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"You never took nothin’ quiet," Beni snapped "You took it like I did, hiding behind the first ot aith it, because we left Da another plum"
Ilain turned to her, horror in her eyes "Din’t reckon he’d turn to you," she said, reaching out "Thought you were too young"
Beni slapped her hand away "You knew," she spat "I already had paps bigger than h to promise You knew, and you left anyway, ’cause you were thinkin’ more of yourself than your kin"
"You din’t do the sas dark, dunno what is!"
They went at each other, but Jeph crossed the floor in an instant, pulling them apart by the necks of their dresses "There’ll be none of that!" he said, holding the at theht was out of them
"Maybe it’s ti both women look up at him sharply "Tell ’em the kinda man Harl was," he thrust his chin at Renna, "and maybe they won’t blame her for what she done"
Ilain sluht, but Beni glared at him "You expect me to stand before the likes of Raddock Lawry and Lucik’s hters like wives?" she demanded "You expect I’ll trust that tale to the tavern keeper and that old gossip Coline Trigg? Night, how’ll I look my own husband in the eye after that, much less hold my head up in town? How could any of us? Worse’n what happened, everyone knohat happened!"
"Worse than seein’ your sister staked?" Jeph asked
"Even if it wern’t," Beni said, "ent no proof it would change one ets three sisters staked, steada just one"
Jeph looked to Ilain, sitting very quiet as the ie Beni painted danced before her eyes "I think everyone knowinginto a sob with the last word Jeph rushed to her, going to one knee to hold her as she cried
"You best keep your mouth shut on this, too, Jeph Bales," Beni said
Jeph looked at his weeping wife, and nodded "Not my place to make that decision for you two I’ll hold my peace"
Ilain looked at Renna andup further "I’m sorry!" she sobbed, and hurried out of the rooht, dear?" Selia asked Ilain as she stu room
"Hate seein’ her like that," Ilain mumbled
Selia nodded, but she wasn’t satisfied "Sit" She pointed to a chair in her common room "I’ll make tea"
"Thank you, Speaker," Ilain said, "but we have business--"