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The instant Benteen recognized her intention, his hard fingers circled her wrist in a painful grip “Let it burn, Lorna”
“No” Her eyes were s him at all For the first ti to let you burn your ardless of what she did”
“It’s a picture of my mother,” he snapped “I’ll say what happens to it”
“No, you won’t” She switched the poker to her other hand and raked the wooden fra at it “It’s a picture of the grand to keep it”
Lorna was tre around her Any second she expected Benteen to strike her, the feeling of i badly, but she continued her frantic effort to save the picture
His grip had nearly cut off the circulation in her fingers when he suddenly let go of her wrist “She deserves to burn in hell!” He rasped the condemnation “Keep it if you want, but I don’t want to ever see it again!”
Her knees gave out as his long strides carried him away frouerreotype saved The front door banged shut behind him as he strode out of the house
“What happened?”
Lorna glanced over her shoulder Her mother was poised just inside the parlor, concern in her expression Unaware of changing loyalties within her, Lorna didn’t answer the question The angry and bitter feelings Benteen had revealed to her were so private that shouldn’t be told, not even to her mother
Laying the poker aside, she turned back to the serly picked the heated wooden fraray ashes Part of the frauerreotype was scorched a yellon The dark-eyed blond woman in the picture smiled back at Lorna, unscathed by the fla of ash and stood up, no longer weak
“Would you put this in my little chest?” She handed the fra her question “I’ to keep it for Benteen”
“Yes, I’ll put it away for you” She frowned at the burnLorna’s face A sadness drifted across her expression as Clara Pearce noticed the new trace of rowing away There was only that one glimpse before Lorna turned away to pick up her heavy shawl from the sofa arm
“I’ after Benteen,” she said, and walked to the door
As Lorna ca post, untying his horse’s reins She pulled the wool shawl ly around her shoulders and hurried down the steps to the picket gate
Except for one glance when she reached the gate, Benteen took no notice of her She knew he’d mount and ride away if she didn’t stop him With the freshness of his father’s death on hisnote