husband's death with such nonsense. Well, I will not have it! I am moving the parsley outside the gate, and you can just walk that little distance to get it when you need it."

Clement simply stared with a sort of befuddled expression, seemingly at a loss for what to say. His gaze was mournful as he peered at the parsley she was gathering.

"Did you come out here for a reason, Clement?" she asked.

"Aye," he breathed after a moment, then seemed to give himself a shake. "His lordship and Osgoode returned with a boar from their hunt, and I came to find the herbs I should like to stuff it with."

"Oh." She smiled brightly. "Stuffed boar for sup! That shall be lovely."

"Aye," he agreed.

"Is my husband in the great hall, then?" she asked, gathering the plants she'd uprooted. She could finally speak to the man - or so she thought. Clement soon disabused her of that possibility.

"He was," the cook said. "But I gather the boar put up a battle and both men were bloodied. They rode down to the river to bathe rather than trouble me to boil water and haul it above stairs for them."

"Oh." Murie shifted from one foot to the other and asked, "Is the river far?"

"Nay. Not far," Clement said, his gaze locked on the parsley. His look made her nervous. She very much suspected he would like to wrest the plants from her and put them back exactly where she'd taken them from, despite being warned of their horrible effects.

Easing a wary step away, she turned and headed out of the garden. "Well, I shall simply walk down to the river after replanting the parsley. I should like to have a word with my husband."

Murie could hear the cook's sigh as she walked away, but she ignored it. Honestly, how he could fret over having to walk a little distance when it might save a life, she didn't know. Still. .. she didn't end up planting the parsley outside the gate. The saying was only that growing it in the garden was bad, so she planted it nearby, on the edge of a short row of apple trees. Satisfied that it wasn't in the garden, but Clement might be a little less distressed that it was not so very far away, she straightened and brushed off her hands and headed out of the bailey to find Balan.

She was most grateful that he'd spent the morning hunting. Truly, stuffed boar sounded a nice treat. Murie had never cared much for fish, and the idea of being forced to eat it three times a day was a terrible trial. Actually, it was making her feel rather ill, which it had never done before, but there it was. That was the reason it had been no hardship for her to miss the meal last eve, and why she'd found herself "forgetting" to break her fast this morning in all the fuss of cutting Juliana's hair and touring the kitchens.

She'd been quite pleased with the kitchens, actually. Clement had done a wonderful job of keeping them up. While everywhere else seemed to need whitewashing and new rushes and even new furniture, the kitchens were in tip-top shape, simply needing supplies and some servants to bring it back to life. Murie had expressed her pleasure to Clement. The man had said stiffly that it was his job, but he'd also blushed, and she'd seen the spark of pleasure in his eyes. She suspected that everyone had been so busy tiptoeing around him all these years, they had neglected to compliment his efforts as well. A little credit where credit was due might make the man a bit more bearable. He would never be as dear and cheerful as Thibault, but she thought his personality might improve with some work.

"Murie."

Pausing, she glanced up with surprise as Osgoode appeared on the path ahead. He was walking toward her; wet hair slicked back from his face and damp clothes clinging to his body. Smiling, she said, "I