The close confines of the tables, already loaded with customers, made it hard for them to cross the room without bumping into anyone. A few gave them curious glances but did nothing more than that.
Everyone had plates of food in front of them and the sight and scent of it filled her head in a sweet, intoxicating way. The aroma set her stomach to rumbling petulantly, reminding her she’d only had cold fare for lunch several hours ago. But the thought of food came in a distant second to the idea of soaking in a large tub of scintillatingly hot water.
By the time Siobhan made it across to Gramms, her skin tingled painfully. Gramms had three keys in his hands, but he watched her instead of handing them over, dark eyes looking her over carefully. “Hot baths before dinner, I think.”
She managed to move her frozen muscles into a semblance of a smile. “That obvious?”
“With you, at least.” He gave the keys over and pointed up the stairs. “Back three rooms on the left. Women’s and men’s baths have hot water in ‘em, and towels and soap, so come down when you’re ready.”
Never before had she felt like kissing the innkeeper as much as she did now. “Bless you.”
“I’ll have Maddie bring up pallets and such,” he promised, shooing her on her way.
She trudged up the stairs, her pack bumping along on her back, sorting out the keys in her hands as she went. They were simple black cast-iron keys with a ring on them and a small leather square with a number embossed. It didn’t take any brains to put the right key to the right room, and when she did, she left the key in the doorknob to let the boys sort themselves out. She would take the far back room, the one that sat over the kitchen. She had absolutely no intention of being cold tonight.
Siobhan entered the room and took a glance around. Two narrow beds, one on either wall, with enough space for a pallet on the floor between them, a fireplace that sat cold but with logs ready to be lit, and a single washstand holding up the corner. Large enough for the women, certainly, but she didn’t know how Tran or Wolf could begin to fit on those beds. They normally had the larger rooms when they stayed here. She’d never seen Gramms so full before. The storm’s doing, perhaps?
Choosing the bed closest to the door, she set her pack down and started rummaging through it for a set of clothes that would be comfortable enough to sleep in but decent enough to wear downstairs. Sylvie came in after her, setting her pack on the opposite bed and doing the same search. Siobhan could hear the men’s low voices next door as they talked amongst themselves.
Denney came up a few minutes later and without ceremony dropped her pack onto Siobhan’s bed. “Phew! Got that sorted.”
“The dogs?” Siobhan asked. In her preoccupation to get warm, she’d temporarily forgotten about them.
“Gramms had some of the scraps brought in from the kitchen and made them a place near the fire. Said they’d be fine there while we had our bath and he’d keep an eye on ‘em.” Denney smiled as she spoke, digging out a loose sweater and matching pants. “I do love the man.”
Actually, Gramms’ easy-going nature about having dogs stay in his inn was one of the reasons why they always chose the place. His surly attitude aside, the man knew how to be a good host.
“Good enough. Bath,” Siobhan said firmly. Clothes tucked under her arm, she headed back downstairs.
The baths had sensibly been put in the same hallway as the kitchen so that hot water could be easily carried over. Siobhan’s stomach started rumbling all over again as she passed the wealth of delightful smells coming from that room. She ordered it firmly to be quiet as she kept right on going into the women’s bathing room.
She took in the sight of the six wooden barrels and their steaming water with a smile of delight. Little benches sat next to each barrel, holding clean towels neatly folded and bars of soap. She went directly to the nearest one, setting her clothes under the towel, and quickly stripped of her shirt, vest, coat, riding skirt and boots. Someone paused long enough to draw the curtain in front of the door closed (thereby preventing any accidental shows for whoever might be in the hallway).