《The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5)》


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    PART ONE


    In Medias Res


    1


    HAPPY THE BRIDE


    THE SUN SHINES ON


    Mount Helicon


    The Royal Colony of North Carolina


    Late October, 1770


    I WOKE TO THE PATTER OF RAIN on canvas, with the feel of my first husband¡¯s kiss on my lips. I blinked, disoriented, and by reflex put my fingers to my mouth. To keep the feeling, or to hide it? I wondered, even as I did so.


    Jamie stirred and murmured in his sleep next to me, his movement rousing a fresh wave of scent from the cedar branches under our bottom quilt. Perhaps the ghost¡¯s passing had disturbed him. I frowned at the empty air outside our lean-to.


    Go away, Frank, I thought sternly.


    It was still dark outside, but the mist that rose from the damp earth was a pearly gray; dawn wasn¡¯t far off. Nothing stirred, inside or out, but I had the distinct sense of an ironic amusement that lay on my skin like the lightest of touches.


    Shouldn¡¯t I come to see her married?


    I couldn¡¯t tell whether the words had formed themselves in my thoughts, or whether they¡ªand that kiss¡ªwere merely the product of my own subconscious. I had fallen asleep with my mind still busy with wedding preparations; little wonder that I should wake from dreams of weddings. And wedding nights.


    I smoothed the rumpled muslin of my shift, uneasily aware that it was rucked up around my waist and that my skin was flushed with more than sleep. I didn¡¯t remember anything concrete about the dream that had wakened me; only a confused jumble of image and sensation. I thought perhaps that was a good thing.


    I turned over on the rustling branches, nudging close to Jamie. He was warm and smelled pleasantly of woodsmoke and whisky, with a faint tang of sleepy maleness under it, like the deep note of a lingering chord. I stretched myself, very slowly, arching my back so that my pelvis nudged his hip. If he were sound asleep or disinclined, the gesture was slight enough to pass unnoticed; if he were not . . .


    He wasn¡¯t. He smiled faintly, eyes still closed, and a big hand ran slowly down my back, settling with a firm grip on my bottom.


    ¡°Mmm?¡± he said. ¡°Hmmmm.¡± He sighed, and relaxed back into sleep, holding on.


    I nestled close, reassured. The immediate physicality of Jamie was more than enough to banish the touch of lingering dreams. And Frank¡ªif that was Frank¡ªwas right, so far as that went. I was sure that if such a thing were possible, Bree would want both her fathers at her wedding.


    I was wide awake now, but much too comfortable to move. It was raining outside; a light rain, but the air was cold and damp enough to make the cozy nest of quilts more inviting than the distant prospect of hot coffee. Particularly since the getting of coffee would involve a trip to the stream for water, making up the campfire¡ªoh, God, the wood would be damp, even if the fire hadn¡¯t gone completely out¡ªgrinding the coffee in a stone quern and brewing it, while wet leaves blew round my ankles and drips from overhanging tree branches slithered down my neck.


    Shivering at the thought, I pulled the top quilt up over my bare shoulder and instead resumed the mental catalogue of preparations with which I had fallen asleep.


    Food, drink . . . luckily I needn¡¯t trouble about that. Jamie¡¯s aunt Jocasta would deal with the arrangements; or rather, her black butler, Ulysses, would. Wedding guests¡ªno difficulties there. We were in the middle of the largest Gathering of Scottish Highlanders in the Colonies, and food and drink were being provided. Engraved invitations would not be necessary.


    Bree would have a new dress, at least; Jocasta¡¯s gift as well. Dark blue wool¡ªsilk was both too expensive and too impractical for life in the backwoods. It was a far cry from the white satin and orange blossom I had once envisioned her wearing to be married in¡ªbut then, this was scarcely the marriage anyone might have imagined in the 1960s.


    I wondered what Frank might have thought of Brianna¡¯s husband. He likely would have approved; Roger was a historian¡ªor once had been¡ªlike Frank himself. He was intelligent and humorous, a talented musician and a gentle man, thoroughly devoted to Brianna and little Jemmy.


    Which is very admirable indeed, I thought in the direction of the mist, under the circumstances.


    You admit that, do you? The words formed in my inner ear as though he had spoken them, ironic, mocking both himself and me.


    Jamie frowned and tightened his grasp on my buttock, making small whuffling noises in his sleep.


    You know I do, I said silently. I always did, and you know it, so just bugger off, will you?!


    I turned my back firmly on the outer air and laid my head on Jamie¡¯s shoulder, seeking refuge in the feel of the soft, crumpled linen of his shirt.


    I rather thought Jamie was less inclined than I¡ªor perhaps Frank¡ªto give Roger credit for accepting Jemmy as his own. To Jamie, it was a simple matter of obligation; an honorable man could not do otherwise. And I knew he had his doubts as to Roger¡¯s ability to support and protect a family in the Carolina wilderness. Roger was tall, well-built, and capable¡ªbut ¡°bonnet, belt, and swordie¡± were the stuff of songs to Roger; to Jamie, they were the tools of his trade.


    The hand on my bottom squeezed suddenly, and I started.


    ¡°Sassenach,¡± Jamie said drowsily, ¡°you¡¯re squirming like a toadling in a wee lad¡¯s fist. D¡¯ye need to get up and go to the privy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake,¡± I said, feeling mildly foolish.


    ¡°I am now,¡± he said. The hand fell away, and he stretched, groaning. His bare feet popped out at the far end of the quilt, long toes spread wide.


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to wake you.¡±


    ¡°Och, dinna fash yourself,¡± he assured me. He cleared his throat and rubbed a hand through the ruddy waves of his loosened hair, blinking. ¡°I was dreaming like a fiend; I always do when I sleep cold.¡± He lifted his head and peered down across the quilt, wiggling his exposed toes with disfavor. ¡°Why did I not sleep wi¡¯ my stockings on?¡±


    ¡°Really? What were you dreaming about?¡± I asked, with a small stab of uneasiness. I rather hoped he hadn¡¯t been dreaming the same sort of thing I had.


    ¡°Horses,¡± he said, to my immediate relief. I laughed.


    ¡°What sort of fiendish dreams could you be having about horses?¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, it was terrible.¡± He rubbed his eyes with both fists and shook his head, trying to clear the dream from his mind. ¡°All to do wi¡¯ the Irish kings. Ye ken what MacKenzie was sayin¡¯ about it, at the fire last night?¡±


    ¡°Irish ki¡ªoh!¡± I remembered, and laughed again at the recollection. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    Roger, flushed with the triumph of his new engagement, had regaled the company around the fireside the night before with songs, poems, and entertaining historical anecdotes¡ªone of which concerned the rites with which the ancient Irish kings were said to have been crowned. One of these involved the successful candidate copulating with a white mare before the assembled multitudes, presumably to prove his virility¡ªthough I thought it would be a better proof of the gentleman¡¯s sangfroid, myself.


    ¡°I was in charge o¡¯ the horse,¡± Jamie informed me. ¡°And everything went wrong. The man was too short, and I had to find something for him to stand on. I found a rock, but I couldna lift it. Then a stool, but the leg came off in my hand. Then I tried to pile up bricks to make a platform, but they crumbled to sand. Finally they said it was all right, they would just cut the legs off the mare, and I was trying to stop them doing that, and the man who would be king was jerkin¡¯ at his breeks and complaining that his fly buttons wouldna come loose, and then someone noticed that it was a black mare, and that wouldna do at all.¡±


    I snorted, muffling my laughter in a fold of his shirt for fear of wakening someone camped near us.


    ¡°Is that when you woke up?¡±


    ¡°No. For some reason, I was verra much affronted at that. I said it would do, in fact the black was a much better horse, for everyone knows that white horses have weak een, and I said the offspring would be blind. And they said no, no, the black was ill luck, and I was insisting it was not, and . . .¡± He stopped, clearing his throat.


    ¡°And?¡±


    He shrugged and glanced sideways at me, a faint flush creeping up his neck.


    ¡°Aye, well. I said it would do fine, I¡¯d show them. And I had just grasped the mare¡¯s rump to stop her moving, and was getting ready to . . . ah . . . make myself king of Ireland. That¡¯s when I woke.¡±


    I snorted and wheezed, and felt his side vibrate with his own suppressed laughter.


    ¡°Oh, now I¡¯m really sorry to have wakened you!¡± I wiped my eyes on the corner of the quilt. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was a great loss to the Irish. Though I do wonder how the queens of Ireland felt about that particular ceremony,¡± I added as an afterthought.


    ¡°I canna think the ladies would suffer even slightly by comparison,¡± Jamie assured me. ¡°Though I have heard of men who prefer¡ª¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking of that,¡± I said. ¡°It was more the hygienic implications, if you see what I mean. Putting the cart before the horse is one thing, but putting the horse before the queen . . .¡±


    ¡°The¡ªoh, aye.¡± He was flushed with amusement, but his skin darkened further at that. ¡°Say what ye may about the Irish, Sassenach, but I do believe they wash now and then. And under the circumstances, the king might possibly even have found a bit of soap useful, in . . . in . . .¡±


    ¡°In medias res?¡± I suggested. ¡°Surely not. I mean, after all, a horse is quite large, relatively speaking . . .¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of readiness, Sassenach, as much as room,¡± he said, with a repressive glance in my direction. ¡°And I can see that a man might require a bit of encouragement, under the circumstances. Though it¡¯s in medias res, in any case,¡± he added. ¡°Have ye never read Horace? Or Aristotle?¡±


    ¡°No. We can¡¯t all be educated. And I¡¯ve never had much time for Aristotle, after hearing that he ranked women somewhere below worms in his classification of the natural world.¡±


    ¡°The man can¡¯t have been married.¡± Jamie¡¯s hand moved slowly up my back, fingering the knobs of my spine through my shift. ¡°Surely he would ha¡¯ noticed the bones, else.¡±


    I smiled and lifted a hand to his own cheekbone, rising stark and clean above a tide of auburn stubble.


    As I did so, I saw that the sky outside had lightened into dawn; his head was silhouetted by the pale canvas of our shelter, but I could see his face clearly. The expression on it reminded me exactly why he had taken off his stockings the night before. Unfortunately, we had both been so tired after the prolonged festivities that we had fallen asleep in mid-embrace.


    I found that belated memory rather reassuring, offering as it did some explanation both for the state of my shift and for the dreams from which I had awakened. At the same time, I felt a chilly draft slide its fingers under the quilt, and shivered. Frank and Jamie were very different men, and there was no doubt in my mind as to who had kissed me, just before waking.


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± I said suddenly to Jamie. Neither of us had yet brushed our teeth, but he obligingly skimmed my lips with his, then, when I caught the back of his head and pressed him closer, shifted his weight to one hand, the better to adjust the tangle of bedclothes round our lower limbs.

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    ¡°Oh?¡± he said, when I released him. He smiled, blue eyes creasing into dark triangles in the dimness. ¡°Well, to be sure, Sassenach. I must just step outside for a moment first, though.¡±


    He flung back the quilt and rose. From my position on the ground, I had a rather unorthodox view which provided me with engaging glimpses under the hem of his long linen shirt. I did hope that what I was looking at was not the lingering result of his nightmare, but thought it better not to ask.


    ¡°You¡¯d better hurry,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s getting light; people will be up and about soon.¡±


    He nodded and ducked outside. I lay still, listening. A few birds cheeped faintly in the distance, but this was autumn; not even full light would provoke the raucous choruses of spring and summer. The mountain and its many camps still lay slumbering, but I could feel small stirrings all around, just below the edge of hearing.


    I ran my fingers through my hair, fluffing it out round my shoulders, and rolled over, looking for the water bottle. Feeling cool air on my back, I glanced over my shoulder, but dawn had come and the mist had fled; the air outside was gray but still.


    I touched the gold ring on my left hand, restored to me the night before, and still unfamiliar after its long absence. Perhaps it was his ring that had summoned Frank to my dreams. Perhaps tonight at the wedding ceremony, I would touch it again, deliberately, and hope that he could see his daughter¡¯s happiness somehow through my eyes. For now, though, he was gone, and I was glad.


    A small sound, no louder than the distant birdcalls, drifted through the air. The brief cry of a baby waking.


    I had once thought that no matter the circumstances, there ought really to be no more than two people in a marriage bed. I still thought so. However, a baby was more difficult to banish than the ghost of a former love; Brianna and Roger¡¯s bed must perforce accommodate three.


    The edge of the canvas lifted, and Jamie¡¯s face appeared, looking excited and alarmed.


    ¡°Ye¡¯d best get up and dress, Claire,¡± he said. ¡°The soldiers are drawn up by the creek. Where are my stockings?¡±


    I sat bolt upright, and far down the mountainside the drums began to roll.


    COLD FOG LAY like smoke in the hollows all round; a cloud had settled on Mount Helicon like a broody hen on a single egg, and the air was thick with damp. I blinked blearily across a stretch of rough grass, to where a detachment of the 67th Highland regiment was drawn up in full splendor by the creek, drums rumbling and the company piper tootling away, grandly impervious to the rain.


    I was very cold, and more than slightly cross. I¡¯d gone to bed in the expectation of waking to hot coffee and a nourishing breakfast, this to be followed by two weddings, three christenings, two tooth extractions, the removal of an infected toenail, and other entertaining forms of wholesome social intercourse requiring whisky.


    Instead, I¡¯d been wakened by unsettling dreams, led into amorous dalliance, and then dragged out into a cold drizzle in medias bloody res, apparently to hear a proclamation of some sort. No coffee yet, either.


    It had taken some time for the Highlanders in their camps to rouse themselves and stagger down the hillside, and the piper had gone quite purple in the face before he at last blew the final blast and left off with a discordant wheeze. The echoes were still ringing off the mountainside, as Lieutenant Archibald Hayes stepped out before his men.


    Lieutenant Hayes¡¯s nasal Fife accent carried well, and the wind was with him. Still, I was sure the people farther up the mountain could hear very little. Standing as we did at the foot of the slope, though, we were no more than twenty yards from the Lieutenant and I could hear every word, in spite of the chattering of my teeth.


    ¡°By his EXCELLENCY, WILLIAM TRYON, Esquire, His Majesty¡¯s Captain-General, Governor, and Commander-in-Chief, in and over the said Province,¡± Hayes read, lifting his voice in a bellow to carry above the noises of wind and water, and the premonitory murmurs of the crowd.


    The moisture shrouded trees and rocks with dripping mist, the clouds spat intermittent sleet and freezing rain, and erratic winds had lowered the temperature by some thirty degrees. My left shin, sensitive to cold, throbbed at the spot where I had broken the bone two years before. A person given to portents and metaphors might have been tempted to draw comparisons between the nasty weather and the reading of the Governor¡¯s Proclamation, I thought¡ªthe prospects were similarly chill and foreboding.


    ¡°Whereas,¡± Hayes boomed, glowering at the crowd over his paper, ¡°I have received information that a great Number of outrageous and disorderly Persons did tumultuously assemble themselves together in the Town of Hillsborough, on the 24th and 25th of last Month, during the sitting of the Superior Court of Justice of that District to oppose the Just Measures of Government and in open Violation of the Laws of their Country, audaciously attacking his Majesty¡¯s Associate Justice in the Execution of his Office, and barbarously beating and wounding several Persons in and during the sitting of said Court, and offering other enormous Indignities and Insults to his Majesty¡¯s Government, committing the most violent Outrages on the Persons and properties of the Inhabitants of the said Town, drinking Damnation to their lawful Sovereign King George and Success to the Pretender¡ª¡±


    Hayes paused, gulping air with which to accomplish the next clause. Inflating his chest with an audible whoosh, he read on:


    ¡°To the End therefore, that the Persons concerned in the said outrageous Acts may be brought to Justice, I do, by the Advice and Consent of his Majesty¡¯s Council, issue this my Proclamation, hereby requiring and strictly enjoining all his Majesty¡¯s Justices of the Peace in this Government to make diligent Inquiry into the above recited Crimes, and to receive the Deposition of such Person or Persons as shall appear before them to make Information of and concerning the same; which Depositions are to be transmitted to me, in Order to be laid before the General Assembly, at New Bern, on the 30th day of November next, to which time it stands Prorogued for the immediate Dispatch of Public Business.¡±


    A final inhalation; Hayes¡¯s face was nearly as purple as the piper¡¯s by now.


    ¡°Given under my Hand, and the Great Seal of the Province, at New Bern, the 18th Day of October, in the 10th Year of his Majesty¡¯s Reign, Anno Domini 1770.


    ¡°Signed, William Tryon,¡± Hayes concluded, with a final puff of steamy breath.


    ¡°Do you know,¡± I remarked to Jamie, ¡°I believe that was all one single sentence, bar the closing. Amazing, even for a politician.¡±


    ¡°Hush, Sassenach,¡± he said, his eyes still fixed on Archie Hayes. There was a subdued rumble from the crowd behind me, of interest and consternation¡ªtouched with a certain amount of amusement at the phrases regarding treasonous toasts.


    This was a Gathering of Highlanders, many of them exiled to the Colonies in the wake of the Stuart Rising, and had Archie Hayes chosen to take official notice of what was said over the cups of ale and whisky passed round the fires the night before . . . but then, he had but forty soldiers with him, and whatever his own opinions of King George and that monarch¡¯s possible damnation, he kept them wisely to himself.


    Some four hundred Highlanders surrounded Hayes¡¯s small beachhead on the creekbank, summoned by the tattoo of drums. Men and women sheltered among the trees above the clearing, plaids and arisaids pulled tight against the rising wind. They too were keeping their own counsel, judging from the array of stony faces visible under the flutter of scarves and bonnets. Of course, their expressions might derive from cold as much as from natural caution; my own cheeks were stiff, the end of my nose had gone numb, and I hadn¡¯t felt my feet anytime since daybreak.


    ¡°Any person wishing to make declaration concerning these most serious matters may entrust such statements safely to my care,¡± Hayes announced, his round face an official blank. ¡°I will remain in my tent with my clerk for the rest of the day. God save the King!¡±


    He handed the Proclamation to his corporal, bowed to the crowd in dismissal, and turned smartly toward a large canvas tent that had been erected near the trees, regimental banners flapping wildly from a standard next to it.


    Shivering, I slid a hand into the slit of Jamie¡¯s cloak and over the crook of his arm, my cold fingers comforted by the warmth of his body. Jamie pressed his elbow briefly to his side in acknowledgment of my frozen grasp, but didn¡¯t look down at me; he was studying Archie Hayes¡¯s retreating back, eyes narrowed against the sting of the wind.


    A compact and solid man, of inconsequent height but considerable presence, the Lieutenant moved with great deliberation, as though oblivious of the crowd on the hillside above. He vanished into his tent, leaving the flap invitingly tied up.


    Not for the first time, I reluctantly admired Governor Tryon¡¯s political instincts. This Proclamation was clearly being read in towns and villages throughout the colony; he could have relied on a local magistrate or sheriff to carry his message of official fury to this Gathering. Instead, he had taken the trouble to send Hayes.


    Archibald Hayes had taken the field at Culloden by his father¡¯s side, at the age of twelve. Wounded in the fight, he had been captured and sent south. Presented with a choice of transportation or joining the army, he had taken the King¡¯s shilling and made the best of it. The fact that he had risen to be an officer in his mid-thirties, in a time when most commissions were bought rather than earned, was sufficient testimony to his abilities.


    He was as personable as he was professional; invited to share our food and fire the day before, he had spent half the night talking with Jamie¡ªand the other half moving from fire to fire under the aegis of Jamie¡¯s presence, being introduced to the heads of all the important families present.


    And whose notion had that been? I wondered, looking up at Jamie. His long, straight nose was reddened by the cold, his eyes hooded from the wind, but his face gave no inkling of what he was thinking. And that, I thought, was a bloody good indication that he was thinking something rather dangerous. Had he known about this Proclamation?


    No English officer, with an English troop, could have brought such news into a Gathering like this, with any hope of cooperation. But Hayes and his Highlanders, stalwart in their tartan . . . I didn¡¯t miss the fact that Hayes had had his tent erected with its back to a thick grove of pines; anyone who wished to speak to the Lieutenant in secret could approach through the woods, unseen.


    ¡°Does Hayes expect someone to pop out of the crowd, rush into his tent, and surrender on the spot?¡± I murmured to Jamie. I personally knew of at least a dozen men among those present who had taken part in the Hillsborough riots; three of them were standing within arm¡¯s length of us.


    Jamie saw the direction of my glance and put his hand over mine, squeezing it in a silent adjuration of discretion. I lowered my brows at him; surely he didn¡¯t think I would give anyone away by inadvertence? He gave me a faint smile and one of those annoying marital looks that said, more plainly than words, You know how ye are, Sassenach. Anyone who sees your face kens just what ye think.


    I sidled in a little closer, and kicked him discreetly in the ankle. I might have a glass face, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t arouse comment in a crowd like this! He didn¡¯t wince, but the smile spread a little wider. He slid one arm inside my cloak, and drew me closer, his hand on my back.

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    Hobson, MacLennan, and Fowles stood together just in front of us, talking quietly among themselves. All three came from a tiny settlement called Drunkard¡¯s Creek, some fifteen miles from our own place on Fraser¡¯s Ridge. Hugh Fowles was Joe Hobson¡¯s son-in-law, and very young, no more than twenty. He was doing his best to keep his composure, but his face had gone white and clammy as the Proclamation was read.


    I didn¡¯t know what Tryon intended to do to anyone who could be proved to have had a part in the riot, but I could feel the currents of unrest created by the Governor¡¯s Proclamation passing through the crowd like the eddies of water rushing over rocks in the nearby creek.


    Several buildings had been destroyed in Hillsborough, and a number of public officials dragged out and assaulted in the street. Gossip had it that one ironically titled justice of the peace had lost an eye to a vicious blow aimed with a horsewhip. No doubt taking this demonstration of civil disobedience to heart, Chief Justice Henderson had escaped out of a window and fled the town, thus effectively preventing the Court from sitting. It was clear that the Governor was very annoyed about what had happened in Hillsborough.


    Joe Hobson glanced back at Jamie, then away. Lieutenant Hayes¡¯s presence at our fire the previous evening had not gone unremarked.


    If Jamie saw the glance, he didn¡¯t return it. He lifted one shoulder in a shrug, tilting his head down to speak to me.


    ¡°I shouldna think Hayes expects anyone to give themselves up, no. It may be his duty to ask for information; I thank God it isna mine to answer.¡± He hadn¡¯t spoken loudly, but loudly enough to reach the ears of Joe Hobson.


    Hobson turned his head and gave Jamie a small nod of wry acknowledgment. He touched his son-in-law¡¯s arm, and they turned away, scrambling up the slope toward the scattered campsites above, where their womenfolk were tending the fires and the younger children.


    This was the last day of the Gathering; tonight there would be marryings and christenings, the formal blessing of love and its riotous fruits, sprung from the loins of the unchurched multitude during the year before. Then the last songs would be sung, the last stories told, and dancing done amid the leaping flames of many fires¡ªrain or no rain. Come morning, the Scots and their households would all disperse back to their homes, scattered from the settled banks of the Cape Fear River to the wild mountains of the west¡ªcarrying news of the Governor¡¯s Proclamation and the doings at Hillsborough.


    I wiggled my toes inside my damp shoes and wondered uneasily who among the crowd might think it their duty to answer Hayes¡¯s invitation to confession or incrimination. Not Jamie, no. But others might. There had been a good deal of boasting about the riots in Hillsborough during the week of the Gathering, but not all the listeners were disposed to view the rioters as heroes, by any means.


    I could feel as well as hear the mutter of conversation breaking out in the wake of the Proclamation; heads turning, families drawing close together, men moving from group to group, as the content of Hayes¡¯s speech was relayed up the hill, repeated to those who stood too far away to have heard it.


    ¡°Shall we go? There¡¯s a lot to do yet before the weddings.¡±


    ¡°Aye?¡± Jamie glanced down at me. ¡°I thought Jocasta¡¯s slaves were managing the food and drink. I gave Ulysses the barrels of whisky¡ªhe¡¯ll be soghan.¡±


    ¡°Ulysses? Did he bring his wig?¡± I smiled at the thought. The soghan was the man who managed the dispensing of drink and refreshment at a Highland wedding; the term actually meant something like ¡°hearty, jovial fellow.¡± Ulysses was possibly the most dignified person I had ever seen¡ªeven without his livery and powdered horsehair wig.


    ¡°If he did, it¡¯s like to be stuck to his head by the evening.¡± Jamie glanced up at the lowering sky and shook his head. ¡°Happy the bride the sun shines on,¡± he quoted. ¡°Happy the corpse the rain falls on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I like about Scots,¡± I said dryly. ¡°An appropriate proverb for all occasions. Don¡¯t you dare say that in front of Bree.¡±


    ¡°What d¡¯ye take me for, Sassenach?¡± he demanded, with a half-smile down at me. ¡°I¡¯m her father, no?¡±


    ¡°Definitely yes.¡± I suppressed the sudden thought of Brianna¡¯s other father, and glanced over my shoulder, to be sure she wasn¡¯t in hearing.


    There was no sign of her blazing head among those nearby. Certainly her father¡¯s daughter, she stood six feet tall in her stocking feet; nearly as easy as Jamie himself to pick out of a crowd.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the wedding feast I need to deal with, anyway,¡± I said, turning back to Jamie. ¡°I¡¯ve got to manage breakfast, then do the morning clinic with Murray MacLeod.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye? I thought ye said wee Murray was a charlatan.¡±


    ¡°I said he was ignorant, stubborn, and a menace to the public health,¡± I corrected. ¡°That¡¯s not the same thing¡ªquite.¡±


    ¡°Quite,¡± said Jamie, grinning. ¡°Ye mean to educate him, then¡ªor poison him?¡±


    ¡°Whichever seems most effective. If nothing else, I might accidentally step on his fleam and break it; that¡¯s probably the only way I¡¯ll stop him bleeding people. Let¡¯s go, though, I¡¯m freezing!¡±


    ¡°Aye, we¡¯ll away, then,¡± Jamie agreed, with a glance at the soldiers, still drawn up along the creekbank at parade rest. ¡°No doubt wee Archie means to keep his lads there ¡¯til the crowd¡¯s gone; they¡¯re going a wee bit blue round the edges.¡±


    Though fully armed and uniformed, the row of Highlanders was relaxed; imposing, to be sure, but no longer threatening. Small boys¡ªand not a few wee girls¡ªscampered to and fro among them, impudently flicking the hems of the soldiers¡¯ kilts or dashing in, greatly daring, to touch the gleaming muskets, dangling canteens, and the hilts of dirks and swords.


    ¡°Abel, a charaid!¡± Jamie had paused to greet the last of the men from Drunkard¡¯s Creek. ¡°Will ye ha¡¯ eaten yet the day?¡±


    MacLennan had not brought his wife to the Gathering, and thus ate where luck took him. The crowd was dispersing around us, but he stood stolidly in place, holding the ends of a red flannel handkerchief pulled over his balding head against the spatter of rain. Probably hoping to cadge an invitation to breakfast, I thought cynically.


    I eyed his stocky form, mentally estimating his possible consumption of eggs, parritch, and toasted bread against the dwindling supplies in our hampers. Not that simple shortage of food would stop any Highlander from offering hospitality¡ªcertainly not Jamie, who was inviting MacLennan to join us, even as I mentally divided eighteen eggs by nine people instead of eight. Not fried, then; made into fritters with grated potatoes, and I¡¯d best borrow more coffee from Jocasta¡¯s campsite on the way up the mountain.


    We turned to go, and Jamie¡¯s hand slid suddenly downward over my backside. I made an undignified sound, and Abel MacLennan turned round to gawk at me. I smiled brightly at him, resisting the urge to kick Jamie again, less discreetly.


    MacLennan turned away, and scrambled up the slope in front of us with alacrity, coattails bouncing in anticipation over worn breeks. Jamie put a hand under my elbow to help me over the rocks, bending down as he did so to mutter in my ear.


    ¡°Why the devil are ye not wearing a petticoat, Sassenach?¡± he hissed. ¡°Ye¡¯ve nothing at all on under your skirt¡ªyou¡¯ll catch your death of cold!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong there,¡± I said, shivering in spite of my cloak. I did in fact have on a linen shift under my gown, but it was a thin, ragged thing, suitable for rough camping-out in summertime, but quite insufficient to stem the wintry blasts that blew through my skirt as though it were cheesecloth.


    ¡°Ye had a fine woolen petticoat yesterday. What¡¯s become of it?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know,¡± I assured him.


    His eyebrows went up at this, but before he could ask further questions, a scream rang out behind us.


    ¡°Germain!¡±


    I turned to see a small blond head, hair flying as the owner streaked down the slope below the rocks. Two-year-old Germain had taken advantage of his mother¡¯s preoccupation with his newborn sister to escape custody and make a dash for the row of soldiers. Eluding capture, he charged headlong down the slope, picking up speed like a rolling stone.


    ¡°Fergus!¡± Marsali screamed. Germain¡¯s father, hearing his name, turned round from his conversation, just in time to see his son trip over a rock and fly headlong. A born acrobat, the little boy made no move to save himself, but collapsed gracefully, rolling into a ball like a hedgehog as he struck the grassy slope on one shoulder. He rolled like a cannonball through the ranks of soldiers, shot off the edge of a rocky shelf, and plopped with a splash into the creek.


    There was a general gasp of consternation, and a number of people ran down the hill to help, but one of the soldiers had already hurried to the bank. Kneeling, he thrust the tip of his bayonet through the child¡¯s floating clothes and towed the soggy bundle to the shore.


    Fergus charged into the icy shallows, reaching out to clasp his waterlogged son.


    ¡°Merci, mon ami, mille merci beaucoup,¡± he said to the young soldier. ¡°Et toi, toto,¡± he said, addressing his spluttering offspring with a small shake. ¡°Comment ?a va, ye wee chowderheid?¡±


    The soldier looked startled, but I couldn¡¯t tell whether the cause was Fergus¡¯s unique patois, or the sight of the gleaming hook he wore in place of his missing left hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s all right then, sir,¡± he said, with a shy smile. ¡°He¡¯ll no be damaged, I think.¡±


    Brianna appeared suddenly from behind a chinkapin tree, six-month-old Jemmy on one shoulder, and scooped baby Joan neatly out of Marsali¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Here, give Joanie to me,¡± she said. ¡°You go take care of Germain.¡±


    Jamie swung the heavy cloak from his shoulders and laid it in Marsali¡¯s arms in place of the baby.


    ¡°Aye, and tell the soldier laddie who saved him to come and share our fire,¡± he told her. ¡°We can feed another, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, swiftly readjusting my mental calculations. Eighteen eggs, four loaves of stale bread for toast¡ªno, I should keep back one for the trip home tomorrow¡ªthree dozen oatcakes if Jamie and Roger hadn¡¯t eaten them already, half a jar of honey . . .


    Marsali¡¯s thin face lighted with a rueful smile, shared among the three of us, then she was gone, hastening to the aid of her drenched and shivering menfolk.


    Jamie looked after her with a sigh of resignation, as the wind caught the full sleeves of his shirt and belled them out with a muffled whoomp. He crossed his arms across his chest, hunching his shoulders against the wind, and smiled down at me, sidelong.


    ¡°Ah, well. I suppose we shall both freeze together, Sassenach. That¡¯s all right, though. I wouldna want to live without ye, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± I said amiably. ¡°You could live nak*d on an ice floe, Jamie Fraser, and melt it. What have you done with your coat and plaid?¡± He wore nothing besides his kilt and sark save shoes and stockings, and his high cheekbones were reddened with cold, like the tips of his ears. When I slipped a hand back inside the crook of his arm, though, he was warm as ever.

 Page 4

    ¡°Ye dinna want to know,¡± he said, grinning. He covered my hand with one large, callused palm. ¡°Let¡¯s go; I¡¯m starved for my breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, detaching myself. Jemmy was indisposed to share his mother¡¯s embrace with the newcomer, and howled and squirmed in protest, his small round face going red with annoyance under a blue knitted cap. I reached out and took him from Brianna, as he wriggled and fussed in his wrappings.


    ¡°Thanks, Mama.¡± Brianna smiled briefly, boosting tiny Joan into a more secure position against her shoulder. ¡°Are you sure you want that one, though? This one¡¯s quieter¡ªand weighs half as much.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s all right. Hush, sweetie, come see Grannie.¡± I smiled as I said it, with the still-new feeling of mingled surprise and delight that I could actually be someone¡¯s grandmother. Recognizing me, Jemmy abandoned his fuss and went promptly into his mussel-clinging-to-a-rock routine, chubby fists gripped tight in my hair. Disentangling his fingers, I peered over his head, but things below seemed under control.


    Fergus, breeches and stockings soaking wet, Jamie¡¯s cloak draped round his shoulders, was wringing out his shirtfront one-handed, saying something to the soldier who had rescued Germain. Marsali had whipped off her arisaid and wrapped the little boy in it, her loosened blond hair flying out from under her kerch like cobwebs in the wind.


    Lieutenant Hayes, attracted by the noise, was peering out from the flap of his tent like a whelk from its shell. He looked up, and caught my eye; I waved briefly, then turned to follow my own family back to our campsite.


    Jamie was saying something to Brianna in Gaelic, as he helped her over a rocky patch in the trail ahead of me.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready,¡± she said, replying in English. ¡°Where¡¯s your coat, Da?¡±


    ¡°I lent it to your husband,¡± he said. ¡°We dinna want him to look a beggar at your wedding, aye?¡±


    Bree laughed, wiping a flying strand of red hair out of her mouth with her free hand.


    ¡°Better a beggar than an attempted suicide.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡± I caught up with them as we emerged from the shelter of the rocks. The wind barreled across the open space, pelting us with sleet and bits of stinging gravel, and I pulled the knitted cap further down over Jemmy¡¯s ears, then pulled the blanket up over his head.


    ¡°Whoof!¡± Brianna hunched over the swaddled baby girl she carried, sheltering her from the blast. ¡°Roger was shaving when the drums started up; he nearly cut his throat. The front of his coat is covered with bloodstains.¡± She glanced at Jamie, eyes watering with the wind. ¡°So you¡¯ve seen him this morning. Where is he now, do you know?¡±


    ¡°The lad¡¯s in one piece,¡± he assured her. ¡°I told him to go and talk wi¡¯ Father Donahue, while Hayes was about his business.¡± He gave her a sharp look. ¡°Ye might have told me the lad was no a Catholic.¡±


    ¡°I might,¡± she said, unperturbed. ¡°But I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s no big deal to me.¡±


    ¡°If ye mean by that peculiar expression, that it¡¯s of no consequence¡ª¡± Jamie began with a distinct edge in his voice, but was interrupted by the appearance of Roger himself, resplendent in a kilt of green-and-white MacKenzie tartan, with the matching plaid draped over Jamie¡¯s good coat and waistcoat. The coat fit decently¡ªboth men were of a size, long-limbed and broad-shouldered, though Jamie was an inch or two the taller¡ªand the gray wool was quite as becoming to Roger¡¯s dark hair and olive skin as it was to Jamie¡¯s burnished auburn coloring.


    ¡°You look very nice, Roger,¡± I said. ¡°Where did you cut yourself?¡± His face was pink, with the raw look common to just-shaved skin, but otherwise unmarked.


    Roger was carrying Jamie¡¯s plaid under his arm, a bundle of red and black tartan. He handed it over and tilted his head to one side, showing me the deep gash just under his jawbone.


    ¡°Just there. Not so bad, but it bled like the dickens. They don¡¯t call them cutthroat razors for nothing, aye?¡±


    The gash had already crusted into a neat dark line, a cut some three inches long, angled down from the corner of his jaw across the side of his throat. I touched the skin near it briefly. Not bad; the blade of the razor had cut straight in, no flap of skin needing suture. No wonder it had bled a lot, though; it did look as though he had tried to cut his throat.


    ¡°A bit nervous this morning?¡± I teased. ¡°Not having second thoughts, are you?¡±


    ¡°A little late for that,¡± Brianna said dryly, coming up beside me. ¡°Got a kid who needs a name, after all.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll have more names than he knows what to do with,¡± Roger assured her. ¡°So will you¡ªMrs. MacKenzie.¡±


    A small flush lit Brianna¡¯s face at the name, and she smiled at him. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, taking the cocooned baby from her as he did so. A look of sudden shock crossed his face as he felt the weight of the bundle in his arms, and he gawked down at it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not ours,¡± Bree said, grinning at his look of consternation. ¡°It¡¯s Marsali¡¯s Joan. Mama has Jemmy.¡±


    ¡°Thank God,¡± he said, holding the bundle with a good deal more caution. ¡°I thought he¡¯d evaporated or something.¡± He lifted the blanket slightly, exposing tiny Joan¡¯s sleeping face, and smiled¡ªas people always did¡ªat sight of her comical quiff of brown hair, which came to a point like a Kewpie doll¡¯s.


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± I said, grunting as I hoisted a well-nourished Jemmy, now peacefully comatose in his own wrappings, into a more comfortable position. ¡°I think he¡¯s gained a pound or two on the way uphill.¡± I was flushed from exertion, and held the baby a little away from myself, as a sudden wave of heat flushed my cheeks and perspiration broke out under the waves of my disheveled hair.


    Jamie took Jemmy from me, and tucked him expertly under one arm like a football, one hand cupping the baby¡¯s head.


    ¡°Ye¡¯ve spoken wi¡¯ the priest, then?¡± he said, eyeing Roger skeptically.


    ¡°I have,¡± Roger said dryly, answering the look as much as the question. ¡°He¡¯s satisfied I¡¯m no the Anti-Christ. So long as I¡¯m willing the lad should be baptized Catholic, there¡¯s no bar to the wedding. I¡¯ve said I¡¯m willing.¡±


    Jamie grunted in reply, and I repressed a smile. While Jamie had no great religious prejudices¡ªhe had dealt with, fought with, and commanded far too many men, of every possible background¡ªthe revelation that his son-in-law was a Presbyterian¡ªand had no intention of converting¡ªhad occasioned some small comment.


    Bree caught my eye and gave me a sidelong smile, her own eyes creasing into blue triangles of catlike amusement.


    ¡°Very wise of you not to mention religion ahead of time,¡± I murmured, careful not to speak loudly enough for Jamie to hear me. Both men were walking ahead of us, still rather stiff in their attitudes, though the formality of their demeanor was rather impaired by the trailing draperies of the babies they carried.


    Jemmy let out a sudden squawk, but his grandfather swung him up without breaking stride, and he subsided, round eyes fixed on us over Jamie¡¯s shoulder, sheltered under the hooding of his blanket. I made a face at him, and he broke into a huge, gummy smile.


    ¡°Roger wanted to say something, but I told him to keep quiet.¡± Bree stuck out her tongue and wiggled it at Jemmy, then fixed a wifely look on Roger¡¯s back. ¡°I knew Da wouldn¡¯t make a stramash about it, if we waited ¡¯til just before the wedding.¡±


    I noted both her astute evaluation of her father¡¯s behavior, and her easy use of Scots. She resembled Jamie in a good deal more than the obvious matter of looks and coloring; she had his talent for human judgment and his glibness with language. Still, there was something niggling at my mind, something to do with Roger and religion . . .


    We had come up close enough behind the men to hear their conversation.


    ¡°. . . about Hillsborough,¡± Jamie was saying, leaning toward Roger so as to be heard over the wind. ¡°Calling for information about the rioters.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye?¡± Roger sounded both interested and wary. ¡°Duncan Innes will be interested to hear that. He was in Hillsborough during the troubles, did you know?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jamie sounded more than interested. ¡°I¡¯ve barely seen Duncan to speak to this week. I¡¯ll ask him, maybe, after the wedding¡ªif he lives through it.¡± Duncan was to marry Jamie¡¯s aunt, Jocasta Cameron, in the evening, and was nervous to the point of prostration over the prospect.


    Roger turned, shielding Joan from the wind with his body as he spoke to Brianna.


    ¡°Your aunt¡¯s told Father Donahue he can hold the weddings in her tent. That¡¯ll be a help.¡±


    ¡°Brrrr!¡± Bree hunched her shoulders, shivering. ¡°Thank goodness. It¡¯s no day to be getting married under the greenwood tree.¡±


    A huge chestnut overhead sent down a damp shower of yellow leaves, as though in agreement. Roger looked a little uneasy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t imagine it¡¯s quite the wedding you maybe thought of,¡± he said. ¡°When ye were a wee girl.¡±


    Brianna looked up at Roger and a slow, wide smile spread across her face. ¡°Neither was the first one,¡± she said. ¡°But I liked it fine.¡±


    Roger¡¯s complexion wasn¡¯t given to blushing, and his ears were red with cold in any case. He opened his mouth as though to reply, caught Jamie¡¯s gimlet eye, and shut it again, looking embarrassed but undeniably pleased.


    ¡°Mr. Fraser!¡±


    I turned to see one of the soldiers making his way up the hill toward us, his eyes fixed on Jamie.


    ¡°Corporal MacNair, your servant, sir,¡± he said, breathing hard as he reached us. He gave a sharp inclination of the head. ¡°The Lieutenant¡¯s compliments, and would ye be so good as to attend him in his tent?¡± He caught sight of me, and bowed again, less abruptly. ¡°Mrs. Fraser. My compliments, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Your servant, sir.¡± Jamie returned the Corporal¡¯s bow. ¡°My apologies to the Lieutenant, but I have duties that require my attendance elsewhere.¡± He spoke politely, but the Corporal glanced sharply up at him. MacNair was young, but not callow; a quick look of understanding crossed his lean, dark face. The last thing any man would want was to be seen going into Hayes¡¯s tent by himself, immediately following that Proclamation.


    ¡°The Lieutenant bids me request the attendance upon him of Mr. Farquard Campbell, Mr. Andrew MacNeill, Mr. Gerald Forbes, Mr. Duncan Innes, and Mr. Randall Lillywhite, as well as yourself, sir.¡±


    A certain amount of tension left Jamie¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Does he,¡± he said dryly. So Hayes meant to consult the powerful men of the area: Farquard Campbell and Andrew MacNeill were large landowners and local magistrates; Gerald Forbes a prominent solicitor from Cross Creek, and a justice of the peace; Lillywhite a magistrate of the circuit court. And Duncan Innes was about to become the largest plantation owner in the western half of the colony, by virtue of his impending marriage to Jamie¡¯s widowed aunt. Jamie himself was neither rich nor an official of the Crown¡ªbut he was the proprietor of a large, if still largely vacant, land grant in the backcountry.

 Page 5

    He gave a slight shrug and shifted the baby to his other shoulder, settling himself.


    ¡°Aye. Well, then. Tell the Lieutenant I shall attend him as soon as may be convenient.¡±


    Nothing daunted, MacNair bowed and went off, presumably in search of the other gentlemen on his list.


    ¡°And what¡¯s all that about?¡± I asked Jamie. ¡°Oops.¡± I reached up and skimmed a glistening strand of saliva from Jemmy¡¯s chin before it could reach Jamie¡¯s shirt. ¡°Starting a new tooth, are we?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve plenty of teeth,¡± Jamie assured me, ¡°and so have you, so far as I can see. As to what Hayes may want with me, I canna say for sure. And I dinna mean to find out before I must, either.¡± He cocked one ruddy eyebrow at me, and I laughed.


    ¡°Oh, a certain flexibility in that word ¡®convenient,¡¯ is there?¡±


    ¡°I didna say it would be convenient for him,¡± Jamie pointed out. ¡°Now, about your petticoat, Sassenach, and why you¡¯re scampering about the forest bare-arsed¡ªDuncan, a charaid!¡± The wry look on his face melted into genuine pleasure at sight of Duncan Innes, making his way toward us through a small growth of bare-limbed dogwood.


    Duncan clambered over a fallen log, the process made rather awkward by his missing left arm, and arrived on the path beside us, shaking water droplets from his hair. He was already dressed for his wedding, in a clean ruffled shirt and starched linen stock above his kilt, and a coat of scarlet broadcloth trimmed in gold lace, the empty sleeve pinned up with a brooch. I had never seen Duncan look so elegant, and said so.


    ¡°Och, well,¡± he said diffidently. ¡°Miss Jo did wish it.¡± He shrugged off the compliment along with the rain, carefully brushing away dead needles and bits of bark that had adhered to his coat in the passage through the pines.


    ¡°Brrr! A gruesome day, Mac Dubh, and no mistake.¡± He looked up at the sky and shook his head. ¡°Happy the bride the sun shines on; happy the corpse the rain falls on.¡±


    ¡°I do wonder just how delighted you can expect the average corpse to be,¡± I said, ¡°whatever the meteorological conditions. But I¡¯m sure Jocasta will be quite happy regardless,¡± I added hastily, seeing a look of bewilderment spread itself across Duncan¡¯s features. ¡°And you too, of course!¡±


    ¡°Oh . . . aye,¡± he said, a little uncertainly. ¡°Aye, of course. I thank ye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°When I saw ye coming through the wood, I thought perhaps Corporal MacNair was nippin¡¯ at your heels,¡± Jamie said. ¡°You¡¯re no on your way to see Archie Hayes, are you?¡±


    Duncan looked quite startled.


    ¡°Hayes? No, what would the Lieutenant want wi¡¯ me?¡±


    ¡°You were in Hillsborough in September, aye? Here, Sassenach, take this wee squirrel away.¡± Jamie interrupted himself to hand me Jemmy, who had decided to take a more active interest in the proceedings and was attempting to climb his grandfather¡¯s torso, digging in his toes and making loud grunting noises. The sudden activity, however, was not Jamie¡¯s chief motive for relieving himself of the burden, as I discovered when I accepted Jemmy.


    ¡°Thanks a lot,¡± I said, wrinkling my nose. Jamie grinned at me, and turned Duncan up the path, resuming their conversation.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said, sniffing cautiously. ¡°Finished, are you? No, I thought not.¡± Jemmy closed his eyes, went bright red, and emitted a popping noise like muffled machine-gun fire. I undid his wrappings sufficiently to peek down his back.


    ¡°Whoops,¡± I said, and hastily unwound the blanket, just in time. ¡°What has your mother been feeding you?¡±


    Thrilled to have escaped his swaddling bands, Jemmy churned his legs like a windmill, causing a noxious yellowish substance to ooze from the baggy legs of his diaper.


    ¡°Pew,¡± I said succinctly, and holding him at arm¡¯s length, headed off the path toward one of the tiny rivulets that meandered down the mountainside, thinking that while I could perhaps do without such amenities as indoor plumbing and motorcars, there were times when I sincerely missed things like rubber pants with elasticated legs. To say nothing of toilet rolls.


    I found a good spot on the edge of the little stream, with a thick coating of dead leaves. I knelt, laid out a fold of my cloak, and parked Jemmy on it on his hands and knees, pulling the soggy clout off without bothering to unpin it.


    ¡°Weee!¡± he said, sounding surprised as the cold air struck him. He clenched his fat little buttocks and hunched like a small pink toad.


    ¡°Ha,¡± I told him. ¡°If you think a cold wind up the bum is bad, just wait.¡± I scooped up a handful of damp yellow-brown leaves, and cleaned him off briskly. A fairly stoic child, he wiggled and squirmed, but didn¡¯t screech, instead making high-pitched ¡°Eeeeee¡± noises as I excavated his crevices.


    I flipped him over, and with a hand held prophylactically over the danger zone, administered a similar treatment to his private parts, this eliciting a wide, gummy grin.


    ¡°Oh, you are a Hieland man, aren¡¯t you?¡± I said, smiling back.


    ¡°And just what d¡¯ye mean by that remark, Sassenach?¡± I looked up to find Jamie leaning against a tree on the other side of the streamlet. The bold colors of his dress tartan and white linen sark stood out bright against the faded autumn foliage; face and hair, though, made him look like some denizen of the wood, all bronze and auburn, with the wind stirring his hair so the free ends danced like the scarlet maple leaves above.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s apparently impervious to cold and damp,¡± I said, concluding my labors and discarding the final handful of soiled leaves. ¡°Beyond that . . . well, I¡¯ve not had much to do with male infants before, but isn¡¯t this rather precocious?¡±


    One corner of Jamie¡¯s mouth curled up, as he peered at the prospect revealed under my hand. The tiny appendage stood up stiff as my thumb, and roughly the same size.


    ¡°Ah, no,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a many wee lads in the raw. They all do that now and again.¡± He shrugged, and the smile grew wider. ¡°Now, whether it¡¯s only Scottish lads, I couldna be saying . . .¡±


    ¡°A talent that improves with age, I daresay,¡± I said dryly. I tossed the dirty clout across the streamlet, where it landed at his feet with a splat. ¡°Get the pins and rinse that out, will you?¡±


    His long, straight nose wrinkled slightly, but he knelt without demur and picked the filthy thing up gingerly between two fingers.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what ye¡¯ve done wi¡¯ your petticoat,¡± he said. I had opened the large pocket I wore slung at my waist and extracted a clean, folded rectangle of cloth. Not the unbleached linen of the clout he held, but a thick, soft, often-washed wool flannel, dyed a pale red with the juice of currants.


    I shrugged, checked Jemmy for the prospect of fresh explosions, and popped him onto the new diaper.


    ¡°With three babies all in clouts, and the weather too damp to dry anything properly, we were rather short of clean bits.¡± The bushes around the clearing where we had made our family camp were all festooned with flapping laundry, most of it still wet, owing to the inopportune weather.


    ¡°Here.¡± Jamie stretched across the foot-wide span of rock-strewn water to hand me the pins extracted from the old diaper. I took them, careful not to drop them in the stream. My fingers were stiff and chilly, but the pins were valuable; Bree had made them of heated wire, and Roger had carved the capped heads from wood, in accordance with her drawings. Honest-to-goodness safety pins, if a bit larger and cruder than the modern version. The only real defect was the glue used to hold the wooden heads to the wire; made from boiled milk and hoof parings, it was not entirely waterproof, and the heads had to be reglued periodically.


    I folded the diaper snugly about Jemmy¡¯s loins and thrust a pin through the cloth, smiling at sight of the wooden cap. Bree had taken one set and carved a small, comical frog¡ªeach with a wide, toothless grin¡ªonto each one.


    ¡°All right, Froggie, here you go, then.¡± Diaper securely fastened, I sat down and boosted him into my lap, smoothing down his smock and attempting to rewrap his blanket.


    ¡°Where did Duncan go?¡± I asked. ¡°Down to see the Lieutenant?¡±


    Jamie shook his head, bent over his task.


    ¡°I told him not to go yet. He was in Hillsborough during the troubles there. Best he should wait a bit; then if Hayes should ask, he can swear honestly there¡¯s no man here who took part in the riots.¡± He looked up and smiled, without humor. ¡°There won¡¯t be, come nightfall.¡±


    I watched his hands, large and capable, wringing out the rinsed clout. The scars on his right hand were usually almost invisible, but they stood out now, ragged white lines against his cold-reddened skin. The whole business made me mildly uneasy, though there seemed no direct connection with us.


    For the most part, I could think of Governor Tryon with no more than a faint sense of edginess; he was, after all, safely tucked away in his nice new palace in New Bern, separated from our tiny settlement on Fraser¡¯s Ridge by three hundred miles of coastal towns, inland plantations, pine forest, piedmont, trackless mountains, and sheer howling wilderness. With all the other things he had to worry about, such as the self-styled ¡°Regulators¡± who had terrorized Hillsborough, and the corrupt sheriffs and judges who had provoked the terror, I hardly thought he would have time to spare a thought for us. I hoped not.


    The uncomfortable fact remained that Jamie held title to a large grant of land in the North Carolina mountains as the gift of Governor Tryon¡ªand Tryon in turn held one small but important fact tucked away in his vest pocket: Jamie was a Catholic. And Royal grants of land could be made only to Protestants, by law.


    Given the tiny number of Catholics in the colony, and the lack of organization among them, the question of religion was rarely an issue. There were no Catholic churches, no resident Catholic priests; Father Donahue had made the arduous journey down from Baltimore, at Jocasta¡¯s request. Jamie¡¯s aunt Jocasta and her late husband, Hector Cameron, had been influential among the Scottish community here for so long that no one would have thought of questioning their religious background, and I thought it likely that few of the Scots with whom we had been celebrating all week knew that we were Papists.


    They were, however, likely to notice quite soon. Bree and Roger, who had been handfasted for a year, were to be married by the priest this evening, along with two other Catholic couples from Bremerton¡ªand with Jocasta and Duncan Innes.


    ¡°Archie Hayes,¡± I said suddenly. ¡°Is he a Catholic?¡±


    Jamie hung the wet clout from a nearby branch and shook water from his hands.


    ¡°I havena asked him,¡± he said, ¡°but I shouldna think so. That is, his father was not; I should be surprised if he was¡ªand him an officer.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± The disadvantages of Scottish birth, poverty, and being an ex-Jacobite were sufficiently staggering; amazing enough that Hayes had overcome these to rise to his present position, without the additional burden of the taint of Papistry.


    What was troubling me, though, was not the thought of Lieutenant Hayes and his men; it was Jamie. Outwardly, he was calm and assured as ever, with that faint smile always hiding in the corner of his mouth. But I knew him very well; I had seen the two stiff fingers of his right hand¡ªmaimed in an English prison¡ªtwitch against the side of his leg as he traded jokes and stories with Hayes the night before. Even now, I could see the thin line that formed between his brows when he was troubled, and it wasn¡¯t concern over what he was doing.

 Page 6

    Was it simply worry over the Proclamation? I couldn¡¯t see why that should be, given that none of our folk had been involved in the Hillsborough riots.


    ¡°. . . a Presbyterian,¡± he was saying. He glanced over at me with a wry smile. ¡°Like wee Roger.¡±


    The memory that had niggled at me earlier dropped suddenly into place.


    ¡°You knew that,¡± I said. ¡°You knew Roger wasn¡¯t a Catholic. You saw him baptize that child in Snaketown, when we . . . took him from the Indians.¡± Too late, I saw the shadow cross his face, and bit my tongue. When we took Roger¡ªand left in his place Jamie¡¯s dearly loved nephew Ian.


    A shadow crossed his face momentarily, but he smiled, pushing away the thought of Ian.


    ¡°Aye, I did,¡± he said.


    ¡°But Bree¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d marry the lad if he were a Hottentot,¡± Jamie interrupted. ¡°Anyone can see that. And I canna say I¡¯d object overmuch to wee Roger if he were a Hottentot,¡± he added, rather to my surprise.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t?¡±


    Jamie shrugged, and stepped over the tiny creek to my side, wiping wet hands on the end of his plaid.


    ¡°He¡¯s a braw lad, and he¡¯s kind. He¡¯s taken the wean as his own and said no word to the lass about it. It¡¯s no more than a man should do¡ªbut not every man would.¡±


    I glanced down involuntarily at Jemmy, curled up cozily in my arms. I tried not to think of it myself, but could not help now and then searching his bluntly amiable features for any trace that might reveal his true paternity.


    Brianna had been handfast with Roger, lain with him for one night¡ªand then been raped two days later, by Stephen Bonnet. There was no way to tell for sure who the father had been, and so far Jemmy gave no indication of resembling either man in the slightest. He was gnawing his fist at the moment, with a ferocious scowl of concentration, and with his soft fuzz of red-gold plush, he looked like no one so much as Jamie himself.


    ¡°Mm. So why all the insistence on having Roger vetted by a priest?¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯ll be married in any case,¡± he said logically. ¡°I want the wee lad baptized a Catholic, though.¡± He laid a large hand gently on Jemmy¡¯s head, thumb smoothing the tiny red brows. ¡°So if I made a bit of a fuss about MacKenzie, I thought they¡¯d be pleased to agree about an gille ruaidh here, aye?¡±


    I laughed, and pulled a fold of blanket up around Jemmy¡¯s ears.


    ¡°And I thought Brianna had you figured out!¡±


    ¡°So does she,¡± he said, with a grin. He bent suddenly and kissed me.


    His mouth was soft and very warm. He tasted of bread and butter, and he smelled strongly of fresh leaves and unwashed male, with just the faintest trace of effluvium of diaper.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice,¡± I said with approval. ¡°Do it again.¡±


    The wood around us was still, in the way of woods. No bird, no beast, just the sough of leaves above and the rush of water underfoot. Constant movement, constant sound¡ªand at the center of it all, a perfect peace. There were a good many people on the mountain, and most of them not that far away¡ªyet just here, just now, we might have been alone on Jupiter.


    I opened my eyes and sighed, tasting honey. Jamie smiled at me, and brushed a fallen yellow leaf from my hair. The baby lay in my arms, a heavy, warm weight, the center of the universe.


    Neither of us spoke, not wishing to disturb the stillness. It was like being at the tip of a spinning top, I thought¡ªa whirl of events and people going on all round, and a step in one direction or another would plunge us back into that spinning frenzy, but here at the very center¡ªthere was peace.


    I reached up and brushed a scatter of maple seeds from his shoulder. He seized my hand, and brought it to his mouth with a sudden fierceness that startled me. And yet his lips were tender, the tip of his tongue warm on the fleshy mound at the base of my thumb¡ªthe mount of Venus, it¡¯s called, love¡¯s seat.


    He raised his head, and I felt the sudden chill on my hand, where the ancient scar showed white as bone. A letter ¡°J,¡± cut in the skin, his mark on me.


    He laid his hand against my face, and I pressed it there with my own, as though I could feel the faded ¡°C¡± he bore on his own palm, against the cold skin of my cheek. Neither of us spoke, but the pledge was made, as we had made it once before, in a place of sanctuary, our feet on a scrap of bedrock in the shifting sands of threatened war.


    It was not near; not yet. But I heard it coming, in the sound of drums and proclamation, saw it in the glint of steel, knew the fear of it in heart and bone when I looked in Jamie¡¯s eyes.


    The chill had gone, and hot blood throbbed in my hand as though to split the ancient scar and spill my heart¡¯s blood for him once again. It would come, and I could not stop it.


    But this time, I wouldn¡¯t leave him.


    I FOLLOWED JAMIE out of the trees, across a scrabble of rocks and sand and tufted grass, to the well-trampled trail that led upward to our campsite. I was counting in my head, readjusting the breakfast requirements yet again, in light of Jamie¡¯s revelation that he had invited two more families to join us for the meal.


    ¡°Robin McGillivray and Geordie Chisholm,¡± he said, holding back a branch for me to pass. ¡°I thought we should make them welcome; they mean to come and settle on the Ridge.¡±


    ¡°Do they,¡± I said, ducking as the branch slapped back behind me. ¡°When? And how many of them are there?¡±


    These were loaded questions. It was close to winter¡ªmuch too close to count on building even the crudest cabin for shelter. Anyone who came to the mountains now would likely have to live in the big house with us, or crowd into one of the small settlers¡¯ cabins that dotted the Ridge. Highlanders could, did, and would live ten to a room when necessary. With my less strongly developed sense of English hospitality, I rather hoped it wouldn¡¯t be necessary.


    ¡°Six McGillivrays and eight Chisholms,¡± Jamie said, smiling. ¡°The McGillivrays will come in the spring, though. Robin¡¯s a gunsmith¡ªhe¡¯ll have work in Cross Creek for the winter¡ªand his family will bide with kin in Salem¡ªhis wife¡¯s German¡ªuntil the weather warms.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± Fourteen more for breakfast, then, plus me and Jamie, Roger and Bree, Marsali and Fergus, Lizzie and her father¡ªAbel MacLennan, mustn¡¯t forget him¡ªoh, and the soldier lad who¡¯d rescued Germain, that made twenty-four . . .


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and borrow some coffee and rice from my aunt, shall I?¡± Jamie had been reading the growing look of dismay on my features. He grinned, and held out his arms for the baby. ¡°Give me the laddie; we¡¯ll go visiting, and leave your hands free for the cooking.¡±


    I watched them go with a small sense of relief. Alone, if only for a few moments. I drew a long, deep breath of damp air, becoming aware of the soft patter of the rain on my hood.


    I loved Gatherings and social occasions, but was obliged to admit to myself that the strain of unrelieved company for days on end rather got on my nerves. After a week of visiting, gossip, daily medical clinics, and the small but constant crises that attend living rough with a large family group, I was ready to dig a small hole under a log and climb in, just for the sake of a quarter hour¡¯s solitude.


    Just at the moment, though, it looked as though I might be saved the effort. There were shouts, calls, and snatches of pipe music from higher up the mountain; disturbed by the Governor¡¯s Proclamation, the Gathering was reestablishing its normal rhythm, and everyone was going back to their family hearths, to the clearing where the competitions were held, to the livestock pens beyond the creek, or to the wagons set up to sell everything from ribbons and churns to powdered mortar and fresh¡ªwell, relatively fresh¡ªlemons. No one needed me for the moment.


    It was going to be a very busy day, and this might be my only chance of solitude for a week or more¡ªthe trip back would take at least that long, moving slowly with a large party, including babies and wagons. Most of the new tenants had neither horses nor mules, and would make the journey on foot.


    I needed a moment to myself, to gather my strength and focus my mind. What focus I had, though, was not on the logistics of breakfast or weddings, nor even on the impending surgery I was contemplating. I was looking farther forward, past the journey, longing for home.


    Fraser¡¯s Ridge was high in the western mountains, far beyond any town¡ªor even any established roads. Remote and isolated, we had few visitors. Few inhabitants, too, though the population of the Ridge was growing; more than thirty families had come to take up homesteads on Jamie¡¯s granted land, under his sponsorship. Most of these were men he had known in prison, at Ardsmuir. I thought Chisholm and McGillivray must be ex-prisoners, too; Jamie had put out a standing invitation for such men, and would hold to it, no matter the expense involved in helping them¡ªor whether we could afford it.


    A raven flew silently past, slow and heavy, its feathers burdened by the rain. Ravens were birds of omen; I wondered whether this one meant us good or ill. Rare for any bird to fly in such weather¡ªthat must mean it was a special omen.


    I knocked the heel of my hand against my head, trying to smack the superstition out of it. Live with Highlanders long enough, and every damn rock and tree meant something!


    Perhaps it did, though. There were people all round me on the mountain¡ªI knew that¡ªand yet I felt quite alone, shielded by the rain and fog. The weather was still cold, but I was not. The blood thrummed near the surface of my skin, and I felt heat rise in my palms. I reached a hand out to the pine that stood by me, drops of water trembling on each needle, its bark black with wet. I breathed its scent and let the water touch my skin, cool as vapor. The rain fell in shushing stillness all around me, dampening my clothes ¡¯til they clung to me softly, like clouds upon the mountain.


    Jamie had told me once that he must live on a mountain, and I knew now why this was so¡ªthough I could in no wise have put the notion into words. All my scattered thoughts receded, as I listened for the voice of rocks and trees¡ªand heard the bell of the mountain strike once, somewhere deep beneath my feet.


    I might have stood thus enchanted for some time, all thought of breakfast forgotten, but the voices of rocks and trees hushed and vanished with the clatter of feet on the nearby path.


    ¡°Mrs. Fraser.¡±


    It was Archie Hayes himself, resplendent in bonnet and sword despite the wet. If he was surprised to see me standing by the path alone, he didn¡¯t show it, but inclined his head in courteous greeting.


    ¡°Lieutenant.¡± I bowed back, feeling my cheeks flush as though he had caught me in the midst of bathing.


    ¡°Will your husband be about, ma¡¯am?¡± he asked, voice casual. Despite my discomfiture, I felt a stab of wariness. Young Corporal MacNair had come to fetch Jamie, and failed. If the mountain had come to Mohammed now, the matter wasn¡¯t casual. Was Hayes intending to drag Jamie into some sort of witch-hunt for Regulators?


    ¡°I suppose so. I don¡¯t really know where he is,¡± I said, consciously not looking up the hill to the spot where Jocasta¡¯s big tent showed its canvas peak among a stand of chestnut trees.

 Page 7

    ¡°Ah, I expect he¡¯ll be that busy,¡± Hayes said comfortably. ¡°A great deal to do for a man like himself, and this the last day of the Gathering.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I expect . . . er . . . yes.¡±


    The conversation died, and I was left in a state of increasing discomfort, wondering how on earth I was to escape without inviting the Lieutenant to breakfast. Even an Englishwoman couldn¡¯t get away with the rudeness of not offering food without exciting remark.


    ¡°Er . . . Corporal MacNair said you wanted to see Farquard Campbell as well,¡± I said, seizing the bull by the horns. ¡°Perhaps Jamie¡¯s gone to talk with him. Mr. Campbell, I mean.¡± I waved helpfully toward the Campbells¡¯ family campsite, which lay on the far side of the slope, nearly a quarter mile from Jocasta¡¯s.


    Hayes blinked, drops running from his lashes down his cheeks.


    ¡°Aye,¡± he said. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s so.¡± He stood a moment longer, then tipped his cap to me. ¡°Good day to ye, mum.¡± He turned away up the path¡ªtoward Jocasta¡¯s tent. I stood watching him go, all sense of peace destroyed.


    ¡°Damn,¡± I said under my breath, and set off to see about breakfast.


    2


    LOAVES AND FISHES


    WE HAD CHOSEN A SITE well off the main path, but situated in a small, rocky clearing with a good view of the wide creekbank below. Glancing downward through a scrim of holly bushes, I could see the flash of green-and-black tartans as the last of the soldiers dispersed; Archie Hayes encouraged his men to mingle with the people at the Gathering, and most were only too glad to obey.


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether this policy of Archie¡¯s was dictated by guile, penury, or simply humanitarianism. Many of his soldiers were young, separated from home and family; they were glad of the chance to hear Scottish voices again, to be welcomed at a homely fireside, offered brose and parritch, and to bask in the momentary warmth of familiarity.


    As I came out of the trees, I saw that Marsali and Lizzie were making a small fuss of the bashful young soldier who had fished Germain out of the creek. Fergus stood close to the fire, wisps of steam rising from his wet garments, muttering in French as he rubbed Germain¡¯s head briskly with a towel, one-handed. His hook was braced against the little boy¡¯s shoulder to keep him steady, and the blond head wobbled back and forth, Germain¡¯s face quite tranquil, in complete disregard of his father¡¯s scolding.


    Neither Roger nor Brianna were anywhere in sight, but I was rather alarmed to see Abel MacLennan sitting on the far side of the clearing, nibbling a bit of toasted bread on a stick. Jamie was already back with the borrowed supplies, which he was unpacking on the ground next to the fire. He was frowning to himself, but the frown melted into a smile at sight of me.


    ¡°There ye are, Sassenach!¡± he said, rising to his feet. ¡°What kept ye?¡±


    ¡°Oh . . . I met an acquaintance on the trail,¡± I said, with a significant look toward the young soldier. It was evidently not significant enough, since Jamie knitted his brows in puzzlement.


    ¡°The Lieutenant is looking for you,¡± I hissed, leaning close to him.


    ¡°Well, I kent that, Sassenach,¡± he said, in a normal tone of voice. ¡°He¡¯ll find me soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but . . . ahem.¡± I cleared my throat and raised my brows, glancing pointedly from Abel MacLennan to the young soldier. Jamie¡¯s notions of hospitality wouldn¡¯t countenance having his guests dragged away from under his rooftree, and I would have supposed that the same principle applied to his campfire as well. The young soldier might find it awkward to arrest MacLennan, but I was sure the Lieutenant would have no such hesitation.


    Jamie looked rather amused. Raising his own brows, he took my arm, and led me over to the young man.


    ¡°My dear,¡± he said formally, ¡°may I present Private Andrew Ogilvie, late of the village of Kilburnie? Private Ogilvie, my wife.¡±


    Private Ogilvie, a ruddy-faced boy with dark curly hair, blushed and bowed.


    ¡°Your servant, mum!¡±


    Jamie squeezed my arm lightly.


    ¡°Private Ogilvie was just telling me that the regiment is bound for Portsmouth, in Virginia¡ªthere to take ship for Scotland. Ye¡¯ll be glad to see home, I expect, lad?¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye, sir!¡± the lad said fervently. ¡°The regiment will disband in Aberdeen, and then I¡¯m off home, so fast as my legs will carry me!¡±


    ¡°The regiment is disbanding?¡± Fergus asked, coming to join the conversation, a towel draped round his neck and Germain in his arms.


    ¡°Aye, sir. With the Frenchies settled¡ªer, beggin¡¯ your pardon, sir¡ªand the Indians safe, there¡¯s naught for us to do here, and the Crown willna pay us to sit at home,¡± the lad said ruefully. ¡°Peace may be a guid thing, all in all, and I¡¯m glad of it, surely. But there¡¯s no denying as it¡¯s hard on a soldier.¡±


    ¡°Almost as hard as war, aye?¡± Jamie said dryly. The boy flushed darkly; young as he was, he couldn¡¯t have seen much in the way of actual fighting. The Seven Years War had been over for nearly ten years¡ªat which time Private Ogilvie would likely still have been a barefoot lad in Kilburnie.


    Ignoring the boy¡¯s embarrassment, Jamie turned to me.


    ¡°The lad tells me,¡± he added, ¡°that the Sixty-seventh is the last regiment left in the Colonies.¡±


    ¡°The last Highland regiment?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, mum, the last of the Crown¡¯s regular troops. There are the garrisons here and there, I suppose, but all of the standing regiments have been recalled to England or Scotland. We¡¯re the last¡ªand behind our time, too. We meant to sail from Charleston, but things went agley there, and so we¡¯re bound for Portsmouth now, so fast as we can make speed. It¡¯s late in the year, but the Lieutenant¡¯s had word of a ship that may risk passage to take us. If not¡ª¡± He shrugged, glumly philosophic. ¡°Then we shall winter in Portsmouth, I suppose, and make shift as we can.¡±


    ¡°So England means to leave us unprotected?¡± Marsali looked rather shocked at the thought.


    ¡°Oh, I shouldna think there¡¯s any great danger, mum,¡± Private Ogilvie assured her. ¡°We¡¯ve dealt wi¡¯ the Frenchies for good and all, and the Indians willna be up to much without the frogs to stir them up. Everything¡¯s been quite peaceful for a good time now, and doubtless it¡¯ll stay so.¡± I made a small noise in the back of my throat, and Jamie squeezed my elbow lightly.


    ¡°Have ye not thought perhaps to stay, then?¡± Lizzie had been peeling and grating potatoes while listening to this; she put down the bowl of glistening white shreds by the fire and began to smear grease on the griddle. ¡°Stay in the Colonies, I mean. There¡¯s plenty of land still to be had, to the west.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Private Ogilvie glanced down at her, her white kerch modestly bent over her work, and his color deepened again. ¡°Well, I will say I¡¯ve heard worse prospects, miss. But I am bound to go wi¡¯ my regiment, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Lizzie picked up two eggs and cracked them neatly against the side of the bowl. Her own face, usually pale as whey, bore a faint pink echo of the Private¡¯s rich blush.


    ¡°Ah. Well, it¡¯s a great pity that ye should go awa so soon,¡± she said. Her pale blond lashes swept down against her cheeks. ¡°Still, we¡¯ll not send ye away on an empty stomach.¡±


    Private Ogilvie went slightly pinker round the ears.


    ¡°That¡¯s . . . verra kind of ye, miss. Verra kind indeed.¡±


    Lizzie glanced up shyly, and blushed more deeply.


    Jamie coughed gently and excused himself, leading me away from the fire.


    ¡°Christ,¡± he said in an undertone, bending down so I could hear him. ¡°And she¡¯s been a woman less than a full day, too! Have ye been givin¡¯ her lessons, Sassenach, or are women just born wi¡¯ it?¡±


    ¡°Natural talent, I expect,¡± I said circumspectly.


    The unexpected advent of Lizzie¡¯s menarche after supper last night had in fact been the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back, with regard to clean clouts, and the precipitating event that had caused me to sacrifice my petticoat. Lizzie naturally had no menstrual cloths with her, and I didn¡¯t want to oblige her to share the children¡¯s diapers.


    ¡°Mmphm. I suppose I¡¯d best begin looking for a husband for her, then,¡± Jamie said in resignation.


    ¡°A husband! Why, she¡¯s scarcely fifteen!¡±


    ¡°Aye, so?¡± He glanced at Marsali, who was rubbing Fergus¡¯s dark hair dry with the towel, and then back at Lizzie and her soldier, and raised a cynical brow at me.


    ¡°Aye, so, yourself,¡± I said, a little crossly. All right, Marsali had been only fifteen when she married Fergus. That didn¡¯t mean¡ª


    ¡°The point being,¡± Jamie went on, dismissing Lizzie for the moment, ¡°that the regiment leaves for Portsmouth tomorrow; they havena got either time nor disposition to trouble with this business in Hillsborough¡ªthat¡¯s Tryon¡¯s concern.¡±


    ¡°But what Hayes said¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, if anyone tells him anything, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll send the depositions along to New Bern¡ªbut as for himself, I imagine he¡¯d not much care if the Regulators set fire to the Governor¡¯s Palace, so long as it doesna delay his sailing.¡±


    I heaved a deep sigh, reassured. If Jamie was right, the last thing Hayes would do was take prisoners, no matter what the evidence to hand. MacLennan was safe, then.


    ¡°But what do you suppose Hayes wants with you and the others, then?¡± I asked, bending to rummage in one of the wicker hampers for another loaf of bread. ¡°He is hunting you¡ªin person.¡±


    Jamie glanced back over his shoulder, as though expecting the Lieutenant to appear at any moment through the holly bushes. As the screen of prickly green remained intact, he turned back to me, frowning slightly.


    ¡°I dinna ken,¡± he said, shaking his head, ¡°but it¡¯s naught to do with this business of Tryon¡¯s. If it was that, he might have told me last night¡ªfor that matter, if he cared himself about the matter, he would have told me last night,¡± he added. ¡°No, Sassenach, depend upon it, the rioters are no more than a matter of duty to wee Archie Hayes.


    ¡°As for what he wants wi¡¯ me¡ª¡± He leaned over my shoulder to swipe a finger round the top of the honey pot. ¡°I dinna mean to trouble about it until I must. I¡¯ve three kegs of whisky left, and I mean to turn them into a plowshare, a scythe blade, three ax-heids, ten pound of sugar, a horse, and an astrolabe before this evening. Which is a conjuring trick that might take some attention, aye?¡± He drew the sticky tip of his finger gently across my lips, then turned my head toward him and bent to kiss me.


    ¡°An astrolabe?¡± I said, tasting honey. I kissed him back. ¡°Whatever for?¡±


    ¡°And then I want to go home,¡± he whispered, ignoring the question. His forehead was pressed against mine, and his eyes very blue.


    ¡°I want to take ye to bed¡ªin my bed. And I mean to spend the rest of the day thinking what to do to ye once I¡¯ve got ye there. So wee Archie can just go and play at marbles with his ballocks, aye?¡±

 Page 8

    ¡°An excellent thought,¡± I whispered back. ¡°Care to tell him that yourself?¡±


    My eye had caught the flash of a green-and-black tartan on the other side of the clearing, but when Jamie straightened up and whirled round, I saw that the visitor was in fact not Lieutenant Hayes but rather John Quincy Myers, who was sporting a soldier¡¯s plaid wrapped round his waist, the ends fluttering gaily in the breeze.


    This added a further touch of color to Myers¡¯s already striking sartorial splendor. Extremely tall, and decorated from the top down with a slouch hat stuck through with several needles and a turkey quill, two ragged pheasant feathers knotted into his long black hair, a vest of dyed porcupine quills worn over a beaded shirt, his usual breechclout, and leggings wrapped with strings of small bells, the mountain man was hard to miss.


    ¡°Friend James!¡± John Quincy smiled broadly at sight of Jamie, and hastened forward, hand extended and bells chiming. ¡°Thought I should find you at your breakfast!¡±


    Jamie blinked slightly at this vision, but gamely returned the mountain man¡¯s encompassing handshake.


    ¡°Aye, John. Will ye join us?¡±


    ¡°Er . . . yes,¡± I chimed in, with a surreptitious look into the food hamper. ¡°Please do!¡±


    John Quincy bowed ceremoniously to me, sweeping off his hat.


    ¡°Your servant, ma¡¯am, and I¡¯m much obliged. Maybe later. Right now, I come to fetch away Mr. Fraser, though. He¡¯s wanted, urgent-like.¡±


    ¡°By whom?¡± Jamie asked warily.


    ¡°Robbie McGillivray, he says his name is. You know the man?¡±


    ¡°Aye, I do.¡± Whatever Jamie knew about McGillivray, it was causing him to delve into the small chest where he kept his pistols. ¡°What¡¯s the trouble?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± John Quincy scratched meditatively at his bushy black beard. ¡°¡¯Twas his wife as asked me to come find you, and she don¡¯t speak what you¡¯d call right good English, so may be as I¡¯ve muddled the account of it a bit. But what I think she said to me was as how there was a thief-taker who¡¯d grabbed holt of her son, sayin¡¯ as how the boy was one o¡¯ the ruffians who broke up Hillsborough, and meanin¡¯ to take him to the gaol in New Bern. Only Robbie, he says no one¡¯s takin¡¯ a son of his anywhere, and¡ªwell, after that, the poor woman got right flustered and I couldn¡¯t make out but one word to the dozen. But I do believe Robbie would ¡¯preciate it if you¡¯d come by and lend a hand with the proceedings.¡±


    Jamie grabbed Roger¡¯s bloodstained green coat, which was hung on a bush waiting to be cleaned. Shrugging into it, he thrust the newly loaded pistol through his belt.


    ¡°Where?¡± he said.


    Myers gestured economically with one large thumb, and pushed off into the holly bushes, Jamie at his heels.


    Fergus, who had been listening to this exchange, Germain in his arms, set the boy down at Marsali¡¯s feet.


    ¡°I must go help Grand-p¨¨re,¡± he told Germain. He picked up a stick of firewood and put it into the little boy¡¯s hands. ¡°You stay; protect Maman and little Joan from bad people.¡±


    ¡°Oui, Papa.¡± Germain scowled fiercely under his blond fringe and took a firm grip on his stick, settling himself to defend the camp.


    Marsali, MacLennan, Lizzie, and Private Ogilvie had been watching the byplay with rather glazed looks. As Fergus picked up another length of firewood and plunged purposefully into the holly bushes, Private Ogilvie came to life, stirring uneasily.


    ¡°Er . . .¡± he said. ¡°Perhaps I . . . should I go for my sergeant, do ye think, ma¡¯am? If there¡¯s like to be any trouble . . .¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± I said hurriedly. The last thing we needed was for Archie Hayes and his regiment to show up en masse. This struck me as the sort of situation which would benefit strongly from being kept unofficial.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure everything will be quite all right. It¡¯s sure to be nothing but a misunderstanding. Mr. Fraser will sort it directly, never fear.¡± Even as I spoke, I was sidling round the fire toward the spot where my medical supplies lay, sheltered from the drizzle under a sheet of canvas. Reaching under the edge, I grabbed my small emergency kit.


    ¡°Lizzie, why don¡¯t you give Private Ogilvie some of the strawberry preserves for his toast? And Mr. MacLennan would like a bit of honey in his coffee, I¡¯m sure. Do excuse me, won¡¯t you, Mr. MacLennan, I must just go and . . . er . . .¡± Smiling inanely, I sidled through the holly leaves. As the branches swished and crackled behind me, I paused to take my bearings. A faint chime of bells reached me on the rainy wind; I turned toward the sound, and broke into a run.


    IT WAS SOME WAY; I was out of breath and sweating from the exercise by the time I caught them up near the competition field. Things were just getting under way; I could hear the buzz of talk from the crowd of men gathering, but no shouts of encouragement or howls of disappointment as yet. A few brawny specimens stamped to and fro, stripped to the waist and swinging their arms to limber up; the local ¡°strongmen¡± of various settlements.


    The drizzle had started up again; the wetness gleamed on curving shoulders and plastered swirls of dark body hair flat against the pale skins of chests and forearms. I had no time to appreciate the spectacle, though; John Quincy threaded his way adroitly through the knots of spectators and competitors, waving cordially to this and that acquaintance as we passed. On the far side of the crowd, a small man detached himself from the mass and came hurrying to meet us.


    ¡°Mac Dubh! Ye¡¯ve come, then¡ªthat¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Nay bother, Robbie,¡± Jamie assured him. ¡°What¡¯s to do, then?¡±


    McGillivray, who looked distinctly harried, glanced at the strongmen and their supporters, then jerked his head toward the nearby trees. We followed him, unnoticed by the crowd gathering round two large stones wrapped with rope, which I assumed some of the strongmen present were about to prove their prowess by lifting.


    ¡°It¡¯s your son, is it, Rob?¡± Jamie asked, dodging a water-filled pine branch.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Robbie answered, ¡°or it was.¡±


    That sounded sinister. I saw Jamie¡¯s hand brush the butt of his pistol; mine went to my medical kit.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± I asked. ¡°Is he hurt?¡±


    ¡°Not him,¡± McGillivray replied cryptically, and ducked ahead, beneath a drooping chestnut bough hung with scarlet creeper.


    Just beyond was a small open space, not really big enough to be called a clearing, tufted with dead grass and studded with pine saplings. As Fergus and I ducked under the creeper after Jamie, a large woman in homespun whirled toward us, shoulders hunching as she raised the broken tree limb she clutched in one hand. She saw McGillivray, though, and relaxed fractionally.


    ¡°Wer ist das?¡± she asked suspiciously, eyeing us. Then John Quincy appeared from under the creeper, and she lowered the club, her solidly handsome features relaxing further.


    ¡°Ha, Myers! You brung me den Jamie, oder?¡± She cast me a curious look, but was too busy glancing between Fergus and Jamie to inspect me closely.


    ¡°Aye, love, this is Jamie Roy¡ªSheumais Mac Dubh.¡± McGillivray hastened to take credit for Jamie¡¯s appearance, putting a respectful hand on his sleeve. ¡°My wife, Ute, Mac Dubh. And Mac Dubh¡¯s son,¡± he added, waving vaguely at Fergus.


    Ute McGillivray looked like a Valkyrie on a starchy diet; tall, very blond, and broadly powerful.


    ¡°Your servant, ma¡¯am,¡± Jamie said, bowing.


    ¡°Madame,¡± Fergus echoed, making her a courtly leg.


    Mrs. McGillivray dropped them a low curtsy in return, eyes fixed on the prominent bloodstains streaking the front of Jamie¡¯s¡ªor rather, Roger¡¯s¡ªcoat.


    ¡°Mein Herr,¡± she murmured, looking impressed. She turned and beckoned to a young man of seventeen or eighteen, who had been lurking in the background. He bore such a marked resemblance to his small, wiry, dark-haired father that his identity could scarcely be in doubt.


    ¡°Manfred,¡± his mother announced proudly. ¡°Mein laddie.¡±


    Jamie inclined his head in grave acknowledgment.


    ¡°Mr. McGillivray.¡±


    ¡°Ah . . . your s-servant, sir?¡± The boy sounded rather dubious about it, but put out his hand to be shaken.


    ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir,¡± Jamie assured him, shaking it. The courtesies duly observed, he looked briefly round at the quiet surroundings, raising one eyebrow.


    ¡°I had heard that you were suffering some inconvenience wi¡¯ regard to a thief-taker. Do I take it that the matter has been resolved?¡± He glanced in question from McGillivray Junior to McGillivray Senior.


    The three McGillivrays exchanged assorted glances among themselves. Robin McGillivray gave an apologetic cough.


    ¡°Well, not to say resolved, quite, Mac Dubh. That is to say . . .¡± He trailed off, the harried look returning to his eyes.


    Mrs. McGillivray gave him a stern look, then turned to Jamie.


    ¡°Ist kein bother,¡± she told him. ¡°Ich haf den wee ball of shite safe put. But only we want to know, how we best den Korpus hide?¡±


    ¡°The . . . body?¡± I said, rather faintly.


    Even Jamie looked a bit disturbed at that.


    ¡°Ye¡¯ve killed him, Rob?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± McGillivray looked shocked. ¡°Christ¡¯s sake, Mac Dubh, what d¡¯ye take me for?¡±


    Jamie raised the eyebrow again; evidently the thought of McGillivray committing violence was scarcely far-fetched. McGillivray had the grace to look abashed.


    ¡°Aye, well. I suppose I might have¡ªand I did¡ªwell, but, Mac Dubh! That business at Ardsmuir was all long ago and done wi¡¯, aye?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Jamie said. ¡°It was. What about this business wi¡¯ the thief-taker, though? Where is he?¡±


    I heard a muffled giggle behind me, and swung round to see that the rest of the family McGillivray, silent ¡¯til now, was nonetheless present. Three teenaged girls sat in a row on a dead log behind a screen of saplings, all immaculately attired in clean white caps and aprons, only slightly wilted with the rain.


    ¡°Meine lassies,¡± Mrs. McGillivray announced, with a wave in their direction¡ªunnecessarily, since all three of the girls looked like smaller versions of herself. ¡°Hilda, Inga, und Senga.¡±


    Fergus bowed elegantly to the three.


    ¡°Enchant¨¦, mes demoiselles.¡±


    The girls giggled and bobbed their heads in response, but without rising, which struck me as odd. Then I noticed some disturbance taking place under the skirt of the oldest girl; a sort of heaving flutter, accompanied by a muffled grunt. Hilda swung her heel sharply into whatever it was, all the time smiling brightly at me.


    There was another grunt¡ªmuch louder this time¡ªfrom under the skirt, which caused Jamie to start and turn in her direction.


    Still smiling brightly, Hilda bent and delicately picked up the edge of her skirt, under which I could see a frantic face, bisected by a dark strip of cloth tied round his mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± said Robbie, sharing his wife¡¯s talent for stating the obvious.


    ¡°I see.¡± Jamie¡¯s fingers twitched slightly against the side of his kilt. ¡°Ah . . . perhaps we could have him out, then?¡±

 Page 9

    Robbie motioned to the girls, who all stood up together and stepped aside, revealing a small man who lay against the base of the dead log, bound hand and foot with an assortment of what looked like women¡¯s stockings, and gagged with someone¡¯s kerchief. He was wet, muddy, and slightly battered round the edges.


    Myers bent and hoisted the man to his feet, holding him by the collar.


    ¡°Well, he ain¡¯t much to look at,¡± the mountain man said critically, squinting at the man as though evaluating a substandard beaver skin. ¡°I guess thief-takin¡¯ don¡¯t pay so well as ye might think.¡±


    The man was in fact skinny and rather ragged, as well as disheveled, furious¡ªand frightened. Ute sniffed contemptuously.


    ¡°Saukerl!¡± she said, and spat neatly on the thief-taker¡¯s boots. Then she turned to Jamie, full of charm.


    ¡°So, mein Herr. How we are to kill him best?¡±


    The thief-taker¡¯s eyes bulged, and he writhed in Myers¡¯s grip. He bucked and twisted, making frantic gargling noises behind the gag. Jamie looked him over, rubbing a knuckle across his mouth, then glanced at Robbie, who gave a slight shrug, with an apologetic glance at his wife.


    Jamie cleared his throat.


    ¡°Mmphm. Ye had something in mind, perhaps, ma¡¯am?¡±


    Ute beamed at this evidence of sympathy with her intentions, and drew a long dagger from her belt.


    ¡°I thought maybe to butcher, wie ein Schwein, ja? But see . . .¡± She poked the thief-taker gingerly between the ribs; he yelped behind the gag, and a small spot of blood bloomed on his ragged shirt.


    ¡°Too much Blut,¡± she explained, with a moue of disappointment. She waved at the screen of trees, behind which the stone-lifting seemed to be proceeding well. ¡°Die Leute will schmell.¡±


    ¡°Schmell?¡± I glanced at Jamie, thinking this some unfamiliar German expression. He coughed, and brushed a hand under his nose. ¡°Oh, smell!¡± I said, enlightened. ¡°Er, yes, I think they might.¡±


    ¡°I dinna suppose we¡¯d better shoot him, then,¡± Jamie said thoughtfully. ¡°If ye¡¯re wanting to avoid attention, I mean.¡±


    ¡°I say we break his neck,¡± Robbie McGillivray said, squinting judiciously at the trussed thief-taker. ¡°That¡¯s easy enough.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± Fergus squinted in concentration. ¡°I say a knife. If you stab in the right spot, the blood is not so much. The kidney, just beneath the ribs in back . . . eh?¡±


    The captive appeared to take exception to these suggestions, judging from the urgent sounds proceeding from behind the gag, and Jamie rubbed his chin dubiously.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s no verra difficult,¡± he agreed. ¡°Or strangle him. But he will lose his bowels. If it were to be a question of the smell, even crushing his skull . . . but tell me, Robbie, how does the man come to be here?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Robbie looked blank.


    ¡°You¡¯re no camped nearby?¡± Jamie waved a hand briefly at the tiny clearing, making his meaning clear. There was no trace of hearthfire; in fact, no one had camped on this side of the creek. And yet all the McGillivrays were here.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Robbie said, comprehension blossoming on his spare features. ¡°Nay, we¡¯re camped some distance up. Only, we came to have a wee keek at the heavies¡±¡ªhe jerked his head toward the competition field¡ª¡°and the friggin¡¯ vulture spied our Freddie and took hold of him, so as to drag him off.¡± He cast an unfriendly look at the thief-taker, and I saw that a coil of rope dangled snakelike from the man¡¯s belt. A pair of iron manacles lay on the ground nearby, the dark metal already laced with orange rust from the damp.


    ¡°We saw him grab aholt of Brother,¡± Hilda put in at this point. ¡°So we grabbed aholt of him and pushed him through here, where nobody could see. When he said he meant to take Brother away to the sheriff, me and my sisters knocked him down and sat on him, and Mama kicked him a few times.¡±


    Ute patted her daughter fondly on one sturdy shoulder.


    ¡°They are gut, strong M?dchen, meine lasses,¡± she told Jamie. ¡°Ve komm see hier die Wettk?mpfer, maybe choose husband for Inga or Senga. Hilda hat einen Mann already promised,¡± she added, with an air of satisfaction.


    She looked Jamie over frankly, her eye dwelling approvingly on his height, the breadth of his shoulders, and the general prosperity of his appearance.


    ¡°He is fine, big, your Mann,¡± she said to me. ¡°You haf sons, maybe?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid not,¡± I said apologetically. ¡°Er . . . Fergus is married to my husband¡¯s daughter,¡± I added, seeing her gaze shift appraisingly to Fergus.


    The thief-taker appeared to feel that the subject was drifting somewhat afield, and summoned attention back to himself with an indignant squeal behind his gag. His face, which had gone pale at the discussion of his theoretical demise, had grown quite red again, and his hair was matted down across his forehead in spikes.


    ¡°Oh, aye,¡± Jamie said, noticing. ¡°Perhaps we should let the gentleman have a word?¡±


    Robbie narrowed his eyes at this, but reluctantly nodded. The competitions had got well under way by now, and there was a considerable racket emanating from the field; no one would notice the odd shout over here.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let ¡¯em kill me, sir! You know it ain¡¯t right!¡± Hoarse from his ordeal, the man fixed his appeal on Jamie as soon as the gag was removed. ¡°I¡¯m only doin¡¯ as I ought, delivering a criminal to justice!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± all the McGillivrays said at once. Unanimous as their sentiment appeared to be, the expression of it immediately disintegrated into a confusion of expletives, opinions, and a random volley of kicks aimed at the gentleman¡¯s shins by Inga and Senga.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Jamie said, raising his voice enough to be heard over the uproar. As this had no result, he grabbed McGillivray Junior by the scruff of the neck and roared, ¡°Ruhe!¡± at the top of his lungs, which startled them into momentary silence, with guilty looks over their shoulders in the direction of the competition field.


    ¡°Now, then,¡± Jamie said firmly. ¡°Myers, bring the gentleman, if ye will. Rob, Fergus, come along with ye. Bitte, Madame?¡± He bowed to Mrs. McGillivray, who blinked at him, but then nodded in slow acquiescence. Jamie rolled an eye at me, then, still holding Manfred by the neck, he marched the male contingent off toward the creek, leaving me in charge of the ladies.


    ¡°Your Mann¡ªhe will save my son?¡± Ute turned to me, fair brows knitted in concern.


    ¡°He¡¯ll try.¡± I glanced at the girls, who were huddled together behind their mother. ¡°Do you know whether your brother was at Hillsborough?¡±


    The girls looked at one another, and silently elected Inga to speak.


    ¡°Well, ja, he was, then,¡± she said, a little defiantly. ¡°But he wasna riotin¡¯, not a bit of it. He¡¯d only gone for to have a bit of harness mended, and was caught up in the mob.¡±


    I caught a quick glance exchanged between Hilda and Senga, and deduced that this was perhaps not the entire story. Still, it wasn¡¯t my place to judge, thank goodness.


    Mrs. McGillivray¡¯s eyes were fixed on the men, who stood murmuring together some distance away. The thief-taker had been untied, save for his hands, which remained bound. He stood with his back against a tree, looking like a cornered rat, eyeteeth showing in a snarl of defiance. Jamie and Myers were both looming over him, while Fergus stood by, frowning attentively, his chin propped on his hook. Rob McGillivray had taken out a knife, with which he was contemplatively flicking small chips of wood from a pine twig, glancing now and then at the thief-taker with an air of dark intent.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Jamie will be able to . . . er . . . do something,¡± I said, privately hoping that the something wouldn¡¯t involve too much violence. The unwelcome thought occurred to me that the diminutive thief-taker would probably fit tidily in one of the empty food hampers.


