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"Well, no," he said, s "Not so bad as that And perhaps it’s nay so troublesome as Duncan fears But he’s worrit in hishimself to speak to my aunt; he’s a bit shy of her, aye?"

Duncan was a shy and ether; an ex-fisher, he had been captured after Culloden, and spent years in prison He had been released, rather than transported, only because he had contracted blood poisoning fro him unfit for labor and unsalable as an indenture I didn’t have to wonder whose idea this e had been; such lofty aspirations would never have occurred to Duncan in a million years

"I can see that What’s he worried about, though?"

"Well," he said slowly, "it’s true that Duncan hasna been wed before Did ye not wonder why?"

"No," I said "I’d just assu a notion of what this oodness You meanhe likes men?" My voice rose involuntarily

"No!" he said, scandalized "Christ, ye dinna think I’d let hilanced around, to be sure no one had heard this calumny, and shepherded me into the shelter of the trees, just in case

"Well, you wouldn’t necessarily knoould you?" I asked, a" He lifted an overhanging bough and ushered rove was a large one, and it was easy enough to get out of sight of the party

"No," he said again, reaching a s the trunks "The filthy lanced behind hiood distance from the lawn, and reasonably shielded from view "It’s only that he’sincapable" He lifted one shoulder slightly, looking profoundly uncoht

"What--i open, and closed it

"Aye He was betrothed, as a young man, but there was a dreadful accident; a cart horse knocked him into the street and kicked hih to touch himself for reassurance, but checked it "He healed, but it--well, he wasna fit for nuptial rites any longer, so he released the young woman and sheof sy but bad luck"

"Well, he’s alive," Jaestured over one shoulder, at the spread of River Run behind him--"I shouldna be inclined to call his present situation precisely unlucky Bar the one s through the medical possibilities If the accident had resulted in severe vascular dae, there wasn’t much I could do; I was in no way equipped for fine reconstructive surgery If it were only a he , but I can certainly have a look and see whether--"

Jaoes puce when ye inquire after the health of his bowels, and he nearly died o’ shao pokin’ his privates"

A strand of hair had been pulled loose by an oak twig; I pushed it irritably behind my ear

"Well, what did you expect !"

"Of course not," he said, a little i to Duncan--only to speak to my aunt"

"What--you ed to be ether for ing gesture he used when feeling eht "D’ye see--when the question of e rose, it never occurred to Duncan that it was aone eyebrow "Doesn’t e usually involve at least the possibility ofhi his own brows back at me "It sees he could e as owner of River Run that he couldna do as overseer At that, he wouldna have agreed, save she persuaded hiht to ht But there wasna any indication that e in any but the sense of business She didna mention the matter of bed; he was too shy to say And the question didna really arise, ken"

"I gather that it now has arisen? What happened? Did your aunt slip her hand under his kilt this ht?"

"He didna happen to say," he replied dryly "But it wasna until this uests, that it occurred to Duncan that perhapshim towell"

He lifted one shoulder, and let it fall "He couldna think what to do, and was in a panic, listening to everyone"

"I see" I rubbed a knuckle across"Poor Duncan; no wonder he’s been nervous"

"Aye" Ja settled so "So, if ye’ll be so kind as to speak wi’ Jocasta, and see it’s all straight--"

"Me? You want reatly," he said, looking quizzically down at e, I shouldna think--"

I randfather Si it about, when last seen"