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forward to greet the newcomers, she realized he was even bigger than her own papa.
    She grabbed hold of Rachel’s hand and started tugging. Her sister took a long time to look down.
    â€œWhat is it?” she whispered.
    â€œHe isn’t God, is he?” she asked, pointing to the dark-haired guest.
    Rachel rolled her eyes heavenward. “No, he most certainly isn’t God.”
    â€œDid Papa lie to me? He told me only God is bigger than he is, Rachel.”
    â€œNo, Papa didn’t lie. He was just teasing you. That’s all. You don’t need to be afraid.”
    Brenna was thoroughly relieved. Papa hadn’t deceived her, after all, and God hadn’t bothered to come down from heaven to lecture her. There was still time for her to change what Elspeth told her was her sinful life.
    Her papa drew her attention when he let out a bellow of laughter. She smiled because he was having such a fine time, and then she turned to look at the middle one again. She’d been told time and again that it was rude to stare, but she didn’t pay any attention to her mother’s rule now. The giant mesmerized her, and she wanted to remember everything she could about him.
    He must have felt her staring at him, though, because he suddenly turned and looked directly at her.
    Brenna decided to make her papa proud of her and behave like a proper young lady. She grabbed a fistful of her skirt, hiked it up to her knees, and then bent down to curtsy. She promptly lost her balance and almost hit her head against the floor, but she was quick enough to lean back so she could land on her bottom.
    She stood back up, remembered to let go of her skirts, and then peeked up at the stranger to see what he thought about her newly acquired skill.
    The giant smiled at her.
    As soon as he looked away, she squeezed herself up against Rachel’s backside again.
    â€œI’m going to marry him,” she whispered.
    Rachel smiled. “That’s nice.”
    Brenna solemnly nodded. Yes, it was nice.
    Now all she had to do was ask.
    Papa let his daughters leave the hall a few minutes later. Brenna waited until everyone else had gone upstairs, then ran back outside. She was determined to catch one of the piglets today so she would finally have a pet of her very own. She would have preferred a pup, but Papa had let her older brothers and sisters have them all, and none were left for her, and she meant to right his terrible wrong by taking one of the piglets.
    Luck was on her side. The piglets’ mama had once again left the pen and was now sleeping in a mud pool on the far side of the stables halfway down the hill. Brenna tried not to make any noise, but she slipped in the mud and made a loud splatter anyway. The babies must have worn their mama out. She didn’t even lift her head or open her eyes. Brenna heard the loud squeak of the front doors being opened next, but when no one shouted at her, she was certain she hadn’t been seen.
    The piglets made her task easy, for they had rolled themselves into little balls and were sleeping on top of each other. Brenna scooped one into the hem of her skirts, wrapped it up tight, and then clutched it against her chest. She thought to run to the kitchens and hide her prize there, and she was sure she would have succeeded with her plan, if her new pet hadn’t made such a fuss about it all.
    Brenna didn’t realize her jeopardy until she was outside the pen and heard a horrible noise coming toward her. Pigs weren’t supposed to fly, but the enraged mama seemed to be doing just that. Her head was down, her feet were moving faster than a bolt of lightning, and her intent was clearly issued with an ear-shattering squeal that sounded like the devil himself rising out of the bowels of hell to get her.
    Brenna opened her mouth and let out a wail every bit as worthy as her predator’s. Too terrified to think, she ran in circles, around and around the pen, her hair