Joanna and Brock rode in silence for a long while before she spoke.

"What is Castle Kincade like?"

Brock grinned, his mood beginning to brighten. "It sits upon a hill, not a big one, mind, but below it is a loch, with waters as blue as the summer sky. My mother had some gardens built, but they've fallen into disrepair in the years since she died. I have no talent for them, but perhaps you could set them straight."

"I would like that very much," Joanna agreed. The ...