Charlotte was livid. "Those fences are strong, there is no way the cows could have pushed their way through. Someone tore down the fence rails Odo Read, and because of it, ye are now in trouble!"
"What can I do? Nothing, not a thing. I accepted responsibility for Blacky and will have to pay Lord Ridgley his worth. I hate to think of the cost."
"And the damage to the crops? Will that be a lot?" she asked.
"I don't know. The lord will likely have me pay for damages and fine me."
"Can't be much damage - how long were the cows loose?"
"We turned them out from the byre before dawn, and it was just about daybreak when Merick rode up."
Charlotte and Odo were sitting on a bench outside the Cheese Shoppe. Since Blacky's death Odo had no zeal to work and was mostly worried about how Lord Ridgl
