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“Come the time, come the man, right?”

Griffin blinked. “What?”

“I just mean, you are intelligent and capable, Griffin. I don’t doubt you could learn to lead Peasgoode into the next century. Now, I have a very important question for you.”

Remembering where he’d just been, Griffin stiffened. “Aye?” he growled.

“Why are you walking about without your shoes on?”

As Griffin’s toes flexed against the wooden floor of the corridor, his mind blanked.

“Ah…”

Well shite, now ye sound guiltier. Just make up something, fast!

“I…cannae find…my…”

Salvation came from an unexpected source. Bull rounded the corner carrying an apple in one hand and a pair of apples in the other. “Gruff! There ye are!”

“My son!” Griffin gratefully finished. “Step-son. I couldnae find him.”

Ian looked from one to the other in confusion. “And…you had to take your shoes off to find Bull?”

Bull, bless him, was quick to ascertain the situation. “Och, aye! Everyone kens it’s easier to juggle in yer stocking feet. Balance is important. Here’s those apples ye asked me to get, Gruff.”

Griffin just managed to get his hand up to catch the single fruit the lad tossed his way, and he prayed he made it look natural when he caught it. “Aye, Bull promised…” He cleared his throat. “I mean, I promised Bull I’d teach him to juggle. Apples. Which I asked him to fetch.”

“Oh, excellent!” Ian looked ready to remove his own shoes and join in, but then his face fell. “I have to meet with Totwafel to go over the finances for the old mill in the valley. So I suppose I’ll leave you to it.” His manner perked up and he waved cheerfully to Bull, who was making a show of removing his shoes. “Good luck!”

Bull straightened to wave in return.

As Griffin watched the older man go, he said loudly for Ian’s benefit, “Now, the thing to remember is to keep yer stance wide, and yer weight balanced on the balls of yer feet. Dinnae lean forward—aright he’s gone.”

They both slumped in relief.

“Ye were doing a fairly good job of teaching me about something ye dinnae ken,” Bull offered with a grin. “Shall we go find an empty room so I can teach ye?”

Griffin jerked his head, then tossed the apple into the air and caught it. “Let’s go to yer chambers, they’re closest. And we can lock the door.” He didn’t want to be disturbed again.

“And ye can tell me why ye’re creeping about in stocking feet? Ye’re welcome for saving yer arse there, by the way.”

Reluctantly, a grin tugged at Griffin’s lips. “Aye, thank ye, by the way. I’ll tell ye all about the elephant hunt, and why it’s no’ progressing at all, and ye can help me come up with the next step.”

The look the lad shot him was close to hero-worship, and made Griffin feel better than he’d expected.

* * *

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything as adorable as Highland coos,” sighed Marcia as she stacked her hands on the top rail of the wooden fence. “Have you?”

Felicity took a deep breath of the crisp summer air, tipping her head back so the sunshine could warm her face. They’d strolled through the gardens, past the stables, and now were admiring the idyllic meadow full of a small heard of the shaggy, red-haired beasts.

“I have to admit, they are quite cute. From a distance, at least.”

Marcia twisted to glance at her. “You are wearing your spectacles, right? They’re the cutest things I’ve ever seen!”

“Well, that is just because you have not seen a fuzzy little kitten batting at a ball of string, have you?” Smiling, Felicity stepped up beside the girl and rested her forearms on the top rail as well. “Cheeseburg was the cutest thing I had ever seen, besides Bull.”

“Was Bull an adorable baby?”