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She left the springhouse, walking slowly, the bucket of buttere of cheese in the other A cheese oood for lunch; quick to cook, and Jemmy loved it He preferred to use his spoon to kill his prey, then devour it messily with both hands, but he would feed hi when she looked up fro on her bench

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was sharp, but higher than she’d intended it to be "The girls said you’d gone to Salem"

"So I had" He rose to his feet and stepped forward, that knowing half-se to take a step back This was her house; damned if he’d irls have gone," she said, as coolly as she couldheavily, but sheto put the bucket down on the porch

She bent, and he put his hand on the small of her back She froze momentarily He didn’t ht of it lay on her spine like a dead snake She jerked upright and whirled around, taking a step back, and to hell with not letting hiht ye so," he said "From Salem" The smile was still on his lips, but it seemed completely disconnected from the look in his eyes

"I don’t want it," she said "I ht for you to--my husband wouldn’t like it"

"No need for him to know" He took a step toward her; she took one back, and the sreider

"I hear your husband’s not home much, these days," he said softly "That sounds loneso toward her face Then there was an odd, small sound, a sort of meaty tnk!, and his face went blank, his eyes shocked wide

She stared at hirasp what had happened Then he turned those staring eyes to his outstretched hand, and she saw the s stain of red on the shirt around it

"Leave this place" Jamie’s voice was low, but distinct He stepped out of the trees, eyes fixed on Henderson in a most unfriendly manner He reached them in three strides, put out his hand, and pulled the knife from Henderson’s arm Obadiah made a sht make, baffled and pitiable

"Go," Ja down Obadiah’s arers A few drops fell into the butter crimson on the rich yellow surface In a dazed sort of way, she recognized the horrid beauty of it--like rubies set in gold

Then the boy was going, free hand cla for the trail He disappeared into the trees, and the dooryard was very still

"Did you have to do that?" was the first thing she h she herself had been struck with soes dissolving into the butterht throw up

"Should I have waited?" Her father caught her by the arm, pulled her down to sit on the porch

"No But you--couldn’t you justhave said so to hihts in the periphery of her vision Re to faint, and leaned forward, her head between her knees, face buried in the sanctuary of her apron

"I did I told hio" The porch creaked as Jamie sat down beside her

"You knohat I mean" Her voice sounded odd to her own ears, muffled in the folds of cloth She sat up slowly; the red spruce by the big house wavered slightly in her vision, but then steadied "What were you doing? Showing off? How could you count on sticking somebody with a knife at that distance? And as that, anyway--a penknife?"

"Aye It was all I had in my pocket And in fact, I didna mean to stick him," Jamie admitted "I meant to throw into the wall o’ the cabin, and when he looked to see what h"

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose, willing her stoht, a ently on her back--soe, war her eyes He looked worried, and sheat hirew less troubled, though they stayed intent on hers

"Well, then," he said "It’s no the first tiomerel been tryin’ it on wi’ you?"

She took another breath, and forced her fists to uncurl She wanted to uilt--for surely she should have found soh, she couldn’t lie

"Since the first week," she said

His eyes widened

"So long? And why did ye not tell your man about it?" he demanded, incredulous

She was startled, and fumbled for a reply

"I--well--I didn’t thinkI mean, it wasn’t his problem" She heard the sudden intake of his breath, no doubt the precursor to soer, and hurried to defend hi Just looks Ands at h she had been both, and knew it The knowledge burned under her skin like ant bites