Chapter 16

Her hair was the colour of summer wheat, her face smooth and soft, and when she smiled, little wrinkles around her eyes drew attention to them - green, deep and full of mystery. He marvelled at the length of her neck - it was the neck of a lady, slender and elegant, and it added to her height. She wasn't squat, like other women. Her back was straight and she carried herself with pride. She still had all her teeth and when she smiled at him, it made him weak at the knees. Yet, as maidens fare, she was also smart. Oswald taught her to read Latin, although Odo believed the priest enjoyed her company for other reasons, and he'd caught him leering at Charlotte on more than one occasion.

She laughed at something her father said, but Odo wasn't listening. He was intently studying his soon-to-be wife and marvelling in her beauty. The sound of her happy voice made others smile; the sound of her angry voice made people listen.

Under the table, her foot rubbed against his leg. It was something they had always done, the unspoken words of the love they felt for each other.

"Odo? Odo!"

"Yea," Odo replied, snapping out of his reverie.

"How long before yer know if your test with Blacky worked?" asked Gerald.

"It won't be for a while yet. Firstly, we'll see if the calves are bigger, then I will have to wait until they mature and begin calving so we can get milk."

Gerald nodded, tore another strip of bread and added some cheese.

`As he frequently did, Odo was having an evening meal with Charlotte and her parents. They enjoyed his company, his upbeat, positive attitude and looked forward to calling him their son-in-law. To them, he was already part of the family and had been for years.

Odo felt Charlotte kick him in the shin - a casual reminder. "Well, I suppose I should be leaving ye," he slid his chair back and stood, and as he always did, thanked Gerald and Agnes for their warm hospitality and for inviting him to share their food with him.

"So soon?" asked Charlotte innocently. "Then I shall walk with ye."

The sky was clear of clouds, the stars bright, and the air had a biting chill.

Undeterred by the temperature, Charlotte held Odo's arm, and was pressed up against him as they walked slowly through the village. Villagers didn't bother tongue-wagging anymore; Charlotte and Odo always walked like this, and people gave up gossiping, instead, they quietly wondered how long this affection would last before the reality of a hard peasant life and marriage with children struck the smitten couple.

Odo believed the villagers were just jealous. He couldn't care less for gossip. Charlotte just laughed. If she had any thoughts on the matter, she kept them to herself.

They discussed wedding plans, changes to Odo's home, and a myriad of other details important to Charlotte. They said good night and kissed, then kissed again before she broke away with a laugh.

The news of Norman's death came as a gut-wrenching blow. Odo was repairing his fences, a task he was diligent about, when he saw Cheeseman Gerald walk through the field to find him. The dour expression on his face gave Odo a sense of foreboding, but no advance warning was enough to ease the pain. Gerald didn't have much to say, only that Reeve Norman died alone in his bed during the night. Overwhelmed, Odo fell to his knees, overcome by grief.

Ever since Godwin's death, Norman and Odo grew closer, like father and son. Norman doted on Odo, loved Charlotte, and was a voice of reason and logic when Odo needed a guiding firm hand. They shared meals, laughed, and even cried together. For Odo, his death was unfathomable; he couldn't imagine a life without Norman.

It was entirely different when his father passed; he'd become ill, and soon after, bedridden. It was a gradual decline, and death was the expected and accepted outcome. He was emotionally prepared, and when Godwin finally died, it was almost a relief as he would suffer no more. But with Norman, this was sudden and unexpected. Norman was big, larger than life and invincible. It was tragic.

The funeral service would be performed by the priest Oswald on Sunday, and even Lord Mellester was rumoured to attend.

As it turned out, Sir Wystan didn't come to the church. It was said the lord had overindulged and was feeling poorly.

Charlotte was heartbroken. She loved Norman too, but what distressed her the most was seeing Odo saddened and lifeless as he suffered through the loss. She did her best to raise his spirits, and although he did his best, it was not until a couple of weeks after the funeral that his mood finally returned to something resembling normalcy.

Within days, Reeve Merick assigned new tenants to Norman's cruck10 house. With no regard or respect for the deceased, they threw out all his meagre belongings, kept the chickens, and moved in. The new occupants of the house were Charcoal-Burner Larkin and his wife.

Odo hardly knew Charcoal-Burner Larkin. He'd greeted him once or twice and the man and his wife seemed genial. He'd not had any occasion to get to know the family as they'd only recently moved to Mellester Manor and previously lived on the village outskirts and were seldom seen. Word spread that the couple were very familiar with Reeve Merick and called him their friend; this was reason enough not to warm to the couple.

However, once Charcoal-Burner Larkin and his wife moved into Norman's house, things changed for the worse. The charcoal burner was not as kindly anymore, nor did he offer a friendly salutation as he once did. Odo couldn't care less; he disliked the man anyway, most of all because he was living in Norman's home.