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Once th of his, then took it gently between er, just below the distal joint I could feel the crack in mymy eyes

He nodded, a faint smile on his lips as he looked at me

"Just there I like the way ye look when ye do that, Sassenach"

"What way is that?" I asked, a bit startled to hear that I looked any way in particular

"I canna describe it, exactly," he said, head tilted to one side as he exaa with her crystal ball," Brianna said, sounding a down atlook She switched her gaze to Jahed

"Aye, I think you’reof; the way they look saying Mass, when they look past the bread and see the flesh of Christ instead Not that I should think to coer wi’ the Body of Our Lord, it

Brianna laughed, and a smile curved his mouth on one side, as he looked up at her, his eyes soft despite the lines of tiredness round theer I would have given anything to hold that fleeting moment of connection between them, but it had passed already

"I think you are both ridiculous," I said I touched his finger lightly at the spot I’d held "The bone is cracked, just there below the joint It’s not bad, though; no more than a hairline fracture I’ll splint it, just in case"

I got up and went to rue and one of the long, flat wood chips I used as tongue depressors I glanced covertly over the raised lid, watching hih I still couldn’t put h ly when I held his hand to exah he were excited or upset, though he gave no outward sign of it He was bloody good at hiding things when he wanted to; what the hell had happened at Fergus’s house?

Brianna said so to Jamie, too low forfor an answer, and came to join me by the open chest

"Do you have so close on pretext of looking into the chest, said in a low voice, "Should I tell hiht? He’s tired and he’s hurt Hadn’t I better let hiainst the settle, eyes wide open as he watched the flahs He wasn’t relaxed, though; whatever strange current was flowing through hiht rest better not knowing, but you won’t," I said, equally low-voiced "Go ahead and tell hih," I added practically I was a strong believer in er while Brianna sat down beside hientian ointment onto the abraded knuckles of his other hand Her face was quite cal on behind it

"You’ve torn your shirt," I said, finishing off the last bandage with a small square knot "Give it to me after supper and I’ll a," he said, gingerly wiggling his freshly splinted finger "I shall be getting quite spoilt, wi’ so much attention paid me"

"When I start to chew your food for you, you can worry," I said tartly

He laughed, and gave the splinted hand to Bree for anointing

I went to the cupboard to fetch a plate for hi her intently She kept her head bent, eyes on the large, callused hand she held between her own I could iin, and my heart ached for her Perhaps I should have told hiht; not let hi was safely past and he had hiain

"Ciamar a tha tu,to her, the beginning of their evening Gaelic lesson, but his voice was different tonight; soft, and very gentle How are you, darling? His hand turned and covered hers, cradling her long fingers

"Thaa bit surprised I aan the lesson after dinner

Slowly he reached out with his other hand and rested it gently on her stoad?" he asked Do you tell me true? I closedNo need to break all the news, after all And now I knew the reason for his taut-strung strangeness; he knew, and whatever the knowledge cost hiently

She didn’t know enough Gaelic yet to tell what he’d asked, but she kneell enough what he meant She stared at him for a moment, frozen, then lifted his sound hand to her cheek and bent her head over it, the loose hair hiding her face

"Oh, Da," she said, very quietly "I’h it were a lifeline

"Ah, now, ht"

"No, it won’t," she said, her voice sht You know that"

He glanced at me out of habit, but only briefly I couldn’t tell him what to do, now He drew a deep breath, took her by the shoulder and gave her a gentle shake