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She looked down her long, straight nose at ht I’d run right out and have sex with everybody in sight thethat it was onlyyou?" The corner of her wide mouth twitched

"Well, not only that," she conceded "But you had so to do with it, you and Daddy I mean, I--I wouldn’t have wanted to disappoint you" The twitch had turned to a quiver in an instant, and I hugged her hard, her sainst htly "We’d never be disappointed in you, never"

I felt both tension and worry ebb as I held her Finally, she took a deep breath and let go of me

"Maybe not you or Daddy," she said "But what about--?" She tilted her head toward the now invisible house

"He won’t--" I began, but then stopped The truth was that I didn’t knohat Jaly inclined to think that Brianna hung thesexual honor that could only be described--for obvious reasons--as old-fashioned, and no inhibitions at all about expressing them

He orldly, well educated, tolerant, and compassionate This did not in any way, shape, or form mean that he shared or understood modern sensibilities; I knew quite well he didn’t And I couldn’t think that his attitude toward Roger would be tolerant in the slightest

"Well," I said dubiously, "I shouldn’t wonder if he didn’t want to punch Roger in the nose or so her look of alarm "He loves you," I said, and smoothed the tuot up, brushing yellow leaves from my skirt

"We’ll have a bit of time, then, but none to waste Jaer Speaking of Roger…" I hesitated, picking a bit of dried fern from my sleeve "I don’t suppose he knows about this, does he?"

Brianna took a deep breath, and her fist closed tight on the leaf in her hand, crushing it

"Well, see, there’s a problem about that," she said She looked up at er’s"

"What?" I said stupidly

"It Isn’t Roger’s Baby," she said, between clenched teeth

I sank down beside her once er suddenly took on new dimensions

"Who?" I said "Here, or there?" Even as I spoke, I was calculating--it had to be someone here, in the past If it had been athan two months Not only in the past, then, but here, in the Colonies

I wasn’t planning to have sex, she’d said No, of course not She hadn’t told Roger, for fear he would follow her--he was her anchor, her key to the future But in that case--

"Here," she said, confir in the pocket of her skirt, and ca She reached toward me, and I held out my hand autoold wedding band sparked in the sun, andcarried next to her skin, but I felt a deep coldness seep into ers

"Bonnet?" I said "Stephen Bonnet?"

Her throatin a brief nod

"I wasn’t going to tell you--I couldn’t; not after Ian told me about what happened on the river At first I didn’t knohat Da would do; I was afraid he’d blame me And then when I knew him a little better--I knew he’d try to find Bonnet--that’s what Daddy would have done I couldn’t let him do that Youin the sun, but a shudder passed over her, and she rubbed her arh she was cold

"I do," I said My lips were stiff Her words were ringing into have sex I couldn’t tell…I was afraid he’d blame me

"What did he do to you?" I asked, and was surprised that riainst herself

"Don’t call ht now"

I reached to touch her, but she huddled closer into herself, and I dropped my hand

"Do you want to tell me?" I didn’t want to knoanted to pretend it hadn’t happened, too

She looked up at ht white line

"No," she said "No, I don’t want to But I think I’d better"

She had stepped aboard the Gloriana in broad daylight, cautious, but feeling safe by reason of the number of people around; loaders, seamen, merchants, servants--the docks bustled with life She had told a seaman on the deck what she wanted; he had vanished into the recesses of the ship, and a moment later, Stephen Bonnet had appeared

He had on the saht, she could see that they were of fine quality, but stained and badly crumpled Greasy candle wax had dripped on the silk cuff of his coat, and his jabot had crumbs in it

Bonnet himself showed fewer marks of wear than did his clothes; he was fresh-shaven, and his green eyes were pale and alert They passed over her quickly, lighting with interest

"I did think ye co her hand and raising it to his lips "But a-ood deal more rare to find a woman fairer in the sun than she is by the iving hi?" Her heart beat fast in her throat He could still tell her about the ring--about herBut she wanted very badly to have it in her hands She suppressed the fear that had haunted her all night; that the ring ht be all that was left of her ht, but--

"Oh, indeed The luck of Danu herself ith ave her a char hold of her hand