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laying-out,’ Grozen muttered.
    Her grandmother’s words were still ringing in Merry’s ears as she walked with her mother up to the pallace later that evening. They had to dodge the jubilant fishermen with their bellies full of ale, weaving their way unsteadily towards their homes. The smell of stale beer and pilchards pervaded the air and Merry wrinkled her nose.
    ‘Suppose our hands will stink of fish from now on. Did you never want more than this from life, Mother?’ she asked.
    Karenza smiled sadly and Merry could have cut out her tongue. What a stupid question. Of course her mother had. It wasn’t her fault she’d been widowed when Merry was a baby.
    ‘You have been my life, Merry, and I couldn’t have asked for a lovelier daughter,’ Karenza replied, patting her on the shoulder. Merry stared at her mother in surprise, for although they’d always got on well, she wasn’t one for fancy words.
    ‘What was he like, my father?’
    ‘A fine-looking man, he was, and you have the look of him,’ Karenza sighed. Her hand went to the necklace beneath the bib of her apron and she stroked it absent-mindedly as she stared out over the harbour, a faraway look in her eyes. Just when Merry thought she’d forgotten she was there, her mother turned and placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘You are young, Merry, and it’s understandable that you should want to experience something of life outside the village. Take heed, though, for you’ll find the water across the ocean no bluer than it is here.’

CHAPTER 5
    ‘Come along, you two, or young Nicco will have your guts for inkle belts,’ Kelys called.
    Karenza and Merry had been so lost in their private moment they hadn’t heard the clattering of the village women making their way to the pallace for the evening’s work.
    ‘We’re coming,’ Karenza replied. ‘Remember what I said, our Merry. You have the opportunity to make a better life for yourself here if you would but realize it.’
    That’s all very well, but I want to fly, see things, meet people from different places, Merry wanted to cry. Not wishing to upset her mother, though, she kept quiet as they went to join the others.
    Spirits were high as they filed inside the fish store, eager to begin the salting process that would earn them their first real money of the year. Later, as Merry started packing the prepared pilchards against the walls, she realized Jenna was missing and wondered fleetingly if Grozen had been right about her baby coming this evening. She hoped all would be well, but more fish were being passed along to her and, not wishing to interrupt the process, determinedly pushed her thoughts away.
    It was hard work building up the bank to the required depth of three feet by six feet high, and before long their
backs were aching from the unaccustomed stooping while their hands were red and sore.
    ‘Must have a break,’ Marya panted, her face flushed from her exertions. ‘Not as fit as I was last season.’
    ‘I’d forgotten how back-breaking this was,’ Ailla groaned, easing herself upright.
    ‘You can bet poor Jenna’s is aching more, poor love. Happen she’ll have a lusty wean mewling for its milk by dawn. Still, that’ll give her something else to think about,’ Kelys chuckled. ‘Well, we’d best get on or nice Nicco won’t be so nice, will he, Merry?’
    As the others laughed, Merry turned her attention back to the pilchards. How she wished old Mr Neaple still ran the place. His bewhiskered old-fashioned appearance and gentle yet aloof manner never caused any comment. Unlike his son, who thought himself kingpin – or should that be king prawn, she thought, giggling as a picture of dark-eyed Nicco encased in a pink shell flashed into her mind.
    ‘Well done, ladies,’ Nicco’s silky voice purred from somewhere close behind her. Merry froze as the others began preening and pouting at his praise yet it was her he was staring at.
    ‘That’s all for tonight. I’m hoping there’ll