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Her lips pressed tight together, deepening the lines that bracketed her mouth

"That reed to; you witnessed the paper"

Ian sighed; evidently this wasn’t the first he had heard of the matter today

"I did," he said patiently "And ye’ll have your money--so soon as Jamie’s able to send it He’s promised, and he’s an honorable haire produced an unladylike snort "Is it honorable to coahter and ruin her? Honorable!" She looked at Brianna, eyes bright and hard as fresh-rolled steel

"I’ll ask again, lass--what’s your mother’s name?"

Brianna simply stared at her, overwhel her, and her hands felt icy, despite Ian’s grasp

"Your haire repeated, impatient "Who was she?"

"It doesna haire rounded on her, face flushed with fury

"Oh, it ot her on some arland--that’s one thing But if she’s--"

"Laoghaire!"

"Sister!"

"Ye foul-tongued beso up She was as tall as any of the haire took one quick step back Every face in the room was turned to her, marked with hostility, sympathy, or merely curiosity

With a coolness that she didn’t feel, Brianna reached for the inner pocket of her coat, the secret pocket she had sewed into the seam only a week before It seemed like a century

"My mother’s name is Claire," she said, and dropped the necklace on the table

There was utter silence in the roo low on the hearth The pearl necklace lay gleaold pierced-work roundels like sparks

It was Jenny who spoke first Moving like a sleepwalker, she reached out a slender finger and touched one of the pearls Freshwater pearls, the kind called baroque because of their singular, irregular, unmistakable shapes

"Oh, my," Jenny said softly She lifted her head and looked Brianna in the face, the slanted blue eyes shilad to see ye--Niece"

"Where is lanced frohaire was not looking at her; her gaze was fastened to the pearls, face gone cold and frozen

Jenny and Ian exchanged a quick glance, then Ian stood up,under hi Brianna’s arm "Dinna fash yourself, lassie; they’re both safe"

Brianna resisted the impulse to collapse with relief Instead, she let out her breath very carefully, feeling the knot of anxiety loosen slowly in her belly

"Thank you," she said She tried to smile at Ian, but her face felt slack and rubbery Safe And together Oh, thank you! she thought, in wordless gratitude

"Those are haire nodded at the pearls She wasn’t angry now, but coldly self-possessed Without the distortions of fury, Brianna could see that she had once been very pretty, and was still a handsoraceful in herthat fades quickly, and had thickened through the ure was still erect and firm, and her face still showed the pride of a woman who has known herself beautiful

"That they’re not!" said Jenny, with a quick flash of teave to Jahaire interrupted She looked at Brianna then, a cold, gauging look

"I aood faith, and he pro he did aze on Jenny "It’s been more than a year since I’ve seen a penny Ahter--the one he’s left to me?"

She lifted her chin and looked at Brianna

"If you’re his daughter, then his debts are yours as well Tell her, Hobart!"

Hobart lookeda hand on her ar "I dinna think--"