Chapter 287

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 prospect of restoring the gardens his mother had once created seemed like a lovely idea. She was also relieved that she would have something to occupy her there. Joanna had never been the sort of woman to sit idly by when she could take charge of something.

"What was she like? Your mother, I mean."

Brock stiffened slightly, and for a long moment Joanna wondered if he would even answer.

"My mother was tenderhearted. There wasn't an injured animal or wounded person that she didn't try to heal or help. There was a light in