    ¡°Gut.¡± Ute McGillivray nodded slowly, still watching. ¡°Better that I do not kill him.¡± Her eyes turned suddenly back to me, light blue and very bright. ¡°But I vill do it, if I must.¡±


    I believed her.


    ¡°I see,¡± I said carefully. ¡°But¡ªI do beg your pardon¡ªbut even if that man took your son, could you not go to the sheriff too, and explain . . .¡±


    More glances among the girls. This time it was Hilda who spoke.


    ¡°Nein, ma¡¯am. See, it wouldna have been sae bad, had the thief-taker come on us at the camp. But down here¡ª¡± She widened her eyes, nodding toward the competition field, where a muffled thud and a roar of approval marked some successful effort.


    The difficulty, apparently, was Hilda¡¯s fianc¨¦, one Davey Morrison, from Hunter¡¯s Point. Mr. Morrison was a farmer of some substance, and a man of worth, as well as an athlete skilled in the arcana of stone-throwing and caber-tossing. He had family, too¡ªparents, uncles, aunts, cousins¡ªall of the most upright character and¡ªI gathered¡ªrather judgmental attitudes.


    Had Manfred been taken by a thief-taker in front of such a crowd, filled with Davey Morrison¡¯s relations, word would have spread at the speed of light, and the scandal would result in the prompt rupture of Hilda¡¯s engagement¡ªa prospect that clearly perturbed Ute McGillivray much more than the notion of cutting the thief-taker¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Bad, too, I kill him and someone see,¡± she said frankly, waving at the thin scrim of trees shielding us from the competition field. ¡°Die Morrisons would not like.¡±


    ¡°I suppose they might not,¡± I murmured, wondering whether Davey Morrison had any idea what he was getting into. ¡°But you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I vill haf meine lassies well wed,¡± she said firmly, nodding several times in reinforcement. ¡°I find gut men f¨¹r Sie, fine big men, mit land, mit money.¡± She put an arm round Senga¡¯s shoulders and hugged her tight. ¡°Nicht wahr, Liebchen?¡±


    ¡°Ja, Mama,¡± Senga murmured, and laid her neat capped head affectionately on Mrs. McGillivray¡¯s broad bosom.


    Something was happening on the men¡¯s side of things; the thief-taker¡¯s hands had been untied, and he stood rubbing his wrists, no longer scowling, but listening to whatever Jamie was saying with an expression of wariness. He glanced at us, then at Robin McGillivray, who said something to him and nodded emphatically. The thief-taker¡¯s jaw worked, as though he were chewing over an idea.


    ¡°So you all came down to watch the competitions this morning and look for suitable prospects? Yes, I see.¡±


    Jamie reached into his sporran and drew out something, which he held under the thief-taker¡¯s nose, as though inviting him to smell it. I couldn¡¯t make out what it was at this distance, but the thief-taker¡¯s face suddenly changed, going from wariness to alarmed disgust.


    ¡°Ja, only to look.¡± Mrs. McGillivray was not watching; she patted Senga and let her go. ¡°Ve go now to Salem, where ist meine Familie. Maybe ve find there a good Mann, too.¡±


    Myers had stepped back from the confrontation now, his shoulders drooping in relaxation. He inserted a finger under the edge of his breechclout, scratched his buttocks comfortably, and glanced around, evidently no longer interested in the proceedings. Seeing me looking in his direction, he ambled back through the sapling grove.

 Page 10

    ¡°No need to worry more, ma¡¯am,¡± he assured Mrs. McGillivray. ¡°I knew Jamie Roy would take care of it, and so he has. Your lad¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°Ja?¡± she said. She looked doubtfully toward the sapling grove, but it was true; the attitudes of all the men had relaxed now, and Jamie was handing the thief-taker back his set of manacles. I saw the way he handled them, with brusque distaste. He had worn irons, at Ardsmuir.


    ¡°Gott sei dank,¡± Mrs. McGillivray said, with an explosive sigh. Her massive form seemed suddenly to diminish as the breath went out of her.


    The little man was leaving, making his way away from us, toward the creek. The sound of the swinging irons at his belt reached us in a faint chime of metal, heard between the shouts of the crowd behind us. Jamie and Rob McGillivray stood close together, talking, while Fergus watched the thief-taker¡¯s departure, frowning slightly.


    ¡°Exactly what did Jamie tell him?¡± I asked Myers.


    ¡°Oh. Well.¡± The mountain man gave me a broad, gap-toothed grin. ¡°Jamie Roy told him serious-like that it was surely luck for the thief-taker¡ªhis name¡¯s Boble, by the way, Harley Boble¡ªthat we done come upon y¡¯all when we did. He give him to understand that if we hadn¡¯t, then this lady here¡±¡ªhe bowed toward Ute¡ª¡°would likely have taken him home in her wagon, and slaughtered him like a hog, safe out of sight.¡±


    Myers rubbed a knuckle under his red-veined nose and chortled softly in his beard.


    ¡°Boble said as how he didn¡¯t believe it, he thought she was only a-tryin¡¯ to scare him with that knife. But then Jamie Roy leaned down close, confidential-like, and said he mighta thought the same¡ªonly that he¡¯d heard so much about Frau McGillivray¡¯s reputation as a famous sausage-maker, and had had the privilege of bein¡¯ served some of it to his breakfast this morning. Right about then, Boble started to lose the color in his face, and when Jamie Roy pulled out a bit of sausage to show him¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear,¡± I said, with a vivid memory of exactly what that sausage smelled like. I had bought it the day before from a vendor on the mountain, only to discover that it had been improperly cured, and once sliced, smelled so strongly of rotting blood that no one had been able to stomach it at supper. Jamie had wrapped the offending remainder in his handkerchief and put it in his sporran, intending either to procure a refund or to shove it down the vendor¡¯s throat. ¡°I see.¡±


    Myers nodded, turning to Ute.


    ¡°And your husband, ma¡¯am¡ªbless his soul, Rob McGillivray¡¯s a real born liar¡ªchimes in solemn-like, agreeing to it all, shakin¡¯ his head and sayin¡¯ as how he¡¯s got his work cut out to shoot enough meat for you.¡±


    The girls tittered.


    ¡°Da can¡¯t kill anything,¡± Inga said softly to me. ¡°He willna even wring a chicken¡¯s neck.¡±


    Myers raised his shoulders in a good-humored shrug, as Jamie and Rob made their way toward us through the wet grass.


    ¡°So Jamie promised on his word as a gentleman to protect Boble from you, and Boble promised on his word as a . . . well, he said as he¡¯d keep clear of young Manfred.¡±


    ¡°Hmp,¡± said Ute, looking rather disconcerted. She didn¡¯t mind at all being considered an habitual murderess, and was quite pleased that Manfred was out of danger¡ªbut was rather put out at having her reputation as a sausage-maker maligned.


    ¡°As though I vould effer make such shite,¡± she said, wrinkling her nose in disdain at the odorous lump of meat Jamie offered for her inspection. ¡°Pfaugh. Ratzfleisch.¡± She waved it away with a fastidious gesture, then turned to her husband and said something softly in German.


    Then she took a deep breath and expanded once more, gathering all her children like a hen clucking after chicks, urging them to thank Jamie properly for his help. He flushed slightly at the chorus of thanks, bowing to her.


    ¡°Gern geschehen,¡± he said. ¡°Euer ergebener Diener, Frau Ute.¡±


    She beamed at him, composure restored, as he turned to say something in parting to Rob.


    ¡°Such a fine, big Mann,¡± she murmured, shaking her head slightly as she looked him up and down. Then she turned, and caught my glance from Jamie to Rob¡ªfor while the gunsmith was a handsome man, with close-clipped, dark curly hair and a chiseled face, he was also fine-boned as a sparrow, and some inches shorter than his wife, reaching approximately to the level of her brawny shoulder. I couldn¡¯t help wondering, given her apparent admiration for large men . . .


    ¡°Oh, vell,¡± she said, and shrugged apologetically. ¡°Luff, you know.¡± She sounded as though love were an unfortunate but unavoidable condition.


    I glanced at Jamie, who was carefully swaddling his sausage before tucking it back into his sporran. ¡°Well, yes,¡± I said. ¡°I do.¡±


    BY THE TIME we returned to our own campsite, the Chisholms were just departing, having been capably fed by the girls. Fortunately, Jamie had brought plenty of food from Jocasta¡¯s camp, and I sat down at last to a pleasant meal of potato fritters, buttered bannocks, fried ham, and¡ªat last!¡ªcoffee, wondering just what else might happen today. There was plenty of time; the sun was barely above the trees, almost invisible behind the drifting rain clouds.


    A little later, pleasantly full of breakfast, and with a third cup of coffee to hand, I went and threw back the canvas covering what I thought of as my medical supply dump. It was time to begin the business of organizing for the morning¡¯s surgery; looking at jars of sutures, restocking the herb jars in my chest, refilling the large alcohol bottle, and brewing up the medicines that must be made fresh.


    Somewhat depleted of the commoner herbs I had brought with me, my stock had been augmented by the good offices of Myers, who had brought me several rare and useful things from the Indian villages to the north, and by judicious trading with Murray MacLeod, an ambitious young apothecary who had made his way inland and set up shop in Cross Creek.


    I bit the inside of my cheek, considering young Murray. He harbored the usual sort of nasty notions that passed for medical wisdom nowadays¡ªand was not shy about asserting the superiority of such scientific methods as bleeding and blistering over the old-fashioned herbcraft that such ignorant crones as myself were prone to practice!


    Still, he was a Scot, and thus possessed of a strong streak of pragmatism. He had given Jamie¡¯s powerful frame one look and hastily swallowed the more insulting of his opinions. I had six ounces of wormwood and a jar of wild ginger root, and he wanted them. He was also shrewd enough to have observed that many more of the folk on the mountain who ailed with anything came to me than to him¡ªand that most who accepted my cures were improved. If I had secrets, he wanted those, too¡ªand I was more than happy to oblige.


    Good, I had plenty of willow bark still left. I hesitated over the small rank of bottles in the upper right tray of the chest. I had several very strong emmenagogues¡ªblue cohosh, ergot, and pennyroyal¡ªbut picked instead the gentler tansy and rue, setting a handful into a bowl and pouring boiling water on them to steep. Beyond its effects in easing menstruation, tansy had a reputation for calming nerves¡ªand a more naturally nervous person than Lizzie Wemyss it would be difficult to imagine.


    I glanced back at the fire, where Lizzie was shoveling the last of the strawberry preserves into Private Ogilvie, who appeared to be dividing his attention among Lizzie, Jamie, and his slice of toast¡ªthe greater proportion going to the toast.


    Rue was quite a good anthelmintic, to boot. I didn¡¯t know that Lizzie suffered from worms, but a good many people in the mountains did, and a dose would certainly do her no harm.


    I eyed Abel MacLennan covertly, wondering whether to slip a quick slug of hellbrew into his coffee as well¡ªhe had the pinched, anemic look of one with intestinal parasites, in spite of his stocky build. Perhaps, though, the look of pale disquiet on his features was due more to his knowledge of thief-takers in the vicinity.


    Baby Joan was wailing with hunger again. Marsali sat down, reached under her arisaid to unfasten her bodice, and set the baby to her breast, her lip clenched between her teeth with trepidation. She winced, gasped in pain, then relaxed a little, as the milk began to flow.


    Cracked n**ples. I frowned and returned to a perusal of the medicine chest. Had I brought any sheep¡¯s-wool ointment? Drat, no. I didn¡¯t want to use bear grease, with Joan suckling; perhaps sunflower oil . . .


    ¡°A bit of coffee, my dear?¡± Mr. MacLennan, who had been watching Marsali with troubled sympathy, extended his fresh cup toward her. ¡°My own wife did say as hot coffee eased the pangs of nursing a wean. Whisky in it¡¯s better¡±¡ªhis mournful jowls lifted a bit¡ª¡°but all the same . . .¡±


    ¡°Taing.¡± Marsali took the cup with a grateful smile. ¡°I¡¯m chilled right through this morning.¡± She sipped the steaming liquid cautiously, and a small flush crept into her cheeks.


    ¡°Will you be going back to Drunkard¡¯s Creek tomorrow, Mr. MacLennan?¡± she asked politely, handing back the empty cup. ¡°Or are ye traveling to New Bern wi¡¯ Mr. Hobson?¡±


    Jamie looked up sharply, breaking off his conversation with Private Ogilvie.


    ¡°Hobson is going to New Bern? How d¡¯ye ken that?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fowles says so,¡± Marsali replied promptly. ¡°She told me when I went to borrow a dry shirt for Germain¡ªshe¡¯s got a lad his size. She¡¯s worrit for Hugh¡ªthat¡¯s her husband¡ªbecause her father¡ªthat¡¯s Mr. Hobson¡ªwishes him to go along, but he¡¯s scairt.¡±


    ¡°Why is Joe Hobson going to New Bern?¡± I asked, peering over the top of my medicine chest.


    ¡°To present a petition to the Governor,¡± Abel MacLennan said. ¡°Much good it will do.¡± He smiled at Marsali, a little sadly. ¡°No, lassie. I dinna ken where I¡¯m bound, tell ye the truth. ¡¯Twon¡¯t be to New Bern, though.¡±


    ¡°Nor back to your wife at Drunkard¡¯s Creek?¡± Marsali looked at him in concern.


    ¡°My wife¡¯s dead, lass,¡± MacLennan said softly. He smoothed the red kerchief across his knee, easing out the wrinkles. ¡°Dead two months past.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Abel.¡± Marsali leaned forward and clasped his hand, her blue eyes full of pain. ¡°I¡¯m that sorry!¡±


    He patted her hand, not looking up. Tiny drops of rain gleamed in the sparse strands of his hair, and a trickle of moisture ran down behind one large red ear, but he made no move to wipe it away.


    Jamie had stood up while questioning Marsali. Now he sat down on the log beside MacLennan, and laid a hand gently on the smaller man¡¯s back.


    ¡°I hadna heard, a charaid,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°No.¡± MacLennan looked blindly into the transparent flames. ¡°I¡ªwell, the truth of it is, I¡¯d not told anyone. Not ¡¯til now.¡±


    Jamie and I exchanged looks across the fire. Drunkard¡¯s Creek couldn¡¯t possibly harbor more than two dozen souls, in a scatter of cabins spread along the banks. Yet neither the Hobsons nor the Fowleses had mentioned Abel¡¯s loss¡ªevidently he really hadn¡¯t told anyone.

 Page 11

    ¡°What was it happened, Mr. Abel?¡± Marsali still clasped his hand, though it lay quite limp, palm-down on the red kerchief.


    MacLennan looked up then, blinking.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said vaguely. ¡°So much happened. And yet . . . not really very much, after all. Abby¡ªAbigail, my wife¡ªshe died of a fever. She got cold, and . . . she died.¡± He sounded faintly surprised.


    Jamie poured a bit of whisky into an empty cup, picked up one of MacLennan¡¯s unresisting hands, and folded it around the cup, holding the fingers in place with his own, until MacLennan¡¯s hand tightened its grasp.


    ¡°Drink it, man,¡± he said.


    Everyone was silent, watching as MacLennan obediently tasted the whisky, sipped, sipped again. Young Private Ogilvie shifted uneasily on his stone, looking as though he should like to return to his regiment, but he too stayed put, as though fearing an abrupt departure might somehow injure MacLennan further.


    MacLennan¡¯s very stillness drew every eye, froze all talk. My hand hovered uneasily over the bottles in my chest, but I had no remedy for this.


    ¡°I had enough,¡± he said suddenly. ¡°I did.¡± He looked up from his cup and glanced round the fire, as though challenging anyone to dispute him. ¡°For the taxes, aye? It was no so good a year as it might have been, but I was careful. I¡¯d ten bushels of corn put aside, and four good deer hides. It was worth more than the six shillings of the tax.¡±


    But the taxes must be paid in hard currency; not in corn and hides and blocks of indigo, as the farmers did their business. Barter was the common means of trade¡ªI knew that well enough, I thought, glancing down at the bag of odd things folk had brought me in payment for my herbs and simples. No one ever paid for anything in money¡ªsave the taxes.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s only reasonable,¡± said MacLennan, blinking earnestly at Private Ogilvie, as though the young man had protested. ¡°His Majesty canna well be doing wi¡¯ a herd of pigs, or a brace of turkeys, now, can he? No, I see quite well why it must be hard money, anyone could. And I had the corn; it would ha¡¯ brought six shillings, easy.¡±


    The only difficulty, of course, lay in turning ten bushels of corn into six shillings of tax. There were those in Drunkard¡¯s Creek who might have bought Abel¡¯s corn, and were willing¡ªbut no one in Drunkard¡¯s Creek had money, either. No, the corn must be taken to market in Salem; that was the closest place where hard coin might be obtained. But Salem lay nearly forty miles from Drunkard¡¯s Creek¡ªa week¡¯s journey, there and back.


    ¡°I¡¯d five acres in late barley,¡± Abel explained. ¡°Ripe and yellochtie, achin¡¯ for the scythe. I couldna leave it to be spoilt, and my Abby¡ªshe was a wee, slight woman, she couldna be scything and threshing.¡±


    Unable to spare a week from his harvest, Abel had instead sought help from his neighbors.


    ¡°They¡¯re guid folk,¡± he insisted. ¡°One or two could spare me the odd penny¡ªbut they¡¯d their ain taxes to pay, hadn¡¯t they?¡± Still hoping somehow to scrape up the necessary coin without undertaking the arduous trip to Salem, Abel had delayed¡ªand delayed too long.


    ¡°Howard Travers is Sheriff,¡± he said, and wiped unconsciously at the drop of moisture that formed at the end of his nose. ¡°He came with a paper, and said he mun¡¯ put us oot, and the taxes not paid.¡±


    Faced with necessity, Abel had left his wife in their cabin, and gone posthaste to Salem. But by the time he returned, six shillings in hand, his property had been seized and sold¡ªto Howard Travers¡¯s father-in-law¡ªand his cabin was inhabited by strangers, his wife gone.


    ¡°I kent she¡¯d no go far,¡± he explained. ¡°She¡¯d not leave the bairns.¡±


    And that in fact was where he found her, wrapped in a threadbare quilt and shivering under the big spruce tree on the hill that sheltered the graves of the four MacLennan children, all dead in their first year of life. In spite of his entreaties, Abigail would not go down to the cabin that had been theirs, would seek no aid from those who had dispossessed her. If it was madness from the fever that gripped her, or only stubbornness, he could not tell; she had clung to the branches of the tree with demented strength, crying out the names of her children¡ªand there had died in the night.


    His whisky cup was empty. He set it carefully on the ground by his feet, ignoring Jamie¡¯s gesture toward the bottle.


    ¡°They¡¯d given her leave to carry awa what she could. She¡¯d a bundle with her, and her grave-claes in it. I ken weel her sitting down the day after we were wed, to spin her winding-sheet. It had wee flowers all along one edge, that she¡¯d made; she was a good hand wi¡¯ a needle.¡±


    He had wrapped Abigail in her embroidered shroud, buried her by the side of their youngest child, and then walked two miles down the road, intending, he thought, to tell the Hobsons what had happened.


    ¡°But I came to the house, and found them all abuzzing like hornets¡ªHugh Fowles had had a visit from Travers, come for the tax, and no money to pay. Travers grinned like an ape and said it was all one to him¡ªand sure enough, ten days later he came along wi¡¯ a paper and three men, and put them oot.¡±


    Hobson had scraped up the money to pay his own taxes, and the Fowleses were crowded in safely enough with the rest of the family¡ªbut Joe Hobson was foaming with wrath over the treatment of his son-in-law.


    ¡°He was a-rantin¡¯, Joe, bleezin¡¯ mad wi¡¯ fury. Janet Hobson bid me come and sit, and offered me supper, and there was Joe shoutin¡¯ that he¡¯d take the price of the land out of Howard Travers¡¯s hide, and Hugh slumped down like a trampled dog, and his wife greetin¡¯, and the weans all squealin¡¯ for their dinners like a brood o¡¯ piglets, and . . . well, I thought of telling them, but then . . .¡± He shook his head, as though confused anew.


    Sitting half-forgotten in the chimney-corner, he had been overcome by a strange sort of fatigue, one that made him so tired that his head nodded on his neck, lethargy stealing over him. It was warm, and he was overcome with a sense of unreality. If the crowded confines of the Hobsons¡¯ one-roomed cabin were not real, neither was the quiet hillside and its fresh grave beneath the spruce tree.


    He slept under the table, and woke before dawn, to find that the sense of unreality persisted. Everything around him seemed no more than a waking dream. MacLennan himself seemed to have ceased to exist; his body rose, washed itself, and ate, nodded and spoke without his cognizance. None of the outer world existed any longer. And so it was that when Joe Hobson had risen and announced that he and Hugh would go to Hillsborough, there to seek redress from the Court, that Abel MacLennan had found himself marching down the road along with them, nodding and speaking when spoken to, with no more will than a dead man.


    ¡°It did come to me, walkin¡¯ doon the road, as we were all dead,¡± he said dreamily. ¡°Me and Joe and Hugh and the rest. I might sae well be one place as anither; it was only moving ¡¯til the time came to lay my bones beside Abby. I didna mind it.¡±


    When they reached Hillsborough, he had paid no great mind to what Joe intended; only followed, obedient and unthinking. Followed, and walked the muddy streets sparkling with broken glass from shattered windows, seen the torchlight and mobs, heard the shouts and screams¡ªall quite unmoved.


    ¡°It was no but dead men, a-rattling their bones against one anither,¡± he said with a shrug. He was still for a moment, then turned his face to Jamie, and looked long and earnestly up into his face.


    ¡°Is it so? Are ye dead, too?¡± One limp, callused hand floated up from the red kerchief, and rested lightly against the bone of Jamie¡¯s cheek.


    Jamie didn¡¯t recoil from the touch, but took MacLennan¡¯s hand and brought it down again, held tight between his own.


    ¡°No, a charaid,¡± he said softly. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    MacLennan nodded slowly.


    ¡°Aye. Give it time,¡± he said. He pulled his hands free and sat for a moment, smoothing his kerchief. His head kept bobbing, nodding slightly, as though the spring of his neck had stretched too far.


    ¡°Give it time,¡± he repeated. ¡°It¡¯s none sae bad.¡± He stood up then, and put the square of red cloth on his head. He turned to me and nodded politely, his eyes vague and troubled.


    ¡°I thank ye for the breakfast, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, and walked away.


    3


    BILIOUS HUMOURS


    ABEL MACLENNAN¡¯S DEPARTURE put an abrupt end to breakfast. Private Ogilvie excused himself with thanks, Jamie and Fergus went off in search of scythes and astrolabes, and Lizzie, wilting in the absence of Private Ogilvie, declared that she felt unwell and subsided palely into one of the lean-to shelters, fortified with a large cup of tansy and rue decoction.


    Fortunately, Brianna chose to reappear just then, sans Jemmy. She and Roger had breakfasted with Jocasta, she assured me. Jemmy had fallen asleep in Jocasta¡¯s arms, and since both parties appeared content with that arrangement, she had left him there, and come back to help me with the morning¡¯s clinic.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to help me this morning?¡± I eyed Bree dubiously. ¡°It¡¯s your wedding day, after all. I¡¯m sure Lizzie or maybe Mrs. Martin could¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it,¡± she assured me, swiping a cloth across the seat of the tall stool I used for my morning surgery. ¡°Lizzie¡¯s feeling better, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s up to festering feet and putrid stomachs.¡± She gave a small shudder, closing her eyes at the memory of the elderly gentleman whose ulcerated heel I had debrided the day before. The pain had caused him to vomit copiously on his tattered breeches, which in turn had caused several of the people waiting for my attention to throw up too, in sympathetic reflex.


    I felt a trifle queasy at the memory myself, but drowned it with a final gulp of bitter coffee.


    ¡°No, I suppose not,¡± I agreed reluctantly. ¡°Still, your gown isn¡¯t quite finished, is it? Perhaps you should go¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she assured me. ¡°Phaedre¡¯s hemming my dress, and Ulysses is ordering all the servants around up there like a drill sergeant. I¡¯d just be in the way.¡±


    I gave way without further demur, though I wondered a little at her alacrity. While Bree wasn¡¯t squeamish about the exigencies of normal life, like skinning animals and cleaning fish, I knew the proximity of people with disfiguring conditions or obvious illness bothered her, though she did her best to disguise it. It wasn¡¯t distaste, I thought, but rather a crippling empathy.


    I lifted the kettle and poured freshly boiled water into a large, half-full jar of distilled alcohol, narrowing my eyes against hot clouds of alcoholic steam.


    It was difficult to see so many people suffering from things that could have been easily treated in a time of antiseptics, antibiotics, and anesthesia¡ªbut I had learned detachment in the field hospitals of a time when such medical innovations were not only new but rare, and I knew both the necessity and the value of it.


    I could not help anyone, if my own feelings got in the way. And I must help. It was as simple as that. But Brianna had no such knowledge to use as a shield. Not yet.

 Page 12

    She had finished wiping down the stools, boxes, and other impedimenta for the morning surgery, and straightened up, a small frown between her brows.


    ¡°Do you remember the woman you saw yesterday? The one with the retarded little boy?¡±


    ¡°Not something you¡¯d forget,¡± I said, as lightly as possible. ¡°Why? Here, can you deal with this?¡± I gestured at the folding table I used, which was stubbornly declining to fold up properly, its joints having swollen with the damp.


    Brianna frowned slightly, studying it, then struck the offending joint sharply with the side of her hand. It gave way and collapsed obediently at once, recognizing superior force.


    ¡°There.¡± She rubbed the side of her hand absently, still frowning. ¡°You were making a big thing of telling her to try not to have any more children. The little boy¡ªwas it an inheritable condition, then?¡±


    ¡°You might say that,¡± I replied dryly. ¡°Congenital syphilis.¡±


    She looked up, blanching.


    ¡°Syphilis? You¡¯re sure?¡±


    I nodded, rolling up a length of boiled linen for bandaging. It was still very damp, but no help for it.


    ¡°The mother wasn¡¯t showing overt signs of the late stages¡ªyet¡ªbut it¡¯s quite unmistakable in a child.¡±


    The mother had come simply to have a gumboil lanced, the little boy clinging to her skirts. He¡¯d had the characteristic ¡°saddle nose,¡± with its pushed-in bridge, as well as a jaw so malformed that I wasn¡¯t surprised at his poor nutrition; he could barely chew. I couldn¡¯t tell how much of his evident backwardness was due to brain damage and how much to deafness; he appeared to have both, but I hadn¡¯t tested their extent¡ªthere being exactly nothing I could do to remedy either condition. I had advised the mother to give him pot liquor, which might help with the malnutrition, but there was little else to be done for him, poor mite.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see it so often here as I did in Paris or Edinburgh, where there were a lot of prostitutes,¡± I told Bree, tossing the ball of bandages into the canvas bag she held open. ¡°Now and then, though. Why? You don¡¯t think Roger has syphilis, do you?¡±


    She looked at me, openmouthed. Her look of shock was obliterated by an instant flood of angry red.


    ¡°I do not!¡± she said. ¡°Mother!¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t really think so,¡± I said mildly. ¡°Happens in the best of families, though¡ªand you were asking.¡±


    She snorted heavily.


    ¡°I was asking about contraception,¡± she said, through her teeth. ¡°Or at least I meant to, before you started in with the Physician¡¯s Guide to Venereal Disease.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± I eyed her thoughtfully, taking in the dried milk stains on her bodice. ¡°Well, breast-feeding is reasonably effective. Not absolute, by any means, but fairly effective. Less so, after the first six months¡±¡ªJemmy was now six months old¡ª¡°but still effective.¡±


    ¡°Mmphm,¡± she said, sounding so like Jamie that I had to bite my lower lip in order not to laugh. ¡°And exactly what else is effective?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t really discussed contraception¡ªeighteenth-century style¡ªwith her. It hadn¡¯t seemed necessary when she first appeared at Fraser¡¯s Ridge, and then it really wasn¡¯t necessary, she being already pregnant. So she thought it was now?


    I frowned, slowly putting rolls of bandage and bundles of herbs into my bag.


    ¡°The most common thing is some sort of barrier. A piece of silk or a sponge, soaked with anything from vinegar to brandy¡ªthough if you have it, tansy oil or oil of cedar is supposed to work the best. I have heard of women in the Indies using half a lemon, but that¡¯s obviously not a suitable alternative here.¡±


    She uttered a short laugh.


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t think the tansy oil works all that well, either¡ªthat¡¯s what Marsali was using when she got pregnant with Joan.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she was using it? I thought perhaps she¡¯d just not bothered once¡ªand once is enough.¡±


    I felt, rather than saw her stiffen, and bit my lip again, this time in chagrin. Once had been enough¡ªwe just didn¡¯t know which once. She hunched her shoulders, though, then let them fall, deliberately dismissing whatever memories my thoughtless remark had conjured.


    ¡°She said she¡¯d been using it¡ªbut she might have forgotten. It doesn¡¯t work all the time, though, does it?¡±


    I slung the bag of surgical linens and dried herbs over my shoulder and picked up the medical chest by the leather strap Jamie had made for it.


    ¡°The only thing that always works is celibacy,¡± I said. ¡°I suppose that isn¡¯t a satisfactory option in the present case?¡±


    She shook her head, her eyes fixed broodingly on a cluster of young men visible through the trees below, taking turns at pitching stones across the creek.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was afraid of,¡± she said, and bent to pick up the folding table and a pair of stools.


    I looked round the clearing, considering. Anything else? No worry about leaving the campfire, even if Lizzie fell asleep; nothing on the mountainside would burn in this weather; even the kindling and firewood we had stored at the end of our lean-to the day before were damp. Something was missing, though . . . what? Oh, yes. I put down the box for a moment and knelt to crawl into the lean-to. I dug about in the jumble of quilts, coming out finally with my tiny leather medicine pouch.


    I said a brief prayer to St. Bride and slipped it round my neck and down inside the bodice of my dress. I was so much in the habit of wearing the amulet when I set out to practice medicine that I had almost ceased to feel ridiculous about this small ritual¡ªalmost. Bree was watching me, a rather odd look on her face, but she said nothing.


    I didn¡¯t, either; merely picked up my things and followed her across the clearing, stepping carefully round the boggiest spots. It wasn¡¯t raining now, but the clouds sat on the tops of the trees, promising more at any moment, and wisps of mist rose from fallen logs and dripping bushes.


    Why was Bree worrying about contraception? I wondered. Not that I didn¡¯t think it sensible¡ªbut why now? Perhaps it was to do with the imminence of her wedding to Roger. Even if they had been living as man and wife for the last several months¡ªand they had¡ªthe formality of vows spoken before God and man was enough to bring a new sobriety to even the giddiest of young people. And neither Bree nor Roger was giddy.


    ¡°There is another possibility,¡± I said to the back of her neck, as she led the way down the slippery trail. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried it on anyone yet, so I can¡¯t say how reliable it may be. Nayawenne¡ªthe old Tuscaroran lady who gave me my medicine bag¡ªshe said there were ¡®women¡¯s herbs.¡¯ Different mixtures for different things¡ªbut one plant in particular for that; she said the seeds of it would keep a man¡¯s spirit from overwhelming a woman¡¯s.¡±


    Bree paused, half-turning as I came up beside her.


    ¡°Is that how the Indians see pregnancy?¡± One corner of her mouth curled wryly. ¡°The man wins?¡±


    I laughed.


    ¡°Well, in a way. If the woman¡¯s spirit is too strong for the man¡¯s, or won¡¯t yield to it, she can¡¯t conceive. So if a woman wants a child and can¡¯t have one, most often the shaman will treat her husband, or both of them, rather than just her.¡±


    She made a small throaty noise, partly amusement¡ªbut only partly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plant¡ªthe women¡¯s herb?¡± she asked. ¡°Do you know it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not positive,¡± I admitted. ¡°Or not sure of the name, I should say. She did show it to me, both the growing plant and the dried seeds, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯d know it again¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t a plant I knew by an English name. One of the Umbelliferae, though,¡± I added helpfully.


    She gave me an austere look that reminded me once more of Jamie, then turned to the side to let a small stream of Campbell women go by, clattering with empty kettles and pails, each one bobbing or bowing politely to us as they passed on their way down to the creek.


    ¡°Good day to ye, Mistress Fraser,¡± said one, a neat young woman that I recognized as one of Farquard Campbell¡¯s younger daughters. ¡°Is your man about? My faither would be glad of a word, he says.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s gone off, I¡¯m afraid.¡± I gestured vaguely; Jamie could be anywhere. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him if I see him, though.¡±


    She nodded and went on, each of the women behind her pausing to wish Brianna happiness on her wedding day, their woolen skirts and cloaks brushing small showers of rainwater from the bayberry bushes that lined the path here.


    Brianna accepted their good wishes with gracious politeness, but I saw the small line that formed between her thick red brows. Something was definitely bothering her.


    ¡°What?¡± I said bluntly, as soon as the Campbells were out of earshot.


    ¡°What¡¯s what?¡± she said, startled.


    ¡°What¡¯s troubling you?¡± I asked. ¡°And don¡¯t say ¡®nothing,¡¯ because I see there is. Is it to do with Roger? Are you having second thoughts about the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± she replied, looking wary. ¡°I want to marry Roger, I mean¡ªthat¡¯s all right. It¡¯s just . . . I just . . . thought of something . . .¡± She trailed off, and a slow flush rose in her cheeks.


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked, feeling rather alarmed. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Venereal disease,¡± she blurted. ¡°What if I have it? Not Roger, not him, but¡ªfrom Stephen Bonnet?¡±


    Her face was flaming so hotly that I was surprised not to see the raindrops sizzle into steam when they struck her skin. My own face felt cold, my heart tight in my chest. The possibility had occurred to me¡ªvividly¡ªat the time, but I hadn¡¯t wanted even to suggest such a thing, if she hadn¡¯t thought of it herself. I remembered the weeks of watching her covertly for any hint of malaise¡ªbut women often showed no symptoms of early infection. Jemmy¡¯s healthy birth had been a relief in more ways than one.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said softly. I reached out and squeezed her arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, lovey. You haven¡¯t.¡±


    She took a deep breath, and let it out in a pale misty cloud, some of the tension leaving her shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± she said. ¡°You can tell? I feel all right, but I thought¡ªwomen don¡¯t always have symptoms.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t,¡± I said, ¡°but men most certainly do. And if Roger had contracted anything nasty from you, I¡¯d have heard about it long since.¡±


    Her face had faded somewhat, but the pinkness came back at that. She coughed, mist rising from her breath.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief. So Jemmy¡¯s all right? You¡¯re sure?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I assured her. I had put drops of silver nitrate¡ªprocured at considerable cost and difficulty¡ªin his eyes at birth, just in case, but I was indeed sure. Aside from the lack of any specific signs of illness, Jemmy had an air of robust health about him that made the mere thought of infection incredible. He radiated well-being like a potful of stew.

 Page 13

    ¡°Is that why you asked about contraception?¡± I asked, waving a greeting as we passed the MacRaes¡¯ campsite. ¡°You were worried about having more children, in case . . .¡±


    ¡°Oh. No. I mean¡ªI hadn¡¯t even thought about venereal disease until you mentioned syphilis, and then it just struck me as a horrible realization¡ªthat he might have¡ª¡± She stopped and cleared her throat. ¡°Er, no. I just wanted to know.¡±


    A slippery patch of trail put paid to the conversation at that point, but not to my speculations.


    It wasn¡¯t that a young bride¡¯s mind might not turn lightly to thoughts of contraception¡ªbut under the circumstances . . . what was it? I wondered. Fear for herself, or for a new baby? Childbirth could be dangerous, of course¡ªand anyone who had seen the attendees at my surgery or heard the women¡¯s conversations round the campfires in the evening could be in no doubt as to the dangers to infants and children; it was the rare family that had not lost at least one infant to fever, morbid sore throat, or ¡°the squitters¡±¡ªuncontrolled diarrhea. Many women had lost three, four, or more babies. I remembered Abel MacLennan¡¯s story, and a small shiver ran down my spine.


    Still, Brianna was very healthy, and while we did lack important things like antibiotics and sophisticated medical facilities, I had told her not to underestimate the power of simple hygiene and good nutrition.


    No, I thought, watching the strong curve of her back as she lifted the heavy equipment over an entangling root that hunched across the trail. It wasn¡¯t that. She might have reason to be concerned, but she wasn¡¯t basically a fearful person.


    Roger? On the face of it, it would seem that the best thing to do was to become pregnant again quickly, with a child that was definitely Roger¡¯s. That would certainly help to cement their new marriage. On the other hand . . . what if she did? Roger would be more than pleased¡ªbut what about Jemmy?


    Roger had sworn a blood oath, taking Jemmy as his own. But human nature was human nature, and while I was sure that Roger would never abandon or neglect Jemmy, it was quite possible that he would feel differently¡ªand obviously differently¡ªfor a child he knew was his. Would Bree risk that?


    On due consideration, I rather thought she was wise to wait¡ªif she could. Give Roger time to feel a close bond with Jemmy, before complicating the family situation with another child. Yes, very sensible¡ªand Bree was an eminently sensible person.


    It wasn¡¯t until we had arrived, finally, at the clearing where the morning surgeries were held that another possibility occurred to me.


    ¡°Can we be helpin¡¯ ye at all, Missus Fraser?¡±


    Two of the younger Chisholm boys hurried forward to help, relieving me and Brianna of our heavy loads, and without being told, started in at once to unfold tables, fetch clean water, kindle a fire, and generally make themselves useful. They were no more than eight and ten, and watching them work, I realized afresh that in this time, a lad of twelve or fourteen could be essentially a grown man.


    Brianna knew that, too. She would never leave Jemmy, I knew¡ªnot while he needed her. But . . . later? What might happen when he left her?


    I opened my chest and began slowly to lay out the necessary supplies for the morning¡¯s work: scissors, probe, forceps, alcohol, scalpel, bandages, tooth pliers, suture needles, ointments, salves, washes, purges . . .


    Brianna was twenty-three. She might be no more than in her mid-thirties by the time Jem was fully independent. And if he no longer needed her care¡ªshe and Roger might possibly go back. Back to her own time, to safety¡ªto the interrupted life that had been hers by birth.


    But only if she had no further children, whose helplessness would keep her here.


    ¡°Good morn to ye, ma¡¯am.¡± A short, middle-aged gentleman stood before me, the morning¡¯s first patient. He was bristling with a week¡¯s worth of whiskers, but noticeably pallid round the gills, with a clammy look and bloodshot eyes so raw with smoke and whisky that his malady was instantly discernible. Hangover was endemic at the morning surgery.


    ¡°I¡¯ve a wee gripin¡¯ in my guts, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, swallowing unhappily. ¡°Would ye have anything like to settle ¡¯em, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Just the thing,¡± I assured him, reaching for a cup. ¡°Raw egg and a bit of ipecac. Have you a good vomit, and you¡¯ll be a new man.¡±


    THE SURGERY was held at the edge of the big clearing at the foot of the hill, where the great fire of the Gathering burned at night. The damp air smelled of soot and the acrid scent of wet ashes, but the blackened patch of earth¡ªsome ten feet across, at least¡ªwas already disappearing under a crisscross of fresh branches and kindling. They¡¯d have a time starting it tonight, I thought, if the drizzle kept up.


    The gentleman with the hangover disposed of, there was a short lull, and I was able to give my attention to Murray MacLeod, who had set up shop a short distance away.


    Murray had gotten an early start, I saw; the ground by his feet was dark, the scattered ashes sodden and squishy with blood. He had an early patient in hand, too¡ªa stout gentleman whose red, spongy nose and flabby jowls gave testimony to a life of alcoholic excess. He had the man stripped to his shirt despite the rain and cold, sleeve turned up and tourniquet in place, the bleeding bowl held across the patient¡¯s knees.


    I was a good ten feet from the stool where Murray plied his trade, but could see the man¡¯s eyes, yellow as mustard even in the dim morning light.


    ¡°Liver disease,¡± I said to Brianna, taking no particular pains to lower my voice. ¡°You can see the jaundice from here, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Bilious humors,¡± MacLeod said loudly, snapping open his fleam. ¡°An excess of the humors, clear as day.¡± Small, dark, and neat in his dress, Murray was not personally impressive, but he was opinionated.


    ¡°Cirrhosis due to drink, I daresay,¡± I said, coming closer and looking the patient over dispassionately.


    ¡°An impaction of the bile, owing to an imbalance of the phlegm!¡± Murray glowered at me, clearly thinking I intended to steal his thunder, if not his patient.


    I ignored him and bent down to examine the patient, who looked alarmed at my scrutiny.


    ¡°You have a hard mass just under the ribs on the right, don¡¯t you?¡± I said, kindly. ¡°Your piss is dark, and when you shit, it¡¯s black and bloody, am I right?¡±


    The man nodded, mouth hanging open. We were beginning to attract attention.


    ¡°Mo-therr.¡± Brianna was standing behind me. She gave Murray a nod and bent to mutter in my ear. ¡°What can you do for cirrhosis, Mother? Nothing!¡±


    I stopped, biting my lip. She was right. In my urge to show off by making the diagnosis¡ªand keep Murray from using his stained, rusty-looking fleam on the man¡ªI had overlooked the minor point that I had no alternative treatment to offer.


    The patient was glancing back and forth between us, plainly uneasy. With an effort, I smiled at him, and nodded to Murray.


    ¡°Mr. MacLeod has the right of it,¡± I said, forcing the words past my teeth. ¡°Liver disease, surely¡ªcaused by an excess of humors.¡± I supposed one could consider alcohol a humor, after all; the folk drinking Jamie¡¯s whisky last night had evidently found it hilarious.


    Murray¡¯s face had been tense with suspicion; at my capitulation, it went quite comically blank with astonishment. Stepping in front of me, Brianna seized advantage of the moment.


    ¡°There¡¯s a charm,¡± she said, smiling charmingly at him. ¡°It . . . er . . . sharpens the blade, and eases the flow of the humors. Let me show you.¡± Before he could tighten his grip, she snatched the fleam from his hand and turned to our small surgery fire, where a pot of water hung steaming from a tripod.


    ¡°In the name of Michael, wielder of swords, defender of souls,¡± she intoned. I trusted that taking the name of St. Michael in vain was not actual blasphemy¡ªor if it was, that Michael would not object in a good cause. The men laying the fire had stopped to watch, as had a few people coming to the surgery.


    She raised the fleam and made a large, slow sign of the cross with it, looking from side to side, to be sure she had the attention of all the onlookers. She did; they were agog. Towering over most of the gawkers, blue eyes narrowed in concentration, she reminded me strongly of Jamie in some of his more bravura performances. I could only hope she was as good at it as he was.


    ¡°Bless this blade, for the healing of your servant,¡± she said, casting her eyes up to heaven, and holding the fleam above the fire in the manner of a priest offering the Eucharist. Bubbles were rising through the water, but it hadn¡¯t quite reached the boil.


    ¡°Bless its edge, for the drawing of blood, for the spilling of blood, for the . . . er . . . the letting of poison from the body of your most humble petitioner. Bless the blade . . . bless the blade . . . bless the blade in the hand of your humble servant. . . . Thanks be to God for the brightness of the metal.¡± Thanks be to God for the repetitious nature of Gaelic prayers, I thought cynically.


    Thanks be to God, the water was boiling. She lowered the short, curved blade to the surface of the water, glowered significantly at the crowd, and declaimed, ¡°Let the cleansing of the waters from the side of our Lord Jesus be upon this blade!¡±


    She plunged the metal into the water and held it until the steam rising over the wooden casing reddened her fingers. She lifted the fleam and transferred it hastily to her other hand, raising it into the air as she surreptitiously waggled the scalded hand behind her.


    ¡°May the blessing of Michael, defender from demons, be on this blade and on the hand of its wielder, to the health of the body, to the health of the soul. Amen!¡±


    She stepped forward and presented the fleam ceremoniously to Murray, handle first. Murray, no fool, gave me a look in which keen suspicion was mingled with a reluctant appreciation for my daughter¡¯s theatrical abilities.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch the blade,¡± I said, smiling graciously. ¡°It will break the charm. Oh¡ªand you repeat the charm, each time you use the blade. It has to be done with the water boiling, mind.¡±


    ¡°Mmphm,¡± he said, but took the fleam carefully by the handle. With a short nod to Brianna, he turned away to his patient, and I to mine¡ªa young girl with nettle rash. Brianna followed, wiping her hands on her skirt and looking pleased with herself. I heard the patient¡¯s soft grunt behind me, and the ringing patter of blood running into the metal bowl.


    I felt rather guilty about MacLeod¡¯s patient, but Brianna had been quite right; there was absolutely nothing I could do for him under the circumstances. Careful long-term nursing, coupled with excellent nutrition and a complete abstinence from alcohol, might prolong his life; the chances of the first two were low, the third, nonexistent.


    Brianna had brilliantly saved him from a potentially nasty blood infection¡ªand seized the opportunity to provide a similar protection for all MacLeod¡¯s future patients¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t help a nagging sense of guilt that I could not do more myself. Still, the first medical principle I had learned as a nurse on the battlefields of France still held: treat the patient in front of you.

 Page 14

    ¡°Use this ointment,¡± I said sternly to the girl with nettle rash, ¡°and don¡¯t scratch.¡±


    4


    WEDDING GIFTS


    THE DAY HADN¡¯T CLEARED, but the rain had ceased for the moment. Fires smoked like smudge pots, as people hastened to take advantage of the momentary cessation to feed their carefully hoarded coals, pushing damp wood into the kindling blazes in a hasty effort to dry damp clothes and blankets. The air was still restless, though, and clouds of woodsmoke billowed ghostlike through the trees.


    One such plume surged across the trail before him, and Roger turned to skirt it, making his way through tussocks of wet grass that soaked his stockings, and hanging boughs of pine that left dark patches of wetness on the shoulders of his coat as he passed. He paid the damp no mind, intent on his mental list of errands for the day.


    To the tinkers¡¯ wagons first, to buy some small token as a wedding present for Brianna. What would she like? he wondered. A bit of jewelry, a ribbon? He had very little money, but felt the need to mark the occasion with a gift of some sort.


    He would have liked to put his own ring on her finger when they made their vows, but she had insisted that the cabochon ruby that had belonged to her grandfather would do fine; it fit her hand perfectly, and there was no need to spend money on another ring. She was a pragmatic person, Bree was¡ªsometimes dismayingly so, in contrast to his own romantic streak.


    Something practical but ornamental, then¡ªlike a painted chamber pot? He smiled to himself at the idea, but the notion of practicality lingered, tinged with doubt.


    He had a vivid memory of Mrs. Abercrombie, a staid and practical matron of Reverend Wakefield¡¯s congregation, who had arrived at the manse in hysterics one evening in the midst of supper, saying that she had killed her husband, and whatever should she do? The Reverend had left Mrs. Abercrombie in the temporary care of his housekeeper, while he and Roger, then a teenager, had hastened to the Abercrombie residence to see what had happened.


    They had found Mr. Abercrombie on the floor of his kitchen, fortunately still alive, though groggy and bleeding profusely from a minor scalp wound occasioned by his having been struck by the new electric steam iron which he had presented to his wife on the occasion of their twenty-third wedding anniversary.


    ¡°But she said the old one scorched the tea towels!¡± Mr. Abercrombie had repeated at plaintive intervals, as the Reverend skillfully taped up his head with Elastoplast, and Roger mopped up the kitchen.


    It was the vivid memory of the gory splotches on the worn lino of the Abercrombies¡¯ kitchen that decided him. Pragmatic Bree might be, but this was their wedding. Better, worse, death do us part. He¡¯d go for romantic¡ªor as romantic as could be managed on one shilling, threepence.


    There was a flash of red among the spruce needles nearby, like the glimpse of a cardinal. Bigger than the average bird, though; he stopped, bending to peer through an opening in the branches.


    ¡°Duncan?¡± he said. ¡°Is that you?¡±


    Duncan Innes came out of the trees, nodding shyly. He still wore the scarlet Cameron tartan, but had left off his splendid coat, instead wrapping the end of his plaid shawllike round his shoulders in the cozy old style of the Highlands.


    ¡°A word, a Sme¨°raich?¡± he said.


    ¡°Aye, sure. I¡¯m just off to the tinkers¡¯¡ªwalk with me.¡± He turned back to the trail¡ªnow clear of smoke¡ªand they made their way companionably across the mountain, side by side.


    Roger said nothing, waiting courteously for Duncan to choose his way into the conversation. Duncan was diffident and retiring by temperament, but observant, perceptive, and stubborn in a very quiet way. If he had something to say, he¡¯d say it¡ªgiven time. At last he drew breath and started in.


    ¡°Mac Dubh did say to me as how your Da was a minister¡ªthat¡¯s true, is it?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Roger said, rather startled at the subject. ¡°Or at least¡ªmy real father was killed, and my mother¡¯s uncle adopted me; it was him was the minister.¡± Even as he spoke, Roger wondered why he should feel it necessary to explain. For most of his life, he had thought and spoken of the Reverend as his father; and surely it made no difference to Duncan.


    Duncan nodded, clicking his tongue in sympathy.


    ¡°But ye will have been Presbyterian yourself, then? I did hear Mac Dubh speak of it.¡± Despite Duncan¡¯s normal good manners, a brief grin showed beneath the edge of his ragged mustache.


    ¡°I expect ye did, aye,¡± Roger replied dryly. He¡¯d be surprised if the whole Gathering hadn¡¯t heard Mac Dubh speak of it.


    ¡°Well, the thing about it is, so am I,¡± Duncan said, sounding rather apologetic.


    Roger looked at him in astonishment.


    ¡°You? I thought you were Catholic!¡±


    Duncan made a small embarrassed noise, lifting the shoulder of his amputated arm in a shrug.


    ¡°No. My great-grandda on my mother¡¯s side was a Covenanter¡ªverra fierce in his beliefs, aye?¡± He smiled, a little shyly. ¡°That was watered down a good bit before it came to me; my Mam was godly, but Da wasna much of a one for the kirk, nor was I. And when I met up wi¡¯ Mac Dubh . . . well, it wasna as though he¡¯d asked me to go to Mass with him of a Sunday, was it?¡±


    Roger nodded, with a brief grunt of comprehension. Duncan had met with Jamie in Ardsmuir Prison, after the Rising. While most of the Jacobite troops had been Catholic, he knew there had been Protestants of different stripes among them, too¡ªand most would likely have kept quiet about it, outnumbered by the Catholics in close quarters. And it was true enough that Jamie¡¯s and Duncan¡¯s later career in smuggling would have offered few occasions for religious discourse.


    ¡°Aye, so. And your wedding to Mrs. Cameron tonight . . .¡±


    Duncan nodded, and sucked in a corner of his mouth, gnawing contemplatively at the edge of his mustache.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Am I bound, d¡¯ye think, to say anything?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Cameron doesn¡¯t know? Nor Jamie?¡±


    Duncan shook his head silently, eyes on the trampled mud of the trail.


    Roger realized that it was, of course, Jamie whose opinion was important here, rather than Jocasta Cameron¡¯s. The issue of differing religion had evidently not seemed important to Duncan¡ªand Roger had never heard that Jocasta was in any way devout¡ªbut hearing about Jamie¡¯s response to Roger¡¯s Presbyterianism, Duncan had now taken alarm.


    ¡°Ye went to see the priest, Mac Dubh said.¡± Duncan glanced at him sidelong. ¡°Did he¡ª¡± He cleared his throat, flushing. ¡°I mean, did he oblige ye to be . . . baptized Romish?¡±


    An atrocious prospect to a devout Protestant, and plainly an uncomfortable one to Duncan. It was, Roger realized, an uncomfortable thought to him, too. Would he have done it, if he had to, to wed Bree? He supposed he would have, in the end, but he admitted to having felt a deep relief that the priest hadn¡¯t insisted on any sort of formal conversion.


    ¡°Ah . . . no,¡± Roger said, and coughed as another fan of smoke washed suddenly over them. ¡°No,¡± he repeated, wiping streaming eyes. ¡°But they don¡¯t baptize you, ye know, if ye¡¯ve been christened already. You have been, aye?¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye.¡± Duncan seemed heartened by that. ¡°Aye, when I¡ªthat is¡ª¡± A faint shadow crossed his face, but whatever thought had caused it was dismissed with another shrug. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, then. Let me think a bit, aye?¡±


    The tinkers¡¯ wagons were already in sight, huddled like oxen, their merchandise shrouded in canvas and blankets against the rain, but Duncan stopped, clearly wanting the matter settled before going on to anything else.


    Roger rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, thinking.


    ¡°No,¡± he said finally. ¡°No, I think ye needna say anything. See, it¡¯ll not be a Mass, only the marriage service¡ªand that¡¯s just the same. Do ye take this woman, do ye take this man, richer, poorer, all that.¡±


    Duncan nodded, attentive.


    ¡°I can say that, aye,¡± he said. ¡°Though it did take a bit of coming to, the richer, poorer bit. Ye¡¯ll ken that, though, yourself.¡±


    He spoke quite without any sense of irony, merely as one stating an obvious fact, and was plainly taken aback at his glimpse of Roger¡¯s face in response to the remark.


    ¡°I didna mean anything amiss,¡± Duncan said hastily. ¡°That is, I only meant¡ª¡±


    Roger waved a hand, trying to brush it off.


    ¡°No harm done,¡± he said, his voice as dry as Duncan¡¯s had been. ¡°Speak the truth and shame auld Hornie, aye?¡±


    It was the truth, too, though he had somehow managed to overlook it until this moment. In fact, he realized with a sinking sensation, his situation was a precise parallel with Duncan¡¯s: a penniless man without property, marrying a rich¡ªor potentially rich¡ªwoman.


    He had never thought of Jamie Fraser as being rich, perhaps because of the man¡¯s natural modesty, perhaps simply because he wasn¡¯t¡ªyet. The fact remained that Fraser was the proprietor of ten thousand acres of land. If a good bit of that land was still wilderness, it didn¡¯t mean it would stay that way. There were tenants on that property now; there would be more soon. And when those tenancies began to pay rents, when there were sawmills and gristmills on the streams, when there were settlements and stores and taverns, when the handful of cows and pigs and horses had multiplied into fat herds of thriving stock under Jamie¡¯s careful stewardship . . . Jamie Fraser might be a very rich man indeed. And Brianna was Jamie¡¯s only natural child.


    Then there was Jocasta Cameron, demonstrably already a very rich woman, who had stated her intention to make Brianna her heiress. Bree had exigently refused to countenance the notion¡ªbut Jocasta was as naturally stubborn as her niece, and had had more practice at it. Besides, no matter what Brianna said or did, folk would suppose . . .


    And that was what was truly sitting in the bottom of his stomach like a curling stone. Not just the realization that he was in fact marrying well above his means and position¡ªbut the realization that everyone in the entire colony had realized it long ago, and had probably been viewing him cynically¡ªand gossiping about him¡ªas a rare chancer, if not an outright adventurer.


    The smoke had left a bitter taste of ashes at the back of his mouth. He swallowed it down, and gave Duncan a crooked smile.


    ¡°Aye,¡± he said. ¡°Well. Better or worse. I suppose they must see something in us, eh? The women?¡±


    Duncan smiled, a little ruefully.


    ¡°Aye, something. So, ye think it will be all right, then, about the religion? I wouldna have either Miss Jo or Mac Dubh think I meant aught amiss by not speaking. But I didna like to make a fizz about it, and it¡¯s no needed.¡±


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± Roger agreed. He took a deep breath and brushed damp hair off his face. ¡°Nay, I think it¡¯s all right. When I spoke to the¡ªthe Father, the only condition he made was that I should let any children be baptized as Catholics. But since that¡¯s not a consideration for you and Mrs. Cameron, I suppose . . .¡± He trailed off delicately, but Duncan seemed relieved at the thought.

 Page 15

    ¡°Och, no,¡± he said, and laughed, a little nervously. ¡°No, I think I¡¯m no bothered about that.¡±


    ¡°Well, then.¡± Roger forced a smile, and clapped Duncan on the back. ¡°Here¡¯s luck to you.¡±


    Duncan brushed a finger beneath his mustache, nodding.


    ¡°And you, a Sme¨°raich.¡±


    He had expected Duncan to go off about his business, once his question was answered, but the man instead came with him, wandering slowly along the row of wagons in Roger¡¯s wake, peering at the wares on display with a slight frown.


    After a week¡¯s haggling and bartering, the wagons were as full as they had been to start with¡ªor more so, heaped with sacks of grain and wool, casks of cider, bags of apples, stacks of hides and other sundries taken in trade. The stock of fancies had dwindled considerably, but there were still things to be bought, as evidenced by the crowd of folk clustering round the wagons, thick as aphids on a rosebush.


    Roger was tall enough to peer over the heads of most customers, and made his way slowly along the rank of wagons, squinting at this or that, trying to envision Brianna¡¯s response to it.


    She was a beautiful woman, but not inclined to fuss over her looks. In fact, he had narrowly stopped her cutting off most of her glorious red mane out of impatience at it dangling in the gravy and Jemmy yanking on it. Maybe a ribbon was practical. Or a decorated comb? More likely a pair of handcuffs for the wean.


    He paused by a vendor of cloth goods, though, and bent to peer under the canvas, where caps and bright ribbons hung safely suspended out of the wet, stirring in the cool dimness like the tentacles of brilliant jellyfish. Duncan, plaid hitched up about his ears against the gusting breeze, came closer, to see what he was looking at.


    ¡°Looking for something in particular, are ye, sirs?¡± A peddler-woman leaned forward over her goods, bosom resting on her folded arms, and divided a professional smile between them.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Duncan said, unexpectedly. ¡°A yard of velvet. Would ye be having such a thing? Good quality, mind, but the color¡¯s not important.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyebrows lifted¡ªeven in his best clothes, Duncan would strike no one as a dandy¡ªbut she turned without comment and began to rootle through her diminished stock.


    ¡°D¡¯ye think Mrs. Claire would have some lavender left?¡± Duncan asked, turning to Roger.


    ¡°Aye, I know she has,¡± Roger replied. His puzzlement must have shown on his face, for Duncan smiled and ducked his head diffidently.


    ¡°¡¯Twas a thought I had,¡± he said. ¡°Miss Jo suffers from the megrims, and doesna sleep sae well as she might. I mind, my mither had a lavender pillow, and said she fell asleep like a babe the moment she laid her head upon it. So I thought, perhaps a bit o¡¯ velvet¡ªso as she could feel it against her cheek, aye?¡ªand perhaps Mrs. Lizzie would stitch it up for me. . . .¡±


    In sickness and in health . . .


    Roger nodded his approval, feeling touched¡ªand slightly shamed¡ªby Duncan¡¯s thoughtfulness. He had had the impression that the marriage between Duncan and Jocasta Cameron was principally a matter of convenience and good business¡ªand perhaps it was. But mad passion wasn¡¯t a necessary prerequisite for tenderness or consideration, was it?


    Duncan, purchase concluded, took his leave and went off with the velvet safely sheltered under his plaid, leaving Roger to make a slow circuit of the remaining vendors, mentally selecting, weighing, and discarding, as he wracked his brain to think what item of this myriad would best please his bride. Earrings? No, the kid would pull them. Same for a necklace¡ªor a hair ribbon, now he thought.


    Still, his mind dwelled on jewelry. Normally, she wore very little. But she had worn her father¡¯s ruby ring¡ªthe one Jamie had given him, the one he had given her when she accepted him for good¡ªall through the Gathering. Jem slobbered on it now and then, but couldn¡¯t really damage it.


    He stopped suddenly, letting the crowd flow round him. He could see the gold in his mind¡¯s eye, and the deep pink-red of the cabochon ruby, vivid on her long pale finger. Her father¡¯s ring. Of course; why had he not seen that before?


    True, Jamie had given him the ring, but that didn¡¯t make it his to give in turn. And he wanted, very suddenly and very badly, to give Brianna something truly of his own.


    He turned with decision, and made his way back to a wagon whose metal wares gleamed and glinted, even in the rain. He knew from experiment that his little finger was just the size of her ring finger.


    ¡°This one,¡± he said, holding up a ring. It was cheap; made of braided strands of copper and brass, it would undoubtedly turn her finger green in minutes. So much the better, he thought, handing over his money. Whether she wore it all the time or not, she would be marked as his.


    For this reason shall a woman leave her father¡¯s house, and cleave unto her husband, and the two shall be one flesh.


    5


    RIOTOUS UNREST


    BY THE END OF THE FIRST HOUR, I had a substantial crowd of patients waiting, despite the intermittent drizzle. It was the final day of the Gathering, and people who had stood the pain of a toothache or the doubt of a rash had suddenly decided that they must seize the chance of having it seen to.


    I dismissed a young woman with incipient goiter, admonishing her to procure a quantity of dried fish, as she lived too far inland to be sure of getting fresh each day, and eat some daily for its iodine content.


    ¡°Next!¡± I called, brushing damp hair out of my eyes.


    The crowd parted like the Red Sea, revealing a small, elderly man, so thin he might be a walking skeleton, clad in rags and carrying a bundle of fur in his arms. As he shambled toward me through the ranks of recoiling people, I discovered the reason for the crowd¡¯s deference; he stank like a dead raccoon.


    For a moment, I thought the pile of grayish fur might be a dead raccoon¡ªthere was already a small pile of furs and hides near my feet, though my patients usually went to the trouble of separating these from their original possessors before presenting them to me¡ªbut then the fur stirred, and a pair of bright eyes peered out of the tangled mass.


    ¡°My dog¡¯s hurt,¡± the man announced brusquely. He set the dog on my table, shoving the jumble of instruments aside, and pointed to a jagged tear in the animal¡¯s flank. ¡°You¡¯ll tend him.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t phrased as a request, but it was, after all, the dog who was my patient, and he seemed fairly civil. Medium-sized and short-legged, with a bristly, mottled coat and ragged ears, he sat placidly panting, making no effort to get away.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± I moved the tottering basin out of danger, and bent to rummage for my jar of sterile sutures. The dog licked my hand in passing.


    ¡°Fightin¡¯ with a she-coon.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said, surveying the animal dubiously. Given its improbable parentage and evident friendliness, I thought any overtures made to a female raccoon were probably inspired by lust, rather than ferocity. As though to confirm this impression, the animal extruded a few inches of moist pink reproductive equipment in my direction.


    ¡°He likes you, Mama,¡± Bree said, keeping a straight face.


    ¡°How flattering,¡± I muttered, hoping that the dog¡¯s owner would not be moved to any similar demonstration of regard. Fortunately, the old man appeared not to like me in the slightest; he ignored me completely, sunken eyes fixed broodingly on the clearing below, where the soldiers were going through some drill.


    ¡°Scissors,¡± I said, resigned, holding out my palm.


    I clipped away the matted fur near the wound, and was pleased to find no great swelling or other signs of infection. The gash had clotted well; evidently it had been some time since the injury. I wondered whether the dog had met its nemesis on the mountain. I didn¡¯t recognize the old man, nor did he have the speech of a Scot. Had he been at the Gathering at all? I wondered.


    ¡°Er . . . would you hold his head, please?¡± The dog might be friendly; that didn¡¯t mean his good nature would remain unimpaired as I jabbed a needle through his hide. His owner stayed sunk in gloom, though, and made no move to oblige. I glanced around for Bree, looking for help, but she had suddenly disappeared.


    ¡°Here, a bhalaich, here, then,¡± said a soothing voice beside me, and I turned in surprise to find the dog sniffing interestedly at the proffered knuckles of Murray MacLeod. Seeing my look of surprise, he shrugged, smiled, and leaned over the table, grabbing the astonished dog by scruff and muzzle.


    ¡°I should advise ye to be quick about it, Mrs. Fraser,¡± he said.


    I took a firm grip of the leg nearest me and started in. The dog responded exactly as most humans did in similar circumstances, wriggling madly and trying to escape, its claws scrabbling on the rough wood of the table. At one point, it succeeded in breaking free of Murray, whereupon it leaped off the table altogether and made for the wide-open spaces, sutures trailing. I flung myself bodily upon it, and rolled through leaves and mud, scattering onlookers in all directions until one or two of the bolder souls came to my assistance, pinning the mangy beast to the ground so that I might finish the job.


    I tied the last knot, clipped the waxed thread with Murray¡¯s fleam¡ªwhich had in fact been trampled underfoot in the struggle, though unfortunately not broken¡ªand took my knee off the hound¡¯s side, panting nearly as heavily as the dog was.


    The spectators applauded.


    I bowed, a little dazed, and shoved masses of disheveled curls out of my face with both hands. Murray was in no better case, his queue come undone and a jagged rent in his coat, which was covered with mud. He bent, seized the dog under the belly, and swung it off its feet, heaving it up on the table beside its owner.


    ¡°Your dog, sir,¡± he said, and stood wheezing gently.


    The old man turned, laid a hand on the dog¡¯s head, and frowned, glancing back and forth between me and Murray, as though unsure what to make of this tag-team approach to surgery. He looked back over his shoulder toward the soldiers below, then turned toward me, his sparse brows knotted over a beak of a nose.


    ¡°Who¡¯re they?¡± he said, in tones of deep puzzlement. Not waiting for an answer, he shrugged, turned, and walked off. The dog, tongue lolling, hopped off the table and trotted off at its owner¡¯s side, in search of more adventure.


    I took a deep breath, brushed mud off my apron, smiled thanks to Murray, and turned to wash my hands before dealing with the next patient.


    ¡°Ha,¡± said Brianna, under her breath. ¡°Got him!¡± She lifted her chin slightly, indicating something over my shoulder, and I turned to look.


    The next patient was a gentleman. A real gentleman, that is, judging by his dress and bearing, both of which were a good deal superior to the general run. I had noticed him hovering near the edge of the clearing for some time, glancing back and forth between my center of operations and that of Murray, obviously in doubt as to which medico should have the privilege of his custom. Evidently the incident of the trapper¡¯s dog had tipped the balance in my favor.


    I glanced at Murray, who was looking distinctly po-faced. A gentleman would likely pay in cash. I gave Murray a slight shrug of apology, then put on a pleasant professional smile, and gestured the new patient onto my stool.

 Page 16

    ¡°Do sit down, sir,¡± I said, ¡°and tell me where it hurts.¡±


    The gentleman was a Mr. Goodwin of Hillsborough, whose chief complaint, it seemed, was a pain in his arm. This was not his only trouble, I saw; a freshly healed scar zigzagged down the side of his face, the livid weal drawing down the corner of his eye and giving him a most ferocious squint. A faint discoloration over the cheek showed where some heavy object had hit him square above the jaw, as well, and his features had the blunt and swollen look of someone who had been badly beaten in the not-so-distant past.


    Gentlemen were as likely to engage in brawls as anyone, given sufficient provocation, but this one seemed of rather advanced years for such entertainments, looking to be in his middle fifties, with a prosperous paunch pressing against the silver-buttoned waistcoat. Perhaps he had been set upon somewhere and robbed, I thought. Not on his way to the Gathering, though; these injuries were weeks old.


    I felt my way carefully over his arm and shoulder, making him lift and move the arm slightly, asking brief questions as I palpated the limb. The trouble was obvious enough; he had dislocated the elbow, and while the dislocation had fortunately reduced itself, I thought he had torn a tendon, which was now caught between the olecranon process and the head of the ulna, the injury being thus aggravated by movement of the arm.


    Not that that was all; palpating my way carefully down his arm, I discovered no fewer than three half-healed simple fractures to the bones of his forearm. The damage was not all internal; I could see the fading remnants of two large bruises on the forearm above the sites of fracture, each an irregular blotch of yellow-green with the darker red-black of deep hemorrhage at the center. Self-defense injuries, I thought, or I was a Chinaman.


    ¡°Bree, find me a decent splint, will you?¡± I asked. Bree nodded silently and vanished, leaving me to anoint Mr. Goodwin¡¯s lesser contusions with cajeput ointment.


    ¡°How did you come by these injuries, Mr. Goodwin?¡± I asked casually, sorting out a length of linen bandage. ¡°You look as though you¡¯ve been in quite a fight. I hope at least the other fellow looks worse!¡±


    Mr. Goodwin smiled faintly at my attempted witticism.


    ¡°¡¯Twas a battle, indeed, Mrs. Fraser,¡± he replied, ¡°and yet no fight of my own. A matter of misfortune, rather¡ªbeing in the wrong place at the wrong time, as you might say. Still . . .¡± He closed the squinting eye in reflex as I touched the scar. An artless job by whoever had stitched it, but cleanly healed.


    ¡°Really?¡± I said. ¡°Whatever happened?¡±


    He grunted, but seemed not displeased at the necessity of telling me.


    ¡°You heard the officer this morning, surely, ma¡¯am¡ªreading out the Governor¡¯s words regarding the atrocious behavior of the rioters?¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t think the Governor¡¯s words escaped anyone¡¯s attention,¡± I murmured, pulling gently on the skin with my fingertips. ¡°So you were at Hillsborough, is that what you¡¯re telling me?¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is.¡± He sighed, but relaxed a little, finding that I wasn¡¯t hurting him with my probings. ¡°I live within the town of Hillsborough, in point of fact. And if I had remained quietly at home¡ªas my good wife begged me to do¡±¡ªhe gave a rueful half-smile¡ª¡°doubtless I should have escaped.¡±


    ¡°They do say that curiosity killed the cat.¡± I had spotted something when he smiled, and pressed gently with my thumb over the discolored area on his cheek. ¡°Someone struck you across the face here, with some force. Did they break any teeth?¡±


    He looked mildly startled.


    ¡°Aye, ma¡¯am. But it¡¯s nothing you can mend.¡± He pulled up his upper lip, revealing a gap where two teeth were missing. One premolar had been knocked out clean, but the other had broken off at the root; I could see a jagged line of yellowed enamel, gleaming against the dark red of his gum.


    Brianna, arriving at this juncture with the splint, made a slight gagging noise. Mr. Goodwin¡¯s other teeth, while essentially whole, were heavily crusted with yellow calculus, and quite brown with the stains of tobacco chewing.


    ¡°Oh, I think I can help a bit there,¡± I assured him, ignoring Bree. ¡°It¡¯s painful to bite there, isn¡¯t it? I can¡¯t mend it, but I can draw the remnants of the broken tooth, and treat the gum to prevent infection. Who hit you, though?¡±


    He shrugged slightly, watching with a slightly apprehensive interest as I laid out the shiny pliers and straight-bladed scalpel for dentistry.


    ¡°To tell the truth, ma¡¯am, I scarcely know. I had but ventured into the town to visit the courthouse. I am bringing suit against a party in Edenton,¡± he explained, a frown forming on his face at the thought of it, ¡°and I am required to file documents in support of this action. However, I was unable to transact my business, as I found the street before the courthouse quite choked with men, many armed with cudgels, whips, and rough implements of that sort.¡±


    Seeing the mob, he had thought to leave, but just then, someone threw a rock through a window of the courthouse. The crash of glass acted on the mob like a signal, and they had surged forward, breaking down the doors and shouting threats.


    ¡°I became concerned for my friend, Mr. Fanning, whom I knew to be within.¡±


    ¡°Fanning . . . that would be Edmund Fanning?¡± I was only listening with half an ear, as I decided how best to approach the extraction, but I did recognize that name. Farquard Campbell had mentioned Fanning, while telling Jamie the gory details of the riots following in the wake of the Stamp Act a few years previous. Fanning had been appointed postmaster for the colony, a lucrative position that had likely cost him a pretty penny to acquire, and had cost him still more dearly when he had been obliged to resign it under force. Evidently, his unpopularity had escalated in the five years since.


    Mr. Goodwin compressed his lips, tightening them to a seam of disapproval.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, that is the gentleman. And whatever scandal folk do spread about him, he has ever been a friend to me and mine¡ªso when I heard such grievous sentiments expressed, to the threat of his life, I determined that I must go to his aid.¡±


    In this gallant endeavor, Mr. Goodwin had been less than successful.


    ¡°I tried to force a path through the crowd,¡± he said, his eyes fixed on my hands as I laid his arm along the splint and arranged the linen bandage beneath it. ¡°I could not make much way, though, and had barely gained the foot of the steps, when there came a great shout from within, and the crowd fell back, carrying me with it.¡±


    Struggling to keep his feet, Mr. Goodwin had been horrified to see Edmund Fanning dragged bodily through the courthouse door, knocked down, and then pulled feet first down the steps, his head striking each one in turn.


    ¡°Such a noise as it made,¡± he said, shuddering. ¡°I could hear it above the shouting, thumping like a melon being rolled downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Dear me,¡± I murmured. ¡°But he wasn¡¯t killed, was he? I hadn¡¯t heard of any deaths at Hillsborough. Relax your arm, please, and take a deep breath.¡±


    Mr. Goodwin took a deep breath, but only in order to utter a loud snort. This was succeeded by a much deeper gasp, as I turned the arm, freeing the trapped tendon and bringing the joint into good alignment. He went quite pale, and a sheen of sweat broke out on his pendulous cheeks, but he blinked a few times, and recovered nobly.


    ¡°And if he wasn¡¯t, it was by no mercy of the rioters,¡± he said. ¡°¡¯Twas only that they thought to have better sport with the Chief Justice, and so left Fanning insensible in the dust, as they rushed inside the courthouse. Another friend and I made shift to raise the poor man, and sought to make off with him to a place of shelter nearby, when comes the halloo in our rear, and we were beset all at once by the mob. That was how I came by this¡±¡ªhe raised his freshly splinted arm¡ª¡°and these.¡± He touched the weal by his eye, and the shattered tooth.


    He frowned at me, heavy brows drawn down.


    ¡°Believe me, ma¡¯am, I hope some folk here are moved to give up the names of the rioters, that they may be justly punished for such barbarous work¡ªbut were I to see here the fellow who struck me, I shouldn¡¯t be inclined to surrender him to the Governor¡¯s justice. Indeed I should not!¡±


    His fists closed slowly, and he glowered at me as though suspecting that I had the miscreant in question hidden under my table. Brianna shifted uneasily behind me. No doubt she was thinking, as I was, of Hobson and Fowles. Abel MacLennan I was inclined to consider an innocent bystander, no matter what he might have done in Hillsborough.


    I murmured something sympathetically noncommittal, and brought out the bottle of raw whisky I used for disinfection and crude anesthesia. The sight of it seemed to hearten Mr. Goodwin considerably.


    ¡°Just a bit of this to . . . er . . . fortify your spirits,¡± I suggested, pouring him out a healthy cupful. And disinfect the nasty environs of his mouth, too. ¡°Hold it in your mouth for a moment before you swallow¡ªit will help to numb your tooth.¡±


    I turned to Bree, as Mr. Goodwin obediently took a large gulp of the liquor and sat with his mouth full, cheeks puffed like a frog about to burst into song. She seemed a little pale, though I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was Mr. Goodwin¡¯s story or the view of his teeth that had affected her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need you any longer this morning, darling,¡± I said, patting her arm in reassurance. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and see whether Jocasta is ready for the weddings tonight?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure, Mama?¡± Even as she asked, she was untying her blood-spotted apron and rolling it into a ball. Seeing her glance toward the trailhead, I looked in that direction and saw Roger lurking behind a bush, his eyes fixed on her. I saw his face light when she turned toward him, and felt a small warm glow at sight of it. Yes, they would be all right.


    ¡°Now then, Mr. Goodwin. Just you take a drop more of that, and we¡¯ll finish dealing with this little matter.¡± I turned back to my patient, smiling, and picked up the pliers.


    6


    FOR AULD LANG SYNE


    ROGER WAITED AT THE EDGE of the clearing, watching Brianna as she stood by Claire¡¯s side, pounding herbs, measuring off liquids into small bottles, and tearing bandages. She had rolled up her sleeves, in spite of the chill, and the effort of ripping the tough linen made the muscles of her bare arms flex and swell beneath the freckled skin.


    Strong in the wrists, he thought, with a faintly disturbing memory of Estella in Dickens¡¯s Great Expectations. Noticeably strong all over; the wind flattened her skirt against the solid slope of h*ps and a long thigh pressed briefly against the fabric as she turned, smooth and round as an alder trunk.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one noticing. Half the people waiting for the attention of the two physicians were watching Brianna; some¡ªmostly women¡ªwith faint and puzzled frowns, some¡ªall men¡ªwith a covert admiration tinged with earthy speculation that gave Roger an urge to step into the clearing and assert his rights to her on the spot.


    Well, let them look, he thought, quelling the urge. It only matters if she¡¯s looking back, aye?

 Page 17

    He moved out of the trees, just a little, and her head turned at once as she caught sight of him. The slight frown on her face melted at once, her face lighting. He smiled back, then jerked his head in invitation, and turned away down the path, not waiting.


    Was he sufficiently petty to want to demonstrate to that gang of gawpers that his woman would drop everything and come at his beck? Well . . . yes, he was. Embarrassment at that realization was tempered by a pleasantly fierce sense of possession at the sound of her step on the path above; yes, she would come to him.


    She had left her work behind, but carried something in her hand; a small packet, wrapped in paper and tied with thread. He put out a hand and led her off the path, down toward a small copse where a scrim of tattered red and yellow maple leaves offered a decent semblance of privacy.


    ¡°Sorry to take you from your work,¡± he said, though he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was glad to get away. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not all that good at blood and guts.¡± She made a rueful face at the admission.


    ¡°That¡¯s all right,¡± he assured her. ¡°It¡¯s not one of the things I was looking for in a wife.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should have been,¡± she said, shooting him a brooding sort of glance. ¡°Here in this place, you might need a wife who can pull your teeth when they go bad, and sew your fingers back on when you cut them off chopping wood.¡±


    The grayness of the day seemed to have affected her spirits¡ªor perhaps it was the job she had been doing. A brief glance at the run of Claire¡¯s patients was enough to depress anyone¡ªanyone but Claire¡ªwith their parade of deformities, mutilations, wounds, and ghastly illnesses.


    At least what he meant to tell Brianna might take her mind off the more gruesome details of eighteenth-century life for a bit. He cupped her cheek, and smoothed one thick red brow with a chilly thumb. Her face was cold, too, but the flesh behind her ear, beneath her hair, was warm¡ªlike her other hidden places.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got what I wanted,¡± he said firmly. ¡°What about you, though? You¡¯re sure ye don¡¯t want a man who can scalp Indians and put dinner on the table with his gun? Blood¡¯s not my main thing, either, aye?¡±


    A spark of humor reappeared in her eyes, and her air of preoccupation lightened.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I want a bloody man,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s what Mama calls Da¡ªbut only when she¡¯s mad at him.¡±


    He laughed.


    ¡°And what will you call me, when you¡¯re mad at me?¡± he teased. She looked at him speculatively, and the spark grew brighter.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry; Da won¡¯t teach me any bad words in Gaelic, but Marsali taught me a lot of really evil things to say in French. Do you know what un soulard is? Un grande gueule?¡±


    ¡°Oui, ma petite chou¡ªnot that I¡¯ve ever seen a cabbage with quite such a red nose.¡± He flicked a finger at her nose, and she ducked, laughing.


    ¡°Maudit chien!¡±


    ¡°Save something for after the wedding,¡± he advised. ¡°Ye might need it.¡± He took her hand, to draw her toward a convenient boulder, then noticed again the small package she held.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A wedding present,¡± she said, and held it out to him with two fingers, distasteful as though it had been a dead mouse.


    He took it gingerly, but felt no sinister shapes through the paper. He bounced it on his palm; it was light, almost weightless.


    ¡°Embroidery silk,¡± she said, in answer to his questioning look. ¡°From Mrs. Buchanan.¡± The frown was back between her brows, and that look of . . . worry? No, something else, but damned if he could put a name to it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with embroidery silk?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s what it¡¯s for.¡± She took the package from him, and tucked it into the pocket she wore tied under her petticoat. She was looking down, rearranging her skirts, but he could see the tightness of her lips. ¡°She said it¡¯s for our winding claes.¡±


    Spoken in Brianna¡¯s odd version of a Bostonian Scots accent, it took a moment for Roger to decipher this.


    ¡°Winding cl¡ªoh, you mean shrouds?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Evidently, it¡¯s my wifely duty to sit down the morning after the wedding and start spinning cloth for my shroud.¡± She bit the words off through clenched teeth. ¡°That way, I¡¯ll have it woven and embroidered by the time I die in childbirth. And if I¡¯m a fast worker, I¡¯ll have time to make one for you, too¡ªotherwise, your next wife will have to finish it!¡±


    He would have laughed, had it not been clear that she was really upset.


    ¡°Mrs. Buchanan is a great fool,¡± he said, taking her hands. ¡°You should not be letting her worry you with her nonsense.¡± Brianna glanced at him under lowered brows.


    ¡°Mrs. Buchanan,¡± she said precisely, ¡°is ignorant, stupid, and tactless. The one thing she isn¡¯t is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Of course she is,¡± he said, with assumed certainty, feeling nonetheless a stab of apprehension.


    ¡°How many wives has Farquard Campbell buried?¡± she demanded. ¡°Gideon Oliver? Andrew MacNeill?¡±


    Nine, among the three of them. MacNeill would take a fourth wife this evening¡ªan eighteen-year-old girl from Weaver¡¯s Gorge. The stab came again, deeper, but he ignored it.


    ¡°And Jenny ban Campbell¡¯s borne eight children and deviled two husbands into the ground,¡± he countered firmly. ¡°For that matter, Mrs. Buchanan herself has five bairns, and she¡¯s certainly still kicking. I¡¯ve seen them; turnip-headed to a man, but all healthy.¡±


    That got him a reluctant twitch of the mouth, and he pressed on, encouraged.


    ¡°You¡¯ve no need to fear, hen. You had no trouble with Jemmy, aye?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, if you think it¡¯s no trouble, next time you can do it!¡± she snapped, but the corner of her mouth curled slightly up. She tugged at his hand, but he held on, and she didn¡¯t resist.


    ¡°So you¡¯re willing there should be a next time, are you? Mrs. Buchanan notwithstanding?¡± His tone was deliberately light, but he drew her close and held her, his face hidden in her hair, for fear she should see how much the question meant to him.


    She wasn¡¯t fooled. She drew back a little, and her eyes, blue as water, searched his.


    ¡°You¡¯d marry me, but live celibate?¡± she asked. ¡°That¡¯s the only sure way. The tansy oil doesn¡¯t always work¡ªlook at Marsali!¡± The existence of baby Joan was eloquent testimony to the ineffectiveness of that particular method of birth control. Still . . .


    ¡°There are other ways, I expect,¡± he said. ¡°But if you want celibacy¡ªthen yes, you¡¯ll have it.¡±


    She laughed, because his hand had tightened possessively on her arse, even as his lips renounced it. Then the laughter faded, and the blue of her eyes grew darker, clouded.


    ¡°You mean it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, and did, though the thought of it lay heavy in his chest, like a swallowed stone.


    She sighed, and drew her hand down the side of his face, tracing the line of his neck, the hollow of his throat. Her thumb pressed against his hammering pulse, so he felt the beat of it, magnified in his blood.


    He meant it, but he bent his head to hers and took her mouth, so short of breath he must have hers, needing so urgently to join with her that he would do it in whatever way he might¡ªhands, breath, mouth, arms; his thigh pressed between hers, opening her legs. Her hand lay flat against his chest, as though to push him off¡ªthen tightened convulsively, grasping shirt and flesh together. Her fingers dug deep in the muscle of his breast, and then they were glued together, openmouthed and gasping, front teeth scraping painfully in the flurry of their wanting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t . . . we¡¯re not . . .¡± He broke free for a moment, his mind grasping dimly for the fragments of words. Then her hand found its way under his kilt, a cold, sure touch on his heated flesh, and he lost all power of speech.


    ¡°Once more before we quit,¡± she said, and her breath wreathed him in heat and mist. ¡°For old times¡¯ sake.¡± She sank to her knees in the wet yellow leaves, pulling him down to her.


    IT HAD STARTED raining again; her hair lay tumbled round her, streaked with damp. Her eyes were closed, her face upturned to the drizzling heavens, and raindrops struck her face, rolling down like tears. She wasn¡¯t sure whether to laugh or cry, in fact.


    Roger lay with her, half on her, his weight a warm and solid comfort, his kilt spread over their tangled bare legs, protection from the rain. Her hand cupped the back of his head and stroked his hair, wet and sleek as a black seal¡¯s fur.


    He stirred then, with a groan like a wounded bear, and lifted himself. A draft of cold air struck her newly exposed body, damp and heated where they had touched.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he muttered. ¡°God, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± She opened one eye to a slit; he rose to his knees above her, swaying, and bent to pull her crumpled skirt down into decency. He¡¯d lost his stock, and the cut under his jaw had reopened. She¡¯d torn his shirt, and his waistcoat hung open, half its buttons gone. He was streaked with mud and blood and there were dead leaves and acorn fragments in the waves of his loose black hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± she said, and sat up. She was in no better case; her br**sts were heavy with milk, and huge wet spots had soaked through the fabric of shift and bodice, chilling her skin. Roger saw, and picked up her fallen cloak, draping it gently around her shoulders.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said again, and reached to brush the tangled hair from her face; his hand was cold against her cheek.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said, trying to gather all the stray fragments of herself that seemed to be rolling round the tiny clearing like beads of mercury. ¡°It¡¯s only six months, and I¡¯m still nursing Jemmy. It¡¯s¡ªI mean, I think it¡¯s still safe.¡± But for how much longer? she wondered. Little jolts of desire still shot through her, mingled with spurts of dread.


    She had to touch him. She picked up one corner of her cloak and pressed it to the seeping wound beneath his jaw. Celibacy? When the feel of him, the smell of him, the memory of the last few minutes, made her want to knock him flat in the leaves and do it all again? When tenderness for him welled up in her like the milk that rushed unbidden to her br**sts?


    Her br**sts ached with unsatisfied desire, and she felt dribbles of milk run tickling down her ribs beneath the cloth. She touched one breast, heavy and swollen, her guarantee of safety¡ªfor a while.


    Roger put away her hand, reaching up to touch the cut.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s stopped bleeding.¡± He wore the oddest expression¡ªor expressions. Normally his face was pleasantly reserved, even a little stern. Now his features seemed unable to settle themselves, shifting from moment to moment between a look of undeniable satisfaction and one of just as undeniable dismay.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Roger?¡±


    He shot her a quick glance, then looked away, a slight flush rising in his cheeks.

 Page 18

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°Well. It¡¯s only that we . . . er . . . we aren¡¯t actually married at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course not. The wedding¡¯s not ¡¯til tonight. Speaking of which . . .¡± She looked at Roger, and a bubble of laughter rose from the pit of her stomach. ¡°Oh, dear,¡± she said, fighting back a fit of giggles. ¡°You look like somebody¡¯s had their will of you in the woods, Mr. MacKenzie.¡±


    ¡°Very funny, Mrs. Mac,¡± he said, eyeing her own bedraggled state. ¡°Ye¡¯ve been in a rare fight, too, by the looks of you. But what I meant was that we¡¯ve been handfast for the last year¡ªand that¡¯s legally binding, in Scotland at least. But the year and a day have been up for a bit¡ªand we¡¯re not formally married ¡¯til this evening.¡±


    She squinted at him, wiping rain out of her eyes with the back of one hand, and once more gave way to the urge to laugh.


    ¡°My God, you think it matters?¡±


    He grinned back, a little reluctantly.


    ¡°Well, no. It¡¯s only I¡¯m a preacher¡¯s lad; I know it¡¯s fine¡ªbut somewhere inside is an old Scotch Calvinist, muttering that it¡¯s just a wee bit wicked, to be carrying on so with a woman not really my wife.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± she said, and settled her arms comfortably on her drawn-up knees. She leaned to one side and nudged him gently.


    ¡°Old Scotch Calvinist, my ass. What is it, really?¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t look directly at her, but kept his eyes down, looking at the ground. Droplets glittered on his strongly marked dark brows and lashes, gilding the skin of his cheekbones with silver. He drew a deep breath, and let it out slowly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say you¡¯re not right to be afraid,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized¡ªnot really thought about it before today¡ªjust how dangerous marriage is for a woman.¡± He looked up and smiled at her, though the look of worry stayed in his moss-green eyes.


    ¡°I want you, Bree¡ªmore than I can say. It¡¯s only that I was thinking of what we just did and how fine it was¡ªand realizing that I¡¯ll maybe¡ªno, I will¡ªbe risking your life if I keep on doing it. But damned if I want to stop!¡±


    The small strands of dread had coalesced into a cold snake that ran down her backbone and coiled deep in her belly, twisting around her womb. She knew what he wanted, and it wasn¡¯t only the thing they¡¯d just shared¡ªpowerful as that was. Knowing what he wanted, though¡ªand why¡ªhow could she hesitate to give it to him?


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She took a breath to match his, and blew it out in a plume of white. ¡°Well, it¡¯s too late to worry about that, I think.¡± She looked at him and touched his arm. ¡°I want you, Roger.¡± She pulled down his head and kissed him, taking comfort from her fears in the strength of his arm around her, the warmth of his body beside her.


    ¡°Oh, God, Bree,¡± he murmured into her hair. ¡°I want to tell you that I¡¯ll keep you safe, save you and Jemmy from anything that might threaten you¡ªever. It¡¯s a terrible thing, to think it might be me that would be the threat, that I could kill you with my love¡ªbut it¡¯s true.¡±


    His heart was beating under her ear, solid and steady. She felt the warmth return to her hands, clasped tight on the bones of his back, and the thaw reached deeper, uncoiling some of the frozen strands of fear inside her.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± she said at last, wanting to offer him the comfort he could not quite give her. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ve got the h*ps for it, everybody says so. Jugbutt, that¡¯s me.¡± She ran a hand ruefully down the lush swell of one hip, and he smiled, following her hand with his own.


    ¡°You know what Ronnie Sinclair said to me last night? He was watching you bend down to pick up a stick of wood for the fire, and he sighed and said, ¡®Ye ken how to pick a good lass, MacKenzie? Start at the bottom and work your way up!¡¯ Oof!¡± He recoiled, laughing, as she slugged him.


    Then he bent and kissed her, very gently. The rain was still falling, pattering on the layer of dead leaves. Her fingers were sticky with the blood from his wound.


    ¡°You want a baby, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked softly. ¡°One you know is yours?¡±


    He kept his head bent for a moment, but at last looked up at her, letting her see the answer in his face; a great yearning, mingled with anxious concern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean¡ª¡± he began, but she put a hand across his mouth to stop him.


    ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°I understand.¡± She did¡ªalmost. She was an only child, as he was; she knew the yearning for connection and closeness¡ªbut hers had been gratified. She had had not one loving father but two. A mother who had loved her beyond the bounds of space and time. The Murrays of Lallybroch, that unexpected gift of family. And most of all, her son, her flesh, her blood, a small and trusting weight that anchored her firmly to the universe.


    But Roger was an orphan, alone in the world for such a long time. His parents gone before he knew them, his old uncle dead¡ªhe had no one to claim him, no one to love him for the sake only of his flesh and bone¡ªno one save her. Little wonder if he hungered for the certainty she held in her arms when she nursed her child.


    He cleared his throat suddenly.


    ¡°I¡ªah¡ªI was going to give ye this tonight. But maybe . . . well.¡± He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and handed her a soft bundle, wrapped in cloth.


    ¡°Sort of a wedding present, aye?¡± He was smiling, but she could see the uncertainty in his eyes.


    She opened the cloth, and a pair of black button eyes looked up at her. The doll wore a shapeless smock of green calico, and red-yarn hair exploded from its head. Her heart beat heavily in her chest, and her throat tightened.


    ¡°I thought the wean might like it¡ªto chew on, perhaps.¡±


    She moved, and the pressure of the sodden fabric on her br**sts made them tingle. She was afraid, all right; but there were things stronger than fear.


    ¡°There¡¯ll be a next time,¡± she said, and laid a hand on his arm. ¡°I can¡¯t say when¡ªbut there will.¡±


    He laid his hand on hers and squeezed it tight, not looking at her.


    ¡°Thanks, Jugbutt,¡± he said at last, very softly.


    THE RAIN WAS HEAVIER; it was pissing down now. Roger thumbed the wet hair out of his eyes and shook himself like a dog, scattering drops from the tight-woven wool of coat and plaid. There was a smear of mud down the front of the gray wool; he brushed at it, to no effect.


    ¡°Christ, I can¡¯t be getting married like this,¡± he said, trying to lighten the mood between them. ¡°I look like a beggar.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late, you know,¡± she said. She smiled, teasing a little tremulously. ¡°You could still back out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been too late for me since the day I saw you,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°Besides,¡± he added, lifting one brow, ¡°your father would gut me like a hog if I said I¡¯d had second thoughts on the matter.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± she said, but the hidden smile popped out, dimpling one cheek.


    ¡°Bloody woman! You like the idea!¡±


    ¡°Yes. No, I mean.¡± She was laughing again now; that¡¯s what he¡¯d wanted. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to gut you. It¡¯s just nice to know he would. A father ought to be protective.¡±


    She smiled at him, touched him lightly. ¡°Like you, Mr. MacKenzie.¡±


    That gave him an odd, tight feeling in the chest, as though his waistcoat had shrunk. Then a tinge of cold, as he recalled what he had to tell her. Fathers and their notions of protection varied, after all, and he wasn¡¯t sure how she would see this one.


    He took her arm and drew her away, out of the rain and into the shelter of a clump of hemlocks, where the layers of needles lay dry and fragrant underfoot, protected by the wide-spreading branches overhead.


