She was silent for a dozen steps as they crossed the yard to the stables. “I was comfortable there. I felt it was Christopher’s home and I was his steward, doing all in my power to secure it for his future. I vaguely thought I might live there as an elderly dowager with my grandchildren around my knees as I told them stories about their father’s childhood.”

“It’s a good dream,” Lucas said quietly. “It could still happen.”

She sighed. “My future is too uncertain for dreaming. Let us speak of more interesting things. Tell me about mules. Did you ride one as a matter of friarly humility?”

“That’s an insult to mules,” he said, smiling a little.

“They aren’t as pretty as horses and they aren’t as fast, but they have endless stamina and they’re more intelligent. They’re very admirable and every bit as good as horses. Just different.”

“How did you acquire the Magdalene?”

“A Belgian farmer and his family were heading to market when their wagon slid off the road and several of them were seriously injured. Frère Emmanuel and I were nearby, so we were summoned to help. We splinted the injuries and cared for the family for the next fortnight. We told the farmer that no payment was necessary, but he wanted to do something so he offered his old mule. He said she was too worn down for heavy farmwork, but she might prove useful to us.”

“He was obviously right,” Kendra said with an enchanting smile. With her exquisite fair complexion, she was lovely in black.

He reminded himself to reply to her comment. “Frère Emmanuel had a mule named Caesar that had carried him faithfully for years, so this mule became mine. She had been called nothing but ‘Mule.’ I thought she deserved a grander name, so I christened her the Magdalene. She was in poor condition when the farmer gave her to us, but with time and care she improved considerably.” Lucas had used some of his special healing ability on her and learned that it worked for animals as well as people.

Kendra laughed. “I hope she appreciated the pampering.”

“She seems to.” They entered the stables and Lucas headed toward the back corner. When he saw a groom, he asked, “How is the Magdalene doing, Harris?”

“Well, sir.” The young man bobbed his head politely.

“She feels the cold more these days so I brought her in for the night. She’s in her usual box.”

As the groom headed outside, Lucas murmured, “You see how she inspires protectiveness. There she is, in the loose box in the corner.”

The interior of the stables was shadowy, but the white mule in the loose box was unmistakable. Recognizing Lucas, she raised her head and trumpeted a greeting that was something between a whinny and a bray.