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“What ht you a present?” he asked reproachfully “I’m not sure you deserve one Did you know that it’s ten o’clock in the ”

She wriggled her shoulders to make her brother put her down Carrie’s interest, now that she had seen that he was ho When her feet were once again on the floor, she went to the bed, and when she slid back into it, the dog at once came to her to be petted

While Carrie’s attention was on the dog, Ja what had been added since the last time he had been home “Where did this co of an Oriental lady, beautiful and intricate

“Ranleigh,” Carrie answered, speaking of another of her brothers

“And this?” Jaold

“Lachlan”

Looking up froh she had no idea as causing him to frown She had seven brothers, all of them older than she, all of theht her back a present—each gift more flawlessly beautiful than the one another brother had brought her It was alh they co their little si

ster the ift

“And these?” Ja of pearls froht prim

Sed it, burying her face in its soft fur “This is by far the nicest present I have ever received in my life”

“Did you tell Ranleigh that when he gave you the lady?” Ja almost jealous

As a ift was the best, but she wasn’t going to tell Ja of the tiny dog and doing her best to change the subject

“That’s for you to decide”

As Carrie stroked the dog, it sneezed “Oh, Jaift I ever have received He’s so very alive”

When Jamie came back to his chair by the bed, she could tell by his face that he was soift was indeed the best Sht touched her thick linted with pleasure as she played with the dog, and knew that she was quite the prettiest thing he’d seen in a long while She was as se, as sweet tehter as they were of anger And she was as used to luxury as they were to work Carrie was the spoiled, adored, darling baby of the large family, and any of her brothers would have killed anyone who even thought of har her

Jalad to be no longer on a rolling ship “What have you and the Ugly Horde been up to lately?”

“Don’t call them that!” Carrie said, but without any real anily”

When Jaly anyway, and, besides, what do looks matter?”

He grinned at that “Nineteen years old and already a philosopher”

“I’ll be twenty soon”

“My, e”