A Market in Castle Hill
There was no doubt in her mind now, either, that it had been her they'd been there for. The last four days, she'd warred with herself over whether or not to mention it to Cass. She didn't want the woman to worry about officers showing up at the Good Pan—but suppose they did? If they'd found her at the market, why not here?
In the end, she had stuck with her decision. Thinking back she thought they had seemed reluctant to move through the crowd to follow her. That meant, perhaps, that a spectacle was less than desirable. So the bakery was likely safe. Still, she couldn't be sure. If it came to that... Well, she supposed she would give up, then. Better that outcome than to reward Cass' kindness with more trouble than she was worth.
Just staying in the shop and not leaving wasn't an option, either. For one thing, that was strange behavior in and of itself, and would defeat the point of not mentioning it to the baker entirely. For another, she found the idea made her both sad and angry. Like she had come all of this way just to—to be even more restricted, really, than she had been before. No, she would just have to be vigilant and not let her fear get the better of her. Next time (oh Lady forbid there was a next time) it would be different. Better.
On top of it, she had decided that she couldn't return to that particular market in West-and-Long. Better to not go to any one market in particular, in fact. Aurelie tried to cheer herself up by telling herself it was a chance to get to know the city better. Maybe it would be good in the long run—she had every intention of taking careful account of where things could be bought for the best value to quality. Surely Cass knew already, and Aurelie could have just asked. But as scared as she was, she did like the idea of figuring it out for herself. Look on the bright side, she told herself, over and over.
With all of this in mind, she could still feel her heart threatening to leap out of her throat and dart away from her as she sorted through early summer squash. She had covered her hair, at least, with a muted grey kerchief. Most of it. The locks that framed her face and covered her forehead refused to stay hidden, but it was enough to make her more difficult to spot from a distance. The sun wasn't so high yet that it felt too warm; there was a mild drizzle coming off the water, in fact, that dulled colors and made everything smell of salt.
That was exciting, too. Old Rose Harbor was different than anywhere on the Islands had felt, for the short time she had spent there. More like Anaxas, and yet so very different than Brunnhold. That alone seemed almost worth it. New experiences, new places. Choices to make herself, to sink or to swim on her own. If she jumped at every little murmur in the small morning crowd, well... She would only have to do so for so long.
It would all be fine. She had to believe so.