“Aye. She lays eggs only when she feels like it.”
“Well, we must do something about that,” Emma said wryly. “How much for her?”
He named a price that might have frightened a more sensible person, but Emma did not blink.
“Done.”
Jenny made a noise that might have been a strangled plea as the coins changed hands.
“See?” Emma said. “We understand each other already.”
Jenny opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment, a shout went up near the next stall. A goat, grey and stubborn, had kicked over a basket and was now dragging its tether across the ground, scattering vegetables in its wake. A boy cursed as he tried to catch it and got another kick for his trouble.
Emma watched the animal lower its head and brace its legs, refusing to be moved by anyone. “That one,” she declared.
Jenny followed her gaze. “Of course that one,” she muttered. “Why nae?”
Emma stepped into the path of the goat. It stopped, surprised, and glared at her. She glared back, and for a long moment, neither of them moved.
“The goat and I have something in common,” she said, almost under her breath.
Jenny cleared her throat. “I am afraid I daenae see any similarities, me Lady. And I thank God for that.”
Emma laughed. “You see, it started to kick when it felt cornered. I do the same as well.”
“Oh…”
The owner, flushed and flustered, hurried over. “Me Lady, I am sorry. He is trouble, from hoof to horn. I will get him out of yer way.”
“How much?” Emma asked.
He blinked. “For him?”
“Yes. He looks… determined.”
The man named a price, and Emma met it and then some.
Jenny groaned softly and covered her face with her hand. “What are ye going to do with a cat, a goat, and a chicken?” she asked as they walked away.
“Oh,” Emma said, “you just wait and see.”
In a matter of minutes, they were back at the castle. The calf met them halfway up the lane, coaxed along by the stable boy, who shook his head the whole time, unable to hide his smile.
Isobel stepped outside and froze. Her hand flew to her mouth. Then she laughed, bright and startled.“By all that is holy.”
David, stationed near the steps, stared as if he was not quite sure whether to draw his sword or help with the chicken. His eyeswidened, and his mouth curved into something that might have been a smile before he bit it back.
Isobel came forward, reaching out to stroke the calf’s fur. “Look at ye,” she cooed. “What are ye planning to do with all these animals, Emma?”
Emma shifted the cat so it could glare at David more comfortably. “Well,” she said, raising her voice just enough for it to carry. “Since there is no one to keep me company here, I thought I could engage their services.”
Isobel’s eyes danced with amusement and something sharper underneath. She looked from the animals to Emma and back again.
“Of course ye do,” she said. “And ye picked the loudest company ye could find.”
Emma smiled, slow and private. The castle would not be quiet around her.Not anymore.
Your move, Logan.
