winter fertilizes it.” Gabriel got up to make an inspection of the room with the baby on his shoulder.
“Horses do the best job of fertilizing.” Danner sat back, no doubt ready to start in on a rousing difference of opinion over the merits of various types of manure. “Anybody knows horse shite works a treat compared to the others.”
The baby grabbed Gabriel’s ear. “You believe this?”
“I know it. I’ve the yields to prove it.”
“If I sent Aaron here to discuss this with you, could you make the time?”
Danner cracked another smile. “You don’t be sending that one anywhere. You be asking him to look in on me, and that’ll do. There isn’t a man standing can resist Joan’s sweet rolls.”
“Get her to make you up some of that salve.” Gabriel bent to hand off his burden. “And you’ll be dancing with Edith when her turn comes.”
“I plan to.” Danner took the baby and cradled her in his arms. “You’ve a way with a babe, my lord. You should be finding yourself a bride.”
“What has one to do with the other?”
“Ah, now,” Danner chided, “you’ve been farming and growing up, you say. A man who can handle a wee child is ready to handle a wife as well.” He shouted for Joan, which caused the baby to giggle. “Send his lordship along with some sweet rolls, and make up another batch. Looks like we might be having more company.”
Gabriel waited for Joan to wrap up the rolls, though as a younger man, he would have made his excuses rather than been seen stealing off with treats like a schoolboy.
A younger, stupider man. The thought made him smile as he thanked Joan for the rolls, complimented her on her grandchild, and urged her to give the salve a try. The first bun was gone before he’d gotten within a mile of the manor; then he spied Marjorie out with her groom and changed direction to intercept her.
Marjorie offered him a tentative smile. “Good morning, my lord. You called on the Danners?”
Gabriel returned her smile, though this seemed to alarm her. “I did, including the fair Miss Edith. Is that the half Turk you mentioned at dinner last night?”
She petted her horse, her whole demeanor relaxing as she went into a rhapsody about the horse’s stamina and sense.
“Could I trouble you to sit with me for a few minutes?” Gabriel asked when she was done with her panegyric, and immediately her guard went back up. “I’ve sweet rolls, you see, and wouldn’t want to eat them all myself. Or I would, but you will preserve me from such gluttony.”
“It’s clouding up, my lord.” The clouds were lowering, true enough, but clouds lowered over most locations in England several times a day.
“It’s been clouding up all morning.” Gabriel dismounted and handed Soldier’s reins to the groom. “My horse asks you to spare him from the additional weight of all these sweets, on me or my person.” He reached up to lift her out of the saddle and saw something like panic flare in her eyes. But she got to the ground in a lithe movement, and he found she was not quite as insubstantial as her appearance suggested.
“I don’t bite, my lady,” he murmured quietly so the groom wouldn’t overhear. “Not without an invitation anyway. Shall we stroll?”
“Let’s sit, if we’re to see to your sweets.”
“Come.” He winged an elbow, and she wrapped a hand around his forearm, though he could feel the tension in her and wondered if she’d always been so high-strung. “Will that bench do?” The very same bench upon which he’d first spoken with his brother.
“Of course.”
When they were seated, Gabriel passed along a sweet roll and laid his handkerchief between them. “Danner claims they’re irresistible. I have to agree. But, Marjorie?” She risked a glance at him when he paused. “I’m going to gobble up my treat, not my sister-in-law.”
***
Marjorie set the roll down untouched, and Gabriel couldn’t read her reaction. He munched in silence, wondering
“Horses do the best job of fertilizing.” Danner sat back, no doubt ready to start in on a rousing difference of opinion over the merits of various types of manure. “Anybody knows horse shite works a treat compared to the others.”
The baby grabbed Gabriel’s ear. “You believe this?”
“I know it. I’ve the yields to prove it.”
“If I sent Aaron here to discuss this with you, could you make the time?”
Danner cracked another smile. “You don’t be sending that one anywhere. You be asking him to look in on me, and that’ll do. There isn’t a man standing can resist Joan’s sweet rolls.”
“Get her to make you up some of that salve.” Gabriel bent to hand off his burden. “And you’ll be dancing with Edith when her turn comes.”
“I plan to.” Danner took the baby and cradled her in his arms. “You’ve a way with a babe, my lord. You should be finding yourself a bride.”
“What has one to do with the other?”
“Ah, now,” Danner chided, “you’ve been farming and growing up, you say. A man who can handle a wee child is ready to handle a wife as well.” He shouted for Joan, which caused the baby to giggle. “Send his lordship along with some sweet rolls, and make up another batch. Looks like we might be having more company.”
Gabriel waited for Joan to wrap up the rolls, though as a younger man, he would have made his excuses rather than been seen stealing off with treats like a schoolboy.
A younger, stupider man. The thought made him smile as he thanked Joan for the rolls, complimented her on her grandchild, and urged her to give the salve a try. The first bun was gone before he’d gotten within a mile of the manor; then he spied Marjorie out with her groom and changed direction to intercept her.
Marjorie offered him a tentative smile. “Good morning, my lord. You called on the Danners?”
Gabriel returned her smile, though this seemed to alarm her. “I did, including the fair Miss Edith. Is that the half Turk you mentioned at dinner last night?”
She petted her horse, her whole demeanor relaxing as she went into a rhapsody about the horse’s stamina and sense.
“Could I trouble you to sit with me for a few minutes?” Gabriel asked when she was done with her panegyric, and immediately her guard went back up. “I’ve sweet rolls, you see, and wouldn’t want to eat them all myself. Or I would, but you will preserve me from such gluttony.”
“It’s clouding up, my lord.” The clouds were lowering, true enough, but clouds lowered over most locations in England several times a day.
“It’s been clouding up all morning.” Gabriel dismounted and handed Soldier’s reins to the groom. “My horse asks you to spare him from the additional weight of all these sweets, on me or my person.” He reached up to lift her out of the saddle and saw something like panic flare in her eyes. But she got to the ground in a lithe movement, and he found she was not quite as insubstantial as her appearance suggested.
“I don’t bite, my lady,” he murmured quietly so the groom wouldn’t overhear. “Not without an invitation anyway. Shall we stroll?”
“Let’s sit, if we’re to see to your sweets.”
“Come.” He winged an elbow, and she wrapped a hand around his forearm, though he could feel the tension in her and wondered if she’d always been so high-strung. “Will that bench do?” The very same bench upon which he’d first spoken with his brother.
“Of course.”
When they were seated, Gabriel passed along a sweet roll and laid his handkerchief between them. “Danner claims they’re irresistible. I have to agree. But, Marjorie?” She risked a glance at him when he paused. “I’m going to gobble up my treat, not my sister-in-law.”
***
Marjorie set the roll down untouched, and Gabriel couldn’t read her reaction. He munched in silence, wondering
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