    ¡°Well, come and sit with me a moment, Mrs. Mac. It¡¯s not important, but there¡¯s a small thing I wanted to tell you about before the wedding.¡± He drew her down to sit beside him on a rotting log, rusted with lichen. He cleared his throat, gathering the thread of his story.


    ¡°When I was in Inverness, before I followed you through the stones, I spent some time trolling through the Reverend¡¯s bumf, and I came across a letter to him, written by your father. By Frank Randall, I mean. It¡¯s no great matter¡ªnot now¡ªbut I thought . . . well, I thought perhaps there should be no secrets between us, before we marry. I told your father about it last night. So let me tell you now.¡±


    Her hand lay warm in his, but the fingers tightened as he talked, and a deep line grew between her brows as she listened.


    ¡°Again,¡± she said, when he¡¯d finished. ¡°Tell me that again.¡±


    Obligingly, he repeated the letter¡ªas he¡¯d memorized it, word for word. As he¡¯d told it the night before, to Jamie Fraser.


    ¡°That gravestone in Scotland with Da¡¯s name on it is a fake?¡± Her voice rose slightly with astonishment. ¡°Dad¡ªFrank¡ªhad the Reverend make it, and put it there, in the kirkyard at St. Kilda, but Da isn¡¯t¡ªwon¡¯t be, I mean¡ªwon¡¯t be under it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did, and no, he won¡¯t,¡± Roger said, keeping careful track of the ¡°he¡¯s¡± involved. ¡°He¡ªFrank Randall, that is¡ªmeant the stone as a sort of acknowledgment, I think; a debt owed to your father¡ªyour other father, I mean; Jamie.¡±


    Brianna¡¯s face was blotched with chill, the ends of nose and ears nipped red as the heat of their lovemaking faded.


    ¡°But he couldn¡¯t know we¡¯d ever find it, Mama and me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that he wanted you to find it,¡± Roger said. ¡°Perhaps he didn¡¯t know, either. But he felt he had to make the gesture. Besides,¡± he added, struck by a memory, ¡°didn¡¯t Claire say that he¡¯d meant to bring you to England, just before he was killed? Perhaps he meant to take you there, make sure you found it¡ªthen leave it to you and Claire what to do.¡±


    She sat still, chewing that one over.


    ¡°He knew, then,¡± she said slowly. ¡°That he¡ªthat Jamie Fraser survived Culloden. He knew . . . but he didn¡¯t say?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can blame him for not saying,¡± Roger said gently. ¡°It wasn¡¯t only selfish, you know.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡± She was still shocked, but not yet angry. He could see her turning it over, trying to see it all before making up her mind what to think, how to feel.


    ¡°No. Think of it, hen,¡± he urged. The spruce was cold at his back, the bark of the fallen log damp under his hand. ¡°He loved your mother, aye, and didn¡¯t want to risk losing her again. That¡¯s maybe selfish, but she was his wife first, after all; no one could blame him for not wanting to give her up to another man. But that¡¯s not all of it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the rest, then?¡± Her voice was calm, blue eyes straight and level.


    ¡°Well¡ªwhat if he had told her? There she was, with you, a young child¡ªand remember, neither of them would have thought that you might cross through the stones as well.¡±

 Page 19

    The eyes were still straight, but clouded once more with trouble.


    ¡°She would have had to choose,¡± she said softly, her gaze fixed on him. ¡°To stay with us¡ªor go to him. To Jamie.¡±


    ¡°To leave you behind,¡± Roger said, nodding, ¡°or to stay, and live her life, knowing her Jamie was alive, maybe reachable¡ªbut out of reach. Break her vows¡ªon purpose, this time¡ªand abandon her child . . . or live with yearning. I can¡¯t think that would have done your family life much good.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She sighed, the steam of her exhaled breath disappearing like a ghost in cold air.


    ¡°Perhaps Frank was afraid to give her the choice,¡± Roger said, ¡°but he did save her¡ªand you¡ªfrom the pain of having to make it. At least then.¡±


    Her lips drew in, pushed out, relaxed.


    ¡°I wonder what her choice would have been, if he had told her,¡± she said, a little bleakly. He laid his hand on hers, squeezed lightly.


    ¡°She would have stayed,¡± he said, with certainty. ¡°She made the choice once, did she not? Jamie sent her back, to keep you safe, and she went. She would have known he wanted that, and she would have stayed¡ªso long as you needed her. She wouldn¡¯t have gone back, even when she did, save that you insisted. Ye ken that well enough, surely?¡±


    Her face eased a bit, accepting this.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. But still . . . to know he was alive, and not try to reach him . . .¡±


    He bit the inside of his cheek, to keep from asking. If it were your choice, Brianna? If it was the bairn or me? For how could any man force a choice like that on a woman whom he loved, even hypothetically? Whether for her sake or his own . . . he would not ask.


    ¡°But he did put that gravestone there. Why did he do that?¡± The line between her brows was still deep, but no longer straight; it twisted with a growing perturbation.


    He hadn¡¯t known Frank Randall, but he felt a certain empathy for the man¡ªand not only a disinterested sympathy, either. He hadn¡¯t fully realized why he¡¯d felt he must tell her about the letter now, before the wedding, but his own motives were becoming clearer¡ªand more disturbing to him¡ªby the moment.


    ¡°I think it was obligation, as I said. Not just to Jamie or your mother¡ªto you. If it¡ª¡± he started, then stopped and squeezed her hand, hard. ¡°Look. Take wee Jemmy. He¡¯s mine, as much as you are¡ªhe always will be.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°But if I were the other man . . .¡±


    ¡°If you were Stephen Bonnet,¡± she said, and her lips were tight, gone white with chill.


    ¡°If I were Bonnet,¡± he agreed, with a qualm of distaste at the notion, ¡°if I knew the child was mine, and yet he was being raised by a stranger¡ªwould I not want the child to know the truth, sometime?¡±


    Her fingers convulsed in his, and her eyes went dark.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t tell him! Roger, for God¡¯s sake, promise me you won¡¯t tell him, ever!¡±


    He stared at her in astonishment. Her nails were digging painfully into his hand, but he made no move to free himself.


    ¡°Bonnet? Christ, no! If I ever see the man again, I¡¯ll not waste time talking!¡±


    ¡°Not Bonnet.¡± She shuddered, whether from cold or emotion, he couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°God, keep away from that man! No, it¡¯s Jemmy I mean.¡± She swallowed hard, and gripped both his hands. ¡°Promise me, Roger. If you love me, promise that you¡¯ll never tell Jemmy about Bonnet, never. Even if something happens to me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nothing will happen to you!¡±


    She looked at him, and a small, wry smile formed on her lips.


    ¡°Celibacy¡¯s not my thing, either. It might.¡± She swallowed. ¡°And if it does . . . promise me, Roger.¡±


    ¡°Aye, I promise,¡± he said, reluctantly. ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure!¡±


    ¡°Would you not have wanted ever to know, then¡ªabout Jamie?¡±


    She bit her lip at that, her teeth sinking deep enough to leave a purple mark in the soft pink flesh.


    ¡°Jamie Fraser is not Stephen Bonnet!¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± he said dryly. ¡°But I wasna speaking of Jemmy to start with. All I meant was that if I were Bonnet, I should want to know, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°He does know.¡± She pulled her hand from his, abruptly, and stood up, turning away.


    ¡°He what?¡± He caught up with her in two strides, and grabbed her by the shoulder, turning her back to face him. She flinched slightly, and he loosened his grip. He took a deep breath, fighting to keep his voice calm. ¡°Bonnet knows about Jemmy?¡±


    ¡°Worse than that.¡± Her lips were trembling; she pressed them tightly together to stop it, then opened them just enough to let the truth escape. ¡°He thinks Jemmy is his.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t sit down with him again, but he drew her arm tightly through his and made her walk with him, walk through the falling rain and tumbled stones, past the rush of the creek and the swaying trees, until the movement calmed her enough to talk, to tell him about her days left alone at River Run, a prisoner of her pregnancy. About Lord John Grey, her father¡¯s friend, and hers; how she had confided to Lord John her fears and struggles.


    ¡°I was afraid you were dead. All of you¡ªMama, Da, you.¡± Her hood had fallen back and she made no effort to reclaim it. Her red hair hung in dripping rattails on her shoulders, and droplets clung to her thick red brows.


    ¡°The last thing Da said to me¡ªhe didn¡¯t say it, even, he wrote it¡ªhe had to write it, I wouldn¡¯t talk to him. . . .¡± She swallowed and ran a hand beneath her nose, wiping away a pendant drop. ¡°He said¡ªI had to find a way to . . . to forgive him. B-Bonnet.¡±


    ¡°To do what?¡± She pulled her arm away slightly, and he realized how hard his fingers were digging into her flesh. He loosened his grip, with a small grunt of apology, and she tilted her head briefly toward him in acknowledgment.


    ¡°He knew,¡± she said, and stopped. She turned to face him, her feelings now in hand. ¡°You know what happened to him¡ªat Wentworth.¡±


    Roger gave a short, awkward nod. In actuality, he had no clear notion what had been done to Jamie Fraser¡ªand had no wish to know more than he did. He knew about the scars on Fraser¡¯s back, though, and knew from the few things Claire had said that these were but a faint reminder.


    ¡°He knew,¡± she said steadily. ¡°And he knew what had to be done. He told me¡ªif I wanted to be . . . whole . . . again, I had to find a way to forgive Stephen Bonnet. So I did.¡±


    He had Brianna¡¯s hand in his, held so tight that he felt the small shift of her bones. She had not told him, he had not asked. The name of Stephen Bonnet had never been mentioned between them, not until now.


    ¡°You did.¡± He spoke gruffly, and had to stop to clear his throat. ¡°You found him, then? You spoke to him?¡±


    She brushed wet hair back from her face, nodding. Grey had come to her, told her that Bonnet had been taken, condemned. Awaiting transport to Wilmington and execution, he was being held in the cellar beneath the Crown warehouse in Cross Creek. It was there that she had gone to him, bearing what she hoped was absolution¡ªfor Bonnet, for herself.


    ¡°I was huge.¡± Her hand sketched the bulge of advanced pregnancy before her. ¡°I told him the baby was his; he was going to die, maybe it would be some comfort to him, to think that there¡¯d be . . . something left.¡±


    Roger felt jealousy grip his heart, so abrupt in its attack that for a moment, he thought the pain was physical. Something left, he thought. Something of him. And what of me? If I die tomorrow¡ªand I might, girl! Life¡¯s chancy here for me as well as you¡ªwhat will be left of me, tell me that?


    He oughtn¡¯t ask, he knew that. He¡¯d vowed never to voice the thought that Jemmy was not his, ever. If there was a true marriage between them, then Jem was the child of it, no matter the circumstances of his birth. And yet he felt the words spill out, burning like acid.


    ¡°So you were sure the child was his?¡±


    She stopped dead and turned to look at him, eyes wide with shock.


    ¡°No. No, of course not! If I knew that, I would have told you!¡±


    The burning in his chest eased, just a little.


    ¡°Oh. But you told him it was¡ªyou didn¡¯t say to him that there was doubt about it?¡±


    ¡°He was going to die! I wanted to give him some comfort, not tell him my life story! It wasn¡¯t any of his goddamn business to hear about you, or our wedding night, or¡ªdamn you, Roger!¡± She kicked him in the shin.


    He staggered with the force of it, but grabbed her arm, preventing her from running off.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± he said, before she could kick him again, or bite him, which she looked prepared to do. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right, it wasn¡¯t his business¡ªand it¡¯s not my business, either, to be making you think of it all again.¡±


    She drew in a deep breath through her nose, like a dragon preparing to sear him into ash. The spark of fury in her eyes lessened slightly, though her cheeks still blazed with it. She shook off his hand, but didn¡¯t run away.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± she said. She gave him a dark, flat look. ¡°You said there shouldn¡¯t be secrets between us, and you were right. But when you tell a secret, sometimes there¡¯s another one behind it, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s not¡ª I don¡¯t mean¡ª¡±


    Before he could say more, the sound of feet and conversation interrupted him. Four men came out of the mist, speaking casually in Gaelic. They carried sharpened sticks and nets, and all were barefoot, wet to the knees. Strings of fresh-caught fish gleamed dully in the rain-light.


    ¡°A Sme¨°raich!¡± One man, peering out from under the sodden brim of his slouch hat, caught sight of them and broke into a broad grin, as shrewd eyes passed over their dishevelment. ¡°It is yourself, Thrush! And the daughter of the Red One, too? What, can you not restrain yourselves until the darkness?¡±


    ¡°No doubt it is sweeter to taste stolen fruit than to wait on a blessing from a shriveled priest.¡± Another man thrust back his bonnet on his head, and clasped himself briefly, making clear just what he meant by ¡°shriveled.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no,¡± said the third, wiping drops from the end of his nose as he eyed Brianna, her cloak pulled tight around her. ¡°He¡¯s no but after singing her a wee wedding song, is he not?¡±


    ¡°I know the words to that song, too,¡± said his companion, his grin broadening enough to show a missing molar. ¡°But I sing it still more sweetly!¡±


    Brianna¡¯s cheeks had begun to blaze again; her Gaelic was less fluent than Roger¡¯s, but she was certainly able to gather the sense of crude teasing. Roger stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body. The men meant no harm, though; they winked and grinned appreciatively, but made no further comment. The first man pulled off his hat and beat it against his thigh, shedding water, then set to business.


    ¡°It¡¯s glad I am to be meeting you thus, a ¨°ranaiche. My mother did hear your music at the fire last night, and told it to my aunts and my cousins, how your music was making the blood dance in her feet. So now they will hear nothing but that you must come and sing for the ceilidh at Spring Creek. It is my youngest cousin will be wed, and her the only child of my uncle, who owns the flour mill.¡±

 Page 20

    ¡°It will be a great affair, surely!¡± put in one of the younger men, the son of the first speaker, by his resemblance to the former.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a wedding?¡± said Roger, in slow, formal Gaelic. ¡°We¡¯ll have an extra herring, then!¡±


    The two older men burst into laughter at the joke, but their sons merely looked bewildered.


    ¡°Ah, the lads would not be knowing a herring, was it slapped wet against their cheeks,¡± said the bonneted man, shaking his head. ¡°Born here, the two of them.¡±


    ¡°And where was your home in Scotland, sir?¡± The man jerked, surprised at the question, put in clear-voiced Gaelic. He stared at Brianna for a moment, then his face changed as he answered her.


    ¡°Skye,¡± he said softly. ¡°Skeabost, near the foot of the Cuillins. I am Angus MacLeod, and Skye is the land of my sires and my grandsires. But my sons were born here.¡±


    He spoke quietly, but there was a tone in his voice that quelled the hilarity in the younger men as though a damp blanket had been thrown over them. The man in the slouch hat looked at Brianna with interest.


    ¡°And were you born in Scotland, a nighean?¡±


    She shook her head mutely, drawing the cloak higher on her shoulders.


    ¡°I was,¡± said Roger, answering a look of inquiry. ¡°In Kyle of Lochalsh.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± said MacLeod, satisfaction spreading itself across his weathered features. ¡°It is so, then, that you know all the songs of the Highlands and the Isles?¡±


    ¡°Not all,¡± said Roger, smiling. ¡°But many¡ªand I will learn more.¡±


    ¡°Do that,¡± said MacLeod, nodding slowly. ¡°Do that, Singer¡ªand teach them to your sons.¡± His eye lighted on Brianna, and a faint smile curled on his lips. ¡°Let them sing to my sons, that they will know the place they came from¡ªthough they will never see it.¡±


    One of the younger men stepped forward, bashfully holding out a string of fish, which he presented to Brianna.


    ¡°For you,¡± he said. ¡°A gift for your wedding.¡±


    Roger could see one corner of her mouth twitch slightly¡ªwith humor or incipient hysteria? he wondered¡ªbut she stretched out a hand and took the dripping string with grave dignity. She picked up the edge of her cloak with one hand, and swept them all a deep curtsy.


    ¡°Chaneil facal agam dhuibh ach taing,¡± she said, in her slow, strangely accented Gaelic. I have no words to say to you but thanks.


    The young men went pink, and the older men looked deeply pleased.


    ¡°It is good, a nighean,¡± said MacLeod. ¡°Let your husband teach you, then¡ªand teach the Gaidhlig to your sons. May you have many!¡± He swept off his bonnet and bowed extravagantly to her, bare toes squelching in the mud to keep his balance.


    ¡°Many sons, strong and healthy!¡± chimed in his companion, and the two lads smiled and nodded, murmuring shyly. ¡°Many sons to you, mistress!¡±


    Roger made the arrangements for the ceilidh automatically, not daring to look at Brianna. They stood in silence, a foot or two apart, as the men left, casting curious looks behind them. Brianna stared down into the mud and grass where they stood, arms crossed in front of her. The burning feeling was still in Roger¡¯s chest, but now it was different. He wanted to touch her, to apologize again, but he thought that would only make things worse.


    In the end, she moved first. She came to him and laid her head on his chest, the coolness of her wet hair brushing the wound in his throat. Her br**sts were huge, hard as rocks against his chest, pushing against him, pushing him away.


    ¡°I need Jemmy,¡± she said softly. ¡°I need my baby.¡±


    The words jammed in his throat, caught between apology and anger. He had not realized how much it would hurt to think of Jemmy as belonging to someone else¡ªnot his, but Bonnet¡¯s.


    ¡°I need him, too,¡± he whispered at last, and kissed her briefly on the forehead before taking her hand to cross the meadow once again. The mountain above lay shrouded in mist, invisible, though shouts and murmurs, scraps of speech and music drifted down, like echoes from Olympus.


    7


    SHRAPNEL


    THE DRIZZLE HAD STOPPED by mid-morning, and brief glimpses of pale blue sky showed through the clouds, giving me some hope that it might clear by evening. Proverbs and omens quite aside, I didn¡¯t want the wedding ceremonies dampened for Brianna¡¯s sake. It wouldn¡¯t be St. James¡¯s with rice and white satin, but it could at least be dry.


    I rubbed my right hand, working out the cramp from the tooth-pulling pliers; Mr. Goodwin¡¯s broken tooth had been more troublesome to extract than I expected, but I had managed to get it out, roots and all, sending him away with a small bottle of raw whisky, and instructions to swish it round his mouth once an hour to prevent infection. Swallowing was optional.


    I stretched, feeling the pocket under my skirt swing against my leg with a small but gratifying chink. Mr. Goodwin had indeed paid cash; I wondered whether it was enough for an astrolabe, and what on earth Jamie wanted with one. My speculations were disturbed, though, by a small but official-sounding cough behind me.


    I turned around to find Archie Hayes, looking mildly quizzical.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I said. ¡°Ah¡ªcan I help you, Lieutenant?¡±


    ¡°Weel, that¡¯s as may be, Mistress Fraser,¡± he said, looking me over with a slight smile. ¡°Farquard Campbell said his slaves are convinced that ye can raise the dead, so it might be as a bit of stray metal would pose no great trial to your skills as a surgeon?¡±


    Murray MacLeod, overhearing, uttered a loud snort at this, and turned away to his own waiting patients.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said again, and rubbed a finger under my nose, embarrassed. One of Campbell¡¯s slaves had suffered an epileptic seizure four days before, happening to recover abruptly from it just as I laid an exploratory hand on his chest. In vain had I tried to explain what had happened; my fame had spread like wildfire over the mountain.


    Even now, a small group of slaves squatted near the edge of the clearing, playing at knucklebones and waiting ¡¯til the other patients should be attended to. I gave them a narrow eye, just in case; if one of them were dying or dangerously ill, I knew they would make no effort to tell me¡ªboth from deference to my white patients, and from their confident conviction that if anything drastic should happen while they were waiting, I would simply resurrect the corpse at my own convenience and deal with the problem then.


    All of them seemed safely vertical at the moment, though, and likely to remain so for the immediate future. I turned back to Hayes, wiping muddy hands on my apron.


    ¡°Well . . . let me see the bit of metal, why don¡¯t you, and I¡¯ll see what can be done.¡±


    Nothing loath, Hayes stripped off bonnet, coat, waistcoat, stock, and shirt, together with the silver gorget of his office. He handed his garments to the aide who accompanied him, and sat down on my stool, his placid dignity quite unimpaired by partial nak*dness, by the gooseflesh that stippled his back and shoulders, or by the murmur of awed surprise that went up from the waiting slaves at sight of him.


    His torso was nearly hairless, with the pale, suety color of skin that had gone years with no exposure to sunlight, in sharp contrast to the weathered brown of his hands, face, and knees. The contrasts went further than that, though.


    Over the milky skin of his left breast was a huge patch of bluish-black that covered him from ribs to clavicle. And while the nipple on the right was a normal brownish-pink, the one on the left was a startling white. I blinked at the sight, and heard a soft ¡°A Dhia!¡± behind me.


    ¡°A Dhia, tha e ¡¯tionndadh dubh!¡± said another voice, somewhat louder. By God, he is turning black!


    Hayes appeared not to hear any of this, but sat back to let me make my examination. Close inspection revealed that the dark coloration was not natural pigmentation but a mottling caused by the presence of innumerable small dark granules embedded in the skin. The nipple was gone altogether, replaced by a patch of shiny white scar tissue the size of a sixpence.


    ¡°Gunpowder,¡± I said, running my fingertips lightly over the darkened area. I¡¯d seen such things before; caused by a misfire or shot at close range, which drove particles of powder¡ªand often bits of wadding and cloth¡ªinto the deeper layers of the skin. Sure enough, there were small bumps beneath the skin, evident to my fingertips, dark fragments of whatever garment he had been wearing when shot.


    ¡°Is the ball still in you?¡± I could see where it had entered; I touched the white patch, trying to envision the path the bullet might have taken thereafter.


    ¡°Half of it is,¡± he replied tranquilly. ¡°It shattered. When the surgeon went to dig it out, he gave me the bits of it. When I fitted them together after, I couldna make but half a ball, so the rest of it must have stayed.¡±


    ¡°Shattered? A wonder the pieces didn¡¯t go through your heart or your lung,¡± I said, squatting down in order to squint more closely at the injury.


    ¡°Oh, it did,¡± he informed me. ¡°At least, I suppose that it must, for it came in at my breest as ye see¡ªbut it¡¯s keekin¡¯ out from my back just now.¡±


    To the astonishment of the multitudes¡ªas well as my own¡ªhe was right. I could not only feel a small lump, just under the outer border of his left scapula, I could actually see it; a darkish swelling pressing against the soft white skin.


    ¡°I will be damned,¡± I said, and he gave a small grunt of amusement, whether at my surprise or my language, I couldn¡¯t tell.


    Odd as it was, the bit of shrapnel presented no surgical difficulty. I dipped a cloth into my bowl of distilled alcohol, wiped the area carefully, sterilized a scalpel, and cut quickly into the skin. Hayes sat quite still as I did it; he was a soldier and a Scot, and as the markings on his breast bore witness, he had endured much worse than this.


    I spread two fingers and pressed them on either side of the incision; the lips of the small slit pouted, then a dark, jagged bit of metal suddenly protruded like a stuck-out tongue¡ªfar enough for me to grasp it with forceps and pull it free. I dropped the discolored lump into Hayes¡¯s hand, with a small exclamation of triumph, then clapped a pad soaked with alcohol against his back.


    He expelled a long breath between pursed lips, and smiled over his shoulder at me.


    ¡°I thank ye, Mrs. Fraser. This wee fellow has been wi¡¯ me for some time now, but I canna say as I¡¯m grieved to part company with him.¡± He cupped his blood-smeared palm, peering at the bit of fractured metal in it with great interest.


    ¡°How long ago did it happen?¡± I asked curiously. I didn¡¯t think the bit of shrapnel had actually passed completely through his body, though it certainly gave the illusion of having done so. More likely, I thought, it had remained near the surface of the original wound, and traveled slowly round the torso, propelled between skin and muscle by Hayes¡¯s movements, until reaching its present location.


    ¡°Oh, twenty year and more, mistress,¡± he said. He touched the patch of tough, numbed white that had once been one of the most sensitive spots on his body. ¡°That happened at Culloden.¡±


    He spoke casually, but I felt gooseflesh ripple over my arms at the name. Twenty years and more . . . twenty-five, more like. At which point . . .

 Page 21

    ¡°You can¡¯t have been more than twelve!¡± I said.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied, one eyebrow lifted. ¡°Eleven. My birthday was the next day, though.¡±


    I choked back whatever I might have said in reply. I had thought I had lost my capacity to be shocked by the realities of the past, but evidently not. Someone had shot him¡ªan eleven-year-old boy¡ªat point-blank range. No chance of mistake, no shot gone awry in the heat of battle. The man who had shot him had known it was a child he meant to kill¡ªand had fired, anyway.


    My lips pressed tight as I examined my incision. No more than an inch long, and not deep; the fractured ball had lain just below the surface. Good, it wouldn¡¯t need stitching. I pressed a clean pad to the wound and moved in front of him, to fasten the linen strip that bound it in place.


    ¡°A miracle you survived,¡± I said.


    ¡°It was that,¡± he agreed. ¡°I was lyin¡¯ on the ground, and Murchison¡¯s face over me, and I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Murchison!¡± The exclamation popped out of me, and I saw a flicker of satisfaction cross Hayes¡¯s face. I had a brief premonitory qualm, remembering what Jamie had said about Hayes the night before. He thinks more than he says, does wee Archie¡ªand he talks quite a lot. Be careful of him, Sassenach. Well, a little late for caution¡ªbut I doubted it could matter; even if it had been the same Murchison¡ª


    ¡°You¡¯ll ken the name, I see,¡± Hayes observed pleasantly. ¡°I had heard in England that a Sergeant Murchison of the 26th was sent to North Carolina. But the garrison at Cross Creek was gone when we reached the town¡ªa fire, was it?¡±


    ¡°Er, yes,¡± I said, rather edgy at this reference. I was glad that Bree had left; only two people knew the whole truth of what had happened when the Crown¡¯s warehouse on Cross Creek burned, and she was one of them. As for the other¡ªwell, Stephen Bonnet was not likely to cross paths with the Lieutenant anytime soon¡ªif Bonnet himself was still alive.


    ¡°And the men of the garrison,¡± Hayes pursued, ¡°Murchison and the rest¡ªwhere have they gone, d¡¯ye know?¡±


    ¡°Sergeant Murchison is dead,¡± said a deep, soft voice behind me. ¡°Alas.¡±


    Hayes looked beyond me and smiled.


    ¡°A Sheumais ruaidh,¡± he said. ¡°I did think ye might come to your wife, sooner or later. I¡¯ve been seekin¡¯ ye the morn.¡±


    I was startled at the name, and so was Jamie; a look of surprise flashed across his features, then disappeared, replaced by wariness. No one had called him ¡°Red Jamie¡± since the days of the Rising.


    ¡°I heard,¡± he said dryly. He sat down on my extra stool, facing Hayes. ¡°Let¡¯s have it, then. What is it?¡±


    Hayes pulled up the sporran that dangled between his knees, rummaged for a moment, and pulled out a square of folded paper, secured with a red wax seal, marked with a crest I recognized. My heart skipped a beat at the sight; I somehow doubted that Governor Tryon was sending me a belated birthday wish.


    Hayes turned it over, checked carefully to see that the name inscribed on the front was Jamie¡¯s, and handed it across. To my surprise, Jamie didn¡¯t open it at once, but sat holding it, eyes fixed on Hayes¡¯s face.


    ¡°What brought ye here?¡± he asked abruptly.


    ¡°Ah, duty, to be sure,¡± Hayes answered, thin brows arched in innocent astonishment. ¡°Does a soldier do aught for any other reason?¡±


    ¡°Duty,¡± Jamie repeated. He tapped the missive idly against his leg. ¡°Aye, well. Duty might take ye from Charleston to Virginia, but there are quicker ways to get there.¡±


    Hayes started to shrug, but desisted at once, as the movement jarred the shoulder I was bandaging.


    ¡°I had the Proclamation to bring, from Governor Tryon.¡±


    ¡°The Governor¡¯s no authority over you or your men.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Hayes agreed, ¡°but why should I not do the man a service, and I could?¡±


    ¡°Aye, and did he ask ye to do him the service, or was it your own notion?¡± Jamie said, a distinct tone of cynicism in his voice.


    ¡°Ye¡¯ve grown a bit suspicious in your auld age, a Sheumais ruaidh,¡± Hayes said, shaking his head reprovingly.


    ¡°That¡¯s how I¡¯ve lived to grow as auld as I have,¡± Jamie replied, smiling slightly. He paused, eyeing Hayes. ¡°Ye say it was a man named Murchison who shot ye on the field at Drumossie?¡±


    I had finished the bandaging; Hayes moved his shoulder experimentally, testing for pain.


    ¡°Why, ye kent that, surely, a Sheumais ruaidh. D¡¯ye not recall the day, man?¡±


    Jamie¡¯s face changed subtly, and I felt a small tremor of unease. The fact was that Jamie had almost no memory of the last day of the clans, of the slaughter that had left so many bleeding in the rain¡ªhim among them. I knew that small scenes from that day came back to him now and again in his sleep, fragments of nightmare¡ªbut whether it was from trauma, injury, or simple force of will, the Battle of Culloden was lost to him¡ªor had been, until now. I didn¡¯t think he wanted it back.


    ¡°A great deal happened then,¡± he said. ¡°I dinna remember everything, no.¡± He bent his head abruptly, and thrust a thumb beneath the fold of the letter, opening it so roughly that the wax seal shattered into fragments.


    ¡°Your husband¡¯s a modest man, Mistress Fraser.¡± Hayes nodded to me as he summoned his aide with a flip of the hand. ¡°Has he never told ye what he did that day?¡±


    ¡°There was a good bit of gallantry on that field,¡± Jamie muttered, head bent over the letter. ¡°And quite a bit of the reverse.¡± I didn¡¯t think he was reading; his eyes were fixed, as though he were seeing something else, beyond the paper that he held.


    ¡°Aye, there was,¡± Hayes agreed. ¡°But it does seem worth remark, when a man¡¯s saved your life, no?¡±


    Jamie¡¯s head jerked up at that, startled. I moved across to stand behind him, a hand laid lightly on his shoulder. Hayes took the shirt from his aide and put it slowly on, smiling in an odd, half-watchful way.


    ¡°Ye dinna recall how ye struck Murchison across the head, just as he was set to bayonet me on the ground? And then ye picked me up and carried me from the field, awa to a bittie well nearby? One of the chiefs lay on the grass there, and his men were bathin¡¯ his heid in the water, but I could see he was deid, he lay so still. There was someone there to tend me; they wished ye to stay, too, for ye were wounded and bleeding, but ye would not. Ye wished me well, in the name of St. Michael¡ªand went back then, to the field.¡±


    Hayes settled the chain of his gorget, adjusting the small silver crescent beneath his chin. Without his stock, his throat looked bare, defenseless.


    ¡°Ye looked fair wild, man, for there was blood runnin¡¯ doon your face and your hair was loose on the wind. Ye¡¯d sheathed your sword to carry me, but ye pulled it again as ye turned away. I didna think I should see ye again, for if ever I saw a man set to meet his death . . .¡±


    He shook his head, his eyes half-closed, as though he saw not the sober, stalwart man before him, not the Fraser of Fraser¡¯s Ridge¡ªbut Red Jamie, the young warrior who had not gone back from gallantry, but because he sought to throw his life away, feeling it a burden¡ªbecause he had lost me.


    ¡°Did I?¡± Jamie muttered. ¡°I had . . . forgotten.¡± I could feel the tension in him, singing like a stretched wire under my hand. A pulse beat quick in the artery beneath his ear. There were things he had forgotten, but not that. Neither had I.


    Hayes bent his head, as his aide fastened the stock around his neck, then straightened and nodded to me.


    ¡°I thank ye, ma¡¯am, ¡¯twas most gracious of ye.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± I said, dry-mouthed. ¡°My pleasure.¡± It had come on to rain again; the cold drops struck my hands and face, and moisture glimmered on the strong bones of Jamie¡¯s face, caught trembling in his hair and thick lashes.


    Hayes shrugged himself into his coat, and fastened the loop of his plaid with a small gilt brooch¡ªthe brooch his father had given him, before Culloden.


    ¡°So Murchison is dead,¡± he said, as though to himself. ¡°I did hear¡±¡ªhis fingers fumbled for a moment with the clasp of the brooch¡ª¡°as how there were two brothers of that name, alike as peas in the pod.¡±


    ¡°There were,¡± Jamie said. He looked up then, and met Hayes¡¯s eyes. The Lieutenant¡¯s face showed no more than mild interest.


    ¡°Ah. And would ye know, then, which it was? . . .¡±


    ¡°No. But it is no matter; both are dead.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Hayes said again. He stood a moment, as though thinking, then bowed to Jamie, formally, bonnet held against his chest.


    ¡°Buidheachas dhut, a Sheumais mac Brian. And may Blessed Michael defend you.¡± He lifted the bonnet briefly to me, clapped it on his head, and turned to go, his aide following in silence.


    A gust of wind blew through the clearing, with a chilly burst of rain upon it, so like the freezing April rain of Culloden. Jamie shivered suddenly beside me, with a deep, convulsive shudder that crumpled the letter he still held in his hand.


    ¡°How much do you remember?¡± I asked, looking after Hayes, as he picked his way across the blood-soaked ground.


    ¡°Almost nothing,¡± he replied. He stood up and turned to look down at me, his eyes as dark as the clouded skies above. ¡°And that is still too much.¡±


    He handed me the crumpled letter. The rain had blotted and smeared the ink here and there, but it was still quite readable. By contrast to the Proclamation, it contained two sentences¡ªbut the additional period didn¡¯t dilute its impact.


    New Bern, 20 October


    Colonel James Fraser


    Whereas the Peace and good Order of this Government has been lately violated and much Injury done to the Persons and Properties of many Inhabitants of this Province by a Body of People who Stile themselves Regulators, I do by the Advice of his Majesty¡¯s Council Order and direct you forthwith to call a General Muster of so many Men as you Judge suitable to serve in a Regiment of Militia, and make Report to me as soon as possible of the Number of Volunteers that are willing to turn out in the Service of their King and Country, when called upon, and also what Number of effective Men belong to your Regiment who can be ordered out in case of an Emergency, and in case any further Violence should be attempted to be committed by the Insurgents. Your Diligent and punctual Obedience to these Orders will be well received by


    Your Obed¡¯t. Servant,


    William Tryon


    I folded the rain-spotted letter neatly up, noticing remotely that my hands were shaking. Jamie took it from me, and held it between thumb and forefinger, as though it were some disagreeable object¡ªas indeed it was. His mouth quirked wryly as he met my eyes.


    ¡°I had hoped for a little more time,¡± he said.


    8


    THE FACTOR


    AFTER BRIANNA LEFT TO RETRIEVE Jemmy from Jocasta¡¯s tent, Roger made his way slowly up the hill toward their own campsite. He exchanged greetings and accepted congratulations from people he passed, but scarcely heard what was said to him.


    There¡¯ll be a next time, she¡¯d said. He held the words close, turning them over in his mind like a handful of coins in his pocket. She hadn¡¯t been just saying it. She meant it, and it was a promise that at the moment meant even more to him than the ones she¡¯d made on their first wedding night.

 Page 22

    The thought of weddings reminded him, finally, that there was in fact another coming. He glanced down at himself, and saw that Bree hadn¡¯t been exaggerating about his appearance. Damn, and it was Jamie¡¯s coat, too.


    He began to brush off the pine needles and streaks of mud, but was interrupted by a halloo from the path above. He looked up, to see Duncan Innes making his way carefully down the steep slope, body canted to compensate for his missing arm. Duncan had put on his splendid coat, scarlet with blue facings and gold buttons, and his hair was plaited tight under a stylish new black hat. The transformation from Highland fisherman to prosperous landowner was startling; even Duncan¡¯s attitude seemed changed, more confident by half.


    Duncan was accompanied by a tall, thin, elderly gentleman, very neat but threadbare in appearance, his scanty white locks tied back from a high and balding brow. His mouth had collapsed from lack of teeth, but retained its humorous curve, and his eyes were blue and bright, set in a long face whose skin was stretched so tight across the bone as scarce to leave enough to wrinkle round the eyes, though deep lines carved the mouth and brow. With a long-beaked nose, and clad in rusty, tattered black, he looked like a genial vulture.


    ¡°A Sme¨°raich,¡± Duncan hailed Roger, looking pleased. ¡°The very man I hoped to find! And I trust you¡¯re weel-fettled against your marriage?¡± he added, his eyes falling quizzically on Roger¡¯s stained coat and leaf-strewn hair.


    ¡°Oh, aye.¡± Roger cleared his throat, converting his coat-brushing to a brief thump of his chest, as though to loosen phlegm. ¡°Damp weather for a wedding, though, eh?¡±


    ¡°Happy the corpse the rain falls on,¡± Duncan agreed, and laughed, a little nervously. ¡°Still, we¡¯ll hope not to die o¡¯ the pleurisy before we¡¯re wed, eh, lad?¡± He settled the fine crimson coat more snugly on his shoulders, flicking an imaginary speck of dust from the cuff.


    ¡°You¡¯re very fine, Duncan,¡± Roger said, hoping to distract attention from his own disreputable state with a bit of raillery. ¡°Quite like a bridegroom!¡±


    Duncan flushed a little behind his drooping mustache, and his one hand twiddled with the crested buttons on his coat.


    ¡°Ah, well,¡± he said, seeming mildly embarrassed. ¡°Miss Jo did say as she didna wish to stand up wi¡¯ a scarecrow.¡± He coughed, and turned abruptly to his companion, as though the word had suddenly reminded him of the man¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Mr. Bug, here¡¯s Himself¡¯s good-son, Roger Mac, him I tellt ye of.¡± He turned back toward Roger, waving vaguely at his companion, who stepped forward, extending his hand with a stiff but cordial bow. ¡°This will be Arch Bug, a Sme¨°raich.¡±


    ¡°Your servant, Mr. Bug,¡± Roger said politely, slightly startled to observe that the large bony hand gripping his was missing its first two fingers.


    ¡°Ump,¡± Mr. Bug replied, his manner indicating that he reciprocated the sentiment sincerely. He might have intended to expand on the subject, but when he opened his mouth, a high-pitched feminine voice, a little cracked with age, seemed to emerge from it.


    ¡°It¡¯s that kind, sir, of Mr. Fraser, and I¡¯m sure as he¡¯ll have nay reason to regret it, indeed he¡¯ll not, as I said to him myself. I canna tell ye what a blessing it is, and us not sure where our next bite was comin¡¯ from or how to keep a roof above our heads! I said to Arch, I said, now we must just trust in Christ and Our Lady, and if we mun starve, we shall do it in a state of grace, and Arch, he says to me . . .¡±


    A small, round woman, threadbare and elderly as her husband, but likewise neatly mended, emerged into view, still talking. Short as she was, Roger hadn¡¯t seen her, hidden behind the voluminous skirts of her husband¡¯s ancient coat.


    ¡°Mistress Bug,¡± Duncan whispered to him, unnecessarily.


    ¡°. . . and no but a silver ha¡¯penny to bless ourselves with, and me a-wondering whatever was to become of us, and then that Sally McBride was sayin¡¯ as how she¡¯d heard that Jamie Fraser had need of a good¡ª¡±


    Mr. Bug smiled above his wife¡¯s head. She halted in mid-sentence, eyes widening in shock at the state of Roger¡¯s coat.


    ¡°Why, look at that! Whatever have ye been up to, lad? Have ye had an accident? It looks as though someone¡¯s knocked ye down and dragged ye by your heels through the dung heap!¡±


    Not waiting for answers, she whipped a clean kerchief from the bulging pocket tied at her waist, spat liberally on it, and began industriously cleaning the muddy smears from the breast of his coat.


    ¡°Oh, you needn¡¯t . . . I mean . . . er . . . thanks.¡± Roger felt as though he¡¯d been caught in some kind of machinery. He glanced at Duncan, hoping for rescue.


    ¡°Jamie Roy¡¯s asked Mr. Bug to come and be factor at the Ridge.¡± Duncan seized the momentary lull afforded by Mrs. Bug¡¯s preoccupation to give a word of explanation.


    ¡°Factor?¡± Roger felt a small jolt at the word, as though someone had punched him just beneath the breastbone.


    ¡°Aye, for times when Himself must be abroad or occupied with other business. For it¡¯s true enough¡ªfields and tenants dinna tend themselves.¡±


    Duncan spoke with a certain note of ruefulness; once a simple fisherman from Coigach, he frequently found the responsibilities of running a large plantation onerous, and he glanced now at Mr. Bug with a small gleam of covetousness, as though he thought momentarily of tucking this useful person into his pocket and taking him home to River Run. Of course, Roger reflected, that would have meant taking Mrs. Bug, too.


    ¡°And just the thing it is, too, such good fortune, and me telling Arch just yesterday that the best we might hope for was to find work in Edenton or Cross Creek, with Arch maybe takin¡¯ to the boats, but that¡¯s such a perilous living, is it no? Wet to the skin half the time and deadly agues risin¡¯ up from the swamps like ghoulies and the air sae thick wi¡¯ the miasma as it¡¯s not fit to breathe, and me perhaps to be takin¡¯ in laundry in the toon whilst he was gone abroad on the water, though I¡¯m sure I should hate that, for we havena been apart one night since we married, have we, my dearie?¡±


    She cast a glance of devotion upward at her tall husband, who smiled gently down at her. Perhaps Mr. Bug was deaf, Roger thought. Or perhaps they had only been married a week?


    Without his needing to inquire, though, he was informed that the Bugs had been husband and wife for more than forty years. Arch Bug had been a minor tacksman to Malcolm Grant of Glenmoriston, but the years after the Rising had been hard. The estate he had held for Grant having been confiscated by the English Crown, Bug had made do for some years as a crofter, but then had been obliged by hardship and starvation to take his wife and their little remaining money and seek a new life in America.


    ¡°We had thought to try in Edinburgh¡ª¡± the old gentleman said, his speech slow and courtly, with a soft Highland lilt. So he wasn¡¯t deaf, Roger thought. Yet.


    ¡°¡ªfor I had a cousin there as was to do wi¡¯ one of the banking houses, and we thought that perhaps it would be that he could speak a word in someone¡¯s ear¡ª¡±


    ¡°But I was far too ancient and lacked sufficient skill¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªand lucky they would have been to have him, too! But nay, such fools as they were, they wouldna think of it, and so we had to come awa and try if we might . . .¡±


    Duncan met Roger¡¯s eye and hid a smile beneath his drooping mustache as the tale of the Bugs¡¯ adventures poured out in this syncopated fashion. Roger returned the smile, trying privately to dismiss a niggling sense of discomfort.


    Factor. Someone to oversee matters on the Ridge, to mind the planting, tend the harvest, deal with the concerns of tenants when Jamie Fraser was away or busy. An obvious necessity, with the recent influx of new tenants and the knowledge of what the next few years would bring.


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment, though, that Roger realized that he had subconsciously assumed that he would be Jamie¡¯s right hand in such affairs. Or the left, at least.


    Fergus assisted Jamie to some extent, riding on errands and fetching back information. Fergus¡¯s lack of a hand limited what he could do physically, though, and he couldn¡¯t be dealing with the paperwork or accounts; Jenny Murray had taught the French orphan her brother had adopted to read¡ªafter a fashion¡ªbut had failed utterly to give him a grasp of numbers.


    Roger stole a glance at Mr. Bug¡¯s hand, resting now in affection on his wife¡¯s plump shoulder. It was broad, work-worn, and strong-looking despite the mutilation, but the remaining fingers were badly twisted with arthritis, the joints knobby and painful in appearance.


    So Jamie thought that even an elderly, half-crippled man would be better equipped than Roger to handle the affairs of Fraser¡¯s Ridge? That was an unexpectedly bitter thought.


    He knew his father-in-law had doubts of his ability, beyond any father¡¯s natural mistrust of the man bedding his daughter. Totally tone-deaf himself, Jamie would naturally not value Roger¡¯s musical gift. And while Roger was decently sized and hardworking, it was unfortunately true that he had little practical knowledge of animal husbandry, hunting, or the use of deadly weapons. And granted, he had no great experience in farming or in running a large estate¡ªwhich Mr. Bug plainly did. Roger would be the first to admit these things.


    But he was Jamie¡¯s son-in-law, or about to be. Damn it, Duncan had just introduced him that way! He might have been raised in another time¡ªbut he was a Highland Scot, for all that, and he was well aware that blood and kinship counted for more than anything.


    The husband of an only daughter would normally be considered as the son of the house, coming only second to the head of the household in authority and respect. Unless there was something drastically wrong with him. If he were commonly known to be a drunkard, for instance¡ªor criminally dissolute. Or feeble-minded . . . Christ, was that what Jamie thought of him? A hopeless numpty?


    ¡°Sit ye doon, young man, and I¡¯ll attend to this fine boorachie,¡± Mrs. Bug interrupted these dark musings. She pulled on his sleeve, making clicking noises of disapproval as she viewed the leaves and twigs in his hair.


    ¡°Look at ye, all gluthered and blashed about! Fightin¡¯, was it? Och, weel, I hope the other fellow looks worse, that¡¯s all I can say.¡±


    Before he could protest, she had him seated on a rock, had whipped a wooden comb from her pocket and the thong from his hair, and was dealing with his disordered locks in a brisk manner that felt calculated to rip several strands from his scalp.


    ¡°Thrush, is it, they call ye?¡± Mrs. Bug paused in her tonsorial activity, holding up a strand of glossy black and squinting suspiciously at it, as though in search of vermin.


    ¡°Oh, aye, but it¡¯s no for the color of his bonnie black locks,¡± Duncan put in, grinning at Roger¡¯s obvious discomfiture. ¡°It¡¯s for the singin¡¯. Honey-throated as a wee nightingale, is Roger Mac.¡±


    ¡°Singing?¡± cried Mrs. Bug. She dropped the lock of hair, enchanted. ¡°Was it you we heard last night, then? Singin¡¯ ¡®Ceann-r¨¤ra,¡¯ and ¡®Loch Ruadhainn¡¯? And playin¡¯ on the bodhran with it?¡±

 Page 23

    ¡°Well, it might have been,¡± Roger murmured modestly. The lady¡¯s unbounded admiration¡ªexpressed at great length¡ªflattered him, and made him ashamed of his momentary resentment of her husband. After all, he thought, seeing the shabbiness of her much-mended apron, and the lines in her face, the old people had clearly had a hard time of it. Perhaps Jamie had hired them as much from charity as from his own need of help.


    That made him feel somewhat better, and he thanked Mrs. Bug very graciously for her assistance.


    ¡°Will ye come along to our fire now?¡± he asked, with an inquiring glance at Mr. Bug. ¡°Ye¡¯ll not have met Mrs. Fraser yet, I suppose, or¡ª¡±


    He was interrupted by a noise like a fire engine¡¯s siren, distant but obviously coming closer. Quite familiar with this particular racket, he was not surprised to see his father-in-law emerge from one of the trails that crisscrossed the mountain, Jem squirming and squalling like a scalded cat in his arms.


    Jamie, looking mildly harried, handed the child across to Roger. Roger took him and¡ªfor lack of any other inspiration¡ªstuck his thumb in the wide-open mouth. The noise ceased abruptly, and everyone relaxed.


    ¡°What a sweet laddie!¡± Mrs. Bug stood a-tiptoe to coo over Jem, while Jamie, looking highly relieved, turned to greet Mr. Bug and Duncan.


    ¡°Sweet¡± was not the adjective Roger himself would have chosen. ¡°Berserk¡± seemed more like it. The baby was bright red in the face, the tracks of tears staining his cheeks, and he sucked furiously on the sustaining thumb, eyes squashed shut in an effort to escape a patently unsatisfactory world. What hair he had was sticking up in sweaty spikes and whorls, and he had come out of his wrappings, which hung in disreputable folds and draggles. He also smelled like a neglected privy, for reasons which were all too obvious.


    An experienced father, Roger at once instituted emergency measures.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Bree?¡±


    ¡°God knows, and He¡¯s no telling,¡± Jamie said briefly. ¡°I¡¯ve been searchin¡¯ the mountainside for her since the wean woke in my arms and decided he wasna satisfied wi¡¯ my company.¡± He sniffed suspiciously at the hand which had been holding his grandson, then wiped it on the skirts of his coat.


    ¡°He¡¯s not so very pleased with mine, either, seems like.¡± Jem was champing on the thumb, drool running down his chin and over Roger¡¯s wrist, uttering squeals of frustration. ¡°Have ye seen Marsali, then?¡± He knew Brianna didn¡¯t like anyone to feed Jemmy but herself, but this was plainly an emergency. He cast an eye about, hoping to spot a nursing mother somewhere nearby who might take pity on the child, if not on him.


    ¡°Let me have the poor wee bairnie,¡± said Mrs. Bug, reaching for the baby and immediately altering her status from chattering busybody to angel of light, so far as Roger was concerned.


    ¡°There, now, a leannan, there, there.¡± Recognizing a higher authority when he saw it, Jemmy promptly shut up, his eyes rounded with awe as he regarded Mrs. Bug. She sat down with the little boy on her lap and began to deal with him in the same firm and efficient manner with which she had just dealt with his father. Roger thought that perhaps Jamie had hired the wrong Bug to be factor.


    Arch, though, was exhibiting both intelligence and competence, asking sensible questions of Jamie regarding stock, crops, tenants, and so forth. But I could do that, Roger thought, following the conversation closely. Some of it, he amended honestly, as the talk suddenly veered into a discussion of bag-rot. Perhaps Jamie was right to seek someone more knowledgeable . . . but Roger could learn, after all. . . .


    ¡°And who¡¯s the bonnie laddie, noo?¡± Mrs. Bug had risen to her feet, cooing over Jemmy, now respectably transformed into a tightly swaddled cocoon. She traced the line of a round cheek with one stubby finger, then glanced at Roger. ¡°Aye, aye, he¡¯s eyes just like his father, then, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    Roger flushed, forgetting about bag-rot.


    ¡°Oh? I should say he favors his mother, mostly.¡±


    Mrs. Bug pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at Roger, then shook her head decidedly, and patted Jem on the top of his head.


    ¡°Not the hair, maybe, but the shape of him, aye, that¡¯s yours, lad. Those fine broad shoulders!¡± She gave Roger a brief nod of approval, and kissed Jem on the brow. ¡°Why, I shouldna be surprised but what his een will turn green as he ages, either. Mark me, lad, he¡¯ll be the spit of you by the time he¡¯s grown! Won¡¯t ye, wee mannie?¡± She nuzzled Jemmy. ¡°Ye¡¯ll be a big, braw lad like your Da, won¡¯t ye, then?¡±


    It¡¯s the usual thing folk say, he reminded himself, trying to quell the absurd rush of pleasure he felt at her words. The old wifies, they always say how a bairn resembles this one or that one. He discovered suddenly that he was afraid even to admit the possibility that Jemmy could really be his¡ªhe wanted it so badly. He told himself firmly that it didn¡¯t matter; whether the boy was his by blood or not, he would love and care for him as his son. He would, of course. But it did matter, he found¡ªoh, it did.


    Before he could say anything further to Mrs. Bug, though, Mr. Bug turned toward him, to include him courteously in the men¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°MacKenzie, is it?¡± he asked. ¡°And will ye be one of the MacKenzies of Torridon, then, or maybe from Kilmarnock?¡±


    Roger had been fielding similar questions all through the Gathering; exploring a person¡¯s antecedents was the normal beginning of any Scottish conversation¡ªsomething that wouldn¡¯t change a bit in the next two hundred years, he thought, wariness tempered by the comfortable familiarity of the process. Before he could answer, though, Jamie¡¯s hand squeezed his shoulder.


    ¡°Roger Mac¡¯s kin to me on my mother¡¯s side,¡± he said casually. ¡°It will be MacKenzie of Leoch, aye?¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye?¡± Arch Bug looked impressed. ¡°You¡¯re far afield, then, lad!¡±


    ¡°Och, no more than yourself, sir, surely¡ªor anyone here, for that matter.¡± Roger waved briefly at the mountainside above, from which the sounds of Gaelic shouts and the music of bagpipes drifted on the damp air.


    ¡°No, no, lad!¡± Mrs. Bug, Jemmy propped against her shoulder, rejoined the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s no what Arch is meanin¡¯,¡± she explained. ¡°It¡¯s that you¡¯re a good long way from the others.¡±


    ¡°Others?¡± Roger exchanged a look with Jamie, who shrugged, equally puzzled.


    ¡°From Leoch,¡± Arch got in, before his wife seized the thread of talk between her teeth.


    ¡°We did hear it on the ship, aye? There were a gaggle of them, all MacKenzies, all from the lands south of the auld castle. They¡¯d stayed on after the laird left, him and the first lot, but now they meant to go and join what was left o¡¯ the clan, and see could they mend their fortunes, because¡ª¡±


    ¡°The laird?¡± Jamie interrupted her sharply. ¡°That would be Hamish mac Callum?¡± Hamish, son of Colum, Roger translated to himself, and paused. Or rather, Hamish mac Dougal¡ªbut there were only five people in the world who knew that. Perhaps only four, now.


    Mrs. Bug was nodding emphatically. ¡°Aye, aye, it is himself they were calling so. Hamish mac Callum MacKenzie, laird of Leoch. The third laird. They said it, just so. And¡ª¡±


    Jamie had evidently caught the knack of dealing with Mrs. Bug; by dint of ruthless interruption, he succeeded in extracting the story in less time than Roger would have thought possible. Castle Leoch had been destroyed by the English, in the purge of the Highlands following Culloden. So much Jamie had known, but, imprisoned himself, had had no word of the fate of those who lived there.


    ¡°And no great heart to ask,¡± he added, with a rueful tilt of the head. The Bugs glanced at each other and sighed in unison, the same hint of melancholy shadowing their eyes that shaded Jamie¡¯s voice. It was a look Roger was well accustomed to by now.


    ¡°But if Hamish mac Callum still lives . . .¡± Jamie had not taken his hand from Roger¡¯s shoulder, and at this it squeezed tight. ¡°That¡¯s news to gladden the heart, no?¡± He smiled at Roger, with such obvious joy that Roger felt an unexpected grin break out on his own face in answer.


    ¡°Aye,¡± he said, the weight on his heart lightening. ¡°Aye, it is!¡± The fact that he would not know Hamish mac Callum MacKenzie from a hole in the ground was unimportant; the man was indeed kin to him¡ªblood kin¡ªand that was a glad thought.


    ¡°Where have they gone, then?¡± Jamie demanded, dropping his hand. ¡°Hamish and his followers?¡±


    To Acadia¡ªto Canada, the Bugs agreed. To Nova Scotia? To Maine? No¡ªto an island, they decided, after a convoluted conference. Or was it perhaps¡ª


    Jemmy interrupted the proceedings with a yowl indicating imminent starvation, and Mrs. Bug started as though poked with a stick.


    ¡°We mun be takin¡¯ this puir lad to his Mam,¡± she said rebukingly, dividing a glare impartially among the four men, as though accusing them collectively of conspiracy to murder the child. ¡°Where does your camp lie, Mr. Fraser?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll guide ye, ma¡¯am,¡± Duncan said hastily. ¡°Come wi¡¯ me.¡±


    Roger started after the Bugs, but Jamie kept him with a hand on his arm.


    ¡°Nay, let Duncan take them,¡± he said, dismissing the Bugs with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll speak wi¡¯ Arch later. I¡¯ve a thing I must say to you, a chliamhuinn.¡±


    Roger felt himself tense a bit at the formal term of address. So, was this where Jamie told him just what defects of character and background made him unsuitable to take responsibility for things at Fraser¡¯s Ridge?


    But no, Jamie was bringing out a crumpled paper from his sporran. He handed it to Roger with a slight grimace, as though the paper burned his hand. Roger scanned it quickly, then glanced up from the Governor¡¯s brief message.


    ¡°Militia. How soon?¡±


    Jamie lifted one shoulder.


    ¡°No one can say, but sooner than any of us should like, I think.¡± He gave Roger a faint, unhappy smile. ¡°Ye¡¯ll have heard the talk round the fires?¡±


    Roger nodded soberly. He had heard the talk in the intervals of the singing, around the edges of the stone-throwing contests, among the men drinking in small groups under the trees the day before. There had been a fistfight at the caber-tossing¡ªquickly stopped, and with no damage done¡ªbut anger hung in the air of the Gathering, like a bad smell.


    Jamie rubbed a hand over his face and through his hair, and shrugged, sighing.


    ¡°¡¯Twas luck I should have come across auld Arch Bug and his wife today. If it comes to the fighting¡ªand it will, I suppose, later, if not now¡ªthen Claire will ride with us. I shouldna like to leave Brianna to manage on her own, and it can be helped.¡±


    Roger felt the small nagging weight of doubt drop away, as all became suddenly clear.


    ¡°On her own. You mean¡ªye want me to come? To help raise men for the militia?¡±


    Jamie gave him a puzzled look.


    ¡°Aye, who else?¡±


    He pulled the edges of his plaid higher about his shoulders, hunched against the rising wind. ¡°Come along, then, Captain MacKenzie,¡± he said, a wry note in his voice. ¡°We¡¯ve work to do before you¡¯re wed.¡±

 Page 24

    9


    GERM OF DISSENT


    I PEERED UP THE NOSE of one of Farquard Campbell¡¯s slaves, half my mind on the nasal polyp obstructing the nostril, the other half on Governor Tryon. Of the two, I felt more charitably toward the polyp, and I intended to cauterize that out of existence with a hot iron.


    It seemed so bloody unfair, I thought, frowning as I sterilized my scalpel and set the smallest cauterizing iron in a dish of hot coals.


    Was this the beginning? Or one of them? It was the end of 1770; in five years more, all of the thirteen Colonies would be at war. But each colony would come to that point by a different process. Having lived in Boston for so long, I knew from Bree¡¯s school lessons what the process had been¡ªor would be¡ªfor Massachusetts. Tax, Boston Massacre, Harbor, Hancock, Adams, Tea Party, all that. But North Carolina? How had it happened¡ªhow would it happen¡ªhere?


    It could be happening now. Dissension had been simmering for several years between the planters of the eastern seaboard and the hardscrabble homesteaders of the western backcountry. The Regulators were mostly drawn from the latter class; the former were wholeheartedly in Tryon¡¯s camp¡ªon the side of the Crown, that was to say.


    ¡°All right now?¡± I had given the slave a good slug of medicinal whisky, by way of fortification. I smiled encouragingly, and he nodded, looking uncertain but resigned.


    I had never heard of Regulators, but here they were, nonetheless¡ªand I had seen enough by now to know just how much the history books left out. Were the seeds of revolution being sown directly under my own nose?


    Murmuring soothingly, I wrapped a linen napkin round my left hand, took firm hold of the slave¡¯s chin with it, poked the scalpel up his nostril and severed the polyp with a deft flick of the blade. It bled profusely, of course, the blood gushing warmly through the cloth round my hand, but evidently was not very painful. The slave looked surprised, but not distressed.


    The cautery iron was shaped like a tiny spade, a bit of square, flattened metal on the end of a slender rod with a wooden handle. The flat bit was smoking in the fire, the edges glowing red. I pressed the cloth hard against the man¡¯s nose to blot the blood, took it away, and in the split second before the blood spurted out again, pressed the hot iron up his nose against the septum, hoping against hope that I¡¯d got the proper spot.


    The slave made a strangled noise in his throat, but didn¡¯t move, though tears poured down his cheeks, wet and warm on my fingers. The smell of searing blood and flesh was just the same as the scent that rose from the barbecue pits. My stomach growled loudly; the slave¡¯s bulging, bloodshot eye met mine, astonished. My mouth twitched, and he giggled faintly through the tears and snot.


    I took the iron away, cloth poised. No fresh blood flowed. I tilted the man¡¯s head far back, squinting to see, and was pleased to find the small, clean mark, high on the mucosa. The burn would be a vivid red, I knew, but without the light of a scope, it looked black, a small scab hidden like a tick in the hairy shadows of the nostril.


    The man spoke no English; I smiled at him, but addressed his companion, a young woman who had clutched his hand throughout the ordeal.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be quite all right. Tell him, please, not to pick at the scab. If there should be swelling, pus or fever¡±¡ªI paused, for the next line should be¡ª¡°go to your doctor at once,¡± and that was not an option.


    ¡°Go to your mistress,¡± I said, instead, reluctantly. ¡°Or find an herb-woman.¡± The present Mrs. Campbell was young, and rather muddleheaded, from the little I knew of her. Still, any plantation mistress should have the knowledge and wherewithal to treat a fever. And if it should go past simple infection and into septicemia . . . well, there was not much anyone could do, in that case.


    I patted the slave¡¯s shoulder and sent him off, beckoning to the next in line.


    Infection. That was what was brewing. Things seemed quiet overall¡ªafter all, the Crown was withdrawing all its troops! But dozens, hundreds, thousands of tiny germs of dissent must linger, forming pockets of conflict throughout the Colonies. The Regulation was only one.


    A small bucket of distilled alcohol stood by my feet, for disinfecting instruments. I dipped the cautery iron in this, then thrust it back in the fire; the alcohol ignited with a brief, lightless piff!


    I had the unpleasant feeling that the note presently burning a hole in Jamie¡¯s sporran was a similar flame, touched to one of a million small fuses. Some might be stamped out, some would fizzle on their own¡ªbut enough would burn, and go on burning, searing their destructive way through homes and families. The end of it would be a clean excision, but a great deal of blood would flow before the hot iron of guns should sear the open wound.


    Were we never to have a little peace, Jamie and I?


    ¡°THERE¡¯S DUNCAN MACLEOD, he¡¯s got three hundred acres near the Yadkin River, but no one on it save himself and his brother.¡± Jamie rubbed a sleeve over his face, wiping off the sheen of moisture that clung to his bones. He blinked to clear his vision, and shook himself like a dog, spattering drops that had condensed in his hair.


    ¡°But,¡± he went on, gesturing toward the plume of smoke that marked MacLeod¡¯s fire, ¡°he¡¯s kin to auld Rabbie Cochrane. Rabbie¡¯s not come to the Gathering¡ªill wi¡¯ the dropsy, I hear¡ªbut he¡¯s got eleven grown bairns, scattered over the mountains like seed corn. So, take your time wi¡¯ MacLeod, make sure he¡¯s pleased to come, then tell him to send word to Rabbie. We¡¯ll muster at Fraser¡¯s Ridge in a fortnight, tell him.¡±


    He hesitated, one hand on Roger¡¯s arm to prevent an abrupt departure. He squinted into the haze, reckoning up the possibilities. They¡¯d visited three campsites together, and got the pledges of four men. How many more could be found at the Gathering?


    ¡°After Duncan, go across to the sheep pens. Angus Og will be there, surely¡ªye ken Angus Og?¡±


    Roger nodded, hoping he recalled the correct Angus Og. He¡¯d met at least four men of that name in the last week, but one of them had had a dog at heel, and reeked of raw wool.


    ¡°Campbell, aye? Bent like a fishhook, and a cast in one eye?¡±


    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s him.¡± Jamie gave a nod of approbation, relaxing his grip. ¡°He¡¯s too crabbit to fight himself, but he¡¯ll see his nephews come, and spread the word amongst the settlements near High Point. So, Duncan, Angus . . . oh, aye, Joanie Findlay.¡±


    ¡°Joanie?¡±


    Fraser grinned.


    ¡°Aye, auld Joan, they call her. Her camp¡¯s near my aunt, her and her brother, Iain Mhor.¡±


    Roger nodded, dubious.


    ¡°Aye. It¡¯s her I speak to, though, is it?¡±


    ¡°Ye¡¯ll have to,¡± Fraser said. ¡°Iain Mhor¡¯s got nay speech. She¡¯s two more brothers who have, though, and two sons old enough to fight. She¡¯ll see they come.¡±


    Jamie cast an eye upward; the day had warmed slightly and it wasn¡¯t raining so much as misting¡ªa mizzle, they¡¯d call it in Scotland. The clouds had thinned enough to show the disk of the sun, a pale blurry wafer still high in the sky, but sinking lower. Another two hours of good light, maybe.


    ¡°That¡¯ll do,¡± he decided, wiping his nose on his sleeve. ¡°Come back to the fire when ye¡¯ve done wi¡¯ auld Joan, and we¡¯ll have a bit of supper before your wedding, aye?¡± He gave Roger an up-cocked brow and a slight smile, then turned away. Before Roger could move off, he turned back.


    ¡°Say straight off as you¡¯re Captain MacKenzie,¡± he advised. ¡°They¡¯ll mind ye better.¡± He turned again and strode off in search of the more recalcitrant prospects on his list.


    MacLeod¡¯s fire burned like a smudge pot in the mist. Roger turned toward it, repeating the names under his breath like a mantra. ¡°Duncan MacLeod, Rabbie Cochrane, Angus Og Campbell, Joanie Findlay . . . Duncan MacLeod, Rabbie Cochrane . . .¡± No bother; three times and he¡¯d have it cold, no matter whether it was the words of a new song to be learned, facts in a textbook, or directions to the psychology of potential militia recruits.


    He could see the sense of finding as many of the backcountry Scots as possible now, before they scattered away to their farms and cabins. And he was heartened by the fact that the men Fraser had approached so far had accepted the militia summons with no more than a mild glower and throat-clearings of resignation.


    Captain MacKenzie. He felt a small sense of embarrassed pride at the title Fraser had casually bestowed on him. ¡°Instant Soldier,¡± he muttered derisively to himself, straightening the shoulders of his sodden coat. ¡°Just add water.¡±


    At the same time, he¡¯d admit to a faint tingle of excitement. It might amount to no more than playing soldiers, now, indeed¡ªbut the thought of marching with a militia regiment, muskets shouldered and the smell of gunpowder on their hands . . .


    It was less than four years from now, he thought, and militiamen would stand on the green at Lexington. Men who were no more soldiers to start with than these men he spoke to in the rain¡ªno more than him. Awareness shivered over his skin, settled in his belly with an odd weight of significance.


    It was coming. Christ, it was really coming.


    MACLEOD WAS NO TROUBLE, but it took longer than he¡¯d thought to find Angus Og Campbell, up to his arse in sheep, and irascible at the distraction. ¡°Captain MacKenzie¡± had had little effect on the old bastard; the invocation of ¡°Colonel Fraser¡±¡ªspoken with a degree of menace¡ªhad had more. Angus Og had chewed his long upper lip with moody concentration, nodded reluctantly, and gone back to his bargaining with a gruff, ¡°Aye, I¡¯ll send word.¡±


    The mizzle had stopped and the clouds were beginning to break up by the time he climbed back up the slope to Joan Findlay¡¯s camp.


    ¡°Auld Joan,¡± to his surprise, was an attractive woman in her mid-thirties, with sharp hazel eyes that regarded him with interest under the folds of her damp arisaid.


    ¡°So it¡¯s come to that, has it?¡± she said, in answer to his brief explanation of his presence. ¡°I did wonder, when I heard what the soldier-laddie had to say this morning.¡±


    She tapped her lip thoughtfully with the handle of her wooden pudding-spoon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve an aunt who lives in Hillsborough, ken. She¡¯s a room in the King¡¯s House, straight across the street from Edmund Fanning¡¯s house¡ªor where it used to be.¡± She gave a short laugh, though it held no real humor.


    ¡°She wrote to me. The mob came a-boilin¡¯ down the street, wavin¡¯ pitchforks like a flock o¡¯ demons, she said. They cut Fanning¡¯s house from its sills, and dragged the whole of it down wi¡¯ ropes, right before her eyes. So now we¡¯re meant to send our men to pull Fanning¡¯s chestnuts from the fire, are we?¡±


    Roger was cautious; he¡¯d heard a good deal of talk about Edmund Fanning, who was less than popular.


    ¡°I couldna say as to that, Mrs. Findlay,¡± he said. ¡°But the Governor¡ª¡±


    Joan Findlay snorted expressively.


    ¡°Governor,¡± she said, and spat into the fire. ¡°Pah. The Governor¡¯s friends, more like. But there¡ªpoor men mun bleed for the rich man¡¯s gold, and always will, eh?¡±

 Page 25

    She turned to two small girls who had materialized behind her, silent as small shawled ghosts.


    ¡°Annie, fetch your brothers. Wee Joanie, you stir the pot. Mind ye scrape the bottom well so it doesna burn.¡± Handing the spoon to the smallest girl, she turned away, beckoning Roger to follow.


    It was a poor camp, with no more than a woolen blanket stretched between two bushes to provide a shelter of sorts. Joan Findlay squatted down before the cavelike recess so provided, and Roger followed, bending down to peer over her shoulder.


    ¡°A bhr¨¤thair, here¡¯s Captain MacKenzie,¡± she said, reaching out a hand to the man that lay on a pallet of dry grass under the blanket¡¯s shelter. Roger felt a sudden shock at the man¡¯s appearance, but suppressed it.


    A spastic, they would have called him in the Scotland of Roger¡¯s own time; what did they call such a condition now? Perhaps nothing in particular; Fraser had said only, He has nay speech.


    No, nor proper movement, either. His limbs were bony and wasted, his body twisted into impossible angles. A tattered quilt had been laid over him, but his jerking movements had pulled it awry, so that the cloth was bunched, wrenched hard between his legs, and his upper body was left exposed, the worn shirt also rumpled and pulled half off by his struggles. The pale skin over shoulder and ribs gleamed cold and blue-toned in the shadows.


    Joan Findlay cupped a hand about the man¡¯s cheek and turned his head so that he could look at Roger.


    ¡°This will be my brother Iain, Mr. MacKenzie,¡± she said, her voice firm, daring him to react.


    The face too was distorted, the mouth pulled askew and drooling, but a pair of beautiful¡ªand intelligent¡ªhazel eyes looked back at Roger from the ruin. He took firm grip of his feelings and his own features, and reached out, taking the man¡¯s clawed hand in his own. It felt terrible, the bones sharp and fragile under skin so cold it might have been a corpse¡¯s.


    ¡°Iain Mhor,¡± he said softly. ¡°I have heard your name. Jamie Fraser sends ye his regards.¡±


    The eyelids lowered in a graceful sweep of acknowledgment, and came up again, regarding Roger with calm brightness.


    ¡°The Captain¡¯s come to call for militiamen,¡± Joan said from behind Roger¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The Governor¡¯s sent orders, aye? Seems he¡¯s had enough o¡¯ riot and disorder, so he says; he¡¯ll put it down by force.¡± Her voice held a strong tone of irony.


    Iain Mhor¡¯s eyes shifted to his sister¡¯s face. His mouth moved, struggling for shape, and his narrow chest strained with effort. A few croaking syllables emerged, thick with spittle, and he fell back, breathing hard, eyes intent on Roger.


    ¡°Will there be bounty money paid, he says, Captain?¡± Joan translated.


    Roger hesitated. Jamie had addressed that question, but there was no definite answer. He could feel the subdued eagerness, though, both in the woman behind him and the man who lay before him. The Findlays were grinding poor; that much was plain from the little girls¡¯ ragged frocks and bare feet, from the threadbare clothes and bedding that gave Iain Mhor scant shelter from the cold. But honesty compelled him to answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There is none advertised as yet¡ªbut there may be.¡± The payment of bounty money depended on the response to the Governor¡¯s call; if a simple order produced insufficient troops, the Governor might see fit to provide further inducement for militiamen to answer the summons.


    An expression of disappointment flickered in Iain Mhor¡¯s eyes, replaced almost at once by resignation. Any income would have been welcome, but it was not really expected.


    ¡°Well, then.¡± Joan¡¯s voice held the same resignation. Roger felt her draw back and turn aside, but he was still held by the long-lashed hazel eyes. They met his, unflinching and curious. Roger hesitated, unsure whether to simply take his leave. He wanted to offer help¡ªbut God, what help was there?


    He stretched out a hand toward the gaping shirt, the rumpled quilt. Little enough, but something.


    ¡°May I?¡±


    The hazel eyes closed for a moment, opened in acquiescence, and he set about the chore of putting things straight. Iain Mhor¡¯s body was emaciated, but surprisingly heavy, and awkward to lift from such an angle.


    Still, it took no more than a few moments, and the man lay decently covered, and warmer at least. Roger met the hazel eyes again, smiled, nodded awkwardly, and backed away from the grass-lined nest, wordless as Iain Mhor himself.


    Joan Findlay¡¯s two sons had come; they stood by their mother, sturdy lads of sixteen and seventeen, regarding Roger with cautious curiosity.


    ¡°This will be Hugh,¡± she said, reaching up to put a hand on one shoulder, then the other, ¡°and Iain Og.¡±


    Roger inclined his head courteously.


    ¡°Your servant, gentlemen.¡±


    The boys exchanged glances with each other, then looked at their feet, smothering grins.


    ¡°So, Captain MacKenzie.¡± Joan Findlay¡¯s voice came down hard on the word. ¡°If I lend ye my sons, will ye promise me, then, to send them safe home?¡±


    The woman¡¯s hazel eyes were as bright and intelligent as her brother¡¯s¡ªand as unflinching. He braced himself not to look away.


    ¡°So far as it lies in my power, ma¡¯am¡ªI will see them safe.¡±


    The edge of her mouth lifted slightly; she knew quite well what was in his power and what was not. She nodded, though, and her hands dropped to her sides.


    ¡°They¡¯ll come.¡±


    He took his leave then, and walked away, the weight of her trust heavy on his shoulders.


    10


    GRANNIE BACON¡¯S GIFTS


    THE LAST OF MY PATIENTS seen to, I stood on my toes and stretched luxuriously, feeling a pleasant glow of accomplishment. For all the conditions that I couldn¡¯t really treat, all the illnesses I couldn¡¯t cure . . . still, I had done what I could, and had done it well.


    I closed the lid of my medical chest and picked it up in my arms; Murray had graciously volunteered to bring back the rest of my impedimenta¡ªin return for a bag of dried senna leaves and my spare pill-rolling tile. Murray himself was still attending his last patient, frowning as he prodded the abdomen of a little old lady in bonnet and shawl. I waved in farewell at him, and he gave me an abstracted nod, turning to pick up his fleam. At least he did remember to dip it into the boiling water; I saw his lips move as he spoke Brianna¡¯s charm under his breath.


    My feet were numb from standing on the cold ground, and my back and shoulders ached, but I wasn¡¯t really tired. There were people who would sleep tonight, their pain relieved. Others who would heal well now, wounds dressed cleanly and limbs set straight. A few whom I could truthfully say I had saved from the possibility of serious infection or even death.


    And I had given yet another version of my own Sermon on the Mount, preaching the gospel of nutrition and hygiene to the assembled multitudes.


    ¡°Blessed are those who eat greens, for they shall keep their teeth,¡± I murmured to a red-cedar tree. I paused to pull off a few of the fragrant berries, and crushed one with my thumbnail, enjoying the sharp, clean scent.


    ¡°Blessed are those who wash their hands after wiping their arses,¡± I added, pointing a monitory finger at a blue jay who had settled on a nearby branch. ¡°For they shall not sicken.¡±


    The camp was in sight now, and with it, the delightful prospect of a cup of hot tea.


    ¡°Blessed are those who boil water,¡± I said to the jay, seeing a plume of steam rising from the small kettle hung over our fire. ¡°For they shall be called saviors of mankind.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fraser, mum?¡± A small voice piped up beside me, breaking my reverie, and I looked down to see Eglantine Bacon, aged seven, and her younger sister, Pansy, a pair of round-faced, towheaded little girls, liberally sprinkled with freckles.


    ¡°Oh, hallo, dear. And how are you?¡± I asked, smiling down at them. Quite well, from the looks of them; illness in a child is generally visible at a glance, and both the small Bacons were obviously blooming.


    ¡°Very well, mum, thank ye kindly.¡± Eglantine gave a short bob, then reached over and pushed on Pansy¡¯s head to make her curtsy, too. The courtesies observed¡ªthe Bacons were townspeople, from Edenton, and the girls had been raised to have nice manners¡ªEglantine reached into her pocket and handed me a large wad of fabric.


    ¡°Grannie Bacon¡¯s sent ye a present,¡± she explained proudly, as I unfolded the material, which proved to be an enormous mobcap, liberally embellished with lace and trimmed with lavender ribbons. ¡°She couldna come to the Gathering this year, but she said as we must bring ye this, and give ye her thanks for the medicine ye sent for her . . . roo-mah-tics.¡± She pronounced the word carefully, her face screwed up in concentration, then relaxed, beaming in pride at having gotten it out properly.


    ¡°Why, thank you. How lovely!¡± I held the cap up to admire, privately thinking a few choice things about Grannie Bacon.


    I had encountered that redoubtable lady a few months earlier, at Farquard Campbell¡¯s plantation, where she was visiting Farquard¡¯s aged and obnoxious mother. Mrs. Bacon was almost as old as the ancient Mrs. Campbell, and quite as capable of annoying her descendants, but also possessed of a lively sense of humor.


    She had disapproved, audibly, repeatedly, and eventually to my face, of my habit of going about with my head uncovered, it being her opinion that it was unseemly for a woman of my age not to wear either cap or kerch, reprehensible for the wife of a man of my husband¡¯s position¡ªand furthermore, that only ¡°backcountry sluts and women of low character¡± wore their hair loose upon their shoulders. I had laughed, ignored her, and given her a bottle of Jamie¡¯s second-best whisky, with instructions to have a wee nip with her breakfast and another after supper.


    A woman to acknowledge a debt, she had chosen to repay it in characteristic fashion.


    ¡°Will ye not put it on?¡± Eglantine and Pansy were looking trustfully up at me. ¡°Grannie told us to be sure ye put it on, so as we could tell her how it suited ye.¡±


    ¡°Did she, indeed.¡± No help for it, I supposed. I shook the object out, twisted up my hair with one hand, and pulled the mobcap on. It drooped over my brow, almost reaching the bridge of my nose, and draped my cheeks in ribboned swathes, so that I felt like a chipmunk peering out from its burrow.


    Eglantine and Patsy clapped their hands in paroxysms of delight. I thought I heard muffled sounds of amusement from somewhere behind me, but didn¡¯t turn to see.


    ¡°Do tell your grannie I said thank you for the lovely present, won¡¯t you?¡± I patted the girls gravely on their blond heads, offered them each a molasses toffee from my pocket, and sent them off to their mother. I was just reaching up to pull off the excrescence on my head, when I realized that their mother was present¡ªhad probably been there all along, in fact, lurking behind a persimmon tree.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I said, converting my reach into an adjustment of the floppy chapeau. I held the overhanging flap up with one finger, the better to peer out. ¡°Mrs. Bacon! I didn¡¯t see you there.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fraser.¡± Polly Bacon¡¯s face was flushed a delicate rose color¡ªno doubt from the chill of the day. She had her lips pressed tight together, but her eyes danced under the ruffle of her own very proper cap.

 Page 26

    ¡°The girls wanted to give ye the cap,¡± she said, tactfully averting her gaze from it, ¡°but my mother-in-law did send ye another wee gift. I thought perhaps I¡¯d best bring that myself, though.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted anything to do with any more of Grannie Bacon¡¯s gifts, but took the proffered parcel with as much grace as I could manage. It was a small bag of oiled silk, plumply stuffed with something, with a faintly sweet, slightly oily botanical scent about it. A crude picture of a plant had been drawn on the front in brownish ink; something with an upright stalk and what looked like umbels. It looked faintly familiar, but I could put no name to it. I undid the string, and poured a small quantity of tiny dark-brown seeds out into my palm.


    ¡°What are these?¡± I asked, looking up at Polly in puzzlement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re called in English,¡± she said. ¡°The Indians call them dauco. Grannie Bacon¡¯s own grannie was a Catawba medicine woman, aye? That¡¯s where she learnt the use of them.¡±


    ¡°Was she really?¡± I was more than interested now. No wonder the drawing seemed familiar; this must be the plant that Nayawenne had once shown me¡ªthe women¡¯s plant. To be sure of it, though, I asked.


    ¡°What is the use of them?¡±


    The color rose higher in Polly¡¯s cheeks, and she glanced round the clearing to be sure no one was close enough to hear before leaning forward to whisper to me.


    ¡°They stop a woman from getting wi¡¯ child. Ye take a teaspoonful each day, in a glass of water. Each day, mind, and a man¡¯s seed canna take hold in the womb.¡± Her eyes met mine, and while the light of amusement still lingered at the backs of them, something more serious was there as well.


    ¡°Grannie said ye were a conjure-woman, she could tell. And that bein¡¯ so, ye¡¯d have cause often to help women. And when it is a matter of miscarriage, stillbirth, or childbed fever, let alone the misery of losing a live babe¡ªshe said I must tell ye that an ounce o¡¯ prevention is worth a pound o¡¯ cure.¡±


    ¡°Tell your mother-in-law thank you,¡± I said sincerely. The average woman of Polly¡¯s age might have five or six children; she had the two girls, and lacked the drained look of a woman worn with ill-timed bearing. Evidently, the seeds worked.


    Polly nodded, the smile breaking out on her face.


    ¡°Aye, I¡¯ll tell her. Oh¡ªshe said as how her grannie told her it was women¡¯s magic; ye dinna mention it to men.¡±


    I glanced thoughtfully across the clearing, to where Jamie stood in conversation with Archie Hayes, Jemmy blinking sleepily in the crook of his arm. Yes, I could well see that some men might take exception to old Grannie Bacon¡¯s medicine. Was Roger one of them?


    Bidding farewell to Polly Bacon, I took my chest across to our lean-to, and tucked the bag of seeds carefully away in it. A very useful addition to my pharmacopeia, if Nayawenne and Mrs. Bacon¡¯s grannie were correct. It was also a singularly well-timed gift, considering my earlier conversation with Bree.


    Even more valuable than the small heap of rabbit skins I had accumulated, though those were more than welcome. Where had I put them? I looked round the scattered rubble of the campsite, half-listening to the men¡¯s conversation behind me. There they were, just under the edge of the canvas. I lifted the lid of one of the empty food hampers to put them away for the journey home.


    ¡°. . . Stephen Bonnet.¡±


    The name stung my ear like a spider¡¯s bite, and I dropped the lid with a bang. I glanced quickly round the campsite, but neither Brianna nor Roger was within hearing distance. Jamie¡¯s back was turned to me, but it was he who had spoken.


    I pulled the mobcap off my head, hung it carefully from a dogwood branch, and went purposefully to join him.


    WHATEVER THE MEN had been talking about, they stopped when they saw me. Lieutenant Hayes thanked me gracefully once more for my surgical assistance, and took his leave, his bland round face revealing nothing.


    ¡°What about Stephen Bonnet?¡± I said, as soon as the Lieutenant was out of earshot.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was inquiring about, Sassenach. Is the tea brewed yet?¡± Jamie made a move toward the fire, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm.


    ¡°Why?¡± I demanded. I didn¡¯t let go my grip, and he reluctantly turned to face me.


    ¡°Because I wish to know where he is,¡± he said evenly. He made no pretense of not understanding me, and a small, cold feeling flickered through my chest.


    ¡°Did Hayes know where he is? Has he heard anything of Bonnet?¡±


    He shook his head, silent. He was telling me the truth. My fingers loosened with relief, and he moved his arm out of my grasp¡ªnot angrily, but with a sense of quiet and definite detachment.


    ¡°It is my business!¡± I said, answering the gesture. I kept my voice low, glancing round to be sure that neither Bree nor Roger was within hearing. I didn¡¯t see Roger; Bree was standing by the fire, absorbed in conversation with the Bugs, the elderly couple Jamie had engaged to help care for the farm. I turned back to Jamie.


    ¡°Why are you looking for that man?¡±


    ¡°Is it not sense to know where danger may lie?¡± He wasn¡¯t looking at me but over my shoulder, smiling and nodding at someone. I glanced back to see Fergus heading for the fire, rubbing a cold-reddened hand beneath his arm. He waved cheerfully with his hook, and Jamie lifted a hand halfway in acknowledgment, but turned away a little, still facing me, effectively preventing Fergus from coming to join us.


    The cold feeling returned, sharp as though someone had pierced my lung with a sliver of ice.


    ¡°Oh, of course,¡± I said, as coolly as I could. ¡°You want to know where he is, so that you can take pains not to go there, is that it?¡±


    Something that might have been a smile flickered across his face.


    ¡°Oh, aye,¡± he said. ¡°To be sure.¡± Given the scarcity of population in North Carolina in general, and the remoteness of Fraser¡¯s Ridge in particular, the chances of our stumbling over Stephen Bonnet by accident were roughly equivalent to walking out of the front door and stepping on a jellyfish¡ªand Jamie bloody knew it.


    I narrowed my eyes at him. The corner of his wide mouth drew in for a moment, then relaxed, his eyes gone back to seriousness. There was precisely one good reason for his wanting to locate Stephen Bonnet¡ªand I bloody knew that.


    ¡°Jamie,¡± I said, and put a hand on his arm again. ¡°Leave him alone. Please.¡±


    He put his own hand over mine, squeezing, but I felt no reassurance from the gesture.


    ¡°Dinna fash yourself, Sassenach. I¡¯ve asked throughout the Gathering, all through the week, inquiring of men from Halifax to Charleston. There¡¯s nay report of the man anywhere in the colony.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. It was, but the fact did not escape me that he had been hunting Bonnet with assiduity¡ªand had told me nothing of it. Nor did it escape me that he had not promised to stop looking.


    ¡°Leave him alone,¡± I repeated softly, my eyes holding his. ¡°There¡¯s enough trouble coming; we don¡¯t need more.¡± He had drawn close to me, the better to forestall interruption, and I could feel the power of him where he touched me, his arm beneath my hand, his thigh brushing mine. Strength of bone and fire of mind, all wrapped round a core of steel-hard purpose that would make him a deadly projectile, once set on any course.


    ¡°Ye say it is your business.¡± His eyes were steady, the blue of them bleached pale with autumn light. ¡°I know it is mine. Are ye with me, then?¡±


    The ice blossomed in my blood, spicules of cold panic. Damn him! He meant it. There was one reason to seek out Stephen Bonnet, and one reason only.


    I swung round on my heel, pulling him with me, so we stood pressed close together, arms linked, looking toward the fire. Brianna, Marsali, and the Bugs were now listening raptly to Fergus, who was recounting something, his face alight with cold and laughter. Jemmy¡¯s face was turned toward us over his mother¡¯s shoulder, round-eyed and curious.


    ¡°They are your business,¡± I said, my voice pitched low and trembling with intensity. ¡°And mine. Hasn¡¯t Stephen Bonnet done enough damage to them, to us?¡±


    ¡°Aye, more than enough.¡±


    He pulled me closer to him; I could feel the heat of him through his clothes, but his voice was cold as the rain. Fergus¡¯s glance flicked toward us; he smiled warmly at me and went on with his story. To him, no doubt we looked like a couple sharing a brief moment of affection, heads bent together in closeness.


    ¡°I let him go,¡± Jamie said quietly. ¡°And evil came of it. Can I let him wander free, knowing what he is, and that I have loosed him to spread ruin? It is like loosing a rabid dog, Sassenach¡ªye wouldna have me do that, surely.¡±


    His hand was hard, his fingers cold on mine.


    ¡°You let him go once; the Crown caught him again¡ªif he¡¯s free now, it¡¯s not your fault!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not my fault that he is free,¡± he agreed, ¡°but surely it is my duty to see he doesna stay so¡ªif I can.¡±


    ¡°You have a duty to your family!¡±


    He took my chin in his hand and bent his head, his eyes boring into mine.


    ¡°Ye think I would risk them? Ever?¡±


    I held myself stiff, resisting for a long moment, then let my shoulders slump, my eyelids drop in capitulation. I took a long, trembling breath. I wasn¡¯t giving in altogether.


    ¡°There¡¯s risk in hunting, Jamie,¡± I said softly. ¡°You know it.¡±


    His grip relaxed, but his hand still cupped my face, his thumb tracing the outline of my lips.


    ¡°I know it,¡± he whispered. The mist of his breath touched my cheek. ¡°But I have been a hunter for a verra long time, Claire. I willna bring danger to them¡ªI swear it.¡±


    ¡°Only to yourself? And just what do you think will happen to us, if you¡ª¡±


    I caught a glimpse of Brianna from the corner of my eye. She had half-turned, seeing us, and was now beaming tender approval on this scene of what she supposed to be parental fondness. Jamie saw her, too; I heard a faint snort of amusement.


    ¡°Nothing will happen to me,¡± he said definitely, and gathering me firmly to him, stifled further argument with an encompassing kiss. A faint spatter of applause rose from the direction of the fire.


    ¡°Encore!¡± shouted Fergus.


    ¡°No,¡± I said to him as he released me. I whispered, but spoke vehemently for all that. ¡°Not encore. I don¡¯t want to hear the name of Stephen Bonnet ever bloody again!¡±


    ¡°It will be all right,¡± he whispered back, and squeezed my hand. ¡°Trust me, Sassenach.¡±


    11


    PRIDE


    ROGER DIDN¡¯T LOOK BACK, but thoughts of the Findlays went with him as he made his way downhill from their camp, through clumps of brush and trodden grass.


    The two boys were sandy-haired and fair, short¡ªthough taller than their mother¡ªbut broad-shouldered. The two younger children were dark, tall, and slender, with their mother¡¯s hazel eyes. Given the gap of years between the older boys and their younger siblings, Roger concluded from the evidence that Mrs. Findlay had likely had two husbands. And from the look of things now was a widow again.

 Page 27

    Perhaps he should mention Joan Findlay to Brianna, he thought, as further evidence that marriage and childbirth were not necessarily mortal to women. Or perhaps it was better just to leave that subject lie quiet for a bit.


    Beyond thoughts of Joan and her children, though, he was haunted by the soft, bright eyes of Iain Mhor. How old was he? Roger wondered, grasping the springy branch of a pine to keep from sliding down a patch of loose gravel. Impossible to tell from looking; the pale, twisted face was lined and worn¡ªbut with pain and struggle, not age. He was no larger than a boy of twelve or so, but Iain Mhor was older than his namesake, clearly¡ªand Iain Og was sixteen.


    He was likely younger than Joan; but perhaps not. She had treated him with deference, bringing Roger to him as a woman would naturally bring a visitor to the head of the family. Not greatly younger, then¡ªsay thirty or more?


    Christ, he thought, how did a man like that survive so long in times like these? But as he had backed awkwardly away from Iain Mhor, one of the little girls had crawled into the crude shelter from the back, pushing a bowl of milk pudding before her, and had sat down matter-of-factly by her uncle¡¯s head, spoon in hand. Iain Mhor had limbs and fingers enough¡ªhe had a family.


    That thought gave Roger a tight feeling in his chest, somewhere between pain and gladness¡ªand a sinking feeling lower down, as he recalled Joan Findlay¡¯s words.


    Send them safe home. Aye, and if he didn¡¯t, then Joan was left with two young girls and a helpless brother. Had she any property? he wondered.


    He had heard a good deal of talk on the mountain about the Regulation since the morning¡¯s Proclamation. Given that the matter had plainly not been sufficiently important to make it into the history books, he thought this militia business was unlikely to come to anything. If it did, though, he vowed to himself that he would find some way of keeping Iain Og and Hugh Findlay well away from any danger. And if there was bounty money, they should have their share.


    In the meantime . . . he hesitated. He had just passed Jocasta Cameron¡¯s camp, bustling like a small village, with its cluster of tents, wagons, and lean-tos. In anticipation of her wedding¡ªnow a double wedding¡ªJocasta had brought almost all of her house slaves, and not a few of the field hands as well. Beyond the livestock, tobacco, and goods brought for trade, there were trunks of clothes and bedding and dishes, trestles, tables, hogsheads of ale, and mountains of food intended for the celebration afterward. He and Bree had breakfasted with Mrs. Cameron in her tent this morning off china painted with roses: slices of succulent fried ham, studded with cloves, oatmeal porridge with cream and sugar, a compote of preserved fruit, fresh corn dodgers with honey, Jamaican coffee . . . his stomach contracted with a pleasant growl of recollection.


    The contrasts between that lavishness and the recent poverty of the Findlay encampment were too much to be borne with complacence. He turned upon his heel with sudden decision, and began the short climb back to Jocasta¡¯s tent.


    Jocasta Cameron was at home, so to speak; he saw her mud-soaked boots outside the tent. Sightless as she was, she still ventured out to call upon friends, escorted by Duncan or her black butler, Ulysses. More often, though, she allowed the Gathering to come to her, and her own tent seethed with company throughout the day, all the Scottish society of the Cape Fear and the colony coming to enjoy her renowned hospitality.


    For the moment, though, she seemed fortunately alone. Roger caught a glimpse of her through the lifted flap, reclining in her cane-bottomed chair, feet in slippers, and her head fallen back in apparent repose. Her body servant, Phaedre, sat on a stool near the open tent flap, needle in hand, squinting in the hazy light over a spill of blue fabric that filled her lap.


    Jocasta sensed him first; she sat up in her armchair, and her head turned sharply as he touched the tent flap. Phaedre glanced up belatedly, reacting to her mistress¡¯s movement rather than his presence.


    ¡°Mr. MacKenzie. It is the Thrush, is it no?¡± Mrs. Cameron said, smiling in his direction.


    He laughed, and ducked his head to enter the tent, obeying her gesture.


