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"How long does it all take?" Brianna poked her nose over the edge of the rain of the last sun to work; there was no more than a faint whiff of alcohol in the air

"Oh, it will depend on the weather, a bit" Marsali cast an experienced eye skyward It was late afternoon, and the sky had begun to darken into a clear deep blue, with noover the horizon "Clear as it is, I should say--Germaine!" Germaine’s botto disappeared under a log

"I’ll get hi, and scooped him up Germaine made a deep sound of protest at this unwarranted interference, and began to kick, has

"Ow!" Brianna set hih with one hand

Marsali made a sound of exasperation and dropped her ladle "Nohat have ye got, ye wicked thing?" Ger learned from experience, popped his latest acquisition into his mouth and sed convulsively He ian to choke

With a cry of alarm, Marsali dropped to her knees and tried to pry his ered backward, shaking his head His blue eyes bulged, and a thin line of drool snaked down his chin

"Here!" Brianna grabbed the little boy by the arainst her, and with both hands fisted into his stomach, jerked the noise, and soasped for air, got a good lungful and started to howl, his face going from dusky purple to a healthy red within seconds

"Is he all right?" Ja in his lanced at Brianna "That was verra quick, lass A good job"

"Thanks I--thanks I’lad it worked"

Brianna felt a little shaky Seconds It hadn’t taken ain, in nothing flat Ja her a brief squeeze, and she felt a little better

"Best take the laddie down to the house," he told Marsali "Give him his supper and put hi shaken herself She brushed a strand of pale hair out of her eyes, and gave Brianna a poor atteood-sister"

Brianna felt a surprising save Marsali back the s froround, and with a nod to Jamie, turned and made her way carefully down the steep path, toddler in her arhtly in her hair

"That was pretty work, Coz" Ian had finished the spreading, and juratulate her "Where did ye learn a thing like that?"

"Fro iround nearby

"What is it the laddie sed, I wonder?"

"This" Brianna spotted the object, half buried under fallen leaves, and plucked it out "It looks like a button" The object was a lopsided circle, crudely carved fro shank and holes bored for thread

"Let me see" Jamie held out a hand, and she dropped the button into it

"You’ll no beat the small object in his palm

Ian peered over Jaested

"Maybe, but I dinna think so Our Fergus is toolike this All the buttons on his coat are made of polished horn" He shook his head slowly, still frowning, then shrugged Picking up his sporran, he put the button into it before fastening it about his waist

"Ah, well I’ll ask about Will ye finish here, Ian? There’s no much left to do" He smiled at Brianna and cocked his head toward the path "Come then, lass; we’ll ask at Lindseys’, on our way home"

In the event, Kenny Lindsey was not at home

"Duncan Innes came to fetch hiainst the late sun as she stood in the doorway of her house "I make nay doubt they’ll be to your house the noo Will ye and your lassie no step in, Mac Dubh, and have a taste of so?"

"Ah, no, I thank ye, Mrs Kenny My ill be having the supper ready for us But perhaps ye could be tellin’ me whether this wee bawbee is from Kenny’s coat?"

Mrs Lindsey peered at the button in his hand, then shook her head

"No, indeed Have I not just finished sewing on a whole fresh set of buttons for him, that’s he’s carved fros ye ever saw, too," she declared, with pride in her husband’s craftsrinnin’ like an imp, and each one different!"

Her eye ran speculatively over Brianna

"There’s Kenny’s brother, now," she said "With a fine wee place near Cross Creek--twenty acres in tobacco, and a good creek through it He’ll be at the Gathering at Mount Helicon; perhaps you’ll be going, Mac Dubh?"

Ja at the bald hint There were few available woiven it out that Brianna was promised elsewhere, this had not by anyattempts

"I fear not this year, Mrs Kenny Perhaps the next, but I canna spare the time just now"

They took their leave politely, and turned toward ho shadows on the path ahead of them

"Do you think the button’s ihtly A light breeze lifted the hair on the crown of his head, and tugged at the leather thong that held it back