The midday sun slanted through the narrow windows of the keep as voices drifted through the corridor and rose from the kitchen.
“Let’s get Roger on that,” Theo said, rubbing the stubble on his chin. “I think he is most capable of locating the lost cattle. What else do I need to ken?”
“We need to pull up the west field. Last year, we grew peppers in that field, and they didnae do so well,” Stephen reported as he shifted the papers and books in his arms. Their booted steps echoed through the corridor leading to the east wing.
The sketches in his hand flapped gently as he walked. Each sketch had notes to the side to give the council a clear idea of next season’s planting. The last thing he wanted was for the herbs to end up in the wrong field again.
“Is that field nae due for a rest?” Theo asked. He pulled one of the books from Stephen’s arm and flipped through the pages. “See, there. Make sure that this parcel isnae touched this year. It needs to rest. We’ll do the plantin’ in the west field, and dinnae plant peppers. Nay one cared for them. I say this year we focus on tubers.”
“Aye, I think the scullery maid will thank ye for that,” Stephen said with a light chuckle. “But may I also suggest that we plant barley where we planted the turnips? I think the crops will fare better that way.”
Theo grunted as he bobbed his head. “Aye, but can we keep the deer out this year? Last year, as I recall, we lost nearly half the harvest due to those pests.”
“Aye, but we had plenty of meat, did we nae? So, I think that’s a win-win situation. I dinnae ken about ye, but I’ll take deer and elk over something green any day of the week,” Stephen declared. “But what if ye put yer wife out there in the field? I’m sure with her temper, she’ll be able to scare off anything within a ten-mile radius.”
Theo shot him a look, but it faded quickly as they neared the open arch of the sitting room. Bouts of laughter drifted out of the room like tiny bells, catching his ear. He slowed down and motioned for Stephen to do the same.
Peering through the crack in the door, Theo spotted them. The girls were sitting in a circle: Lavina, Maisie, and Amber.
His chest tightened. Never in all the time Amber had been living with him had he seen her smile. And yet, here she was, giddy as any girl should be.
His attention shifted to Lavina, who was sitting on the floor beside the hearth, with her skirts tucked beneath her and her head tilted as she spoke softly to Amber.
The child sat cross-legged between her and Maisie, a small woven doll resting in her lap. Maisie held up a small board with letters carved into it and tapped one with her finger, then said, “Fox.”
Amber’s mouth opened slightly.
Theo held his breath. The anticipation clung to him like dew to the first flower of spring. He leaned closer, praying he wouldn’t miss the child’s first word. And for a moment, just a heartbeat, he thought he heard something slip from the girl’s lips. It wasn’t a word, but merely a sound.
The hope seeped out of him just as quickly as it had filled him. His eyes remained on his daughter as he watched her little mouth open and close once again, only to be greeted with more silence.
“She was so close,” Stephen whispered.
Theo glanced at him before stepping back quietly from the door, something fragile twisting in his chest.
Stephen, noticing the sudden change in his mood, raised an eyebrow. “Is there something wrong? Do ye nae want the lass to learn how to read?”
Theo didn’t answer right away. He turned his attention to the empty corridor for a moment as if something had caught his eye. “Lavina’s got it in her head that she can teach Amber how to speak.”
“And ye dinnae think she can help?” Stephen asked.
Theo shook his head. “It doesnae matter what I think.”
“Sure it does. Or do ye think Amber isnae capable?”
“It’s nae that,” Theo said, shaking his head again.
Stephen let out a short snort of disbelief. “This is a good thing. Ye ken as well as I do that Amber has barely let the kitchen maids near her. Most days, she’s in the rafters like a bloody church mouse. Her bein’ out with people is progress. These sorts of things take time.”
“And how would ye ken that?” Theo asked, arching a suspicious eyebrow. “’Tis nae as if ye have any children of yer own.”
“There’s a reason for that,” Stephen replied. “I do better without the burden of a family. Think about it for a moment. If I had a family of me own, would I be here to serve ye? Nay. But I do havea sister, and she’s got bairns. More than I’d like. But that’s beside the point.”
“What is yer point?” Theo grunted, getting irritated and antsy.
“Give it time. To me, it seems Lavina is holdin’ up her end of the deal. Amber is out in public. Let’s see how she does in a few more days.”
The torches lining the Great Hall had already been lit, casting an orange glow over the stone as twilight settled over the keep. The sky outside had turned to a deep shade of purple, with just the last hints of sun painting the horizon a fiery red. The wind carried the scent of heather and smoke that was familiar and faintly comforting.
