Page 58 of You Didn't Know Me Then

“What dae ye mean? What happened?” Edna questioned urgently; her mind rushing to form scenarios and reaching conclusions that were all bleak and dreary.

“I dae not ken the complete details but I heard a few rumors. Last night, someone was murdered by the river, a woman. I dinnae ken who she is but I bet we ken her. I am very scared to find out.” Edna felt the floor slipping from beneath her feet as she tried to swallow what her mother had just told her.

If a woman had been murdered the night before, Edna was certain that the scream they heard came from her. There was no way it could have been anyone else's. Edna's head swirled and she tried to steady herself because she didn't want to worry her mother, but she knew the murder hadn't happened by the river.Suddenly, everything made sense and she was overcome with fear.

She stood up from the bed, wanting to get ready and leave the house as soon as possible. This was the only way she would be able to find more information about what had happened and who the woman was. News travelled like wildfire in the marketplace, and Edna was certain that the entire clan must know the news by now. This meant that Ronin probably knew about the murder too and could be out somewhere looking for more information.

She could imagine what he must be feeling at a time like this. He must be upset about them not being able to find the woman or the murderer because that could have made life easier for both of them. Her conscience was firing up and making her feel as if she too had wronged the innocent woman.

“Edna, are ye alright?” her mother’s soft voice brought her out of her reverie and she finally looked up. She was standing in the middle of her room; entirely lost in her thoughts.

“Yes, mother. I am fine. I will get dressed and then we can go tae the marketplace. I want tae ken who the woman was and what happened to her. This is… scary,” Edna replied; trying her best to sound convincing rather than terrified.

“It is, me bairn. It is even more terrifying for us — two women living alone. If women are being killed, our lives could very well be in danger,” her mother said sadly before shaking her head and exiting the room to go back downstairs.

Edna was even more concerned after hearing Freya's words. She had left her house the night before the murder occurred. If this had been the work of a deranged killer on the loose, he could have easily found her alone in the forest and killed her the same way he had killed that poor woman. A shiver ran through herbody at the prospect of meeting such a man. She was sick to her stomach.

All she knew was that awoman had been killed. This could have occurred due to animosity or another sinister and ulterior motive. She knew she couldn't let her fears take over. She quickly dressed and examined her appearance in the mirror. All she could seewas a pale face staring back at her with worried lines and a tormented expression. The news of the murder had shocked her to the core.

“Mother?” Edna called out loudly as she descended the stairs.

“I am here, love,” her mother shouted back. She was waiting for her in the kitchen, where they broke their fastin complete silence. Edna knew her mother's thoughts were also on the depressing news that had started their day, and they were both trying to calm their nerves and convince their minds that they were safe, at least for the time being. They left the house after finishing theirmeal and made their way to the market.

Edna's heart rate increased with each step she took as she feared discovering what had happened the night before. She was befuddled and terrified, but she needed to put on a brave face for her mother and those around her. They'dbeen living alonefor over a decade and knew that a girl, especially one without a male relative, needed to know how to advocate for herself. She needed to prove to the world that she was brave and strong, and that she was not to be trifled with.

“We are here,” Freya announced. The marketplace was teeming with people, and there was a palpable sense of tension in the air. Edna could see puzzled expressions on everyone's faces. It was clear that the news had reached everyone, and they were eager to learn more.

The murder that occurred last night also brought back memories of what happened ten years ago to her father.She was bewildered by the conversation she overheard between her mother and Bryce the night before, and she wondered how much of the truth had been withheld from her. She knew she needed to ask her mother about itbut it was a sensitive topic, and Edna wasn't sure how to approach it. Her mother had been concerned when she suspected Edna had overheard something. Asking her directly about it would be even more concerning, and her mother was already in a lot of pain. Sheknew she needed to ask this question subtly in order to get the answers she needed without causing her any additional stress.

“Freya,” Edna looked up just as a friend of her mother’s approached them. They both greeted her; certain they would be able to learn more about the poor woman.

“How are ye?” her mother questioned her friend.

“How can I be? Shaken to me core,” she answered.

“Do ye ken who has been murdered?” her mother asked; lowering her voice to a barely audible whisper.

“Thelma, the healer.” Edna felt as if she had been hit on the head. When she heard the name, her ears rang. She knew Thelma. Her mother paid her frequent visits, and the two women discussed the healing arts. Edna couldn't believe that someone close to them had been brutally murdered yet again. She turned to face her mother, whose face had turned ashen.

“Mother, are ye alright?” she quickly asked; taking both her hands within her grasp. She was certain she was thinking that if one healer had been murdered, another one could too. Edna was thinking the same thing, but she knew it could be a case of enmity rather than a random killing by an insane murderer.

“I— I am alright, Edna. Don’t worry, bairn,” her mother said softly.

“Was there a reason behind the killing? Any news yet?” Edna questioned her mother’s friend urgently but the woman shook her head.

“We ken nothing yet, Edna. It is all a big mess, but I have heard rumors that the lairdess has assigned a team of guards to investigate and they have been out and about since this morning. Let’s just hope that they catch the person quickly, so we can all breathe again.”

Just then, there was a commotion in the market and everyone turned to see four horsemen riding up and stopping. Edna's eyes widened as she noticed Ronin standing beside them, looking as dashing as ever. He was dressed elaborately, and as shestared at him, the events of the previous night flashed back to her. She couldn't believe how far they'd come in such a short time. It was as if he had wielded power over her that she had never thought possible, but that she couldn't imagine ever relinquishing.

She watched him as he stepped off his horse with flair, followed by the three other men behind him. The three men donned aroyal guard attirebut Ronin was not. This indicated that he was not one of the guards, but rather someone very important. This piqued her interest.

“These must be the guards investigating the murder but who is the young man?” Edna heard someone whisper. In the sunlight, he appeared completely different, as if he had transformed into someone else. She couldn't help but wonder if the Ronin in the market was the same Ronin she had met the night before. She knew it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but she was unsettled.

The things they had done together could have simply been done in the heat of passion and did not necessarily imply that feelings were involved, but Edna knew it had been more than that for her. There was something more to it. She'd always dealt with men approaching her and expressing interest in her, but she'd never been interested in them. No man had ever made her feel anything. Until last night, when she met Ronin. She wished she could spend more time with him, get to know him better, and she wished she could do so right now. She had been devoured by the flames of passion when she kissed him last night, and everything between the two of them had seemed to fit perfectly together. She became uneasy when she saw him with the royal guard in broad daylight. She wondered if he thought about her as much as she thought about him.

"You can all resume your duties — we are only here to ask a few questions, and you do not need to disrupt your morning for our sake," Ronin declared loudly, and Edna felt a tremor of passion run through her entire body as she recognized the familiar tone of his voice. She couldn't figure out why she was so drawn to him, and the sensation was surreal. Everyone quickly scrambled back to their tasks.

Suddenly, she looked toward himshe saw hehad finally noticed her. He moved his eyes silently to a spot away from the bustle of the market, and Edna knew he wanted to talk to her. He couldn't approach her in front of everyone —it would raise a slew of unwanted questions. She looked around for a way to get away from her mother so she could speak with him. To say she missed him would be an understatement. She had been thinking about him constantly.