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Roger nodded

"I have, though not on e to be passed on for soesture so reer felt a shed

"I--ah--when Brianna went to the stones on Craigh na Dun, I was forced to wait a feeeks until I could follow after her"

"Aye?" Jamie looked wary, as he always did at any er continued, keeping his eyes on his father-in-law "I stayed at the house that my father had lived in, and I spent part of the tireat saver of letters and bits of old rubbish"

Jaer was on about, but too polite to interrupt hi his heart thu that if I found Claire, I would tell her of it But then when I found her"--he shrugged--"I was not sure whether I should tell her or not--or tell Brianna"

"And you are asking me if you should tell the his puzzle on it, it occurred to me that the letter was perhaps of more concern to you than to theer found hi some sympathy for Fraser

"You’ll know my father was a minister? The letter was to him I suppose it ritten under the seal of confession, in a way--but I ier took a deep breath and closed his eyes, seeing the black letters slanting across the page, in the neat, angular handwriting He’d read it over more than a hundred ti (the letter said);

I’ve so the matter with my heart Besides Claire, I ht be years yet, with care, and I hope it is--but there’s the odd chance The nuns at Bree’s school used to scare the kids into fits about the horrible fate in store for sinners who died unconfessed and unforgiven; damned (if you’ll pardon the expression) if I’ain--there’s the odd chance, isn’t there?

Not a thing I could say to my parish priest, for obvious reasons I doubt he’d see the sin in it, even if he didn’t slip out to telephone discreetly for psychiatric help!

But you’re a priest, Reg, if not a Catholic--and more importantly, you’re my friend You needn’t reply to this; I don’t suppose a reply is possible But you can listen One of your great gifts, listening Had I told you that before?

I’h I don’t knohy I should Best have it out

You’ll recall the favor I asked you a few years ago--about the gravestones at St Kilda’s? Kind friend that you are, you never asked, but it’s time I should tell you why

God knohy old Black Jack Randall should have been left out there on a Scottish hill instead of taken ho him home Sad to think of; I rather hope it wasn’t that

There he is, though If Bree’s ever interested in her history--in my history--she’ll look, and she’ll find hirave is mentioned in the family papers That’s why I asked you to have the other stone put up nearby It will stand out--all the other stones in that kirkyard are crue

Claire will take her to Scotland one day; I’oes to St Kilda’s, she’ll see it--no one goes into an old churchyard and doesn’t have a browse round the stones If she wonders, if she cares to look further--if she asks Claire--well, that’s as far as I’esture; I shall leave it to chance what happens when I’ve gone

You know all the rubbish Claire talked when she caet it out of her head, but she wouldn’t be budged; God, she is a stubborn woman!

You’ll not credit this, perhaps, but when I came last to visit you, I hired a car and went to that dah na Dun I told you about the witches dancing in the circle, just before Claire disappeared With that eerie sight inthose stones--I could al happened, of course

And yet I looked Looked for the man--for Fraser And perhaps I found hie up of his connectionsthe truth, or whether she had grafted some delusion onto real experience…well, there was a man, I’m sure of that!

You’ll scarcely credit this, but I stood there withmore than that it should open, and put me face-to-face with Ja more in life than to see him--and to kill him

I have never seen him--I don’t know that he existed!--and yet I hate this man as I have never hated anyone else If what Claire said and what I found was true--then I’ve taken her froh these years by a lie Maybe only a lie of omission, but nonetheless a lie for that I could call that revenge, I suppose

Priests and poets call revenge a two-edged sword; and the other edge of it is that I’ll never know--if I gave her the choice, would she have stayed with me? Or if I told her that her Jamie survived Culloden, would she have been off to Scotland like a shot?