Chapter 43: Packed In Like Sardines

Once the menservants and the guards were given orders to begin cleaning the barn and spreading out the hay on the second floor, Talia and Cedric took Devin to the inn located at the center of town to check on the status of their rooms.

The inn was one of the largest stone structures in the village. Only the church at one end of the residential areas was a bit larger, and only because it had a belfry with a spire holding up some sacred symbol that was unfamiliar to Talia.

She couldn't see much of the inn because it was covered in snowdrift but warm golden lights shone through all the windows casting a glow onto the snow, making all those who were outside want to be inside its strong warm interior.

Looking up, she could see that the Primrose Inn had three stories and two towers rising up from its structure.

The front tower was a working clock tower that boomed out its time on the hour and half hour. The back tower was a watch tower that looked across the entire village as well as the ocean on the other side of the train tracks.

Talia shook her head with regret. Three stories with ten guest rooms on each floor would have offered the thirty rooms that the King and Duke needed to house their people.

The fact that so many people had crammed into this one inn, located in the middle of the wilderness was indicative of some occurrence happening locally. She would have to ask around and find out what was going on.

The manservant opened the inn door and bowed as Talia walked in, followed immediately by Cedric carrying Devin.

The inn's lobby was crammed with people sitting around in huddled groups. Most of them looked to be weary travelers who had gotten stuck in the same blizzard as the Duke and the King.

The fact that the menservants had managed to wrangle five rooms for the Royal use was a major feat. The stranded travelers without rooms simply had no options but to sit at the lobby and hope they would not get kicked out by the staff upon closing time.

Cedric's manservant ran up to the lobby area and spoke with the front desk clerk, who nodded and handed him a few sets of keys.

He returned to Talia and Cedric.

"Here are the keys to three of the rooms, your Royal Highness." He handed the keys to Cedric. "Two of the rooms have been taken over by the King and the Countess Evelyn."

"Give these to the Countess. She will deal with the rooms in the best manner." Cedric indicated at Talia.

"Your Grace." The manservant bowed and held out the keys with both hands.

Talia reached out for the keys. "You know these room numbers?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Have all the children under ten and the pregnant women meet me at the first room. Let's see how many we can fit in one room."

Cedric turned to her. "You going to be okay without me?"

She smiled. "I'm surrounded by your people." She indicated the guards who would be standing outside her doorway guarding her and Devin.

"The real question is, can you handle the barn's environment?"

Cedric smiled. "I'm an alpha male wolf darling. I can handle most rough rugged conditions."

"Then stay at the barn with the rest of your men so the older or more fragile women can join me. If you are in the room, nobody will dare intrude."

Cedric nodded and lowered himself, touching his forehead to hers.

'You're an amazing woman, Talia. I am so proud to be your man.' He whispered into her mind and dropped a long slow kiss onto her lips.

'I don't care the time of day or night, call me if you need anything or if there is an emergency.'

'I will,' she responded.

She and Cedric parted ways at that point. He headed back to the barn to spend the night with the group that were already at the barn getting it ready for human use.

Talia hefted Devin onto her hip and went up the three flights of stairs with the manservant and the small group of guards assigned to watch over her and Devin.

The three rooms they had managed to secure were all on the third floor at the end of the hall near the clock tower.

Obviously, no one wanted to be near the clock tower due to the noise, but in this environment, a room was far better than no room at all.

"Your Grace," the manservant indicated. "Those two rooms at the very end are also ours but they have been occupied by the King and the Countess Evelyn Larabee."

He indicated the three following rooms. "These three are your rooms to do with as you please."

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Talia opened all three rooms and poked her head in.

They were all roughly about the same size. There was enough space for a double size bed, two nightstands, and a small dresser for clothing.

She and Devin could sleep on one the beds. If the floors were covered with bedding taken from the train, they could easily fit another fifteen women in.

The other rooms were the same. All the children could cram onto the beds and the women could snuggle together on the floors. Since it was the third floor, the floors themselves were not in direct contact with the cold ground and so were quite warm.

She made a quick rough calculation and called the manservant to her.

"Have the guards pull the dresser and nightstands out of the rooms and put them up against the wall of the hallway."

The manservant nodded. "Yes, Milady."

Immediately, the six male guards were given their duties and began clearing out the rooms.

"Call one of the housemaids and have them thoroughly clean the floors. Have a few of the men help bring some bedding in from the train and place them on the clean floors."

"Yes Your Grace." He bowed, hiding his grateful eyes.

"Fifteen or sixteen women can fit on the floor of each room. Have the children take the beds." We're going to have to squeeze as many women and children into these rooms as possible."

"Your Grace, what about you and the Little Lord?"

Talia looked at the rooms and chose the one farthest from the clock tower.

"I'll take this one." She moved to the third room and looked within.

The guards had already taken the dresser and night stands from this room and there was nothing left but the bed.

She placed Devin on the bed and went back to the hallway. The women and children were already starting to troop in.

Their faces were pale with cold but their eyes were warm with grateful pride. Their Lady was taking good care of them.

She gave simple, easy to follow orders and soon had everyone settled as best as possible.

By the time she was able to return to her room, the floor was covered with bedding and filled with eighteen women crammed together, lying head-to-feet.

Her back of the envelope calculation of fifteen women per floor plus all the young children and pregnant females on the bed was off by about ten people.

But the women cheerfully made room, squeezed in a bit here and there, and everyone was able to pack in like cozy little sardines.

"Your Grace," they all called out with happy faces and sat up to give her a bow.

"Relax. Get some sleep if you can." She waved a hand and stepped over a few women to reach Devin, who held out his hands to her.

He had done as she told him, staying on the bed without running around, even as all the strange women began to fill the room.

He had also pulled off his shoes and snuggled under the covers, waiting for her to arrive so he could hug her and sleep.

She dropped a kiss on his forehead and pulled her outer white ermine coat off to surround the two of them with its warmth.

"Wuv yooou maaaaaammaaa." He murmured and snuggled into her body.

"I love you too," she responded and dropped a kiss onto his blonde hair.

Talia sighed.

She should tell him not to call her mama. He was too young to know she was not his mother. Once his real mother came, he would be confused.

But then the image of him running down the dirt lane in the rain after her, crying and telling her 'no go' hit her in the heart and she could not take whatever comfort he had away from him.

Whatever happened in the future regarding his mother, she would deal with when that time came, but if it made him feel comforted by calling her mama, she would not begrudge him that.

She would be his mama for now.

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