    ¡°It is. And how did ye ken that, Mrs. Cameron? I¡¯ve said not a word, let alone sung one. Have I a tuneful manner of breathing?¡± Brianna had told him of her aunt¡¯s uncanny ability to compensate for her blindness by means of other senses, but he was still surprised at her acuity.


    ¡°I heard your step, and then I smelt the blood on you,¡± she said matter-of-factly. ¡°The wound¡¯s come open again, has it not? Come, lad, sit. Will we fetch ye a dish of tea, or a dram? Phaedre¡ªa cloth, if ye please.¡±


    His fingers went involuntarily to the gash in his throat. He¡¯d forgotten it entirely in the rush of the day¡¯s events, but she was right; it had bled again, leaving a crusty stain down the side of his neck and over the collar of his shirt.


    Phaedre was already up, assembling a tray from the array of cakes and biscuits on a small table by Jocasta¡¯s chair. Were it not for the earth and grass underfoot, Roger thought, he would scarcely know they were not in Mrs. Cameron¡¯s drawing room at River Run. She was wrapped in a woolen arisaid, but even that was fastened by a handsome cairngorm brooch.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he said, self-conscious, but Jocasta took the cloth from her maid¡¯s hand and insisted on cleaning the cut herself. Her long fingers were cool on his skin, and surprisingly deft.


    She smelled of woodsmoke, as everybody on the mountain did, and the tea she had been drinking, but there was none of the faintly camphorated musty odor he normally associated with elderly ladies.


    ¡°Tch, ye¡¯ve got it on your shirt,¡± she informed him, fingering the stiff fabric disapprovingly. ¡°Will we launder it for ye? Though I dinna ken d¡¯ye want to wear it sopping; it¡¯ll never dry by nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, ma¡¯am. I thank ye, I¡¯ve another. For the wedding, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Well, then.¡± Phaedre had produced a small pot of medicinal grease; he recognized it as one of Claire¡¯s, by the smell of lavender and goldenseal. Jocasta scooped up a thumbnail of the ointment and spread it carefully over his wound, her fingers steady on his jawbone.


    Her skin was well-kept and soft, but it showed the effects not only of age but weather. There were ruddy patches in her cheeks, nets of tiny broken veins that from a slight distance lent her an air of health and vitality. Her hands showed no liver spots¡ªof course, she was of a wealthy family; she would have worn gloves out-of-doors all her life¡ªbut the joints were knobbed and the palms slightly callused from the tug of reins. Not a hothouse flower, this daughter of Leoch, despite her surroundings.


    Finished, she passed her hand lightly over his face and head, picked a dried leaf from his hair, then wiped his face with the damp cloth, surprising him. She dropped the cloth, then took his hand, wrapping her own fingers around his.


    ¡°There, now. Presentable once more! And now that ye¡¯re fit for company, Mr. MacKenzie¡ªdid ye come to speak to me, or were ye only passing by?¡±


    Phaedre put down a dish of tea and a saucer of cake by his side, but Jocasta continued to hold his left hand. He found that odd, but the unexpected atmosphere of intimacy made it slightly easier to begin his request.


    He put it simply; he had heard the Reverend make such requests for charity before, and knew it was best to let the situation speak for itself, leaving ultimate decision to the conscience of the hearer.


    Jocasta listened carefully, a small furrow between her brows. He¡¯d expected her to pause for thought when he¡¯d finished, but instead she replied at once.


    ¡°Aye,¡± she said, ¡°I ken Joanie Findlay, and her brother, too. Ye¡¯re right, her husband was carried off by the consumption, two year gone. Jamie Roy spoke to me of her yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he did?¡± Roger felt mildly foolish.


    Jocasta nodded. She leaned back a little, pursing her lips in thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s no just a matter of offering help, ye ken,¡± she explained. ¡°I¡¯m glad of the chance. But she¡¯s a proud woman, Joan Findlay¡ªshe willna take charity.¡± Her voice held a slight note of reproval, as though Roger ought to have realized that.


    Perhaps he should, he thought. But he had acted on the impulse of the moment, moved by the Findlays¡¯ poverty. It hadn¡¯t occurred to him that if she had little else, it would be that much more important to Joan Findlay to cling to her one valuable possession¡ªher pride.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said slowly. ¡°But surely¡ªthere must be a way to help that wouldn¡¯t offer offense?¡±


    Jocasta tilted her head slightly to one side, then the other, in a small mannerism that he found peculiarly familiar. Of course¡ªBree did that now and then, when she was considering something.


    ¡°There may be,¡± she said. ¡°The feast tonight¡ªfor the wedding, aye?¡ªthe Findlays will be there, of course, and well-fed. It wouldna be amiss for Ulysses to make up a wee parcel of food for them to take for the journey home¡ª¡¯twould save it spoiling, after all.¡± She smiled briefly, then the look of concentration returned to her features.


    ¡°The priest,¡± she said, with a sudden air of satisfaction.


    ¡°Priest? Ye mean Father Donahue?¡±


    One thick, burnished brow lifted at him.


    ¡°Ye ken another priest on the mountain? Aye, of course I do.¡± She lifted her free hand, and Phaedre, ever alert, came to her mistress¡¯s side.


    ¡°Miss Jo?¡±


    ¡°Look out some bits from the trunks, lass,¡± Jocasta said, touching the maid¡¯s arm. ¡°Blankets, caps, an apron or two; breeks and plain shirts¡ªthe grooms can spare them.¡±


    ¡°Stockings,¡± Roger put in quickly, thinking of the little girls¡¯ dirty bare feet.


    ¡°Stockings.¡± Jocasta nodded. ¡°Plain stuff, but good wool and well-mended. Ulysses has my purse. Tell him to give ye ten shillings¡ªsterling¡ªand wrap it in one o¡¯ the aprons. Then make a bundle of the things and take them to Father Donahue. Tell him they¡¯re for Joan Findlay, but he¡¯s no to say where they¡¯ve come from. He¡¯ll know what to say.¡± She nodded again, satisfied, and dropped her hand from the maid¡¯s arm, making a little shooing gesture.


    ¡°Off wi¡¯ ye, then¡ªsee to it now.¡±


    Phaedre murmured assent and left the tent, pausing only to shake out the blue thing she had been sewing and fold it carefully over her stool. It was a decorated stomacher for Brianna¡¯s wedding dress, he saw, done with an elegant lacing of ribbons. He had a sudden vision of Brianna¡¯s white br**sts, swelling above a low neckline of dark indigo, and returned to the conversation at hand with some difficulty.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°I said¡ªwill that do?¡± Jocasta was smiling at him, with a slightly knowing expression, as though she had been able to read his thoughts. Her eyes were blue, like Jamie¡¯s and Bree¡¯s, but not so dark. They were fixed on him¡ªor at least pointed at him. He knew she could not see his face, but she did give the eerie impression of being able to see through him.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Cameron. That¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s most kind of ye.¡± He brought his feet under him, to stand and take his leave. He expected her to let go of his hand at once, but instead, she tightened her grip, restraining him.

 Page 28

    ¡°None so fast. I¡¯ve a thing or two to say to ye, young man.¡±


    He settled back on his chair, composing himself.


    ¡°Of course, Mrs. Cameron.¡±


    ¡°I wasna sure whether to speak now or wait until it was done¡ªbut as ye¡¯re here alone now . . .¡± She bent toward him, intent.


    ¡°Did my niece tell ye, lad, that I meant to make her heiress to my property?¡±


    ¡°Aye, she did.¡±


    He was at once on guard. Brianna had told him, all right¡ªmaking it clear in no uncertain terms what she thought of that particular proposal. He steeled himself to repeat her objections now, hoping to do it more tactfully than she might have done herself. He cleared his throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my wife is most conscious of the honor, Mrs. Cameron,¡± he began cautiously, ¡°but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is she?¡± Jocasta asked dryly. ¡°I shouldna have thought so, to hear her talk. But doubtless ye ken her mind better than I do. Be that as it may, though, I mean to tell her that I¡¯ve changed my own mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Well, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told Gerald Forbes to be drawing up a will, leaving River Run and all its contents to Jeremiah.¡±


    ¡°To¡ª¡± It took a moment for his brain to make the connection. ¡°What, to wee Jemmy?¡±


    She was still leaning forward a little, as though peering at his face. Now she sat back, nodding, still holding firmly to his hand. It came to him, finally, that, unable to see his face, she thought to read him by means of this physical connection.


    She was welcome to anything his fingers might tell her, he thought. He was too stunned at this news to have any notion how to respond to it. Christ, what would Bree say about it?


    ¡°Aye,¡± she said, and smiled pleasantly. ¡°It came to me, ye see, as how a woman¡¯s property becomes her husband¡¯s when she weds. Not that there are no means of settling it upon her, but it¡¯s difficult, and I wouldna involve lawyers more than I must¡ªI think it always a mistake to go to the law, do ye not agree, Mr. MacKenzie?¡±


    With a sense of complete astonishment, he realized that he was being deliberately insulted. Not only insulted, but warned. She thought¡ªshe did! She thought he was after Brianna¡¯s presumed inheritance, and was warning him not to resort to any legal contortions to get it. Mingled shock and outrage sealed his tongue for a moment, but then he found words.


    ¡°Why, that is the most¡ªso ye take thought for Joan Findlay¡¯s pride, but ye think I have none? Mrs. Cameron, how dare ye suggest that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ye¡¯re a handsome lad, Thrush,¡± she said, holding tight to his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve felt your face. And you¡¯ve the name of MacKenzie, which is a good one, to be sure. But there are MacKenzies aplenty in the Highlands, aren¡¯t there? Men of honor, and men without it. Jamie Roy calls ye kinsman¡ªbut perhaps that¡¯s because ye¡¯re handfast to his daughter. I dinna think I ken your family.¡±


    Shock was giving way to a nervous impulse to laugh. Ken his family? Not likely; and how should he explain that he was the grandson¡ªsix times over¡ªof her own brother, Dougal? That he was, in fact, not only Jamie¡¯s nephew, but her own as well, if a bit further down the family tree than one might expect?


    ¡°Nor does anyone I¡¯ve spoken to this week at the Gathering,¡± she added, head tilted to one side like a hawk watching prey.


    So that was it. She¡¯d been asking about him among her company¡ªand had failed to turn up anyone who knew anything of his antecedents, for obvious reasons. A suspicious circumstance, to be sure.


    He wondered whether she supposed he was a confidence trickster who had taken Jamie in, or whether perhaps he was meant to be involved in some scheme with Jamie? No, hardly that; Bree had told him that Jocasta had originally wanted to leave her property to Jamie¡ªwho had refused, wary of close involvement with the old leg-trap. His opinion of Jamie¡¯s intelligence was reaffirmed.


    Before he could think of some dignified retort, she patted his hand, still smiling.


    ¡°So, I thought to leave it all to the wee lad. That will be a tidy way of managing, won¡¯t it? Brianna will have the use of the money, of course, until wee Jeremiah should come of age¡ªunless anything should happen to the child, that is.¡±


    Her voice held a definite note of warning, though her mouth continued to smile, her blank eyes still fixed wide on his face.


    ¡°What? What in the name of God d¡¯ye mean by that?¡± He pushed his stool back, but she held tight to his hand. She was very strong, despite her age.


    ¡°Gerald Forbes will be executor of my will, and there are three trustees to manage the property,¡± she explained. ¡°If Jeremiah should come to any mischief, though, then everything will go to my nephew Hamish.¡± Her face was quite serious now. ¡°You¡¯d not see a penny.¡±


    He twisted his fingers in hers and squeezed, hard enough that he felt her bony knuckles press together. Let her read what she liked in that, then! She gasped, but he didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Are ye saying to me that ye think I would harm that child?¡± His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears.


    She had gone pale, but kept her dignity, teeth clenched and chin upraised.


    ¡°Have I said so?¡±


    ¡°Ye¡¯ve said a great deal¡ªand what ye¡¯ve not said speaks louder than what ye have. How dare you imply such things to me?¡± He released her hand, all but flinging it back in her lap.


    She rubbed her reddened fingers slowly with her other hand, lips pursed in thought. The canvas sides of the tent breathed in the wind with a crackling sound.


    ¡°Well, then,¡± she said at last. ¡°I¡¯ll offer ye my apology, Mr. MacKenzie, if I¡¯ve wronged ye in any way. I thought it would be as well, though, for ye to know what was in my mind.¡±


    ¡°As well? As well for whom?¡± He was on his feet, and turned toward the flap. With great difficulty, he kept himself from seizing the china plates of cakes and biscuits and smashing them on the ground as a parting gesture.


    ¡°For Jeremiah,¡± she said levelly, behind him. ¡°And Brianna. Perhaps, lad, even for you.¡±


    He swung round, staring at her.


    ¡°Me? What d¡¯ye mean by that?¡±


    She gave the ghost of a shrug.


    ¡°If ye canna love the lad for himself, I thought ye might treat him well for the sake of his prospects.¡±


    He stared at her, words jamming in his throat. His face felt hot, and the blood throbbed dully in his ears.


    ¡°Oh, I ken how it is,¡± she assured him. ¡°It¡¯s only to be understood that a man might not feel just so kindly toward a bairn his wife¡¯s borne to another. But if¡ª¡±


    He stepped forward then and gripped her hard by the shoulder, startling her. She jerked, blinking, and the candle flames flashed from the cairngorm brooch.


    ¡°Madam,¡± he said, speaking very softly into her face. ¡°I do not want your money. My wife does not want it. And my son will not have it. Cram it up your hole, aye?¡±


    He let her go, turned, and strode out of the tent, brushing past Ulysses, who looked after him in puzzlement.


    12


    VIRTUE


    PEOPLE MOVED THROUGH the gathering shadows of late afternoon, visiting from one fireside to another, as they had each day, but there was a different feeling on the mountain today.


    In part it was the sweet sadness of leavetaking; the parting of friends, the severing of newfound loves, the knowledge that some faces would be seen tonight for the last time on earth. In part it was anticipation; the longing for home, the pleasures and dangers of the journey to come. In part, sheer weariness; cranky children, men harried by responsibility, women exhausted by the labor of cooking over open fires, maintaining a family¡¯s clothes and health and appetites from the sustenance of saddlebags and mule packs.


    I could sympathize with all three attitudes myself. Beyond the sheer excitement of meeting new people and hearing new talk, I had had the pleasure¡ªfor pleasure it definitely was, despite its grimmer aspects¡ªof new patients, seeing novel ailments and curing what could be cured, grappling with the need to find a way to treat what could not.


    But the longing for home was strong: my spacious hearth, with its huge cauldron and its roasting jack, the light-filled peace of my surgery, with the fragrant bunches of nettle and dried lavender overhead, dusty gold in the afternoon sun. My feather bed, soft and clean, linen sheets smelling of rosemary and yarrow.


    I closed my eyes for a moment, summoning up a wistful vision of this haven of delight, then opened them to reality: a crusted griddle, black with the remnants of scorched oatcake; soggy shoes and frozen feet; damp clothes that chafed with grit and sand; hampers whose abundance had dwindled to a single loaf of bread¡ªwell-nibbled by mice¡ªten apples, and a heel of cheese; three screeching babies; one frazzled young mother with sore br**sts and cracked n**ples; one expectant bride with a case of incipient nerves; one white-faced serving-maid with menstrual cramps; four slightly inebriated Scotsmen¡ªand one Frenchman in similar condition¡ªwho wandered in and out of camp like bears and were not going to be any help whatever in packing up this evening . . . and a deep, clenching ache in my lower belly that gave me the unwelcome news that my own monthly¡ªwhich had grown thankfully much less frequent than monthly of late¡ªhad decided to keep Lizzie¡¯s company.


    I gritted my teeth, plucked a cold, damp clout off a clump of brush, and made my way duck-footed down the trail toward the women¡¯s privy trench, thighs pressed together.


    The first thing to greet me on my return was the hot stink of scorching metal. I said something very expressive in French¡ªa useful bit of phraseology acquired at L¡¯H?pital des Anges, where strong language was often the best medical tool available.


    Marsali¡¯s mouth fell open. Germain looked at me in admiration and repeated the expression, correctly and with a beautiful Parisian accent.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, looking to Marsali in apology. ¡°Someone¡¯s let the teakettle boil dry.¡±


    ¡°Nay matter, Mother Claire,¡± she said with a sigh, juggling little Joanie, who¡¯d started to scream again. ¡°It¡¯s no worse than the things his father teaches him a-purpose. Is there a dry cloth?¡±


    I was already hunting urgently for a dry cloth or a pot-lifter with which to grasp the wire handle, but nothing came to hand save soggy diapers and damp stockings. Kettles were hard to come by, though, and I wasn¡¯t sacrificing this one. I wrapped my hand in a fold of my skirt, seized the handle, and jerked the kettle away from the flames. The heat shot through the damp cloth like a bolt of lightning, and I dropped it.


    ¡°Merde!¡± said Germain, in happy echo.


    ¡°Yes, quite,¡± I said, sucking a blistered thumb. The kettle hissed and smoked in the wet leaves, and I kicked at it, rolling it off onto a patch of mud.


    ¡°Merde, merde, merde, merde,¡± sang Germain, with a fair approximation of the tune of ¡°Rose, Rose¡±¡ªa manifestation of precocious musical feeling that went lamentably unappreciated in the circumstances.


    ¡°Do hush, child,¡± I said.


    He didn¡¯t. Jemmy began to screech in unison with Joan, Lizzie¡ªwho had had a relapse owing to the reluctant departure of Private Ogilvie¡ªbegan to moan under her bush, and it started in to hail, small white pellets of ice dancing on the ground and pinging sharply off my scalp. I pulled the soggy mobcap off a branch and clapped it on my head, feeling like an extremely put-upon toad beneath a particularly homely mushroom. All it wanted was warts, I thought.

 Page 29

    The hail was short-lived. As the rush and clattering lessened, though, the crunching noise of muddy boots came up the path. Jamie, with Father Kenneth Donahue in tow, crusted hail on their hair and shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought the good Father for tea,¡± he said, beaming round the clearing.


    ¡°No, you haven¡¯t,¡± I said, rather ominously. And if he thought I¡¯d forgotten about Stephen Bonnet, he was wrong about that, too.


    Turning at the sound of my voice, he jerked in an exaggeration of startled shock at sight of me in my mobcap.


    ¡°Is that you, Sassenach?¡± he asked in mock alarm, pretending to lean forward and peek under the drooping frill of my cap. Owing to the presence of the priest, I refrained from kneeing Jamie in some sensitive spot, and contented myself instead with an attempt to turn him into stone with my eyes, ¨¤ la Medusa.


    He appeared not to notice, distracted by Germain, who was now dancing in little circles while singing theme and variations on my initial French expression, to the tune of ¡°Row, Row, Row Your Boat.¡± Father Donahue was going bright pink with the effort of pretending that he didn¡¯t understand any French.


    ¡°Tais toi, cr¨¦tin,¡± Jamie said, reaching into his sporran. He said it amiably enough, but with the tone of one whose expectation of being obeyed is so absolute as not to admit question. Germain stopped abruptly, mouth open, and Jamie promptly thumbed a sweetie into it. Germain shut his mouth and began concentrating on the matter at hand, songs forgotten.


    I reached for the kettle, using a handful of my hem again as pot holder. Jamie bent, picked up a sturdy twig, and hooked the handle of the kettle neatly from my hand with it.


    ¡°Voil¨¤!¡± he said, presenting it.


    ¡°Merci,¡± I said, with a distinct lack of gratitude. Nonetheless, I accepted the stick and set off toward the nearest rivulet, smoking kettle borne before me like a lance.


    Reaching a rock-studded pool, I dropped the kettle with a clang, ripped off the mobcap, flung it into a clump of sedge, and stamped on it, leaving a large, muddy footprint on the linen.


    ¡°I didna mean to say it wasna flattering, Sassenach,¡± said an amused voice behind me.


    I raised a cold brow in his direction.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to say it was flattering, did you?¡±


    ¡°No. It makes ye look like a poisonous toadstool. Much better without,¡± he assured me.


    He pulled me toward him and bent to kiss me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t appreciate the thought,¡± I said, and the tone of my voice stopped him, a fraction of an inch from my mouth. ¡°But one inch farther and I think I might just bite a small piece out of your lip.¡±


    Moving like a man who has just realized that the stone he has casually picked up is in actuality a wasp¡¯s nest, he straightened up and very, very slowly took his hands off my waist.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, and tilted his head to one side, lips pursed as he surveyed me.


    ¡°Ye do look a bit frazzled, at that, Sassenach.¡±


    No doubt this was true, but it made me feel like bursting into tears to hear it. Evidently the urge showed, because he took me¡ªvery gently¡ªby the hand, and led me to a large rock.


    ¡°Sit,¡± he said. ¡°Close your eyes, a nighean donn. Rest yourself a moment.¡±


    I sat, eyes closed and shoulders slumped. Sloshing noises and a muted clang announced that he was cleaning and filling the kettle.


    He set the filled kettle at my feet with a soft clunk, then eased himself down on the leaves beside it, where he sat quietly. I could hear the faint sigh of his breath, and the occasional sniff and rustle as he wiped a dripping nose on his sleeve.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said at last, opening my eyes.


    He turned, half-smiling, to look up at me.


    ¡°For what, Sassenach? It¡¯s not as though ye¡¯ve refused my bed¡ªor at least I hope it¡¯s not come to that yet.¡±


    The thought of making love just at the moment was absolutely at the bottom of my list, but I returned the half-smile.


    ¡°No,¡± I said ruefully. ¡°After two weeks of sleeping on the ground, I wouldn¡¯t refuse anyone¡¯s bed.¡± His eyebrows went up at that, and I laughed, taken off-guard.


    ¡°No,¡± I said again. ¡°I¡¯m just . . . frazzled.¡± Something griped low in my belly, and proceeded to twist. I grimaced, and pressed my hands over the pain.


    ¡°Oh!¡± he said again, in sudden understanding. ¡°That kind of frazzled.¡±


    ¡°That kind of frazzled,¡± I agreed. I poked at the kettle with one toe. ¡°I¡¯d better take that back; I need to boil water so I can steep some willow bark. It takes a long time.¡± It did; it would take an hour or more, by which time the cramps would be considerably worse.


    ¡°The hell with willow bark,¡± he said, producing a silver flask from the recesses of his shirt. ¡°Try this. At least ye dinna need to boil it first.¡±


    I unscrewed the stopper and inhaled. Whisky, and very good whisky, too.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said sincerely, and he laughed.


    ¡°I love ye too, Sassenach,¡± he said, and gently touched my foot.


    I took a mouthful and let it trickle down the back of my throat. It seeped pleasantly through my mucous membranes, hit bottom, and rose up in a puff of soothing, amber-colored smoke that filled all my crevices and began to extend warm, soothing tendrils round the source of my discomfort.


    ¡°Oooooo,¡± I said, sighing, and taking another sip. I closed my eyes, the better to appreciate it. An Irishman of my acquaintance had once assured me that very good whisky could raise the dead. I wasn¡¯t disposed to argue the point.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± I said, when I opened my eyes again. ¡°Where did you get it?¡± This was twenty-year-old Scotch, if I knew anything about it¡ªa far cry from the raw spirit that Jamie had been distilling on the ridge behind the house.


    ¡°Jocasta,¡± he said. ¡°It was meant to be a wedding gift for Brianna and her young man, but I thought ye needed it more.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡±


    We sat in a companionable silence, and I sipped slowly, the urge to run amok and slaughter everyone in sight gradually subsiding, along with the level of whisky in the flask.


    The rain had moved off again, and the foliage dripped peacefully around us. There was a stand of fir trees near; I could smell the cool scent of their resin, pungent and clean above the heavier smell of wet, dead leaves, smoldering fires, and soggy fabrics.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three months since the last of your courses,¡± Jamie observed casually. ¡°I thought they¡¯d maybe stopped.¡±


    I was always a trifle taken aback to realize how acutely he observed such things¡ªbut he was a farmer and a husbandman, after all. He was intimately acquainted with the gynecological history and estrus cycle of every female animal he owned; I supposed there was no reason to think he¡¯d make an exception simply because I was not likely either to farrow or come in heat.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like a tap that just switches off, you know,¡± I said, rather crossly. ¡°Unfortunately. It just gets rather erratic and eventually it stops, but you haven¡¯t any idea when.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    He leaned forward, arms folded across the tops of his knees, idly watching twigs and bits of leaf bobbing through the riffles of the stream.


    ¡°I¡¯d think it would maybe be a relief to have done wi¡¯ it all. Less mess, aye?¡±


    I repressed the urge to draw invidious sexual comparisons regarding bodily fluids.


    ¡°Maybe it will,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know, shall I?¡±


    He smiled faintly, but was wise enough not to pursue the matter; he could hear the edge in my voice.


    I sipped a bit more whisky. The sharp cry of a woodpecker¡ªthe kind Jamie called a yaffle¡ªechoed deep in the woods and then fell silent. Few birds were out in this weather; most simply huddled under what shelter they could find, though I could hear the conversational quacking of a small flock of migratory ducks somewhere downstream. They weren¡¯t bothered by the rain.


    Jamie stretched himself suddenly.


    ¡°Ah . . . Sassenach?¡± he said.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, surprised.


    He ducked his head, uncharacteristically shy.


    ¡°I dinna ken whether I¡¯ve done wrong or no, Sassenach, but if I have, I must ask your forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, a little uncertainly. What was I forgiving him for? Probably not adultery, but it could be just about anything else, up to and including assault, arson, highway robbery, and blasphemy. God, I hoped it wasn¡¯t anything to do with Bonnet.


    ¡°What have you done?¡±


    ¡°Well, as to myself, nothing,¡± he said, a little sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s only what I¡¯ve said you¡¯d do.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I said, with minor suspicion. ¡°And what¡¯s that? If you told Farquard Campbell that I¡¯d visit his horrible old mother again . . .¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± he assured me. ¡°Nothing like that. I promised Josiah Beardsley that ye¡¯d maybe take out his tonsils today, though.¡±


    ¡°That I¡¯d what?¡± I goggled at him. I¡¯d met Josiah Beardsley, a youth with the worst-looking set of abscessed tonsils I¡¯d ever seen, the day before. I¡¯d been sufficiently impressed by the pustulated state of his adenoids, in fact, to have described them in detail to all and sundry over dinner¡ªcausing Lizzie to go green round the gills and give her second potato to Germain¡ªand had mentioned at the time that surgery was really the only possible effective cure. I hadn¡¯t expected Jamie to go drumming up business, though.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    Jamie rocked back a little, looking up at me.


    ¡°I want him, Sassenach.¡±


    ¡°You do? What for?¡± Josiah was barely fourteen¡ªor at least he thought he was fourteen; he wasn¡¯t really sure when he¡¯d been born and his parents had died too long ago to say. He was undersized even for fourteen, and badly nourished, with legs slightly bowed from rickets. He also showed evidence of assorted parasitic infections, and wheezed with what might be tuberculosis, or merely a bad case of bronchitis.


    ¡°A tenant, of course.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯d have thought you had more applicants than you can handle, as it is.¡±


    I didn¡¯t just think so; I knew so. We had absolutely no money, though the trade Jamie had done at the Gathering had just about¡ªnot quite¡ªcleared our indebtedness to several of the Cross Creek merchants for ironmongery, rice, tools, salt, and other small items. We had land in plenty¡ªmost of it forest¡ªbut no means to assist people to settle on it or farm it. The Chisholms and McGillivrays were stretching well past our limits, in terms of acquiring new tenantry.


    Jamie merely nodded, dismissing these complications.


    ¡°Aye. Josiah¡¯s a likely lad, though.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said dubiously. It was true that the boy seemed tough¡ªwhich was likely what Jamie meant by ¡°likely¡±; simply to have survived this long by himself was evidence of that. ¡°Maybe so. So are lots of others. What¡¯s he got that makes you want him specially?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fourteen.¡±

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    I looked at him, one brow raised in question, and his mouth twisted in a wry smile.


    ¡°Any man between sixteen and sixty must serve in the militia, Sassenach.¡±


    I felt a small, unpleasant contraction in the pit of my stomach. I hadn¡¯t forgotten the Governor¡¯s unwelcome summons, but what with one thing and another, I hadn¡¯t had the leisure to reflect on exactly what the practical consequences of it were likely to be.


    Jamie sighed and stretched out his arms, flexing his knuckles until they cracked.


    ¡°So you¡¯ll do it?¡± I asked. ¡°Form a militia company and go?¡±


    ¡°I must,¡± he said simply. ¡°Tryon¡¯s got my ballocks in his hand, and I¡¯m no inclined to see whether he¡¯ll squeeze, aye?¡±


    ¡°I was afraid of that.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s picturesque assessment of the situation was unfortunately accurate. Looking for a loyal and competent man willing to undertake the settlement of a large section of wild backcountry, Governor Tryon had offered Jamie a Royal grant of land just east of the Treaty Line, with no requirement of quitrent for a period of ten years. A fair offer, though given the difficulties of settlement in the mountains, not quite so generous as it might have looked.


    The catch was that holders of such grants were legally required to be white Protestant males of good character, above the age of thirty. And while Jamie met the other requirements, Tryon was well aware of his Catholicism.


    Do as the Governor required, and . . . well, the Governor was a successful politician; he knew how to keep his mouth shut about inconvenient matters. Defy him, though, and it would take no more than a simple letter from New Bern to deprive Fraser¡¯s Ridge of its resident Frasers.


    ¡°Hmm. So you¡¯re thinking that if you take the available men from the Ridge¡ªcan¡¯t you leave out a few?¡±


    ¡°I havena got so many to start with, Sassenach,¡± he pointed out. ¡°I can leave Fergus, because of his hand, and Mr. Wemyss to look after our place. He¡¯s a bond servant, so far as anyone knows, and only freemen are obliged to join the militia.¡±


    ¡°And only able-bodied men. That lets out Joanna Grant¡¯s husband; he¡¯s got a wooden foot.¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Aye, and old Arch Bug, who¡¯s seventy if he¡¯s a day. That¡¯s four men¡ªand maybe eight boys under sixteen¡ªto look after thirty homesteads and more than a hundred and fifty people.¡±


    ¡°The women can probably manage fairly well by themselves,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s winter, after all; no crops to deal with. And there shouldn¡¯t be any difficulties with the Indians, not these days.¡± My ribbon had come loose when I pulled off the cap. Hair was escaping from its undone plaits in every direction, straggling down my neck in damp, curly strands. I pulled the ribbon off and tried to comb my hair out with my fingers.


    ¡°What¡¯s so important about Josiah Beardsley, anyway?¡± I asked. ¡°Surely one fourteen-year-old boy can¡¯t make so much difference.¡±


    ¡°Beardsley¡¯s a hunter,¡± Jamie answered, ¡°and a good one. He brought in nearly two hundred weight of wolf, deer, and beaver skins to the Gathering¡ªall taken by himself alone, he said. I couldna do better, myself.¡±


    That was a true encomium, and I pursed my lips in silent appreciation. Hides were the main¡ªin fact, the only¡ªwinter crop of any value in the mountains. We had no money now¡ªnot even the paper Proclamation money, worth only a fraction of sterling¡ªand without hides to sell in the spring, we were going to have difficulty getting the seed corn and wheat we needed. And if all the men were required to spend a good part of the winter tramping round the colony subduing Regulators instead of hunting . . .


    Most women on the Ridge could handle a gun, but almost none could hunt effectively, as they were tethered to their homes by the needs of their children. Even Bree, who was a very good hunter, could venture no more than half a day¡¯s travel away from Jemmy¡ªnot nearly far enough for wolf and beaver.


    I rubbed a hand through my damp locks, fluffing out the loosened strands.


    ¡°All right, I understand that part. Where do the tonsils come in, though?¡±


    Jamie looked up at me and smiled. Without answering at once, he got to his feet and circled behind me. With a firm hand, he gathered in the fugitive strands, captured the flying bits, and braided it into a tight, thick plait at the base of my neck. He bent over my shoulder, plucked the ribbon from my lap, and tied it neatly in a bow.


    ¡°There.¡± He sat down by my feet again. ¡°Now, as to the tonsils. Ye told the lad he must have them out, or his throat would go from bad to worse.¡±


    ¡°It will.¡±


    Josiah Beardsley had believed me. And, having come near death the winter before when an abscess in his throat had nearly suffocated him before bursting, he was not eager to risk another such occurrence.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only surgeon north of Cross Creek,¡± Jamie pointed out. ¡°Who else could do it?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes,¡± I said uncertainly. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve made the lad an offer,¡± Jamie interrupted. ¡°One section of land¡ªwee Roger and myself will help him to put up a cabin on it when the time comes¡ªand he¡¯ll go halves with me in whatever he takes in the way of skins for the next three winters. He¡¯s willing¡ªprovided you¡¯ll take out his tonsils as part o¡¯ the bargain.¡±


    ¡°But why today? I can¡¯t take someone¡¯s tonsils out here!¡± I gestured at the dripping forest.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Jamie raised one eyebrow. ¡°Did ye not say last night it was a small matter¡ªonly a few wee cuts wi¡¯ your smallest knife?¡±


    I rubbed a knuckle under my nose, sniffing with exasperation. ¡°Look, just because it isn¡¯t a massive bloody job like amputating a leg doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a simple matter!¡± It was, in fact, a relatively simple operation¡ªsurgically speaking. It was the possibility of infection following the procedure, and the need for careful nursing¡ªa poor substitute for antibiotics, but much better than neglect¡ªthat raised complications.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just whack out his tonsils and turn him loose,¡± I said. ¡°When we get back to the Ridge, though¡ª¡±


    ¡°He doesna mean to come back with us directly,¡± Jamie interrupted.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°He didna say; only that he had a bit of business to do, and would come to the Ridge by the first week of December. He can sleep in the loft above the herb shed,¡± he added.


    ¡°So you¡ªand he¡ªexpect me just to slash out his tonsils, put in a few stitches, and see him on his merry way?¡± I asked sardonically.


    ¡°Ye did nicely wi¡¯ the dog,¡± he said, grinning.


    ¡°Oh, you heard about that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye. And the lad who chopped his foot with an ax, and the bairns wi¡¯ milk rash, and Mrs. Buchanan¡¯s toothache, and your battle wi¡¯ Murray MacLeod over the gentleman¡¯s bile ducts . . .¡±


    ¡°It was rather a busy morning.¡± I shuddered briefly in remembrance, and took another sip of whisky.


    ¡°The whole Gathering is talking of ye, Sassenach. I did think of the Bible, in fact, seeing all the crowd clamoring round ye this morning.¡±


    ¡°The Bible?¡± I must have looked blank at the reference, because the grin got wider.


    ¡°And the whole multitude sought to touch him,¡± Jamie quoted. ¡°For there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.¡±


    I laughed ruefully, interrupting myself with a small hiccup. ¡°Fresh out of virtue at the moment, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Dinna fash. There¡¯s plenty in the flask.¡±


    Thus reminded, I offered him the whisky, but he waved it away, brows drawn down in thought. Melting hail had left wet streaks in his hair, and it lay like ribbons of melted bronze across his shoulders¡ªlike the statue of some military hero, weathered and glistening in a public park.


    ¡°So ye¡¯ll do the lad¡¯s tonsils, once he comes to the Ridge?¡±


    I thought a moment, then nodded, swallowing. There would still be dangers in it, and normally I wouldn¡¯t do purely elective surgery. But Josiah¡¯s condition was truly dreadful, and the continued infections might well kill him eventually, if I didn¡¯t take some steps to remedy it.


    Jamie nodded, satisfied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it, then.¡±


    My feet had thawed, even wet as they were, and I was beginning to feel warm and pliable. My belly still felt as though I¡¯d swallowed a large volcanic rock, but I wasn¡¯t minding all that much.


    ¡°I was wondering something, Sassenach,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Speakin¡¯ of the Bible, ye ken.¡±


    ¡°Got Scripture on the brain today, have you?¡±


    One corner of his mouth curled up as he glanced at me.


    ¡°Aye, well. It¡¯s only I was thinking. When the Angel of the Lord comes along to Sarah and tells her she¡¯ll have a bairn the next year, she laughs and says that¡¯s a rare jest, as it¡¯s ceased to be wi¡¯ her after the manner of women.¡±


    ¡°Most women in that situation likely wouldn¡¯t think it at all a funny idea,¡± I assured him. ¡°I often think God¡¯s got a very peculiar sense of humor, though.¡±


    He looked down at the large maple leaf he was shredding between thumb and forefinger, but I caught the faint twitch of his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought that now and again myself, Sassenach,¡± he said, rather dryly. ¡°Be that as it may, she did have the bairn, aye?¡±


    ¡°The Bible says she did. I¡¯m not going to call the book of Genesis a liar.¡± I debated the wisdom of drinking more, but decided to save it for a rainy¡ªwell, a rainier¡ªday, and put the stopper back in the flask. I could hear a certain amount of stirring in the direction of the campsite, and my ears caught a word of inquiry, borne on the chilly breeze.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s looking for Himself,¡± I said. ¡°Again.¡±


    Himself glanced over his shoulder and grimaced slightly, but made no immediate move to answer the call. He cleared his throat, and I saw a faint flush move up the side of his neck.


    ¡°Well, the point is,¡± he said, carefully not looking at me, ¡°that so far as I ken, if your name¡¯s not Mary and the Holy Ghost isna involved in the matter, there¡¯s only the one way of getting wi¡¯ child. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°So far as I know, yes.¡± I put a hand over my mouth to stifle a rising hiccup.


    ¡°Aye. And if so . . . well, that must mean that Sarah was still bedding wi¡¯ Abraham at the time, no?¡±


    He still wasn¡¯t looking at me, but his ears had gone pink, and I belatedly realized the point of this religious discussion. I reached out a toe and prodded him gently in the side.


    ¡°You were thinking perhaps I wouldn¡¯t want you anymore?¡±


    ¡°Ye dinna want me now,¡± he pointed out logically, eyes on the crumbled remains of his leaf.


    ¡°I feel as though my belly is full of broken glass, I¡¯m half-soaked and mud to the knees, and whoever¡¯s looking for you is about to burst through the shrubbery with a pack of bloodhounds at any moment,¡± I said, with a certain amount of asperity. ¡°Are you actually inviting me to participate in carnal revelry with you in that mound of soggy leaves? Because if you are¡ª¡±

 Page 31

    ¡°No, no,¡± he said hastily. ¡°I didna mean now. I only meant¡ªI was only wondering if¡ª¡± The tips of his ears had gone a dull red. He stood up abruptly, brushing dead leaves from his kilt with exaggerated force.


    ¡°If,¡± I said in measured tones, ¡°you were to get me with child at this point in the proceedings, Jamie Fraser, I would have your balls en brochette.¡± I rocked back, looking up at him. ¡°As for bedding with you, though . . .¡±


    He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. I smiled at him, letting what I thought show plainly on my face.


    ¡°Once you have a bed again,¡± I said, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t refuse it.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. He drew a deep breath, looking suddenly quite happy. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all right, then. It¡¯s only¡ªI wondered, ye ken.¡±


    A sudden loud rustling in the shrubbery was followed by the appearance of Mr. Wemyss, whose thin, anxious face poked out of a nannyberry bush.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s yourself, sir,¡± he said, in evident relief.


    ¡°I suppose it must be,¡± Jamie said, in resignation. ¡°Is there a difficulty, Mr. Wemyss?¡±


    Mr. Wemyss was delayed in answering, having become inextricably entangled with the nannyberry bush, and I was obliged to go and help release him. A onetime bookkeeper who had been obliged to sell himself as an indentured servant, Mr. Wemyss was highly unsuited to life in the wilderness.


    ¡°I do apologize for troubling ye, sir,¡± he said, rather red in the face. He picked nervously at a spiny twig that had caught in his fair, flyaway hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s only¡ªwell, she did say as she meant to cleave him from crown to crutch wi¡¯ her ax if he didna leave off, and he said no woman would speak to him in that manner, and she does have an ax . . .¡±


    Accustomed to Mr. Wemyss¡¯s methods of communication, Jamie sighed, reached out for the whisky flask, uncorked it, and took a deep, sustaining swig. He lowered the flask and fixed Mr. Wemyss with a gimlet eye.


    ¡°Who?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Oh! Er . . . did I not say? Rosamund Lindsay and Ronnie Sinclair.¡±


    ¡°Mmphm.¡±


    Not good news; Rosamund Lindsay did have an ax; she was roasting several pigs in a pit near the creek, over hickory embers. She also weighed nearly two hundred pounds and, while normally good-humored, was possessed of a notable temper when roused. For his part, Ronnie Sinclair was entirely capable of irritating the Angel Gabriel, let alone a woman trying to cook in the rain.


    Jamie sighed and handed the flask back to me. He squared his shoulders, shaking droplets from his plaid as he settled it.


    ¡°Go and tell them I¡¯m coming, Mr. Wemyss,¡± he said.


    Mr. Wemyss¡¯s thin face expressed the liveliest apprehension at the thought of coming within speaking range of Rosamund Lindsay¡¯s ax, but his awe of Jamie was even greater. He bobbed a quick, neat bow, turned, and blundered straight into the nannyberry bush again.


    A wail like an approaching ambulance betokened the appearance of Marsali, Joan in her arms. She plucked a clinging branch from Mr. Wemyss¡¯s coat sleeve, nodding to him as she stepped carefully round him.


    ¡°Da,¡± she said, without preamble. ¡°Ye¡¯ve got to come. Father Kenneth¡¯s been arrested.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°Arrested? Just now? By whom?¡±


    ¡°Aye, this minute! A nasty fat man who said he was sheriff o¡¯ the county. He came up wi¡¯ two men and they asked who was the priest, and when Father Kenneth said it was him, they seized him by the arms and marched him straight off, with none so much as a by your leave!¡±


    The blood was rising in Jamie¡¯s face, and his two stiff fingers tapped briefly against his thigh.


    ¡°They¡¯ve taken him from my hearth?¡± he said. ¡°A Dhia!¡±


    This was plainly a rhetorical question, and before Marsali could answer it, a crunching of footsteps came from the other direction, and Brianna popped into sight from behind a pine tree.


    ¡°What?¡± he barked at her. She blinked, taken aback.


    ¡°Ah . . . Geordie Chisholm says one of the soldiers stole a ham from his fire, and will you go and see Lieutenant Hayes about it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said promptly. ¡°Later. Meanwhile, do you go back wi¡¯ Marsali and find out where they¡¯ve taken Father Kenneth. And Mr. Wemyss¡ª¡± But Mr. Wemyss had at last escaped the clinging embrace of the nannyberry bush. A distant crashing signaled his rush to fulfill his orders.


    A quick look at Jamie¡¯s face convinced both girls that a swift retreat was the order of the day, and within seconds, we were alone again. He took a deep breath, and let it slowly out through his teeth.


    I wanted to laugh, but didn¡¯t. Instead I moved closer; cold and damp as it was, I could feel the heat of his skin through his plaid.


    ¡°At least it¡¯s only the sick ones who want to touch me,¡± I said. I held out the flask to him. ¡°What do you do when all the virtue¡¯s gone out of you?¡±


    He glanced down at me, and a slow smile spread across his face. Ignoring the flask, he stooped, cupped my face in his hands, and kissed me, very gently.


    ¡°That,¡± he said.


    Then he turned and strode downhill, presumably full of virtue once more.


    13


    BEANS AND BARBECUE


    I TOOK THE KETTLE BACK to our camp, only to find the place momentarily deserted. Voices and laughter in the distance indicated that Lizzie, Marsali, and Mrs. Bug¡ªpresumably with children in tow¡ªwere on their way to the women¡¯s privy, a latrine trench dug behind a convenient screen of juniper, some way from the campsites. I hung the full kettle over the fire to boil, then stood still for a moment, wondering in which direction my efforts might be best directed.


    While Father Kenneth¡¯s situation might be the most serious in the long run, it wasn¡¯t one where my presence would be likely to make a difference. But I was a doctor¡ªand Rosamund Lindsay did have an ax. I patted my damp hair and garments into some sort of order, and started downhill toward the creek, abandoning the mobcap to its fate.


    Jamie had evidently been of the same mind regarding the relative importance of the emergencies in progress. When I fought my way through the thicket of willow saplings edging the creek, I found him standing by the barbecue pit, in peaceful conversation with Ronnie Sinclair¡ªmeanwhile leaning casually on the handle of the ax, of which he had somehow managed to possess himself.


    I relaxed a bit when I saw that, and took my time in joining the party. Unless Rosamund decided to strangle Ronnie with her bare hands or beat him to death with a ham¡ªneither of these contingencies being at all unthinkable¡ªmy medical services might not be needed after all.


    The pit was a broad one, a natural declivity bored out of the clay creekbank by some distant flood and then deepened by judicious spadework in the years succeeding. Judging by the blackened rocks and drifts of scattered charcoal, it had been in use for some time. In fact, several different people were using it now; the mingled scents of fowl, pork, mutton, and possum rose up in a cloud of apple-wood and hickory smoke, a savory incense that made my mouth water.


    The sight of the pit was somewhat less appetizing. Clouds of white smoke billowed up from the damp wood, half-obscuring a number of shapes that lay upon their smoldering pyres¡ªmany of these looking faintly and hair-raisingly human through the haze. It reminded me all too vividly of the charnel pits on Jamaica, where the bodies of slaves who had not survived the rigors of the Middle Passage were burned, and I swallowed heavily, trying not to recall the macabre roasting-meat smell of those funeral fires.


    Rosamund was working down in the pit at the moment, her skirt kirtled well above plump knees and sleeves rolled back to bare her massive arms as she ladled a reddish sauce onto the exposed ribs of a huge hog¡¯s carcass. Around her lay five more gigantic shapes, shrouded in damp burlap, with the wisps of fragrant smoke curling up around them, vanishing into the soft drizzle.


    ¡°It¡¯s poison, is what it is!¡± Ronnie Sinclair was saying hotly, as I came up behind him. ¡°She¡¯ll ruin it¡ªit¡¯ll no be fit for pigs when she¡¯s done!¡±


    ¡°It is pigs, Ronnie,¡± Jamie said, with considerable patience. He rolled an eye at me, then glanced at the pit, where sizzling fat dripped onto the biers of hickory coals below. ¡°Myself, I shouldna think ye could do anything to a pig¡ªin the way of cooking, that is¡ªthat would make it not worth the eating.¡±


    ¡°Quite true,¡± I put in helpfully, smiling at Ronnie. ¡°Smoked bacon, grilled chops, roasted loin, baked ham, headcheese, sausage, sweetbreads, black pudding . . . somebody once said you could make use of everything in a pig but the squeal.¡±


    ¡°Aye, well, but this is the barbecue, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ronnie said stubbornly, ignoring my feeble attempt at humor. ¡°Anyone kens that ye sass a barbecued hog wi¡¯ vinegar¡ªthat¡¯s the proper way of it! After all, ye wouldna put gravel into your sausage meat, would ye? Or boil your bacon wi¡¯ sweepings from the henhouse? Tcha!¡± He jerked his chin toward the white pottery basin under Rosamund¡¯s arm, making it clear that its contents fell into the same class of inedible adulterants, in his opinion.


    I caught a savory whiff as the wind changed. So far as I could tell from smell alone, Rosamund¡¯s sauce seemed to include tomatoes, onions, red pepper, and enough sugar to leave a thick blackish crust on the meat and a tantalizing caramel aroma in the air.


    ¡°I expect the meat will be very juicy, cooked like that,¡± I said, feeling my stomach begin to knot and growl beneath my laced bodice.


    ¡°Aye, a wonderful fat lot of pigs they are, too,¡± Jamie said ingratiatingly, as Rosamund glanced up, glowering. She was black to the knees and her square-jowled face was streaked with rain, sweat, and soot. ¡°Will they have been wild hogs, ma¡¯am, or gently reared?¡±


    ¡°Wild,¡± she said, with a certain amount of pride, straightening up and wiping a strand of wet, graying hair off her brow. ¡°Fattened on chestnut mast¡ªnothin¡¯ like it to give a flavor to the meat!¡±


    Ronnie Sinclair made a Scottish noise indicative of derision and contempt.


    ¡°Aye, the flavor¡¯s so good ye must hide it under a larding o¡¯ yon grisly sauce that makes it look as though the meat¡¯s no even cooked yet, but bleeding raw!¡±


    Rosamund made a rather earthy comment regarding the supposed manhood of persons who felt themselves squeamish at the thought of blood, which Ronnie seemed disposed to take personally. Jamie skillfully maneuvered himself between the two, keeping the ax well out of reach.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s verra well cooked indeed,¡± he replied soothingly. ¡°Why, Mistress Lindsay has been hard at work since dawn, at least.¡±


    ¡°Long before that, Mr. Fraser,¡± the lady replied, with a certain grim satisfaction. ¡°You want decent barbecue, you start at least a day before, and tend it all through the night. I been a-minding of these hogs since yesterday afternoon.¡± She drew in a great sniff of the rising smoke, wearing a beatific expression.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the stuff! Not but what a savory sass like this ¡¯un is wasted on you bastardly Scots,¡± Rosamund said, replacing the burlap and patting it tenderly into place. ¡°You¡¯ve pickled your tongues with that everlastin¡¯ vinegar you slop on your victuals. It¡¯s all I can do to stop Kenny a-puttin¡¯ it on his corn bread and porridge of a mornin¡¯.¡±

 Page 32

    Jamie raised his voice, drowning out Ronnie¡¯s incensed response to this calumny.


    ¡°And was it Kenny that hunted the hogs for ye, mistress? Wild hogs have a chancy nature; surely it¡¯s a dangerous business to be stalking beasts of that size. Like the wild boar that we hunted in Scotland, aye?¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± Rosamund cast a look of good-natured scorn toward the slope above, where her husband¡ªroughly half her size¡ªpresumably was engaged in less strenuous pursuits. ¡°No, indeed, Mr. Fraser, I kilt this lot myself. With that ax,¡± she added pointedly, nodding toward the instrument in question and narrowing her eyes in a sinister fashion at Ronnie. ¡°Caved in their skulls with one blow, I did.¡±


    Ronnie, not the most perceptive of men, declined to take the hint.


    ¡°It¡¯s the tomato fruits she¡¯s using, Mac Dubh,¡± he hissed, tugging at Jamie¡¯s sleeve and pointing at the red-crusted bowl. ¡°Devil¡¯s apples! She¡¯ll poison us all!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I shouldna think so, Ronnie.¡± Jamie took a firm grip on Ronnie¡¯s arm, and smiled engagingly at Rosamund. ¡°Ye mean to sell the meat, I suppose, Mrs. Lindsay? It¡¯s a poor merchant that would kill her customers, aye?¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t yet lost a one, Mr. Fraser,¡± Rosamund agreed, turning back another sheet of burlap and leaning over to dribble sauce from a wooden ladle over a steaming haunch. ¡°Ain¡¯t never had but good words about the taste, neither,¡± she said, ¡°though a-course that would be in Boston, where I come from.¡±


    Where folk have sense, her tone clearly implied.


    ¡°I met a man from Boston, last time I went to Charlottesville,¡± Ronnie said, his foxy brows drawn down in disapproval. He tugged, trying to free his arm from Jamie¡¯s grip, but to no avail. ¡°He said to me as it was his custom to have beans at his breakfast, and oysters to his supper, and so he¡¯d done every day since he was a wean. A wonder he hadna blown up like a pig¡¯s bladder, filled wi¡¯ such wretched stuff as that!¡±


    ¡°Beans, beans, they¡¯re good for your heart,¡± I said cheerily, seizing the opening. ¡°The more you eat, the more you fart. The more you fart, the better you feel¡ªso let¡¯s have beans for every meal!¡±


    Ronnie¡¯s mouth dropped open, as did Mrs. Lindsay¡¯s. Jamie whooped with laughter, and Mrs. Lindsay¡¯s look of astonishment dissolved into a booming laugh. After a moment, Ronnie rather reluctantly joined in, a small grin twisting up the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°I lived in Boston for a time,¡± I said mildly, as the hilarity died down a bit. ¡°Mrs. Lindsay, that smells wonderful!¡±


    Rosamund nodded with dignity, gratified.


    ¡°Why, so it does, ma¡¯am, and I say so.¡± She leaned toward me, lowering her voice¡ªslightly¡ªfrom its normal stentorian range. ¡°It¡¯s my private receipt what does it,¡± she said, with a proprietorial pat of the pottery bowl. ¡°Brings out the flavor, see?¡±


    Ronnie¡¯s mouth opened, but only a small yelp emerged, the evident result of Jamie¡¯s hand tightening about his biceps. Rosamund ignored this, engaging in an amiable discussion with Jamie that terminated in her agreeing to reserve an entire carcass for use at the wedding feast.


    I glanced at Jamie, hearing this. Given that Father Kenneth was probably at present en route either back to Baltimore or to the gaol in Edenton, I had my doubts as to whether any marriages would in fact take place tonight.


    On the other hand, I had learned never to underestimate Jamie, either. With a final word of compliment to Mrs. Lindsay, he dragged Ronnie bodily away from the pit, pausing just long enough to thrust the ax into my hands.


    ¡°See that safe, aye, Sassenach?¡± he said, and kissed me briefly. He grinned down at me. ¡°And where did ye learn so much about the natural history of beans, tell me?¡±


    ¡°Brianna brought it home from school when she was about six,¡± I said, smiling back. ¡°It¡¯s really a little song.¡±


    ¡°Tell her to sing it to her man,¡± Jamie advised. The grin widened. ¡°He can write it down in his wee book.¡±


    He turned away, putting a companionable arm firmly about the shoulders of Ronnie Sinclair, who showed signs of trying to escape back in the direction of the barbecue pit.


    ¡°Come along wi¡¯ me, Ronnie,¡± he said. ¡°I must just have a wee word wi¡¯ the Lieutenant. He wishes to buy a ham of Mistress Lindsay, I think,¡± he added, blinking at me in the owllike fashion that passed with him for winking. He turned back to Ronnie. ¡°But I ken he¡¯ll want to hear whatever ye can tell him, about his Da. Ye were a great friend of Gavin Hayes, no?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Ronnie, his scowl lightening somewhat. ¡°Aye. Aye, Gavin was a proper man. A shame about it.¡± He shook his head, obviously referring to Gavin¡¯s death a few years before. He glanced up at Jamie, lips pursed. ¡°Does his lad ken what happened?¡±


    A tender question, that. Gavin had in fact been hanged in Charleston, for theft¡ªa shameful death, by anyone¡¯s standards.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Jamie said quietly. ¡°I had to tell him. But it will help, I think, if ye can tell him a bit about his Da earlier¡ªtell him how it was for us, there in Ardsmuir.¡± Something¡ªnot quite a smile¡ªtouched his face as he looked at Ronnie, and I saw an answering softness on Sinclair¡¯s face.


    Jamie¡¯s hand tightened on Ronnie¡¯s shoulder, then dropped away, and they set off up the hill, side by side, the subtleties of barbecue forgotten.


    How it was for us . . . I watched them go, linked by the conjuration of that one simple phrase. Five words that recalled the closeness forged by days and months and years of shared hardship; a kinship closed to anyone who had not likewise lived through it. Jamie seldom spoke of Ardsmuir; neither did any of the other men who had come out of it and lived to see the New World here.


    Mist was rising from the hollows on the mountain now; within moments, they had disappeared from view. From the hazy forest above, the sound of Scottish male voices drifted down toward the smoking pit, chanting in amiable unison:


    ¡°Beans, beans, they¡¯re good for your heart . . .¡±


    RETURNING TO THE CAMPSITE, I found that Roger had returned from his errands. He stood near the fire, talking with Brianna, a troubled look on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I told him, reaching past his hip to retrieve the rumbling teakettle. ¡°I¡¯m sure Jamie will sort it somehow. He¡¯s gone to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°He has?¡± He looked slightly startled. ¡°He knows already?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as soon as he finds the sheriff, I imagine it will all come right.¡± I upended the chipped teapot I used in camp with one hand, shook the old leaves out onto the ground, and putting it on the table, tipped a little boiling water in from the kettle to warm the pot. It had been a long day, and likely to be a long evening as well. I was looking forward to the sustenance of a properly brewed cup of tea, accompanied by a slice of the fruitcake one of my patients had given me during the morning clinic.


    ¡°The sheriff?¡± Roger gave Brianna a baffled look, faintly tinged with alarm. ¡°She hasn¡¯t set a sheriff on me, has she?¡±


    ¡°Set a sheriff on you? Who?¡± I said, joining in the chorus of bafflement. I hung the kettle back on its tripod, and reached for the tin of tea leaves. ¡°Whatever have you been doing, Roger?¡±


    A faint flush showed over his high cheekbones, but before he could answer, Brianna snorted briefly.


    ¡°Telling Auntie Jocasta where she gets off.¡± She glanced at Roger, and her eyes narrowed into triangles of mildly malicious amusement as she envisioned the scene. ¡°Boy, I wish I¡¯d been there!¡±


    ¡°Whatever did you say to her, Roger?¡± I inquired, interested.


    The flush deepened, and he looked away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to repeat it,¡± he said shortly. ¡°It wasna the sort of thing one ought to say to a woman, let alone an elderly one, and particularly one about to be related to me by marriage. I was just asking Bree whether I maybe ought to go and apologize to Mrs. Cameron before the wedding.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bree said promptly. ¡°The nerve of her! You had every right to say what you did.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t regret the substance of my remarks,¡± Roger said to her, with a wry hint of a smile. ¡°Only the form.


    ¡°See,¡± he said, turning to me, ¡°I¡¯m only thinking that perhaps I should apologize, to keep it from being awkward tonight¡ªI don¡¯t want Bree¡¯s wedding to be spoiled.¡±


    ¡°Bree¡¯s wedding? You think I¡¯m getting married by myself?¡± she asked, lowering thick red brows at him.


    ¡°Oh, well, no,¡± he admitted, smiling a little. He touched her cheek, gently. ¡°I¡¯ll stand up next ye, to be sure. But so long as we end up married, I¡¯m not so much bothered about the ceremony. Ye¡¯ll want it to be nice, though, won¡¯t ye? Put a damper on the occasion, and your auntie crowns me with a stick of firewood before I can say ¡®I will.¡¯?¡±


    I was by now consumed by curiosity to know just what he had said to Jocasta, but thought I had better address the more immediate issue, which was that at the moment of going to press, it appeared that there might be no wedding to be spoiled.


    ¡°And so Jamie¡¯s out looking for Father Kenneth now,¡± I finished. ¡°Marsali didn¡¯t recognize the sheriff who took him, though, which makes it difficult.¡±


    Roger¡¯s dark brows lifted, then drew together in concern.


    ¡°I wonder . . .¡± he said, and turned to me. ¡°Do ye know, I think perhaps I saw him, just a few moments ago.¡±


    ¡°Father Kenneth?¡± I asked, knife suspended over the fruitcake.


    ¡°No, the sheriff.¡±


    ¡°What? Where?¡± Bree half-turned on one heel, glaring round. Her hand curled up into a fist, and I thought it rather fortunate that the sheriff wasn¡¯t in sight. Having Brianna arrested for assault really would have a dampening effect on the wedding.


    ¡°He went that way.¡± Roger gestured downhill, toward the creek¡ªand Lieutenant Hayes¡¯s tent. As he did so, we heard the sound of footsteps squelching through mud, and a moment later, Jamie appeared, looking tired, worried, and highly annoyed. Obviously, he hadn¡¯t yet found the priest.


    ¡°Da!¡± Bree greeted him with excitement. ¡°Roger thinks he¡¯s seen the sheriff who took Father Kenneth!¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye?¡± Jamie at once perked up. ¡°Where?¡± His left hand curled up in anticipation, and I couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± he demanded, seeing it.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I assured him. ¡°Here, have some fruitcake.¡± I handed him a slice, which he promptly crammed into his mouth, returning his attention to Roger.


    ¡°Where?¡± he demanded, indistinctly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that it was the man you¡¯re looking for,¡± Roger told him. ¡°He was a raggedy wee man. But he had got a prisoner; he was taking one of the fellows from Drunkard¡¯s Creek off in handcuffs. MacLennan, I think.¡±


    Jamie choked and coughed, spewing small bits of masticated fruitcake into the fire.

 Page 33

    ¡°He arrested Mr. MacLennan? And you let him?¡± Bree was staring at Roger in consternation. Neither she nor Roger had been present when Abel MacLennan had told his story over breakfast, but both of them knew him.


    ¡°I couldna very well prevent him,¡± Roger pointed out mildly. ¡°I did call out to MacLennan to ask if he wanted help¡ªI thought I¡¯d fetch your Da or Farquard Campbell, if he did. But he just looked through me, as though I might have been a ghost, and then when I called again, he gave me an odd sort of smile and shook his head. I didna think I ought to go and beat up a sheriff, just on general principle. But if you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not a sheriff,¡± Jamie said hoarsely. His eyes were watering, and he paused to cough explosively again.


    ¡°A thief-taker,¡± I told Roger. ¡°Something like a bounty hunter, I gather.¡± The tea wasn¡¯t nearly brewed yet; I found a half-full stone bottle of ale and handed that to Jamie.


    ¡°Where will he be taking Abel?¡± I asked. ¡°You said Hayes didn¡¯t want prisoners.¡±


    Jamie shook his head, swallowed, and lowered the bottle, breathing a little easier.


    ¡°He doesna. No, Mr. Boble¡ªit must be him, aye?¡ªwill take Abel to the nearest magistrate. And if wee Roger saw him just the now . . .¡± He turned, thinking, brows furrowed as he surveyed the mountainside around us.


    ¡°It will be Farquard, most likely,¡± he concluded, his shoulders relaxing a little. ¡°I ken four justices of the peace and three magistrates here at the Gathering, and of the lot, Campbell¡¯s the only one camped on this side.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± I sighed in relief. Farquard Campbell was a fair man; a stickler for the law, but not without compassion¡ªand more importantly, perhaps, a very old friend of Jocasta Cameron.


    ¡°Aye, we¡¯ll ask my aunt to have a word¡ªperhaps we¡¯d best do it before the weddings.¡± He turned to Roger. ¡°Will ye go, MacKenzie? I must be finding Father Kenneth, if there are to be any weddings.¡±


    Roger looked as though he, too, had just choked on a bit of fruitcake.


    ¡°Er . . . well,¡± he said, awkwardly. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m no the best man to be saying anything to Mrs. Cameron just now.¡±


    Jamie was staring at him in mingled interest and exasperation.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Blushing fiercely, Roger recounted the substance of his conversation with Jocasta¡ªlowering his voice nearly to the point of inaudibility at the conclusion.


    We heard it clearly enough, nonetheless. Jamie looked at me. His mouth twitched. Then his shoulders began to shake. I felt the laughter bubble up under my ribs, but it was nothing to Jamie¡¯s hilarity. He laughed almost silently, but so hard that tears came to his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, Christ!¡± he gasped at last. He clutched his side, still wheezing faintly. ¡°God, I¡¯ve sprung a rib, I think.¡± He reached out and took one of the half-dried clean clouts from a bush, carelessly wiping his face with it.


    ¡°All right,¡± he said, recovering himself somewhat. ¡°Go and see Farquard, then. If Abel¡¯s there, tell Campbell I¡¯ll stand surety for him. Bring him back with ye.¡± He made a brief shooing gesture, and Roger¡ªpuce with mortification but stiff with dignity¡ªdeparted at once. Bree followed him, casting a glance of reproof at her father, which merely had the effect of causing him to wheeze some more.


    I drowned my own mirth with a gulp of steaming tea, blissfully fragrant. I offered the cup to Jamie, but he waved it away, content with the rest of the ale.


    ¡°My aunt,¡± he observed, lowering the bottle at last, ¡°kens verra well indeed what money will buy and what it will not.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s just bought herself¡ªand everyone else in the county¡ªa good opinion of poor Roger, hasn¡¯t she?¡± I replied, rather dryly.


    Jocasta Cameron was a MacKenzie of Leoch; a family Jamie had once described as ¡°charming as the larks in the field¡ªand sly as foxes, with it.¡± Whether Jocasta had truly had any doubt herself of Roger¡¯s motives in marrying Bree, or merely thought to forestall idle gossip along the Cape Fear, her methods had been undeniably successful. She was probably up in her tent chortling over her cleverness, looking forward to spreading the story of her offer and Roger¡¯s response to it.


    ¡°Poor Roger,¡± Jamie agreed, his mouth still twitching. ¡°Poor but virtuous.¡± He tipped up the bottle of ale, drained it, and set it down with a brief sigh of satisfaction. ¡°Though come to that,¡± he added, glancing at me, ¡°she¡¯s bought the lad something of value as well, hasn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°My son,¡± I quoted softly, nodding. ¡°Do you think he realized it himself before he said it? That he really feels Jemmy is his son?¡±


    Jamie made an indeterminate movement with his shoulders, not quite a shrug.


    ¡°I canna say. It¡¯s as well he should have that fixed in his mind, though, before the next bairn comes along¡ªone he kens for sure is his.¡±


    I thought of my conversation that morning with Brianna, but decided it was wiser to say nothing¡ªat least for now. It was, after all, a matter between Roger and Bree. I only nodded, and turned to tidy away the tea things.


    I felt a small glow in the pit of my stomach that was only partly the result of the tea. Roger had sworn an oath to take Jemmy as his own, no matter what the little boy¡¯s true paternity might be; he was an honorable man, Roger, and he meant it. But the speech of the heart is louder than the words of any oath spoken by lips alone.


    When I had gone back, pregnant, through the stones, Frank had sworn to me that he would keep me as his wife, would treat the coming child as his own¡ªwould love me as he had before. All three of those vows his lips and mind had done his best to keep, but his heart, in the end, had sworn only one. From the moment that he took Brianna in his arms, she was his daughter.


    But what if there had been another child? I wondered suddenly. It had never been a possibility¡ªbut if it had? Slowly, I wiped the teapot dry and wrapped it in a towel, contemplating the vision of that mythical child; the one Frank and I might have had, but never did, and never would. I laid the wrapped teapot in the chest, gently, as though it were a sleeping baby.


    When I turned back, Jamie was still standing there, looking at me with a rather odd expression¡ªtender, yet somehow rueful.


    ¡°Did I ever think to thank ye, Sassenach?¡± he said, his voice a little husky.


    ¡°For what?¡± I said, puzzled. He took my hand, and drew me gently toward him. He smelled of ale and damp wool, and very faintly of the brandied sweetness of fruitcake.


    ¡°For my bairns,¡± he said softly. ¡°For the children that ye bore me.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. I leaned slowly forward, and rested my forehead against the solid warmth of his chest. I cupped my hands at the small of his back beneath his coat, and sighed. ¡°It was . . . my pleasure.¡±


    ¡°MR. FRASER, MR. FRASER!¡± I lifted my head and turned to see a small boy churning down the steep slope behind us, arms waving to keep his balance and face bright red with cold and exertion.


    ¡°Oof!¡± Jamie got his hands up just in time to catch the boy as he hurtled down the last few feet, quite out of control. He boosted the little boy, whom I recognized as Farquard Campbell¡¯s youngest, up in his arms and smiled at him. ¡°Aye, Rabbie, what is it? Does your Da want me to come for Mr. MacLennan?¡±


    Rabbie shook his head, shaggy hair flying like a sheepdog¡¯s coat.


    ¡°No, sir,¡± he panted, gasping for breath. He gulped air and the small throat swelled like a frog¡¯s with the effort to breathe and speak at once. ¡°No, sir. My Da says he¡¯s heard where the priest is and I should show ye the way, sir. Will ye come?¡±


    Jamie¡¯s brows flicked up in momentary surprise. He glanced at me, then smiled at Rabbie, and nodded, bending down to set him on his feet.


    ¡°Aye, lad, I will. Lead on, then!¡±


    ¡°Delicate of Farquard,¡± I said to Jamie under my breath, with a nod at Rabbie, who scampered ahead, looking back over his shoulder now and then, to be sure we were managing to keep up with him. No one would notice a small boy, among the swarms of children on the mountain. Everyone would most assuredly have noticed had Farquard Campbell come himself or sent one of his adult sons.


    Jamie huffed a little, the mist of his breath a wisp of steam in the gathering chill.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s no Farquard¡¯s concern, after all, even if he has got a great regard for my aunt. And I expect if he¡¯s sent the lad to tell me, it means he kens the man who¡¯s responsible, and doesna mean to choose up sides wi¡¯ me against him.¡± He glanced at the setting sun, and gave me a rueful look.


    ¡°I did say I should find Father Kenneth by sunset, but still¡ªI dinna think we shall see a wedding tonight, Sassenach.¡±


    Rabbie led us onward and upward, tracing the maze of footpaths and trampled dead grass without hesitation. The sun had finally broken through the clouds; it had sunk deep in the notch of the mountains, but was still high enough to wash the slope with a warm, ruddy light that momentarily belied the chill of the day. People were gathering to their family fires now, hungry for their suppers, and no one spared a glance for us among the bustle.


    At last, Rabbie came to a stop, at the foot of a well-marked path that led up and to the right. I had crisscrossed the mountain¡¯s face several times during the week of the Gathering, but had never ventured up this high. Who was in custody of Father Kenneth, I wondered¡ªand what did Jamie propose to do about it?


    ¡°Up there,¡± Rabbie said unnecessarily, pointing to the peak of a large tent, just visible through a screen of longleaf pine.


    Jamie made a Scottish noise in the back of his throat at sight of the tent.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said softly, ¡°so that¡¯s how it is?¡±


    ¡°Is it? Never mind how it is; whose is it?¡± I looked dubiously at the tent, which was a large affair of waxed brown canvas, pale in the gloaming. It obviously belonged to someone fairly wealthy, but wasn¡¯t one I was familiar with myself.


    ¡°Mr. Lillywhite, of Hillsborough,¡± Jamie said, and his brows drew down in thought. He patted Rabbie Campbell on the head, and handed him a penny from his sporran. ¡°Thank ye, laddie. Run away to your Mam now; it¡¯ll be time for your supper.¡± Rabbie took the coin and vanished without comment, pleased to be finished with his errand.


    ¡°Oh, really.¡± I cocked a wary eye at the tent. That explained a few things, I supposed¡ªthough not everything. Mr. Lillywhite was a magistrate from Hillsborough, though I knew nothing else about him, save what he looked like. I had glimpsed him once or twice during the Gathering, a tall, rather drooping man, his figure made distinctive by a bottle-green coat with silver buttons, but had never formally met him.


    Magistrates were responsible for appointing sheriffs, which explained the connection with the ¡°nasty fat man¡± Marsali had described, and why Father Kenneth was incarcerated here¡ªbut that left open the question of whether it was the sheriff or Mr. Lillywhite who had wanted the priest removed from circulation in the first place.


    Jamie put a hand on my arm, and drew me off the path, into the shelter of a small pine tree.

 Page 34

    ¡°Ye dinna ken Mr. Lillywhite, do you, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°Only by sight. What do you want me to do?¡±


    He smiled at me, a hint of mischief in his eyes, despite his worry for Father Kenneth.


    ¡°Game for it, are ye?¡±


    ¡°Unless you¡¯re proposing that I bat Mr. Lillywhite over the head and liberate Father Kenneth by force, I suppose so. That sort of thing is much more your line of country than mine.¡±


    He laughed at that, and gave the tent what appeared to be a wistful look.


    ¡°I should like nothing better,¡± he said, confirming this impression. ¡°It wouldna be difficult in the least,¡± he went on, eyeing the tan canvas sides of the tent appraisingly as they flexed in the wind. ¡°Look at the size of it; there canna be more than two or three men in there, besides the priest. I could wait until the full dark, and then take a lad or two and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what do you want me to do now?¡± I interrupted, thinking I had best put a stop to what sounded a distinctly criminal train of thought.


    ¡°Ah.¡± He abandoned his machinations¡ªfor the moment¡ªand squinted at me, appraising my appearance. I had taken off the bloodstained canvas apron I wore for surgery, had put up my hair neatly with pins, and was reasonably respectable in appearance, if a trifle mud-draggled round the hems.


    ¡°Ye dinna have any of your physician¡¯s kit about ye?¡± he asked, frowning dubiously. ¡°A bottle of swill, a bittie knife?¡±


    ¡°Bottle of swill, indeed. No, I¡ªoh, wait a moment. Yes, there are these; will they do?¡± Digging about in the pocket tied at my waist, I had come up with the small ivory box in which I kept my gold-tipped acupuncture needles.


    Evidently satisfied, Jamie nodded, and pulled out the silver whisky flask from his sporran.


    ¡°Aye, they¡¯ll do,¡± he said, handing me the flask. ¡°Take this too, though, for looks. Go up to the tent, Sassenach, and tell whoever¡¯s guarding the priest that he¡¯s ailing.¡±


    ¡°The guard?¡±


    ¡°The priest,¡± he said, giving me a look of mild exasperation. ¡°I daresay everyone will ken ye as a healer by now, and know ye on sight. Say that Father Kenneth has an illness that you¡¯ve been treating, and he must have a dose of his medicine at once, lest he sicken and die on them. I dinna suppose they want that¡ªand they¡¯ll not be afraid of you.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t imagine they need be,¡± I agreed, a trifle caustically. ¡°You don¡¯t mean me to stab the sheriff through the heart with my needles, then?¡±


    He grinned at the thought, but shook his head.


    ¡°Nay, I only want ye to learn why they¡¯ve taken the priest and what they mean to do with him. If I were to go and demand answers myself, it might put them on guard.¡±


    Meaning that he had not completely abandoned the notion of a later commando raid on Mr. Lillywhite¡¯s stronghold, should the answers prove unsatisfactory. I glanced at the tent and took a deep breath, settling my shawl about my shoulders.


    ¡°All right,¡± I said. ¡°And what are you intending to do while I¡¯m about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go and fetch the bairns,¡± he said, and with a quick squeeze of my hand for luck, he was off down the trail.


    I WAS STILL WONDERING exactly what he meant by that cryptic statement¡ªwhich ¡°bairns¡±? Why?¡ªas I came within sight of the open tent flap, but all speculation was driven from my mind by the appearance of a gentleman therein who met Marsali¡¯s description of ¡°a nasty, fat man¡± so exactly that I had no doubt of his identity. He was short and toadlike, with a receding hairline, a belly that strained the buttons of a food-stained linen vest, and small, beady eyes that watched me as though assessing my immediate prospects as a food item.


    ¡°Good day to you, ma¡¯am,¡± he said. He viewed me without enthusiasm, no doubt finding me less than toothsome, but inclined his head with formal respect.


    ¡°Good day,¡± I replied cheerily, dropping him a brief curtsy. Never hurt to be polite¡ªat least not to start with. ¡°You¡¯ll be the sheriff, won¡¯t you? I¡¯m afraid I haven¡¯t had the pleasure of a formal introduction. I¡¯m Mrs. Fraser¡ªMrs. James Fraser, of Fraser¡¯s Ridge.¡±


    ¡°David Anstruther, Sheriff of Orange County¡ªyour servant, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, bowing again, though with no real evidence of delight. He didn¡¯t show any surprise at hearing Jamie¡¯s name, either. Either he simply wasn¡¯t familiar with it¡ªrather unlikely¡ªor he had been expecting such an ambassage.


    That being so, I saw no point in beating round the bush.


    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re entertaining Father Donahue,¡± I said pleasantly. ¡°I¡¯ve come to see him; I¡¯m his physician.¡±


    Whatever he¡¯d been expecting, it wasn¡¯t that; his jaw dropped slightly, exposing a severe case of malocclusion, well-advanced gingivitis, and a missing bicuspid. Before he could close it, a tall gentleman in a bottle-green coat stepped out of the tent behind him.


    ¡°Mrs. Fraser?¡± he said, one eyebrow raised. He bowed punctiliously. ¡°You say you wish to speak with the clerical gentleman under arrest?¡±


    ¡°Under arrest?¡± I affected great surprise at that. ¡°A priest? Why, whatever can he have done?¡±


    The Sheriff and the magistrate exchanged glances. Then the magistrate coughed.


    ¡°Perhaps you are unaware, madam, that it is illegal for anyone other than the clergy of the established Church¡ªthe Church of England, that is¡ªto undertake his office within the colony of North Carolina?¡±


    I was not unaware of that, though I also knew that the law was seldom put into effect, there being relatively few of any kind of clergy in the colony to start with, and no one bothering to take any official notice of the itinerant preachers¡ªmany of them free lances in the most basic sense of the word¡ªwho did appear from time to time.


    ¡°Gracious!¡± I said, affecting shocked surprise to the best of my ability. ¡°No, I had no idea. Goodness me! How very strange!¡± Mr. Lillywhite blinked slightly, which I took as an indication that that would just about do, in terms of my creating an impression of well-bred shock. I cleared my throat, and brought out the silver flask and case of needles.


    ¡°Well. I do hope any difficulties will be soon resolved. However, I should very much like to see Father Donahue for a moment. As I said, I am his physician. He has an . . . indisposition¡±¡ªI slid back the cover of the case, and delicately displayed the needles, letting them imagine something suitably virulent¡ª¡°that requires regular treatment. Might I see him for a moment, to administer his medicine? I . . . ah . . . should not like to see any mischief result from a lack of care on my part, you know.¡± I smiled, as charmingly as possible.


    The Sheriff pulled his neck down into the collar of his coat and looked malevolently amphibious, but Mr. Lillywhite seemed better affected by the smile. He hesitated, looking me over.


    ¡°Well, I am not sure that . . .¡± he began, when the sound of footsteps came squelching up the path behind me. I turned, half-expecting to see Jamie, but instead beheld my recent patient, Mr. Goodwin, one cheek still puffed from my attentions, but sling intact.


    He was quite as surprised to see me, but greeted me with great cordiality, and a cloud of alcoholic fumes. Evidently Mr. Goodwin had been taking my advice regarding disinfection very seriously.


    ¡°Mrs. Fraser! You have not come to minister to my friend Lillywhite, I trust? I expect Mr. Anstruther would benefit from a good purge, though¡ªclear the bilious humors, eh, David? Haha!¡± He clapped the Sheriff on the back in affectionate camaraderie; a gesture Anstruther suffered with no more than a small grimace, giving me some idea of Mr. Goodwin¡¯s importance in the social scheme of Orange County.


    ¡°George, my dear,¡± Mr. Lillywhite greeted him warmly. ¡°You are acquainted with this charming lady, then?¡±


    ¡°Oh, indeed, indeed I am, sir!¡± Mr. Goodwin turned a beaming countenance upon me. ¡°Why, Mrs. Fraser did me great service this morning, great service indeed! See here!¡± He brandished his bound and splinted arm, which, I was pleased to see, was evidently giving him no pain whatever at the moment, though that probably had more to do with his self-administered anesthesia than with my workmanship.


    ¡°She quite cured my arm, with no more than a touch here, a touch there¡ªand drew a broken tooth so clean that I scarce felt a thing! ¡¯Ook!¡± He stuck a finger into the side of his mouth and pulled back his cheek, exposing a tuft of bloodstained wadding protruding from the tooth socket and a neat line of black stitching on the gum.


    ¡°Really, I am most impressed, Mrs. Fraser.¡± Lillywhite sniffed at the waft of cloves and whisky from Mr. Goodwin¡¯s mouth, looking interested, and I saw the bulge of his cheek as his own tongue tenderly probed a back tooth.


    ¡°But what brings you up here, Mrs. Fraser?¡± Mr. Goodwin turned the beam of his joviality on me. ¡°So late in the day¡ªperhaps you will do me the honor of taking a bit of supper at my fire?¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you, but I can¡¯t, really,¡± I said, smiling as charmingly as possible. ¡°I¡¯ve just come to see another patient¡ªthat is¡ª¡±


    ¡°She wants to see the priest,¡± Anstruther interrupted.


    Goodwin blinked at that, taken only slightly aback.


    ¡°Priest. There is a priest here?¡±


    ¡°A Papist,¡± Mr. Lillywhite amplified, lips curling back a bit from the unclean word. ¡°It came to my attention that there was a Catholic priest concealed in the assembly, who proposed to celebrate a Mass during the festivities this evening. I sent Mr. Anstruther to arrest him, of course.¡±


    ¡°Father Donahue is a friend of mine,¡± I put in, as forcefully as possible. ¡°And he was not concealed; he was invited quite openly, as the guest of Mrs. Cameron. He is also a patient, and requires treatment. I¡¯ve come to see that he gets it.¡±


    ¡°A friend of yours? Are you Catholic, Mrs. Fraser?¡± Mr. Goodwin looked startled; it obviously hadn¡¯t occurred to him that he was being treated by a Popish dentist, and his hand went to his swollen cheek in bemusement.


    ¡°I am,¡± I said, hoping that merely being a Catholic wasn¡¯t also against Mr. Lillywhite¡¯s conception of the law.


    Evidently not. Mr. Goodwin gave Mr. Lillywhite a nudge.


    ¡°Oh, come, Randall. Let Mrs. Fraser see the fellow, what harm can it do? And if he¡¯s truly Jocasta Cameron¡¯s guest . . .¡±


    Mr. Lillywhite pursed his lips in thought for a moment, then stood aside, holding back the flap of canvas for me.


    ¡°I suppose there can be no harm in your seeing your . . . friend,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Come in, then, madam.¡±


    Sundown was at hand, and the tent was dark inside, though one canvas wall still glowed brightly with the sinking sun behind it. I shut my eyes for a moment, to accustom them to the change of light, then blinked and looked about to get my bearings.


    The tent seemed cluttered but relatively luxurious, being equipped with a camp bed and other furniture, the air within scented not only by damp canvas and wool but with the perfume of Ceylon tea, expensive wine, and almond biscuits.

 Page 35

    Father Donahue was silhouetted in front of the glowing canvas, sitting on a stool behind a small folding table, on which were arrayed a few sheets of paper, an inkstand, and a quill. They might as well have been thumbscrews, pincers, and a red-hot poker, judging from his militantly upright attitude, evocative of expectant martyrdom.


    The clinking of flint and tinderbox came from behind me, and then the faint glow of a light. This swelled, and a black boy¡ªMr. Lillywhite¡¯s servant, I supposed¡ªcame forward and silently set a small oil lamp on the table.


    Now that I got a clear look at the priest, the impression of martyrdom grew more pronounced. He looked like Saint Stephen after the first volley of stones, with a bruise on his chin and a first-rate black eye, empurpled from browridge to cheekbone and swollen quite shut.


    The nonblackened eye widened at sight of me, and he started up with an exclamation of surprise.


    ¡°Father Kenneth.¡± I gripped him by the hand and squeezed, smiling broadly for the benefit of whatever audience might be peeking through the flap. ¡°I¡¯ve brought your medicine. How are you feeling?¡± I raised my eyebrows and waggled them, indicating that he should play along with the deception. He stared at me in fascination for a moment, but then appeared to catch on. He coughed, then, encouraged by my nod, coughed again, with more enthusiasm.


    ¡°It¡¯s . . . very kind of ye to . . . think of me, Mrs. Fraser,¡± he wheezed, between hacks.


    I pulled off the top of the flask, and poured out a generous measure of whisky.


    ¡°Are you quite all right, Father?¡± I asked, low-voiced, as I leaned across to hand it to him. ¡°Your face . . .¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, Mrs. Fraser dear, not at all,¡± he assured me, his faint Irish accent coming out under the stress of the occasion. ¡°¡¯Twas only that I made the mistake of resistin¡¯ when the Sheriff arrested me. Not but what in the shock of it all, I didn¡¯t do a small bit of damage to the poor man¡¯s ballocks, and him only doing of his duty, may God forgive me.¡± Father Kenneth rolled his undamaged eye upward in a pious expression¡ªquite spoiled by the unregenerate grin underneath.


    Father Kenneth was no more than middle height, and looked older than his years by virtue of the hard wear imposed by long seasons spent in the saddle. Still, he was no more than thirty-five, and lean and tough as whipcord under his worn black coat and frayed linen. I began to understand the Sheriff¡¯s belligerence.


    ¡°Besides,¡± he added, touching his black eye gingerly, ¡°Mr. Lillywhite did tender me a most gracious apology for the hurt.¡± He nodded toward the table, and I saw that an opened bottle of wine and a pewter cup stood among the writing materials¡ªthe cup still full, and the level of wine in the bottle not down by much.


    The priest picked up the whisky I had poured and drained it, closing his eyes in dreamy benediction.


    ¡°And a finer medicine I hope never to benefit from,¡± he said, opening them. ¡°I do thank ye, Mistress Fraser. I¡¯m that restored, I might walk on water meself.¡± He remembered to cough, this one a delicate hack, fist held over his mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the wine?¡± I asked, with a glance toward the door.


    ¡°Oh, not a thing,¡± he said, taking his hand away. ¡°Only that I did not think it quite right to accept the magistrate¡¯s refreshments, under the circumstances. Call it conscience.¡± He smiled at me again, but this time with a note of wryness in the grin.


    ¡°Why have they arrested you?¡± I asked, my voice low. I looked again at the tent¡¯s door, but it was empty, and I caught the murmur of voices outside. Evidently, Jamie had been right; they weren¡¯t suspicious of me.


    ¡°For sayin¡¯ of the Holy Mass,¡± he replied, lowering his voice to match mine. ¡°Or so they said. It¡¯s a wicked lie, though. I¡¯ve not said Mass since last Sunday, and that was in Virginia.¡± He was looking wistfully at the flask. I picked it up and poured another generous tot.


    I frowned a bit, thinking, while he drank it, more slowly this time. Whatever were Mr. Lillywhite and company up to? They couldn¡¯t, surely, be meaning to bring the priest to trial on the charge of saying Mass. It would be no great matter to find false witnesses to say he had, of course¡ªbut what would be the point of it?


    While Catholicism was certainly not popular in North Carolina, I could see no great purpose in the arrest of a priest who would be leaving in the morning in any case. Father Kenneth came from Baltimore and meant to return there; he had come to the Gathering only as a favor to Jocasta Cameron.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I said, and Father Kenneth looked at me inquiringly over the rim of his cup.


    ¡°Just a thought,¡± I said, gesturing to him to continue. ¡°Do you happen to know whether Mr. Lillywhite is personally acquainted with Mrs. Cameron?¡± Jocasta Cameron was a prominent and wealthy woman¡ªand one of strong character, therefore not without enemies. I couldn¡¯t see why Mr. Lillywhite would go out of his way to disoblige her in such a peculiar fashion, even so, but . . .


    ¡°I am acquainted with Mrs. Cameron,¡± said Mr. Lillywhite, speaking behind me. ¡°Though alas, I can claim no intimate friendship with the lady.¡± I whirled to find him standing just within the tent¡¯s entrance, followed by Sheriff Anstruther and Mr. Goodwin, with Jamie bringing up the rear. The latter flicked an eyebrow at me, but otherwise maintained an expression of solemn interest.


    Mr. Lillywhite bowed to me in acknowledgment.


    ¡°I have just been explaining to your husband, madame, that it is my regard for Mrs. Cameron¡¯s interests that led me to attempt to regularize Mr. Donahue¡¯s position, so as to allow his continued presence in the colony.¡± Mr. Lillywhite nodded coldly at the priest. ¡°However, I am afraid my suggestion was summarily rejected.¡±


    Father Kenneth put down his cup and straightened up, his working eye bright in the lamplight.


    ¡°They wish me to sign an oath, sir,¡± he said to Jamie, with a gesture at the paper and quill on the table before him. ¡°To the effect that I do not subscribe to a belief in transubstantiation.¡±


    ¡°Do they, indeed.¡± Jamie¡¯s voice betrayed no more than polite interest, but I understood at once what the priest had meant by his remark regarding conscience.


    ¡°Well, he can¡¯t do that, can he?¡± I said, looking round the circle of men. ¡°Catholics¡ªI mean¡ªwe¡±¡ªI spoke with some emphasis, looking at Mr. Goodwin¡ª¡°do believe in transubstantiation. Don¡¯t we?¡± I asked, turning to the priest, who smiled slightly in response, and nodded.


    Mr. Goodwin looked unhappy, but resigned, his alcoholic joviality substantially reduced by the social awkwardness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Fraser, but that is the law. The only circumstance under which a clergyman who does not belong to the established Church may remain in the colony¡ªlegally¡ªis upon the signing of such an oath. Many do sign it. You know the Reverend Urmstone, the Methodist circuit rider? He has signed the oath, as has Mr. Calvert, the New Light minister who lives near Wadesboro.¡±


    The Sheriff looked smug. Repressing an urge to stamp on his foot, I turned to Mr. Lillywhite.


    ¡°Well, but Father Donahue can¡¯t sign it. So what do you propose to do with him? Throw the poor man in gaol? You can¡¯t do that¡ªhe¡¯s ill!¡± On cue, Father Kenneth coughed obligingly.


    Mr. Lillywhite eyed me dubiously, but chose instead to address Jamie.


    ¡°I could by rights imprison the man, but out of regard for you, Mr. Fraser, and for your aunt, I shall not do so. He must, however, leave the colony tomorrow. I shall have him escorted into Virginia, where he will be released from custody. You may rest assured that all care will be taken to assure his welfare on the journey.¡± He turned a cold gray eye on the Sheriff, who straightened up and tried to look reliable, with indifferent results.


    ¡°I see.¡± Jamie spoke lightly, looking from one man to another, his eyes coming to rest on the Sheriff. ¡°I trust that is true, sir¡ªfor if I should hear of any harm coming to the good Father, I should be . . . most distressed.¡±


    The Sheriff met his gaze, stone-faced, and held it until Mr. Lillywhite cleared his throat, frowning at the Sheriff.


    ¡°You have my word upon it, Mr. Fraser.¡±


    Jamie turned to him, bowing slightly.


    ¡°I could ask no more, sir. And yet if I may presume¡ªmight the Father not spend tonight in comfort among his friends, that they might take their leave of him? And that my wife might attend his injuries? I would stand surety for his safe delivery into your hand come morning.¡±


    Mr. Lillywhite pursed his lips and affected to consider this suggestion, but the magistrate was a poor actor. I realized with some interest that he had foreseen this request, and had his mind made up already to deny it.


    ¡°No, sir,¡± he said, trying for a tone of reluctance. ¡°I regret that I cannot grant your request. Though if the priest wishes to write letters to various of his acquaintance¡±¡ªhe gestured at the sheaf of papers¡ª¡°I will undertake to see them promptly delivered.¡±


    Jamie cleared his own throat and drew himself up a bit.


    ¡°Well, then,¡± he said. ¡°I wonder whether I might make so bold as to ask . . .¡± He paused, seeming slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡± Lillywhite looked at him curiously.


    ¡°I wonder whether the good Father might be allowed to hear my confession.¡± Jamie¡¯s eyes were fixed on the tent pole, sedulously avoiding mine.


    ¡°Your confession?¡±


    Lillywhite looked astonished at this, though the Sheriff made a noise that might charitably be called a snigger.


    ¡°Got something pressing on your conscience?¡± Anstruther asked rudely. ¡°Or p¡¯r¡¯aps you have some premonition of impending death, eh?¡± He gave an evil smile at this, and Mr. Goodwin, looking shocked, rumbled a protest at him. Jamie ignored both of them, focusing his regard on Mr. Lillywhite.


    ¡°Yes, sir. It has been some time since I last had the opportunity of being shriven, ye see, and it may well be some time before such a chance occurs again. As it is¡ª¡± At this point, he caught my eye, and made a slight but emphatic motion with his head toward the tent flap. ¡°If ye will excuse us for a moment, gentlemen?¡±


    Not waiting for a response, he seized me by the elbow and propelled me swiftly outside.


    ¡°Brianna and Marsali are up the path wi¡¯ the weans,¡± he hissed in my ear, the moment we were clear of the tent. ¡°Make sure Lillywhite and yon bastard of a sheriff are well away, then fetch them in.¡±


    Leaving me standing on the path, astonished, he ducked back into the tent.


    ¡°Your pardon, gentlemen,¡± I heard him say. ¡°I thought perhaps . . . there are some things a man shouldna quite like to be saying before his wife . . . you understand?¡±


    There were male murmurs of understanding, and I caught the word ¡°confession¡± repeated in dubious tones by Mr. Lillywhite. Jamie lowered his voice to a confidential rumble in response, interrupted by a rather loud, ¡°You what?¡± from the Sheriff, and a peremptory shushing by Mr. Goodwin.


    There was a bit of confused conversation, then a shuffle of movement, and I barely made it off the path and into the shelter of the pines before the tent flap lifted and the three Protestants emerged from the tent. The day had all but faded now, leaving burning embers of sunlit cloud in the sky, but close as they were, there was enough light for me to see the air of vague embarrassment that beset them.

 Page 36

    They moved a few steps down the path, stopping no more than a few feet from my own hiding place. They stood in a cluster to confer, looking back at the tent, from which I could now hear Father Kenneth¡¯s voice, raised in a formal Latin blessing. The lamp in the tent went out, and the forms of Jamie and the priest, dim shadows on the canvas, disappeared into a confessional darkness.


    Anstruther¡¯s bulk sidled closer to Mr. Goodwin.


    ¡°What in fuck¡¯s name is transubstantiation?¡± he muttered.


    I saw Mr. Goodwin¡¯s shoulders straighten as he drew himself up, then hunch toward his ears in a shrug.


