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"You can’t really tell yet," I said drowsily I’d counted his toes, and I’d thought of it "He’s sort of reddish-purple, and he’s still got the vernix--the white stuff--all over him It will probably be a day or two before his skin fades into a natural color He’s got just a bit of dark hair, but it’s the sort that rubs off soon after birth" I stretched, enjoying the pleasant ache in legs and back; labor was hard work, even for the , even if he were fair, since Brianna is; he could be, either way"

"Aye…but if he were dark, we’d know for sure"

"Maybe not Your father was dark; so was enes and come out dark even if--"

"He could have what?"

I tried without success to think whether Gregor Mendel had yet started ave up the effort, too sleepy to concentrate Whether he had or not, Jamie evidently hadn’t heard of him

"He could be any color, and ouldn’t know for sure," I said I yaidely "We won’t know until he gets old enough to start rese…soreat deal who his father had been, if he wasn’t going to have one?

Jamie rolled toward me and scooped me into a spooned eainst hed, his breath ware of sleep, too happy to fall completely over into dreams Somewhere nearby, I heard a small stifled squawk, and the murmur of voices

"Aye, well," Jamie’s voice roused me, some moments later He sounded defiant "If I dinna ken his father, at least I’randsire is"

I reached back and patted his leg

"So ao to sleep ‘Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof’ "

He snorted, but his arms relaxed around me, hand curved on my breast, and instars through the openWhy had I said that? It was Frank’s favorite quotation, one he always used to soothe Brianna or s: Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof

The air in the rooht breeze stirred the curtains, and coolness touched my cheek

"Do you know?" I whispered, soundless "Do you know she has a son?"

There was no answer, but peace caht, and I fell at last over the edge of dreams

65

RETURN TO FRASER’S RIDGE

Jocasta was loath to part with her newest relative, but the spring planting was already very late, and the hoe without delay, and Brianna would not hear of staying behind Which was a good thing, as it would have taken dynite to separate Jah to travel; he came with us as far as the Great Buffalo Trail Road, where he kissed Brianna and the baby, e north toward Virginia and Willie

"I’ll trust you to take care of theon, where two bright heads bent together in mutual absorption over the bundle in Brianna’s lap

"You may," I said, and pressed his hand "I’ll trust you, too" He lifted my hand to his lips, briefly, s back

A week later, we bue where the wild strawberries grew, green and white and red together, constancy and courage, sweetness and bitterness led in the shadows of the trees

The cabin was dirty and uncared for, its sheds ele of old dried stalks and random shoots, the paddock an empty shell The framework of the new house stood black and skeletal, reproachful on the Ridge The place looked barely habitable, a ruin

I had never felt such joy in any hoht His last name was open to question; his Christian name not yet even considered

I called hi," Lizzie called him "dear lad," Jarandson" or "a Ruaidh," the Red One--his dark infant fuzz and dusky skin having given way to a blazing fair ruddiness that randsire hoever his father ; she kept hi him with a fierce absorption that went beyond words She would not give him a formal name, she said Not yet

"When?" Lizzie had asked, but Brianna didn’t answer I knehen; when Roger came

"And if he doesna come," said Jao to his grave wi’ no naer," I said evenly "You ave me a sharp look

"There is a difference between trust and hope, Sassenach, and ye ken that as well as I do"

"Well, have a stab at hope, then, why don’t you?" I snapped, and turnedit elaborately Little Query Mark had a rash on his bottom, that had kept hirainy--eyed and cross, and not inclined to tolerate any show of bad faith

Jamie walked deliberately around the table and sat down oppositehis chin on his folded arms, so that I was forced to look at him