
Tom rubbed his nose with the back of his hand then he turned slowly to face
her and gazed deep into her eyes. As he did so he seemed to go very, very
still, almost as if he were listening to some sound which only he could hear.
For perhaps a minute he sat thus, then he nodded once, set the pipes to his
lips and began to play.
Norris and his two grown-up sons returned from the forest at dusk. Well before
the others heard them Tom's sharp ears had picked up the distant jingle of
traces and the squeal of wooden axles. A moment later the dogs gave tongue to
a raucous chorus of welcome. Katie and her mother hustled round making the
final preparations for supper while Tom and old Peter sat one on either side
of the fire, steaming faintly in the drowsy warmth.
Norris was the first to enter. A thick-set, heavily bearded man, with graying
hair and eyes the color of an April sky. He dragged off his hooded leather
tippet and slung it up on to an iron hook. Almost at once it began to drip
quietly on to the flagstones beneath. "Halloa, there!" he cried. "What's this
then? Company?"
Old Peter and Tom had risen at his entry and now the old man called out:
"You'll remember me, I think, Norris? Peter the Tale-Spinner. Son of Blind
Hereford."
"Sweet God in Heaven!" exclaimed Norris striding to meet him. "Not the Prince
of Liars in person? Aye, it's him, right enough! Welcome back, old rogue! I'd
given you over for worms' meat years ago!"
They clasped forearms in the pool of yellow lamplight and shook their heads
over one another. "And who's the sprig, then?" demanded Norris tipping his
chin at Tom. "One of yours?"
"My niece Margot's lad. Tom by given name. Margot wed with a Stavely man. I'm
taking the boy to York for her."
"York, eh? And legging it? Ah so, you shall tell us all over supper. Well met,
old man. What's ours is yours. And you too, boy. Katie, wench! Is my water
hot?"
He strode off toward the scullery, boisterous as the North wind, and soon they
heard sounds of noisy blowing and sluicing as he swilled himself down at the
stone sink. His wife came into the kitchen and clattered out wooden bowls and
mugs down the long table. "He remembered you then?" she said with a smile.
"Aye," said Peter. "I've changed less than he has, it seems. Not that he
hasn't worn well, mind you." He tipped his head to one side. "How comes your
lass by that barley mow of hers?"
"Bar me all my folks are fair," she said. "Katie's eyes are her Dad's though.
The boys seemed to fall betwixt and between." She stepped up to the fireplace,
caught up a corner of her apron and lifted the lid of the iron cauldron which
hung from a smoke-blackened chain above the flames. A rich and spicy scent
floated over the hearth. She nodded, re-settled the lid and squinted up into
the chimney where the other half of the salmon could be dimly seen twisting
slowly back and forth in the hot air and the blue-gray woodsmoke. "Let it down
again, lad," she said. "We'll souse it just once more."
Tom unhooked an end of the chain and lowered the fish till she was able to
reach it. "Hold it still now," she said and picking a brush of twigs out of a
pot on the hearth she basted the now golden flesh till it gleamed like dark
honey. "Up with it, lad."