Page 176 (1/2)
"Never thought of it when I was young Girlsup, I always assumed that I’d marry, have children, ht she was looking a bit yellow round the edges last night, but it ht"
"I think she’s all right Do you think she’s really in love with Manfred?" They had celebrated Lizzie’s betrothal to Manfred McGillivray the night before, with the entire McGillivray fa fro, as fond of Lizzie, had given of her best; no wonder she was asleep today
"No," Claire said frankly "But as long as she isn’t in love with anyone else, it’s probably all right He’s a good lad, and quite good-looking And Lizzie likes his , under the circuht of Ute McGillivray, who had taken Lizzie at once under her capaciousout particularly delicious tidbits and poking the a puny nestling
"I think she may like Mrs McGillivraywhen her own ain" Brianna glanced at her mother from the corner of her eye She could relanced at Jeible conversation with Adso the cat
Claire nodded, rubbing the shredded bark between her hands into a small round jar full of alcohol
"Yes Still, I think it’s as well they wait a bit--Lizzie and Manfred, I reed that the e would take place the next su up his shop in Woolawood bark" Claire stoppered the bottle and put it in the cupboard "Dr Rawlings’ casebook says it can be used as a substitute for cinchona bark--for quinine, you know And it’s certainly easier to get, to say nothing of less expensive"
"Great--I hope it does work" Lizzie’s malaria had stayed in abeyance for several months--but there was always the threat of recurrence, and cinchona bark was hideously expensive
The subject of their earlier conversation lingered in her mind, and she returned to it, as she took a fresh handful of sage leaves for herthem to steep
"You didn’t plan to be a doctor when you were young, you said But you seele-minded about it, later on" She had scattered, but vivid, ; she could still sht in her , and feel the soft cool touch of the green scrubs her ht when she came in late fro on the dried corn silk she was cleaning, plucking out rotted bits and flicking theh the open
"Well," she said at last, not taking her eyes off her work "People--and it’s not just women, not by any means--people who knoho they are, and what they’re meant to bethey’ll find a way Your father--Frank, I mean--" She scooped up the cleaned silk and transferred it to a s across the counter as she did so "He was a very good historian He liked the subject, and he had the gift of discipline and concentration thatfor his just as well, and it wouldn’t havedoes h And when it doeswell, reat deal to me I didn’t know, early on, but then I realized that it was simply what I washer hands, and covered the basket with a bit of linen, securing it with twine
"Yes, butyou can’t always do what you’re ed scar on Roger’s throat
"Well, life certainly forces solanced up,Brianna’s eyes, and her mouth quirked in a small, wry smile "And for the common man--or woman--life as they find it is often the life they lead Marsali, for instance I shouldn’t think it’s ever entered her ht do other than she does Her mother kept a house and raised children; she sees no reason why she should do anything else And yet--" Claire lifted one shoulder in a shrug, and reached across the table for the other us And that was enough to jar her out of the rut her life would have been--"
"And into another just like it?"
Claire bent her head in a half-nod, not looking up
"Just like it--except that she’s in Aus"
"Like you have Jalanced up in surprise
"Yes," she said "Jamie’s part of ht, then turned half away, reaching to take down a tied bundle ofherbs on the beam above the hearth "But neither of you is all of me," she said softly, back turned "I amwhat I am Doctor, nurse, healer, witch--whatever folk call it, the name doesn’t matter I was born to be that; I will be that ’til I die If I should lose you--or Jaer, but I would still have that left For a little time," she went on, so softly that Brianna had to strain to hear her, "after I wentbackbefore you ca"
Claire crumbled the dried rind it The sound of clu boots came from outside, and then Jamie’s voice, a friendly reer, loving Jeh for her? Surely it should be She had a dreadful, hollow feeling that perhaps it was not, and spoke quickly, before the thought should find words
"What about Da?"
"What about him?"
"Does he--is he one who knohat he is, do you think?"