"What weak board?" Alaric shouted.
"The one that's..."
There was a sharp crack, and suddenly Alaric's foot went through the platform. He would have fallen completely, but Marianne grabbed him, using their spinning momentum to pull him away from the hole.
"Platform's not sound!" she called cheerfully to the crowd.
"We noticed!" someone shouted back.
They finished the dance, avoiding the hole and two other boards that looked suspiciously bendy, and when the music finally stopped, the crowd erupted in applause.
"Not bad for a London man!" the land steward declared.
"He only fell through once!" Thomas added helpfully.
"The platform fell through," Alaric corrected, breathing hard. "I was an innocent victim of structural failure."
"You were magnificent," Marianne said quietly, and something in her voice made him look at her sharply. She was smiling, but there was something else in her expression, something warm and wondering that made his chest tight.
"I was adequate at best."
"You were fun. When's the last time you did something just for fun?"
He had to think about it. "Define fun."
"The fact that you need a definition proves my point."
"I have fun. I review ledgers. Very entertaining."
"Mr. Fletcher, ledgers are not fun."
"They are when they balance."
"That's satisfaction, not fun."
"What's the difference?"
"Fun doesn't need to balance."
Before he could respond to this piece of philosophy, Mrs. Morrison's voice rang out across the square. "The geese! The Christmas geese are in the bakery!"
Everyone turned to look. Indeed, through the bakery window, they could see Admiral Feathers and his army investigating the shelves with destructive enthusiasm.
"My bread!" Marianne gasped and took off running.
Alaric followed, along with what seemed like half the village. They burst into the bakery to find a scene of devastation. The geese had knocked over displays, scattered flour everywhere, and Admiral Feathers was currently standing on the counter, eating what looked like an entire loaf of sourdough.
"Out! Out!" Marianne shouted, waving her apron at them.
The geese, unimpressed, continued their rampage. One of the lieutenants had discovered the mince pies and was distributing them to the troops with its beak.
"They're organized!" Thomas said with admiration. "Look, they're sharing!"
"They're destroying my bakery!"
"But in an organized way!"
Alaric grabbed a broom and tried to herd the geese toward the door, but Admiral Feathers saw this as a challenge and charged, wings spread in full intimidation display.
