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I openedlook fro, Mr Campbell went on

"The question remains whether the poor woency of another What think ye, Mistress Fraser?"

Jamie narrowed his eyes atwas unnecessary; we had discussed the ht, and come to our own conclusions--also to the conclusion that our opinions need not be shared with the forces of law and order in Cross Creek; not just yet I pinched uise any telltale alteration of my expression I was a very bad liar

"I’m sure she did it by herself," I said firmly "It takes very little time to bleed to death in this manner, and as Jamie told you, she was still alive e found her We were outside the , for some time before we ca theht quite easily have hidden in the other room, and crept out quietly in the dark while ere occupied in co woman If this possibility did not occur to Mr Campbell, I saw no reason to draw it to his attention

Jaravity suitable to the occasion by the time Mr Caret

"Ah, poor unfortunate lass! I suppose we can but be relieved that no one else has shared her sin"

"What about the et rid of?" I said, with a certain amount of acidity Mr Caether

"Uh we do not knohether she were married--"

"So ye do not know the woman yourself, sir?" Jamie butted in before I could make any further injudicious remarks

Campbell shook his head

"She is not the servant of Mr Buchanan or the MacNeills, I ae Alderdyce Those are the only plantations near enough froh it does occur to me to wonder why she should have come to this particular place to perform such a desperate act…"

It had occurred to Ja the next step in this line of inquiry, Jaain

"She said verra little, but she did eant’ were her words Do ye perhaps have a thought whoht eant in charge of the guard on the royal warehouse Yes, I ahtly "Ah! Nay doubt the woman was attached in some way to the military establishh I still wonder why she--"

"Mr Ca a bit faint," I interrupted, laying a hand on his sleeve This was no lie; I hadn’t slept or eaten I felt light-headed from the heat and the smell, and I knew I must look pale

"Will ye see estured toward the bed and its pathetic burden "I’ll bring the poor lass along as I may"

"Pray do not trouble yourself, Mr Fraser," Ca to usher me out "My servant can fetch out the body"

"It is my aunt’s mill, sir, and thus my concern" Jamie spoke politely, but fir outside, by the wagon

"I told you that place got haints," she said, surveying rim satisfaction "You white as ary sheet,her nose delicately in ht, and you look like you co-killin’ then Sit you down in the shade here and drink that up; fix you up peart" She glanced over my shoulder I looked back as well, and saw that Campbell had reached the shade of the sycamores by the creek bank, and was deep in conversation with his servant

"Found her," Phaedre said at once, dropping her voice Her eyes cut sideways, toward the small cluster of slave huts, barely visible from this side of the mill

"You’re sure? You didn’t have lad of the sharp bouquet that rose up the back oflanceto the men under the trees

"Didn’t need in’ open, little bits of trash scattered round like somebody done left in a hurry I find a picanin’ and ask hione now, he don’t knohere Ask hiht, this one, nobody see her" Her eyes met mine, dark with questions "Now you knohat you ood question, and one for which I had no answer at all I sed the wine, and along with it, a rising sense of panic

"All the slaves herebefore anyone else finds out? Whose business will it be to know such things, now that Byrnes is dead?"