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"Sassenach" My heart nearly stopped at the sound of Ja rapidly overcome by annoyance What did he think he--

For a split second, I thought I was seeing double They were sitting on the bench outside the door, side by side, the afternoon sun igniting their hair like ht with joy--then shifted right

"Ma all together I had no time even to think before she was in my arms, and I was in the air, knocked off uratively

"Mama!"

I hadn’t any breath; what hadn’t been taken away by shock was being squeezed out by a rib-crushing hug

"Bree!" I o I looked disbelievingly up, but she was real I looked for Jaave ht

"I, ah, I wasn’t expecting--" I said idiotically

Brianna gave ht as stars and damp with happiness

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

"What?" said Jamie blankly

PART TEN

Impaired Relations

42

MOONLIGHT

September 1769

She woke from a dreamless sleep, a hand on her shoulder She jerked and started up on one elbow, blinking Jaloolow, and it was nearly pitch-black in the cabin

"I shall be hunting up the mountain, lass; will ye co to reassehts, and nodded

"Good Wear your breeks" He rose silently and went out, letting in a breath of piercing-sweet cold air as the door opened

By the ti just as silently, despite the armload of firewood he carried He nodded to her and knelt to rekindle the fire; she thrust her arms into her coat and went out herself, in search of the privy

The world outside was black and dreaht herself still asleep Stars burned coldly bright, but seeht fall fro, in the es beyond

What ti at the touch of dahs So ti was hushed; no insects hus, even from the dry corn-stooks propped in the field

When she pushed open the door of the cabin, the air inside seemed almost solid; a block of stale s bodies By contrast, the air outside eet but thin--she kept taking large gulps, to get enough

He was ready; a leather bag was tied at his belt with ax and powder horn, a bigger canvas sack slung over his shoulder She didn’t co as he bent quickly and kissed her mother in the bed

He knew she was there, of course--and it was no ht kiss on the forehead--but she felt like an intruder, a voyeur The , pale hand floated up from the quilts and touched his face with a tenderness that squeezed her heart Claire , but Brianna didn’t hear it

She turned away quickly, face hot in spite of the chilly air, and was standing by the edge of the clearing when he ca for the clunk within as it was barred He had a gun, a long-barreled thing that seemed nearly as tall as she was

He didn’t speak, but smiled at her and cocked his head toward the wood She followed, keeping up easily as he took a faint trail that led through groves of spruce and chestnut His feet knocked the dew froh tussocks of shi silver