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“You’re a brave boy,” Bull Giles was saying, neither he nor Lorna noticing the pair standing by the carriage

“Just cluhed

“Give hirow into his feet,” Bull insisted But when he slance encountered Benteen

Beside him, his mother remarked, “Mr Giles appears to be very much at home here Is he a close friend of yours?”

“No” Benteen pulled all expression froround The natural smile had left Lorna’s lips, replaced by a more self-conscious one “He’s my wife’s friend, not mine”

All is not well, Elaine thought to herself as Lorna came forward She studied her son’s ith a littlewoman The hard work this country deure intact, despite the birth of two children In the right clothes, she could be stunning There was intelligence in her eyes, yet she had retained a certain vulnerability Elaine saw that Lorna still possessed a child’s desire to trust, which made her easy to be deceived

“I’lad your child’s injury wasn’t serious,” Elaine re to keep up

“It was very minor,” Lorna responded

“It’s been an enjoyable afternoon I shouldn’t have liked it to end on an unpleasant note,” Elaine said

“Are you leaving now?” Lorna inquired with mixed surprise and disappointment

Elaine slid a brief glance at Benteen “I e door, Bull Giles was there to help her inside

Lorna cae and took the boys by the hand to keep thelad you called And thank you for the gifts”

“You’re lance slid past her to Benteen, standing silently “We’ll aze back to Lorna “I’m confident of that”

As the carriage pulled away from the cabin, Lorna watched it for a few ood-bye?”

He see onto the li away from her and the boys