    ¡°In all honesty, sir, I am not positive of the meaning of the term,¡± he said, rather primly, ¡°though I perceive it to be some form of pernicious Papist doctrine. Perhaps Mr. Lillywhite could supply you with a more complete definition¡ªRandall?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the magistrate said. ¡°It is the notion that by the priest¡¯s speaking particular words in the course of offering his Mass, bread and wine are transformed into the very substance of Our Savior¡¯s body and blood.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Anstruther sounded confused. ¡°How can anyone do that?¡±


    ¡°Change bread and wine into flesh and blood?¡± Mr. Goodwin sounded quite taken aback. ¡°But that is witchcraft, surely!¡±


    ¡°Well, it would be, if it happened,¡± Mr. Lillywhite said, sounding a bit more human. ¡°The Church very rightly holds that it does not.¡±


    ¡°Are we sure of that?¡± Anstruther sounded suspicious. ¡°Have you seen them do it?¡±


    ¡°Have I attended a Catholic Mass? Assuredly not!¡± Lillywhite¡¯s tall form drew up, austere in the gathering dusk. ¡°What do you take me for, sir!¡±


    ¡°Now, Randall, I am sure the Sheriff means no offense.¡± Goodwin put a placatory hand on his friend¡¯s arm. ¡°His office deals with more earthly matters, after all.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no offense meant, sir, none at all,¡± Anstruther said hurriedly. ¡°I was meaning more, like, has anybody seen this kind of goings-on, so as to be a decent witness, for the prosecution of it, I mean.¡±


    Mr. Lillywhite appeared still to be somewhat offended; his voice was cold in reply.


    ¡°It is scarcely necessary to have witnesses to the heresy, Sheriff, as the priests themselves willingly admit to it.¡±


    ¡°No, no. Of course not.¡± The Sheriff¡¯s squat form seemed to flatten obsequiously. ¡°But if I¡¯m right, sir, Papists do . . . er . . . partake of this¡ªthis transubwhatnot, aye?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so I am told.¡±


    ¡°Well, then. That¡¯s frigging cannibalism, isn¡¯t it?¡± Anstruther¡¯s bulk popped up again, enthused. ¡°I know that¡¯s against the law! Why not let this bugger do his bit of hocus-pocus, and we¡¯ll arrest the whole boiling lot of ¡¯em, eh? Get shut of any number of the bastards at one blow, I daresay.¡±


    Mr. Goodwin emitted a low moan. He appeared to be massaging his face, no doubt to ease a recurrent ache from his tooth.


    Mr. Lillywhite exhaled strongly through his nose.


    ¡°No,¡± he said evenly. ¡°I am afraid not, Sheriff. My instructions are that the priest is not to be allowed to perform any ceremonial, and shall be prevented from receiving visitors.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye? And what¡¯s he doing now, then?¡± Anstruther demanded, gesturing toward the darkened tent, where Jamie¡¯s voice had begun to speak, hesitant and barely audible. I thought perhaps he was speaking in Latin.


    ¡°That is quite different,¡± Lillywhite said testily. ¡°Mr. Fraser is a gentleman. And the prohibition against visitors is to insure that the priest shall perform no secret marriages; hardly a concern at present.¡±


    ¡°Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.¡± Jamie¡¯s voice spoke in English, suddenly louder, and Mr. Lillywhite started. Father Kenneth murmured interrogatively.


    ¡°I have been guilty of the sins of lust and impurity, both in thought and in my flesh,¡± Jamie announced¡ªwith what I thought rather more volume than was quite discreet.


    ¡°Oh, to be sure,¡± said Father Kenneth, suddenly louder too. He sounded interested. ¡°Now, these sins of impurity¡ªwhat form, precisely, did they take, my son, and upon how many occasions?¡±


    ¡°Aye, well. I¡¯ve looked upon women with lust, to be starting with. How many occasions¡ªoh, make it a hundred, at least, it¡¯s been a time since I was last to confession. Did ye need to know which women, Father, or only what it was I thought of doing to them?¡±


    Mr. Lillywhite stiffened markedly.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll not have time for the lot, Jamie dear,¡± said the priest. ¡°But if ye were to tell me about one or two of these occasions, just so as I could be formin¡¯ a notion as to the . . . er . . . severity of the offense . . . ?¡±


    ¡°Och, aye. Well, the worst was likely the time wi¡¯ the butter churn.¡±


    ¡°Butter churn? Ah . . . the sort with the handle pokin¡¯ up?¡± Father Kenneth¡¯s tone encompassed a sad compassion for the lewd possibilities suggested by this.


    ¡°Oh, no, Father; it was a barrel churn. The sort that lies on its side, aye, with a wee handle to turn it? Well, it¡¯s only that she was workin¡¯ the churn with great vigor, and the laces of her bodice undone, so that her br**sts wobbled to and fro, and the cloth clinging to her with the sweat of her work. Now, the churn was just the right height¡ªand curved, aye?¡ªso as make me think of bendin¡¯ her across it and lifting her skirts, and¡ª¡±


    My mouth opened involuntarily in shock. That was my bodice he was describing, my br**sts, and my butter churn! To say nothing of my skirts. I remembered that particular occasion quite vividly, and if it had started with an impure thought, it certainly hadn¡¯t stopped there.


    A rustling and murmuring drew my attention back to the men on the path. Mr. Lillywhite had grasped the Sheriff¡ªstill leaning avidly toward the tent, ears flapping¡ªby the arm and was hissing at him as he forced him hastily down the path. Mr. Goodwin followed, though with an air of reluctance.


    The noise of their departure had unfortunately drowned out the rest of Jamie¡¯s description of that particular occasion of sin, but had luckily also covered the leaf-rustling and twig-snapping behind me that announced the appearance of Brianna and Marsali, Jemmy and Joan swaddled in their arms and Germain clinging monkeylike to his mother¡¯s back.


    ¡°I thought they¡¯d never go,¡± Brianna whispered, peering over my shoulder toward the spot where Mr. Lillywhite and his companions had disappeared. ¡°Is the coast clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, come along.¡± I reached for Germain, who leaned willingly into my arms.


    ¡°Ou nous allees, Grand-m¨¨re?¡± he inquired in a sleepy voice, blond head nuzzling affectionately into my neck.


    ¡°Shh. To see Grand-p¨¨re and Father Kenneth,¡± I whispered to him. ¡°We have to be very quiet, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Like this?¡± he hissed, in a loud whisper, and began to sing a very vulgar French song, chanting half under his breath.


    ¡°Shh!¡± I clapped a hand across his mouth, moist and sticky with whatever he¡¯d been eating. ¡°Don¡¯t sing, sweetheart, we don¡¯t want to wake the babies.¡±


    I heard a small, stifled noise from Marsali, a strangled snort from Bree, and realized that Jamie was still confessing. He appeared to have hit his stride, and was now inventing freely¡ªor at least I hoped so. He certainly hadn¡¯t been doing any of that with me.


    I poked my head out, looking up and down the trail, but no one was near. I motioned to the girls, and we scuttled across the path and into the darkened tent.


    Jamie stopped abruptly as we fumbled our way inside. Then I heard him say quickly, ¡°And sins of anger, pride, and jealousy¡ªoh, and the odd wee bit of lying as well, Father. Amen.¡± He dropped to his knees, raced through an Act of Contrition in French, and was on his feet and taking Germain from me before Father Kenneth had finished saying the ¡°Ego te absolvo.¡±


    My eyes were becoming adapted to the dark; I could make out the voluminous shapes of the girls, and Jamie¡¯s tall outline. He stood Germain on the table before the priest, saying, ¡°Quickly, then, Father; we havena much time.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t any water, either,¡± the priest observed. ¡°Unless you ladies thought to bring any?¡± He had picked up the flint and tinderbox, and was attempting to relight the lamp.


    Bree and Marsali exchanged appalled glances, then shook their heads in unison.


    ¡°Dinna fash, Father.¡± Jamie spoke soothingly, and I saw him reach out a hand for something on the table. There was the brief squeak of a cork being drawn, and the hot, sweet smell of fine whisky filled the tent, as the light caught and grew from the wick, the wavering flame steadying to a small, clear light.


    ¡°Under the circumstances . . .¡± Jamie said, holding out the open flask to the priest.


    Father Kenneth¡¯s lips pressed together, though I thought with suppressed amusement, rather than irritation.


    ¡°Under the circumstances, aye,¡± he repeated. ¡°And what should be more appropriate than the water of life, after all?¡± He reached up, undid his stock, and pulled up a leather string fastened round his neck, from which dangled a wooden cross and a small glass bottle, stoppered with a cork.


    ¡°The holy chrism,¡± he explained, undoing the bottle and setting it on the table. ¡°Thank the Virgin Mother that I had it on my person. The Sheriff took the box with my Mass things.¡± He made a quick inventory of the objects on the table, counting them off on his fingers. ¡°Fire, chrism, water¡ªof a sort¡ªand a child. Very well, then. You and your husband will stand as godparents to him, I suppose, ma¡¯am?¡±


    This was addressed to me, Jamie having gone to take up a station by the tent flap.


    ¡°For all of them, Father,¡± I said, and took a firm grip on Germain, who seemed disposed to leap off the table. ¡°Hold still, darling, just for a moment.¡±


    I heard a small whish behind me; metal drawn from oiled leather. I glanced back to see Jamie, dim in the shadows, standing guard by the door with his dirk in his hand. A qualm of apprehension curled through my belly, and I heard Bree draw in her breath beside me.


    ¡°Jamie, my son,¡± said Father Kenneth, in a tone of mild reproval.


    ¡°Be going on with it, if ye please, Father,¡± Jamie replied, very calmly. ¡°I mean to have my grandchildren baptized this night, and no one shall prevent it.¡±


    The priest drew in his breath with a slight hiss, then shook his head.


    ¡°Aye. And if you kill someone, I hope there¡¯ll be time for me to shrive you again before they hang us both,¡± he muttered, reaching for the oil. ¡°If there¡¯s a choice about it, try for the Sheriff, will you, man dear?¡±


    Switching abruptly to Latin, he pushed back Germain¡¯s heavy mop of blond hair and his thumb flicked deftly over forehead, lips, and then¡ªdiving under the boy¡¯s gown in a gesture that made Germain double up in giggles¡ªheart, in the sign of the Cross.


    ¡°On-behalf-of-this-child-do-you-renounce-Satan-and-all-his-works?¡± he asked, speaking so fast that I scarcely realized he was speaking English again, and barely caught up in time to join with Jamie in the godparents¡¯ response, dutifully reciting, ¡°I do renounce them.¡±

 Page 37

    I was on edge, keeping an ear out for any noises that might portend the return of Mr. Lillywhite and the Sheriff, envisioning just what sort of brouhaha might ensue if they did come back to discover Father Kenneth in the midst of what would surely be considered an illicit ¡°ceremonial.¡±


    I glanced back at Jamie; he was looking at me, and gave me a faint smile that I thought was likely meant for reassurance. If so, it failed utterly; I knew him too well. He wanted his grandchildren baptized, and he would see their souls safely given into God¡¯s care, if he died for it¡ªor if we all went to gaol, Brianna, Marsali, and the children included. Of such stuff are martyrs made, and their families are obliged to lump it.


    ¡°Do-you-believe-in-one-God-the-Father-the-Son-and-the-Holy-Ghost?¡±


    ¡°Stubborn man,¡± I mouthed at Jamie. His smile widened, and I turned back, hastily chiming in with his firm, ¡°I do believe.¡± Was that a footfall on the path outside, or only the evening wind, making the tree branches crack as it passed?


    The questions and responses finished, and the priest grinned at me, looking like a gargoyle in the flickering lamplight. His good eye closed briefly in a wink.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take it that your answers will be the same for the others, shall we, ma¡¯am? And what will be this sweet lad¡¯s baptismal name?¡±


    Not breaking his rhythm, the priest took up the whisky flask, and dribbled a careful stream of spirit onto the little boy¡¯s head, repeating, ¡°I baptize thee, Germain Alexander Claudel MacKenzie Fraser, in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, Amen.¡±


    Germain watched this operation with profound interest, round blue eyes crossing as the amber liquid ran down the shallow bridge of his nose and dripped from its stubby tip. He put out a tongue to catch the drops, then made a face at the taste.


    ¡°Ick,¡± he said clearly. ¡°Horse piss.¡±


    Marsali made a brief, shocked ¡°Tst!¡± at him, but the priest merely chuckled, swung Germain off the table, and beckoned to Bree.


    She held Jemmy over the table, cradled in her arms like a sacrifice. She was intent on the baby¡¯s face, but I saw her head twitch slightly, her attention drawn by something outside. There were sounds on the path below; I could hear voices. A group of men, I thought, talking together, voices genial but not drunken.


    I tensed, trying not to look at Jamie. If they came in, I decided, I had better grab Germain, scramble under the far edge of the tent, and run for it. I took a preparatory grip on the collar of his gown, just in case. Then I felt a gentle nudge as Bree shifted her weight against me.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Mama,¡± she whispered. ¡°It¡¯s Roger and Fergus.¡± She nodded toward the dark, then returned her attention to Jemmy.


    It was, I realized, and the skin of my temples prickled with relief. Now that I knew, I could make out the imperious, slightly nasal sound of Fergus¡¯s voice, raised in a lengthy oration of some kind, and a low Scottish rumble that I thought must be Roger¡¯s. A higher-pitched titter that I recognized as Mr. Goodwin¡¯s drifted through the night, followed by some remark in Mr. Lillywhite¡¯s aristocratic drawl.


    I did glance at Jamie this time. He still held the dirk, but his hand had fallen to his side, and his shoulders had lost a little of their tension. He smiled at me again, and this time I returned it.


    Jemmy was awake, but drowsy. He made no objection to the oil, but startled at the cold touch of the whisky on his forehead, eyes popping open and arms flinging wide. He uttered a high-pitched ¡°Yeep!¡± of protest, then, as Bree gathered him hastily up into his blanket against her shoulder, screwed up his face and tried to decide whether he was sufficiently disturbed to cry about it.


    Bree patted his back like a bongo drum and made little hooting noises in his ear, distracting him. He settled for plugging his mouth with a thumb and glowering suspiciously at the assemblage, but by that time, Father Kenneth was already pouring whisky on the sleeping Joan, held low in Marsali¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I baptize thee, Joan Laoghaire Claire Fraser,¡± he said, following Marsali¡¯s lead, and I glanced at Marsali, startled. I knew she was called Joan for Marsali¡¯s younger sister, but I hadn¡¯t known what the baby¡¯s other names would be. I felt a small lump in my throat, watching Marsali¡¯s shawled head bent over the child. Both her sister and her mother, Laoghaire, were in Scotland; the chances of either ever seeing this tiny namesake were vanishingly small.


    Suddenly, Joan¡¯s slanted eyes popped wide open and so did her mouth. She let out a piercing shriek, and everyone started as though a bomb had exploded in our midst.


    ¡°Go in peace, to serve the Lord! And go fast!¡± Father Kenneth said, his fingers already nimbly corking up bottle and flask, frantically whisking away all traces of the ceremony. Down the path, I could hear voices raised in puzzled question.


    Marsali was out the tent flap in a flash, the squalling Joan against her breast, a protesting Germain clutched by the hand. Bree paused just long enough to put a hand behind Father Kenneth¡¯s head and kiss him on the forehead.


    ¡°Thank you, Father,¡± she whispered, and was gone in a flurry of skirts and petticoats.


    Jamie had me by the arm and was hustling me out of the tent as well, but stopped for a half-second at the door, turning back.


    ¡°Father?¡± he called in a whisper. ¡°Pax vobiscum!¡±


    Father Kenneth had already seated himself behind the table, hands folded, the accusing sheets of blank paper spread out once more before him. He looked up, smiling slightly, and his face was perfectly at peace in the lamplight, black eye and all.


    ¡°Et cum spiritu tuo, man,¡± he said, and raised three fingers in parting benediction.


    ¡°WHAT ON EARTH did you do that for?¡± Brianna¡¯s whisper floated back to me, loud with annoyance. She and Marsali were only a few feet in front of us, going slowly because of the children, but close as they were, the girls¡¯ shawled and bunchy shapes were scarcely distinguishable from the bushes overgrowing the path.


    ¡°Do what? Leave that, Germain; let¡¯s find Papa, shall we? No, don¡¯t put it in your mouth!¡±


    ¡°You pinched Joanie¡ªI saw you! You could have got us all caught!¡±


    ¡°But I had to!¡± Marsali sounded surprised at the accusation. ¡°And it wouldna have mattered, really¡ªthe christening was done by then. They couldna make Father Kenneth take it back, now, could they?¡± She giggled slightly at the thought, then broke off. ¡°Germain, I said drop it!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, you had to? Let go, Jem, that¡¯s my hair! Ow! Let go, I said!¡±


    Jemmy was evidently now wide awake, interested in the novel surroundings, and wanting to explore them, judging from his repeated exclamations of ¡°Argl!¡± punctuated by the occasional curious ¡°Gleb?¡±


    ¡°Why, she was asleep!¡± Marsali said, sounding scandalized. ¡°She didna wake when Father Kenneth poured the water¡ªI mean the whisky¡ªon her head¡ªGermain, come back here! Thig air ais a seo!¡ªand ye ken it¡¯s ill luck for a child not to make a wee skelloch when it¡¯s baptized; that¡¯s how ye ken as the original sin is leaving it! I couldna let the diabhol stay in my wee lassie. Could I, mo mhaorine?¡± There were small kissing noises, and a faint coo from Joanie, promptly drowned by Germain, who had started to sing again.


    Bree gave a small snort of amusement, her irritation fading.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, as long as you had a good reason. Though I¡¯m not so sure it worked on Jemmy and Germain. Look at the way they¡¯re acting¡ªI¡¯d swear they were possessed. Ow! Don¡¯t bite me, you little fiend, I¡¯ll feed you in a minute!¡±


    ¡°Och, well, they¡¯re boys, after all,¡± Marsali said tolerantly, raising her voice slightly to be heard above the racket. ¡°Everyone kens that boys are full o¡¯ the devil; I suppose it would take more than a bit of holy water to drown it all, even if it was ninety-proof. Germain! Where did ye hear such a filthy song, ye wee ratten?¡±


    I smiled, and next to me, Jamie laughed quietly, listening to the girls¡¯ conversation. We were far enough from the scene of the crime by now not to worry about being heard, among the snatches of song, fiddle music, and laughter that flickered through the trees with the light of the campfires, bright against the growing dark.


    The business of the day was largely done, and folk were settling down to the evening meal, before the calling, the singing, and the last round of visits started. The scents of smoke and supper trailed tantalizing fingers through the cold, dark air, and my stomach rumbled gently in answer to their summons. I hoped Lizzie was sufficiently restored as to have begun cooking.


    ¡°What¡¯s mo mhaorine?¡± I asked Jamie. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that one before.¡±


    ¡°It means ¡®my wee potato,¡¯ I think,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s Irish, aye? She learnt it from the priest.¡±


    He sighed, sounding deeply satisfied with the evening¡¯s work so far.


    ¡°May Bride bless Father Kenneth for a nimble-fingered man; for a moment, I thought we wouldna manage it. Is that Roger and wee Fergus?¡±


    A couple of dark shadows had come out of the wood to join the girls, and the sound of muffled laughter and murmured voices¡ªpunctuated by raucous shrieks from both little boys at sight of their daddies¡ªdrifted back to us from the little knot of young families.


    ¡°It is. And speaking of that, my little sweet potato,¡± I said, taking a firm grip of his arm to slow him, ¡°what do you mean by telling Father Kenneth all that about me and the butter churn?¡±


    ¡°Ye dinna mean to say ye minded, Sassenach?¡± he said, in tones of surprise.


    ¡°Of course I minded!¡± I said. The blood rose warm in my cheeks, though I wasn¡¯t sure whether this was due to the memory of his confession¡ªor to the memory of the original occasion. My innards warmed slightly at that thought as well, and the last remnants of cramp began to subside as my womb clenched and relaxed, eased by the pleasant inward glow. It was scarcely a suitable time or place, but perhaps later in the evening, we might manage sufficient privacy¡ªI pushed the thought hastily aside.


    ¡°Privacy quite aside, it wasn¡¯t a sin at all,¡± I said primly. ¡°We¡¯re married, for goodness¡¯ sake!¡±


    ¡°Well, I did confess to telling lies, Sassenach,¡± he said. I couldn¡¯t see the smile on his face, but I could hear it well enough in his voice. I supposed he could hear mine, too.


    ¡°I had to think of a sin frightful enough to drive Lillywhite away¡ªand I couldna confess to theft or buggery; I may have to do business with the man one day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you think he¡¯d be put off by sodomy, but he¡¯d consider your attitude toward women in wet chemises just a minor flaw of character?¡± His arm was warm under the cloth of his shirt. I touched the underside of his wrist, that vulnerable place where the skin lay bare, and stroked the line of the vein that pulsed there, disappearing under the linen toward his heart.


    ¡°Keep your voice down, Sassenach,¡± he murmured, touching my hand. ¡°Ye dinna want the bairns to hear ye. Besides,¡± he added, his voice dropping low enough that he was obliged to lean down and whisper in my ear, ¡°it¡¯s not all women. Only the ones with lovely round arses.¡± He let go my hand and patted my backside familiarly, showing remarkable accuracy in the darkness.

 Page 38

    ¡°I wouldna cross the road to see a scrawny woman, if she were stark nak*d and dripping wet. As for Lillywhite,¡± he resumed, in a more normal tone of voice, but without removing his hand, which was molding the cloth of my skirt thoughtfully round one buttock, ¡°he may be a Protestant, Sassenach, but he¡¯s still a man.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the two states were incompatible,¡± Roger¡¯s voice said dryly, coming out of the darkness nearby.


    Jamie snatched his hand away as though my bottom were on fire. It wasn¡¯t¡ªquite¡ªbut there was no denying that his flint had struck a spark or two among the kindling, damp as it was. It was a long time before bedtime, though.


    Pausing just long enough to administer a brief, private squeeze to Jamie¡¯s anatomy that made him gasp sharply, I turned to find Roger clasping a large wriggling object in his arms, its nature obscured by the dark. Not a piglet, I surmised, despite the loud grunting noises it was making, but rather Jemmy, who seemed to be gnawing fiercely on his father¡¯s knuckles. A small pink fist shot out into a random patch of light, clenched in concentration, then disappeared, meeting Roger¡¯s ribs with a solid thump.


    Jamie gave a small grunt of amusement himself, but wasn¡¯t discomposed in the slightest by having his opinion of Protestants overheard.


    ¡°¡®All are gude lasses,¡¯?¡± he quoted in broad Scots, ¡°¡®but where do the ill wives come frae?¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Roger said, sounding a bit bewildered.


    ¡°Protestants are born wi¡¯ pricks,¡± Jamie explained, ¡°the men, at least¡ªbut some let them wither from disuse. A man who spends his time pokin¡¯ his . . . nose into others¡¯ sinfulness has nay time to tend his own.¡±


    I converted a laugh into a more tactful cough.


    ¡°And some just become bigger pricks, what with the practice,¡± Roger said, more dryly still. ¡°Aye, well. I came to thank you . . . for managing about the baptism, I mean.¡±


    I noticed the slight hesitation; he still had not settled on any comfortable name by which to call Jamie to his face. Jamie addressed him impartially as ¡°Wee Roger,¡± ¡°Roger Mac,¡± or ¡°MacKenzie¡±¡ªmore rarely, by the Gaelic nickname Ronnie Sinclair had given Roger, a Sme¨°raich, in honor of his voice. Singing Thrush, it meant.


    ¡°It¡¯s me should be thanking you, a charaid. We shouldna have managed there at the last, save for you and Fergus,¡± Jamie said, laughter warming his own voice.


    Roger was clearly visible in outline, tall and lean, with the glow of someone¡¯s fire behind him. One shoulder rose as he shrugged, and he shifted Jemmy to his other arm, wiping residual drool from his hand against the side of his breeches.


    ¡°No trouble,¡± he said, a little gruffly. ¡°Will the¡ªthe Father be all right, d¡¯ye think? Brianna said he¡¯d been roughly handled. I hope they¡¯ll not mistreat him, once he¡¯s away.¡±


    Jamie sobered at that. He shrugged a little as he straightened the coat on his shoulders.


    ¡°I think he¡¯ll be safe enough, aye¡ªI had a word with the Sheriff.¡± There was a certain grim emphasis on ¡°word¡± that made his meaning clear. A substantial bribe might have been more effective, but I was well aware that we had exactly two shillings, threepence, and nine farthings in cash to our names at the moment. Better to save the money and rely on threats, I thought. Evidently Jamie was of the same mind.


    ¡°I shall speak to my aunt,¡± he said, ¡°and have her send a note tonight to Mr. Lillywhite, wi¡¯ her own opinion on the subject. That will be a better safeguard for Father Kenneth than anything I can say myself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose she¡¯ll be at all pleased to hear that her wedding is postponed,¡± I observed. She wouldn¡¯t be. Daughter of a Highland laird and widow of a very rich planter, Jocasta Cameron was used to having her own way.


    ¡°No, she won¡¯t,¡± Jamie agreed wryly, ¡°though I suppose Duncan may be a bit relieved.¡±


    Roger laughed, not without sympathy, and fell in beside us as we started down the path. He shifted Jemmy, still grunting ferociously, under his arm like a football.


    ¡°Aye, he will. Poor Duncan. So the weddings are definitely off, are they?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see Jamie¡¯s frown, but I felt the movement as he shook his head doubtfully.


    ¡°Aye, I¡¯m afraid so. They wouldna give the priest to me, even with my word to hand him over in the morning. We could maybe take him by force, but even so¡ª¡±


    ¡°I doubt that would help,¡± I interrupted, and told them what I had overheard while waiting outside the tent.


    ¡°So I can¡¯t see them standing round and letting Father Kenneth perform marriages,¡± I finished. ¡°Even if you got him away, they¡¯d be combing the mountain for him, turning out tents and causing riots.¡±


    Sheriff Anstruther wouldn¡¯t be without aid; Jamie and his aunt might be held in good esteem among the Scottish community, but Catholics in general and priests in particular weren¡¯t.


    ¡°Instructions?¡± Jamie repeated, sounding astonished. ¡°You¡¯re sure of it, Sassenach? It was Lillywhite who said he had ¡®instructions¡¯?¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± I said, realizing for the first time how peculiar that was. The Sheriff was plainly taking instructions from Mr. Lillywhite, that being his duty. But who could be giving instructions to the magistrate?


    ¡°There¡¯s another magistrate here, and a couple of justices of the peace, but surely . . .¡± Roger said slowly, shaking his head as he thought. A loud squawk interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced down, the light from a nearby fire shining off the bridge of his nose, outlining a faint smile as he spoke to his offspring. ¡°What? You¡¯re hungry, laddie? Don¡¯t fret yourself, Mummy will be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Where is Mummy?¡± I said, peering into the shifting mass of shadows ahead. A light wind had risen, and the bare branches of oak and hickory rattled like sabers overhead. Still, Jemmy was more than loud enough for Brianna to hear him. I caught Marsali¡¯s voice faintly up ahead, engaged in what appeared to be amiable conversation with Germain and Fergus regarding supper, but there was no sound of Bree¡¯s lower, huskier Boston-bred tones.


    ¡°Why?¡± Jamie said to Roger, raising his voice to be heard over the wind.


    ¡°Why what? Here, Jem, see that? Want it? Aye, of course ye do. Yes, good lad, gnaw on that for a bit.¡± A spark of light caught something shiny in Roger¡¯s free hand; then the object disappeared, and Jemmy¡¯s cries ceased abruptly, succeeded by loud sucking and slurping noises.


    ¡°What is that? It isn¡¯t small enough for him to swallow, is it?¡± I asked anxiously.


    ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s a watch chain. Not to worry,¡± Roger assured me, ¡°I¡¯ve a good grip on the end of it. If he swallows it, I can pull it back out.¡±


    ¡°Why would someone not want you to be married?¡± Jamie said patiently, ignoring the imminent danger to his grandson¡¯s digestive system.


    ¡°Me?¡± Roger sounded surprised. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t think anyone cares whether I¡¯m married or not, save myself¡ªand you, perhaps,¡± he added, a touch of humor in his voice. ¡°I expect ye¡¯d like the boy to have a name. Speaking of that¡±¡ªhe turned to me, the wind pulling long streamers of his hair loose and turning him into a wild black fiend in silhouette¡ª¡°what did he end up being named? At the christening, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Jeremiah Alexander Ian Fraser MacKenzie,¡± I said, hoping I recalled it correctly. ¡°Is that what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mind so much what he was called,¡± Roger said, edging gingerly round a large puddle that spread across the path. It had begun to sprinkle again; I could feel small chilly drops on my face, and see the dimpling of the water in the puddle where the firelight shone across it.


    ¡°I wanted Jeremiah, but I told Bree the other names were up to her. She couldn¡¯t quite decide between John for John Grey, and¡ªand Ian, for her cousin, but of course they¡¯re the same name in any case.¡±


    Again I noticed the faint hesitation, and I felt Jamie¡¯s arm stiffen slightly under my hand. Jamie¡¯s nephew Ian was a sore point¡ªand fresh in everyone¡¯s mind, thanks to the note we had received from him the day before. That must be what had decided Brianna at last.


    ¡°Well, if it isna you and my daughter,¡± Jamie pursued doggedly, ¡°then who is it? Jocasta and Duncan? Or the folk from Bremerton?¡±


    ¡°You think someone¡¯s out specially to prevent the marriages tonight?¡± Roger seized the opportunity to talk about something other than Ian Murray. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s just general dislike of Romish practices, then?¡±


    ¡°It might be, but it¡¯s not. If it were, why wait ¡¯til now to arrest the priest? Wait a bit, Sassenach, I¡¯ll fetch ye over.¡±


    Jamie let go of my hand and stepped round the puddle, then reached back, grabbed me by the waist, and lifted me bodily across in a swish of skirts. The wet leaves slipped and squelched under my boots as he set me down, but I seized his arm for balance, righting myself.


    ¡°No,¡± Jamie continued the conversation, turning back toward Roger. ¡°Lillywhite and Anstruther have no great love of Catholics, I expect, but why stir up a stramash now, when the priest would be gone in the morning, anyway? Do they maybe think he¡¯ll corrupt all the God-fearing folk on the mountain before dawn if they dinna keep him in ward?¡±


    Roger gave a short laugh at that.


    ¡°No, I suppose not. Is there anything else the priest was meant to do tonight, beyond performing marriages and baptisms?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a few confessions,¡± I said, pinching Jamie¡¯s arm. ¡°Nothing else that I know of.¡± I squeezed my thighs together, feeling an alarming shift in my intimate arrangements. Damn, one of the pins holding the cloth between my legs had come loose when Jamie lifted me. Had I lost it?


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose they¡¯d be trying to keep him from hearing someone¡¯s confession? Someone in particular, I mean?¡± Roger sounded doubtful, but Jamie took the idea and turned it round in his hands, considering.


    ¡°They¡¯d no objection to his hearing mine. And I shouldna think they¡¯d care if a Catholic was in mortal sin or not, as by their lights, we¡¯re all damned anyway. But if they kent someone desperately needed confession, and they thought there was something to be gained by it . . .¡±


    ¡°That whoever it was might pay for access to the priest?¡± I asked skeptically. ¡°Really, Jamie, these are Scots. I should imagine that if it were a question of paying out hard money for a priest, your Scottish Catholic murderer or adulterer would just say an Act of Contrition and hope for the best.¡±


    Jamie snorted slightly, and I saw the white mist of his breath purl round his head like candle smoke; it was getting colder.


    ¡°I daresay,¡± he said dryly. ¡°And if Lillywhite had any thought of setting up in the confession business, he¡¯s left it a bit late in the day to make much profit. But what if it wasna a matter of stopping someone¡¯s confession¡ªbut rather only of making sure that they overheard it?¡±

 Page 39

    Roger uttered a pleased grunt, evidently thinking this a promising supposition.


    ¡°Blackmail? Aye, that¡¯s a thought,¡± he said, with approval. Blood will out, I thought; Oxford-educated or not, there was little doubt that Roger was a Scot. There was a violent upheavel under his arm, followed by a wail from Jemmy. Roger glanced down.


    ¡°Oh, did ye drop your bawbee? Where¡¯s it gone, then?¡± He hoicked Jemmy up onto his shoulder like a bundle of laundry and squatted down, poking at the ground in search of the watch chain, which Jemmy had evidently hurled into the darkness.


    ¡°Blackmail? I think that¡¯s a trifle far-fetched,¡± I objected, rubbing a hand under my nose, which had begun to drip. ¡°You mean they might suspect that Farquard Campbell, for instance, had committed some dreadful crime, and if they knew about it for sure, they could hold him up about it? Isn¡¯t that awfully devious thinking? If you find a pin down there, Roger, it¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°Well, Lillywhite and Anstruther are Englishmen, are they not?¡± Jamie said, with a delicate sarcasm that made Roger laugh. ¡°Deviousness and double-dealing come naturally to that race, no, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°Oh, rubbish,¡± I said tolerantly. ¡°Pot calling the kettle black isn¡¯t in it. Besides, they didn¡¯t try to overhear your confession.¡±


    ¡°I havena got anything to be blackmailed for,¡± Jamie pointed out, though it was perfectly obvious that he was only arguing for the fun of it.


    ¡°Even so,¡± I began, but was interrupted by Jemmy, who was becoming increasingly restive, flinging himself to and fro with intermittent steam-whistle shrieks. Roger grunted, pinched something gingerly between his fingers, and stood up.


    ¡°Found your pin,¡± he said. ¡°No sign of the chain, though.¡±


    ¡°Someone will find it in the morning,¡± I said, raising my voice to be heard over the increasing racket. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d better let me take him.¡± I reached for the baby, and Roger surrendered his burden with a distinct air of relief¡ªexplained when I got a whiff of Jemmy¡¯s diaper.


    ¡°Not again?¡± I said. Apparently taking this as a personal reproach, he shut his eyes and started to howl like an air-raid siren.


    ¡°Where is Bree?¡± I asked, trying simultaneously to cradle him reassuringly and to keep him at a sanitary distance. ¡°Ouch!¡± He seemed to have taken advantage of the darkness to grow a number of extra limbs, all of which were flailing or grabbing.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s just gone to run a wee errand,¡± Roger said, with an air of vagueness that made Jamie turn his head sharply. The light caught him in profile, and I saw the thick red brows drawn down in suspicion. Fire gleamed off the long, straight bridge of his nose as he lifted it, questioning. Obviously, he smelled a rat. He turned toward me, one eyebrow lifted. Was I in on it?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t any idea,¡± I assured him. ¡°Here, I¡¯m going across to McAllister¡¯s fire to borrow a clean clout. I¡¯ll see you at our camp in a bit.¡±


    Not waiting for an answer, I took a firm grasp on the baby and shuffled into the bushes, heading for the nearest campsite. Georgiana McAllister had newborn twins¡ªI¡¯d delivered them four days before¡ªand was happy to provide me with both a clean diaper and a private bush behind which to effect my personal repairs. These accomplished, I chatted with her and admired the twins, all the while wondering about the recent revelations. Between Lieutenant Hayes and his proclamation, the machinations of Lillywhite and company, and whatever Bree and Roger were up to, the mountain seemed a perfect hotbed of conspiracy tonight.


    I was pleased that we had managed the christening¡ªin fact, I was surprised to find just how gratified I did feel about it¡ªbut I had to admit to a pang of distress over Brianna¡¯s canceled wedding. She hadn¡¯t said much about it, but I knew that both she and Roger had been looking forward very much to the blessing of their union. The firelight winked briefly, accusingly, off the gold ring on my left hand, and I mentally threw up my hands in Frank¡¯s direction.


    And just what do you expect me to do about it? I demanded silently, while externally agreeing with Georgiana¡¯s opinion on the treatment of pinworms.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± One of the older McAllister girls, who had volunteered to change Jemmy, interrupted the conversation, dangling a long, slimy object delicately between two fingers. ¡°I found this gaud in the wean¡¯s cloot; is it maybe your man¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Good grief!¡± I was shocked by the watch chain¡¯s reappearance, but a moment¡¯s rationality corrected my first alarmed impression that Jemmy had in fact swallowed the thing. It would take several hours for a solid object to make its way through even the most active infant¡¯s digestive tract; evidently he had merely dropped his toy down the front of his gown and it had come to rest in his diaper.


    ¡°Gie it here, lass.¡± Mr. McAllister, catching sight of the watch chain, reached out and took it with a slight grimace. He pulled a large handkerchief from the waist of his breeks and wiped the object carefully, bringing to light the gleam of silver links and a small round fob, bearing some kind of seal.


    I noted the fob with some grimness, and made a mental resolve to give Roger a proper bollocking about what he let Jemmy put in his mouth. Thank goodness it hadn¡¯t come off.


    ¡°Why, that¡¯s Mr. Caldwell¡¯s wee gaud, surely!¡± Georgiana leaned forward, peering over the heads of the twins she was nursing.


    ¡°Is it?¡± Her husband squinted at the object, and fumbled in his shirt for his spectacles.


    ¡°Aye, I¡¯m sure it is! I saw it when he preached Sunday. The first of my pains was just comin¡¯ on,¡± she explained, turning to me, ¡°and I had to come away before he¡¯d finished. He saw me turn to go, and must ha¡¯ thought he¡¯d outstayed his welcome, for he pulled the watch from his pocket to have a wee keek, and I saw the glint from that bittie round thing on the chain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s called a seal, a nighean,¡± her husband informed her, having now settled a pair of half-moon spectacles firmly atop his nose, and turning the little metal emblem over between his fingers. ¡°You¡¯re right, though, it¡¯s Mr. Caldwell¡¯s, for see?¡± A horny finger traced the outline of the figure on the seal: a mace, an open book, a bell, and a tree, standing on top of a fish with a ring in its mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s from the University of Glasgow, that is. Mr. Caldwell¡¯s a scholar,¡± he told me, blue eyes wide with awe. ¡°Been to learn the preachin¡¯, and a fine job he makes of it.


    ¡°You did miss a fine finish, Georgie,¡± he added, turning to his wife. ¡°He went sae red in the face, talkin¡¯ of the Abomination of Desolation and the wrath at world¡¯s end, that I thought surely he¡¯d have an apoplexy, and then what should we do? For he wouldna have Murray MacLeod to him, Murray bein¡¯ in the way of a heretic to Mr. Caldwell¡ªhe¡¯s New Light, Murray¡±¡ªMr. McAllister explained in an aside to me¡ª¡°and Mrs. Fraser here a Papist, as well as bein¡¯ otherwise engaged wi¡¯ you and the bairns.¡±


    He leaned over and patted one of the twins gently on its bonneted head, but it paid no attention, blissfully absorbed in its suckling.


    ¡°Hmp. Well, Mr. Caldwell could ha¡¯ burst himself, for all I cared at the time,¡± his wife said frankly. She hitched up her double armload and settled herself more comfortably. ¡°And for mysel¡¯, I shouldna much mind if the midwife was a red Indian or English¡ªoh, I do beg your pardon, Mrs. Fraser¡ªso long as she kent how to catch a babe and stop the bleedin¡¯.¡±


    I murmured something modest, brushing away Georgiana¡¯s apologies, in favor of finding out more about the watch chain¡¯s origins.


    ¡°Mr. Caldwell. He¡¯s a preacher, you say?¡± A certain suspicion was stirring in the back of my mind.


    ¡°Oh, aye, the best I¡¯ve heard,¡± Mr. McAllister assured me. ¡°And I¡¯ve heard ¡¯em all. Now, Mr. Urmstone, he¡¯s a grand one for the sins, but he¡¯s on in years, and gone a bit hoarse now, so as ye need to be right up front to hear him¡ªand that¡¯s a bit dangerous, ye ken, as it¡¯s the folk in front whose sins he¡¯s likely to start in upon. The New Light fella, though, he¡¯s nay much; no voice to him.¡±


    He dismissed the unfortunate preacher with the scorn of a connoisseur.


    ¡°Mr. Woodmason¡¯s all right; a bit stiff in his manner¡ªan Englishman, aye?¡ªbut verra faithful about turning up for services, for all he¡¯s well stricken in years. Now, young Mr. Campbell from the Barbecue Church¡ª¡±


    ¡°This wean¡¯s fair starved, ma¡¯am,¡± the girl holding Jemmy put in. Evidently so; he was red in the face and keening. ¡°Will I give him a bit o¡¯ parritch, maybe?¡±


    I gave a quick glance at the pot over the fire; it was bubbling, so likely well-cooked enough to kill most germs. I pulled out the horn spoon I carried in my pocket, which I could be sure was reasonably clean, and handed it to the girl.


    ¡°Thank you so much. Now, this Mr. Caldwell¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t by chance be a Presbyterian, would he?¡±


    Mr. McAllister looked surprised, then beamed at my perceptivity.


    ¡°Why, so he is, indeed! Ye¡¯ll have heard of him, then, Mrs. Fraser?¡±


    ¡°I think perhaps my son-in-law is acquainted with him,¡± I said, with a tinge of irony.


    Georgiana laughed.


    ¡°I should say your grandson kens him, at least.¡± She nodded at the chain, draped across her husband¡¯s broad palm. ¡°Bairns that size are just like magpies; they¡¯ll seize upon any shiny bawbee they see.¡±


    ¡°So they do,¡± I said slowly, staring at the silver links and their dangling fob. That put something of a different complexion on the matter. If Jemmy had picked Mr. Caldwell¡¯s pocket, it had obviously been done sometime before Jamie had arranged the impromptu christening.


    But Bree and Roger had known about Father Kenneth¡¯s arrest and the possible cancelation of their wedding well before that; there would have been plenty of time for them to make other plans while Jamie and I were dealing with Rosamund, Ronnie, and the other assorted crises. Plenty of time for Roger to go and talk to Mr. Caldwell, the Presbyterian minister¡ªwith Jemmy along for the ride.


    And as soon as Roger had confirmed the unlikelihood of the priest¡¯s performing any marriages tonight, Brianna had disappeared on a vague ¡°errand.¡± Well, if Father Kenneth had wanted to interview a Presbyterian groom before marrying him, I supposed Mr. Caldwell might be allowed the same privilege with a prospective Papist bride.


    Jemmy was devouring porridge with the single-mindedness of a starving piranha; we couldn¡¯t leave quite yet. That was just as well, I thought; let Brianna break the news to her father that she would have her wedding after all¡ªpriest or no priest.


    I spread out my skirt to dry the damp hem, and the firelight glowed from both my rings. A strong disposition to laugh bubbled up inside me, at the thought of what Jamie would say when he found out, but I suppressed it, not wanting to explain my amusement to the McAllisters.


    ¡°Shall I take that?¡± I said instead to Mr. McAllister, with a nod toward the watch chain. ¡°I think perhaps I shall be seeing Mr. Caldwell a little later.¡±

 Page 40

    14


    HAPPY THE BRIDE


    THE MOON SHINES ON


    WE WERE LUCKY. The rain held off, and shredding clouds revealed a silver moon, rising lopsided but luminous over the slope of Black Mountain; suitable illumination for an intimate family wedding.


    I had met David Caldwell, though I hadn¡¯t recalled it until I saw him; a small but immensely personable gentleman, very tidy in his dress, despite camping in the open for a week. Jamie knew him, too, and respected him. That didn¡¯t prevent a certain tightness of expression as the minister came into the firelight, his worn prayer book clasped in his hands, but I nudged Jamie warningly, and he at once altered his expression to one of inscrutability.


    I saw Roger glance once in our direction, then turn back to Bree. There might have been a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, or it could have been only the effect of the shadows. Jamie exhaled strongly through his nose, and I nudged him again.


    ¡°You had your way over the baptism,¡± I whispered. He lifted his chin slightly. Brianna glanced in our direction, looking slightly anxious.


    ¡°I havena said a word, have I?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a perfectly respectable Christian marriage.¡±


    ¡°Did I say it was not?¡±


    ¡°Then look happy, damn you!¡± I hissed. He exhaled once more, and assumed an expression of benevolence one degree short of outright imbecility.


    ¡°Better?¡± he asked, teeth clenched in a genial smile. I saw Duncan Innes turn casually toward us, start, and turn hastily away, murmuring something to Jocasta, who stood near the fire, white hair shining, and a blindfold over her damaged eyes to shield them from the light. Ulysses, standing behind her, had in fact put on his wig in honor of the ceremony; it was all I could see of him in the darkness, hanging apparently disembodied in the air above her shoulder. As I watched, it turned sideways, toward us, and I caught the faint shine of eyes beneath it.


    ¡°Who that, Grand-m¨¨re?¡±


    Germain, escaped as usual from parental custody, popped up near my feet, pointing curiously at the Reverend Caldwell.


    ¡°That¡¯s a minister, darling. Auntie Bree and Uncle Roger are getting married.¡±


    ¡°Ou qu¡¯on va minster?¡±


    I drew a deep breath, but Jamie beat me to it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sort of priest, but not a proper priest.¡±


    ¡°Bad priest?¡± Germain viewed the Reverend Caldwell with substantially more interest.


    ¡°No, no,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s not a bad priest at all. It¡¯s only that . . . well, you see, we¡¯re Catholics, and Catholics have priests, but Uncle Roger is a Presbyterian¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a heretic,¡± Jamie put in helpfully.


    ¡°It is not a heretic, darling, Grand-p¨¨re is being funny¡ªor thinks he is. Presbyterians are . . .¡±


    Germain was paying no attention to my explanation, but instead had tilted his head back, viewing Jamie with fascination.


    ¡°Why Grand-p¨¨re is making faces?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re verra happy,¡± Jamie explained, expression still fixed in a rictus of amiability.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Germain at once stretched his own extraordinarily mobile face into a crude facsimile of the same expression¡ªa jack-o¡¯-lantern grin, teeth clenched and eyes popping. ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, darling,¡± I said, in a marked tone. ¡°Just like that.¡±


    Marsali looked at us, blinked, and tugged at Fergus¡¯s sleeve. He turned, squinting at us.


    ¡°Look happy, Papa!¡± Germain pointed to his gigantic smile. ¡°See?¡±


    Fergus¡¯s mouth twitched, as he glanced from his offspring to Jamie. His face went blank for a moment, then adjusted itself into an enormous smile of white-toothed insincerity. Marsali kicked him in the ankle. He winced, but the smile didn¡¯t waver.


    Brianna and Roger were having a last-minute conference with Reverend Caldwell, on the other side of the fire. Brianna turned from this, brushing back her loose hair, saw the phalanx of grinning faces, and stared, her mouth slightly open. Her eyes went to me; I shrugged helplessly.


    Her lips pressed tight together, but curved upward irrepressibly. Her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. I felt Jamie quiver next to me.


    Reverend Caldwell stepped forward, a finger in his book at the proper place, put his spectacles on his nose, and smiled genially at the assemblage, blinking only slightly when he encountered the row of leering countenances.


    He coughed, and opened his Book of Common Worship.


    ¡°Dearly beloved, we are assembled here in the presence of God . . .¡±


    I felt Jamie relax slightly, as the words went on, evidencing unfamiliarity, perhaps, but no great peculiarities. I supposed that he had in fact never taken part in a Protestant ceremony before¡ªunless one counted the impromptu baptism Roger himself had conducted among the Mohawk. I closed my eyes and sent a brief prayer upward for Young Ian, as I did whenever I thought of him.


    ¡°Let us therefore reverently remember that God has established and sanctified marriage, for the welfare and happiness of mankind . . .¡±


    Opening them, I saw that all eyes now were focused on Roger and Brianna, who stood facing each other, hands entwined. They were a handsome pair, nearly of a height, she bright and he dark, like a photograph and its negative. Their faces were nothing alike, and yet both had the bold bones and clean curves that were their joint legacy from the clan MacKenzie.


    I glanced across the fire to see the same echo of bone and flesh in Jocasta, tall and handsome, her blind face turned in absorption toward the sound of the minister¡¯s voice. As I watched, I saw her hand reach out and rest on Duncan¡¯s arm, the long white fingers gently squeeze. The Reverend Caldwell had kindly offered to perform their marriage as well, but Jocasta had refused, wishing to wait instead for a Catholic ceremony.


    ¡°We are in no great hurry, after all, are we, my dear?¡± she had asked Duncan, turning toward him with an outward exhibition of deference that fooled no one. Still, I thought that Duncan had seemed relieved, rather than disappointed, by the postponement of his own wedding.


    ¡°By His apostles, He has instructed those who enter into this relation to cherish a mutual esteem and love . . .¡±


    Duncan had put a hand over Jocasta¡¯s, with a surprising air of tenderness. That marriage would not be one of love, I thought, but mutual esteem¡ªyes, I thought there was that.


    ¡°I charge you both, before the great God, the Searcher of all hearts, that if either of you know any reason why ye may not lawfully be joined together in marriage, ye do now confess it. For be ye well assured that if any persons are joined together otherwise than as God¡¯s Word allows, their union is not blessed by Him.¡±


    Reverend Caldwell paused, glancing warningly back and forth between Roger and Brianna. Roger shook his head slightly, his eyes fixed on Bree¡¯s face. She smiled faintly in response, and the Reverend cleared his throat and continued.


    The air of muted hilarity around the fire had subsided; there was no sound but the Reverend¡¯s quiet voice and the crackle of the flames.


    ¡°Roger Jeremiah, wilt thou have this Woman to be thy wife, and wilt thou pledge thy troth to her, in all love and honor, in all duty and service, in all faith and tenderness, to live with her, and cherish her, according to the ordinance of God, in the holy bond of marriage?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Roger said, his voice deep and husky.


    I heard a deep sigh to my right, and saw Marsali lean her head on Fergus¡¯s shoulder, a dreamy look on her face. He turned his head and kissed her brow, then leaned his own dark head against the whiteness of her kerch.


    ¡°I will,¡± Brianna said clearly, lifting her chin and looking up into Roger¡¯s face, in response to the minister¡¯s question.


    Mr. Caldwell looked benevolently round the circle, firelight glinting on his spectacles.


    ¡°Who giveth this Woman to be married to this Man?¡±


    There was the briefest of pauses, and I felt Jamie jerk slightly, taken by surprise. I squeezed his arm, and saw the firelight gleam on the gold ring on my hand.


    ¡°Oh. I do, to be sure!¡± he said. Brianna turned her head and smiled at him, her eyes dark with love. He gave her back the smile, then blinked, clearing his throat, and squeezed my hand hard.


    I felt a slight tightening of the throat myself, as they spoke their vows, remembering both of my own weddings. And Jocasta? I wondered. She had been married three times; what echoes of the past did she hear in these words?


    ¡°I, Roger Jeremiah, take thee, Brianna Ellen, to be my wedded wife . . .¡±


    The light of memory shone on most of the faces around the fire. The Bugs stood close together, looking at each other with identical gazes of soft devotion. Mr. Wemyss, standing by his daughter, bowed his head and closed his eyes, a look of mingled joy and sadness on his face, no doubt thinking of his own wife, dead these many years.


    ¡°In plenty and in want . . .¡±


    ¡°In joy and in sorrow . . .¡±


    ¡°In sickness and in health . . .¡±


    Lizzie¡¯s face was rapt, eyes wide at the mystery being carried out before her. How soon might it be her turn, to stand before witnesses and make such awesome promises?


    Jamie reached across and took my right hand in his, his fingers linking with mine, and the silver of my ring shone red in the glow of the flames. I looked up into his face and saw the promise spoken in his eyes, as it was in mine.


    ¡°As long as we both shall live.¡±


    15


    THE FLAMES OF


    DECLARATION


    THE GREAT FIRE BELOW was blazing, damp wood snapping with cracks that rang like pistol shots against the mountainside¡ªa distant gunfire, though, and little noticed through the noise of merrymaking.


    While she had elected not to be married by the Reverend Caldwell, Jocasta had nonetheless generously provided a lavish wedding feast in honor of Roger and Brianna¡¯s nuptials. Wine, ale, and whisky flowed like water under the aegis of Ulysses, whose white wig bobbed through the mob round our family campfire, ubiquitous as a moth round a candle flame.


    Despite the chill damp and the clouds that had regathered overhead, at least half the Gathering was here, dancing to the music of fiddle and mouth organ, descending locustlike on the groaning tables of delicacies, and drinking the health of the newlyweds¡ªand the eventually-to-be-wed¡ªwith so much enthusiasm that if all such wishes were to take effect, Roger, Bree, Jocasta, and Duncan would each live to be a thousand, at least.


    I thought I might be good for a hundred years or so, myself. I was feeling no pain; nothing but an encompassing sense of giddy well-being, and a pleasant sense of impending dissolution.


    At one side of the fire, Roger was playing a borrowed guitar, serenading Bree before a rapt circle of listeners. Closer, Jamie sat on a log with Duncan and his aunt, talking with friends.


    ¡°Madam?¡± Ulysses materialized at my elbow, tray in hand and resplendent in livery, behaving as though he were in the parlor at River Run, rather than on a soggy mountainside.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I accepted a pewter cup full of something, and discovered it to be brandy. Fairly good brandy, too. I took a small sip and let it percolate through my sinuses. Before I could absorb much more of it, though, I became conscious of a sudden lull in the surrounding gaiety.


    Jamie glanced around the circle, gathering eyes, then stood and held out his arm to me. I was a little surprised, but hastily replaced the cup on Ulysses¡¯s tray, smoothed back my hair, tucked in my kerchief, and went to take my place at his side.

 Page 41

    ¡°Thig a seo, a bhean uasa,¡± he said, smiling at me. Come, lady. He turned and raised his chin, summoning the others. Roger put down his guitar at once, covering it carefully with a canvas, then held out a hand to Bree.


    ¡°Thig a seo, a bhean,¡± he said, grinning. With a look of surprise, she got to her feet, Jemmy in her arms.


    Jamie stood still, waiting, and little by little, the others rose, brushing away pine needles and sand from hems and seats, laughing and murmuring in puzzlement. The dancers, too, paused in their whirling, and came to see what was to do, the fiddle music dying away in the rustle of curiosity.


    Jamie led me down the dark trail toward the leaping flames of the great bonfire below, the others following in a murmur of speculation. At the end of the main clearing he stopped and waited. Dark figures flitted through the shadows; a man¡¯s shape stood in silhouette before the fire, arm raised.


    ¡°The Menzies are here!¡± the man called, and flung the branch that he carried into the fire. Faint cheers went up, from those of his clan and sept within hearing.


    Another took his place¡ªMacBean¡ªand another¡ªOgilvie. Then it was our turn.


    Jamie walked forward alone, into the light of the leaping flames. The fire was built of oak and pinewood, and it burned higher than a tall man, tongues of transparent yellow so pure and ardent as almost to burn white against the blackened sky. The light of it shone on his upturned face, on his head and shoulders, and threw a long shadow that stretched halfway across the open ground behind him.


    ¡°We are gathered here to welcome old friends,¡± he said in Gaelic. ¡°And meet new ones¡ªin hopes that they may join us in forging a new life in this new country.¡±


    His voice was deep and carrying; the last scraps of conversation ceased as the folk pushing and crowding around the fire hushed and craned to listen.


    ¡°We have all suffered much hardship on the road here.¡± He turned slowly, looking from face to face around the fire. Many of the men of Ardsmuir were here: I saw the Lindsay brothers, homely as a trio of toads; Ronnie Sinclair¡¯s fox-eyed face, ginger hair slicked up in horns; the Roman-coin features of Robin McGillivray. All looked out from the shadows, ridge of brow and bridge of nose shining in the glow, each face crossed by fire.


    Under the influence of brandy and emotion, I could easily see too the ranks of ghosts who stood behind them; the families and friends who remained still in Scotland, whether on the earth . . . or under it.


    Jamie¡¯s own face was lined with shadow, the firelight showing the mark of time and struggle on his flesh as wind and rain mark stone.


    ¡°Many of us died in battle,¡± he said, his voice scarcely audible above the rustle of the fire. ¡°Many died of burning. Many of us starved. Many died at sea, many died of wounds and illness.¡± He paused. ¡°Many died of sorrow.¡±


    His eyes looked beyond the firelit circle for a moment, and I thought perhaps he was searching for the face of Abel MacLennan. He lifted his cup then, and held it high in salute for a moment.


    ¡°Sl¨¤inte!¡± murmured a dozen voices, rising like the wind.


    ¡°Sl¨¤inte!¡± he echoed them¡ªthen tipped the cup, so that a little of the brandy fell into the flames, where it hissed and burned blue for an instant¡¯s time.


    He lowered the cup, and paused for a moment, head bent. He lifted his head then, and raised the cup toward Archie Hayes, who stood across the fire from him, round face unreadable, fire sparking from his silver gorget and his father¡¯s brooch.


    ¡°While we mourn the loss of those who died, we must also pay tribute to you who fought and suffered with equal valor¡ªand survived.¡±


    ¡°Sl¨¤inte!¡± came the salute, louder this time with the rumble of male voices.


    Jamie closed his eyes for an instant, then opened them, looking toward Brianna, who stood with Lizzie and Marsali, Jemmy in her arms. The rawness and strength of his features stood out by contrast with the round-faced innocence of the children, the gentleness of the young mothers¡ªthough even in their delicacy, I thought, the firelight showed the seams of Scottish granite in their bones.


    ¡°We pay tribute to our women,¡± he said, lifting the cup in turn to Brianna, to Marsali, and then, turning, to me. A brief smile touched his lips. ¡°For they are our strength. And our revenge upon our enemies will be at the last the revenge of the cradle. Sl¨¤inte!¡±


    Amid the shouts of the crowd, he drained the wooden cup, and threw it into the fire, where it lay dark and round for a moment, then burst all at once into brilliant flame.


    ¡°Thig a seo!¡± he called, putting out his right hand to me. ¡°Thig a seo, a Shorcha, nighean Eanruig, neart mo chridhe.¡± Come to me, he said. Come to me, Claire, daughter of Henry, strength of my heart. Scarcely feeling my feet or those I stumbled over, I made my way to him, and clasped his hand, his grip cold but strong on my fingers.


    I saw him turn his head; was he looking for Bree? But no¡ªhe stretched out his other hand toward Roger.


    ¡°Seas ri mo l¨¤mh, Roger an t¡¯¨°ranaiche, mac Jeremiah MacChoinneich!¡± Stand by my hand, Roger the singer, son of Jeremiah MacKenzie. Roger stood stock-still for a moment, eyes dark on Jamie, then moved toward him, like one sleepwalking. The crowd was still excited, but the shouting had died down, and people craned to hear what was said.


    ¡°Stand by me in battle,¡± he said in Gaelic, his eyes fixed on Roger, left hand extended. He spoke slowly and clearly, to be sure of understanding. ¡°Be a shield for my family¡ªand for yours, son of my house.¡±


    Roger¡¯s expression seemed suddenly to dissolve, like a face seen in water when a stone is tossed into it. Then it solidified once more, and he clasped Jamie¡¯s hand, squeezing hard.


    Jamie turned to the crowd then, and began the calling. This was something I had seen him do before, many years before, in Scotland. A formal invitation and identification of tenants by a laird, it was a small ceremony often done on a quarter-day or after the harvest. Faces lighted here and there with recognition; many of the Highland Scots knew the custom, though they would not have seen it in this land before tonight.


    ¡°Come to me, Geordie Chisholm, son of Walter, son of Connaught the Red!¡±


    ¡°Stand with me, a Choinneich, Evan, Murdo, you sons of Alexander Lindsay of the Glen!¡±


    ¡°Come to my side, Joseph Wemyss, son of Donald, son of Robert!¡± I smiled to see Mr. Wemyss, flustered but terribly pleased at this public inclusion, make his way toward us, head proudly raised, fair hair flying wild in the wind of the great fire.


    ¡°Stand by me, Josiah the hunter!¡±


    Was Josiah Beardsley here? Yes, he was; a slight, dark form slid out of the shadows, to take up a shy place in the group near Jamie. I caught his eye and smiled at him; he looked hastily away, but a small, embarrassed smile clung to his lips, as though he had forgotten it was there.


    It was an impressive group by the time he had finished¡ªnearly forty men, gathered shoulder-close and flushed as much with pride as with whisky. I saw Roger exchange a long look with Brianna, who was beaming across the fire at him. She bent her head to whisper something to Jemmy, who was submerged in his blankets, half-asleep in her arms. She picked up one of his wee paws and waved it limply toward Roger, who laughed.


    ¡°. . . Air mo mhionnan . . .¡± Distracted, I had missed Jamie¡¯s final statement, catching only the last few words. Whatever he had said met with approval, though; there was a low rumble of solemn assent from the men around us, and a moment¡¯s silence.


    Then he let go my hand, stooped, and picked up a branch from the ground. Lighting this, he held it aloft, then threw the blazing brand high into the air. It tumbled end over end as it fell straight down, into the heart of the fire.


    ¡°The Frasers of the Ridge are here!¡± he bellowed, and the clearing erupted in a massive cheer.


    As we made our way back up the slope to resume the interrupted festivities, I found myself next to Roger, who was humming something cheerful under his breath. I put a hand on his sleeve, and he looked down at me, smiling.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± I said, smiling back. ¡°Welcome to the family¡ªson of the house.¡±


    He grinned enormously.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°Mum.¡±


    We came to a level spot, and walked side by side for a moment, not speaking. Then he said, in a quite different tone, ¡°That was . . . something quite special, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know whether he meant historically special, or special in personal terms. In either case, he was right, and I nodded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t catch all of the last bit, though,¡± I said. ¡°And I don¡¯t know what earbsachd means¡ªdo you?¡±


    ¡°Oh . . . aye. I know.¡± It was quite dark here between the fires; I could see no more of him than a darker smudge against the black of shrub and tree. There was an odd note in his voice, though. He cleared his throat.


    ¡°It¡¯s an oath¡ªof a sort. He¡ªJamie¡ªhe swore an oath to us, to his family and tenants. Support, protection, that kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes?¡± I said, mildly puzzled. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®of a sort¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well.¡± He was silent for a moment, evidently marshaling his words. ¡°It means a word of honor, rather than just an oath,¡± he said carefully. ¡°Earbsachd¡±¡ªhe pronounced it YARB-sochk¡ª¡°was once said to be the distinguishing characteristic of the MacCrimmons of Skye, and meant basically that their word once given must unfailingly be acted upon at no matter what cost. If a MacCrimmon said he would do something¡±¡ªhe paused and drew breath¡ª¡°he would do it, though he should burn to death in the doing.¡±


    His hand came up under my elbow, surprisingly firm.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Let me help; it¡¯s slippery underfoot.¡±


    16


    ON THE NIGHT THAT OUR


    WEDDING IS ON US


    WILL YOU SING FOR ME, Roger?¡±


    She stood in the opening of the borrowed tent, facing outward. From the back, he could see no more than her silhouette against the gray of the clouded sky, her long hair drifting in the rainy wind. She had worn it unbound to be married¡ªmaiden¡¯s hair, though she had a child.


    It was cold tonight, quite different from that first night together, that hot, gorgeous night that had ended in anger and betrayal. Months of other nights lay between that one and this¡ªmonths of loneliness, months of joy. And yet his heart beat as fast now as it had on their first wedding night.


    ¡°I always sing for you, hen.¡± He came behind her, drew her back against him, so that her head rested on his shoulder, her hair cool and live against his face. His arm curled round her waist, holding her secure. He bent his head, nuzzling for the curve of her ear.


    ¡°No matter what,¡± he whispered, ¡°no matter where. No matter whether you¡¯re there to hear or not¡ªI¡¯ll always sing for you.¡±


    She turned into his arms then, with a small hum of content in her throat, and her mouth found his, tasting of barbecued meat and spiced wine.


    The rain pattered on the canvas above, and the cold of late autumn curled up from the ground around their feet. The first time, the air had smelled of hops and mudflats; their bower had had the earthy tang of hay and donkeys. Now the air was live with pine and juniper, spiced with the smoke of smoldering fires¡ªand the faint, sweet note of baby shit.

 Page 42

    And yet she was once more dark and light in his arms, her face hidden, her body gleaming. Then she had been moist and molten, humid with the summer. Now her flesh was cool as marble, save where he touched it¡ªand yet the summer lived still in the palm of his hand where he touched her, sweet and slick, ripe with the secrets of a hot, dark night. It was right, he thought, that these vows should have been spoken as the first ones had, out of doors, part of wind and earth, fire and water.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she murmured against his mouth, and he seized her lip between his teeth, too moved to speak the words in reply just yet.


    There had been words between them then, as there had been words tonight. The words were the same, and he had meant them the first time no less than he did now. Yet it was different.


    The first time he had spoken them to her alone, and while he had done so in the sight of God, God had been discreet, hovering well in the background, face turned away from their nak*dness.


    Tonight he said them in the blaze of firelight, before the face of God and the world, her people and his. His heart had been hers, and whatever else he had¡ªbut now there was no question of him and her, his and hers. The vows were given, his ring put on her finger, the bond both made and witnessed. They were one body.


    One hand of their joint organism crushed a breast a little too hard, and one throat made a small sound of discomfort. She drew back from him a little, and he felt rather than saw her grimace. The air came cold between them and his own skin felt suddenly raw, exposed, as though he had been severed from her with a knife.


    ¡°I need¡ª¡±she said, and touched her breast, not finishing. ¡°Just a minute, okay?¡±


    Claire had fed the child while Brianna went to make her overtures to Reverend Caldwell. Bursting with porridge and stewed peaches, Jemmy could scarcely be roused to suckle briefly before relapsing into somnolence and being taken away by Lizzie, his wee round belly tight as a drum. That was as well for their privacy¡ªdrugged into such a gluttonous stupor, it was unlikely the bairn would wake before dawn. The price of it, though, was the unused milk.


    No one living in the same house with a nursing mother was likely to be unaware of her br**sts, let alone her husband. They had a life of their own, those br**sts. They changed size from hour to hour, for the one thing, swelling from their normal soft globes into great round hard bubbles that gave him the eerie feeling that if he touched one it would burst.


    Now and then, one did burst, or at least gave that impression. The ridge of soft flesh would rise like kneaded bread, slowly but surely pushing above the edge of Brianna¡¯s bodice. Then suddenly there would be a big, wet circle on the cloth, appearing magically, as though some invisible person had thrown a snowball at her. Or two snowballs¡ªfor what one breast did, its fellow rushed at once to follow suit.


    Sometimes the Heavenly Twins were foiled, though; Jemmy drained one side, but inconsiderately fell asleep before performing the same service for the other. This left his mother gritting her teeth, gingerly taking the swollen orb in the palm of her hand, pressing the edge of a pewter cup just under the nipple to catch the spray and dribble as she eased the aching fullness, enough to sleep herself.


    She was doing it now; modestly turned away from him, an arisaid gathered round her shoulders against the chill. He could hear the hiss of the milk, a tiny chime against the metal.


    He was reluctant to drown the sound, which he found erotic, but nonetheless picked up the guitar, and put his thumb to the strings, his hand on the frets. He didn¡¯t strum or strike chords, but plucked single notes, small voices to echo his own, the thrum of one string ringing through the chanted line.


    A love song, to be sure. One of the very old ones, in the Gaelic. Even if she didn¡¯t know all the words, he thought she¡¯d take the sense of it.


    ¡°On the night that our wedding is on us,


    I will come leaping to thee with gifts,


    On the night that our wedding is on us . . .¡±


    He closed his eyes, seeing in memory what the night now hid. Her n**ples were the color of ripe plums and the size of ripe cherries, and Roger had a vivid mental picture of how one would feel in his mouth. He had suckled them once, long before¡ªbefore the coming of Jemmy¡ªbut no more.


    ¡°You will get a hundred silver salmon . . .


    A hundred badger skins . . .¡±


    She never asked him not to, never turned away¡ªand yet he could tell by the faint intake of her breath that, often, she was bracing herself not to flinch when he touched her br**sts.


    Was it only tenderness? he wondered. Did she not trust him to be gentle?


    He shied away from the thought, drowning it in a small cascade of notes, liquid as a waterfall.


    It might not be you, whispered the voice, stubbornly refusing to be distracted. Perhaps it was him¡ªsomething that he did to her.


    Fuck. Off, he thought succinctly to the voice, marking each word with a sharp-plucked string. Stephen Bonnet would have no place in their wedding bed. None.


    He laid a hand on the strings to silence them briefly, and as she slid the arisaid from her shoulders, began again, this time in English. A special song, too¡ªone for the two of them alone. He didn¡¯t know whether anyone else might hear, but it made no difference if they did. She stood and slid the shift from her shoulders as his fingers touched the quiet opening of the Beatles¡¯ ¡°Yesterday.¡±


    He heard her laugh, once, then sigh, and the linen whispered against her skin as it fell.


    She came nak*d behind him as the soft melancholy yearning of the song filled the dark. Her hand stroked his hair, gathered it tight at the nape of his neck. She swayed, and he felt her press against his back, her br**sts soft now, yielding and warm through his shirt, her breath tickling his ear. Her hand rested on his shoulder briefly, then slid down inside his shirt, fingers cool on his chest. He could feel the warm hard metal of her ring on his skin, and felt a surge of possession that pulsed through him like a gulp of whisky, a heat suffusing his flesh.


    He ached to turn and take hold of her, but pushed the urge down, heightening anticipation. He bent his head closer to the strings, and sang until all thought left him and there was nothing left but his body and hers. He could not have said when her hand closed over his on the frets, and he rose and turned to her, still filled with the music and his love, soft and strong and pure in the dark.


    SHE LAY QUIET in the dark, feeling the thunder of her heart boom slowly in her ears. The throb of it echoed in the pulse of her neck, her wrists, her br**sts, her womb. She had lost track of her boundaries; slowly the sense of limbs and digits, head and trunk, of space occupied, returned. She moved the single finger glued between her legs, and felt the last of the tingling shocks run down her thighs as it slid free.


    She drew breath slowly, listening.


    His breath still came in long, regular exhalations; thank God, he hadn¡¯t wakened. She had been careful, moving no more than a fingertip, but the final jolt of cli**x had struck her so hard that her h*ps jerked as her belly quivered and convulsed, her heels digging into the pallet with a loud rustling of straw.


    He¡¯d had a very long day¡ªthey all had. Even so, she could still hear faint sounds of festivity on the mountainside around them. The chance to celebrate like this came so rarely that no one would let something so inconsequential as rain, cold, or tiredness keep them from the revels.


    She herself felt like a puddle of liquid mercury; soft and heavy, shimmering with each heartbeat. The effort of moving was unthinkable; but her final convulsion had pulled the quilt off his shoulders, and the skin of his back lay smooth and bare, dark by contrast with the pale cloth. The pocket of warmth around her was snug and perfect, but she couldn¡¯t luxuriate while he lay exposed to the chilly midnight air like that. Tendrils of fog had crept under the tent flap and hung ghostlike and clammy all around them; she could see the faint gleam of moisture on the high curve of his cheekbone.


    She summoned back the notion of bones and muscles, found a motor neuron in working order, and sternly ordered it to fire. Embodied once more, she rolled onto her side, facing him, and gently pulled the quilt up around his ears. He stirred and murmured something; she stroked his tumbled black hair and he smiled faintly, eyelids half-opening in the blank stare of one who sees dreams. They dropped again and he took a long, sighing breath and fell back asleep.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered, filled with tenderness.


    She stroked his back lightly, loving the feel of his flat shoulder blades through the quilt, the solid knob of bone at the nape of his neck, and the long, smooth groove that ran down the center of his spine to arch into the swell of his buttocks. A cold breeze rippled the tiny hairs of her arm, and she pulled it back under the covers, letting her hand rest lightly on Roger¡¯s bottom.


    The feel of it was no novelty, but thrilled her just the same, with its perfect warm roundness, its coarse curly hair. A faint echo of her solitary joy encouraged her to do it again, and her free hand crept between her legs, but sheer exhaustion stayed her, limp fingers cupped on the swollen flesh, one languid finger tracing the slickness.


    She¡¯d hoped it would be different tonight. Without the ever-present danger of waking Jemmy, free to take as much time as they wanted, and riding the waves of emotion from their exchange of vows, she¡¯d thought . . . but it was the same.


    It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t aroused; quite the contrary. Every movement, each touch, imprinted itself in the nerves of her skin, the crevices of mouth and memory, drowning her with scent, branding her with sensation. But no matter how wonderful the lovemaking, there remained some odd sense of distance, some barrier that she couldn¡¯t penetrate.


    And so once more she found herself lying beside him as he slept, reliving in memory each moment of the passion they had just shared¡ªand able in memory at last to yield to it.


    Perhaps it was that she loved him too much, she thought, was too mindful of his pleasure to take her own. The satisfaction she felt when he lost himself, gasping and moaning in her arms, was far greater than the simple physical pleasure of cli**x. And yet, there was something darker under that; a peculiar sense of triumph, as though she had won some undeclared and unacknowledged contest between them.


    She sighed and butted her forehead against the curve of his shoulder, enjoying the reek of him¡ªa smell of strong and bitter musk, like pennyroyal.


    The thought of herbs reminded her, and she reached down again, cautiously so as not to waken him, and slid one slippery finger deep inside to check. No, it was all right; the slip of sponge soaked with tansy oil was still in place, its fragile, pungent presence safeguarding the entrance to her womb.


    She moved closer, and he moved unconsciously, his body half-turning to accommodate her, his warmth at once enclosing her, comforting her. His hand groped like a bird flying blind, skimming her hip, her soft belly, in search of a resting place. She seized it in both hands and folded it, secure beneath her chin. His hand curled over hers; she kissed one large, rough knuckle and he sighed deeply, his hand relaxing.


    The sounds of revelry on the mountain had faded, as the dancers tired, and the musicians grew hoarse and weary. The rain began again, pattering on the canvas overhead, and gray mist touched her face with cool damp fingers. The smell of wet canvas made her think of camping trips as a child with her father, with their mingled sensations of excitement and safety, and she nestled deeper into the curve of Roger¡¯s body, feeling a similar sense of comfort and anticipation.

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    It was early days, she thought. They had all their lives before them. The time of surrender would surely come.


    17


    WATCHFIRE


    FROM WHERE THEY LAY, he could see down through a gap in the rocks, all the way to the watch fire that burned before Hayes¡¯s tent. The great fire of the Gathering had burned itself to embers, the glow of it faint memory of the towering flames of declaration, but the smaller fire burned steady as a star against the cold night. Now and then a dark, kilted figure rose to tend it, stood stark for a moment against the brightness, then faded back again into the night.


    He was faintly conscious of the racing clouds that dimmed the moon, the heavy flutter of the canvas overhead, and the rock-black shadows of the mountain slope, but he had no eyes for anything save the fire below, and the white patch of the tent behind it, shapeless as a ghost.


    He had slowed his breath, relaxed the muscles of arms and chest, back, buttocks, legs. Not in an attempt to sleep; sleep was far from him, and he had no mind to seek it.


    Nor was it an attempt to fool Claire into thinking he slept. So close against his body, so close to his mind as she was, she would know him wakeful. No, it was only a signal to her; an acknowledged pretense that freed her from any need to pay heed to him. She might sleep, knowing him occupied within the walnut shell of his mind, having no immediate demand to make of her.


    Few slept on the mountain tonight, he thought. The sound of the wind masked the murmur of voices, the shuffle of movement, but his hunter¡¯s senses registered a dozen small stirrings, identifying things half-heard, putting names to moving shadows. A scrape of shoe leather on rock, the flap of a blanket shaken out. That would be Hobson and Fowles, making a quiet departure alone in the dark, fearful of waiting for the morning, lest they be betrayed in the night.


    A few notes of music came down on a gust of wind from above; concertina and fiddle. Jocasta¡¯s slaves, unwilling to surrender this rare celebration to the needs of sleep or the imperatives of weather.


    An infant¡¯s thin wail. Wee Jemmy? No, from behind. Tiny Joan, then, and Marsali¡¯s voice, low and sweet, singing in French.


    ¡°. . . Alouette, gentil Alouette . . .¡±


    There, a sound he had expected; footsteps passing on the far side of the rocks that bordered his family¡¯s sanctuary. Quick and light, headed downhill. He waited, eyes open, and in a few moments heard the faint hail of a sentry near the tent. No figure showed in the firelight below, but the tent flap beyond it stirred, gaped open, then fell unbroken.


    As he had thought, then; sentiment lay strong against the rioters. It was not held a betrayal of friends, but rather the necessary giving up of criminals for the protection of those who chose to live by law. It might be reluctant¡ªthe witnesses had waited for the dark¡ªbut not secretive.


    ¡°. . . j¡¯ante plumerai la t¨ºte . . .¡±


    It occurred to him to wonder why the songs sung to bairns were so often gruesome, and no thought given to the words they took in with their mothers¡¯ milk. The music of the songs was no more to him than tuneless chanting¡ªperhaps that was why he paid more mind than most to the words.


    Even Brianna, who came from what was presumably a more peaceable time, sang songs of fearsome death and tragic loss to wee Jem, all with a look on her face as tender as the Virgin nursing the Christ Child. That verse about the miner¡¯s daughter who drowned amidst her ducklings . . .


    It occurred to him perversely to wonder what awful things the Blessed Mother might have counted in her own repertoire of cradle songs; judging from the Bible, the Holy Land had been no more peaceful than France or Scotland.


    He would have crossed himself in penance for the notion, but Claire was lying on his right arm.


    ¡°Were they wrong?¡± Claire¡¯s voice came softly from beneath his chin, startling him.


    ¡°Who?¡± He bent his head to hers, and kissed the thick softness of her curls. Her hair smelt of woodsmoke and the sharp, clear tang of juniper berries.


    ¡°The men in Hillsborough.¡±


    ¡°Aye, I think so.¡±


    ¡°What would you have done?¡±


    He sighed, moved one shoulder in a shrug.


    ¡°Can I say? Aye, if it was me that was cheated, and no hope of redress, I might have laid hands on the man who¡¯d done it. But what was done there¡ªye heard it. Houses torn down and set afire, men dragged out and beaten senseless only for cause of the office they held . . . no, Sassenach. I canna say what I might have done¡ªbut not that.¡±


    She turned her head a little, so he saw the high curve of her cheekbone, rimmed in light, and the flexing of the muscle that ran in front of her ear as she smiled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would. Can¡¯t see you as part of a mob.¡±


    He kissed her ear, not to reply directly. He could see himself as part of a mob, all too easily. That was what frightened him. He knew much too well the strength of it.


    One Highlander was a warrior, but the mightiest man was only a man. It was the madness that took men together that had ruled the glens for a thousand years; that thrill of the blood, when you heard the shrieks of your companions, felt the strength of the whole bear you up like wings, and knew immortality¡ªfor if you should fall of yourself, still you would be carried on, your spirit shrieking in the mouths of those who ran beside you. It was only later, when the blood lay cold in limp veins, and deaf ears heard the women weeping . . .


    ¡°And if it wasn¡¯t a man who cheated you? If it was the Crown, or the Court? No one person, I mean, but an institution.¡±


    He knew where she meant to lead him. He tightened his arm around her, her breath warm on the knuckles of his hand, curled just under her chin.


    ¡°It isna that. Not here. Not now.¡± The rioters had lashed out in response to the crimes of men, of individuals; the price of those crimes might be paid in blood, but not requited by war¡ªnot yet.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± she said quietly. ¡°But it will be.¡±


    ¡°Not now,¡± he said again.


    The piece of paper was safely hidden in his saddlebag, its damnable summons concealed. He must deal with it, and soon, but for tonight he would pretend it wasn¡¯t there. One final night of peace, with his wife in his arms, his family around him.


    Another shadow by the fire. Another hail by the sentry, one more to pass through the traitor¡¯s gate.


    ¡°And are they wrong?¡± A slight tilt of her head toward the tent below. ¡°The ones going to turn in their acquaintances?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± he said, after a moment. ¡°They¡¯re wrong as well.¡±


    A mob might rule, but it was single men would pay the price for what was done. Part of the price was the breaking of trust, the turning of neighbor against neighbor, fear a noose squeezing tight until there was no longer any breath of mercy or forgiveness.


    It had come on to rain; the light spatter of drops on the canvas overhead turned to a regular thrum, and the air grew live with the rush of water. It was a winter storm; no lightning lit the sky, and the looming mountains were invisible.


    He held Claire close, curving his free hand low over her belly. She sighed, a small sound of pain in it, and settled herself, her arse nesting round as an egg in the cup of his thighs. He could feel the melting begin as she relaxed, that odd merging of his flesh with hers.


    At first it had happened only when he took her, and only at the last. Then sooner and sooner, until her hand upon him was both invitation and completion, a surrender inevitable, offered and accepted. He had resisted now and then, only to be sure he could, suddenly fearful of the loss of himself. He had thought it a treacherous passion, like the one that swept a mob of men, linking them in mindless fury.


    Now he trusted it was right, though. The Bible did say it, Thou shalt be one flesh, and What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.


    He had survived such a sundering once; he could not stand it twice, and live. The sentries had put up a canvas lean-to near their fire to shelter them from the rain. The flames sputtered as the rain blew in, though, and lit the pale cloth with a flicker that pulsed like a heartbeat. He was not afraid to die with her, by fire or any other way¡ªonly to live without her.


    The wind changed, carrying with it the faint sound of laughter from the tiny tent where the newlyweds slept¡ªor didn¡¯t. He smiled to himself, hearing it. He could only hope that his daughter would find such joy in her marriage as he had¡ªbut so far, so good. The lad¡¯s face lit when he looked at her.


    ¡°What will you do?¡± Claire said quietly, her words almost lost in the pattering of the rain.


    ¡°What I must.¡±


    It was no answer, but the only one.


    There was no world outside this small confine, he told himself. Scotland was gone, the Colonies were going¡ªwhat lay ahead he could only dimly imagine from the things Brianna told him. The only reality was the woman held fast in his arms; his children and grandchildren, his tenants and servants¡ªthese were the gifts that God had given to him; his to harbor, his to protect.


    The mountainside lay dark and quiet, but he could feel them there all round him, trusting him to see them safe. If God had given him this trust, surely He would also grant the strength to keep it.


    He was becoming aroused by the habit of close contact, his rising c*ck uncomfortably trapped. He wanted her, had been wanting for days, the urge pushed aside in the bustle of the Gathering. The dull ache in his balls echoed what he thought must be the ache in her womb.


    He had taken her in the midst of her courses now and then, when the two of them had wanted too urgently for waiting. He had found it messy and disturbing, but exciting too, leaving him with a faint sense of shame that was not entirely unpleasant. Now was not the time or place for it, of course, but the memory of other times and other places made him shift, twisting away from her, not to trouble her with the bodily evidence of his thoughts.


    Yet what he felt now was not lust¡ªnot quite. Nor was it even the need of her, the wanting of soul¡¯s company. He wished to cover her with his body, possess her¡ªfor if he could do that, he could pretend to himself that she was safe. Covering her so, joined in one body, he might protect her. Or so he felt, even knowing how senseless the feeling was.


    He had stiffened, his body tensing involuntarily with his thoughts. Claire stirred, and reached back with one hand. She laid it on his leg, let it lie for a moment, then reached gently farther up, in drowsy question.


    He bent his head, put his lips behind her ear. Said what he was thinking, without thought.


    ¡°Nothing will harm ye while there is breath in my body, a nighean donn. Nothing.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said. Her limbs went slowly slack, her breathing eased, and the soft round of her belly swelled under his palm as she melted into sleep. Her hand stayed on him, covering him. He lay stiff and wide awake, long after the watch fire had been quenched by the rain.


    PART TWO


    The Chieftain¡¯s Call


    18


    NO PLACE LIKE HOME


    GIDEON DARTED OUT his head like a snake, aiming for the leg of the rider just ahead.


    ¡°Seas!¡± Jamie wrenched the big bay¡¯s head around before he could take a bite. ¡°Evil-minded whoreson,¡± he muttered under his breath. Geordie Chisholm, unaware of his narrow escape from Gideon¡¯s teeth, caught the remark, and looked back over his shoulder, startled. Jamie smiled and touched his slouch hat apologetically, nudging the horse past Chisholm¡¯s long-legged mule.

 Page 44

    Jamie kicked Gideon ungently in the ribs, urging him past the rest of the slow-moving travelers at a speed fast enough to keep the brute from biting, kicking, trampling stray bairns, or otherwise causing trouble. After a week¡¯s journey, he was all too well acquainted with the stallion¡¯s proclivities. He passed Brianna and Marsali, halfway up the column, at a slow trot; by the time he passed Claire and Roger, riding at the head, he was moving too fast to do more than flourish his hat at them in salute.


    ¡°A mhic an dhiobhail,¡± he said, clapping the hat back on and leaning low over the horse¡¯s neck. ¡°Ye¡¯re a deal too lively for your own good, let alone mine. See how long ye last in the rough, eh?¡±


    He pulled hard left, off the trail, and down the slope, trampling dry grass and brushing leafless dogwood out of the way with a gunshot snapping of twigs. What the seven-sided son of a bitch needed was flat country, where Jamie could gallop the bejesus out of him and bring him back blowing. Given that there wasn¡¯t a flat spot in twenty miles, he¡¯d have to do the next best thing.


    He gathered up the reins, clicked his tongue, jabbed both heels into the horse¡¯s ribs, and they charged up the shrubby hillside as though they had been fired from a cannon.


    Gideon was large-boned, well-nourished, and sound of wind, which was why Jamie had bought him. He was also a hard-mouthed, bad-tempered reester of a horse, which was why he hadn¡¯t cost much. More than Jamie could easily afford, even so.


    As they sailed over a small creek, jumped a fallen log, and hared up an almost vertical hillside littered with scrub oak and persimmon, Jamie found himself wondering whether he¡¯d got a bargain or committed suicide. That was the last coherent thought he had before Gideon veered sideways, crushing Jamie¡¯s leg against a tree, then gathered his hindquarters and charged down the other side of the hill into a thicket of brush, sending coveys of quail exploding from under his huge flat hooves.


    Half an hour of dodging low branches, lurching through streams, and galloping straight up as many hillsides as Jamie could point them at, and Gideon was, if not precisely tractable, at least exhausted enough to be manageable. Jamie was soaked to the thighs, bruised, bleeding from half a dozen scratches, and breathing nearly as hard as the horse. He was, however, still in the saddle, and still in charge.


    He turned the horse¡¯s head toward the sinking sun and clicked his tongue again.


    ¡°Come on, then,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    They had exerted themselves mightily, but given the rugged shape of the land, had not covered so much ground as to lose themselves entirely. He turned Gideon¡¯s head upward, and within a quarter hour, had come out onto a small ridge he recognized.


    They picked their way along the ridge, searching for a safe way down through the tangles of chinkapin, poplar, and spruce. The party was not far away, he knew, but it could take some time to cross to them, and he would as soon rejoin them before they reached the Ridge. Not that Claire or MacKenzie could not guide them¡ªbut he admitted to himself that he wished very much to return to Fraser¡¯s Ridge at the head of the party, leading his people home.


    ¡°Christ, man, ye¡¯d think ye were Moses,¡± he muttered, shaking his head in mock dismay at his own pretensions.


    The horse was lathered, and when the trees opened out for a space, Jamie halted for a moment¡¯s rest¡ªrelaxing the reins, but keeping a sufficient grip as to discourage any notions the outheidie creature might still be entertaining. They stood among a grove of silver birch, at the lip of a small rocky outcrop above a forty-foot drop; he thought the horse held much too high an opinion of himself to contemplate self-destruction, but best to be careful, in case he had any thought of flinging his rider off into the laurels below.


    The breeze was from the west. Jamie lifted his chin, enjoying the cold touch of it on his heated skin. The land fell away in undulating waves of brown and green, kindled here and there with patches of color, lighting the mist in the hollows like the glow of campfire smoke. He felt a peace come over him at the sight, and breathed deep, his body relaxing.


    Gideon relaxed, too, all the feistiness draining slowly out of him like water from a leaky bucket. Slowly, Jamie let his hands drop lightly on the horse¡¯s neck, and the horse stayed still, ears forward. Ah, he thought, and the realization stole over him that this was a Place.


    He thought of such places in a way that had no words, only recognizing one when he came to it. He might have called it holy, save that the feel of such a place had nothing to do with church or saint. It was simply a place he belonged to be, and that was sufficient, though he preferred to be alone when he found one. He let the reins go slack across the horse¡¯s neck. Not even a thrawn-minded creature like Gideon would give trouble here, he felt.


    Sure enough, the horse stood quiet, massive dark withers steaming in the chill. They could not tarry long, but he was deeply glad of the momentary respite¡ªnot from the battle with Gideon, but from the press of people.


    He had learned early on the trick of living separately in a crowd, private in his mind when his body could not be. But he was born a mountain-dweller, and had learned early, too, the enchantment of solitude, and the healing of quiet places.


    Quite suddenly, he had a vision of his mother, one of the small vivid portraits that his mind hoarded, producing them unexpectedly in response to God knew what¡ªa sound, a smell, some passing freak of memory.


    He had been snaring for rabbits on a hillside then, hot and sweaty, his fingers pricked with gorse and his shirt stuck to him with mud and damp. He had seen a small grove of trees and gone to them for shade. His mother was there, sitting in the greenish shadow, on the ground beside a tiny spring. She sat quite motionless¡ªwhich was unlike her¡ªlong hands folded in her lap.


    She had not spoken, but smiled at him, and he had gone to her, not speaking either, but filled with a great sense of peace and contentment, resting his head against her shoulder, feeling her arm go about him and knowing he stood at the center of the world. He had been five, maybe, or six.


    As suddenly as it had come, the vision disappeared, like a bright trout vanishing into dark water. It left behind it the same deep sense of peace, though¡ªas though someone had briefly embraced him, a soft hand touched his hair.


    He swung himself down from the saddle, needing the feel of the pine needles under his boots, some physical connection with this place. Caution made him tie the reins to a stout pine, though Gideon seemed calm enough; the stallion had dropped his head and was nuzzling for tufts of dried grass. Jamie stood still for a moment, then turned himself carefully to the right, facing the north.


    He no longer recalled who had taught him this¡ªwhether it was Mother, Father, or Auld John, Ian¡¯s father. He spoke the words, though, as he turned himself sunwise, murmuring the brief prayer to each of the four airts in turn, and ended facing west, into the setting sun. He cupped his empty hands and the light filled them, spilling from his palms.


    ¡°May God make safe to me each step,


    May God make open to me each pass,


    May God make clear to me each road,


    And may He take me in the clasp of His own two hands.¡±


    With an instinct older than the prayer, he took the flask from his belt and poured a few drops on the ground.


    Scraps of sound reached him on the breeze; laughter and calling, the sound of animals making their way through brush. The caravan was not far away, only across a small hollow, coming slowly round the curve of the hillside opposite. He should go now, to join them on the last push upward to the Ridge.


    Still he hesitated for a moment, loath to break the spell of the Place. Some tiny movement caught the corner of his eye, and he bent down, squinting as he peered into the deepening shadows beneath a holly bush.


    It sat frozen, blending perfectly with its dusky background. He would never have seen it had his hunter¡¯s eye not caught its movement. A tiny kitten, its gray fur puffed out like a ripe milkweed head, enormous eyes wide open and unblinking, almost colorless in the gloom beneath the bush.


    ¡°A Chait,¡± he whispered, putting out a slow finger toward it. ¡°Whatever are ye doing here?¡±


    A feral cat, no doubt; born of a wild mother, fled from some settlers¡¯ cabin, and long free of the trap of domesticity. He brushed the wispy fur of its breast, and it sank its tiny teeth suddenly into his thumb.


    ¡°Ow!¡± He jerked away, and examined the drop of blood welling from a small puncture wound. He glowered at the cat for a moment, but it merely stared back at him, and made no move to run. He paused, then made up his mind. He shook the blood drop from his finger onto the leaves, an offering to join the dram he had spilled, a gift to the spirits of this Place¡ªwho had evidently made up their minds to offer him a gift, themselves.


    ¡°All right, then,¡± he said under his breath. He knelt, and stretched out his hand, palm up. Very slowly, he moved one finger, then the next, and the next and the next, then again, in the undulant motion of seaweed in the water. The big pale eyes fixed on the movement, watching as though hypnotized. He could see the tip of the miniature tail twitch, very slightly, and smiled at the sight.


    If he could guddle a trout¡ªand he could¡ªwhy not a cat?


    He made a small noise through his teeth, a whistling hiss, like the distant chittering of birds. The kitten stared, mesmerized, as the gently swaying fingers moved invisibly closer. When at last he touched its fur again, it made no move to escape. One finger edged beneath the fur, another slid under the cold wee pads of one paw, and it let him scoop it gently into his hand and lift it from the ground.


    He held it for a moment against his chest, stroking it with one finger, tracing the silken jawline, the delicate ears. The tiny cat closed its eyes and began to purr in ecstasy, rumbling in his palm like distant thunder.


    ¡°Oh, so ye¡¯ll come away wi¡¯ me, will you?¡± Receiving no demur from the cat, he opened the neck of his shirt and tucked the tiny thing inside, where it poked and prodded at his ribs for a bit before curling up against his skin, purr reduced to a silent but pleasant vibration.


    Gideon seemed pleased by the rest; he set off willingly enough, and within a quarter hour, they had caught up with the others. The stallion¡¯s momentary docility evaporated, though, under the strain of the final upward climb.


    Not that the horse could not master the steep trail; what he couldn¡¯t abide was following another horse. It didn¡¯t matter whether Jamie wished to lead them home or not¡ªif Gideon had anything to do with the matter, they would be not only in the lead, but several furlongs ahead.


