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The eyes were still straight, but clouded once more with trouble

"She would have had to choose," she said softly, her gaze fixed on hio to hi, "or to stay, and live her life, knowing her Jamie was alive, maybe reachable--but out of reach Break her vows--on purpose, this ti I can’t think that would have done your fahed, the steahost in cold air

"Perhaps Frank was afraid to give her the choice," Roger said, "but he did save her--and you--fro to make it At least then"

Her lips drew in, pushed out, relaxed

"I wonder what her choice would have been, if he had told her," she said, a little bleakly He laid his hand on hers, squeezed lightly

"She would have stayed," he said, with certainty "She made the choice once, did she not? Jamie sent her back, to keep you safe, and she went She would have known he wanted that, and she would have stayed--so long as you needed her She wouldn’t have gone back, even when she did, save that you insisted Ye ken that well enough, surely?"

Her face eased a bit, accepting this

"I guess you’re right But stillto knoas alive, and not try to reach hi If it were your choice, Brianna? If it was the bairn or me? For how could any man force a choice like that on a woman whom he loved, even hypothetically? Whether for her sake or his ownhe would not ask

"But he did put that gravestone there Why did he do that?" The line between her broas still deep, but no longer straight; it twisted with a growing perturbation

He hadn’t known Frank Randall, but he felt a certain empathy for the man--and not only a disinterested sympathy, either He hadn’t fully realized why he’d felt he , but his ownto hiation, as I said Not just to Jamie or your mother--to you If it--" he started, then stopped and squeezed her hand, hard "Look Take wee Jemmy He’s mine, as much as you are--he alill be" He took a deep breath "But if I were the other man"

"If you were Stephen Bonnet," she said, and her lips were tight, gone white with chill

"If I were Bonnet," he agreed, with a qualm of distaste at the notion, "if I knew the child was er--would I not want the child to know the truth, soers convulsed in his, and her eyes went dark

"You er, for God’s sake, promise me you won’t tell him, ever!"

He stared at her in astonish painfully into his hand, but he made no move to free hiain, I’ll not waste ti!"

"Not Bonnet" She shuddered, whether from cold or emotion, he couldn’t tell "God, keep away froripped both his hands "Proer If you love me, promise that you’ll never tell Je happens towill happen to you!"

She looked at him, and a s, either It er"

"Aye, I promise," he said, reluctantly "If you’re sure"

"I’m sure!"

"Would you not have wanted ever to know, then--about Jah to leave a purple mark in the soft pink flesh

"Jareed," he said dryly "But I wasna speaking of Jemmy to start with All I meant was that if I were Bonnet, I should want to know, and--"

"He does know" She pulled her hand fro away