Page 160 of Moon Craving

Of course, he wasn't around to order her banishment. He'd disappeared after their

discussion early that morning and had not returned to the fortress since.

He wasn't training the soldiers. Barr was doing that today. Without the help of his

twin, Abigail noted when she walked by the training ground in the lower bailey on her way

to the smithy. She wanted to ask Magnus if he could make her a three-pronged, handheld

digging tool for her herb garden.

She approached the blacksmith with some trepidation, unsure what her reception

would be. However, not only was he as respectful and helpful as always, but he even

smiled when she described what she wanted.

"Aye, I can make that right enough. It's a clever idea, it is."

"Thank you." He must not have heard of her deception.

But his next words dispelled that thought. "Is it true, then, that you canna hear?"

"Yes."

"You're a sly one, you are."

She opened her mouth to defend herself, but the look of approval on his face

forestalled her.

He nodded. "You're a fitting mate to our laird."

"Um . . . thank you."

"A Chrechte has to be stealthy and good at keeping a secret."

"But I'm not a Chrechte."

"Nay, you are not, but you've got the heart and the smarts of one." From the way

his chest puffed out and his eyes gleamed, it seemed that was highest praise coming from

the blacksmith.

And that was only the first of several such strange conversations Abigail had that

day with members of her clan. Far from making them hate her, learning of her affliction

and how well she had hidden the weakness increased her stature in their eyes.

She only wished the same was true of her husband, but then no one else knew she

had planned to use him to get to her sister.

As incomprehensible as she found it, the fact was her husband seemed far more

offended by her deception than her deafness. The clan admired her deception and