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Gideon shoved an impatient nose under his arm and bumped his elbow

"Oh, aye," he said, recalled to his chores "Co, then, ye prickly wee bastard"

By the ti horse and Claire’s mare unsaddled, wiped down, and turned out to their feed, Claire had escaped fro back fro open and Claire slip out, looking guiltily over her shoulder as though fearing pursuit

Where was she bound? She didn’t see him; she turned and hurried toward the far corner of the house, disappearing in a swish of hoery; now she was going to her garden before it got coainst the sky on the upward path behind the house, the last of the daylight caught like cobwebs in her hair There would be little growing now, only a few sturdy herbs and the overwintering things like carrots and onions and turnips, but it s were, no one

He understood the urge; he would not feel entirely hos, andbreeze brought hi thatto require his attention, speaking of buildings Then he bethought hi a new privy would be just the thing for Chishol this one, when they first cae God, he missed the lad

"A Mhicheal bheanaichte," he murmured Blessed Michael, protect hih, but had it been his choice, he would not have exchanged Ian for the h, not his, and noaway the ache of Ian’s loss, he stepped behind a tree, loosened his breeks, and relieved himself If she saw him, Claire would doubtless s and wolvesof the sort, he replied to her mentally; alk up the hill, only to make matters worse in the privy? Still, if you came down to it, it was his place, and if he chose to piss on itHe tidied his clothes, feelingdown the path froust of wind sent the last of the leaves fro round her in a yellow dance, sparked with light

Moved by sudden ian to look about

Noretation as was irained to serve for planks and tie Once he began looking with an eye to aesthetics, though, he found himself surprised at the variety to hand

Stalks of half-ripe barley, the seeds laid in rows like a woing on a fine handkerchief A branch of spruce, unearthly green and cool arant sap on his hand as he tore it frolossy dried oak leaves that reray And a bit of scarlet creeper, snatched for color

Just in ti round the corner of the house Lost in thought, she passed within a foot or two of hi him

"Sorcha," he called softly, and she turned, eyes narrowed against the rays of the sinking sun, then wide and gold with surprise at the sight of him

"Welcome home," he said, and held out the ss

"Oh," she said She looked at the bits of leaf and stick again, and then at hiht laugh or cry, but wasn’t sure which She reached then, and took the plants froers small and cold as they brushed his hand

"Oh, Jamie--they’re wonderful" She came up on her toes and kissed hi away into the house, the silly wee things clasped to her breast as though they were gold

He felt pleasantly foolish, and foolishly pleased with himself The taste of her was still on his mouth

"Sorcha," he whispered, and realized that he had called her so a moment before Now, that was odd; no wonder she had been surprised It was her name in the Gaelic, but he never called her by it He liked the strangeness of her, the Englishness She was his Claire, his Sassenach

And yet in the moment when she passed hiht

He breathed deep, contented

He was suddenly ravenous, both for food and for her, but he er were sweet in themselves, the anticipation of satisfaction as keen a pleasure as the slaking

Hoofsteps and voices; the others were finally here He had a sudden urge to keep his peaceful solitude a er, but too late--in seconds, he was surrounded by confusion, the shrill cries of excited children and calls of distractedof the newco out the horses andfeed and waterand yet in the h he were still alone, peaceful and quiet in the setting sun He had co was sorted, the smallest of the wild Chisholm bairns rounded up and sent inside for his supper, all the stock cared for and settled for the night He followed Geoff Chishol for a moment in the dark dooryard