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"Och, no," he said, and laughed, a little nervously "No, I think I’er forced a smile, and clapped Duncan on the back "Here’s luck to you"

Duncan brushed a finger beneath his rave;raich"

He had expected Duncan to go off about his business, once his question was answered, but thethe roagons in Roger’s wake, peering at the wares on display with a slight frown

After a week’s haggling and bartering, the wagons were as full as they had been to start with--or rain and wool, casks of cider, bags of apples, stacks of hides and other sundries taken in trade The stock of fancies had dwindled considerably, but there were still things to be bought, as evidenced by the crowd of folk clustering round the wagons, thick as aphids on a rosebush

Roger was tall enough to peer over the heads of ons, squinting at this or that, trying to envision Brianna’s response to it

She was a beautiful woman, but not inclined to fuss over her looks In fact, he had narrowly stopped her cutting offin the gravy and Je on it Maybe a ribbon was practical Or a decorated comb? More likely a pair of handcuffs for the wean

He paused by a vendor of cloth goods, though, and bent to peer under the canvas, where caps and bright ribbons hung safely suspended out of the wet, stirring in the cool dimness like the tentacles of brilliant jellyfish Duncan, plaid hitched up about his ears against the gusting breeze, ca for so in particular, are ye, sirs?" A peddler-wo on her folded arms, and divided a professional smile between them

"Aye," Duncan said, unexpectedly "A yard of velvet Would ye be having such a thing? Good quality, mind, but the color’s not important"

The woman’s eyebrows lifted--even in his best clothes, Duncan would strike no one as a dandy--but she turned without coh her diminished stock

"D’ye think Mrs Claire would have soer

"Aye, I know she has," Roger replied His puzzlement must have shown on his face, for Duncan sht I had," he said "Miss Jo suffers froht I mind, my mither had a lavender pillow, and said she fell asleep like a babe the ht, perhaps a bit o’ velvet--so as she could feel it against her cheek, aye?--and perhaps Mrs Lizzie would stitch it up for er nodded his approval, feeling touched--and slightly shahtfulness He had had the ie between Duncan and Jocasta Caood business--and perhaps it was But mad passion wasn’t a necessary prerequisite for tenderness or consideration, was it?

Duncan, purchase concluded, took his leave and went off with the velvet safely sheltered under his plaid, leaving Roger tovendors, , as he wracked his brain to think what ites? No, the kid would pull theht

Still, his mind dwelled on jewelry Normally, she wore very little But she had worn her father’s ruby ring--the one Jaiven her when she accepted hi Jee it

He stopped suddenly, letting the crowd flow round hiold in his mind’s eye, and the deep pink-red of the cabochon ruby, vivid on her long pale finger Her father’s ring Of course; why had he not seen that before?

True, Jaive in turn And he wanted, very suddenly and very badly, to give Brianna so truly of his own

He turned with decision, and linted, even in the rain He knew froer was just the size of her ring finger

"This one," he said, holding up a ring It was cheap; made of braided strands of copper and brass, it would undoubtedly turn her finger green inover his money Whether she wore it all the time or not, she would be marked as his

For this reason shall a woman leave her father’s house, and cleave unto her husband, and the two shall be one flesh

5

RIOTOUS UNREST