    The column of travelers was strung out over half a mile, each family party traveling at its own speed: Frasers, MacKenzies, Chisholms, MacLeods, and Aberfeldys. At every space and widening of the trail, Gideon shouldered his way rudely ahead, shoving past pack mules, sheep, foot-travelers, and mares; he even scattered the three pigs trudging slowly behind Grannie Chisholm. The pigs bolted into the brush in a chorus of panicked oinks as Gideon bore down upon them.


    Jamie found himself more in sympathy with the horse than not; eager to be home and working hard to get there, irritated by anything that threatened to hold him back. At the moment, the main impediment to progress was Claire, who had¡ªblast the woman¡ªhalted her mare in front of him and slid off in order to gather yet another bit of herbage from the trailside. As though the entire house was not filled from doorstep to rooftree with plants already, and her saddlebags a-bulge with more!

 Page 45

    Gideon, picking up his rider¡¯s mood with alacrity, stretched out his neck and nipped the mare¡¯s rump. The mare bucked, squealed, and shot off up the trail, loose reins dangling. Gideon made a deep rumbling noise of satisfaction and started off after her, only to be jerked unceremoniously to a halt.


    Claire had whirled round at the noise, eyes wide. She looked up at Jamie, up the trail after her vanished horse, then back at him. She shrugged apologetically, hands full of tattered leaves and mangy roots.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, but he saw the corner of her mouth tuck in and the flush rise in her skin, the smile glimmering in her eyes like morning light on trout water. Quite against his will, he felt the tension in his shoulders ease. He had had it in mind to rebuke her; in fact, he still did, but the words wouldn¡¯t quite come to his tongue.


    ¡°Get up, then, woman,¡± he said instead, gruffly, with a nod behind him. ¡°I want my supper.¡±


    She laughed at him and scrambled up, kilting her skirts out of the way. Gideon, irascible at this additional burden, whipped round to take a nip of anything he could reach. Jamie was ready for that; he snapped the end of the rein sharply off the stallion¡¯s nose, making him jerk back and snort in surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯ll teach ye, ye wee bastard.¡± He pulled his hat over his brow and settled his errant wife securely, fluttering skirts tucked in beneath her thighs, arms round his waist. She rode without shoes or stockings, and her long calves were white and bare against the dark bay hide. He gathered up the reins and kicked the horse, a trifle harder than strictly necessary.


    Gideon promptly reared, backed, twisted, and tried to scrape them both off under a hanging poplar bough. The kitten, rudely roused from its nap, sank all its claws into Jamie¡¯s midsection and yowled in alarm, though its noise was quite lost in Jamie¡¯s much louder screech. He yanked the horse¡¯s head halfway round, swearing, and shoved at the hindquarters with his left leg.


    No easy conquest, Gideon executed a hop like a corkscrew. There was a small ¡°eek!¡± and a sudden feeling of emptiness behind him, as Claire was slung off into the brush like a bag of flour. The horse suddenly yielded to the pull on his mouth, and shot down the path in the wrong direction, hurtling through a screen of brambles and skidding to a halt that nearly threw him onto his hindquarters in a shower of mud and dead leaves. Then he straightened out like a snake, shook his head, and trotted nonchalantly over to exchange nuzzles with Roger¡¯s horse, which was standing at the edge of the spring clearing, watching them with the same bemusement exhibited by its dismounted rider.


    ¡°All right there?¡± asked Roger, raising one eyebrow.


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Jamie replied, trying to gasp for breath while keeping his dignity. ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He was already swinging down from the saddle as he spoke. He flung the reins toward MacKenzie, not waiting to see whether he caught them, and ran back toward the trail, shouting, ¡°Claire! Where are ye?¡±


    ¡°Just here!¡± she called cheerfully. She emerged from the shadow of the poplars, with leaves in her hair and limping slightly, but looking otherwise undamaged. ¡°Are you all right?¡± she asked, cocking one eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Aye, fine. I¡¯m going to shoot that horse.¡± He gathered her in briefly, wanting to assure himself that she was in fact whole. She was breathing heavily, but felt reassuringly solid, and kissed him on the nose.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t shoot him until we get home. I don¡¯t want to walk the last mile or so in my bare feet.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Let that alone, ye bugger!¡±


    He let go of Claire and turned to find Roger snatching a fistful of ragged-looking plants away from Gideon¡¯s questing Roman nose. More plants¡ªwhat was this mania for gathering? Claire was still panting from the accident, but leaned forward to see them, looking interested.


    ¡°What¡¯s that you¡¯ve got, Roger?¡±


    ¡°For Bree,¡± he said, holding them up for her inspection. ¡°Are they the right kind?¡± To Jamie¡¯s jaundiced eye, they looked like the yellowed tops of carrots gone to seed and left too long in the ground, but Claire fingered the mangy foliage, and nodded approval.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± she said. ¡°Very romantic!¡±


    Jamie made a small tactful noise, indicating that they ought perhaps to be making their way, since Bree and the slower-moving tribe of Chisholms would be catching them up soon.


    ¡°Yes, all right,¡± Claire said, patting his shoulder in what he assumed she meant to be a soothing gesture. ¡°Don¡¯t snort; we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Mmphm,¡± he said, and bent to put a hand under her foot. Tossing her up into the saddle, he gave Gideon a ¡°Don¡¯t try it on, you bastard¡± look and swung up behind her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll wait for the others, then, and bring them up?¡± Without waiting for Roger¡¯s nod, Jamie reined around and set Gideon upon the trail again.


    Mollified at being far in the lead, Gideon settled down to the job at hand, climbing steadily through the thickets of hornbeam and poplar, chestnut and spruce. Even so late in the year, some leaves still clung to the trees, and small bits of brown and yellow floated down upon them like a gentle rain, catching in the horse¡¯s mane, resting in the loose, thick waves of Claire¡¯s hair. It had come down in her precipitous descent, and she hadn¡¯t bothered to put it up again.


    Jamie¡¯s own equanimity returned with the sense of progress, and was quite restored by the fortuitous finding of the hat he had lost, hanging from a white oak by the trail, as though placed there by some kindly hand. Still, he remained uneasy in his mind, and could not quite grasp tranquillity, though the mountain lay at peace all round him, the air hazed with blue and smelling of wood-damp and evergreens.


    Then he realized, with a sudden jolt in the pit of his stomach, that the kitten was gone. There were itching furrows in the skin of his chest and abdomen, where it had climbed him in a frantic effort to escape, but it must have popped out the neck of his shirt and been flung off his shoulder in the mad career down the slope. He glanced from side to side, searching in the shadows under bushes and trees, but it was a vain hope. The shadows were lengthening, and they were on the main trail now, where he and Gideon had torn through the wood.


    ¡°Go with God,¡± he murmured, and crossed himself briefly.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Claire asked, half-turning in the saddle.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said. After all, it was a wild cat, though a small one. Doubtless it would manage.


    Gideon worked the bit, pecking and bobbing. Jamie realized that the tension in his hands was running through the reins once more, and consciously slackened his grip. He loosened his grip on Claire, too, and she took a sudden deep breath.


    His heart was beating fast.


    It was impossible for him ever to come home after an absence without a certain sense of apprehension. For years after the Rising, he had lived in a cave, approaching his own house only rarely, after dark and with great caution, never knowing what he might find there. More than one Highland man had come home to his place to find it burned and black, his family gone. Or worse, still there.


    Well enough to tell himself not to imagine horrors; the difficulty was that he had no need of imagination¡ªmemory sufficed.


    The horse dug with his haunches, pushing hard. No use to tell himself this was a new place; it was, with its own dangers. If there were no English soldiers in these mountains, there were still marauders. Those too shiftless to take root and fend for themselves, but who wandered the backcountry, robbing and plundering. Raiding Indians. Wild animals. And fire. Always fire.


    He had sent the Bugs on ahead, with Fergus to guide them, to save Claire dealing with the simultaneous chores of arrival and hospitality. The Chisholms, the MacLeods, and Billy Aberfeldy, with his wife and wee daughter, would all bide with them at the big house for a time; he had told Mrs. Bug to begin cooking at once. Decently mounted and not hindered by children or livestock, the Bugs should have reached the Ridge two days before. No one had come back to say aught was amiss, so perhaps all was well. But still . . .


    He hadn¡¯t realized that Claire was tensed, too, until she suddenly relaxed against him, a hand on his leg.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± she said. ¡°I smell chimney smoke.¡±


    He lifted his head to catch the air. She was right; the tang of burning hickory floated on the breeze. Not the stink of remembered conflagration, but a homely whiff redolent with the promise of warmth and food. Mrs. Bug had presumably taken him at his word.


    They rounded the last turn of the trail and saw it, then, the high fieldstone chimney rising above the trees on the ridge, its fat plume of smoke curling over the rooftree.


    The house stood.


    He breathed deep in relief, noticing now the other smells of home; the faint rich scent of manure from the stable, of meat smoked and hanging in the shed, and the breath of the forest nearby¡ªdamp wood and leaf-rot, rock and rushing water, the touch of it cold and loving on his cheek.


    They came out of the chestnut grove and into the large clearing where the house stood, solid and neat, its windows glazed gold with the last of the sun.


    It was a modest frame house, whitewashed and shingle-roofed, clean in its lines and soundly built, but impressive only by comparison with the crude cabins of most settlers. His own first cabin still stood, dark and sturdy, a little way down the hill. Smoke was curling from that chimney, too.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s made a fire for Bree and Roger,¡± Claire said, nodding at it.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said. He tightened his arm about her waist, and she made a small, contented noise in her throat, wriggling her bottom into his lap.


    Gideon was happy, too; he stretched out his neck and whinnied to the two horses in the penfold, who trotted to and fro in the enclosure, calling greetings. Claire¡¯s mare was standing by the fence, reins dangling; she curled her lip in what looked like derision, the wee besom. From somewhere far down the trail behind them came a deep, joyous bray; Clarence the mule, hearing the racket and delighted to be coming home.


    The door flew open, and Mrs. Bug popped out, round and flustered as a tumble-turd. Jamie smiled at sight of her, and gave Claire an arm to slide down before dismounting himself.


    ¡°All¡¯s well, all¡¯s well, and how¡¯s yourself, sir?¡± Mrs. Bug was reassuring him before his boots struck ground. She had a pewter cup in one hand, a polishing cloth in the other, and didn¡¯t cease her polishing for an instant, even as she turned up her face to accept his kiss on her withered round cheek.


    She didn¡¯t wait for an answer, but turned at once and stood a-tiptoe to kiss Claire, beaming.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s grand that you¡¯re home, ma¡¯am, you and Himself, and I¡¯ve the supper all made, so you¡¯ll not be worrit a bit with it, ma¡¯am, but come inside, come inside, and be takin¡¯ off those dusty cloots, and I¡¯ll send old Arch along to the mash-hoose for a bit of the lively, and we¡¯ll . . .¡± She had Claire by one hand, towing her into the house, talking and talking, the other hand still polishing briskly away, her stubby fingers dexterously rubbing the cloth inside the cup. Claire gave him a helpless glance over one shoulder, and he grinned at her as she disappeared inside the house.

 Page 46

    Gideon shoved an impatient nose under his arm and bumped his elbow.


    ¡°Oh, aye,¡± he said, recalled to his chores. ¡°Come along, then, ye prickly wee bastard.¡±


    By the time he had the big horse and Claire¡¯s mare unsaddled, wiped down, and turned out to their feed, Claire had escaped from Mrs. Bug; coming back from the paddock, he saw the door of the house swing open and Claire slip out, looking guiltily over her shoulder as though fearing pursuit.


    Where was she bound? She didn¡¯t see him; she turned and hurried toward the far corner of the house, disappearing in a swish of homespun. He followed, curious.


    Ah. She had seen to her surgery; now she was going to her garden before it got completely dark; he caught a glimpse of her against the sky on the upward path behind the house, the last of the daylight caught like cobwebs in her hair. There would be little growing now, only a few sturdy herbs and the overwintering things like carrots and onions and turnips, but it made no difference; she always went to see how things were, no matter how short a time she had been gone.


    He understood the urge; he would not feel entirely home himself until he had checked all the stock and buildings, and made sure of matters up at the still.


    The evening breeze brought him an acrid hint from the distant privy, suggesting that matters there were shortly going to require his attention, speaking of buildings. Then he bethought him of the new tenants coming, and relaxed; digging a new privy would be just the thing for Chisholm¡¯s eldest two boys.


    He and Ian had dug this one, when they first came to the Ridge. God, he missed the lad.


    ¡°A Mhicheal bheanaichte,¡± he murmured. Blessed Michael, protect him. He liked MacKenzie well enough, but had it been his choice, he would not have exchanged Ian for the man. It had been Ian¡¯s choice, though, not his, and no more to be said about it.


    Pushing away the ache of Ian¡¯s loss, he stepped behind a tree, loosened his breeks, and relieved himself. If she saw him, Claire would doubtless make what she considered witty remarks about dogs and wolves marking their home ground as they returned to it. Nothing of the sort, he replied to her mentally; why walk up the hill, only to make matters worse in the privy? Still, if you came down to it, it was his place, and if he chose to piss on it . . . He tidied his clothes, feeling more settled.


    He raised his head and saw her coming down the path from the garden, her apron bulging with carrots and turnips. A gust of wind sent the last of the leaves from the chestnut grove swirling round her in a yellow dance, sparked with light.


    Moved by sudden impulse, he stepped deeper into the trees and began to look about.


    Normally, he paid attention only to such vegetation as was immediately comestible by horse or man, sufficiently straight-grained to serve for planks and timbers, or so obstructive as to pose difficulty in passage. Once he began looking with an eye to aesthetics, though, he found himself surprised at the variety to hand.


    Stalks of half-ripe barley, the seeds laid in rows like a woman¡¯s plait. A dry, fragile weed that looked like the lace edging on a fine handkerchief. A branch of spruce, unearthly green and cool among the dry bits, leaving its fragrant sap on his hand as he tore it from the tree. A twig of glossy dried oak leaves that reminded him of her hair, in shades of gold and brown and gray. And a bit of scarlet creeper, snatched for color.


    Just in time; she was coming round the corner of the house. Lost in thought, she passed within a foot or two of him, not seeing him.


    ¡°Sorcha,¡± he called softly, and she turned, eyes narrowed against the rays of the sinking sun, then wide and gold with surprise at the sight of him.


    ¡°Welcome home,¡± he said, and held out the small bouquet of leaves and twigs.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. She looked at the bits of leaf and stick again, and then at him, and the corners of her mouth trembled, as though she might laugh or cry, but wasn¡¯t sure which. She reached then, and took the plants from him, her fingers small and cold as they brushed his hand.


    ¡°Oh, Jamie¡ªthey¡¯re wonderful.¡± She came up on her toes and kissed him, warm and salty, and he wanted more, but she was hurrying away into the house, the silly wee things clasped to her breast as though they were gold.


    He felt pleasantly foolish, and foolishly pleased with himself. The taste of her was still on his mouth.


    ¡°Sorcha,¡± he whispered, and realized that he had called her so a moment before. Now, that was odd; no wonder she had been surprised. It was her name in the Gaelic, but he never called her by it. He liked the strangeness of her, the Englishness. She was his Claire, his Sassenach.


    And yet in the moment when she passed him, she was Sorcha. Not only ¡°Claire,¡± it meant¡ªbut light.


    He breathed deep, contented.


    He was suddenly ravenous, both for food and for her, but he made no move to hasten inside. Some kinds of hunger were sweet in themselves, the anticipation of satisfaction as keen a pleasure as the slaking.


    Hoofsteps and voices; the others were finally here. He had a sudden urge to keep his peaceful solitude a moment longer, but too late¡ªin seconds, he was surrounded by confusion, the shrill cries of excited children and calls of distracted mothers, the welcoming of the newcomers, the bustle and rush of unloading, turning out the horses and mules, fetching feed and water . . . and yet in the midst of this Babel, he moved as though he were still alone, peaceful and quiet in the setting sun. He had come home.


    IT WAS FULL DARK before everything was sorted, the smallest of the wild Chisholm bairns rounded up and sent inside for his supper, all the stock cared for and settled for the night. He followed Geoff Chisholm toward the house, but then held back, lingering for a moment in the dark dooryard.


    He stood for a moment, idly chafing his hands against the chill as he admired the look of the place. Snug barn and sound sheds, a penfold and paddock in good repair, a tidy fence of palisades around Claire¡¯s scraggly garden, to keep out the deer. The house loomed white in the early dark, a benevolent spirit guarding the ridge. Light spilled from every door and window, and the sound of laughter came from inside.


    He sensed a movement in the darkness, and turned to see his daughter coming from the spring house, a pail of fresh milk in her hand. She stopped by him, looking at the house.


    ¡°Nice to be home, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Aye,¡± he said. ¡°It is.¡± They looked at each other, smiling. Then she leaned forward, peering closely at him. She turned him, so the light from the window fell on him, and a small frown puckered the skin between her brows.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she said, and flicked at his coat. A glossy scarlet leaf fell free and floated to the ground. Her brows went up at sight of it. ¡°You¡¯d better go and wash, Da,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve been in the poison ivy.¡±


    ¡°YE MIGHT HAVE TOLD ME, Sassenach.¡± Jamie glowered at the table near the bedroom window, where I¡¯d set his bouquet in a cup of water. The bright, blotchy red of the poison ivy glowed, even in the dimness of the firelight. ¡°And ye might get rid of it, too. D¡¯ye mean to mock me?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I said, smiling as I hung my apron from the peg and reached for the laces of my gown. ¡°But if I¡¯d told you when you gave it to me, you¡¯d have snatched it back. That¡¯s the only posy you¡¯ve ever given me, and I don¡¯t imagine I¡¯ll get another; I mean to keep it.¡±


    He snorted, and sat down on the bed to take off his stockings. He¡¯d already stripped off coat, stock, and shirt, and the firelight gleamed on the slope of his shoulders. He scratched at the underside of one wrist, though I¡¯d told him it was psychosomatic; he hadn¡¯t any signs of rash.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never come home with poison ivy rash,¡± I remarked. ¡°And you¡¯re bound to have run into it now and again, so much time as you spend in the woods and the fields. I think you must be immune to it. Some people are, you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye?¡± He looked interested at that, though he went on scratching. ¡°Is that like you and Brianna not catching illness?¡±


    ¡°Something like, but for different reasons.¡± I peeled off the gown of pale green homespun¡ªmore than a little grubby, after a week¡¯s travel¡ªand stripped off my stays with a sigh of relief.


    I got up to check the pan of water I had set to heat in the embers. Some of the newcomers had been sent off to spend the night with Fergus and Marsali, or with Roger and Bree, but the kitchen, the surgery, and Jamie¡¯s study below were full of guests, all sleeping on the floor. I wasn¡¯t going to bed without washing off the stains of travel, but I didn¡¯t care to provide a public spectacle while doing it, either.


    The water shimmered with heat, tiny bubbles clinging to the sides of the pot. I put a finger in, just to check¡ªlovely and hot. I poured some into the basin and put the rest back to keep warm.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t completely immune, you know,¡± I warned him. ¡°Some things¡ªlike smallpox¡ªwe can¡¯t ever catch, Roger and Bree and I, because we¡¯ve been vaccinated against them, and it¡¯s permanent. Other things, like cholera and typhoid, we aren¡¯t likely to catch, but the injections don¡¯t give permanent immunity; it wears off after a time.¡±


    I bent to rummage in the saddlebags he had brought up and dumped by the door. Someone at the Gathering had given me a sponge¡ªa real one, imported from the Indies¡ªin payment for my extracting an abscessed tooth. Just the thing for a quick bath.


    ¡°Things like malaria¡ªwhat Lizzie has¡ª¡±


    ¡°I thought ye¡¯d cured her of that,¡± Jamie interrupted, frowning.


    I shook my head, regretful.


    ¡°No, she¡¯ll always have it, poor thing. All I can do is try to lessen the severity of the attacks, and keep them from coming too often. It¡¯s in her blood, you see.¡±


    He pulled off the thong that bound back his hair, and shook out the ruddy locks, leaving them ruffled round his head like a mane.


    ¡°That doesna make any sense,¡± he objected, rising to unfasten his breeks. ¡°Ye told me that when a person had the measles, if he lived, he¡¯d not get it again, because it stayed in the blood. And so I couldna catch pox or measles now, because I¡¯d had them both as a child¡ªthey¡¯re in my blood.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not quite the same thing,¡± I said, rather lamely. The thought of trying to explain the differences among active immunity, passive immunity, acquired immunity, antibodies, and parasitic infection was more of a challenge than I felt up to, after a long day¡¯s ride.


    I dipped the sponge into the basin, let it take up water, then squeezed it out, enjoying the oddly silky, fibrous texture. A fine mist of sand floated out of the pores and settled to the bottom of the china basin. The sponge was softening as it took up water, but I could still feel a hard spot at one edge.


    ¡°Speaking of riding¡ª¡±


    Jamie looked mildly startled.


    ¡°Were we speaking of riding?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, but I was thinking of it.¡± I waved a hand, dismissing the inconsequent distinction. ¡°In any case, what do you mean to do about Gideon?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jamie dropped his breeks in a puddle on the floor and stretched himself, considering. ¡°Well, I canna afford just to shoot him, I suppose. And he¡¯s a braw enough fellow. I¡¯ll cut him, to start. That may settle his mind a bit.¡±

 Page 47

    ¡°Cut him? Oh, castrate him, you mean. Yes, I suppose that would get his attention, though it seems a bit drastic.¡± I hesitated a moment, reluctant. ¡°Do you want me to do it?¡±


    He stared at me in amazement, then burst out laughing.


    ¡°Nay, Sassenach, I dinna think cutting an eighteen-hand stallion is a job for a woman, surgeon or no. It doesna really require the delicate touch, aye?¡±


    I was just as pleased to hear this. I had been working at the sponge with my thumb; it loosened a bit, and a tiny shell popped suddenly out of a large pore. It floated down through the water, a perfect miniature spiral, tinted pink and purple.


    ¡°Oh, look,¡± I said, delighted.


    ¡°What a bonnie wee thing.¡± Jamie leaned over my shoulder, a big forefinger gently touching the shell at the bottom of the basin. ¡°How did it get into your sponge, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°I expect the sponge ate it by mistake.¡±


    ¡°Ate it?¡± One ruddy eyebrow shot up at that.


    ¡°Sponges are animals,¡± I explained. ¡°Or to be more exact, stomachs. They suck in water, and just absorb everything edible as it passes through.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why Bree called the bairn a wee sponge. They do that.¡± He smiled at the thought of Jemmy.


    ¡°Indeed they do.¡± I sat down and slipped the shift off my shoulders, letting the garment fall to my waist. The fire had taken the chill off the room, but it was still cold enough that the skin of my br**sts and arms bloomed into gooseflesh.


    Jamie picked up his belt and carefully removed the assorted impedimenta it held, laying out pistol, cartridge box, dirk, and pewter flask on top of the small bureau. He lifted the flask and raised an inquiring eyebrow in my direction.


    I nodded enthusiastically, and he turned to find a cup amid the rubble of oddments. With so many people and their belongings stuffed into the house, all of our own saddlebags, plus the bundles and bits acquired at the Gathering, had been carried up and dumped in our room; the humped shadows of the luggage flickering on the wall gave the chamber the odd look of a grotto, lined with lumpy boulders.


    Jamie was as much a sponge as his grandson, I reflected, watching him rootle about, completely nak*d and totally unconcerned about it. He took in everything, and seemed able to deal with whatever came his way, no matter how familiar or foreign to his experience. Maniac stallions, kidnapped priests, marriageable maidservants, headstrong daughters, and heathen sons-in-law . . . Anything he could not defeat, outwit, or alter, he simply accepted¡ªrather like the sponge and its embedded shell.


    Pursuing the analogy further, I supposed I was the shell. Snatched out of my own small niche by an unexpected strong current, taken in and surrounded by Jamie and his life. Caught forever among the strange currents that pulsed through this outlandish environment.


    The thought gave me a sudden queer feeling. The shell lay still at the bottom of the basin¡ªdelicate, beautiful . . . but empty. Rather slowly, I raised the sponge to the back of my neck and squeezed, feeling the tickle of warm water down my back.


    For the most part, I felt no regrets. I had chosen to be here; I wanted to be here. And yet now and then small things like our conversation about immunity made me realize just how much had been lost¡ªof what I had had, of what I had been. It was undeniable that some of my soft parts had been digested away, and the thought did make me feel a trifle hollow now and then.


    Jamie bent to dig in one of the saddlebags, and the sight of his bare buttocks, turned toward me in all innocence, did much to dispel the momentary sense of disquiet. They were gracefully shaped, rounded with muscle¡ªand pleasingly dusted with a red-gold fuzz that caught the light of fire and candle. The long, pale columns of his thighs framed the shadow of his scrotum, dark and barely visible between them.


    He had found a cup at last, and poured it half full. He turned and handed it to me, lifting his eyes from the surface of the dark liquid, startled to find me staring at him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he said. ¡°Is there something the matter, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, but I must have sounded rather doubtful, for his brows drew momentarily together.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, more positively. I took the cup from him and smiled, lifting it slightly in acknowledgment. ¡°Only thinking.¡±


    An answering smile touched his lips.


    ¡°Aye? Well, ye dinna want to do too much of that late at night, Sassenach. It will give ye the nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Daresay you¡¯re right about that.¡± I sipped from the cup; rather to my surprise, it was wine¡ªand very good wine. ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°From Father Kenneth. It¡¯s sacramental wine¡ªbut not consecrated, aye? He said the Sheriff¡¯s men would take it; he would as soon it went with me.¡±


    A slight shadow crossed his face at mention of the priest.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be all right?¡± I asked. The Sheriff¡¯s men had not struck me as civilized enforcers of an abstruse regulation, but rather as thugs whose prejudice was momentarily constrained by fear¡ªof Jamie.


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Jamie turned aside, restless. ¡°I told the Sheriff that if the Father were misused, he and his men would answer for it.¡±


    I nodded silently, sipping. If Jamie learned of any harm done to Father Donahue, he would indeed make the Sheriff answer for it. The thought made me a trifle uneasy; this wasn¡¯t a good time to make enemies, and the Sheriff of Orange County wasn¡¯t a good enemy to have.


    I looked up to find Jamie¡¯s eyes still fixed on me, though now with a look of deep appreciation.


    ¡°You¡¯re in good flesh these days, Sassenach,¡± he observed, tilting his head to one side.


    ¡°Flatterer,¡± I said, giving him a cold look as I picked up the sponge again.


    ¡°Ye must have gained a stone, at least, since the spring,¡± he said with approval, disregarding the look and circling round me to inspect. ¡°It¡¯s been a good fat summer, aye?¡±


    I turned round and flung the wet sponge at his head.


    He caught it neatly, grinning.


    ¡°I didna realize how well ye¡¯d filled out, Sassenach, so bundled as ye¡¯ve been these last weeks. I havena seen ye nak*d in a month, at least.¡± He was still eyeing me with an air of appraisal, as though I were a prime entrant in the Silver Medalist Round at the Shropshire Fat Pigs Show.


    ¡°Enjoy it,¡± I advised him, my cheeks flushed with annoyance. ¡°You may not see it again for quite some time!¡± I snatched the top of the chemise up again, covering my¡ªundeniably rather full¡ªbreasts.


    His eyebrows rose in surprise at my tone.


    ¡°You¡¯re never angry wi¡¯ me, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°Certainly not,¡± I said. ¡°Whatever gives you an idea like that?¡±


    He smiled, rubbing the sponge absently over his chest as his eyes traveled over me. His n**ples puckered at the chill, dark and stiff among the ruddy, curling hairs, and the damp gleamed on his skin.


    ¡°I like ye fat, Sassenach,¡± he said softly. ¡°Fat and juicy as a plump wee hen. I like it fine.¡±


    I might have considered this a simple attempt to remove his foot from his mouth, were it not for the fact that nak*d men are conveniently equipped with sexual lie detectors. He did like it fine.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. Rather slowly, I lowered the chemise. ¡°Well, then.¡±


    He lifted his chin, gesturing. I hesitated for a moment, then stood up and let the chemise fall on the floor, joining his breeks. I reached across and took the sponge from his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll . . . um . . . just finish washing, shall I?¡± I murmured. I turned my back, put a foot on the stool to wash, and heard an encouraging rumble of appreciation behind me. I smiled to myself, and took my time. The room was getting warmer; by the time I had finished my ablutions, my skin was pink and smooth, with only a slight chill in fingers and toes.


    I turned round at last, to see Jamie still watching me, though he still rubbed at his wrist, frowning slightly.


    ¡°Did you wash?¡± I asked. ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t trouble you, if you have oil from the poison ivy on your skin, it can get on things you touch¡ªand I¡¯m not immune to the stuff.¡±


    ¡°I scrubbed my hands with lye soap,¡± he assured me, putting them on my shoulders in illustration. Sure enough, he smelled strongly of the acrid soft soap we made from suet and wood-ash¡ªit wasn¡¯t perfumed toilet soap, but it did get things clean. Things like floorboards and iron pots. No wonder he¡¯d been scratching; it wasn¡¯t easy on the skin, and his hands were rough and cracked.


    I bent my head and kissed his knuckles, then reached across to the small box where I kept my personal bits and pieces, and took out the jar of skin balm. Made of walnut oil, beeswax, and purified lanolin from boiled sheep¡¯s wool, it was pleasantly soothing, green-scented with the essences of chamomile, comfrey, yarrow, and elderflowers.


    I scooped out a bit with my thumbnail, and rubbed it between my hands; it was nearly solid to begin with, but liquefied nicely when warmed.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said, and took one of his hands between my own, rubbing the ointment into the creases of his knuckles, massaging his callused palms. Slowly, he relaxed, letting me stretch each finger as I worked my way down the joints and rubbed more ointment into the tiny scrapes and cuts. There were still marks on his hands where he had kept the leather reins wrapped tightly.


    ¡°The posy¡¯s lovely, Jamie,¡± I said, nodding at the little bouquet in its cup. ¡°Whatever made you do it, though?¡± While in his own way quite romantic, Jamie was thoroughly practical as well; I didn¡¯t think he had ever given me a completely frivolous present, and he was not a man to see value in any vegetation that could not be eaten, taken medicinally, or brewed into beer.


    He shifted a bit, clearly uncomfortable.


    ¡°Aye, well,¡± he said, looking away. ¡°I just¡ªI mean¡ªwell, I had a wee thing I meant to give ye, only I lost it, but then you seemed to think it a sweet thing that wee Roger had plucked a few gowans for Brianna, and I¡ª¡± He broke off, muttering something that sounded like ¡°Ifrinn!¡± under his breath.


    I wanted very much to laugh. Instead, I lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles, lightly. He looked embarrassed, but pleased. His thumb traced the edge of a half-healed blister on my palm, left by a hot kettle.


    ¡°Here, Sassenach, ye need a bit of this, too. Let me,¡± he said, and leaned to take a dab of the green ointment. He engulfed my hand in his, warm and still slippery with the oil and beeswax mixture.


    I resisted for a moment, but then let him take my hand, making deep slow circles on my palm that made me want to close my eyes and melt quietly. I gave a small sigh of pleasure, and must have closed my eyes after all, because I didn¡¯t see him move in close to kiss me; just felt the brief soft touch of his mouth.


    I raised my other hand, lazily, and he took it, too, his fingers smoothing mine. I let my fingers twine with his, thumbs jousting gently, the heels of our hands lightly rubbing. He stood close enough that I felt the warmth of him, and the delicate brush of the sun-bleached hairs on his arm as he reached past my hip for more of the ointment.


    He paused, kissing me lightly once more in passing. Flames hissed on the hearth like shifting tides, and the firelight flickered dimly on the whitewashed walls, like light dancing on the surface of water far above. We might have been alone together at the bottom of the sea.

 Page 48

    ¡°Roger wasn¡¯t being strictly romantic, you know,¡± I said. ¡°Or maybe he was¡ªdepending how one wants to look at it.¡±


    Jamie looked quizzical, as he took my hand again. Our fingers locked and twined, moving slowly, and I sighed with pleasure.


    ¡°Aye?¡±


    ¡°Bree asked me about birth control, and I told her what methods there are now¡ªwhich are frankly not all that good, though better than nothing. But old Grannie Bacon gave me some seeds that she says the Indians use for contraception; supposed to be very effective.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s face underwent the most comical change, from drowsy pleasure to wide-eyed astonishment.


    ¡°Birth con¡ªwhat? She¡ªye mean he¡ªthose clatty weeds¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. Or at least I think they may help prevent pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°Mmphm.¡± The movement of his fingers slowed, and his brows drew together¡ªmore in concern than disapproval, I thought. Then he returned to the job of massaging my hands, enveloping them in his much larger grasp with a decided movement that obliged me to yield to him.


    He was quiet for a few moments, working the ointment into my fingers more in the businesslike way of a man rubbing saddle soap into harness than one making tender love to his wife¡¯s devoted hands. I shifted slightly, and he seemed to realize what he was doing, for he stopped, frowning, then squeezed my hands lightly and let his face relax. He lifted my hand to his lips, kissed it, then resumed his massage, much more slowly.


    ¡°Do ye think¡ª¡± he began, and stopped.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Mmphm. It¡¯s only¡ªdoes it not seem a bit strange to ye, Sassenach? That a young woman newly wed should be thinking of such a thing?¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± I said, rather sharply. ¡°It seems entirely sensible to me. And they aren¡¯t all that newly wed¡ªthey¡¯ve been . . . I mean, they have got a child already.¡±


    His nostrils flared in soundless disagreement.


    ¡°She has a child,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s what I mean, Sassenach. It seems to me that a young woman well-suited with her man wouldna be thinking first thing how not to bear his child. Are ye sure all is well between them?¡±


    I paused, frowning as I considered the notion.


    ¡°I think so,¡± I said at last, slowly. ¡°Remember, Jamie¡ªBree comes from a time where women can decide whether or when to have babies, with a fair amount of certainty. She¡¯d feel that such a thing was her right.¡±


    The wide mouth moved, pursed in thought; I could see him struggling with the notion¡ªone entirely contrary to his own experience.


    ¡°That¡¯s the way of it, then?¡± he asked, finally. ¡°A woman can say, I will, or I won¡¯t¡ªand the man has no say in it?¡± His voice was filled with astonishment¡ªand disapproval.


    I laughed a little.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly like that. Or not all the time. I mean, there are accidents. And ignorance and foolishness; a lot of women just let things happen. And most women would certainly care what their men thought about it. But yes . . . I suppose if you come right down to it, that¡¯s right.¡±


    He grunted slightly.


    ¡°But MacKenzie¡¯s from that time, too. So he¡¯ll think nothing odd of it?¡±


    ¡°He picked the weeds for her,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°So he did.¡± The line stayed between his brows, but the frown eased somewhat.


    It was growing late, and the muffled rumble of talk and laughter was dying down in the house below. The growing quiet of the house was pierced suddenly by a baby¡¯s wail. Both of us stood still, listening¡ªthen relaxed as the murmur of the mother¡¯s voice reached us through the closed door.


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not so unusual for a young woman to think of such a thing¡ªMarsali came and asked me about it, before she married Fergus.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did she?¡± One eyebrow went up. ¡°Did ye not tell her, then?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did!¡±


    ¡°Whatever ye told her didna work all that well, did it?¡± One corner of his mouth curled up in a cynic smile; Germain had been born approximately ten months following his parents¡¯ marriage, and Marsali had become pregnant with Joan within days of weaning him.


    I felt a flush rising in my cheeks.


    ¡°Nothing works all the time¡ªnot even modern methods. And for that matter¡ªnothing works at all if you don¡¯t use it.¡± In fact, Marsali had wanted contraception not because she didn¡¯t want a baby¡ªbut only because she had feared that pregnancy would interfere with the intimacy of her relationship with Fergus. When we get to the prick part, I want to like it had been her words on that memorable occasion, and my own mouth curled at the memory.


    My equally cynical guess was that she had liked it fine, and had decided that pregnancy was unlikely to diminish her appreciation of Fergus¡¯s finer points. But that rather came back to Jamie¡¯s fears about Brianna¡ªfor surely her intimacy with Roger was well established. Still, that was hardly . . .


    One of Jamie¡¯s hands remained entwined with mine; the other left my fingers and reached elsewhere¡ªvery lightly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, beginning to lose my train of thought.


    ¡°Pills, ye said.¡± His face was quite close, eyes hooded in thought as he worked. ¡°That¡¯s how it¡¯s done¡ªthen?¡±


    ¡°Um . . . oh. Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ye didna bring any with you,¡± he said. ¡°When ye came back.¡±


    I breathed deep and let it out, feeling as though I were beginning to dissolve.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, a little faintly.


    He paused a moment, hand cupped lightly.


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°I . . . well, I . . . I actually¡ªI thought¡ªyou have to keep taking them. I couldn¡¯t have brought enough. There¡¯s a permanent way, a small operation. It¡¯s fairly simple, and it makes one permanently . . . barren.¡± I swallowed. Viewing the prospect of coming back to the past, I had in fact thought seriously about the possibilities of pregnancy¡ªand the risks. I thought the possibility very low indeed, given both my age and previous history, but the risk . . .


    Jamie stood stock-still, looking down.


    ¡°For God¡¯s sake, Claire,¡± he said at last, low-voiced. ¡°Tell me that ye did it.¡±


    I took a deep breath, and squeezed his hand, my fingers slipping a little.


    ¡°Jamie,¡± I said softly, ¡°if I¡¯d done it, I would have told you.¡± I swallowed again. ¡°You . . . would have wanted me to?¡±


    He was still holding my hand. His other hand left me, touched my back, pressed me¡ªvery gently¡ªto him. His skin was warm on mine.


    We stood close together, touching, not moving, for several minutes. He sighed then, chest rising under my ear.


    ¡°I¡¯ve bairns enough,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ve only the one life¡ªand that¡¯s you, mo chridhe.¡±


    I reached up and touched his face. It was furrowed with tiredness, rough with whiskers; he hadn¡¯t shaved in days.


    I had thought about it. And had come very close indeed to asking a surgeon friend to perform the sterilization for me. Cold blood and clear head had argued for it; no sense in taking chances. And yet . . . there was no guarantee that I would survive the journey, would reach the right time or place, would find him again. Still less, a chance that I might conceive again at my age.


    And yet, gone from him for so long, not knowing if I might find him¡ªI could not bring myself to destroy any possibility between us. I did not want another child. But if I found him, and he should want it . . . then I would risk it for him.


    I touched him, lightly, and he made a small sound in his throat and laid his face against my hair, holding me tight. Our lovemaking was always risk and promise¡ªfor if he held my life in his hands when he lay with me, I held his soul, and knew it.


    ¡°I thought . . . I thought you¡¯d never see Brianna. And I didn¡¯t know about Willie. It wasn¡¯t right for me to take away any chance of your having another child¡ªnot without telling you.¡±


    You are Blood of my blood, I had said to him, Bone of my bone. That was true, and always would be, whether children came of it or not.


    ¡°I dinna want another child,¡± he whispered. ¡°I want you.¡±


    His hand rose, as though by itself, touched my breast with a fingertip, left a shimmer of the scented ointment on my skin. I wrapped my hand, slippery and green-scented, round him, and stepped backward, bringing him with me toward the bed. I had just enough presence of mind left to extinguish the candle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry for Bree,¡± I said, reaching up to touch him as he rose over me, looming black against the firelight. ¡°Roger picked the weeds for her. He knows what she wants.¡±


    He gave a deep sigh, the breath of a laugh, that caught in his throat as he came to me, and ended in a small groan of pleasure and completion as he slid between my legs, well-oiled and ready.


    ¡°I ken what I want, too,¡± he said, voice muffled in my hair. ¡°I shall pick ye another posy, tomorrow.¡±


    DRUGGED WITH FATIGUE, languid with love, and lulled by the comforts of a soft, clean bed, I slept like the dead.


    Somewhere toward dawn, I began to dream¡ªpleasant dreams of touch and color, without form. Small hands touched my hair, patted my face; I turned on my side, half-conscious, dreaming of nursing a child in my sleep. Tiny soft fingers kneaded my breast, and my hand came up to cup the child¡¯s head. It bit me.


    I shrieked, shot bolt upright in bed, and saw a gray form race across the quilt and disappear over the end of the bed. I shrieked again, louder.


    Jamie shot sideways out of bed, rolled on the floor, and came up standing, shoulders braced and fists half-clenched.


    ¡°What?¡± he demanded, glaring wildly round in search of marauders. ¡°Who? What?¡±


    ¡°A rat!¡± I said, pointing a trembling finger at the spot where the gray shape had vanished into the crevice between bed-foot and wall.


    ¡°Oh.¡± His shoulders relaxed. He scrubbed his hands over his face and through his hair, blinking. ¡°A rat, aye?¡±


    ¡°A rat in our bed,¡± I said, not disposed to view the event with any degree of calm. ¡°It bit me!¡± I peered closely at my injured breast. No blood to speak of; only a couple of tiny puncture marks that stung slightly. I thought of rabies, though, and my blood ran cold.


    ¡°Dinna fash yourself, Sassenach. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± Squaring his shoulders once more, Jamie picked up the poker from the hearth and advanced purposefully on the bed-foot. The footboard was solid; there was a space of only a few inches between it and the wall. The rat must be trapped, unless it had managed to escape in the scant seconds between my scream and Jamie¡¯s eruption from the quilts.


    I got up onto my knees, ready to leap off the bed if necessary. Scowling in concentration, Jamie raised the poker, reached out with his free hand, and flipped the hanging coverlid out of the way.


    He whipped the poker down with great force¡ªand jerked it aside, smashing into the wall.


    ¡°What?¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± he echoed, in a disbelieving tone. He bent closer, squinting in the dim light, then started to laugh. He dropped the poker, squatted on the floor, and reached slowly into the space between the bed-foot and wall, making a small chirping noise through his teeth. It sounded like birds feeding in a distant bush.

 Page 49

    ¡°Are you talking to the rat?¡± I began to crawl toward the foot of the bed, but he motioned me back, shaking his head, while still making the chirping sound.


    I waited, with some impatience. Within a minute, he made a grab, evidently catching whatever it was, for he gave a small exclamation of satisfaction. He stood up, smiling, a gray, furry shape clutched by the nape, dangling like a tiny purse from his fingers.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your wee ratten, Sassenach,¡± he said, and gently deposited a ball of gray fur on the coverlet. Huge eyes of a pale celadon green stared up at me, unblinking.


    ¡°Well, goodness,¡± I said. ¡°Wherever did you come from?¡± I extended a finger, very slowly. The kitten didn¡¯t move. I touched the edge of a tiny gray-silk jaw, and the big green eyes disappeared, going to slits as it rubbed against my finger. A surprisingly deep purr rumbled through its miniature frame.


    ¡°That,¡± Jamie said, with immense satisfaction, ¡°is the present I meant to give ye, Sassenach. He¡¯ll keep the vermin from your surgery.¡±


    ¡°Well, possibly very small vermin,¡± I said, examining my new present dubiously. ¡°I think a large cockroach could carry him¡ªis it a him?¡ªoff to its lair, let alone a mouse.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll grow,¡± Jamie assured me. ¡°Look at his feet.¡±


    He¡ªyes, it was a he¡ªhad rolled onto his back and was doing an imitation of a dead bug, paws in the air. Each paw was roughly the size of a broad copper penny, small enough by themselves, but enormous by contrast with the tiny body. I touched the minuscule pads, an immaculate pink in their thicket of soft gray fur, and the kitten writhed in ecstasy.


    A discreet knock came at the door, and I snatched the sheet up over my bosom as the door opened and Mr. Wemyss¡¯s head poked in, his hair sticking up like a pile of wheat straw.


    ¡°Er . . . I hope all is well, sir?¡± he asked, blinking shortsightedly. ¡°My lass woke me, sayin¡¯ as she thought there was a skelloch, like, and then we heard a bit of a bang, like¡ª¡± His eyes, hastily averted from me, went to the scar of raw wood in the whitewashed wall, left by Jamie¡¯s poker.


    ¡°Aye, it¡¯s fine, Joseph,¡± Jamie assured him. ¡°Only a wee cat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye?¡± Mr. Wemyss squinted toward the bed, his thin face breaking into a smile as he made out the blot of gray fur. ¡°A cheetie, is it? Well, and he¡¯ll be a fine help i¡¯ the kitchen, I¡¯ve nae doubt.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Speakin¡¯ of kitchens, Joseph¡ªd¡¯ye think your lassie might bring up a dish of cream for the baudrons here?¡±


    Mr. Wemyss nodded and disappeared, with a final avuncular smile at the kitten.


    Jamie stretched, yawned, and scrubbed both hands vigorously through his hair, which was behaving with even more reckless abandon than usual. I eyed him, with a certain amount of purely aesthetic appreciation.


    ¡°You look like a woolly mammoth,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh? And what is a mammoth, besides big?¡±


    ¡°A sort of prehistoric elephant¡ªyou know, the animals with the long trunks?¡±


    He squinted down the length of his body, then looked at me quizzically.


    ¡°Well, I thank ye for the compliment, Sassenach,¡± he said. ¡°Mammoth, is it?¡± He thrust his arms upward and stretched again, casually arching his back, which¡ªquite inadvertently, I didn¡¯t think¡ªenhanced any incidental resemblances that one might note between the half-engorged morning anatomy of a man, and the facial adornments of a pachyderm.


    I laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not precisely what I meant,¡± I said. ¡°Stop waggling; Lizzie¡¯s coming in any minute. You¡¯d better put your shirt on or get back in bed.¡±


    The sound of footsteps on the landing sent him diving under the quilts, and sent the little cat scampering up the sheet in fright. In the event, it was Mr. Wemyss himself who had brought the dish of cream, sparing his daughter a possible sight of Himself in the altogether.


    The weather being fine, we had left the shutters open the night before. The sky outside was the color of fresh oysters, moist and pearly gray. Mr. Wemyss glanced at it, blinked and nodded at Jamie¡¯s thanks, and toddled back to his bed, thankful for a last half hour¡¯s sleep before the dawn.


    I disentangled the kitten, who had taken refuge in my hair, and set him down by the bowl of cream. I didn¡¯t suppose he could ever have seen a bowl of cream in his life, but the smell was enough¡ªin moments, he was whisker-deep, lapping for all he was worth.


    ¡°He¡¯s a fine thrum to him,¡± Jamie remarked approvingly. ¡°I can hear him from here.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lovely; wherever did you get him?¡± I nestled into the curve of Jamie¡¯s body, enjoying his warmth; the fire had burned far down during the night, and the air in the room was chilly, sour with ash.


    ¡°Found him in the wood.¡± Jamie yawned widely, and relaxed, propping his head on my shoulder to watch the tiny cat, who had abandoned himself to an ecstasy of gluttony. ¡°I thought I¡¯d lost him when Gideon bolted¡ªI suppose he¡¯d crept into one of the saddlebags, and came up wi¡¯ the other things.¡±


    We lapsed into a peaceful stupor, drowsily cuddled in the warm nest of our bed, as the sky lightened, moment by moment, and the air came alive with the voices of waking birds. The house was waking, too¡ªa baby¡¯s wail came from below, followed by the stir and shuffle of rising, the murmur of voices. We should rise, too¡ªthere was so much to be done¡ªand yet neither of us moved, each reluctant to surrender the sense of quiet sanctuary. Jamie sighed, his breath warm on my bare shoulder.


    ¡°A week, I think,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Before you must go?¡±


    ¡°Aye. I can take that long to settle things here, and speak to the men from the Ridge. A week then, to pass through the country between the Treaty Line and Drunkard¡¯s Creek and call a muster¡ªthen I¡¯ll bring them here to drill. If Tryon should call up the militia, then . . .¡±


    I lay quiet for a moment, my hand wrapped round Jamie¡¯s, his loose fist curled against my breast.


    ¡°If he calls, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    He kissed the back of my neck.


    ¡°D¡¯ye wish it?¡± he said. ¡°I dinna think there will be need. Neither you nor Bree know of any fighting will be done here now.¡±


    ¡°That only means that if anything will happen, it won¡¯t be a huge battle,¡± I said. ¡°This¡ªthe Colonies¡ªit¡¯s a big place, Jamie. And two hundred years of things happening¡ªwe wouldn¡¯t know about the smaller conflicts, especially ones that happened in a different place. Now, in Boston¡ª¡± I sighed, squeezing his hand.


    I wouldn¡¯t know a great deal about events in Boston myself, but Bree would; growing up there, she had been exposed in school to a good bit of local and state history. I had heard her telling Roger things about the Boston Massacre¡ªa small confrontation between citizens and British troops that had taken place the past March.


    ¡°Aye, I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± he said. ¡°Still, it doesna seem as though it will come to anything. I think Tryon only means to frighten the Regulators into good behavior.¡±


    This was in fact likely. However, I was quite aware of the old adage¡ª¡°Man proposes and God disposes¡±¡ªand whether it was God or William Tryon in charge, heaven only knew what might happen in the event.


    ¡°Do you think so?¡± I asked. ¡°Or only hope so?¡±


    He sighed, and stretched his legs, his arm tightening about my waist.


    ¡°Both,¡± he admitted. ¡°Mostly I hope. And I pray. But I do think so, too.¡±


    The kitten had completely emptied the dish of cream. He sat down with an audible thump on his tiny backside, rubbed the last of the delicious white stuff from his whiskers, then ambled slowly toward the bed, sides bulging visibly. He sprang up onto the coverlet, burrowed close to me, and fell promptly asleep.


    Perhaps not quite asleep; I could feel the small vibration of his purring through the quilt.


    ¡°What do you think I should call him?¡± I mused aloud, touching the tip of the soft, wispy tail. ¡°Spot? Puff? Cloudy?¡±


    ¡°Foolish names,¡± Jamie said, with a lazy tolerance. ¡°Is that what ye were wont to call your pussie-baudrons in Boston, then? Or England?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve never had a cat before,¡± I admitted. ¡°Frank was allergic to them¡ªthey made him sneeze. And what¡¯s a good Scottish cat name, then¡ªDiarmuid? McGillivray?¡±


    He snorted, then laughed.


    ¡°Adso,¡± he said, positively. ¡°Call him Adso.¡±


    ¡°What sort of name is that?¡± I demanded, twisting to look back at him in amazement. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a good many peculiar Scottish names, but that¡¯s a new one.¡±


    He rested his chin comfortably on my shoulder, watching the kitten sleep.


    ¡°My mother had a wee cat named Adso,¡± he said, surprisingly. ¡°A gray cheetie, verra much like this one.¡±


    ¡°Did she?¡± I laid a hand on his leg. He rarely spoke of his mother, who had died when he was eight.


    ¡°Aye, she did. A rare mouser, and that fond of my mother; he didna have much use for us bairns.¡± He smiled in memory. ¡°Possibly because Jenny dressed him in baby-gowns and fed him rusks, and I dropped him into the millpond, to see could he swim. He could, by the way,¡± he informed me, ¡°but he didna like to.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I blame him,¡± I said, amused. ¡°Why was he called Adso, though? Is it a saint¡¯s name?¡± I was used to the peculiar names of Celtic saints, from Aodh¡ªpronounced OOH¡ªto Dervorgilla, but hadn¡¯t heard of Saint Adso before. Probably the patron saint of mice.


    ¡°Not a saint,¡± he corrected. ¡°A monk. My mother was verra learned¡ªshe was educated at Leoch, ye ken, along with Colum and Dougal, and could read Greek and Latin, and a bit of the Hebrew as well as French and German. She didna have so much opportunity for reading at Lallybroch, of course, but my father would take pains to have books fetched for her, from Edinburgh and Paris.¡±


    He reached across my body to touch a silky, translucent ear, and the kitten twitched its whiskers, screwing up its face as though about to sneeze, but didn¡¯t open its eyes. The purr continued unabated.


    ¡°One of the books she liked was written by an Austrian, from the city of Melk, and so she thought it a verra suitable name for the kit.¡±


    ¡°Suitable . . . ?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± he said, nodding toward the empty dish, without the slightest twitch of lip or eyelid. ¡°Adso of Milk.¡±


    A slit of green showed as one eye opened, as though in response to the name. Then it closed again, and the purring resumed.


    ¡°Well, if he doesn¡¯t mind, I suppose I don¡¯t,¡± I said, resigned. ¡°Adso it is.¡±


    19


    THE DEVIL YE KEN


    A WEEK LATER, we¡ªthat is, the women¡ªwere engaged in the backbreaking business of laundry when Clarence the mule let out his clarion announcement that company was coming. Little Mrs. Aberfeldy leaped as though she¡¯d been stung by a bee, and dropped an armload of wet shirts in the dirt of the yard. I could see Mrs. Bug and Mrs. Chisholm opening their mouths in reproach, and took the opportunity to wipe my hands on my apron and hurry round to the front, to greet whatever visitor might be approaching.

 Page 50

    Sure enough; a bay mule was coming out of the trees at the head of the trail, followed by a fat brown mare on a leading rein. The mule¡¯s ears flicked forward and he brayed enthusiastically in reply to Clarence¡¯s greeting. I stuck my fingers in my ears to block the ungodly racket, and squinted against the dazzle of the afternoon sun to make out the mule¡¯s rider.


    ¡°Mr. Husband!¡± Pulling my fingers out of my ears, I hurried forward to greet him.


    ¡°Mrs. Fraser¡ªgood day to thee!¡±


    Hermon Husband pulled off his black slouch hat and gave me a brief nod of greeting, then slid off the mule with a groan that spoke of a good many hours in the saddle. His lips moved soundlessly in the framework of his beard as he straightened stiffly; he was a Quaker, and didn¡¯t use strong language. Not out loud, at least.


    ¡°Is thy husband at home, Mrs. Fraser?¡±


    ¡°I just saw him heading for the stable; I¡¯ll go and find him!¡± I shouted, above the continued braying of the mules. I took the hat from him, and gestured toward the house. ¡°I¡¯ll see to your animals!¡±


    He nodded thanks and limped slowly round the house, toward the kitchen door. From the back, I could see how painfully he moved; he could barely put weight on his left foot. The hat in my hand was covered with dust and mud stains, and I had smelled the odor of unwashed clothes and body when he stood near me. He¡¯d been a long time riding, and not just today¡ªfor a week or more, I thought, and sleeping rough for the most of it.


    I unsaddled the mule, removing in the process two worn saddlebags half-filled with printed pamphlets, badly printed and crudely illustrated. I studied the illustration with some interest; it was a woodcut of several indignant and righteous-looking Regulators defying a group of officials, among whom was a squat figure I had no trouble identifying as David Anstruther; the caption didn¡¯t mention him by name, but the artist had captured the Sheriff¡¯s resemblance to a poisonous toad with remarkable facility. Had Husband taken to delivering the bloody things door-to-door? I wondered.


    I turned the animals out into the paddock, dumped the hat and saddlebags by the porch, then trekked up the hill to the stable, a shallow cave that Jamie had walled with thick palisades. Brianna referred to it as the maternity ward, since the usual occupants were imminently expectant mares, cows, or sows.


    I wondered what brought Hermon Husband here¡ªand whether he was being followed. He owned a farm and a small mill, both at least two days¡¯ ride from the Ridge; not a journey he would undertake simply for the pleasure of our company.


    Husband was one of the leaders of the Regulation, and had been jailed more than once for the rabble-rousing pamphlets he printed and distributed. The most recent news I had heard of him was that he had been read out of the local Quaker meeting, the Friends taking a dim view of his activities, which they regarded as incitement to violence. I rather thought they had a point, judging from the pamphlets I¡¯d read.


    The door of the stable stood open, allowing the pleasantly fecund scents of straw, warm animals, and manure to drift out, along with a stream of similarly fecund words. Jamie, no Quaker, did believe in strong language, and was using rather a lot of it, albeit in Gaelic, which tends toward the poetic, rather than the vulgar.


    I translated the current effusion roughly as, ¡°May your guts twine upon themselves like serpents and your bowels explode through the walls of your belly! May the curse of the crows be upon you, misbegotten spawn of a lineage of dung flies!¡± Or words to that effect.


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± I inquired, putting my head round the stable door. ¡°And what¡¯s the curse of the crows?¡±


    I blinked against the sudden dimness, seeing him only as a tall shadow against the piles of pale hay stacked by the wall. He turned, hearing me, and strode into the light from the door. He¡¯d been running his hands through his hair; several strands were pulled from their binding, standing on end, and there were straws sticking out of it.


    ¡°Tha nighean na galladh torrach!¡± he said, with a ferocious scowl and a brief gesture behind him.


    ¡°White daughter of a bi¡ªoh! You mean that blasted sow has done it again?¡±


    The big white sow, while possessed of superior fatness and amazing reproductive capacity, was also a creature of low cunning, and impatient of captivity. She had escaped her brood pen twice before, once by the expedient of charging Lizzie, who had¡ªwisely¡ªscreamed and dived out of the way as the pig barged past, and again by assiduously rooting up one side of the pen, lying in wait until the stable door was opened, and knocking me flat as she made for the wide-open spaces.


    This time, she hadn¡¯t bothered with strategy, but merely smashed out a board from her pen, then rooted and dug under the palisades, making an escape tunnel worthy of British prisoners-of-war in a Nazi camp.


    ¡°Aye, she has,¡± Jamie said, reverting to English now that his initial fury had subsided somewhat. ¡°As for the curse o¡¯ the crows, it depends. It might mean ye want the corbies to come down on a man¡¯s fields and eat his corn. In this case, I had in mind the birds pecking out the evil creature¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that would make her easier to catch,¡± I said, sighing. ¡°How near is she to farrowing, do you think?¡±


    He shrugged and shoved a hand through his hair.


    ¡°A day, two days, three, maybe. Serve the creature right if she farrows in the wood and is eaten by wolves, her and her piglets together.¡± He kicked moodily at the heap of raw earth left by the sow¡¯s tunneling, sending a cascade of dirt down into the hole. ¡°Who¡¯s come? I heard Clarence yammering.¡±


    ¡°Hermon Husband.¡±


    He turned sharply toward me, instantly forgetting the pig.


    ¡°Has he, then?¡± he said softly, as though to himself. ¡°Why, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°So did I. He¡¯s been riding for some time¡ªdistributing pamphlets, evidently.¡±


    I had to scamper after Jamie as I added this; he was already striding down the hill toward the house, tidying his hair as he went. I caught up just in time to brush bits of straw from his shoulders before he reached the yard.


    Jamie nodded casually to Mrs. Chisholm and Mrs. MacLeod, who were hoicking steaming bales of wet clothes from the big kettle with paddles and spreading them on bushes to dry. I scuttled along with Jamie, ignoring the women¡¯s accusing stares and trying to look as though I had much more important concerns to deal with than laundry.


    Someone had found Husband refreshment; a plate of partially eaten bread and butter and a half-full mug of buttermilk lay on the table. So did Husband, who had put his head on his folded arms and fallen asleep. Adso crouched on the table beside him, fascinated by the bushy gray whiskers that quivered like antennae with the Quaker¡¯s reverberating snores. The kitten was just reaching an experimental paw toward Husband¡¯s open mouth when Jamie nabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dropped him neatly into my hands.


    ¡°Mr. Husband?¡± he said quietly, leaning over the table. ¡°Your servant, sir.¡±


    Husband snorted, blinked, then sat up suddenly, nearly upsetting the buttermilk. He goggled briefly at me and Adso, then seemed to recollect where he was, for he shook himself, and half-rose, nodding to Jamie.


    ¡°Friend Fraser,¡± he said thickly. ¡°I am¡ªI beg pardon¡ªI have been¡ª¡±


    Jamie brushed away his apologies and sat down opposite him, casually picking up a slice of bread and butter from the plate.


    ¡°May I be of service to ye, Mr. Husband?¡±


    Husband scrubbed a hand over his face, which did nothing to improve his looks, but did seem to rouse him more fully. Seen clearly in the soft afternoon light of the kitchen, he looked even worse than he had outside, his eyes pouched and bloodshot and his grizzled hair and beard tangled in knots. He was only in his mid-fifties, I knew, but looked at least ten years older. He made an attempt to straighten his coat, and nodded to me, then Jamie.


    ¡°I thank thee for the hospitality of thy welcome, Mrs. Fraser. And thee also, Mr. Fraser. I have come indeed to ask a service of thee, if I may.¡±


    ¡°Ye may ask, of course,¡± Jamie said courteously. He took a bite of bread and butter, raising his eyebrows in question.


    ¡°Will thee buy my horse?¡±


    Jamie¡¯s eyebrows stayed raised. He chewed slowly, considering, then swallowed.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Why, indeed. It would have been a great deal easier for Husband to sell a horse in Salem or High Point, if he didn¡¯t want to ride as far as Cross Creek. No one in his right mind would venture to a remote place like the Ridge, simply to sell a horse. I set Adso on the floor and sat down beside Jamie, waiting for the answer.


    Husband gave him a look, clear and direct for all its bloodshot quality.


    ¡°Thee is appointed a colonel of militia, I¡¯m told.¡±


    ¡°For my sins,¡± Jamie said, bread poised in the air. ¡°Do ye suppose the Governor has given me money to provide mounts for my regiment?¡± He took a bite, half-smiling.


    The corner of Husband¡¯s mouth lifted briefly in acknowledgment of the joke. A colonel of militia supplied his regiment himself, counting upon eventual reimbursement from the Assembly; one reason why only men of property were so appointed¡ªand a major reason why the appointment was not considered an unalloyed honor.


    ¡°If he had, I should be pleased to take some of it.¡± At Jamie¡¯s gesture of invitation, Husband reached out and selected another slice of bread and butter, which he munched gravely, looking at Jamie under thick salt-and-pepper brows. Finally, he shook his head.


    ¡°Nay, friend James. I must sell my stock to pay the fines levied upon me by the Court. If I do not sell what I can, it may be seized. And if I will not, then I have no choice save to quit the colony and remove my family elsewhere¡ªand if I remove, then I must dispose of what I cannot take¡ªfor what price I may get.¡±


    A small line formed between Jamie¡¯s brows.


    ¡°Aye, I see,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I would help ye, Hermon, in any way I might. Ye ken that, I hope. But I have scarce two shillings in cash money¡ªnot even proclamation money, let alone sterling. If there is anything I have that would be of use to ye, though . . .¡±


    Husband smiled slightly, his harsh features softening.


    ¡°Aye, friend James. Thy friendship and thy honor are of great use to me, indeed. For the rest . . .¡± He sat back from the table, groping in the small shoulder bag he had set down beside him. He came up with a thin letter, bearing a red wax seal. I recognized the seal, and my chest tightened.


    ¡°I met the messenger at Pumpkin Town,¡± Husband said, watching as Jamie took the letter and put his thumb beneath the flap. ¡°I offered to carry the letter to thee, as I was bound here in any case.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s brows lifted, but his attention was focused on the sheet of paper in his hand. I came close, to see over his shoulder.


    November 22, 1770


    Colonel James Fraser


    Whereas I am informed that those who stile themselves Regulators have gathered together in some force near Salisbury, I have sent word to General Waddell to proceed thither at once with the militia troops at his disposal in hopes of dispersing this unlawful assemblage. You are requested and commanded to gather such men as you judge fit to serve in a Regiment of Militia, and proceed with them to Salisbury with as much despatch as may be managed so as to join the General¡¯s troops on or before 15 December, at which point he will march upon Salisbury. So far as possible, bring with you flour and other provision sufficient to supply your men for a space of two weeks.

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    Your ob¡¯t. servant,


    William Tryon


    The room was quiet, save for the soft rumbling of the cauldron over the coals in the hearth. Outside, I could hear the women talking in short bursts, interspersed with grunts of effort, and the smell of lye soap drifted through the open window, mingling with the scents of stew and rising bread.


    Jamie looked up at Husband.


    ¡°Ye ken what this says?¡±


    The Quaker nodded, the lines of his face sagging in sudden fatigue.


    ¡°The messenger told me. The Governor has no wish to keep his intent secret, after all.¡±


    Jamie gave a small grunt of agreement, and glanced at me. No, the Governor wouldn¡¯t want to keep it secret. So far as Tryon was concerned, the more people who knew that Waddell was heading for Salisbury with a large militia troop, the better. Hence also the setting of a specific date. Any wise soldier would prefer to intimidate an enemy rather than fight him¡ªand given that Tryon had no official troops, discretion was certainly the better part of valor.


    ¡°What about the Regulators?¡± I asked Husband. ¡°What are they planning to do?¡±


    He looked mildly startled.


    ¡°Do?¡±


    ¡°If your people are assembling, it is presumably to some purpose,¡± Jamie pointed out, a slightly sardonic tone to his voice. Husband heard it, but didn¡¯t take exception.


    ¡°Certainly there is purpose,¡± he said, drawing himself up with some dignity. ¡°Though thee is mistaken to say these men are mine, in any way save that of brethren, as are all men. But as to purpose, it is only to protest the abuses of power as are all too common these days¡ªthe imposition of illegal taxes, the unwarranted seizure of¡ª¡±


    Jamie made an impatient gesture, cutting him off.


    ¡°Aye, Hermon, I¡¯ve heard it. Worse, I¡¯ve read your writings about it. And if that is the Regulators¡¯ purpose, what is yours?¡±


    The Quaker stared at him, thick brows raised and mouth half open in question.


    ¡°Tryon has no wish to keep his intentions secret,¡± Jamie elaborated, ¡°but you might. It doesna serve the Regulators¡¯ interest that those intentions be carried out, after all.¡± He stared at Husband, rubbing a finger slowly up and down the long, straight bridge of his nose.


    Husband raised a hand and scratched at his chin.


    ¡°Thee mean why did I bring that¡±¡ªhe nodded toward the letter, which lay open on the table¡ª¡°when I might have suppressed it?¡±


    Jamie nodded patiently.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Husband heaved a deep sigh, and stretched himself, joints cracking audibly. Small white puffs of dust rose from his coat, dissipating like smoke. He settled back into himself then, blinking and looking more comfortable.


    ¡°Putting aside any consideration of the honesty of such conduct, friend James . . . I did say that it was thy friendship that would be of most use to me.¡±


    ¡°So ye did.¡± The hint of a smile touched the corner of Jamie¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Say for the sake of argument that General Waddell does march upon a group of Regulators,¡± Husband suggested. ¡°Is it to the benefit of the Regulators to face men who do not know them, and are inimical to them¡ªor to face neighbors, who know them and are perhaps in some sympathy with their cause?¡±


    ¡°Better the Devil ye ken than the Devil ye don¡¯t, eh?¡± Jamie suggested. ¡°And I¡¯m the Devil ye ken. I see.¡±


    A slow smile blossomed on Husband¡¯s face, matching the one on Jamie¡¯s.


    ¡°One of them, friend James. I have been a-horse these ten days past, selling my stock and visiting in one house and another, across the western part of the colony. The Regulation makes no threat, seeks no destruction of property; we wish only that our complaints be heard, and addressed; it is to draw attention to the widespread nature and the justness of these complaints that those most offended are assembling at Salisbury. But I cannot well expect sympathy from those who lack information of the offense, after all.¡±


    The smile faded from Jamie¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ye may have my sympathy, Hermon, and welcome. But if it comes to it . . . I am Colonel of militia. I will have a duty to be carried out, whether that duty is to my liking or no.¡±


    Husband flapped a hand, dismissing this.


    ¡°I would not ask thee to forsake duty¡ªif it comes. I pray it does not.¡± He leaned forward a little, across the table. ¡°I would ask something of thee, though. My wife, my children . . . if I must leave hurriedly . . .¡±


    ¡°Send them here. They will be safe.¡±


    Husband sat back then, shoulders slumping. He closed his eyes and breathed once, deeply, then opened them and set his hands on the table, as though to rise.


    ¡°I thank thee. As to the mare¡ªkeep her. If my family should have need of her, someone will come. If not¡ªI should greatly prefer that thee have the use of her, rather than some corrupt sheriff.¡±


    I felt Jamie move, wanting to protest, and laid a hand on his leg to stop him. Hermon Husband needed reassurance, much more than he needed a horse he could not keep.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take good care of her,¡± I said, smiling into his eyes. ¡°And of your family, if the need comes. Tell me, what is her name?¡±


    ¡°The mare?¡± Hermon rose to his feet, and a sudden smile split his face, lightening it amazingly. ¡°Her name is Jerusha, but my wife calls her Mistress Piggy; I am afraid she does possess a great appetite,¡± he added apologetically to Jamie, who had stiffened perceptibly at the word ¡°pig.¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± Jamie said, dismissing pigs from his mind with an obvious effort. He rose, glancing at the window, where the rays of the afternoon sun were turning the polished pinewood of the sills and floors to molten gold. ¡°It grows late, Hermon. Will ye not sup with us, and stop the night?¡±


    Husband shook his head, and stooped to retrieve his shoulder bag.


    ¡°Nay, friend James, I thank thee. I have many places still to go.¡±


    I insisted that he wait, though, while I made up a parcel of food for him, and he went with Jamie to saddle his mule while I did so. I heard them talking quietly together as they came back from the paddock, voices so low-pitched that I couldn¡¯t make out the words. As I came out onto the back porch with the package of sandwiches and beer, though, I heard Jamie say to him, with a sort of urgency, ¡°Are ye sure, Hermon, that what ye do is wise¡ªor necessary?¡±


    Husband didn¡¯t answer immediately, but took the parcel from me with a nod of thanks. Then he turned to Jamie, the mule¡¯s bridle in his other hand.


    ¡°I am minded,¡± he said, glancing from Jamie to me, ¡°of James Nayler. Thee will have heard of him?¡±


    Jamie looked as blank as I did, and Hermon smiled in his beard.


    ¡°He was an early member of the Society of Friends, one of those who joined George Fox, who began the Society in England. James Nayler was a man of forceful conviction, though he was . . . individual in his expression of it. Upon one famous occasion, he walked nak*d through the snow, whilst shouting doom to the city of Bristol. George Fox inquired of him then, ¡®Is thee sure the Lord told thee to do this?¡¯?¡±


    The smile widened, and he put his hat carefully back on his head.


    ¡°He said that he was. And so am I, friend James. God keep thee and thy family.¡±


    20


    SHOOTING LESSONS


    BRIANNA GLANCED BACK over her shoulder, feeling guilty. The house below had disappeared beneath a yellow sea of chestnut leaves, but the cries of her child still rang in her ears.


    Roger saw her look back down the mountainside, and frowned a little, though his voice was light when he spoke.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, hen. You know your mother and Lizzie will take good care of him.¡±


    ¡°Lizzie will spoil him rotten,¡± she agreed, but with a queer tug at her heart at the admission. She could easily see Lizzie carrying Jemmy to and fro all day, playing with him, making faces at him, feeding him rice pudding with molasses . . . Jemmy would love the attention, once he got over the distress of her leaving. She felt a sudden surge of territorial feeling regarding Jemmy¡¯s small pink toes; she hated the very idea of Lizzie playing Ten Wee Piggies with him.


    She hated leaving him, period. His shrieks of panic as she pried his grip from her shirt and handed him over to her mother echoed in her mind, magnified by imagination, and his tearstained look of outraged betrayal lingered in her mind.


    At the same time, her need to escape was urgent. She couldn¡¯t wait to peel Jem¡¯s sticky, clutching hands off her skin and speed away into the morning, free as one of the homing geese that honked their way south through the mountain passes.


    She supposed, reluctantly, that she wouldn¡¯t feel nearly so guilty about leaving Jemmy, had she not secretly been so eager to do it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine,¡± she reassured herself, more than Roger. ¡°It¡¯s just . . . I¡¯ve never really left him for very long before.¡±


    ¡°Mmphm.¡± Roger made a noncommittal noise that might have been interpreted as sympathy. His expression, however, made it clear that he personally thought it well past time that she had left the baby.


    A momentary spurt of anger warmed her face, but she bit her tongue. He hadn¡¯t said anything, after all¡ªhad clearly made an effort not to say anything, in fact. She could make an effort, too¡ªand she supposed that it was perhaps not fair to quarrel with someone on the basis of what you thought they were thinking.


    She choked off the acrimonious remark she¡¯d had in mind, and instead smiled at him.


    ¡°Nice day, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The wary look faded from his face, and he smiled, too, his eyes warming to a green as deep and fresh as the moss that lay in thick beds at the shaded feet of the trees they passed.


    ¡°Great day,¡± he said. ¡°Feels good to be out of the house, aye?¡±


    She shot a quick look at him, but it seemed to be a simple statement of fact, with no ulterior motives behind it.


    She didn¡¯t answer, but nodded in agreement, lifting her face to the errant breeze that wandered through the spruce and fir around them. A swirl of rusty aspen leaves blew down, clinging momentarily to the homespun of their breeches and the light wool of their stockings.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    On impulse, she stopped and pulled off her leather buskins and stockings, pushing them carelessly into the rucksack on her shoulder. She stood still, eyes closed in ecstasy, wiggling long bare toes in a patch of damp moss.


    ¡°Oh, Roger, try it! This is wonderful!¡±


    He lifted one eyebrow, but obligingly set down the gun¡ªhe had taken it, when they left the house, and she had let him, despite a proprietorial urge to carry it herself¡ªundid his own footgear, and cautiously slid one long-boned foot into the moss beside hers. His eyes closed involuntarily, and his mouth rounded into a soundless ¡°ooh.¡±


    Moved by impulse, she leaned over and kissed him. His eyes flew open in startlement, but he had fast reflexes. He wrapped a long arm around her waist and kissed her back, thoroughly. It was an unusually warm day for late autumn, and he wore no coat, only a hunting shirt. His chest felt startlingly immediate through the woolen cloth of his shirt; she could feel the tiny bump of his nipple rising under the palm of her hand.

 Page 52

    God knew what might have happened next, but the wind changed. A faint cry drifted up from the sea of tossing yellow below. It might have been a baby¡¯s cry, or perhaps only a distant crow, but her head swiveled toward it, like a compass needle pointing to true north.


    It broke the mood, and he let go, stepping back.


    ¡°D¡¯ye want to go back?¡± he asked, sounding resigned.


    She pressed her lips together and shook her head.


    ¡°No. Let¡¯s get a little farther away from the house, though. We don¡¯t want to bother them with the noise. Of¡ªof shooting, I mean.¡±


    He grinned, and she felt the blood rise hot in her face. No, she couldn¡¯t pretend she hadn¡¯t realized there was more than one motive for this private expedition.


    ¡°No, not that, either,¡± he said. He stooped for his shoes and stockings. ¡°Come on, then.¡±


    She declined to put on her own footwear, but took the opportunity to reappropriate the gun. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust him with it, though he admitted he hadn¡¯t fired such a gun before. She just liked the feel of it, and felt secure with its weight balanced on her shoulder, even unloaded. A Land pattern musket, it was more than five feet long, and weighed a good ten pounds or so, but the butt of the polished walnut stock fitted snugly into her hand and the weight of the steel barrel felt right, laid in the hollow of her shoulder, muzzle to the sky.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to go barefoot?¡± Roger cast a quizzical glance at her feet, then ahead, up the mountainside, where a faint path wove through blackberry brambles and fallen branches.


    ¡°Just for a while,¡± she assured him. ¡°I used to go barefoot all the time when I was little. Daddy¡ªFrank¡ªtook us to the mountains every summer, to the White Mountains or the Adirondacks. After a week, the bottoms of my feet were like leather; I could have walked on hot coals and not felt a thing.¡±


    ¡°Aye, I did, too,¡± he said, smiling, and tucked his shoes away as well. ¡°Granted,¡± he said, with a nod toward the faint path that wove its way through brush and half-buried granite outcrops, ¡°the walking along the riverbank of the Ness or the shingle by the Firth was a bit easier going than this, stones notwithstanding.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a point,¡± she said, frowning slightly at his feet. ¡°Have you had a tetanus shot recently? In case you step on something sharp and get punctured?¡±


    He was already climbing ahead of her, choosing his footing cautiously.


    ¡°I had injections for everything one could possibly have injections for, before I came through the stones,¡± he assured her, over one shoulder. ¡°Typhoid, cholera, dengue fever, the lot. I¡¯m sure tetanus was in there.¡±


    ¡°Dengue fever? I thought I¡¯d had shots for everything, too, but not that one.¡± Digging her toes into the cool mats of dead grass, she took a few long strides to catch him up.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t need it up here.¡± The path ambled round the curve of a steep bank overgrown with yellowing pawpaw and vanished under the overhang of a clump of black-green hemlock. He held the heavy branches back for her and she ducked under them into the pungent gloom, gun held carefully crosswise.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure where I might have to go, see.¡± His voice came from behind her, casual, damped by the darkened air under the trees. ¡°If it was the coastal towns, or the West Indies . . . there were . . . there are,¡± he corrected himself, automatically, ¡°any number of entertaining African diseases, brought in by the slave ships. Thought I¡¯d best be prepared.¡±


    She took advantage of the rough terrain not to answer, but was dismayed¡ªand at the same time, rather shamefully pleased¡ªto discover the lengths to which he¡¯d been prepared to go in order to follow and find her.


    The ground was covered with the mottled brown of shed needles, but so damp that there was neither crackle nor prick beneath her feet. It felt spongy, cool, and pleasant under her bare soles, with a give to it that made her think the mass of dead needles must be a foot thick, at least.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Roger, not so lucky in his passage, had set his foot on a rotten persimmon and slid, barely catching himself by grabbing hold of a holly bush, which promptly stabbed him with its prickly leaves.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he said, sucking the wounded thumb. ¡°Good thing about the tetanus, aye?¡±


    She laughed in agreement, but found herself worrying as they climbed. What about Jemmy, when he began to walk, and clamber over mountains barefoot? She¡¯d seen enough of the small MacLeods and Chisholms¡ªto say nothing of Germain¡ªto realize that small boys punctured, scraped, lacerated, and fractured themselves on a weekly basis, at least. She and Roger were protected against things like diphtheria and typhoid¡ªJemmy would have no such protection.


    She swallowed, remembering the night before. That murderous horse of her father¡¯s had bitten him in the arm, and Claire had made Jamie sit down shirtless before the fire while she cleaned and dressed the bite. Jemmy had poked a curious head up from his cradle, and his grandfather, smiling, had scooped him out and taken him upon his knee.


    ¡°Gallopy trot, gallopy trot,¡± he¡¯d chanted, bouncing a delighted Jemmy gently up and down. ¡°¡¯Tis a wicked horse that I have got!/Gallopy trot, gallopy trot/Let¡¯s send him to hell and then he¡¯ll be hot!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the charming scene of the two redheads giggling at each other that stuck in her mind, though; it was the firelight glowing in her son¡¯s translucent, perfect, untouched skin¡ªand shining silver on the webbed scars across her father¡¯s back, black-red on the bloody gash in his arm. It was a dangerous time for men.


    She couldn¡¯t keep Jem safe from harm; she knew that. But the thought of him¡ªor Roger¡ªbeing injured or ill made her stomach knot and cold sweat come out on the sides of her face.


    ¡°Is your thumb all right?¡± She turned back toward Roger, who looked surprised, having forgotten all about his thumb.


    ¡°What?¡± He looked at it, puzzled. ¡°Aye, of course.¡±


    Nonetheless, she took his hand, and kissed the wounded thumb.


    ¡°You be careful,¡± she said fiercely.


    He laughed, and looked surprised when she glared at him.


    ¡°I will,¡± he said, sobering a little. He nodded at the gun she carried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I may not have fired one, but I know a wee bit about them. I won¡¯t blow my fingers off. Does this look all right for a bit of practice?¡±


    They had come out into a heath bald, a high meadow thick with grass and rhododendron. There was a stand of aspen at the far side, their pale branches aflutter with a few late tatters of gold and crimson leaves, vivid against the deep blue sky. A stream gurgled downhill, somewhere out of sight, and a red-tailed hawk circled high overhead. The sun was well up now, warm on her shoulders, and there was a pleasant, grassy bank nearby.


    ¡°Just right,¡± she said, and swung the gun down from her shoulder.


    IT WAS A beautiful gun, more than five feet long, but so perfectly balanced you could rest it across your outstretched arm without a wobble¡ªwhich Brianna was doing, by way of demonstration.


    ¡°See?¡± she said, pulling her arm in and sweeping the stock up to her shoulder in one fluid movement. ¡°That¡¯s the balance point; you want to put your left hand right there, grab the stock by the trigger with your right, and butt it back into your shoulder. Snug it in, really solidly. There¡¯s some kick to it.¡± She bumped the burled walnut stock gently into the socket of her buckskinned shoulder in illustration, then lowered the gun and handed it to Roger, with a somewhat more tender caution than she showed when handing him her infant child, he noted wryly. On the other hand, so far as he could tell, Jemmy was much more indestructible than the gun.


    She showed him, hesitant at first, reluctant to correct him. He bit his own tongue, though, and imitated her carefully, following the smooth flow of the steps from ripping the cartridge open with his teeth to priming, loading, ramming, and checking, annoyed at his own novice awkwardness, but secretly fascinated¡ªand more than slightly aroused¡ªby the casual ferocity of her movements.


    Her hands were nearly as large as his own, though finely boned; she handled the long gun with the familiarity other women showed with needle and broom. She wore breeks of homespun, and the long muscle of her thigh rose up tight and round against the cloth when she squatted beside him, head bent as she groped in her leather bag.


    ¡°What, you packed a lunch?¡± he joked. ¡°I thought we¡¯d just shoot something and eat it.¡±


    She ignored him. She pulled out a ragged white kerchief to use as a target, and shook it out, frowning critically. Once he had thought of her scent as jasmine and grass; now she smelled of gunpowder, leather, and sweat. He breathed it, his fingers unobtrusively stroking the wood of the gunstock.


    ¡°Ready?¡± she said, glancing at him with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, aye,¡± he said.


    ¡°Check your flint and priming,¡± she said, rising. ¡°I¡¯ll pin up the target.¡±


    Seen from the back, her ruddy hair clubbed tightly back, and clad in a loose buckskin hunting shirt that covered her from shoulder to thigh, her resemblance to her father was intensified to a startling degree. No mistaking the two, though, he thought. Breeks or no, Jamie Fraser had never in life had an arse like that. He watched her walk, congratulating himself on his choice of instructor.


    His father-in-law would have given him a lesson, willingly. Jamie was a fine shot, and a patient teacher; Roger had seen him taking the Chisholm boys out after supper, to practice blasting away at rocks and trees in the empty cornfield. It was one thing for Jamie to know that Roger was inexperienced with guns; it was another to suffer the humiliation of demonstrating just how inexperienced, under that dispassionate blue gaze.


    Beyond the matter of pride, though, he had an ulterior motive in asking Brianna to come out shooting with him. Not that he thought said motive was in any way hidden; Claire had glanced from him to her daughter when he had suggested it, and looked amused in a particularly knowing way that had made Brianna frown and say, ¡°Mother!¡± in an accusatory tone of voice.


    Beyond the all-too-brief hours of their wedding night at the Gathering, this was the first¡ªand only¡ªtime he¡¯d had Brianna to himself, free from the insatiable demands of her offspring.


    He caught the gleam of sun off metal as she lowered her arm. She was wearing his bracelet, he realized with a deep feeling of pleasure. He had given it to her when he¡¯d asked her to marry him¡ªa lifetime ago, in the freezing mists of a winter night in Inverness. It was a simple circlet of silver, engraved with a series of phrases in French. Je t¡¯aime, it said: I love you. Un peu, beaucoup, passionn¨¦ment, pas du tout: A little, a lot, passionately¡ªnot at all.


    ¡°Passionn¨¦ment,¡± he murmured, envisioning her wearing nothing but his bracelet and her wedding ring.


    First things first, though, he told himself, and picked up a fresh cartridge. After all, they had time.


    SATISFIED THAT HIS loading habits were on the way to being well established, if not yet rapid, Brianna finally allowed him to practice sighting, and at last, to shoot.

 Page 53

    It took a dozen tries before he could hit the white square of the kerchief, but the sense of exultation he felt when a dark spot appeared suddenly near the edge of it had him reaching for a fresh cartridge before the smoke of the shot had dissipated. The sense of excited accomplishment took him through another dozen cartridges, scarcely noticing anything beyond the jerk and boom of the gun, the flash of powder, and the breathless instant of realization when he saw an occasional shot go home.


    The kerchief hung in tatters by this time, and small clouds of whitish smoke floated over the meadow. The hawk had decamped at the sound of the first shot, along with all the other birds of the neighborhood, though the ringing in his ears sounded like a whole chorus of distant titmice.


    He lowered the gun and looked at Brianna, grinning, whereupon she burst into laughter.


    ¡°You look like the end man in a minstrel show,¡± she said, the end of her nose going pink with amusement. ¡°Here, clean up a little, and we¡¯ll try shooting from farther away.¡±


    She took the gun and handed him a clean handkerchief in exchange. He wiped black soot from his face, watching as she swiftly swabbed the barrel and reloaded. She straightened, then heard something; her head rose suddenly, eyes fixing on an oak across the meadow.


    Ears still ringing from the roar of the gun, Roger had heard nothing. Swinging round, though, he caught a flicker of movement; a dark gray squirrel, poised on a pine branch at least thirty feet above the ground.


    Without the slightest hesitation, Brianna raised the gun to her shoulder and seemed to fire in the same motion. The branch directly under the squirrel exploded in a shower of wood chips, and the squirrel, blown off its feet, plunged to the ground, bouncing off the springy evergreen branches as it went.


    Roger ran across to the foot of the tree, but there was no need to hurry; the squirrel lay dead, limp as a furry rag.


    ¡°Good shot,¡± he said in congratulation, holding up the corpse as Brianna came to see. ¡°But there¡¯s not a mark on him¡ªyou must have scared him to death.¡±


    Brianna gave him a level look from beneath her brows.


    ¡°If I¡¯d meant to hit him, Roger, I¡¯d have hit him,¡± she said, with a slight edge of reproof. ¡°And if I had hit him, you¡¯d be holding a handful of squirrel mush. You don¡¯t aim right at something that size; you aim to hit just under them and knock them down. It¡¯s called barking,¡± she explained, like a kindly kindergarten teacher correcting a slow pupil.


    ¡°Oh, aye?¡± He repressed a small sense of irritation. ¡°Your father teach you that?¡±


    She gave him a slightly odd look before replying.


    ¡°No, Ian did.¡±


    He made a noncommittal noise in response to that. Ian was a point of awkwardness in the family. Brianna¡¯s cousin had been well-loved, and he knew the whole family missed him. Still, they hesitated to speak of Young Ian before Roger, out of delicacy.


    It hadn¡¯t exactly been Roger¡¯s fault that Ian Murray had remained with the Mohawk¡ªbut there was no denying that he had had a part in the matter. If he hadn¡¯t killed that Indian . . .


    Not for the first time, he pushed aside the confused memories of that night in Snaketown, but felt nonetheless the physical echoes; the quicksilver rush of terror through his belly and the judder of impact through the muscles of his forearms, as he drove the broken end of a wooden pole with all his strength into a shadow that had sprung up before him out of the shrieking dark. A very solid shadow.


    Brianna had crossed the meadow, and set up another target; three irregular chunks of wood set on a stump the size of a dinner table. Without comment, he wiped his sweating hands on his breeks, and concentrated on the new challenge, but Ian Murray refused to leave his mind. He¡¯d barely seen the man, but remembered him clearly; hardly more than a youth, tall and gangly, with a homely but appealing face.


    He couldn¡¯t think of Murray¡¯s face without seeing it as he last had, scabbed with a line of freshly tattooed dots that looped across the cheeks and over the bridge of his nose. His face was brown from the sun, but the skin of his freshly plucked scalp had been a fresh and startling pink, nak*d as a baby¡¯s bum and blotched red from the irritation of the plucking.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Brianna¡¯s voice startled him, and the barrel jerked up as he fired, the shot going wild. Or wilder, rather. He hadn¡¯t managed to hit any of the wooden blocks in a dozen shots.


    He lowered the gun and turned to her. She was frowning, but didn¡¯t look angry, only puzzled and concerned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked again.


    He took a deep breath and rubbed his sleeve across his face, careless of the smears of black soot.


    ¡°Your cousin,¡± he said abruptly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about him, Bree.¡±


    Her face softened, and the worried frown eased a little.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. She laid a hand on his arm and drew near, so he felt the warmth of her closeness. She sighed deeply and laid her forehead against his shoulder.


    ¡°Well,¡± she said at last, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too¡ªbut it isn¡¯t any more your fault than mine or Da¡¯s¡ªor Ian¡¯s, for that matter.¡± She gave a small snort that might have been intended for a laugh. ¡°If it¡¯s anyone¡¯s fault, it¡¯s Lizzie¡¯s¡ªand nobody blames her.¡±


    He smiled at that, a little wryly.


    ¡°Aye, I see,¡± he answered, and cupped a hand over the cool smoothness of her plait. ¡°You¡¯re right. And yet¡ªI killed a man, Bree.¡±


    She didn¡¯t startle or jerk away, but somehow went completely still. So did he; it was the last thing he¡¯d meant to say.


    ¡°You never told me that before,¡± she said at last, raising her head to look at him. She sounded tentative, unsure whether to pursue the matter. The breeze lifted a strand of hair across her face, but she didn¡¯t move to brush it away.


    ¡°I¡ªwell, to tell ye the truth, I¡¯ve scarcely thought of it.¡± He dropped his hand, and the stasis was broken. She shook herself a little and stood back.


    ¡°That sounds terrible, doesn¡¯t it? But¡ª¡± He struggled for words. He¡¯d not meant to say anything, but now he¡¯d started, it seemed urgently necessary to explain, to put it into proper words.


    ¡°It was at night, during a fight in the village. I escaped¡ªI¡¯d a bit of broken pole in my hand, and when someone loomed up out of the darkness, I . . .¡±


    His shoulders slumped suddenly, as he realized that there was no possible way to explain, not really. He looked down at the gun he still held.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d killed him,¡± he said quietly, eyes on the flint. ¡°I didn¡¯t even see his face. I still don¡¯t know who it was¡ªthough it had to be someone I knew; Snaketown was a small village, I knew all ne rononkwe.¡± Why, he wondered suddenly, had he never once thought of asking who the dead man was? Plain enough; he hadn¡¯t asked because he didn¡¯t want to know.


    ¡°Ne rononkwe?¡± She repeated the words uncertainly.


    ¡°The men . . . the warriors . . . braves. It¡¯s what they call themselves, the Kahnyen¡¯kehaka.¡± The Mohawk words felt strange on his tongue; alien and familiar at once. He could see wariness on her face, and knew his speaking of it had sounded odd to her; not the way one uses a foreign term, handling it gingerly, but the way her father sometimes casually mingled Gaelic and Scots, mind seizing on the most available word in either language.


    He stared down at the gun in his hand, as though he¡¯d never seen one before. He wasn¡¯t looking at her, but felt her draw near again, still tentative, but not repulsed.


    ¡°Are you . . . sorry about it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said at once, and looked up at her. ¡°I mean . . . aye, I¡¯m sorry it happened. But sorry I did it¡ªno.¡± He had spoken without pausing to weigh his words, and was surprised¡ªand relieved¡ªto find them true. He felt regret, as he¡¯d told her, but what guilt there was had nothing to do with the shadow¡¯s death, whoever it had been. He had been a slave in Snaketown, and had no great love for any of the Mohawk, though some were decent enough. He¡¯d not intended killing, but had defended himself. He¡¯d do it again, in the same circumstance.


    Yet there was a small canker of guilt¡ªthe realization of just how easily he had dismissed that death. The Kahnyen¡¯kehaka sang and told stories of their dead, and kept their memory alive around the fires of the longhouses, naming them for generations and recounting their deeds. Just as the Highlanders did. He thought suddenly of Jamie Fraser, face ablaze at the great fire of the Gathering, calling his people by name and by lineage. Stand by my hand, Roger the singer, son of Jeremiah MacKenzie. Perhaps Ian Murray found the Mohawk not so strange, after all.


    Still, he felt obscurely as though he had deprived the unknown dead man of name, as well as life, seeking to blot him out by forgetting, to behave as though that death had never happened, only to save himself from the knowledge of it. And that, he thought, was wrong.


    Her face was still, but not frozen; her eyes rested on his with something like compassion. Still, he looked away, back at the gun whose barrel he gripped. His fingers, soot-stained, had left greasy black ovals on the metal; she reached out and took it from him, rubbing the marks away with the hem of her shirt.


    He let her take it, and watched, rubbing his dirty fingers against the side of his breeches.


    ¡°It¡¯s just . . . does it not seem that if ye must kill a man, it should be on purpose? Meaning it?¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer, but her lips pursed slightly, then relaxed.


    ¡°If you shoot someone with this, Roger, it will be on purpose,¡± she said quietly. She looked up at him, then, blue eyes intent, and he saw that what he had taken for compassion was in fact a fierce stillness, like the small blue flames in a burned-out log.


    ¡°And if you have to shoot someone, Roger, I want you to mean it.¡±


    TWO DOZEN ROUNDS later, he could hit the wooden blocks at least once in six tries. He would have kept it up, doggedly, but she could see the muscles in his forearms beginning to tremble as he lifted the gun, stilled by effort of will. He would begin to miss more often now, out of fatigue, and that would do him no good.


    Or her. Her br**sts were beginning to ache, engorged with milk. She¡¯d have to do something about it soon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and eat,¡± she said, smiling as she took the musket from him after the last shot. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡±


    The exertion of shooting, reloading, putting up targets, had kept them both warm, but it was nearly winter, and the air was cold; much too cold, she thought regretfully, to lie nak*d in the dry ferns. But the sun was warm, and with forethought, she had packed two ratty quilts in her rucksack, along with the lunch.


