"I am the Lady Keeper of the Cothromach," she announced. And for a moment, it seemed likely she would refute his claims by title alone. But soon she dipped into a softer, more rueful explanation: "I have more than my fair share of writing and reading to complete every day."

Her head tilted in a minor gesture towards the ledgers and papers that lived on her solar's shelves. "Mayhaps it's you who ought to be saving my time! Next lesson I'll have you copy out letters. It will be terribly dull and you'll hate it."