“Hey, now,” she cautioned, as she jabbed a finger in his side again. “We dinnae cock-shame around here.”
His gaze jerked down to hers. “Cock-shame?” he hissed, as Eppie turned back toward them, holding a large uncovered basket.
“Cock-shame,” Fenella repeated, her expression too bland to be real, amusement dancing in her green eyes. “Shaming those whose cocks are different. Or who like different cocks. Or who like cocks in general.”
“I cannae believe this,” he hissed, then shook his head. “Yesterday, ye didnae even ken what a cock—”
“Are we talking about chickens then?” Eppie called as she hobbled up, her own eyes twinkling knowingly. “Should I have chosen cock as the last secret ingredient?”
Brodie, his arm still around Fenella’s shoulders, nodded to the basket. “If ye have a basket full of cock, auld woman, ‘twould be best to tell us now, because things are about to get messy.”
“Tarts! And noisy!”
“’Tis no’ cock, ye deviants,” Eppie scolded, as she placed the basket on the counter beside them. “’Tis nuts!”
“Nuts,” Brodie repeated blankly.
“Nuts!” Eppie agreed. “And since nuts are harder, I’m giving ye all day to prepare yer feast.”
“Our nut-feast?” Fenella was trying to keep a straight face. “Ye think I can win with nuts?”
“Perhaps if ye had a pair of recipes,” Brodie managed. “’Twould for certes put ye ahead.”
“Aye, a pair of nuts would be helpful,” she agreed, barely containing laughter. “I could definitely go far in life with a pair of those.”
“And a sausage.”
Fenella lost her battle and burst into giggles. Brodie, his expression impassive, met Eppie’s gaze. She was shaking her head ruefully.
“Ye bairns have the strangest senses of humor. Who would’ve thought nuts would make ye laugh?”
“Fooking nuts!” gasped Fenella, before doubling over again.
Rolling her eyes, Eppie pulled the towel from the top of the basket. “I have all sorts of nuts in here, and ye can have as many of any kind as ye like. Dinnae forget to soak them—”
“Soak yer nuts!” cackled Fenella gleefully.
Brodie kept his hold on her, even as he nodded solemnly to the old woman. “Thank ye. We will, for certes, soak our nuts.”
Eppie just shook her head. “Do ye two need to be left alone for a bit?” She frowned at Fenella, who was still trying to get herself under control. “Especially ye, milady?”
“Nay,” Fenella gasped, forcing herself upright in Brodie’s hold. “I am fine.”
“She is fine,” Brodie deadpanned.
“I just…” She was trying to keep from giggling. “I just love nuts.”
“Fooking loves nuts,” Brodie agreed. “Mad for them.”
A chortle escaped her lips, but Fenella clamped down on it. “Completely mad. Nuts for nuts, ye might say. All of them.”
Brodie nodded solemnly. “Both of them.”
“Nuts!” Eppie threw up her hands in exasperation. “Do ye ken what recipe ye’ll be using?”
Ah. He hadn’t thought that far ahead, but Fenella had managed to get herself under control and nodded.
“Ye have pine nuts in there?”