    He was quiet, but it was a comfortable quiet. She watched him cut slivers from the chunk of hard cheese, dark lashes lowered, and admired the long-limbed, competent look of him, fingers neat and quick, gentle mouth compressed slightly as he concentrated on his work, a drop of sweat rolling down the high brown curve of his cheekbone, in front of his ear.


    She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of what he had told her. Still, she knew enough to realize that it was a good thing that he had told her, even though she didn¡¯t like to hear or think of his time with the Mohawk. It had been a bad time for her¡ªalone, pregnant, doubting whether he or her parents would ever return¡ªas well as for him. She reached to accept a bit of cheese, brushed his fingers with her own, and leaned forward, to make him kiss her.

 Page 54

    He did, then sat back, his eyes gone soft green and clear, free of the shadow that had haunted them.


    ¡°Pizza,¡± he said.


    She blinked, then laughed. It was one of their games; taking turns to think of things they missed from the other time, the time before¡ªor after, depending how you looked at it.


    ¡°Coke,¡± she said promptly. ¡°I think I could maybe do pizza¡ªbut what good is pizza without Coca-Cola?¡±


    ¡°Pizza with beer is perfectly fine,¡± he assured her. ¡°And we can have beer¡ªnot that Lizzie¡¯s homemade hell-brew is quite on a par with MacEwan¡¯s Lager, yet. But you really think you could make pizza?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t see why not.¡± She nibbled at the cheese, frowning. ¡°This wouldn¡¯t do¡±¡ªshe brandished the yellowish remnant, then popped it in her mouth¡ª¡°too strong-flavored. But I think . . .¡± She paused to chew and swallow, then washed it down with a long drink of rough cider.


    ¡°Come to think of it, this would go pretty well with pizza.¡± She lowered the leather bottle and licked the last sweet, semi-alcoholic drops from her lips. ¡°But the cheese¡ªI think maybe sheep¡¯s cheese would do. Da brought some from Salem last time he went there. I¡¯ll ask him to get some more and see how it melts.¡±


    She squinted against the bright, pale sun, calculating.


    ¡°Mama¡¯s got plenty of dried tomatoes, and tons of garlic. I know she has basil¡ªdon¡¯t know about the oregano, but I could do without that. And crust¡ª¡± She waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Flour, water, and lard, nothing to it.¡±


    He laughed, handing her a biscuit filled with ham and Mrs. Bug¡¯s piccalilli.


    ¡°How Pizza Came to the Colonies,¡± he said, and lifted the cider bottle in brief salute. ¡°Folk always wonder where humanity¡¯s great inventions come from; now we know!¡±


    He spoke lightly, but there was an odd tone in his voice, and his glance held hers.


    ¡°Maybe we do know,¡± she said softly, after a moment. ¡°You ever think about it¡ªwhy? Why we¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The green of his eyes was darker now, but still clear. ¡°So do you, aye?¡±


    She nodded, and took a bite of biscuit and ham, the piccalilli sweet with onion and pungent in her mouth. Of course they thought of it. She and Roger and her mother. For surely it had meaning, that passage through the stones. It must. And yet . . . her parents seldom spoke of war and battle, but from the little they said¡ªand the much greater quantity she had read¡ªshe knew just how random and how pointless such things could sometimes be. Sometimes a shadow rises, and death lies nameless in the dark.


    Roger crumbled the last of his bread between his fingers, and tossed the crumbs a few feet away. A chickadee flew down, pecked once, and was joined within seconds by a flock that swooped down out of the trees, vacuuming up the crumbs with chattering efficiency. He stretched, sighing, and lay back on the quilt.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°if you ever figure it out, ye¡¯ll be sure to tell me, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Her heartbeat was tingling in her br**sts; no longer safely contained behind the rampart of her breastbone, but set loose to crackle through her flesh, small jolts of electricity tweaking her n**ples. She didn¡¯t dare to think of Jem; the barest hint of him and her milk would let down in a gush.


    Before she could let herself think too much about it, she pulled the hunting shirt over her head.


    Roger¡¯s eyes were open, fixed on her, soft and brilliant as the moss beneath the trees. She undid the knot of the linen strip, and felt the cool touch of the wind on her bare br**sts. She cupped them in her hands, feeling the heaviness rise, begin to tingle and crest.


    ¡°Come here,¡± she said softly, eyes on his. ¡°Hurry. I need you.¡±


    THEY LAY HALF-CLOTHED and comfortably tangled beneath the tattered quilt, sleepy and sticky with half-dried milk, the heat of their joining still warm around them.


    The sun through the empty branches overhead made black ripples behind the lids of her closed eyes, as though she looked down through a dark red sea, wading in the blood-warm water, seeing black volcanic sand change and ripple round her feet.


    Was he awake? She didn¡¯t turn her head or open her eyes to see, but tried to send a message to him, a slow, lazy pulse of a heartbeat, a question surging from blood to blood. Are you there? she asked silently. She felt the question move up through her chest and out along her arm; she imagined the pale underside of her arm and the blue vein along it, as though she might see some telltale subterranean flash as the impulse threaded through her blood and down her forearm, reached her palm, her finger, and delivered the faintest throb of its pressure against his skin.


    Nothing happened at once. She could hear his breathing, slow and regular, a counterpoint to the sough of breeze through trees and grass, like surf coming in upon a sandy shore.


    She imagined herself as a jellyfish, he another. She could see them clearly; two transparent bodies, lucent as the moon, veils pulsing in and out in hypnotic rhythm, borne on the tide toward one another, tendrils trailing, slowly touching . . .


    His finger crossed her palm, so lightly it might have been the brush of fin or feather.


    I¡¯m here, it said. And you?


    Her hand closed over it, and he rolled toward her.


    LATE IN THE YEAR as it was, the light died early. It was still a month ¡¯til the winter solstice, but by mid-afternoon, the sun was already brushing the slope of Black Mountain, and their shadows stretched to impossible lengths before them as they turned eastward, toward home.


    She carried the gun; instruction was over for the day, and while they weren¡¯t hunting, if the opportunity of game offered, she would take it. The squirrel she had killed earlier was already cleaned and tucked in her sack, but that was barely flavoring for a vegetable stew. A few more would be nice. Or a possum, she thought dreamily.


    She wasn¡¯t sure of the habits of possum, though; perhaps they hibernated over winter, and if so, they might already be gone. The bears were still active; she¡¯d seen half-dried scat on the trail, and scratches on the bark of a pine, still oozing yellow sap. A bear was good game, but she didn¡¯t mean either to look for one, or to risk shooting at one unless it attacked them¡ªand that wasn¡¯t likely. Leave bears alone, and they¡¯ll generally leave you alone; both her fathers had told her that, and she thought it excellent advice.


    A covey of bobwhite blasted out of a nearby bush like exploding shrapnel, and she jerked, heart in her mouth.


    ¡°Those are good to eat, aren¡¯t they?¡± Roger nodded at the last of the disappearing gray-white blobs. He had been startled, too, but less than she had, she noticed with annoyance.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, disgruntled at being taken unawares. ¡°But you don¡¯t shoot them with a musket, unless all you want is feathers for a pillow. You use a fowling piece, with bird shot. It¡¯s like a shotgun.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said, shortly.


    She felt disinclined to talk, jarred out of their peaceful mood. Her br**sts were beginning to swell again; it was time to go home, to find Jemmy.


    Her step quickened a little at the thought, even as her mind reluctantly surrendered the memory of the pungent smell of crushed dry fern, the glow of sunlight on Roger¡¯s bare brown shoulders above her, the hiss of her milk, gilding his chest in a spray of fine droplets, slick and warm and cool by turns between their writhing bodies.


    She sighed deeply, and heard him laugh, low in his throat.


    ¡°Mmm?¡± She turned her head, and he motioned to the ground before them. They had begun to move together as they walked, neither noticing the unconscious pull of the gravitational force that bound them. Now their shadows had merged at the top, so an odd, four-legged beast paced spiderlike before them, its two heads tilted toward each other.


    He put an arm around her waist, and one shadow-head dipped, joining the other in a single bulbous shape.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a good day, aye?¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Aye, it has,¡± she said, and smiled. She might have spoken further, but a sound came to her above the rattle of tree branches, and she pulled suddenly away.


    ¡°What¡ª¡± he began, but she put a finger to her lips to shush him, beckoning as she crept toward a growth of red oak.


    It was a flock of turkeys, scratching companionably in the earth beneath a large oak tree, turning up winter grubs from the mat of fallen leaves and acorns. The late sun shone low, lighting the iridescence in their breast feathers, so the birds¡¯ drab black glimmered with tiny rainbows as they moved.


    She had the gun already loaded, but not primed. She groped for the powder flask at her belt and filled the pan, scarcely looking away from the birds. Roger crouched beside her, intent as a hound dog on the scent. She nudged him, and held the gun toward him in invitation, one eyebrow up. The turkeys were no more than twenty yards away, and even the smaller ones were the size of footballs.


    He hesitated, but she could see the desire to try it in his eyes. She thrust the gun firmly into his hands and nodded toward a gap in the brush.


    He shifted carefully, trying for a clear line of sight. She hadn¡¯t taught him to fire from a crouch as yet, and he wisely didn¡¯t try, instead standing, though it meant firing downward. He hesitated, the long barrel wavering as he shifted his aim from one bird to another, trying to choose the best shot. Her fingers curled and clenched, aching to correct his aim, to pull the trigger.


    She felt him draw breath and hold it. Then three things happened, so quickly as to seem simultaneous. The gun went off with a huge phwoom!, a spray of dried oak leaves fountained up from the earth under the tree, and fifteen turkeys lost their minds, running like a demented football squad straight at them, gobbling hysterically.


    The turkeys reached the brush, saw Roger, and took to the air like flying soccer balls, wings frantically clapping the air. Roger ducked to avoid one that soared an inch above his head, only to be struck in the chest by another. He reeled backward, and the turkey, clinging to his shirt, seized the opportunity to run nimbly up his shoulder and push off, raking the side of his neck with its claws.


    The gun flew through the air. Brianna caught it, flipped a cartridge from the box on her belt, and was grimly reloading and ramming as the last turkey ran toward Roger, zigged away, saw her, zagged in the other direction, and finally zoomed between them, gobbling alarms and imprecations.


    She swung around, sighted on it as it left the ground, caught the black blob outlined for a split second against the brilliant sky, and blasted it in the tail feathers. It dropped like a sack of coal, and hit the ground forty yards away with an audible thud.


    She stood still for a moment, then slowly lowered the gun. Roger was staring at her, openmouthed, pressing the cloth of his shirt against the bloody scratches on his neck. She smiled at him, a little weakly, feeling her hands sweaty on the wooden stock and her heart pounding with delayed reaction.


    ¡°Holy God,¡± Roger said, deeply impressed. ¡°That wasn¡¯t just luck, was it?¡±


    ¡°Well . . . some,¡± she said, trying for modesty. She failed, and felt a grin blossom across her face. ¡°Maybe half.¡±


    Roger went to retrieve her prize while she cleaned the gun again, coming back with a ten-pound bird, limp-necked and leaking blood like a punctured waterskin.

 Page 55

    ¡°What a thing,¡± he said. He held it at arm¡¯s length to drain, admiring the vivid reds and blues of the bare, warty head and dangling wattle. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen one, save roasted on a platter, with chestnut dressing and roast potatoes.¡±


    He looked from the turkey to her with great respect, and nodded at the gun.


    ¡°That¡¯s great shooting, Bree.¡±


    She felt her cheeks flush with pleasure, and restrained the urge to say, ¡°Aw, shucks, it warn¡¯t nothin¡¯,¡± settling instead for a simple, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    They turned again toward home, Roger still carrying the dripping carcass, held slightly out from his body.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been shooting all that long, either,¡± Roger was saying, still impressed. ¡°What¡¯s it been, six months?¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to lower his estimation of her prowess, but laughed, shrugged, and told the truth anyway.


    ¡°More like six years. Really more like ten.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Daddy¡ªFrank¡ªtaught me to shoot when I was eleven or twelve. He gave me a twenty-two when I was thirteen, and by the time I was fifteen, he was taking me to shoot clay pigeons at ranges, or to hunt doves and quail on weekends in the fall.¡±


    Roger glanced at her in interest.


    ¡°I thought Jamie¡¯d taught you; I¡¯d no idea Frank Randall was such a sportsman.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she said slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know that he was.¡±


    One black brow went up in inquiry.


    ¡°Oh, he knew how to shoot,¡± she assured him. ¡°He¡¯d been in the Army during World War Two. But he never shot much himself; he¡¯d just show me, and then watch. In fact, he never even owned a gun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± She moved deliberately closer to him, nudging his shoulder so that their shadows merged again; now it looked like a two-headed ogre, carrying a gun over one shoulder, and a third head held bloodily in its hand. ¡°I wondered about that,¡± she said, with attempted casualness. ¡°After you told me¡ªabout his letter and all that, at the Gathering.¡±


    He shot her a sharp look.


    ¡°Wondered what?¡±


    She took a deep breath, feeling the linen strips bite into her br**sts.


    ¡°I wondered why a man who didn¡¯t ride or shoot should take such pains to see that his daughter could do both those things. I mean, it wasn¡¯t like it was common for girls to do that.¡± She tried to laugh. ¡°Not in Boston, anyway.¡±


    There was no sound for a moment but the shuffling of their feet through dry leaves.


    ¡°Christ,¡± Roger said softly, at last. ¡°He looked for Jamie Fraser. He said so, in his letter.¡±


    ¡°And he found a Jamie Fraser. He said that, too. We just don¡¯t know whether it was the right one or not.¡± She kept her eyes on her boots, wary of snakes. There were copperheads in the wood, and timber rattlers; she saw them now and then, basking on rocks or sunny logs.


    Roger took a deep breath, lifting his head.


    ¡°Aye. And so you¡¯re wondering now¡ªwhat else might he have found?¡±


    She nodded, not looking up.


    ¡°Maybe he found me,¡± she said softly. Her throat felt tight. ¡°Maybe he knew I¡¯d go back, through the stones. But if he did¡ªhe didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    He stopped walking, and put a hand on her arm to turn her toward him.


    ¡°And perhaps he didn¡¯t know that at all,¡± he said firmly. ¡°He may only have thought ye might try it, if you ever found out about Fraser. And if you did find out, and did go . . . then he wanted you to be safe. I¡¯d say no matter what he knew, that¡¯s what he wanted; you to be safe.¡± He smiled, a little crookedly. ¡°Like you want me to be safe. Aye?¡±


    She heaved a deep sigh, feeling comfort descend on her with his words. She¡¯d never doubted that Frank Randall had loved her, all the years of her growing up. She didn¡¯t want to doubt it now.


    ¡°Aye,¡± she said, and tilted up an inch on her toes to kiss him.


    ¡°Fine, then,¡± he said, and gently touched her breast, where the buckskin of her shirt showed a small wet patch. ¡°Jem¡¯ll be hungry. Come on; it¡¯s time we were home.¡±


    They turned again and went down the mountain, into the golden sea of chestnut leaves, watching their shadows go before them as they walked, embracing.


    ¡°Do you think¡ª¡± she began, and hesitated. One shadow head dipped toward the other, listening.


    ¡°Do you think Ian¡¯s happy?¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± he replied, and his arm tightened round her. ¡°If he has a wife like mine¡ªthen I¡¯m sure he is.¡±


    21


    TWENTY-TWENTY


    NOW, HOLD THIS over your left eye, and read the smallest line you can see clearly.¡±


    With a long-suffering air, Roger held the wooden spoon over his right eye and narrowed his left, concentrating on the sheet of paper I had pinned to the kitchen door. He was standing in the front hall, just inside the door, as the length of the corridor was the only stretch of floor within the house approaching twenty feet.


    ¡°Et tu Brute?¡± he read. He lowered the spoon and looked at me, one dark eyebrow raised. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a literate eye chart before.¡±


    ¡°Well, I always did think the ¡®f, e, 5, z, t, d¡¯ things on the regular charts rather boring,¡± I said, unpinning the paper and flipping it over. ¡°Other eye, please. What¡¯s the smallest line you can read easily?¡±


    He reversed the spoon, squinted at the five lines of hand-printing¡ªdone in such even decrements of size as I could manage¡ªand read the third one, slowly.


    ¡°Eat no onions. What¡¯s that from?¡±


    ¡°Shakespeare, of course,¡± I said, making a note. ¡°Eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath. That¡¯s the smallest you can read, is it?¡±


    I saw Jamie¡¯s expression alter subtly. He and Brianna were standing just behind Roger, out on the porch, watching the proceedings with great interest. Brianna was leaning slightly toward Roger, a faintly anxious expression on her face, as though willing him to see the letters.


    Jamie¡¯s expression, though, showed slight surprise, faint pity¡ªand an undeniable glint of satisfaction. He, evidently, could read the fifth line without trouble. I honor him. One from Julius Caesar: As he was valiant, I honor him; as he was ambitious, I slew him.


    He felt my gaze on him, and the expression vanished, his face instantly resuming its usual look of good-humored inscrutability. I narrowed my eyes at him, with a ¡°You¡¯re not fooling me¡± sort of look, and he looked away, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t make out any of the next line?¡± Bree had moved close to Roger, as though drawn by osmosis. She stared intently at the paper, then at him, with an encouraging look. Obviously she could see the last two lines without difficulty, too.


    ¡°No,¡± Roger said, rather shortly. He¡¯d agreed to let me check his eyes at her request, but he obviously wasn¡¯t happy about it. He slapped the palm of his hand lightly with the spoon, impatient to be done with this. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Just a few small exercises,¡± I said, as soothingly as possible. ¡°Come in here, where the light is better.¡± I put a hand on his arm and drew him toward my surgery, giving Jamie and Bree a hard look as I did so. ¡°Brianna, why don¡¯t you go and lay the table for supper? We won¡¯t be long.¡±


    She hesitated for a moment, but Jamie touched her arm and said something to her in a low voice. She nodded, glanced once more at Roger with a small, anxious frown, and went. Jamie gave me an apologetic shrug, and followed her.


    Roger was standing among the litter in my surgery, looking like a bear that hears barking hounds in the distance¡ªsimultaneously annoyed and wary.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for this,¡± he said, as I closed the door. ¡°I see fine. I just don¡¯t shoot very well yet. There¡¯s nothing the matter with my eyes.¡± Still, he made no move to escape, and I picked up the hint of doubt in his voice.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t think there is,¡± I said lightly. ¡°Let me have just a quick look, though . . . just curiosity on my part, really. . . .¡± I got him sat down, however reluctantly, and for lack of the standard small flashlight, lit a candle.


    I brought it close to check the dilation of his pupils. His eyes were the most lovely color, I thought; not hazel at all, but a very clear dark green. Dark enough to look almost black in shadow, but a startling color¡ªalmost emerald¡ªwhen seen directly in bright light. A disconcerting sight, to one who had known Geilie Duncan and seen her mad humor laugh out of those clear green depths. I did hope Roger hadn¡¯t inherited anything but the eyes from her.


    He blinked once, involuntarily, long black lashes sweeping down over them, and the memory disappeared. These eyes were beautiful¡ªbut calm, and above all, sane. I smiled at him, and he smiled back in reflex, not understanding.


    I passed the candle before his face, up, down, right, left, asking him to keep looking at the flame, watching the changes as his eyes moved to and fro. Since no answers were required in this exercise, he began to relax a bit, his fists gradually uncurling on his thighs.


    ¡°Very nice,¡± I said, keeping my voice low and soothing. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good . . . can you look up, please? Yes, now look down, toward the corner by the window. Mm-hm, yes . . . Now, look at me again. You see my finger? Good, now close your left eye and tell me if the finger moves. Mm-hmmm . . .¡±


    Finally, I blew out the candle, and straightened up, stretching my back with a small groan.


    ¡°So,¡± Roger said lightly, ¡°what¡¯s the verdict, Doctor? Shall I go and be making myself a white cane?¡± He waved away the drifting wisps of smoke from the blown-out candle, making a good attempt at casualness¡ªbelied only by the slight tension in his shoulders.


    I laughed.


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t need a Seeing Eye dog for some time yet, nor even spectacles. Though speaking of that¡ªyou said you¡¯d never seen a literate eye chart before. But you have seen eye charts, I take it. Did you ever wear glasses as a child?¡±


    He frowned, casting his mind back.


    ¡°Aye, I did,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Or rather¡±¡ªa faint grin showed on his face¡ª¡°I had a pair of specs. Or two or three. When I was seven or eight, I think. They were a nuisance, and gave me a headache. So I was inclined to leave them on the public bus, or at school, or on the rocks by the river . . . I can¡¯t recall actually wearing them for more than an hour at a time, and after I¡¯d lost the third pair, my father gave up.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never felt as though I needed spectacles, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t¡ªnow.¡±


    He caught the tone of my voice and looked down at me, puzzled.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a bit shortsighted in the left eye, but not by enough to cause you any real difficulty.¡± I rubbed the bridge of my nose, as though feeling the pinch of spectacles myself. ¡°Let me guess¡ªyou were good at hockey and football when you were at school, but not at tennis.¡±

 Page 56

    He laughed at that, eyes crinkling at the corners.


    ¡°Tennis? At an Inverness grammar school? Soft Southron sport, we¡¯d have called it; game for poofters. But I take your point¡ªno, you¡¯re right, I was fine at the football, but not much at rounders. Why?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any binocular vision,¡± I said. ¡°Chances are that someone noticed it when you were a child, and made an effort to correct it with prismatic lenses¡ªbut it¡¯s likely that it would have been too late by the time you were seven or eight,¡± I added hastily, seeing his face go blank. ¡°If that¡¯s going to work, it needs to be done very young¡ªbefore the age of five.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t . . . binocular vision? But doesn¡¯t everyone? . . . I mean, both my eyes do work, don¡¯t they?¡± He looked mildly bewildered. He looked down into the palm of his hand, closing one eye, then the other, as though some answer might be found among the lines there.


    ¡°Your eyes are fine,¡± I assured him. ¡°It¡¯s just that they don¡¯t work together. It¡¯s really a fairly common condition¡ªand many people who have it don¡¯t realize it. It¡¯s just that in some people, for one reason or another, the brain never learns to merge the images coming in from both eyes in order to make a three-dimensional image.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see in three dimensions?¡± He looked at me, now, squinting hard, as though expecting me suddenly to flatten out against the wall.


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t quite got a trained oculist¡¯s kit¡±¡ªI waved a hand at the burned-out candle, the wooden spoon, the drawn figures, and a couple of sticks I had been using¡ª¡°nor yet an oculist¡¯s training. But I¡¯m reasonably sure, yes.¡±


    He listened quietly as I explained what I could. His vision seemed fairly normal, in terms of acuity. But since his brain was not fusing the information from his eyes, he must be estimating the distance and relative location of objects simply by unconscious comparison of their sizes, rather than by forming a real 3-D image. Which meant . . .


    ¡°You can see perfectly well for almost anything you want to do,¡± I assured him. ¡°And you very likely can learn to shoot all right; most of the men I see shooting close one eye when they fire, anyway. But you might have trouble hitting moving targets. You can see what you¡¯re aiming at, all right¡ªbut without binocular vision, you may not be able to tell precisely where it is in order to hit it.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°So, if it comes to a fight, I¡¯d best rely on straightforward bashing, is that it?¡±


    ¡°In my humble experience of Scottish conflicts,¡± I said, ¡°most fights amount to no more than bashing, anyway. You only use a gun or arrow if your goal is murder¡ªand in that case, a blade is usually the weapon of preference. So much surer, Jamie tells me.¡±


    He gave a small grunt of amusement at that, but said nothing else. He sat quietly, considering what I¡¯d told him, while I tidied up the disorder left by the day¡¯s surgery. I could hear thumping and clanging from the kitchen, and the pop and sizzle of fat that went with the tantalizing aroma of frying onions and bacon that floated down the corridor.


    It was going to be a hasty meal; Mrs. Bug had been busy all day with the preparations for the militia expedition. Still, even Mrs. Bug¡¯s least elaborate spreads were well worth the eating.


    Muffled voices came through the wall¡ªJemmy¡¯s sudden wail, a brief exclamation from Brianna, another from Lizzie, then Jamie¡¯s deep voice, evidently comforting the baby while Bree and Lizzie dealt with dinner.


    Roger heard them, too; I saw his head turn toward the sound.


    ¡°Quite a woman,¡± he said, with a slow smile. ¡°She can kill it and cook it. Which looks like being a good thing, under the circumstances,¡± he added ruefully. ¡°Evidently I won¡¯t be putting much meat on the table.¡±


    ¡°Pah,¡± I said briskly, wishing to forestall any attempt on his part to feel sorry for himself. ¡°I¡¯ve never shot a thing in my life, and I put food on this table every day. If you really feel you must kill things, you know, there are plenty of chickens and geese and pigs. And if you can catch that damnable white sow before she undermines the foundation entirely, you¡¯ll be a local hero.¡±


    That made him smile, though with a wry twist to it nonetheless.


    ¡°I expect my self-respect will recover, with or without the pigs,¡± he said. ¡°The worst of it will be telling the sharpshooters¡±¡ªhe jerked his head toward the wall, where Brianna¡¯s voice mingled with Jamie¡¯s in muffled conversation¡ª¡°what the problem is. They¡¯ll be very kind¡ªlike one is to somebody who¡¯s missing a foot.¡±


    I laughed, finished swabbing out my mortar, and reached up to put it away in the cupboard.


    ¡°Bree¡¯s only worrying about you, because of this Regulation trouble. But Jamie thinks it won¡¯t amount to anything; the chances of you needing to shoot someone are very small. Besides, birds of prey haven¡¯t got binocular vision, either,¡± I added, as an afterthought. ¡°Except for owls. Hawks and eagles can¡¯t have; their eyes are on either side of their heads. Just tell Bree and Jamie I said you have eyes like a hawk.¡±


    He laughed outright at that, and stood up, dusting off the skirts of his coat.


    ¡°Right, I will.¡± He waited for me, opening the door to the hall for me. As I reached it, though, he put a hand on my arm, stopping me.


    ¡°This binocular thing,¡± he said, gesturing vaguely toward his eyes. ¡°I was born with it, I suppose?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Yes, almost certainly.¡±


    He hesitated, clearly not knowing quite how to put what he wanted to say.


    ¡°Is it . . . inherited, then? My father was in the RAF; he can¡¯t have had it, surely¡ªbut my mother wore spectacles. She kept them on a chain round her neck; I remember playing with it. I might have gotten the eye thing from her, I mean.¡±


    I pursed my lips, trying to recall what¡ªif anything¡ªI had ever read on the subject of inherited eye disorders, but nothing concrete came to mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said at last. ¡°It might be. But it might not, too. I really don¡¯t know. Are you worried about Jemmy?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± A faint look of disappointment crossed his features, though he blotted it out almost at once. He gave me an awkward smile, and opened the door, holding it for me to pass through.


    ¡°No, not worried. I was just thinking¡ªif it was inherited, and if the little fella should have it, too . . . then I¡¯d know.¡±


    The corridor was full of the savory scents of squirrel stew and fresh bread, and I was starving, but I stood still, staring up at him.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t wish it on him,¡± Roger said hastily, seeing my expression. ¡°Not at all! Just, if it should be that way¡ª¡± He broke off and looked away, swallowing. ¡°Look, don¡¯t tell Bree I thought of it, please.¡±


    I touched his arm lightly.


    ¡°I think she¡¯d understand. Your wanting to know¡ªfor sure.¡±


    He glanced at the kitchen door, from which Bree¡¯s voice rose, singing ¡°Clementine,¡± to Jemmy¡¯s raucous pleasure.


    ¡°She might understand,¡± he said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean she wants to hear it.¡±


    22


    THE FIERY CROSS


    THE MEN WERE GONE. Jamie, Roger, Mr. Chisholm and his sons, the MacLeod brothers . . . they had all disappeared before daybreak, leaving no trace behind save the jumbled remains of a hasty breakfast, and a collection of muddy bootprints on the doorsill.


    Jamie moved so quietly that he seldom woke me when he left our bed to dress in the dark predawn. He did usually bend to kiss me goodbye, though, murmuring a quick endearment in my ear and leaving me to carry the touch and scent of him back into dreams.


    He hadn¡¯t wakened me this morning.


    That job had been left to the tender offices of the junior Chisholms and MacLeods, several of whom had held a pitched battle directly under my window, just after dawn.


    I had sprung into wakefulness, momentarily confused by the shouts and screams, my hands reaching automatically for sponge and oxygen, syringe and alcohol, visions of a hospital emergency room vivid around me. Then I drew breath, and smelled woodsmoke, not ethanol. I shook my head, blinking at the sight of a rumpled blue and yellow quilt, the peaceful row of clothes on their pegs, and the wash of pure, pale light streaming through half-opened shutters. Home. I was home, on the Ridge.


    A door banged open below, and the racket died abruptly, succeeded by a scuffle of flight, accompanied by muffled giggling.


    ¡°Mmmphm!¡± said Mrs. Bug¡¯s voice, grimly satisfied at having routed the rioters. The door closed, and the clank of wood and clang of metal from below announced the commencement of the day¡¯s activities.


    When I went down a few moments later, I found that good lady engaged simultaneously in toasting bread, boiling coffee, making parritch, and complaining as she tidied up the men¡¯s leavings. Not about the untidiness¡ªwhat else could be expected of men?¡ªbut rather that Jamie had not waked her to provide a proper breakfast for them.


    ¡°And how¡¯s Himself to manage, then?¡± she demanded, brandishing the toasting-fork at me in reproach. ¡°A fine, big man like that, and him out and doing wi¡¯ no more to line his wame than a wee sup of milk and a stale bannock?¡±


    Casting a bleary eye over the assorted crumbs and dirty crockery, it appeared to me that Himself and his companions had probably accounted for at least two dozen corn muffins and an entire loaf of salt-rising bread, accompanied by a pound or so of fresh butter, a jar of honey, a bowl of raisins, and all of the first milking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll starve,¡± I murmured, dabbing up a crumb with a moistened forefinger. ¡°Is the coffee ready?¡±


    The older Chisholm and MacLeod children had mostly been sleeping by the kitchen hearth at night, rolled in rags or blankets. They were up and out now, their coverings heaped behind the settle. As the smell of food began to permeate the house, murmurous sounds of rising began to come through the walls and down the stairs, as the women dressed and tended the babies and toddlers. Small faces began to reappear from outside, peeking hungrily round the edge of the door.


    ¡°Have ye washed your filthy paws, wee heathens?¡± Mrs. Bug demanded, seeing them. She waved a porridge spoon at the benches along the table. ¡°If ye have, come in and set yourselves doon. Mind ye wipe your muddy feet!¡±


    Within moments, the benches and stools were filled, Mrs. Chisholm, Mrs. MacLeod, and Mrs. Aberfeldy yawning and blinking among their offspring, nodding and murmuring ¡°Good morn¡± to me and each other, straightening a kerchief here and a shirttail there, using a thumb wet with spittle to plaster down the spiked hair on a little boy¡¯s head or wipe a smudge from a little girl¡¯s cheek.


    Faced with a dozen gaping mouths to feed, Mrs. Bug was in her element, hopping back and forth between hearth and table. Watching her bustle to and fro, I thought she must have been a chickadee in a former life.


    ¡°Did you see Jamie when he left?¡± I asked, as she paused momentarily to refill all the coffee cups, a large uncooked sausage in her other hand.

 Page 57

    ¡°No, indeed.¡± She shook her head, neat white in its kerch. ¡°I didna ken a thing about it. I heard my auld lad up and stirring before dawn, but I thought it was only him out to the privy, he not liking to trouble me with the noise


    o¡¯ the pot. He didna come back, though, and by the time I waked myself, they¡¯d all gone off. Ah! None of that, now!¡±


    Catching a movement from the corner of her eye, she dotted a six-year-old MacLeod smartly on the head with her sausage, causing him to snatch his fingers back from the jam jar.


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯ve gone hunting,¡± Mrs. Aberfeldy suggested timidly, spooning porridge into the little girl she held on her knee. Barely nineteen, she seldom said much, shy of the older women.


    ¡°Better they be hunting homesteads, and timber for houses,¡± Mrs. MacLeod said, hoisting a baby onto her shoulder and patting its back. She pushed a strand of graying hair out of her face and gave me a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s nay reflection upon your hospitality, Mrs. Fraser, but I¡¯d as soon not spend the winter under your feet. Geordie! Leave your sister¡¯s plaits alone, or ye¡¯ll wish ye had!¡±


    Not at my best so early in the day, I smiled and murmured something politely incomprehensible. I would as soon not have five or ten extra people in my house for the winter, either, but I wasn¡¯t sure it could be avoided.


    The Governor¡¯s letter had been quite specific; all able-bodied men in the backcountry were to be mustered as militia troops and to report to Salisbury by mid-December. That left very little time for house-building. Still, I hoped Jamie had some plan for relieving the congestion; Adso the kitten had taken up semipermanent residence in a cupboard in my surgery, and the scene in the kitchen was quickly assuming its usual daily resemblance to one of the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch.


    At least the kitchen had lost its early morning chill with so many bodies crowded into it, and was now comfortably warm and noisy. What with the mob scene, though, it was several moments before I noticed that there were four young mothers present, rather than three.


    ¡°Where did you come from?¡± I asked, startled at sight of my daughter, huddled frowsily under a rug in a corner of the settle.


    Bree blinked sleepily and shifted Jemmy, who was nursing with single-minded concentration, oblivious of the crowd.


    ¡°The Muellers showed up in the middle of the night and pounded on our door,¡± she said, yawning. ¡°Eight of them. They didn¡¯t speak much English, but I think they said Da sent for them.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I reached for a slice of raisin cake, narrowly beating a young Chisholm to it. ¡°Are they still there?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Thanks, Mama.¡± She stretched out a hand for the bit of cake I offered her. ¡°Yes. Da came and hauled Roger out of bed while it was still dark, but he didn¡¯t seem to think he needed the Muellers yet. When Roger left, a big old Mueller got up off the floor, said, ¡®Bitte, Maedle,¡¯ and lay down next to me.¡± A delicate pink flushed her cheeks. ¡°So I thought maybe I¡¯d get up and come up here.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, suppressing a smile. ¡°That would be Gerhard.¡± Eminently practical, the old farmer would see no reason why he should lay his old bones on a hard plank floor, if there was bed space available.


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± she said indistinctly, through a mouthful of cake. ¡°I guess he¡¯s harmless, but even so . . .¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯d be no danger to you,¡± I agreed. Gerhard Mueller was the patriarch of a large German family who lived between the Ridge and the Moravian settlement at Salem. He was somewhere in his late seventies, but by no means harmless.


    I chewed slowly, remembering how Jamie had described to me the scalps nailed to the door of Gerhard¡¯s barn. Women¡¯s scalps, long hair dark and silken, ends lifting in the wind. Like live things, he¡¯d said, his face troubled at the memory, like birds, pinned to the wood. And the white one Gerhard had brought to me, wrapped in linen and flecked with blood. No, not harmless. I swallowed, the cake feeling dry in my throat.


    ¡°Harmless or not, they¡¯ll be hungry,¡± said Mrs. Chisholm practically. She bent and gathered up a corn-dolly, a soggy diaper, and a squirming toddler, contriving somehow to leave a hand free for her coffee. ¡°Best we clear this lot awa, before the Germans smell food and come hammering at the door.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything left to feed them?¡± I said, uneasily trying to remember how many hams were left in the smokeshed. After two weeks of hospitality, our stores were dwindling at an alarming rate.


    ¡°Of course there is,¡± Mrs. Bug said briskly, slicing sausage and flipping the slices onto the sizzling griddle. ¡°Let me just ha¡¯ done with this lot, and ye can send them along for their breakfasts. You, a muirninn¡ª¡± She tapped a girl of eight or so on the head with her spatula. ¡°Run ye doon the root cellar and fetch me up an apronful of potatoes. Germans like potatoes.¡±


    By the time I had finished my porridge and begun to collect up bowls to wash, Mrs. Bug, broom in hand, was sweeping children and debris out of the back door with ruthless efficiency, while issuing a stream of orders to Lizzie and Mrs. Aberfeldy¡ªRuth, that was her name¡ªwho seemed to have been dragooned as assistant cooks.


    ¡°Shall I help . . .¡± I began, rather feebly, but Mrs. Bug shook her head and made small shooing motions with the broom.


    ¡°Dinna think of it, Mrs. Fraser!¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll have enough to do, I¡¯m sure, and¡ªhere now, ye¡¯ll no be comin¡¯ intae my nice, clean kitchen wi¡¯ those mucky boots! Out, out and wipe them off before ye think of setting foot in here!¡±


    Gerhard Mueller, followed by his sons and nephews, stood in the doorway, nonplussed. Mrs. Bug, undeterred either by the fact that he towered over her by more than a foot, or that he spoke no English, screwed up her face and poked fiercely at his boots with her broom.


    I waved welcomingly to the Muellers, then seized the chance of escape, and fled.


    SEEKING TO AVOID the crowd in the house, I washed at the well outside, then went to the sheds and occupied myself in taking inventory. The situation was not as bad as I¡¯d feared; we had enough, with careful management, to last out the winter, though I could see that Mrs. Bug¡¯s lavish hand might have to be constrained a bit.


    Besides six hams in the smokeshed, there were four sides of bacon and half another, plus a rack of dried venison and half of a relatively recent carcass. Looking up, I could see the low roof beams, black with soot and thick with clusters of smoked, dried fish, split and bound stiffly in bunches, like the petals of large ugly flowers. There were ten casks of salt fish, as well, and four of salt pork. A stone crock of lard, a smaller one of the fine leaf lard, another of headcheese . . . I had my doubts about that.


    I had made it according to the instructions of one of the Mueller women, as translated by Jamie, but I had never seen headcheese myself, and was not quite sure it was meant to look like that. I lifted the lid and sniffed cautiously, but it smelled all right; mildly spiced with garlic and peppercorn, and no scent at all of putrefaction. Perhaps we wouldn¡¯t die of ptomaine poisoning, though I had it in mind to invite Gerhard Mueller to try it first.


    ¡°How can ye bide the auld fiend in your house?¡± Marsali had demanded, when Gerhard and one of his sons had ridden up to the Ridge a few months earlier. She had heard the story of the Indian women from Fergus, and viewed the Germans with horrified revulsion.


    ¡°And what would ye have me do?¡± Jamie had demanded in return, spoon lifted halfway from his bowl. ¡°Kill the Muellers¡ªall of them, for if I did for Gerhard, I¡¯d have to do for the lot¡ªand nail their hair to my barn?¡± His mouth quirked slightly. ¡°I should think it would put the cow off her milk. It would put me off the milkin¡¯, to be sure.¡±


    Marsali¡¯s brow puckered, but she wasn¡¯t one to be joked out of an argument.


    ¡°Not that, maybe,¡± she said. ¡°But ye let them into your house, and treat them as friends!¡± She glanced from Jamie to me, frowning. ¡°The women he killed¡ªthey were your friends, no?¡±


    I exchanged a look with Jamie, and gave a slight shrug. He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, as he slowly stirred his soup. Then he laid down the spoon and looked at her.


    ¡°It was a fearful thing that Gerhard did,¡± he said simply. ¡°But it was a matter of vengeance to him; thinking as he did, he couldna have done otherwise. Would it make matters better for me to take vengeance on him?¡±


    ¡°Non,¡± Fergus said positively. He laid a hand on Marsali¡¯s arm, putting a stop to whatever she might have said next. He grinned up at her. ¡°Of course, Frenchmen do not believe in vengeance.¡±


    ¡°Well, perhaps some Frenchmen,¡± I murmured, thinking of the Comte St. Germain.


    Marsali wasn¡¯t to be put off so easily, though.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± she said. ¡°What ye mean is, they weren¡¯t yours, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seeing Jamie¡¯s brow flick up in startlement, she pressed the point. ¡°The women who were murdered. But if it were your family? If it had been me and Lizzie and Brianna, say?¡±


    ¡°That,¡± said Jamie evenly, ¡°is my point. It was Gerhard¡¯s family.¡± He pushed back from the table and stood up, leaving half his soup unfinished. ¡°Are ye done, Fergus?¡±


    Fergus cocked a sleek brow at him, picked up his bowl, and drank it down, Adam¡¯s apple bobbing in his long brown throat.


    ¡°Oui,¡± he said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. He stood and patted Marsali on the head, then plucked a strand of her straw-pale hair free of her kerch. ¡°Do not worry yourself, ch¨¦ri¡ªeven though I do not believe in vengeance, if anyone should hunt your hair, I promise I will make a tobacco pouch of his scrotum. And your papa will tie up his stockings with the malefactor¡¯s entrails, surely.¡±


    Marsali gave a small pfft! of irritated amusement and slapped at his hand, and no more was said about Gerhard Mueller.


    I lifted the heavy crock of headcheese and set it down by the door of the smokeshed, so as not to forget it when I went back to the house. I wondered whether Gerhard¡¯s son Frederick had come with him¡ªlikely so; the boy was less than twenty, not an age willing to be left out of anything that promised excitement. It was Frederick¡¯s young wife Petronella and her baby who had died¡ªof measles, though Gerhard had thought the infection a deliberate curse put on his family by the Tuscarora.


    Had Frederick found a new wife yet? I wondered. Very likely. Though if not . . . there were two teenaged girls among the new tenants. Perhaps Jamie¡¯s plans involved finding them fast husbands? And then there was Lizzie . . .


    The corncrib was more than three-quarters full, though there were worrying quantities of mouse droppings on the ground outside. Adso was growing rapidly, but perhaps not fast enough; he was just about the size of an average rat. Flour¡ªthat was a little low, only eight sacks. There might be more at the mill, though; I must ask Jamie.


    Sacks of rice and dried beans, bushels of hickory nuts, butternuts, and black walnuts. Heaps of dried squash, burlap bag of oatmeal and cornmeal, and gallon upon gallon of apple cider and cider vinegar. A crock of salted butter, another of fresh, and a basket of spherical goat cheeses, for which I had traded a bushel of blackberries and another of wild currants. The rest of the berries had been carefully dried, along with the wild grapes, or made up into jam or preserve, and were presently hidden in the pantry, safe¡ªI hoped¡ªfrom childish depredations.

 Page 58

    The honey. I stopped, pursing my lips. I had nearly twenty gallons of purified honey, and four large stone jars of honeycomb, gleaned from my hives and waiting to be rendered and made into beeswax candles. It was all kept in the walled cave that served as stable, in order to keep safe from bears. It wasn¡¯t safe from the children who had been deputed to feed the cows and pigs in the stable, though. I hadn¡¯t seen any telltale sticky fingers or faces yet, but it might be as well to take some preventative steps.


    Between meat, grain, and the small dairy, it looked as though no one would starve this winter. My concern now was the lesser but still important threat of vitamin deficiency. I glanced at the chestnut grove, its branches now completely bare. It would be a good four months before we saw much of fresh greenery, though I did have plenty of turnips and cabbage still in the ground.


    The root cellar was reassuringly well-stocked, heady with the earthy smell of potatoes, the tang of onions and garlic, and the wholesome, bland scent of turnips. Two large barrels of apples stood at the back¡ªwith the prints of several sets of childish feet leading up to them, I saw.


    I glanced up. Enormous clusters of wild scuppernong grapes had been hung from the rafters, drying slowly into raisins. They were still there, but the lower, more reachable bunches had been reduced to sprays of bare stems. Perhaps I needn¡¯t worry about outbreaks of scurvy, then.


    I wandered back toward the house, trying to calculate how many provisions should be sent with Jamie and his militia, how much left for the consumption of the wives and children. Impossible to say; that would depend in part on how many men he raised, and on what they might bring with them. He was appointed Colonel, though; the responsibility of feeding the men of his regiment would be primarily his, with reimbursement¡ªif it ever came¡ªto be paid later by appropriation of the Assembly.


    Not for the first time, I wished heartily that I knew more. How long might the Assembly be a functional body?


    Brianna was out by the well, walking round and round it with a meditative look furrowing her brows.


    ¡°Pipe,¡± she said, without preliminaries. ¡°Do people make metal piping now? The Romans did, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it in Paris and Edinburgh, being used to carry rain off roofs,¡± I offered. ¡°So it exists. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve seen any in the Colonies, though. If there is any, it will be terribly expensive.¡± Beyond the simplest of things, like horseshoes, all ironmongery had to be imported from Britain, as did all other metal goods like copper, brass, and lead.


    ¡°Hmm. At least they¡¯ll know what it is.¡± She narrowed her eyes, calculating the slope of land between well and house, then shook her head and sighed. ¡°I can make a pump, I think. Getting water into the house is something else.¡± She yawned suddenly, and blinked, eyes watering slightly in the sunlight. ¡°God, I¡¯m so tired, I can¡¯t think. Jemmy squawked all night and just when he finally conked out, the Muellers showed up¡ªI don¡¯t think I slept at all.¡±


    ¡°I recall the feeling,¡± I said, with sympathy¡ªand grinned.


    ¡°Was I a very cranky baby?¡± Brianna asked, grinning back.


    ¡°Very,¡± I assured her, turning toward the house. ¡°And where is yours?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s with¡ª¡±


    Brianna stopped dead, clutching my arm.


    ¡°What¡ª¡± she said. ¡°What in the name of God is that?¡±


    I turned to look, and felt a spasm of shock, deep in the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite evident what it is,¡± I said, walking slowly toward it. ¡°The question is¡ªwhy?¡±


    It was a cross. Rather a big cross, made of dried pine boughs, stripped of their twigs and bound together with rope. It was planted firmly at the edge of the dooryard, near the big blue spruce that guarded the house.


    It stood some seven feet in height, the branches slender, but solid. It was not bulky or obtrusive¡ªand yet its quiet presence seemed to dominate the dooryard, much as a tabernacle dominates a church. At the same time, the effect of the thing seemed neither reverent nor protective. In fact, it was bloody sinister.


    ¡°Are we having a revival meeting?¡± Brianna¡¯s mouth twitched, trying to make a joke of it. The cross made her as uneasy as it did me.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯ve heard of.¡± I walked slowly round it, looking up and down. Jamie had made it¡ªI could tell that by the quality of the workmanship. The branches had been chosen for straightness and symmetry, carefully trimmed, the ends tapered. The cross piece had been neatly notched to fit the upright, the rope binding crisscrossed with a sailor¡¯s neatness.


    ¡°Maybe Da¡¯s starting his own religion.¡± Brianna lifted a brow; she recognized the workmanship, too.


    Mrs. Bug appeared suddenly round the corner of the house, a bowl of chicken feed in her hands. She stopped dead at sight of us, her mouth opening immediately. I braced myself instinctively for the onslaught, and heard Brianna snicker under her breath.


    ¡°Och, there ye are, ma¡¯am! I was just sayin¡¯ to Lizzie as how it was a shame, a mortal shame it is, that those spawn should be riotin¡¯ upstairs and doon, and their nasty leavings scattered all about the hoose, and even in Herself¡¯s own stillroom, and she said to me, did Lizzie, she said¡ª¡±


    ¡°In my surgery? What? Where? What have they done?¡± Forgetting the cross, I was already hastening toward the house, Mrs. Bug hard on my heels, still talking.


    ¡°I did catch twa o¡¯ them wee de¡¯ils a-playin¡¯ at bowls in there with your nice blue bottles and an apple, and be sure I boxed their ears sae hard for it I¡¯m sure they¡¯re ringin¡¯ still, the wicked creeturs, and them a-leavin¡¯ bits of good food to rot and go bad, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°My bread!¡± I had reached the front hall, and now flung open the door of the surgery to find everything within spick-and-span¡ªincluding the countertop where I had laid out my most recent penicillin experiments. It now lay completely bare, its oaken surface scoured to rawness.


    ¡°Nasty it was,¡± Mrs. Bug said from the hall behind me. She pressed her lips together with prim virtue. ¡°Nasty! Covered wi¡¯ mold, just covered, all blue, and¡ª¡±


    I took a deep breath, hands clenched at my sides to avoid throttling her. I shut the surgery door, blotting out the sight of the empty counter, and turned to the tiny Scotswoman.


    ¡°Mrs. Bug,¡± I said, keeping my voice level with great effort, ¡°you know how much I appreciate your help, but I did ask you not to¡ª¡±


    The front door swung open and crashed into the wall beside me.


    ¡°Ye wretched auld besom! How dare ye to lay hands on my weans!¡±


    I swung round to find myself nose-to-nose with Mrs. Chisholm, face flushed with fury and armed with a broom, two red-faced toddlers clinging to her skirts, their cheeks smeared with recent tears. She ignored me completely, her attention focused on Mrs. Bug, who stood in the hallway on my other side, bristling like a diminutive hedgehog.


    ¡°You and your precious weans!¡± Mrs. Bug cried indignantly. ¡°Why, if ye cared a stitch for them, ye¡¯d be raisin¡¯ them proper and teachin¡¯ them right from wrong, not leavin¡¯ them to carouse about the hoose like Barbary apes, strewin¡¯ wreck and ruin from attic to doorstep, and layin¡¯ their sticky fingers on anything as isna nailed to the floor!¡±


    ¡°Now, Mrs. Bug, really, I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡± My attempt at peacemaking was drowned out by steam-whistle shrieks from all three Chisholms, Mrs. Chisholm¡¯s being by far the loudest.


    ¡°Who are you, to be callin¡¯ my bairns thieves, ye maundering auld nettercap!¡± The aggrieved mother waved the broom menacingly, moving from side to side as she tried to get at Mrs. Bug. I moved with her, hopping back and forth in an effort to stay between the two combatants.


    ¡°Mrs. Chisholm,¡± I said, raising a placating hand. ¡°Margaret. Really, I¡¯m sure that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who am I?¡± Mrs. Bug seemed to expand visibly, like rising dough. ¡°Who am I? Why, I¡¯m a God-fearin¡¯ woman and a Christian soul! Who are you to be speakin¡¯ to your elders and betters in such a way, you and your evil tribe a-traipsin¡¯ the hills in rags and tatters, wi¡¯out sae much as a pot to piss in?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Bug!¡± I exclaimed, whirling round to her. ¡°You mustn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Mrs. Chisholm didn¡¯t bother trying to find a rejoinder to this, but instead lunged forward, broom at the ready. I flung my arms out to prevent her shoving past me; finding herself foiled in her attempt to swat Mrs. Bug, she instead began poking at her over my shoulder, jabbing wildly with the broom as she tried to skewer the older woman.


    Mrs. Bug, obviously feeling herself safe behind the barricade of my person, was hopping up and down like a Ping-Pong ball, her small round face bright red with triumph and fury.


    ¡°Beggars!¡± she shouted, at the top of her lungs. ¡°Tinkers! Gypsies!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Chisholm! Mrs. Bug!¡± I pleaded, but neither paid the least attention.


    ¡°Kittock! Mislearnit pilsh!¡± bellowed Mrs. Chisholm, jabbing madly with her broom. The children shrieked and yowled, and Mrs. Chisholm¡ªwho was a rather buxom woman¡ªtrod heavily on my toe.


    This came under the heading of more than enough, and I rounded on Mrs. Chisholm with fire in my eye. She shrank back, dropping the broom.


    ¡°Ha! Ye pert trull! You and¡ª¡±


    Mrs. Bug¡¯s shrill cries behind me were suddenly silenced, and I whirled round again to see Brianna, who had evidently run round the house and come in through the kitchen, holding the diminutive Mrs. Bug well off the floor, one arm round her middle, the other hand firmly pressed across her mouth. Mrs. Bug¡¯s tiny feet kicked wildly, her eyes bulging above the muffling hand. Bree rolled her eyes at me, and retreated through the kitchen door, carrying her captive.


    I turned round to deal with Mrs. Chisholm, only to see the flick of her homespun gray skirt, disappearing hastily round the corner of the doorstep, a child¡¯s wail receding like a distant siren. The broom lay at my feet. I picked it up, went into the surgery, and shut the door behind me.


    I closed my eyes, hands braced on the empty counter. I felt a sudden, irrational urge to hit something¡ªand did. I slammed my fist on the counter, pounded it again and again with the meaty side of my hand, but it was built so solidly that my blows made scarcely any sound, and I stopped, panting.


    What on earth was the matter with me? Annoying as Mrs. Bug¡¯s interference was, it was not critical. Neither was Mrs. Chisholm¡¯s maternal pugnacity¡ªshe and her little fiends would be gone from the house sooner or later. Sooner, I hoped.


    My heart had begun to slow a little, but prickles of irritation still ran over my skin like nettle rash. I tried to shake it off, opening the big cupboard to assure myself that neither Mrs. Bug¡¯s nor the children¡¯s depredations had harmed anything truly important.


    No, it was all right. Each glass bottle had been polished to a jewellike gleam¡ªthe sunlight caught them in a blaze of blue and green and crystal¡ªbut each had been put back exactly in its place, each neatly written label turned forward. The gauzy bundles of dried herbs had been shaken free of dust, but carefully hung back on their nails.

 Page 59

    The sight of the assembled medicines was calming. I touched a jar of anti-louse ointment, feeling a miser¡¯s sense of gratification at the number and variety of bags and jars and bottles.


    Alcohol lamp, alcohol bottle, microscope, large amputation saw, jar of sutures, box of plasters, packet of cobweb¡ªall were arrayed with military precision, drawn up in ranks like ill-assorted recruits under the eye of a drill sergeant. Mrs. Bug might have the flaws of her greatness, but I couldn¡¯t help but admit her virtue as a housekeeper.


    The only thing in the cabinet that plainly hadn¡¯t been touched was a tiny leather bag, the amulet given to me by the Tuscaroran shaman Nayawenne; that lay askew in a corner by itself. Interesting that Mrs. Bug wouldn¡¯t touch that, I thought; I had never told her what it was, though it did look Indian, with the feathers¡ªfrom raven and woodpecker¡ªthrust through the knot. Less than a year in the Colonies, and less than a month in the wilderness, Mrs. Bug regarded all things Indian with acute suspicion.


    The odor of lye soap hung in the air, reproachful as a housekeeper¡¯s ghost. I supposed I couldn¡¯t really blame her; moldy bread, rotted melon, and mushy apple slices might be research to me; to Mrs. Bug, they could be nothing but a calculated offense to the god of cleanliness.


    I sighed and closed the cupboard, adding the faint perfume of dried lavender and the skunk scent of pennyroyal to the ghosts of lye and rotted apples. I had lost experimental preparations many times before, and this one had not been either complex or in a greatly advanced state. It would take no more than half an hour to replace it, setting out fresh bits of bread and other samples. I wouldn¡¯t do it, though; there wasn¡¯t enough time. Jamie was clearly beginning to gather his militiamen; it could be no more than a few days before they would depart for Salisbury, to report to Governor Tryon. Before we would depart¡ªfor I certainly meant to accompany them.


    It occurred to me, quite suddenly, that there hadn¡¯t been enough time to finish the experiment when I had set it up to begin with. I had known we would leave soon; even if I got immediate good growth, I would not have had time to collect, dry, purify . . . I¡¯d known that, consciously¡ªand yet I had done it anyway, gone right on with my plans, pursuing my routines, as though life were still settled and predictable, as though nothing whatever might threaten the tenor of my days. As though acting might make it true.


    ¡°You really are a fool, Beauchamp,¡± I murmured, pushing a curl of hair tiredly behind one ear. I went out, shutting the door of the surgery firmly behind me, and went to negotiate peace between Mrs. Bug and Mrs. Chisholm.


    SUPERFICIALLY, peace in the house was restored, but an atmosphere of uneasiness remained. The women went about their work tense and tight-lipped; even Lizzie, the soul of patience, was heard to say ¡°Tcha!¡± when one of the children spilled a pan of buttermilk across the steps.


    Even outside, the air seemed to crackle, as though a lightning storm were near. As I went to and fro from sheds to house, I kept glancing over my shoulder at the sky above Roan Mountain, half-expecting to see the loom of thunderheads¡ªand yet the sky was still the pale slate-blue of late autumn, clouded with nothing more than the wisps of mare¡¯s tails.


    I found myself distracted, unable to settle to anything. I drifted from one task to another, leaving a pile of onions half-braided in the pantry, a bowl of beans half-shelled on the stoop, a pair of torn breeks lying on the settle, needle dangling from its thread. Again and again, I found myself crossing the yard, coming from nowhere in particular, bound upon no specific errand.


    I glanced up each time I passed the cross, as though expecting it either to have disappeared since my last trip, or to have acquired some explanatory notice, neatly pinned to the wood. If not Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, then something. But no. The cross remained, two simple sticks of pinewood, bound together by a rope. Nothing more. Except, of course, that a cross is always something more. I just didn¡¯t know what it might be, this time.


    Everyone else seemed to share my distraction. Mrs. Bug, disedified by the conflict with Mrs. Chisholm, declined to make any lunch, and retired to her room, ostensibly suffering from headache, though she refused to let me treat it. Lizzie, normally a fine hand with food, burned the stew, and billows of black smoke stained the oak beams above the hearth.


    At least the Muellers were safely out of the way. They had brought a large cask of beer with them, and had retired after breakfast back to Brianna¡¯s cabin, where they appeared to be entertaining themselves very nicely.


    The bread refused to rise. Jemmy had begun a new tooth, a hard one, and screamed and screamed and screamed. The incessant screeching twisted everyone¡¯s nerves to the snapping point, including mine. I should have liked to suggest that Bree take him away somewhere out of earshot, but I saw the deep smudges of fatigue under her eyes and the strain on her face, and hadn¡¯t the heart. Mrs. Chisholm, tried by the constant battles of her own offspring, had no such compunction.


    ¡°For God¡¯s sake, why do ye no tak¡¯ that bairn awa to your own cabin, lass?¡± she snapped. ¡°If he mun greet so, there¡¯s no need for us all to hear it!¡±


    Bree¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously.


    ¡°Because,¡± she hissed, ¡°your two oldest sons are sitting in my cabin, drinking with the Germans. I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb them!¡±


    Mrs. Chisholm¡¯s face went bright red. Before she could speak, I quickly stepped forward and snatched the baby away from Bree.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him out for a bit of a walk, shall I?¡± I said, hoisting him onto my shoulder. ¡°I could use some fresh air. Why don¡¯t you go up and lie down on my bed for a bit, darling?¡± I said to Bree. ¡°You look just a little tired.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± she said. One corner of her mouth twitched. ¡°And the Pope¡¯s a little bit Catholic, too. Thanks, Mama.¡± She kissed Jemmy¡¯s hot, wet cheek, and vanished toward the stairwell.


    Mrs. Chisholm scowled horridly after her, but caught my eye, coughed, and called to her three-year-old twins, who were busily demolishing my sewing basket.


    The cold air outside was a relief, after the hot, smoky confines of the kitchen, and Jemmy quieted a little, though he continued to squirm and whine. He rubbed his hot, damp face against my neck, and gnawed ferociously on the cloth of my shawl, fussing and drooling.


    I paced slowly to and fro, patting him gently and humming ¡°Lilibuleero¡± under my breath. I found the exercise soothing, in spite of Jemmy¡¯s crankiness. There was only one of him, after all, and he couldn¡¯t talk.


    ¡°You¡¯re a male, too,¡± I said to him, pulling his woolen cap over the soft bright down that feathered his skull. ¡°As a sex, you have your defects, but I will say that catfighting isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    Fond as I was of individual women¡ªBree, Marsali, Lizzie, and even Mrs. Bug¡ªI had to admit that taken en masse, I found men much easier to deal with. Whether this was the fault of my rather unorthodox upbringing¡ªI had been raised largely by my Uncle Lamb and his Persian manservant, Firouz¡ªmy experiences in the War, or simply an aspect of my own unconventional personality, I found men soothingly logical and¡ªwith a few striking exceptions¡ªpleasingly direct.


    I turned to look at the house. It stood serene amid the spruce and chestnut trees, elegantly proportioned, soundly built. A face showed at one of the windows. The face stuck out its tongue and pressed flat against the pane, crossing its eyes above squashed nose and cheeks. High-pitched feminine voices and the sound of banging came to me faintly through the cold, clean air.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said.


    Reluctant as I was to leave home again so soon, and little as I liked the idea of Jamie being involved in armed conflicts of any kind, the thought of going off to live in the company of twenty or thirty unshaven, reeking men for a week or two had developed a certain undeniable attraction. If it meant sleeping on the ground . . .


    ¡°Into each life some rain must fall,¡± I told Jemmy with a sigh. ¡°But I suppose you¡¯re just learning that now, aren¡¯t you, poor thing?¡±


    ¡°Gnnnh!¡± he said, and drew himself up into a ball to escape the pain of his emergent teeth, his knees digging painfully into my side. I settled him more comfortably on my hip, and gave him an index finger to chew on. His gums were hard and knobbly; I could feel the tender spot where the new tooth was coming in, swollen and hot under the skin. A piercing shriek came from the house, followed by the sound of shouts and running feet.


    ¡°You know,¡± I said conversationally, ¡°I think a bit of whisky would be just the thing for that, don¡¯t you?¡± and withdrawing the finger, I tucked Jemmy up against my shoulder. I ducked past the cross and into the shelter of the big red spruce¡ªjust in time, as the door of the house burst open and Mrs. Bug¡¯s penetrating voice rose like a trumpet on the chilly air.


    IT WAS A LONG WAY to the whisky clearing, but I didn¡¯t mind. It was blessedly quiet in the forest, and Jemmy, lulled by the movement, finally relaxed into a doze, limp and heavy as a little sandbag in my arms.


    So late in the year, all the deciduous trees had lost their leaves; the trail was ankle-deep in a crackling carpet of brown and gold, and maple seeds whirled past on the wind, brushing my skirt with a whisper of wings. A raven flew past, high above. It gave an urgent, raucous cry, and the baby jerked in my arms.


    ¡°Hush,¡± I said, hugging him close. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, lovey; just a bird.¡±


    Still, I looked after the raven, and listened for another. They were birds of portent¡ªor so said Highland superstition. One raven was an omen of change; two were good fortune; three were ill. I tried to dismiss such notions from my mind¡ªbut Nayawenne had told me the raven was my guide, my spirit animal¡ªand I never saw the big, black shadows pass overhead without a certain shiver up the spine.


    Jemmy stirred, gave a brief squawk, and fell back into silence. I patted him and resumed my climb, wondering as I made my way slowly up the mountain, what animal might be his guide?


    The animal spirit chose you, Nayawenne told me, not the other way around. You must pay careful attention to signs and portents, and wait for your animal to manifest itself to you. Ian¡¯s animal was the wolf; Jamie¡¯s the bear¡ªor so the Tuscarora said. I had wondered at the time what one was supposed to do if chosen by something ignominious like a shrew or a dung beetle, but was too polite to ask.


    Only one raven. I could still hear it, though it was out of sight, but no echoing cry came from the firs behind me. An omen of change.


    ¡°You could have saved yourself the trouble,¡± I said to it, under my breath so as not to wake the baby. ¡°Hardly as though I needed telling, is it?¡±


    I climbed slowly, listening to the sigh of the wind and the deeper sound of my own breath. At this season, change was in the air itself, the scents of ripeness and death borne on the breeze, and the breath of winter in its chill. Still, the rhythms of the turning earth brought change that was expected, ordained; body and mind met it with knowledge and¡ªon the whole¡ªwith peace. The changes coming were of a different order, and one calculated to disturb the soul.


    I glanced back at the house; from this height, I could see only the corner of the roof, and the drifting smoke from the chimney.

 Page 60

    ¡°What do you think?¡± I said softly, Jemmy¡¯s head beneath my chin, round and warm in its knitted cap. ¡°Will it be yours? Will you live here, and your children after you?¡±


    It would be a very different life, I thought, from the one he might have led. If Brianna had risked the stones to take him back¡ªbut she had not, and so the little boy¡¯s fate lay here. Had she thought of that? I wondered. That by staying, she chose not only for herself, but him? Chose war and ignorance, disease and danger, but had risked all that, for the sake of his father¡ªfor Roger. I was not entirely sure it had been the right choice¡ªbut it hadn¡¯t been my choice to make.


    Still, I reflected, there was no way of imagining beforehand what having a child was like¡ªno power of the mind was equal to the knowledge of just what the birth of a child could do, wresting lives and wrenching hearts.


    ¡°And a good thing, too,¡± I said to Jemmy. ¡°No one in their right mind would do it, otherwise.¡±


    My sense of agitation had faded by now, soothed by the wind and the peace of the leafless wood. The whisky clearing, as we called it, was hidden from the trail. Jamie had spent days searching the slopes above the Ridge, before finding a spot that met his requirements.


    Or spots, rather. The malting floor was built in a small clearing at the foot of a hollow; the still was farther up the mountain in a clearing of its own, near a small spring that provided fresh, clear water. The malting floor was out of direct sight of the trail, but not difficult to get to.


    ¡°No point in hiding it,¡± Jamie had said, explaining his choice to me, ¡°when anyone wi¡¯ a nose could walk to it blindfolded.¡±


    True enough; even now, when there was no grain actively fermenting in the shed or toasting on the floor, a faintly fecund, smoky scent lingered in the air. When grain was ¡°working,¡± the musty, pungent scent of fermentation was perceptible at a distance, but when the sprouting barley was spread on the floor above a slow fire, a thin haze of smoke hung over the clearing, and the smell was strong enough to reach Fergus¡¯s cabin, when the wind was right.


    No one was at the malting floor now, of course. When a new batch was working, either Marsali or Fergus would be here to tend it, but for the moment, the roofed floor lay empty, smooth boards darkened to gray by use and weather. There was a neat stack of firewood piled nearby, though, ready for use.


    I went close enough to see what sort of wood it was; Fergus liked hickory, both because it split more easily, and for the sweet taste it gave the malted grain. Jamie, deeply traditional in his approach to whisky, would use nothing but oak. I touched a chunk of split wood; wide grain, light wood, thin bark. I smiled. Jamie had been here recently, then.


    Normally, a small keg of whisky was kept at the malting floor, both for the sake of hospitality and caution. ¡°If someone should come upon the lass alone there, best she have something to give them,¡± Jamie had said. ¡°It¡¯s known what we do there; best no one should try to make Marsali tell them where the brew is.¡± It wasn¡¯t the best whisky¡ªgenerally a very young, raw spirit¡ªbut certainly good enough either for uninvited visitors or a teething child.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t got any taste buds yet, anyway, so what¡¯s the odds?¡± I murmured to Jemmy, who stirred and smacked his lips in his sleep, screwing up his tiny face in a scowl.


    I hunted about, but there was no sign of the small whisky keg either in its usual place behind the bags of barley or inside the pile of firewood. Perhaps taken away for refilling, perhaps stolen. No great matter, in either case.


    I turned to the north, past the malting floor, took ten steps and turned right. The stone of the mountain jutted out here, a solid block of granite thrusting upward from the growth of turpelo and buttonbush. Only it wasn¡¯t solid. Two slabs of stone leaned together, the open crack below them masked by holly bushes. I pulled my shawl over Jemmy¡¯s face to protect him from the sharp-edged leaves, and squeezed carefully behind them, ducking down to go through the cleft.


    The stone face fell away in a crumple of huge boulders on the far side of the cleft, with saplings and undergrowth sprouting willy-nilly in the crevices between the rocks. From below, it looked impassable, but from above, a faint trail was visible, threading down to another small clearing. Hardly a clearing; no more than a gap in the trees, where a clear spring bubbled from the rock and disappeared again into the earth. In summer, it was invisible even from above, shielded by the leafy growth of the trees around it.


    Now, on the verge of winter, the white glimmer of the rock by the spring was easily visible through the leafless scrim of alder and mountain ash. Jamie had found a large, pale boulder, and rolled it to the head of the spring, where he had scratched the form of a cross upon it, and said a prayer, consecrating the spring to our use. I had thought at the time of making a joke equating whisky with holy water¡ªthinking of Father Kenneth and the baptisms¡ªbut had on second thoughts refrained; I wasn¡¯t so sure Jamie would think it a joke.


    I made my way cautiously down the slope, the faint trail leading through the boulders, and finally round an outcrop of rock, before debouching into the spring clearing. I was warm from the walking, but it was cold enough to numb my fingers where I gripped the edges of my shawl. And Jamie was standing at the edge of the spring in nothing but his shirt.


    I stopped dead, hidden by a scrubby growth of evergreens.


    It wasn¡¯t his state of undress that halted me, but rather something in the look of him. He looked tired, but that was only reasonable, since he had been up and gone so early.


    The ragged breeks he wore for riding lay puddled on the ground nearby, his belt and its impedimenta neatly coiled beside them. My eye caught a dark blotch of color, half-hidden in the grass beyond; the blue and brown cloth of his hunting kilt. As I watched, he pulled the shirt over his head and dropped it, then knelt down nak*d by the spring and splashed water over his arms and face.


    His clothes were mud-streaked from riding, but he wasn¡¯t filthy, by any means. A simple hand-and-face wash would have sufficed, I thought¡ªand could have been accomplished in much greater comfort by the kitchen hearth.


    He stood up, though, and taking the small bucket from the edge of the spring, scooped up cold water and poured it deliberately over himself, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth as it streamed down his chest and legs. I could see his balls draw up tight against his body, looking for shelter as the icy water sluiced through the auburn bush of his pubic hair and dripped off his cock.


    ¡°Your grandfather has lost his bloody mind,¡± I whispered to Jemmy, who stirred and grimaced in his sleep, but took no note of ancestral idiosyncrasies.


    I knew Jamie wasn¡¯t totally impervious to cold; I could see him gasp and shudder from where I stood in the shelter of the rock, and I shivered in sympathy. A Highlander born and bred, he simply didn¡¯t regard cold, hunger, or general discomfort as anything to take account of. Even so, this seemed to be taking cleanliness to an extreme.


    He took a deep, gasping breath, and poured water over himself a second time. When he bent to scoop up the third bucketful, it began to dawn on me what he was doing.


    A surgeon scrubs before operating for the sake of cleanliness, of course, but that isn¡¯t all there is to it. The ritual of soaping the hands, scrubbing the nails, rinsing the skin, repeated and repeated to the point of pain, is as much a mental activity as a physical one. The act of washing oneself in this obsessive way serves to focus the mind and prepare the spirit; one is washing away external preoccupation, sloughing petty distraction, just as surely as one scrubs away germs and dead skin.


    I had done it often enough to recognize this particular ritual when I saw it. Jamie was not merely washing; he was cleansing himself, using the cold water not only as solvent but as mortification. He was preparing himself for something, and the notion made a small, cold trickle run down my own spine, chilly as the spring water.


    Sure enough, after the third bucketful, he set it down and shook himself, droplets flying from the wet ends of his hair into the dry grass like a spatter of rain. No more than half-dry, he pulled the shirt back over his head, and turned to the west, where the sun lay low between the mountains. He stood still for a moment¡ªvery still.


    The light streamed through the leafless trees, bright enough that from where I stood, I could see him now only in silhouette, light glowing through the damp linen of his shirt, the darkness of his body a shadow within. He stood with his head lifted, shoulders up, a man listening.


    For what? I tried to still my own breathing, and pressed the baby¡¯s capped head gently into my shoulder, to keep him from waking. I listened, too.


    I could hear the sound of the woods, a constant soft sigh of needle and branch. There was little wind, and I could hear the water of the spring nearby, a muted rush past stone and root. I heard quite clearly the beating of my own heart, and Jemmy¡¯s breath against my neck, and suddenly I felt afraid, as though the sounds were too loud, as though they might draw the attention of something dangerous to us.


    I froze, not moving at all, trying not to breathe, and like a rabbit under a bush, to become part of the wood around me. Jemmy¡¯s pulse beat blue, a tender vein across his temple, and I bent my head over him, to hide it.


    Jamie said something aloud in Gaelic. It sounded like a challenge¡ªor perhaps a greeting. The words seemed vaguely familiar¡ªbut there was no one there; the clearing was empty. The air felt suddenly colder, as though the light had dimmed; a cloud crossing the face of the sun, I thought, and looked up¡ªbut there were no clouds; the sky was clear. Jemmy moved suddenly in my arms, startled, and I clutched him tighter, willing him to make no sound.


    Then the air stirred, the cold faded, and my sense of apprehension passed. Jamie hadn¡¯t moved. Now the tension went out of him, and his shoulders relaxed. He moved just a little, and the setting sun lit his shirt in a nimbus of gold, and caught his hair in a blaze of sudden fire.


    He took his dirk from its discarded sheath, and with no hesitation, drew the edge across the fingers of his right hand. I could see the thin dark line across his fingertips, and bit my lips. He waited a moment for the blood to well up, then shook his hand with a sudden hard flick of the wrist, so that droplets of blood flew from his fingers and struck the standing stone at the head of the pool.


    He laid the dirk beneath the stone, and crossed himself with the blood-streaked fingers of his right hand. He knelt then, very slowly, and bowed his head over folded hands.


    I¡¯d seen him pray now and then, of course, but always in public, or at least with the knowledge that I was there. Now he plainly thought himself alone, and to watch him kneeling so, stained with blood and his soul given over, made me feel that I spied on an act more private than any intimacy of the body. I would have moved or spoken, and yet to interrupt seemed a sort of desecration. I kept silent, but found I was no longer a spectator; my own mind had turned to prayer unintended.


    Oh, Lord, the words formed themselves in my mind, without conscious thought, I commend to you the soul of your servant James. Help him, please. And dimly thought, but help him with what?


    Then he crossed himself, and rose, and time started again, without my having noticed it had stopped. I was moving down the hillside toward him, grass brushing my skirt, with no memory of having taken the first step. I didn¡¯t recall his rising, but Jamie was walking toward me, not looking surprised, but his face filled with light at sight of us.

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    ¡°Mo chridhe,¡± he said softly, smiling, and bent to kiss me. His beard stubble was rough and his skin still chilled, fresh with water.


    ¡°You¡¯d better put your trousers on,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll freeze.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do. Ciamar a tha thu, an gille ruaidh?¡±


    To my surprise, Jemmy was awake and drooling, eyes wide blue in a rose-leaf face, all hint of temper gone without a trace. He leaned, twisting to reach for Jamie, who lifted him gently from my arms and cradled him against a shoulder, pulling the woolly cap down snugly over his ears.


    ¡°We¡¯re starting a tooth,¡± I told Jamie. ¡°He wasn¡¯t very comfortable, so I thought perhaps a bit of whisky on his gums . . . there wasn¡¯t any in the house.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye. We can manage that, I think. There¡¯s a bit in my flask.¡± Carrying the baby to the spot where his clothes lay, he bent and rummaged one-handed, coming up with the dented pewter flask he carried on his belt.


    He sat on a rock, balancing Jemmy on his knee, and handed me the flask to open.


    ¡°I went to the mash house,¡± I said, pulling the cork with a soft pop, ¡°but the cask was gone.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Fergus has it. Here, I¡¯ll do it; my hands are clean.¡± He held out his left index finger, and I dribbled a bit of the spirit onto it.


    ¡°What¡¯s Fergus doing with it?¡± I asked, settling myself on the rock beside him.


    ¡°Keeping it,¡± he said, uninformatively. He stuck the finger in Jemmy¡¯s mouth, gently rubbing at the swollen gum. ¡°Oh, there it is. Aye, that hurts a bit, doesn¡¯t it? Ouch!¡± He reached down and gingerly disentangled Jemmy¡¯s fingers from their grip on the hairs of his chest.


    ¡°Speaking of that . . .¡± I said, and reached out to take his right hand. Shifting his other arm to keep hold of Jemmy, he let me take the hand and turn his fingers upward.


    It was a very shallow cut, just across the tips of the first three fingers¡ªthe fingers with which he had crossed himself. The blood had already clotted, but I dribbled a bit more of the whisky over the cuts and cleaned the smears of blood from his palm with my handkerchief.


    He let me tend him in silence, but when I finished and looked up at him, he met my eyes with a faint smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Sassenach,¡± he said.


    ¡°Is it?¡± I said. I searched his face; he looked tired, but tranquil. The slight frown I had seen between his brows for the last few days was gone. Whatever he was about, he had begun it.


    ¡°Ye saw, then?¡± he asked quietly, reading my own face.


    ¡°Yes. Is it¡ªit¡¯s to do with the cross in the dooryard, is it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, in a way, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°What is it for?¡± I asked bluntly.


    He pursed his lips, rubbing gently at Jemmy¡¯s sore gum. At last he said, ¡°Ye never saw Dougal MacKenzie call the clan, did you?¡±


    I was more than startled at this, but answered cautiously.


    ¡°No. I saw Colum do it once¡ªat the oath-taking at Leoch.¡±


    He nodded, the memory of that long-ago night of torches deep in his eyes.


    ¡°Aye,¡± he said softly. ¡°I mind that. Colum was chief, and the men would come when he summoned them, surely. But it was Dougal who led them to war.¡±


    He paused a moment, gathering his thoughts.


    ¡°There were raids, now and again. That was a different thing, and often no more than a fancy that took Dougal or Rupert, maybe an urge born of drink or boredom¡ªa small band out for the fun of it, as much as for cattle or grain. But to gather the clan for war, all the fighting men¡ªthat was a rarer thing. I only saw it the once, myself, but it¡¯s no a sight ye would forget.¡±


    The cross of pinewood had been there when he woke one morning at the castle, surprising him as he crossed the courtyard. The inhabitants of Leoch were up and about their business as usual, but no one glanced at the cross or referred to it in any way. Even so, there were undercurrents of excitement running through the castle.


    The men stood here and there in knots, talking in undertones, but when he joined a group, the talk shifted at once to desultory conversation.


    ¡°I was Colum¡¯s nephew, aye, but newly come to the castle, and they kent my sire and grandsire.¡± Jamie¡¯s paternal grandfather had been Simon, Lord Lovat¡ªchief of the Frasers of Lovat, and no great friend of the MacKenzies of Leoch.


    ¡°I couldna tell what was afoot, but something was; the hair on my arms prickled whenever I caught someone¡¯s eye.¡± At last, he had made his way to the stable, and found Old Alec, Colum¡¯s Master of Horse. The old man had been fond of Ellen MacKenzie, and was kind to the son for his mother¡¯s sake, as well as his own.


    ¡°¡¯Tis the fiery cross, lad,¡± he¡¯d told Jamie, tossing him a currycomb and jerking his head toward the stalls. ¡°Ye¡¯ll not ha¡¯ seen it before?¡±


    It was auld, he¡¯d said, one of the ways that had been followed for hundreds of years, no one quite knowing where it had started, who had done it first or why.


    ¡°When a Hielan¡¯ chief will call his men to war,¡± the old man had said, deftly running his gnarled hand through a knotted mane, ¡°he has a cross made, and sets it afire. It¡¯s put out at once, ken, wi¡¯ blood or wi¡¯ water¡ªbut still it¡¯s called the fiery cross, and it will be carried through the glens and corries, a sign to the men of the clan to fetch their weapons and come to the gathering place, prepared for battle.¡±


    ¡°Aye?¡± Jamie had said, feeling excitement hollow his belly. ¡°And who do we fight, then? Where do we ride?¡±


    The old man¡¯s grizzled brow had crinkled in amused approval at that ¡°we.¡±


    ¡°Ye follow where your chieftain leads ye, lad. But tonight, it will be the Grants we go against.¡±


    ¡°It was, too,¡± Jamie said. ¡°Though not that night. When darkness came, Dougal lit the cross and called the clan. He doused the burnin¡¯ wood wi¡¯ sheep¡¯s blood¡ªand two men rode out of the courtyard wi¡¯ the fiery cross, to take it through the mountains. Four days later, there were three hundred men in that courtyard, armed wi¡¯ swords, pistols, and dirks¡ªand at dawn on the fifth day, we rode to make war on the Grants.¡±


    His finger was still in the baby¡¯s mouth, his eyes distant as he remembered.


    ¡°That was the first time I used my sword against another man,¡± he said. ¡°I mind it well.¡±


    ¡°I expect you do,¡± I murmured. Jemmy was beginning to squirm and fuss again; I reached across and lifted him into my own lap to check¡ªsure enough, his clout was wet. Luckily, I had another, tucked into my belt for convenience. I laid him out across my knee to change.


    ¡°And so this cross in our dooryard . . .¡± I said delicately, eyes on my work. ¡°To do with the militia, is it?¡±


    Jamie sighed, and I could see the shadows of memory moving behind his eyes.


    ¡°Aye,¡± he said. ¡°Once, I could have called, and the men would come without question¡ªbecause they were mine. Men of my blood, men of my land.¡±


    His eyes were hooded, looking out over the mountainside that rose up before us. I thought he did not see the wooded heights of the Carolina wilderness, though; rather, the scoured mountains and rocky crofts of Lallybroch. I laid my free hand on his wrist; the skin was cold, but I could feel the heat of him, just below the surface, like a fever rising.


    ¡°They came for you¡ªbut you came for them, Jamie. You came for them at Culloden. You took them there¡ªand you brought them back.¡±


    Ironic, I thought, that the men who had come then to serve at his summons were for the most part still safe at home in Scotland. No part of the Highlands had been untouched by war¡ªbut Lallybroch and its people were for the most part still whole¡ªbecause of Jamie.


    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s so.¡± He turned to look at me, and a rueful smile touched his face. His hand tightened on mine for a moment, then relaxed, and the line deepened again between his brows. He waved a hand toward the mountains around us.


    ¡°But these men¡ªthere is no debt of blood between them and me. They are not Frasers; I am not born either laird or chief to them. If they come to fight at my call, it will be of their own will.¡±


    ¡°Well, that,¡± I said dryly, ¡°and Governor Tryon¡¯s.¡±


    He shook his head at that.


    ¡°Nay, not that. Will the Governor ken which men are here, or which ones come to meet his summons?¡± He grimaced slightly. ¡°He kens me¡ªand that will do nicely.¡±


    I had to admit the truth of this. Tryon would neither know nor care whom Jamie brought¡ªonly that he appeared, with a satisfactory number of men behind him, ready to do the Governor¡¯s dirty work.


    I pondered that for a moment, patting Jemmy¡¯s bottom dry with the hem of my skirt. All I knew of the American Revolution were the things I had heard at second hand from Brianna¡¯s schoolbooks¡ªand I, of all people, knew just how great the gap could be between written history and the reality.


    Also, we had lived in Boston, and the schoolbooks naturally reflected local history. The general impression one got from reading about Lexington and Concord and the like was that the militia involved every able-bodied man in the community, all of whom sprang into action at the first hint of alarm, eager to perform their civic duty. Perhaps they did, perhaps not¡ªbut the Carolina backcountry wasn¡¯t Boston, not by a long chalk.


    ¡°. . . ready to ride and spread the alarm,¡± I said, half under my breath, ¡°to every Middlesex village and farm.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jamie¡¯s brows shot up. ¡°Where¡¯s Middlesex?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯d think it was halfway between male and female,¡± I said, ¡°but it¡¯s really just the area round Boston. Though of course that¡¯s named after the one in England.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± he said, looking bewildered. ¡°Aye, if ye say so, Sassenach. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Militia.¡± I lifted Jemmy, who was bucking and squirming like a landed fish, making noises of extreme protest at being forcibly diapered. He kicked me in the stomach. ¡°Oh, give over, child, do.¡±


    Jamie reached over and took the baby under the arms, hoisting him from my lap.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll have him. Does he need more whisky?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but at least he can¡¯t squawk if your finger¡¯s in his mouth.¡± I relinquished Jemmy with some relief, returning to my train of thought.


    ¡°Boston¡¯s been settled for more than a hundred years, even now,¡± I said. ¡°It has villages and farms¡ªand the farms aren¡¯t all that far from the villages. People have been living there for a long time; everyone knows each other.¡±


    Jamie was nodding patiently at each of these startling revelations, trusting that I would eventually come to some point. Which I did, only to discover that it was the same point he¡¯d been making to me.


    ¡°So when someone musters militia there,¡± I said, suddenly seeing what he¡¯d been telling me all along, ¡°they come, because they¡¯re accustomed to fighting together to defend their towns and because no man would want to be thought a coward by his neighbors. But here . . .¡± I bit my lip, contemplating the soaring mountains all around us.

 Page 62

    ¡°Aye,¡± he said, nodding, seeing the realization dawn in my face. ¡°It¡¯s different here.¡±


    There was no settlement large enough to be called a town within a hundred miles, save the German Lutherans at Salem. Bar that, there was nothing in the backcountry but scattered homesteads; sometimes a place where a family had settled and spread, brothers or cousins building houses within sight of one another. Small settlements and distant cabins, some hidden in the mountain hollows, screened by laurels, where the residents might not see another white face for months¡ªor years¡ªat a time.


    The sun had sunk below the angled slope of the mountain, but the light still lingered, a brief wash of color that stained the trees and rocks gold around us and flushed the distant peaks with blue and violet. There were living creatures in that cold, brilliant landscape, I knew, habitations nearby and warm bodies stirring; but so far as the eye could see, nothing moved.


    Mountain settlers would go without question to help a neighbor¡ªbecause they might as easily require such help themselves at any moment. There was, after all, no one else to turn to.


    But they had never fought for a common purpose, had nothing in common to defend. And to abandon their homesteads and leave their families without defense, in order to serve the whim of a distant governor? A vague notion of duty might compel a few; a few would go from curiosity, from restlessness, or in the vague hope of gain. But most would go only if they were called by a man they respected; a man that they trusted.


    I am not born either laird or chief to them, he¡¯d said. Not born to them, no¡ªbut born to it, nonetheless. He could, if he wished, make himself chief.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked softly. ¡°Why will you do it?¡± The shadows were rising from the rocks, slowly drowning the light.


    ¡°Do you not see?¡± One eyebrow lifted as he turned his head to me. ¡°Ye told me what would happen at Culloden¡ªand I believed ye, Sassenach, fearful as it was. The men of Lallybroch came home safe as much because of you as because of me.¡±


    That was not entirely true; any man who had marched to Nairn with the Highland army would have known that disaster lay somewhere ahead. Still . . . I had been able to help in some small way, to make sure that Lallybroch was prepared, not only for the battle, but its aftermath. The small weight of guilt that I always felt when I thought of the Rising lifted slightly, easing my heart.


    ¡°Well, perhaps. But what¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ye¡¯ve told me what will happen here, Sassenach. You and Brianna and MacKenzie, all three. Rebellion, and war¡ªand this time . . . victory.¡±


    Victory. I nodded numbly, remembering what I knew of wars and the cost of victory. It was, however, better than defeat.


    ¡°Well, then.¡± He stooped to pick up his dirk, and gestured with it to the mountains around us. ¡°I have sworn an oath to the Crown; if I break it in time of war, I am a traitor. My land is forfeit¡ªand my life¡ªand those who follow me will share my fate. True?¡±


    ¡°True.¡± I swallowed, hugging my arms tight around me, wishing I still held Jemmy. Jamie turned to face me, his eyes hard and bright.


    ¡°But the Crown willna prevail, this time. Ye¡¯ve told me. And if the King is overthrown¡ªwhat then of my oath? If I have kept it, then I am traitor to the rebel cause.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, rather faintly.


    ¡°Ye see? At some point, Tryon and the King will lose their power over me¡ªbut I dinna ken when that may be. At some point, the rebels will hold power¡ªbut I dinna ken when that may be. And in between . . .¡± He tilted the point of his dirk downward.


    ¡°I do see. A very tidy little cleft stick,¡± I said, feeling somewhat hollow as I realized just how precarious our situation was.


    To follow Tryon¡¯s orders now was plainly the only choice. Later, however . . . for Jamie to continue as the Governor¡¯s man into the early stages of the Revolution was to declare himself a Loyalist¡ªwhich would be fatal, in the long run. In the short run, though, to break with Tryon, forswear his oath to the King, and declare for the rebels . . . that would cost him his land, and quite possibly his life.


    He shrugged, with a wry twist of the mouth, and sat back a little, easing Jemmy on his lap.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s no as though I¡¯ve never found myself walking between two fires before, Sassenach. I may come out of it a bit scorched round the edges, but I dinna think I¡¯ll fry.¡± He gave a faint snort of what might be amusement. ¡°It¡¯s in my blood, no?¡±


    I managed a short laugh.


    ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of your grandfather,¡± I said, ¡°I admit he was good at it. Caught up with him in the end, though, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    He tilted his head from one side to the other, equivocating.


    ¡°Aye, maybe so. But do ye not think things perhaps fell out as he wished?¡±


    The late Lord Lovat had been notorious for the deviousness of his mind, but I couldn¡¯t quite see the benefit in planning to have his head chopped off, and said so.


    Jamie smiled, despite the seriousness of the discussion.


    ¡°Well, perhaps beheading wasna quite what he¡¯d planned, but still¡ªye saw what he did; he sent Young Simon to battle, and he stayed home. But which of them was it who paid the price on Tower Hill?¡±


    I nodded slowly, beginning to see his point. Young Simon, who was in fact close to Jamie¡¯s own age, had not suffered physically for his part in the Rising, overt though it had been. He had not been imprisoned or exiled, like many of the Jacobites, and while he had lost most of his lands, he had in fact regained quite a bit of his property since, by means of repeated and tenacious lawsuits brought against the Crown.


    ¡°And Old Simon could have blamed his son, and Young Simon would have ended up on the scaffold¡ªbut he didn¡¯t. Well, I suppose even an old viper like that might hesitate to put his own son and heir under the ax.¡±


    Jamie nodded.


    ¡°Would ye let someone chop off your head, Sassenach, if it was a choice betwixt you and Brianna?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, without hesitation. I was reluctant to admit that Old Simon might have possessed such a virtue as family feeling, but I supposed even vipers had some concern for their children¡¯s welfare.


    Jemmy had abandoned the proffered finger in favor of his grandfather¡¯s dirk, and was gnawing fiercely on the hilt. Jamie wrapped his hand around the blade, holding it safely away from the child, but made no effort to take the knife away.


    ¡°So would I,¡± Jamie said, smiling slightly. ¡°Though I do hope it willna come to that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think either army was¡ªwill be¡ªinclined to behead people,¡± I said. That did, of course, leave a number of other unpleasant options available¡ªbut Jamie knew that as well as I did.


    I had a sudden, passionate wish to urge him to throw it all up, turn away from it. Tell Tryon to stuff his land, tell the tenants they must make their own way¡ªabandon the Ridge and flee. War was coming, but it need not engulf us; not this time. We could go south, to Florida, or to the Indies. To the west, to take refuge with the Cherokee. Or even back to Scotland. The Colonies would rise, but there were places one could run to.


    He was watching my face.


    ¡°This,¡± he said, a gesture dismissing Tryon, the militia, the Regulators, ¡°this is a verra little thing, Sassenach, perhaps nothing in itself. But it is the beginning, I think.¡±


    The light was beginning to fail now; the shadow covered his feet and legs, but the last of the sun threw his own face into strong relief. There was a smudge of blood on his forehead, where he had touched it, crossing himself. I should have wiped it away, I thought, but made no move to do so.


    ¡°If I will save these men¡ªif they will walk wi¡¯ me between the fires¡ªthen they must follow me without question, Sassenach. Best it begins now, while not so much is at stake.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, and shivered.


    ¡°Are ye cold, Sassenach? Here, take the wean and go home. I¡¯ll come in a bit, so soon as I¡¯m dressed.¡±


    He handed me Jemmy and the dirk, since the two seemed momentarily inseparable, and rose. He picked up his kilt and shook out the tartan folds, but I didn¡¯t move. The blade of the knife was warm where I gripped it, warm from his hand.


    He looked at me in question, but I shook my head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    He dressed quickly, but carefully. Despite my apprehensions, I had to admire the delicacy of his instincts. Not his dress kilt, the one in crimson and black, but the hunting kilt. No effort to impress the mountain men with richness; but an oddity of dress, enough to make the point to the other Highlanders that he was one of them, to draw the eye and interest of the Germans. Plaid pinned up with the running-stag brooch, his belt and scabbard, clean wool stockings. He was quiet, absorbed in what he was doing, dressing with a calm precision that was unnervingly reminiscent of the robing of a priest.


    It would be tonight, then. Roger and the rest had clearly gone to summon the men who lived within a day¡¯s ride; tonight he would light his cross and call the first of his men¡ªand seal the bargain with whisky.


    ¡°So Bree was right,¡± I said, to break the silence in the clearing. ¡°She said perhaps you were starting your own religion. When she saw the cross, I mean.¡±


    He glanced at me, startled. He looked in the direction where the house lay, then his mouth curled wryly.


    ¡°I suppose I am,¡± he said. ¡°God help me.¡±


    He took the knife gently away from Jemmy, wiped it on a fold of his plaid, and slid it away into its scabbard. He was finished.


    I stood to follow him. The words I couldn¡¯t speak¡ªwouldn¡¯t speak¡ªwere a ball of eels in my throat. Afraid one would slither free and slip out of my mouth, I said instead, ¡°Was it God you were calling on to help you? When I saw you earlier?¡±


    ¡°Och, no,¡± he said. He looked away for a second, then met my eyes with a sudden queer glance. ¡°I was calling Dougal MacKenzie.¡±


    I felt a deep and sudden qualm go through me. Dougal was long dead; he had died in Jamie¡¯s arms on the eve of Culloden¡ªdied with Jamie¡¯s dirk in his throat. I swallowed, and my eyes flicked involuntarily to the knife at his belt.


