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The draft horses copied Fidele and chewed on their hay, but the hot tee horses snorted and tossed their heads when Severin climbed down from the loft

Severin took a wooden bucket of brushes and carried it to Fidele’s stall He set about groo while Elle coaxed the barn cat to her side

"There is soht be that they do not try to boss you, like so "

"I doubt you lack that particular trait--otherwise you would not buck heads with E his horse for a moment and raised his eyes to the hay loft

Elle scratched the cat under the throat "Perhaps, but it doesn’t "

When Severin left Fidele’s stall and stopped in front of the grain bag she sat on, Elle raised her eyebrows at him

Severin shook his head at her before he raised a thick finger to his catIt hissed and retreated to the stall partition, flattening its ears as it watched Severin

Severin grabbed a pitchfork and crept to the hayloft ladder His ears flicked as he held the pitchfork like a javelin After a few heartbeats he thrust it into the hay

Oliver leaped out frorass everywhere He lost his balance and tipped over the side of the loft Severin caught hi the stable boy by his coat collar

"Oliver? What were you doing up there?" Elle blinked

"E fro his eyes wide behind hishis eyelashes He set one hand over his heart and girlishly fanned his face with his other hand

"E Oliver

Elle looked back and forth between Oliver and Severin "What about E on us," Severin said "That woman is nosey beyond her years I am surprised she has not left ency"

"But that would mean she would have to leave Marc"

"It has not escaped my notice that you seem fixated on the interpersonal relationships of my staff," Severin said as Oliver shifted his eyes between Severin and Elle

"It’s a whatever she wants, but she goes helpless at the first sign of Marc," Elle said

"Must all your sources of a your nose into business that is not your own?"