    ¡°I made my peace wi¡¯ Dougal long ago,¡± he said softly, seeing the direction of my glance. He touched the hilt of the knife, with its knurl of gold, that had once been Hector Cameron¡¯s. ¡°He was a chieftain, Dougal. He will know that I did then as I must¡ªfor my men, for you¡ªand that I will do it now again.¡±


    I realized now what it was he had said, standing tall, facing the west¡ªthe direction to which the souls of the dead fly home. It had been neither prayer nor plea. I knew the words¡ªthough it was many years since I had heard them. He had shouted ¡°Tulach Ard!¡±¡ªthe war cry of clan MacKenzie.


    I swallowed hard.


    ¡°And will he . . . help you, do you think?¡±


    He nodded, serious.


    ¡°If he can,¡± he said. ¡°We will ha¡¯ fought together many times, Dougal and I; hand to hand¡ªand back to back. And after all, Sassenach¡ªblood is blood.¡±


    I nodded back, mechanically, and lifted Jemmy up against my shoulder. The sky had bleached to a winter white, and shadow filled the clearing. The stone at the head of the spring stood out, a pale and ghostly shape above black water.

 Page 63

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s nearly night.¡±


    23


    THE BARD


    IT WAS FULL DARK when Roger finally reached his own door, but the windows glowed welcomingly, and sparks showered from the chimney, promising warmth and food. He was tired, chilled, and very hungry, and he felt a deep and thankful appreciation for his home¡ªsubstantially sharpened by the knowledge that he would leave it on the morrow.


    ¡°Brianna?¡± He stepped inside, squinting in the dim glow, looking for his wife.


    ¡°There you are! You¡¯re so late! Where have you been?¡± She popped out of the small back room, the baby balanced on her hip and a heap of tartan cloth clutched to her chest. She leaned over it to kiss him briefly, leaving him with a tantalizing taste of plum jam.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been riding up hill and down dale for the last ten hours,¡± he said, taking the cloth from her and tossing it onto the bed. ¡°Looking for a mythical family of Dutchmen. Come here and kiss me properly, aye?¡±


    She obligingly wrapped her free arm round his waist and gave him a lingering, plum-scented kiss that made him think that hungry as he was, dinner could perhaps wait for a bit. The baby, however, had other ideas, and set up a loud wail that made Brianna hastily detach herself, grimacing at the racket.


    ¡°Still teething?¡± Roger said, observing his offspring¡¯s red and swollen countenance, covered with a shiny coating of snot, saliva, and tears.


    ¡°How did you guess?¡± she said caustically. ¡°Here, can you take him, just for a minute?¡± She thrust Jemmy, writhing, into his father¡¯s arms, and tugged at her bodice, the green linen damply creased and stained with pale splotches of spit-up milk. One of her br**sts bobbed into view, and she reached out for Jemmy, sitting down with him in the nursing chair by the fire.


    ¡°He¡¯s been fussing all day,¡± she said, shaking her head as the baby squirmed and whined, batting at the proffered nourishment with a fretful hand. ¡°He won¡¯t nurse for more than a few minutes, and when he does, he spits it up again. He whines when you pick him up, but he screams if you set him down.¡± She shoved a hand tiredly through her hair. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been wrestling alligators all day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, mm. That¡¯s too bad.¡± Roger rubbed his aching lower back, trying not to be ostentatious about it. He pointed toward the bed with his chin. ¡°Ah . . . what¡¯s the tartan for?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot¡ªthat¡¯s yours.¡± Attention momentarily distracted from the struggling child, she glanced up at Roger, taking in for the first time his disheveled appearance. ¡°Da brought it down for you to wear tonight. You have a big smudge of mud on your face, by the way¡ªdid you fall off?¡±


    ¡°Several times.¡± He moved to the washstand, limping only slightly. One sleeve of his coat and the knee of his breeches were plastered with mud, and he rubbed at his chest, trying to dislodge bits of dry leaf that had got down the neck of his shirt.


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s too bad. Shh, shh, shh,¡± she crooned to the child, rocking him to and fro. ¡°Did you hurt yourself?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s fine.¡± He shed the coat and turned his back, pouring water from the pitcher into the bowl. He splashed cold water over his face, listening to Jemmy¡¯s squeals and privately calculating the odds of being able to make love to Brianna sometime before having to leave next morning. Between Jemmy¡¯s teeth and his grandfather¡¯s plans, the chances seemed slight, but hope sprang eternal.


    He blotted his face with the towel, glancing covertly around in hopes of food. Both table and hearth were empty, though there was a strong vinegar scent in the air.


    ¡°Sauerkraut?¡± he guessed, sniffing audibly. ¡°The Muellers?¡±


    ¡°They brought two big jars of it,¡± Brianna said, gesturing toward the corner where a stone crock stood in the shadows. ¡°That one¡¯s ours. Did you get anything to eat while you were out?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± His belly rumbled loudly, evidently willing to consider cold sauerkraut, if that was all that was on offer. Presumably there would be food at the big house, though. Cheered by this thought, he pulled off his breeches and began the awkward business of pleating up the tartan cloth to make a belted plaid.


    Jemmy had quieted a little, now making no more than intermittent yips of discomfort as his mother rocked him to and fro.


    ¡°What was that about mythical Dutchmen?¡± Brianna asked, still rocking, but now with a moment¡¯s attention to spare.


    ¡°Jamie sent me up to the northeast to look for a family of Dutchmen he¡¯d heard had settled near Boiling Creek¡ªto tell the men about the militia summons and have them come back with me, if they would.¡± He frowned at the cloth laid out on the bed. He¡¯d worn a plaid like this only twice before, and both times, had had help to put the thing on. ¡°Is it important for me to wear this, do you think?¡±


    Brianna snorted behind him with brief amusement.


    ¡°I think you¡¯d better wear something. You can¡¯t go up to the big house in nothing but your shirt. You couldn¡¯t find the Dutchmen, then?¡±


    ¡°Not so much as a wooden shoe.¡± He had found what he thought was Boiling Creek, and had ridden up the bank for miles, dodging¡ªor not¡ªoverhanging branches, bramble patches, and thickets of witch hazel, but hadn¡¯t found a sign of anything larger than a fox that had slipped across his path, disappearing into the brush like a flame suddenly extinguished.


    ¡°Maybe they moved on. Went up to Virginia, or Pennsylvania.¡± Brianna spoke with sympathy. It had been a long, exhausting day, with failure at the end of it. Not a terrible failure; Jamie had said only, ¡°Find them if ye can¡±¡ªand if he had found them, they might not have understood his rudimentary Dutch, gained on brief holidays to the Amsterdam of the 1960s. Or might not have come, in any case. Still, the small failure nagged at him, like a stone in his shoe.


    He glanced at Brianna, who grinned widely at him in anticipation.


    ¡°All right,¡± he said with resignation. ¡°Laugh if ye must.¡± Getting into a belted plaid wasn¡¯t the most dignified thing a man could do, given that the most efficient method was to lie down on the pleated fabric and roll like a sausage on a girdle. Jamie could do it standing up, but then, the man had had practice.


    His struggles¡ªrather deliberately exaggerated¡ªwere rewarded by Brianna¡¯s giggling, which in turn seemed to have a calming effect on the baby. By the time Roger made the final adjustments to his pleats and drapes, mother and child were both flushed, but happy.


    Roger made a leg to them, flourishing, and Bree patted her own leg in one-handed applause.


    ¡°Terrific,¡± she said, her eyes traveling appreciatively over him. ¡°See Daddy? Pretty Daddy!¡± She turned Jemmy, who stared openmouthed at the vision of male glory before him and blossomed into a wide, slow smile, a trickle of drool hanging from the pouting curve of his lip.


    Roger was still hungry, sore, and tired, but it didn¡¯t seem so important. He grinned, and held out his arms toward the baby.


    ¡°Do you need to change? If he¡¯s full and dry, I¡¯ll take him up to the house¡ªgive you a bit of time to fix up.¡±


    ¡°You think I need fixing up, do you?¡± Brianna gave him an austere look down her long, straight nose. Her hair had come down in wisps and straggles, her dress looked as though she¡¯d been sleeping in it for weeks, and there was a dark smear of jam on the upper curve of one breast.


    ¡°You look great,¡± he said, bending and swinging Jemmy deftly up. ¡°Hush, a bhalaich. You¡¯ve had enough of Mummy, and she¡¯s definitely had enough of you for a bit. Come along with me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget your guitar!¡± Bree called after him as he headed for the door. He glanced back at her, surprised.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Da wants you to sing. Wait, he gave me a list.¡±


    ¡°A list? Of what?¡± To the best of Roger¡¯s knowledge, Jamie Fraser paid no attention whatever to music. It rankled him a bit, in fact, though he seldom admitted it¡ªthat his own greatest skill was one that Fraser didn¡¯t value.


    ¡°Songs, of course.¡± She furrowed her brow, conjuring up the memorized list. ¡°He wants you to do ¡®Ho Ro!¡¯ and ¡®Birniebouzle,¡¯ and ¡®The Great Silkie¡¯¡ªyou can do other stuff in between, he said, but he wants those¡ªand then get into the warmongering stuff. That¡¯s not what he called it, but you know what I mean¡ª¡®Killiecrankie¡¯ and ¡®The Haughs of Cromdale,¡¯ and ¡®The Sherrifsmuir Fight.¡¯ Just the older stuff, though; he says don¡¯t do the songs from the ¡¯45, except for ¡®Johnnie Cope¡¯¡ªhe wants that one for sure, but toward the end. And¡ª¡±


    Roger stared at her, disentangling Jemmy¡¯s foot from the folds of his plaid.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought your father so much as knew the names of songs, let alone had preferences.¡±


    Brianna had stood up and was reaching for the long wooden pin that held her hair in place. She pulled it out and let the thick red shimmer cascade over shoulders and face. She ran both hands through the ruddy mass and pushed it back, shaking her head.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t. Have preferences, I mean. Da¡¯s completely tone-deaf. Mama says he has a good sense of rhythm, but he can¡¯t tell one note from another.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. But why¡ª¡±


    ¡°He may not listen to music, Roger, but he listens.¡± She glanced at him, snigging the comb through the tangles of her hair. ¡°And he watches. He knows how people act¡ªand how they feel¡ªwhen they hear you do those songs.¡±


    ¡°Does he?¡± Roger murmured. He felt an odd spark of pleasure at the thought that Fraser had indeed noticed the effect of his music, even if he didn¡¯t appreciate it personally. ¡°So¡ªhe means me to soften them up, is that it? Get them in the mood before he goes on for his own bit?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± She nodded, busy untying the laces of her bodice. Escaped from confinement, her br**sts bobbed suddenly free, round and loose under the thin muslin shift.


    Roger shifted his weight, easing the fit of his plaid. She caught the slight movement and looked at him. Slowly, she drew her hands up, cupping her br**sts and lifting them, her eyes on his and a slight smile on her lips. Just for a moment, he felt as though he had stopped breathing, though his chest continued to rise and fall.


    She was the first to break the moment, dropping her hands and turning to delve into the chest where she kept her linen.


    ¡°Do you know exactly what he¡¯s up to?¡± she asked, her voice muffled in the depths of the chest. ¡°Did he have that cross up when you left?¡±


    ¡°Aye, I know about it.¡± Jemmy was making small huffing noises, like a toy engine struggling up a hill. Roger tucked him under one arm, his hand cradling the fat little belly. ¡°It¡¯s a fiery cross. D¡¯ye ken what that is?¡±


    She emerged from the chest, a fresh shift in her hands, looking mildly disturbed.


    ¡°A fiery cross? You mean he¡¯s going to burn a cross in the yard?¡±


    ¡°Well, not burn it all the way, no.¡± Taking down his bodhran with his free hand and flicking a finger against the drum head to check the tautness, he explained briefly the tradition of the fiery cross. ¡°It¡¯s a rare thing,¡± he concluded, moving the drum out of Jemmy¡¯s grasping reach. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was ever done in the Highlands again, after the Rising. Your father told me he¡¯d seen it once, though¡ªit¡¯s something really special, to see it done here.¡±

 Page 64

    Flushed with historical enthusiasm, he didn¡¯t notice at once that Brianna seemed slightly less eager.


    ¡°Maybe so,¡± she said uneasily. ¡°I don¡¯t know . . . it sort of gives me the creeps.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Roger glanced at her in surprise. ¡°Why?¡±


    She shrugged, pulling the crumpled shift off over her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it¡¯s just that I have seen burning crosses¡ªon the evening news on TV. You know, the KKK¡ªor do you know? Maybe they don¡¯t¡ªdidn¡¯t¡ªreport things like that on television in Britain?¡±


    ¡°The Ku Klux Klan?¡± Roger was less interested in fanatical bigots than in the sight of Brianna¡¯s bare br**sts, but made an effort to focus on the conversation. ¡°Oh, aye, heard of them. Where d¡¯you think they got the notion?¡±


    ¡°What? You mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said cheerfully. ¡°They got it from the Highland immigrants¡ªfrom whom they were descended, by the bye. That¡¯s why they called it ¡®Klan,¡¯ aye? Come to think,¡± he added, interested, ¡°it could be this¡ªtonight¡ªthat¡¯s the link. The occasion that brings the custom from the Old World to the New, I mean. Wouldn¡¯t that be something?¡±


    ¡°Something,¡± Brianna echoed faintly. She¡¯d pulled on a fresh shift, and now shook out a clean dress of blue linen, looking uneasy.


    ¡°Everything starts somewhere, Bree,¡± he said, more gently. ¡°Most often, we don¡¯t know where or how; does it matter if this time we do? And the Ku Klux Klan won¡¯t get started for a hundred years from now, at least.¡± He hoisted Jemmy slightly, bouncing him on one hip. ¡°It won¡¯t be us who sees it, or even wee Jeremiah here¡ªmaybe not even his son.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± she said dryly, pulling on her stays and reaching for the laces. ¡°So our great-grandson can end up being the Grand Dragon.¡±


    Roger laughed.


    ¡°Aye, maybe so. But for tonight, it¡¯s your father.¡±


    24


    PLAYING WITH FIRE


    HE WASN¡¯T SURE what he had expected. Something like the spectacle of the great fire at the Gathering, perhaps. The preparation was the same, involving large quantities of food and drink. A huge keg of beer and a smaller one of whisky stood on planks at the edge of the dooryard, and a huge roast pig on a spit of green hickory turned slowly over a bed of coals, sending whiffs of smoke and mouthwatering aromas through the cold evening air.


    He grinned at the fire-washed faces in front of him, slicked with grease and flushed with booze, and struck his bodhran. His stomach rumbled loudly, but the noise was drowned beneath the raucous chorus of ¡°Killiecrankie.¡±


    ¡°O, I met the De-ev-il and Dundeeee . . .


    On the brae-aes o¡¯ Killiecrankie-O!¡±


    He would have earned his own supper by the time he got it. He had been playing and singing for more than an hour, and the moon was rising over Black Mountain now. He paused under cover of the refrain, just long enough to grab the cup of ale set under his stool and wet his throat, then hit the new verse fresh and solid.


    ¡°I fought on land, I fought on sea,


    At hame I fought my auntie, Oh!


    I met the Devil and Dundee . . .


    On the braes o¡¯ Killiecrankie-O!¡±


    He smiled professionally as he sang, meeting an eye here, focusing on a face there, and calculated progress in the back of his mind. He¡¯d got them going now¡ªwith a bit of help from the drink on offer, admittedly¡ªand well stuck into what Bree had called ¡°the warmongering stuff.¡±


    He could feel the cross standing at his back, almost hidden by the darkness. Everyone had had a chance to see it, though; he¡¯d heard the murmurs of interest and speculation.


    Jamie Fraser was away to one side, out of the ring of firelight. Roger could just make out his tall form, dark in the shadow of the big red spruce that stood near the house. Fraser had been working his way methodically through the group all evening, stopping here and there to exchange cordialities, tell a joke, pause to listen to a problem or a story. Now he stood alone, waiting. Nearly time, then¡ªfor whatever he meant to do.


    Roger gave them a moment for applause and his own refreshment, then launched into ¡°Johnnie Cope,¡± fast, fierce, and funny.


    He¡¯d done that one at the Gathering, several times, and knew pretty much how they¡¯d take it. A moment¡¯s pause, uncertainty, then the voices beginning to join in¡ªby the end of the second verse, they¡¯d be whooping and shouting ribald remarks in the background.


    Some of the men here had fought at Prestonpans; if they¡¯d been defeated at Culloden, they¡¯d still routed Johnnie Cope¡¯s troops first, and loved the chance to relive that famous victory. And those Highlanders who hadn¡¯t fought had heard about it. The Muellers, who had likely never heard of Charles Stuart and probably understood one word in a dozen, seemed to be improvising their own sort of yodeling chorus round the back, waving their cups in sloshing salute to each verse. Aye, well, so long as they were having a good time.


    The crowd was half-shouting the final chorus, nearly drowning him out.


    ¡°Hey, Johnnie Cope, are ye walking yet?


    And are your drums a-beatin¡¯ yet?


    If ye were walkin¡¯, I wad wait,


    Tae gang tae the coals in the mornin¡¯!¡±


    He hit a final thump, and bowed to huge applause. That was the warm-up done; time for the main act to come onstage. Bowing and smiling, he rose from his stool and faded off, fetching up in the shadows near the hacked remains of the huge pork carcass.


    Bree was there waiting for him, Jemmy wide-awake and owl-eyed in her arms. She leaned across and kissed him, handing him the kid as she did so, and taking his bodhran in exchange.


    ¡°You were great!¡± she said. ¡°Hold him; I¡¯ll get you some food and beer.¡±


    Jem usually wanted to stay with his mother, but was too stupefied by the noise and the leaping flames to protest the handover. He snuggled against Roger¡¯s chest, gravely sucking his thumb.


    Roger was sweating from the exertion, his heart beating fast from the adrenaline of performance, and the air away from the fire and the crowd was cold on his flushed face. The baby¡¯s swaddled weight felt good against him, warm and solid in the crook of his arm. He¡¯d done well, and knew it. Let¡¯s hope it was what Fraser wanted.


    By the time Bree reappeared with a drink and a pewter plate heaped with sliced pork, apple fritters, and roast potatoes, Jamie had come into the circle of firelight, taking Roger¡¯s place before the standing cross.


    He stood tall and broad-shouldered in his best gray gentleman¡¯s coat, kilted below in soft blue tartan, his hair loose and blazing on his shoulders, with a small warrior¡¯s plait down one side, adorned with a single feather. Firelight glinted from the knurled gold hilt of his dirk and the brooch that held his looped plaid. He looked pleasant enough, but his manner overall was serious, intent. He made a good show¡ªand knew it.


    The crowd quieted within seconds, men elbowing their more garrulous neighbors to silence.


    ¡°Ye ken well enough what we¡¯re about here, aye?¡± he asked without preamble. He raised his hand, in which he held the Governor¡¯s crumpled summons, the red smear of its official seal visible in the leaping firelight. There was a rumble of agreement; the crowd was still cheerful, blood and whisky coursing freely through their veins.


    ¡°We are called in duty, and we come in honor to serve the cause of law¡ªand the Governor.¡±


    Roger saw old Gerhard Mueller, leaning to one side to hear the translation that one of his sons-in-law was murmuring in his ear. He nodded his approval, and shouted, ¡°Ja! Lang lebe Governor!¡± There was a ripple of laughter, and echoing shouts in English and Gaelic.


    Jamie smiled, waiting for the noise to die down. As it did, he turned slowly, nodding as he looked from one face to the next, acknowledging each man. Then he turned to the side and lifted a hand to the cross that stood stark and black behind him.


    ¡°In the Highlands of Scotland, when a chieftain would set himself for war,¡± he said, his tone casually conversational, but pitched to be heard throughout the dooryard, ¡°he would burn the fiery cross, and send it for a sign through the lands of his clan. It was a signal to the men of his name, to gather their weapons and come to the gathering place, prepared for battle.¡±


    There was a stir in the midst of the crowd, a brief nudging and more cries of approval, though these were more subdued. A few men had seen this, or at least knew what he was talking about. The rest raised their chins and craned their necks, mouths half-open in interest.


    ¡°But this is a new land, and while we are friends¡±¡ªhe smiled at Gerhard Mueller¡ª¡°Ja, Freunde, neighbors, and countrymen¡±¡ªa look at the Lindsay brothers¡ª¡°and we will be companions in arms, we are not clan. While I am given command, I am not your chief.¡±


    The hell you aren¡¯t, Roger thought. Or well on your way to it, anyroad. He took a last deep swallow of cold beer and put down cup and plate. The food could wait a bit longer. Bree had taken back the baby and had his bodhran tucked under her arm; he reached for it, and she gave him a glancing smile, but most of her attention was fixed on her father.


    Jamie bent and pulled a torch from the fire, stood with it in his hand, lighting the broad planes and sharp angles of his face.


    ¡°Let God witness here our willingness, and may God strengthen our arms¡ª¡± He paused, to let the Germans catch up. ¡°But let this fiery cross stand as testament to our honor, to invoke God¡¯s protection for our families¡ªuntil we come safe home again.¡±


    He turned and touched the torch to the upright of the cross, holding it until the dry bark caught and a small flame grew and glimmered from the dark wood.


    Everyone stood silent, watching. There was no sound but the shift and sigh of the crowd, echoing the sough of the wind in the wilderness around them. It was no more than a tiny tongue of fire, flickering in the breeze, on the verge of going out altogether. No petrol-soaked roar, no devouring conflagration. Roger felt Brianna sigh beside him, some of the tension leaving her.


    The flame steadied and caught. The edges of the jigsaw-pieces of pine bark glowed crimson, then white, and vanished into ash as the flame began to spread upward. It was big and solid, and would burn slowly, this cross, halfway through the night, lighting the dooryard as the men gathered beneath it, talking, eating, drinking, beginning the process of becoming what Jamie Fraser meant them to be: friends, neighbors, companions in arms. Under his command.


    Fraser stood for a moment, watching, to be sure the flame had caught. Then he turned back to the crowd of men and dropped his torch back into the fire.


    ¡°We cannot say what may befall us. God grant us courage,¡± he said, very simply. ¡°God grant us wisdom. If it be His will, may He grant us peace. We ride in the morning.¡±


    He turned then and left the fire, glancing to find Roger as he did so. Roger nodded back, swallowed to clear his throat, and began to sing softly from the darkness, the opening to the song Jamie had wanted to finish the proceedings¡ª¡°The Flower of Scotland.¡±


    ¡°Oh, flower of Scotland,


    When will we see your like again?

 Page 65

    That fought and died for


    Your wee bit hill and glen . . .¡±


    Not one of the songs Bree called the warmongering ones. It was a solemn song, that one, and melancholy. But not a song of grief, for all that; one of remembrance, of pride and determination. It wasn¡¯t even a legitimately ancient song¡ªRoger knew the man who¡¯d written it, in his own time¡ªbut Jamie had heard it, and knowing the history of Stirling and Bannockburn, strongly approved the sentiment.


    ¡°And stood against him,


    Proud Edward¡¯s army,


    And sent him homeward


    Tae think again.¡±


    The Scottish members of the crowd let him sing alone through the verse, but voices lifted softly, then louder, in the refrain.


    ¡°And sent him ho-omeward . . .


    Tae think again!¡±


    He remembered something Bree had told him, lying in bed the night before, during the few moments when both of them were still conscious. They had been talking of the people of the times, speculating as to whether they might one day meet people like Jefferson or Washington face to face; it was an exciting¡ªand not at all impossible¡ªprospect. She had mentioned John Adams, quoting something she had read that he had said¡ªor would say, rather¡ªduring the Revolution:


    ¡°I am a warrior, that my son may be a merchant¡ªand his son may be a


    poet.¡±


    ¡°The hills are bare now,


    And autumn leaves lie thick and still,


    O¡¯er land that is lost now,


    Which those so dearly held.


    And stood against him,


    Proud Edward¡¯s army,


    And sent him homeward


    Tae think again.¡±


    No longer Edward¡¯s army, but George¡¯s. And yet the same proud army. He caught a glimpse of Claire, standing with the other women, apart, at the very edge of the circle of light. Her face was remote and she stood very still, hair floating loose around her face, the gold eyes dark with inner shadow¡ªfixed on Jamie, who stood quiet by her side.


    The same proud army with which she had once fought; the proud army with which his father had died. He felt a catch at his throat, and forced air from down deep, singing through it fiercely. I will be a warrior, that my son may be a merchant¡ªand his son may be a poet. Neither Adams nor Jefferson had fought; Jefferson had no son. He had been the poet, whose words had echoed through the years, raised armies, burned in the hearts of those who would die for them, and for the country founded on them.


    Perhaps it¡¯s the hair, Roger thought ironically, seeing the gleam of ruddy light as Jamie moved, watching silently over the thing he had started. Some Viking tinge in the blood, that gave those tall fiery men the gift of rousing men to war.


    ¡°That fought and died for


    Your wee bit hill and glen . . .¡±


    So they had; so they would again. For that was what men always fought for, wasn¡¯t it? Home and family. Another glint of red hair, loose in firelight, by the bones of the pig. Bree, holding Jemmy. And if Roger found himself now bard to a displaced Highland chieftain, still he must try also to be a warrior when the time came, for the sake of his son, and those who would come after.


    ¡°And sent him homeward


    Tae think again.


    Tae think . . . again.¡±


    25


    THE ANGELING OF MY REST


    LATE AS IT WAS, we made love by unspoken consent, each wanting the refuge and reassurance of the other¡¯s flesh. Alone in our bedroom, with the shutters closed tight against the sounds of the voices in the dooryard¡ªpoor Roger was still singing, by popular demand¡ªwe could shed the urgencies and fatigues of the day¡ªat least for a little while.


    He held me tightly afterward, his face buried in my hair, clinging to me like a talisman.


    ¡°It will be all right,¡± I said softly, and stroked his damp hair, dug my fingers deep into the place where neck and shoulder met, the muscle there hard as wood beneath the skin.


    ¡°Aye, I know.¡± He lay still for a moment, letting me work, and the tension of his neck and shoulders gradually relaxed, his body growing heavier on mine. He felt me draw breath under him, and moved, rolling onto his side.


    His stomach rumbled loudly, and we both laughed.


    ¡°No time for dinner?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I canna eat, just before,¡± he answered. ¡°It gives me cramp. And there wasna time, after. I dinna suppose there¡¯s anything edible up here?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said regretfully. ¡°I had a few apples, but the Chisholms got them. I¡¯m sorry, I should have thought to bring something up for you.¡± I did know that he seldom ate ¡°before¡±¡ªbefore any fight, confrontation, or other socially stressful situation, that is¡ªbut hadn¡¯t thought that he might not have a chance to eat afterward, what with everyone and his brother wanting to ¡°have just a wee word, sir.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as though ye didna have other things to think of, Sassenach,¡± he answered dryly. ¡°Dinna fash yourself; I¡¯ll do ¡¯til breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I put a foot out of bed, making to rise. ¡°There¡¯s plenty left; or if you don¡¯t want to go down, I could go and¡ª¡±


    He stopped me with a hand on my arm, then dragged me firmly back under the covers, tucking me spoon-fashion into the curve of his body and wrapping an arm over me to insure that I stayed there.


    ¡°No,¡± he said definitely. ¡°This may be the last night I spend in a bed for some time. I mean to stay in it¡ªwith you.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± I snuggled obediently under his chin, and relaxed against him, just as pleased to stay. I understood; while no one would come to fetch us unless there was some emergency, the mere sight of either of us downstairs would cause an immediate rush of people needing this or that, wanting to ask a question, offer advice, require something . . . much better to stay here, snug and peaceful with each other.


    I had put out the candle, and the fire was burning low. I wondered briefly whether to get up and add more wood, but decided against it. Let it burn itself to embers if it liked; we would be gone at daybreak.


    Despite my tiredness and the serious nature of the journey, I was looking forward to it. Beyond the lure of novelty and the possibility of adventure, there was the delightful prospect of escape from laundry, cookery, and female warfare. Still, Jamie was right; tonight was likely the last we would have of privacy and comfort for some little time.


    I stretched, consciously enjoying the soft embrace of the feather bed, the smooth, clean sheets with their faint scent of rosemary and elderflower. Had I packed sufficient bedding?


    Roger¡¯s voice reached through the shutters, still strong but beginning to sound a bit ragged with fatigue.


    ¡°The Thrush had best get to his bed,¡± Jamie said, with mild disapproval, ¡°if he means to bid his wife a proper farewell.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, Bree and Jemmy went to bed hours ago!¡± I said.


    ¡°The wean, perhaps; the lass is still there. I heard her voice, a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°Is she?¡± I strained to listen, but made out no more than a rumble of muted applause as Roger brought his song to a close. ¡°I suppose she wants to stay with him as long as she can. Those men are going to be exhausted in the morning¡ªto say nothing of hung over.¡±


    ¡°So long as they can sit a horse, I dinna mind if they slip off to have a vomit in the weeds now and again,¡± Jamie assured me.


    I nestled down, covers drawn up warm around my shoulders. I could hear the deep rumble of Roger¡¯s voice, laughing, but declining firmly to sing anymore. Little by little, the noises in the dooryard ceased, though I could still hear bumpings and rattlings as the beer keg was picked up and shaken empty of the last few drops. Then a hollow thud as someone dropped it on the ground.


    There were noises in the house; the sudden yowl of a wakening baby, footsteps in the kitchen, the sleepy whine of toddlers disturbed by the men, a woman¡¯s voice raised in remonstrance, then reassurance.


    My neck and shoulders ached, and my feet were sore from the long walk to the whisky spring, carrying Jemmy. Still, I found myself annoyingly wakeful, unable to shut out the noises of the external world as completely as the shutters blocked it from view.


    ¡°Can you remember everything you did today?¡± This was a small game we played sometimes at night, each trying to recall in detail everything done, seen, heard, or eaten during the day, from getting up to going to bed. Like writing in a journal, the effort of recall seemed to purge the mind of the day¡¯s exertions, and we found great entertainment in each other¡¯s experiences. I loved to hear Jamie¡¯s daily accounts, whether pedestrian or exciting, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood tonight.


    ¡°I canna remember a thing that happened before we closed the chamber door,¡± he said, squeezing my buttock in a companionable way. ¡°After that, though, I expect I could recall a detail or two.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s reasonably fresh in my mind, too,¡± I assured him. I curled my toes, caressing the tops of his feet.


    We stopped speaking, then, and began to shift and settle toward sleep, as the sounds below ceased, replaced by the buzz and rasp of miscellaneous snores. Or at least I tried to. Late as it was, and exhausted as my body undoubtedly was, my mind appeared determined to stay up and carouse. Fragments of the day appeared behind my eyelids the moment I shut my eyes¡ªMrs. Bug and her broom, Gerhard Mueller¡¯s muddy boots, bare-stemmed grape clusters, blanched tangles of sauerkraut, the round halves of Jemmy¡¯s miniature pink bottom, dozens of young Chisholms running amok . . . I resolutely strove to discipline my fugitive mind by turning instead to a mental checklist of my preparations for leaving.


    This was most unhelpful, as within moments I was wide awake with suppressed anxiety, imagining the complete destruction of my surgery; Brianna, Marsali, or the children succumbing to some sudden hideous epidemic; and Mrs. Bug inciting riot and bloodshed from one end of the Ridge to the other.


    I rolled onto my side, looking at Jamie. He had rolled onto his back as usual, arms neatly folded across his abdomen like a tomb figure, profile pure and stern against the dying glow of the hearth, tidily composed for sleep. His eyes were closed, but there was a slight frown on his face, and his lips twitched now and then, as though he were conducting some kind of interior argument.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking so loudly, I can hear you from over here,¡± I said, in conversational tones. ¡°Or are you only counting sheep?¡±


    His eyes opened at once, and he turned over to smile ruefully at me.


    ¡°I was counting pigs,¡± he informed me. ¡°And doing nicely, too. Only I kept catchin¡¯ sight of that white creature from the corner of my eye, skippin¡¯ to and fro just out of reach, taunting me.¡±


    I laughed with him, and scooted toward him. I laid my forehead against his shoulder and heaved a deep sigh.


    ¡°We really must sleep, Jamie. I¡¯m so tired, my bones feel as though they¡¯re melting, and you¡¯ve been up even longer than I have.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± He put an arm around me, pulling me into the curve of his shoulder.


    ¡°That cross¡ªit isn¡¯t going to catch the house afire, is it?¡± I asked after a moment, having thought of something else to worry about.


    ¡°No.¡± He sounded slightly drowsy. ¡°It¡¯s burnt out long since.¡±

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    The fire in the hearth had burned down to a bed of glowing embers. I rolled over again and lay watching them for a few minutes, trying to empty my mind of everything.


    ¡°When Frank and I were married,¡± I said, ¡°we went to be counseled by a priest. He advised us to begin our married life by saying the rosary together in bed each night. Frank said he wasn¡¯t sure whether this was meant to be devotion, an aid to sleep, or only a Church-sanctioned method of birth control.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s chest vibrated with silent laughter behind me.


    ¡°Well, we could try if ye like, Sassenach,¡± he said. ¡°Though ye¡¯ll have to keep count of the Hail Marys; you¡¯re lyin¡¯ on my left hand and my fingers have gone numb.¡±


    I shifted slightly to allow him to pull his hand out from under my hip.


    ¡°Not that, I don¡¯t think,¡± I said. ¡°But perhaps a prayer. Do you know any good going-to-bed prayers?¡±


    ¡°Aye, lots,¡± he said, holding up his hand and flexing his fingers slowly as the blood returned to them. Dark in the dimness of the room, the slow movement reminded me of the way in which he lured trout from under rocks. ¡°Let me think a bit.¡±


    The house below was silent now, save for the usual creaks and groans of settling timbers. I thought I heard a voice outside, raised in distant argument, but it might have been no more than the rattle of tree branches in the wind.


    ¡°Here¡¯s one,¡± Jamie said at last. ¡°I¡¯d nearly forgotten it. My father taught it to me, not so long before he died. He said he thought I might one day find it useful.¡±


    He settled himself comfortably, head bent so his chin rested on my shoulder, and began to speak, low and warm-voiced, in my ear.


    ¡°Bless to me, O God, the moon that is above me,


    Bless to me, O God, the earth that is beneath me,


    Bless to me, O God, my wife and my children,


    And bless, O God, myself who have care of them;


    Bless to me my wife and my children,


    And bless, O God, myself who have care of them.¡±


    He had begun with a certain self-consciousness, hesitating now and then to find a word, but that had faded with the speaking. Now he spoke soft and sure, and no longer to me, though his hand lay warm on the curve of my waist.


    ¡°Bless, O God, the thing on which mine eye doth rest,


    Bless, O God, the thing on which my hope doth rest,


    Bless, O God, my reason and my purpose,


    Bless, O bless Thou them, Thou God of life;


    Bless, O God, my reason and my purpose,


    Bless, O bless Thou them, Thou God of life.¡±


    His hand smoothed the curve of my hip, lifted to stroke my hair.


    ¡°Bless to me the bed companion of my love,


    Bless to me the handling of my hands,


    Bless, O bless Thou to me, O God, the fencing of my defense,


    And bless, O bless to me the angeling of my rest;


    Bless, O bless Thou to me, O God, the fencing of my defense,


    And bless, O bless to me the angeling of my rest.¡±


    His hand lay still, curled under my chin. I wrapped my own hand round his, and sighed deeply.


    ¡°Oh, I like that. Especially ¡®the angeling of my rest.¡¯ When Bree was small, we¡¯d put her to bed with an angel prayer¡ª¡®May Michael be at my right, Gabriel at my left, Uriel behind me, Rafael before me¡ªand above my head, the Presence of the Lord.¡¯?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer, but squeezed my fingers in reply. An ember in the hearth fell apart with a soft whuff, and sparks floated for an instant in the dimness of the room.


    Sometime later, I returned briefly to consciousness, feeling him slide out of bed.


    ¡°Wha¡ª?¡± I said sleepily.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he whispered. ¡°Just a wee note I¡¯d meant to write. Sleep, a nighean donn. I¡¯ll wake beside ye.¡±


    Fraser¡¯s Ridge, 1 December, 1770


    James Fraser, Esq., to Lord John Grey,


    Mount Josiah Plantation


    My Lord,


    I write in hopes that all continues well with your Establishment and its Inhabitants; my particular Regard to your Son.


    All are well in my House and¡ªso far as I am aware¡ªat River Run, as well. The Nuptials planned for my Daughter and my Aunt, of which I wrote you, were unexpectedly interfered with by Circumstance (principally a Circumstance by the name of Mr. Randall Lillywhite, whose Name I mention in case it may one Day pass your Cognizance), but my Grandchildren were fortunately christened, and while my Aunt¡¯s Wedding has been postponed to a later Season, my Daughter¡¯s Union with Mr. MacKenzie was solemnized by the Courtesy of the Reverend Mr. Caldwell, a worthy Gentleman, though Presbyterian.


    Young Jeremiah Alexander Ian Fraser MacKenzie (the name ¡°Ian¡± is of course the Scottish variant of ¡°John¡±¡ªmy Daughter¡¯s Compliment to a Friend, as well as her Cousin) survived both the Occasion of his Baptism and the Journey home in good Spirit. His Mother bids me tell you that your Namesake now possesses no fewer than four Teeth, a fearsome Accomplishment which renders him exceeding dangerous to those unwary Souls charmed by his apparent Innocence, who surrender their Digits all unknowing to his pernicious Grasp. The Child bites like a Crocodile.


    Our Population here exhibits a gratifying Growth of late, with the addition of some twenty Families since last I wrote. God has prospered our Efforts during the Summer, blessing us with an Abundance of Corn and wild Hay, and an Abundance of Beasts to consume them. I estimate the Hogs running at large in my Wood to number no fewer than forty at present, two Cows have borne Calves, and I have bought a new Horse. This Animal¡¯s Character lies in grave Doubt, but his Wind does not.


    Thus, my good News.


    And so to the bad. I am made Colonel of Militia, ordered to muster and deliver so many Men as I can to the Service of the Governor, by mid-month, this Service to be of Aid in the Suppression of local Hostilities.


    You may have heard, during your visit to North Carolina, of a Group of Men who style themselves ¡°Regulators¡±¡ªor you may not, as other Matters compelled your Attention on that Occasion (my Wife is pleased to hear good Report of your own Health, and sends with this a Parcel of Medicines, with Instructions for their Administration should you still be plagued with Headache).


    These Regulators are no more than Rabble, less disciplined in their Actions even than the Rioters whom we hear have hanged Gov. Richardson in Effigy in Boston. I do not say there is no Substance to their Complaint, but the Means of its Expression seems unlikely to result in Redress by the Crown¡ªrather, to provoke both Sides to further Excess, which cannot fail to end in Injury.


    There was a serious outbreak of Violence in Hillsborough on 24 September, in which much Property was wantonly destroyed and Violence done¡ªsome justly, some not¡ªto officials of the Crown. One Man, a Justice, was grievously Wounded; many of the Regulation were arrested. Since then, we have heard little more than Murmurs; Winter damps down Discontent, which smolders by the Hearths of Cottages and Pothouses, but once let out with the Spring Airing, it will flee abroad like the foul Odors from a sealed House, staining the Air.


    Tryon is an able Man, but not a Farmer. If he were, he would scarce think of seeking to make War in Winter. Still, it may be that he hopes by making Show of Force now¡ªwhen he is likely sure it will not be needed¡ªso to intimidate the Rapscallions as to obviate its Necessity later. He is a Soldier.


    Such remarks bring me to the true Point of this Missive. I expect no evil Outcome of the present Enterprise, and yet¡ªyou are a Soldier, too, even as I am. You know the Unpredictability of Evil, and what Catastrophe may spring from trivial Beginnings.


    No man can know the Particulars of his own End¡ªsave that he will have one. Thus, I have made such Provision as I can, for the Welfare of my Family.


    I enumerate them here, as you will not know them all: Claire Fraser, my beloved Wife; my Daughter Brianna and her Husband, Roger MacKenzie, and their Child, Jeremiah MacKenzie. Also my Daughter Marsali and her Husband, Fergus Fraser (who is my adopted Son)¡ªthey have now two young ones, Germain and Joan by Name. Wee Joan is named for Marsali¡¯s sister, known as Joan MacKenzie, presently abiding still in Scotland. I have not the leisure to acquaint you with the History of the Situation, but I am disposed for good Reason to regard this young Woman likewise as a Daughter, and I hold myself similarly obligated for her Welfare, and that of her Mother, one Laoghaire MacKenzie.


    I pray you for the Sake of our long Friendship and for the Sake of your Regard for my Wife and Daughter, that if Mischance should befall me in this Enterprise, you will do what you can to see them safe.


    I depart upon the Morrow¡¯s Dawn, which is now not far off.


    Your most humble and obedient Servant,


    James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser


    Postscriptum: My Thanks for the Intelligence you provide in answer to my earlier Query regarding Stephen Bonnet. I note your accompanying Advice with the greatest Appreciation and Gratitude for its kind Intent¡ªthough as you suspect, it will not sway me.


    Post-Postscriptum: Copies of my Will and Testament, and of the Papers pertaining to my Property and Affairs here and in Scotland, will be found with Farquard Campbell, of Greenoaks, near Cross Creek.


    PART THREE


    Alarms and


    Excursions


    26


    THE MILITIA RISES


    THE WEATHER FAVORED US, keeping cold but clear. With the Muellers and the men from the nearby homesteads, we set out from Fraser¡¯s Ridge with a party of nearly forty men¡ªand me.


    Fergus would not serve with the militia, but had come with us to raise men, he being the most familiar with the nearby settlements and homesteads. As we approached the Treaty Line, and the farthest point of our peripatetic muster, we formed a respectable company in number, if not in expertise. Some of the men had been soldiers once, if not trained infantrymen; either in Scotland, or in the French and Indian Wars. Many had not, and each evening saw Jamie conducting military drills and practice, though of a most unorthodox sort.


    ¡°We havena got time to drill them properly,¡± he¡¯d told Roger over the first evening¡¯s fire. ¡°It takes weeks, ken, to shape men so they willna run under fire.¡±


    Roger merely nodded at that, though I thought a faint look of uneasiness flickered across his face. I supposed he might be having doubts regarding his own lack of experience, and exactly how he himself would respond under fire. I¡¯d known a lot of young soldiers in my time.


    I was kneeling by the fire, cooking corn dodgers on an iron griddle set in the ashes. I glanced up at Jamie, to find him looking at me, a slight smile hidden in the corner of his mouth. He¡¯d not only known young soldiers; he¡¯d been one. He coughed, and bent forward to stir the coals with a stick, looking for more of the quails I¡¯d set to bake, wrapped in clay.


    ¡°It¡¯s the natural thing, to run from danger, aye? The point of drilling troops is to accustom them to an officer¡¯s voice, so they¡¯ll hear, even over the roar of guns, and obey without thinkin¡¯ of the danger.¡±


    ¡°Aye, like ye train a horse not to bolt at noises,¡± Roger interrupted, sardonically.


    ¡°Aye, like that,¡± Jamie agreed, quite seriously. ¡°The difference being that ye need to make a horse believe ye ken better than he does; an officer only needs to be louder.¡± Roger laughed, and Jamie went on, half-smiling.

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    ¡°When I went for a soldier in France, I was marched to and fro and up and down, and wore a pair of boots clear through before they gave me powder for my gun. I was sae weary at the end of a day of drilling that they could have shot off cannon by my pallet and I wouldna have turned a hair.¡±


    He shook his head a little, the half-smile fading from his face. ¡°But we havena got the time for that. Half our men will have had a bit of soldiering; we must depend on them to stand if it comes to fighting, and keep heart in the others.¡± He glanced past the fire, and gestured toward the fading vista of trees and mountains.


    ¡°It¡¯s no much like a battlefield, is it? I canna say where the battle may be¡ªif there is one¡ªbut I think we must plan for a fight where there¡¯s cover to be had. We¡¯ll teach them to fight as Highlanders do; to gather or to scatter at my word, and otherwise, to make shift as they can. Only half the men were soldiers, but all of them can hunt.¡± He raised his chin, gesturing toward the recruits, several of whom had bagged small game during the day¡¯s ride. The Lindsay brothers had shot the quail we were eating.


    Roger nodded, and bent down, scooping a blackened ball of clay out of the fire with his own stick, keeping his face hidden. Almost all. He had gone out shooting every day since our return to the Ridge, and had still to bag even a possum. Jamie, who had gone with him once, had privately expressed the opinion to me that Roger would do better to hit the game on the head with his musket, rather than shoot at it.


    I lowered my brows at Jamie; he raised his at me, returning my stare. Roger¡¯s feelings could take care of themselves, was the blunt message there. I widened my own eyes, and rose.


    ¡°But it isn¡¯t really like hunting, is it?¡± I sat down beside Jamie, and handed him one of the hot corn dodgers. ¡°Especially now.¡±


    ¡°What d¡¯ye mean by that, Sassenach?¡± Jamie broke the corn dodger open, half-closing his eyes in bliss as he inhaled the hot, fragrant steam.


    ¡°For one, you don¡¯t know that it will come to a fight at all,¡± I pointed out. ¡°For another, if it does, you won¡¯t be facing trained troops¡ªthe Regulators aren¡¯t soldiers, any more than your men are. For a third, you won¡¯t really be trying to kill the Regulators; only frighten them into retreat or surrender. And for a fourth¡±¡ªI smiled at Roger¡ª¡°the point of hunting is to kill something. The point of going to war is to come back alive.¡±


    Jamie choked on a bite of corn dodger. I thumped him helpfully on the back, and he rounded on me, glaring. He coughed crumbs, swallowed, and stood up, plaid swinging.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± he said, a little hoarsely. ¡°Ye¡¯re right, Sassenach¡ªand ye¡¯re wrong. It¡¯s no like hunting, aye. Because the game isna usually trying to kill you. Mind me¡ª¡± He turned to Roger, his face grim. ¡°She¡¯s wrong about the rest of it. War is killing, and that¡¯s all. Think of anything less¡ªthink of half-measures, think of frightening¡ªabove all, think of your own skin¡ªand by God, man, ye will be dead by nightfall of the first day.¡±


    He flung the remains of his corn dodger into the fire, and stalked away.


    I SAT FROZEN for a moment, until heat from the fresh corn dodger I was holding seeped through the cloth round it and burned my fingers. I set it down on the log with a muffled ¡°ouch,¡± and Roger shifted a little on his log.


    ¡°All right?¡± he said, though he wasn¡¯t looking at me. His eyes were fixed on the direction in which Jamie had vanished, toward the horses.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I soothed my scorched fingertips against the cold, damp bark of the log. With the awkward silence eased by this little exchange, I found it possible to address the matter at hand.


    ¡°Granted,¡± I said, ¡°that Jamie has a certain amount of experience from which to speak . . . I do think what he said was rather an overreaction.¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± Roger didn¡¯t seem upset or taken aback by Jamie¡¯s remarks.


    ¡°Of course I do. Whatever happens with the Regulators, we know perfectly well that it isn¡¯t going to be an all-out war. It¡¯s likely to be nothing at all!¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye.¡± Roger was still looking into the darkness, lips pursed in thoughtfulness. ¡°Only¡ªI think that¡¯s not what he was talking about.¡±


    I lifted one eyebrow at him, and he shifted his gaze to me, with a wry half-smile.


    ¡°When he went out hunting with me, he asked me what I knew about what was coming. I told him. Bree said he¡¯d asked her, and she told him, too.¡±


    ¡°What was coming¡ªyou mean, the Revolution?¡±


    He nodded, eyes on the fragment of corn dodger he was crumbling between long, callused fingers.


    ¡°I told him what I knew. About the battles, the politics. Not all the detail, of course, but the chief battles I remembered; what a long, drawn-out, bloody business it will be.¡± He was quiet for a moment, then looked up at me, a slight glint of green in his eye.


    ¡°I suppose ye¡¯d call it fair exchange. It¡¯s hard to tell with him, but I think I maybe scared him. He¡¯s just returned the favor.¡±


    I gave a small snort of amusement, and stood up, brushing crumbs and ashes off my skirt.


    ¡°The day you scare Jamie Fraser by telling him war stories, my lad,¡± I said, ¡°will be the day hell freezes over.¡±


    He laughed, not discomposed in the slightest.


    ¡°Maybe I didn¡¯t scare him, then¡ªthough he got very quiet. But I tell you what¡±¡ªhe sobered somewhat, though the glint stayed in his eye¡ª¡°he did scare me, just now.¡±


    I glanced off in the direction of the horses. The moon hadn¡¯t yet risen, and I couldn¡¯t see anything but a vague jumble of big, restless shadows, with an occasional gleam of firelight off a rounded rump or the brief shine of an eye. Jamie wasn¡¯t visible, but I knew he was there; there was a subtle shift and mill of movement among the horses, with faint whickers or snorts, that told me someone familiar was among them.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t just a soldier,¡± I said at last, speaking quietly, though I was fairly sure Jamie was too far away to hear me. ¡°He was an officer.¡±


    I sat down on the log again, and put a hand on the corn dodger. It was barely warm now. I picked it up, but didn¡¯t bite into it.


    ¡°I was a combat nurse, you know. In a field hospital in France.¡±


    He nodded, dark head cocked in interest. The fire threw deep shadows on his face, emphasizing the contrast of heavy brow and strong bones with the gentle curve of his mouth.


    ¡°I nursed soldiers. They were all scared.¡± I smiled a little, sadly. ¡°The ones who¡¯d been under fire remembered, and the ones who hadn¡¯t, imagined. But it was the officers who couldn¡¯t sleep at night.¡±


    I ran a thumb absently over the bumpy surface of the corn dodger. It felt faintly greasy, from the lard.


    ¡°I sat with Jamie once, after Preston, while he held one of his men in his arms as he died. And wept. He remembers that. He doesn¡¯t remember Culloden¡ªbecause he can¡¯t bear to.¡± I looked down at the lump of fried dough in my hand, picking at the burned bits with my thumbnail.


    ¡°Yes, you scared him. He doesn¡¯t want to weep for you. Neither do I,¡± I added softly. ¡°It may not be now, but when the time does come¡ªtake care, will you?¡±


    There was a long silence. Then, ¡°I will,¡± he said quietly. He stood up and left, his footsteps fading quickly into silence on the damp earth.


    The other campfires burned brightly, as the night deepened. The men still kept to the company of relative and friend, each small group around its own fire. As we went on, they would begin to join together, I knew. Within a few days, there would be one large fire, everyone gathered together in a single circle of light.


    Jamie wasn¡¯t scared by what Roger had told him, I thought¡ªbut by what he himself knew. There were two choices for a good officer: let concern for his responsibilities tear him apart¡ªor let necessity harden him to stone. He knew that.


    And as for me . . . I knew a few things, too. I had been married to two soldiers¡ªofficers, both; for Frank had been one, too. I had been nurse and healer, on the fields of two wars.


    I knew the names and dates of battles; I knew the smell of blood. And of vomit, and voided bowels. A field hospital sees the shattered limbs, the spilled guts, and bone ends . . . but it also sees the men who never raised a gun, but died there anyway, of fever and dirt and sickness and despair.


    I knew that thousands died of wounds and killing on the battlefields of two World Wars; I knew that hundreds upon hundreds of thousands died there of infection and disease. It would be no different now¡ªnor in four years.


    And that scared me very much indeed.


    THE NEXT NIGHT, we made camp in the woods on Balsam Mountain, a mile or so above the settlement of Lucklow. Several of the men wanted to push on, to reach the hamlet of Brownsville. Brownsville was the outer point of our journey, before turning back toward Salisbury, and it held the possibility of a pothouse¡ªor at least a hospitable shed to sleep in¡ªbut Jamie thought better to wait.


    ¡°I dinna want to scare the folk there,¡± he had explained to Roger, ¡°riding in with a troop of armed men after dark. Better to announce our business by daylight, then give the men a day¡ªand a night¡ªto make ready to leave.¡± He had stopped then, and coughed heavily, shoulders racked with the spasm.


    I didn¡¯t like either the looks of Jamie or the sound of him. He had the patchy look of a mildewed quilt, and when he came to the fire to fill his dinner bowl, I could hear a faint wheezing sigh in every breath. Most of the men were in similar condition; red noses and coughing were endemic, and the fire popped and sizzled every few moments, as someone hawked and spat into it.


    I should have liked to tuck Jamie up in bed with a hot stone to his feet, a mustard plaster on his chest, and a hot tisane of aromatic peppermint and ephedra leaves to drink. Since it would have taken a brace of cannon, leg irons, and several armed men to get him there, I contented myself with fishing up a particularly meaty ladle of stew and plopping it into his bowl.


    ¡°Ewald,¡± Jamie called hoarsely to one of the Muellers. He stopped and cleared his throat, with a sound like tearing flannel. ¡°Ewald¡ªd¡¯ye take Paul and fetch along more wood for the fire. It¡¯ll be a cold night.¡±


    It already was. Men were standing so close to the fire that the fringes of their shawls and coats were singed, and the toes of their boots¡ªthose who had boots¡ªstank of hot leather. My own knees and thighs were close to blistering, as I stood perforce near the blaze in order to serve out the stew. My backside was like ice, though, in spite of the old pair of breeks I wore under shift and petticoat¡ªboth for insulation and for the avoidance of excessive friction while on horseback. The Carolina backwoods were no place for a sidesaddle.


    The last bowl served, I turned round to eat my own stew, with the fire at my back, a grateful bloom of warmth embracing my frozen bottom.


    ¡°All right, is it, ma¡¯am?¡± Jimmy Robertson, who had made the stew, peered over my shoulder in search of compliment.


    ¡°Lovely,¡± I assured him. ¡°Delicious!¡± In fact, it was hot and I was hungry. That, plus the fact that I hadn¡¯t had to cook it myself, lent a sufficient tone of sincerity to my words that he retired, satisfied.

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    I ate slowly, enjoying the heat of the wooden bowl in my chilly hands, as well as the soothing warmth of food in my stomach. The cacophony of sneezing and hacking behind me did nothing to impair the momentary sense of well-being engendered by food and the prospect of rest after a long day in the saddle. Even the sight of the woods around us, bone-cold and black under growing starlight, failed to disturb me.


    My own nose had begun to run rather freely, but I hoped it was merely the result of eating hot food. I swallowed experimentally, but there was no sign of sore throat, nor rattling of congestion in my chest. Jamie rattled; he had finished eating and come to stand beside me, warming his backside at the blaze.


    ¡°All right, Sassenach?¡± he asked hoarsely.


    ¡°Just vasomotor rhinitis,¡± I replied, dabbing at my nose with a handkerchief.


    ¡°Where?¡± He cast a suspicious look at the forest. ¡°Here? I thought ye said they lived in Africa.¡±


    ¡°What¡ªoh, rhinoceroses. Yes, they do. I just meant my nose is running, but I haven¡¯t got la grippe.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye? That¡¯s good. I have,¡± he added unnecessarily, and sneezed three times in succession. He handed me his emptied bowl, in order to use both hands to blow his nose, which he did with a series of vicious honks. I winced slightly, seeing the reddened, raw look of his nostrils. I had a bit of camphorated bear grease in my saddlebag, but I was sure he wouldn¡¯t let me anoint him in public.


    ¡°Are you sure we oughtn¡¯t to push on?¡± I asked, watching him. ¡°Geordie says the village isn¡¯t far, and there is a road¡ªof sorts.¡±


    I knew the answer to that; he wasn¡¯t one to alter strategy for the sake of personal comfort. Besides, camp was already made and a good fire going. Still, beyond my own longing for a warm, clean bed¡ªwell, any bed, I wasn¡¯t fussy¡ªI was worried for Jamie. Close to, the sigh in his breath had a deeper, wheezing note to it that troubled me.


    He knew what I meant. He smiled, tucking away the sodden kerchief in his sleeve.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do, Sassenach,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s no but a wee cold in the neb. I¡¯ve been a deal worse than this, many times.¡±


    Paul Mueller heaved another log onto the fire; a big ember broke and roared up with a flare that made us step away in order to avoid the spray of sparks. Well baked in the rear by this time, I turned to face the fire. Jamie, though, stayed facing outward, a slight frown on his face as he surveyed the shadows of the looming wood.


    The frown relaxed, and I turned to see two men emerging from the woods, shaking needles and bits of bark from their clothes. Jack Parker, and a new man¡ªI didn¡¯t yet know his name, but he was plainly a recent immigrant from somewhere near Glasgow, judging from his speech.


    ¡°All quiet, sir,¡± said Parker, touching his hat in brief salute. ¡°Cold as charity, though.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Ah hivny felt ma privates anytime since dinner,¡± the Glaswegian chimed in, grimacing and rubbing himself as he headed for the fire. ¡°Might as well be gone aetegither!¡±


    ¡°I take your meaning, man,¡± Jamie said, grinning. ¡°Went for a piss a moment ago, but I couldna find it.¡± He turned amid the laughter and went to check the horses, a half-finished second bowl of stew in one hand.


    The other men were already making ready their bedrolls, debating the wisdom of sleeping with feet or head near the fire.


    ¡°It¡¯ll scorch the soles o¡¯ your boots, and ye get too close,¡± argued Evan Lindsay. ¡°See? Charred the pegs right out, and now look!¡± He lifted one large foot, exhibiting a battered shoe with a wrapping of rough twine tied round it to hold it together. The leather soles and heels were sometimes stitched, but more often fastened with tiny whittled pegs of wood or leather, glued with pine gum or some other adhesive. The pine gum in particular was flammable; I¡¯d seen occasional sparks burst from the feet of men who slept with their feet too near the fire, when a shoe peg suddenly ignited from the heat.


    ¡°Better than settin¡¯ your hair on fire,¡± Ronnie Sinclair argued.


    ¡°I dinna think the Lindsays need worry about that owermuch.¡± Kenny grinned at his elder brother, and tugged down the knit cap he wore¡ªlike his two brothers¡ªover a balding head.


    ¡°Aye, headfirst every time,¡± Murdo agreed. ¡°Ye dinna want to chill your scalp; it¡¯ll go right to your liver, and then you¡¯re a dead man.¡± Murdo was tenderly solicitous of his exposed scalp, being seldom seen without either his knitted nightcap or a peculiar hat made from the hairy skin of a possum, lined and rakishly trimmed with skunk fur. He glanced enviously at Roger, who was tying back his own thick black hair with a bit of leather string.


    ¡°MacKenzie needna worry; he¡¯s furred like a bear!¡±


    Roger grinned in response. Like the others, he had stopped shaving when we left the Ridge; now, eight days later, a thick scurf of dark stubble did give him a fiercely ursine look. It occurred to me that beyond convenience, a heavy beard undoubtedly kept the face warm on nights like this; I tucked my own bare and vulnerable chin down into the sheltering folds of my shawl.


    Returning from the horses in time to hear this, Jamie laughed, too, but it ended in a spasm of coughing. Evan waited ¡¯til it ended.


    ¡°How say ye, Mac Dubh? Heads or tails?¡±


    Jamie wiped his mouth on his sleeve and smiled. Hairy as the rest, he looked a proper Viking, with the fire glinting red, gold, and silver from his sprouting beard and loosened hair.


    ¡°Nay bother, lads,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep warm enough nay matter how I¡¯m laid.¡± He tilted his head in my direction, and there was a general rumble of laughter, with a spattering of mildly crude remarks in Scots and Gaelic from the Ridge men.


    One or two of the new recruits eyed me with a brief, instinctive speculation, quickly abandoned after a glance at Jamie¡¯s height, breadth, and air of genial ferocity. I met one man¡¯s eyes and smiled; he looked startled, but then smiled back, ducking his head in shyness.


    How the hell did Jamie do that? One brief, crude joke, and he¡¯d laid public claim to me, removed me from any threat of unwanted advances, and reasserted his position as leader.


    ¡°Just like a bloody baboon troop,¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°And I¡¯m sleeping with the head baboon!¡±


    ¡°Baboons are the monkeys with no tails?¡± Fergus asked, turning from an exchange with Ewald about the horses.


    ¡°You know quite well they are.¡± I caught Jamie¡¯s eye, and his mouth curled up on one side. I knew what he was thinking, and he knew I did; the smile widened.


    Louis of France kept a private zoo at Versailles, among the inhabitants of which were a small troop of mandrill baboons. One of the most popular Court activities on spring afternoons was to visit the baboon quarters, there to admire both the sexual prowess of the male, and his splendidly multicolored bottom.


    One M. de Ruvel had offered¡ªin my hearing¡ªto have his posterior similarly tattooed, if it would result in such a favorable reception by the ladies of the Court. He had, however, been firmly informed by Madame de la Tourelle that his physique was in every way inferior to that of the mandrill, and coloring it was unlikely to improve matters.


    The firelight made it difficult to tell, but I was reasonably sure that Jamie¡¯s own rich color owed as much to suppressed amusement as to heat.


    ¡°Speakin¡¯ of tails,¡± he murmured in my ear. ¡°Have ye got those infernal breeks on?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Take them off.¡±


    ¡°What, here?¡± I gave him a wide-eyed look of mock innocence. ¡°You want me to freeze my arse off?¡±


    His eyes narrowed slightly, with a blue cat-gleam in the depths.


    ¡°Oh, it wilna freeze,¡± he said softly. ¡°I¡¯ll warrant ye that.¡±


    He moved behind me, and the fierce shimmer of the blaze on my flesh was replaced by the cool solidness of his body. No less fierce, though, as I discovered when he put his arms round my waist and drew me back against him.


    ¡°Oh, you found it,¡± I said. ¡°How nice.¡±


    ¡°Found what? Had you lost something?¡± Roger paused, coming from the horses with a lumpy roll of blankets under one arm, his bodhran under the other.


    ¡°Oh, just a pair of auld breeks,¡± Jamie said blandly. Under cover of my shawl, one hand slid inside the waistband of my skirt. ¡°D¡¯ye mean to give us a song, then?¡±


    ¡°If anyone likes, sure.¡± Roger smiled, the firelight ruddy on his features. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m meaning to learn one; Evan¡¯s promised to sing me a silkie-song his grannie knew.¡±


    Jamie laughed.


    ¡°Oh, I ken that one, I think.¡±


    One of Roger¡¯s eyebrows shot up, and I twisted slightly round, to look up at Jamie in surprise.


    ¡°Well, I couldna sing it,¡± he said mildly, seeing our amazement. ¡°I ken the words, though. Evan sang it often and again, in the prison at Ardsmuir. It¡¯s a bit bawdy,¡± he added, with that faintly prim tone that Highlanders often adopt, just before telling you something truly shocking.


    Roger recognized it, and laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll maybe write it down, then,¡± he said. ¡°For the benefit of future generations.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s fingers had been working skillfully away, and at this point, the breeks¡ªwhich were his, and thus about six sizes too large for me¡ªcame loose and dropped silently to the ground. A cold draft whooshed up under my skirt and struck my newly bared nether portions. I drew in my breath with a faint gasp.


    ¡°Cold, isn¡¯t it?¡± Roger hunched his shoulders, smiling as he shivered exaggeratedly in sympathy.


    ¡°Yes, indeed,¡± I said. ¡°Freeze the balls off a brass monkey, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Jamie and Roger burst into simultaneous coughing fits.


    SENTRY IN PLACE and horses bedded down, we retired to our own resting place, a discreet distance from the circle by the fire. I had dug the largest rocks and twigs out of the leaf mold, cut spruce branches, and spread our blankets over them by the time Jamie finished his last round of the camp. The warmth of food and fire had faded, but I didn¡¯t begin to shiver in earnest until he touched me.


    I would have moved at once to get under the blankets, but Jamie still held me. His original intent appeared intact¡ªto say the least¡ªbut his attention was momentarily distracted. His arms were still clasped round me, but he was standing quite still, head up as though listening, looking into the murk of the wood. It was full dark; no more showed of the trees than the glow of fire reflected from the few trunks that stood nearest the camp¡ªthe last shadow of twilight had faded, and everything beyond was a depthless black.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I drew back a little, pressing instinctively against him, and his arms tightened round me.


    ¡°I dinna ken. But I do feel something, Sassenach.¡± He moved a little, lifting his head in restless query, like a wolf scenting the wind, but no message reached us save a distant rattling of leafless branches.


    ¡°If it¡¯s no rhinoceroses, it¡¯s something,¡± he said softly, and a whisper of unease raised the hairs on the back of my neck. ¡°A moment, lass.¡±


    He left me, the wind blowing suddenly cold about me with the loss of his presence, and went to speak quietly with a couple of the men.

 Page 69

    And what might he feel, out there in the dark? I had the greatest respect for Jamie¡¯s sense of danger. He had lived too long as hunter and as hunted, not to sense the edgy awareness that lay between the two¡ªinvisible or not.


    He returned a moment later, and squatted beside me as I burrowed shivering into the blankets.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve said we¡¯ll have two guards tonight, and each man to keep his piece loaded and to hand. But I think it¡¯s all right.¡± He looked beyond me, into the wood, but his face now was merely thoughtful.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± he repeated again, more certainly.


    ¡°Is it gone?¡±


    He turned his head, his lips curling slightly. His mouth looked soft, tender and vulnerable amid the stiff, ruddy wires of his starting beard.


    ¡°I dinna ken if it was ever there, Sassenach,¡± he said. ¡°I thought I felt eyes upon me, but it could have been a passing wolf, an owl¡ªor nay more than a restless spiorad, a-roaming in the wood. But aye, it¡¯s gone now.¡±


    He smiled at me; I saw the flicker of the light that rimmed his head and shoulders as he turned, silhouetted by the fire. Beyond, the sound of Roger¡¯s voice drifted to me above the crackle of the fire, as he learned the melody of the silkie-song, following Evan¡¯s voice, hoarse but confident. Jamie slid into the blankets beside me and I turned to him, cold hands fumbling to return the favor he had done me earlier.


    We shivered convulsively, urgent for each other¡¯s warmth. I found him, and he turned me, ruffling up the layers of fabric between us, so that he lay behind me, his arm secure around me, the small secret patches of our nak*dness joined in warmth beneath the blankets. I lay facing the darkness of the wood, watching the firelight dance among the trees, as Jamie moved behind me¡ªbehind, between, within¡ªwarm and big, and so slowly as scarcely to rustle the branches beneath us. Roger¡¯s voice rose strong and sweet above the murmur of the men, and the shivering slowly stopped.


    I WOKE MUCH LATER beneath a blue-black sky, dry-mouthed, the rasping sigh of Jamie¡¯s breath in my ear. I had been dreaming; one of those pointless dreams of uneasy repetition, that fades at once with the waking but leaves a nasty taste in mouth and mind. Needing both water and relief of my bladder, I squirmed carefully out from under Jamie¡¯s arm, and slid out from between the blankets. He stirred and groaned slightly, snuffling in his sleep, but didn¡¯t wake.


    I paused to lay a hand lightly on his forehead. Cool, no fever. Perhaps he was right, then¡ªjust a bad cold. I stood up, reluctant to leave the warm sanctuary of our nest, but knowing I couldn¡¯t wait until morning.


    The songs were stilled, the fire smaller now, but still burning, kept up by the sentry on duty. It was Murdo Lindsay; I could see the white fur of his possum-skin cap, perched atop what looked like a huddled pile of clothing and blankets. The anonymous Glaswegian crouched on the other side of the clearing, musket on his knees; he nodded to me, face shadowed by the brim of his slouch hat. The white cap turned in my direction too, at the sound of my step. I sketched a wave, and Murdo nodded toward me, then turned back toward the wood.


    The men lay in a shrouded circle, buried in their blankets. I felt a sudden qualm as I walked between them. With the spell of night and dreams still on me, I shivered at sight of the silent forms, lying so still, side by side. Just so had they laid the bodies at Amiens. At Preston. Still and shrouded, side by side, faces covered and anonymous. War seldom looks on the faces of its dead.


    And why should I wake from love¡¯s embrace, thinking of war and the sleeping ranks of dead men? I wondered, stepping lightly past the shrouded line of bodies. Well, that was simple enough, given our errand. We were headed for battle¡ªif not now, then soon enough.


    One blanket-wrapped form grunted, coughed, and turned over, face invisible, indistinguishable from the others. The movement startled me, but then one big foot thrust free of the blanket, revealing Evan Lindsay¡¯s twine-wrapped shoe. I felt the anxious burden of imagination ease, with this evidence of life, of individuality.


    It¡¯s the anonymity of war that makes the killing possible. When the nameless dead are named again on tombstone and on cenotaph, then they regain the identity they lost as soldiers, and take their place in grief and memory, the ghosts of sons and lovers. Perhaps this journey would end in peace. The conflict that was coming, though . . . the world would hear of that, and I stepped past the last of the sleeping men, as though walking through an evil dream not fully waked from.


    I picked up a canteen from the ground near the saddlebags and drank deep. The water was piercingly cold, and my somber thoughts began to dissipate, washed away by the sweet, clean taste of it. I paused, gasping from the coldness, and wiped my mouth.


    Best take some back to Jamie; if he wasn¡¯t wakened by my absence, he would be by my return, and I knew his mouth would be dry as well, since he was completely unable to breathe through his nose at the moment. I slung the strap of the canteen over my shoulder and stepped into the shelter of the wood.


    It was cold under the trees, but the air was still and crystal clear. The shadows that had seemed sinister viewed from the fireside were oddly reassuring, seen from the shelter of the wood. Turned away from the fire¡¯s glow and crackle, my eyes and ears began to adapt to the dark. I heard the rustle of something small in the dried grass nearby, and the unexpected distant hooting of an owl.


    Finished, I stood still for a few minutes, enjoying the momentary solitude. It was very cold, but very peaceful. Jamie had been right, I thought; whatever might or might not have been here earlier, the wood held nothing inimical now.


    As though my thought of him had summoned him, I heard a cautious footfall, and the slow, wheezing rasp of his breath. He coughed, a muffled, strangled noise that I didn¡¯t like at all.


    ¡°Here I am,¡± I said softly. ¡°How¡¯s the chest?¡±


    The cough choked off in a sudden wheeze of panic, and there was a crunch and flurry among the leaves. I saw Murdo start up by the fire, musket in hand, and then a dark shape darted past me.


    ¡°Hoy!¡± I said, startled rather than frightened. The shape stumbled, and by reflex, I swung the canteen off my shoulder and whirled it by the strap. It struck the figure in the back with a hollow thunk! and whoever it was¡ªcertainly not Jamie¡ªfell to his knees, coughing.


    There followed a short period of chaos, with men exploding out of their blankets like startled jack-in-the-boxes, incoherent shouting, and general mayhem. The Glaswegian leaped over several struggling bodies and charged into the wood, musket over his head, bellowing. Barreling into the darkness, he charged the first shape he saw, which happened to be me. I went flying headlong into the leaves, where I ended inelegantly sprawled and windless, the Glaswegian kneeling on my stomach.


    I must have given a sufficiently feminine grunt as I fell, for he paused, narrowly checking himself as he was about to club me in the head.


    ¡°Eh?¡± He put down his free hand and felt cautiously. Feeling what was unmistakably a breast, he jerked back as though burned, and slowly edged off me.


    ¡°Err . . . hmm!¡± he said.


    ¡°Whoof,¡± I replied, as cordially as possible. The stars were spinning overhead, shining brightly through the leafless branches. The Glaswegian disappeared, with a small Scottish noise of embarrassment. There was a lot of shouting and crashing, off to my left, but I hadn¡¯t attention for anything at the moment bar getting my wind back.


    By the time I made it back onto my feet, the intruder had been captured and dragged into the light of the fire.


    Had he not been coughing when I hit him, he likely would have gotten away. As it was, though, he was hacking and wheezing so badly that he could barely stand upright, and his face was dark with the effort to snatch a breath in passing. The veins on his forehead stood out like worms, and he made an eerie whistling noise as he breathed¡ªor tried to.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Jamie demanded hoarsely, then paused to cough in sympathy.


    This was a purely rhetorical question, since the boy plainly couldn¡¯t talk. It was Josiah Beardsley, my potential tonsillectomy patient, and whatever he¡¯d been doing since the Gathering, it hadn¡¯t improved his health to any marked extent.


    I hurried to the fire, where the coffeepot sat in the embers. I seized it in a fold of my shawl and shook it. Good, there was some left, and since it had been brewing since supper, it would be strong as Hades.


    ¡°Sit him down, loosen his clothes, bring me cold water!¡± I shoved my way into the circle of men around the captive, forcing them aside with the hot coffeepot.


    Within a moment or two, I had a mug of strong coffee at his lips, black and tarry, diluted with no more than a splash of cold water to keep it from burning his mouth.


    ¡°Breathe out slowly to the count of four, breathe in to the count of two, breathe out and take a drink,¡± I said. The whites of his eyes showed all round the iris, and spittle had collected at the corners of his mouth. I put a firm hand on his shoulder though, urging him to breathe, to count, to breathe¡ªand the desperate straining eased a little.


    One sip, one breath, one sip, one breath, and by the time the coffee was all inside him, his face had faded from its alarming crimson hue to something more approximating fish belly, with a couple of faint reddish marks where the men had hit him. The air still whistled in his lungs, but he was breathing, which was a substantial improvement.


    The men stood about murmuring and watching with interest, but it was cold, it was late, and as the excitement of the capture faded, they began to droop and yawn. It was, after all, only a lad, and a scrawny, ill-favored one at that. They departed willingly enough to their blankets when Jamie dispatched them, leaving Jamie and me to attend to our unexpected guest.


    I had him swaddled in spare blankets, larded with camphorated bear grease, and provided with another cup of coffee in his hands, before I would let Jamie question him. The boy seemed deeply embarrassed at my attentions, shoulders hunched and eyes on the ground, but I didn¡¯t know whether he was simply unused to being fussed over, or whether it was the looming presence of Jamie, arms crossed, that discomfited him.


    He was small for fourteen, and thin to the point of emaciation; I could have counted his ribs when I opened his shirt to listen to his heart. No beauty otherwise; his black hair had been chopped short, and stood on his head in matted spikes, thick with dirt, grease, and sweat, and his general aspect was that of a flea-ridden monkey, eyes large and black in a face pinched with worry and suspicion.


    At last having done all I could, I was satisfied with the look of him. At my nod, Jamie lowered himself to the ground beside the boy.


    ¡°So, Mr. Beardsley,¡± he said pleasantly. ¡°Have ye come to join our troop of militia, then?¡±


    ¡°Ah . . . no.¡± Josiah rolled the wooden cup between his hands, not looking up. ¡°I . . . uh . . . my business chanced to take me this way, that¡¯s all.¡± He spoke so hoarsely that I winced in sympathy, imagining the soreness of his inflamed throat.


    ¡°I see.¡± Jamie¡¯s voice was low and friendly. ¡°So ye saw our fire by chance, and thought to come and seek shelter and a meal?¡±

 Page 70

    ¡°I did, aye.¡± He swallowed, with evident difficulty.


    ¡°Mmphm. But ye came earlier, no? You were in the wood just after sundown. Why wait ¡¯til past moonrise to make yourself known?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t . . . I wasn¡¯t . . .¡±


    ¡°Oh, indeed ye were.¡± Jamie¡¯s voice was still friendly, but firm. He put out a hand and grasped Josiah¡¯s shirtfront, forcing the boy to look at him.


    ¡°Look ye, man. There¡¯s a bargain between us. You¡¯re my tenant; it¡¯s agreed. That means you¡¯ve a right to my protection. It means also that I¡¯ve a right to hear the truth.¡±


    Josiah looked back, and while there was fear and wariness in the look, there was also a sense of self-possession that seemed far older than fourteen. He made no effort to look away, and there was a look of deep calculation in the clever black eyes.


    This child¡ªif one could regard him as a child; plainly Jamie didn¡¯t¡ªwas used to relying on himself alone.


    ¡°I said to you, sir, that I would come to your place by the New Year, and so I mean to. What I do in the meantime is my own affair.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s brows shot up, but he nodded slowly, and released his grip.


    ¡°True enough. You¡¯ll admit, though, that one might be curious.¡±


    The boy opened his mouth as though to speak, but changed his mind and buried his nose instead in his cup of coffee.


    Jamie tried again.


    ¡°May we offer you help in your business? Will ye travel a ways with us, at least?¡±


    Josiah shook his head.


    ¡°No. I am obliged to you, sir, but the business is best managed by myself alone.¡±


    Roger had not gone to sleep, but sat a little behind Jamie, watching silently. He leaned forward now, green eyes intent on the boy.


    ¡°This business of yours,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not by any means connected with that mark on your thumb?¡±


    The cup hit the ground and coffee splashed up, spattering my face and bodice. The boy was out of his blankets and halfway across the clearing before I could blink my eyes to see what was happening¡ªand by then, Jamie was up and after him. The boy had circled the fire; Jamie leaped over it. They disappeared into the wood like fox and hound, leaving Roger and myself gaping after them.


    For the second time that night, men erupted from their bedrolls, grabbing for their guns. I began to think the Governor would be pleased with his militia; they were certainly ready to spring into action at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°What in hell . . . ?¡± I said to Roger, wiping coffee from my eyebrows.


    ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned it so suddenly,¡± he said.


    ¡°Wha? Wha? What¡¯s amiss, then?¡± bellowed Murdo Lindsay, glaring round as he swept his musket barrel past the shadowed trees.


    ¡°Are we attacked? Where¡¯s the bastards?¡± Kenny popped up on hands and knees beside me, peering out from under the band of his knitted cap like a toad beneath a watering pot.


    ¡°Nobody. Nothing¡¯s happened. I mean¡ªit¡¯s really quite all right!¡±


    My efforts to calm and explain went largely unnoticed in the racket. Roger, however, being much larger and much louder, succeeded at last in quelling the disturbance and explaining matters¡ªso far as they could be explained. What did a lad more or less matter? With considerable grumbling, the men settled down once more, leaving Roger and me staring at each other over the coffeepot.


    ¡°What was it, then?¡± I asked, a little testily.


    ¡°The mark? I¡¯m pretty sure it was the letter ¡®T¡¯¡ªI saw it when you made him take the coffee and he wrapped his hand round the cup.¡±


    My stomach tightened. I knew what that meant; I¡¯d seen it before.


    ¡°Thief,¡± Roger said, eyes on my face. ¡°He¡¯s been branded.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said unhappily. ¡°Oh, dear.¡±


    ¡°Would the folk on the Ridge not accept him, if they knew?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°I doubt most of them would be much bothered,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not that; it¡¯s that he ran when you mentioned it. He isn¡¯t just a convicted thief¡ªI¡¯m afraid he may be a fugitive. And Jamie called him, at the Gathering.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Roger scratched absently at his whiskers. ¡°Earbsachd. Jamie will feel obliged to him in some way, then?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    Roger was a Scot, and¡ªtechnically, at least¡ªa Highlander. But he had been born long after the death of the clans, and neither history nor heritage could ever have taught him the strength of the ancient bonds between laird and tenant, between chief and clansman. Most likely, Josiah himself had no idea of the importance of the earbsachd¡ªof what had been promised and accepted on both sides. Jamie had.


    ¡°Do you think Jamie will catch him?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°I expect he already has. He can¡¯t be tracking the boy in the dark, and if he¡¯d lost him, he would have come back already.¡±


    There were other possibilities¡ªthat Jamie had fallen over a precipice in the dark, tripped on a stone and broken his leg, or met with a catamount or a bear, for instance¡ªbut I preferred not to dwell on those.


    I stood up, stretching my cramped limbs, and looked into the woods, where Jamie and his prey had disappeared. Josiah might be a good woodsman and hunter; Jamie had been one much longer. Josiah was small, quick, and impelled by fear; Jamie had a considerable advantage in size, strength, and sheer bloody-mindedness.


    Roger stood up beside me. His lean face was slightly troubled, as he peered into the encircling trees.


    ¡°It¡¯s taking a long time. If he¡¯s caught the lad, what¡¯s he doing with him?¡±


    ¡°Extracting the truth from him, I imagine,¡± I said. I bit my lip at the thought. ¡°Jamie doesn¡¯t like being lied to.¡±


    Roger looked down at me, mildly startled.


    ¡°How?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°However he can.¡± I¡¯d seen him do it by reason, by guile, with charm, with threats¡ªand on occasion, by means of brute force. I hoped he hadn¡¯t had to use force¡ªthough more for his sake than Josiah¡¯s.


    ¡°I see,¡± Roger said quietly. ¡°Well, then.¡±


    The coffeepot was empty; I bundled my cloak round me and went down to the stream to rinse and fill it, hung it to brew once more above the fire, and sat down to wait.


    ¡°You should go to sleep,¡± I said to Roger, after a few minutes. He merely smiled at me, wiped his nose, and hunched deeper into his cloak.


    ¡°So should you,¡± he said.


    There was no wind, but it was very late, and the cold had settled well into the hollow, lying damp and heavy on the ground. The men¡¯s blankets had grown limp with condensation, and I could feel the dense chill of the ground seeping through the folds of my skirt. I thought about retrieving my breeches, but couldn¡¯t muster the energy to search for them. The excitement of Josiah¡¯s appearance and escape had faded, and the lethargy of cold and fatigue was setting in.


    Roger poked up the fire a bit, and added a few small chunks of wood. I tucked another fold of skirt beneath my thighs and pulled cloak and shawl close around me, burying my hands in the folds of fabric. The coffeepot hung steaming, the hiss of occasional droplets falling into the fire punctuating the phlegm-filled snores of the sleeping men.


    I wasn¡¯t seeing the blanket-rolled shapes, though, or hearing the sough of dark pines. I heard the crackle of dried leaves in a Scottish oak wood, in the hills above Carryarrick. We had camped there, two days before Prestonpans, with thirty men from Lallybroch¡ªon our way to join Charles Stuart¡¯s army. And a young boy had come suddenly out of the dark; a knife had glinted in the light of a fire.


    A different place, a different time. I shook myself, trying to dispel the sudden memories: a thin white face and a boy¡¯s eyes huge with shock and pain. The blade of a dirk, darkening and glowing in the embers of the fire. The smell of gunpowder, sweat, and burning flesh.


    ¡°I mean to shoot you,¡± he had told John Grey. ¡°Head, or heart?¡± By threat, by guile¡ªby brute force.


    That was then; this was now, I told myself. But Jamie would do what he thought he must.


    Roger sat quietly, watching the dancing flames and the wood beyond. His eyes were hooded, and I wondered what he was thinking.


    ¡°D¡¯you worry for him?¡± he asked softly, not looking at me.


    ¡°What, now? Or ever?¡± I smiled, though without much humor. ¡°If I did, I¡¯d never rest.¡±


    He turned his head toward me, and a faint smile touched his lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re resting now, are you?¡±


    I smiled again, a real one in spite of myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not pacing to and fro,¡± I answered. ¡°Nor yet wringing my hands.¡±


    One dark eyebrow flicked up.


    ¡°Might help keep them warm.¡±


    One of the men stirred, muttering in his wrappings, and we ceased talking for a moment. The coffeepot was boiling; I could hear the soft rumble of the liquid inside.


    Whatever could be keeping him? He couldn¡¯t be taking all this time to question Josiah Beardsley¡ªhe would either have gotten what answers he required in short order, or he would have let the boy go. No matter what the boy had stolen, it was no concern of Jamie¡¯s¡ªsave for the promise of the earbsachd.


    The flames were mildly hypnotic; I could look into the wavering glow and see in memory the great fire of the Gathering, the figures dark around it, and the sound of distant fiddles. . . .


    ¡°Should I go to look for him?¡± Roger asked suddenly, low-voiced.


    I jerked, startled out of sleepy hypnosis. I rubbed a hand over my face and shook my head to clear it.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s dangerous to go into strange woods in the dark, and you couldn¡¯t find him anyway. If he isn¡¯t back by the morning¡ªthat will be time enough.¡±


    As the moments wore slowly on, I began to think that the dawn might come before Jamie did. I was worried for Jamie¡ªbut there was in fact nothing that could be done before the morning. Disquieting thoughts tried to push their way in; did Josiah have a knife? Surely he did. But even if the boy was desperate enough to use it, could he possibly take Jamie by surprise? I pushed aside these anxious speculations, trying to occupy my mind instead with counting the number of coughs from the men around the fire.


    Number eight was Roger; a deep, loose cough that shook his shoulders. Was he worried for Bree and Jemmy? I wondered. Or did he wonder whether Bree worried about him? I could have told him that, but it wouldn¡¯t have helped him to know. Men fighting¡ªor preparing to fight¡ªneeded the idea of home as a place of utter safety; the conviction that all was well there kept them in good heart and on their feet, marching, enduring. Other things would make them fight, but fighting is such a small part of warfare. . . .


    A damned important part, Sassenach, said Jamie¡¯s voice in the back of my head.


    I began at last to nod off, waking repeatedly as my head jerked sharply on my neck. The last time, it was the feel of hands on my shoulders that wakened me, but only briefly. Roger eased me to the ground, wadding half my shawl beneath my head for a pillow, tucking the rest of it snug about my shoulders. I caught a brief glimpse of him in silhouette against the fire, black and bearlike in his cloak, and then I knew no more.

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    I DON¡¯T KNOW how long I slept; I woke quite suddenly, at the sound of an explosive sneeze nearby. Jamie was sitting a few feet away, holding Josiah Beardsley¡¯s wrist in one hand, his dirk in the other. He paused long enough to sneeze twice more, wiped his nose impatiently on his sleeve, then thrust the dirk into the embers of the fire.


    I caught the stink of hot metal, and raised myself abruptly on one elbow. Before I could say or do anything, something twitched and moved against me. I looked down in astonishment, then up, then down again, convinced in my muddled state that I was still dreaming.


    A young boy lay under my cloak, curled against my body, sound asleep. I saw black hair and a scrawny frame, a pallid skin smeared with grime and grazed with scratches. Then there was a sudden loud hiss from the fire and I jerked my gaze back to see Jamie press Josiah¡¯s thumb against the searing metal of his blackened dirk.


    Jamie glimpsed my convulsive movement from the corner of his eye and scowled in my direction, lips pursed in a silent adjuration to stillness. Josiah¡¯s face was contorted, lips drawn back from his teeth in agony¡ªbut he made no noise. On the far side of the fire, Kenny Lindsay sat watching, silent as a rock.


    Still convinced that I was dreaming¡ªor hoping that I was¡ªI put a hand on the boy curled against me. He moved again, and the feel of solid flesh under my fingers woke me completely. My hand closed on his shoulder, and his eyes sprang open, wide with alarm.


    He jerked away, scrambling awkwardly to get to his feet. Then he saw his brother¡ªfor plainly Josiah was his brother¡ªand stopped abruptly, glancing wildly around the clearing, at the scattered men, at Jamie, Roger, and myself.


    Ignoring what must have been the frightful pain of a burned hand, Josiah rose from his seat and stepped quick and soft to his brother¡¯s side, taking him by the arm.


    I got to my feet, moving slowly so as not to frighten them. They watched me, identical looks of wariness on the thin, white faces. Identical. Yes, just the same pinched faces¡ªthough the other boy¡¯s hair was worn long. He was dressed in nothing but a ragged shirt, and he was barefoot. I saw Josiah squeeze his brother¡¯s arm in reassurance, and began to suspect just what it was he had stolen. I summoned a smile for the two of them, then stretched out my hand to Josiah.


    ¡°Let me see your hand,¡± I whispered.


    He hesitated a moment, then gave me his right hand. It was a nice, neat job; so neat that it made me slightly faint for a moment. The ball of the thumb had been sliced cleanly off, the open wound cauterized with searing metal. A red-black, crusted oval had replaced the incriminating brand.


    There was a soft movement behind me; Roger had fetched my medicine box and set it down by my feet.


    There wasn¡¯t a great deal to do for the injury, save apply a little gentian ointment and bandage the thumb with a clean, dry cloth. I was conscious of Jamie as I worked; he had sheathed his dirk and risen quietly, to go and rummage among the packs and saddlebags. By the time I had finished my brief job, he was back, with a small bundle of food wrapped in a kerchief, and a spare blanket tied in a roll. Over his arm were my discarded breeches.


    He handed these to the new boy, gave the food and blanket to Josiah, then clapped a hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder, and squeezed hard. He touched the other boy gently, turning him toward the wood with a hand on his back. Then he jerked his head toward the trees, and Josiah nodded. He touched his forehead to me, the bandage glinting white on his thumb, and whispered, ¡°Thank¡¯ee, ma¡¯am.¡±


    The two boys disappeared silently into the forest, the twin¡¯s bare feet winking pale below the flapping hem of the breeks as he followed his brother.


    Jamie nodded to Kenny, then sat down again by the fire, shoulders slumping in sudden exhaustion. I poured him coffee and he took it, his mouth twitching in an attempted smile of acknowledgment that dissipated in a fit of heavy coughing.


    I reached for the cup before it could spill, and caught Roger¡¯s eye over Jamie¡¯s shoulder. He nodded toward the east, and laid a finger across his lips, then shrugged with a grimace of resignation. He wanted as much as I did to know what had just happened¡ªand why. He was right, though; the night was fading. Dawn would be here soon, and the men¡ªall accustomed to wake at first light¡ªwould be floating toward the surface of consciousness.


    Jamie had stopped coughing, but was making horrible gurgling noises in an attempt to clear his throat¡ªhe sounded rather like a pig drowning in mud.


    ¡°Here,¡± I whispered, giving him back the cup. ¡°Drink it, and lie down. You should sleep a little.¡±


    He shook his head and lifted the cup to his lips. He swallowed, grimacing at the bitterness.


    ¡°Not worth it,¡± he croaked. He nodded toward the east, where the tufted pines were now inked black on a graying sky. ¡°And besides, I¡¯ve got to think what the hell to do now.¡±


    27


    DEATH COMES CALLING


    I COULD SCARCELY CONTAIN my impatience until the men had roused and eaten, broken camp¡ªin an irritatingly leisurely fashion¡ªand mounted. At last, though, I found myself once more on horseback, riding through a morning so crisp and cold, I thought the air might shatter as I breathed it.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said without preamble, as my mount nosed her way up next to Jamie¡¯s. ¡°Talk.¡±


    He glanced back at me and smiled. His face was creased with tiredness, but the brisk air¡ªand a lot of very strong coffee¡ªhad revived him. Despite the troubled night, I felt quick and lively myself, blood coursing near the surface of my skin and blooming in my cheeks.


    ¡°Ye dinna mean to wait for wee Roger?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell him later¡ªor you can.¡± There was no way of riding three abreast; it was only owing to a washout that had left a fan of gravel down the mountainside that we were able to pick our way side by side for the moment, out of hearing of the others. I nudged my mount closer to Jamie¡¯s, my knees wreathed in steam from the horse¡¯s nostrils.


    Jamie rubbed a hand over his face, and shook himself, as though to throw off fatigue.


    ¡°Aye, well,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll have seen they were brothers?¡±


    ¡°I did notice that, yes. Where the hell did the other one come from?¡±


    ¡°From there.¡± He lifted his chin, pointing toward the west. Thanks to the washout, there was an unimpeded view of a small cove in the hollow below¡ªone of those natural breaks in the wilderness, where the trees gave way to meadow and stream. From the trees at the edge of the cove, a thin plume of smoke rose upward, pointing like a finger in the still, cold air.


    Squinting, I could make out what looked like a small farmhouse, with a couple of rickety outbuildings. As I watched, a tiny figure emerged from the house and headed toward one of the sheds.


    ¡°They¡¯re just about to discover that he¡¯s gone,¡± Jamie said, a trifle grimly. ¡°Though with luck, they¡¯ll think he¡¯s only gone to the privy, or to milk the goats.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother asking how he knew they had goats.


    ¡°Is that their home? Josiah and his brother?¡±


    ¡°In a manner of speaking, Sassenach. They were bond servants.¡±


    ¡°Were?¡± I said skeptically. Somehow I doubted that the brothers¡¯ terms of indenture had just happened to expire the night before.


    Jamie lifted one shoulder in a shrug, and wiped a dripping nose on his sleeve.


    ¡°Unless someone catches them, aye.¡±


    ¡°You caught Josiah,¡± I pointed out. ¡°What did he tell you?¡±


    ¡°The truth,¡± he said, with a slight twist of the mouth. ¡°Or at least I think so.¡±


    He had hunted Josiah through the dark, guided by the sound of the boy¡¯s frantic wheezing, and trapped him at last in a rocky hollow, seizing him in the dark. He had wrapped the freezing boy in his plaid, sat him down, and with judicious application of patience and firmness¡ªaugmented with sips of whisky from his flask¡ªhad succeeded at last in extracting the story.


    ¡°The family were immigrants¡ªfather, mother, and six bairns. Only the twins survived the passage; the rest perished of illness at sea. There were no relatives here¡ªor none that met the boat, at any rate¡ªand so the ship¡¯s master sold them. The price wouldna cover the cost of the family¡¯s passage, so the lads were indentured for thirty years, their wages to be put toward the debt.¡±


    His voice in the telling was matter-of-fact; these things happened. I knew they did, but was much less inclined to accept them without comment.


    ¡°Thirty years! Why, that¡¯s¡ªhow old were they at the time?¡±


    ¡°Two or three,¡± he said.


    I was taken aback at that. Overlooking the basic tragedy, that was some mitigation, I supposed; if the boys¡¯ purchaser had been providing for their welfare as children . . . but I remembered Josiah¡¯s scrawny ribs, and the bowing of his legs. They hadn¡¯t been all that well provided for. But then, neither were a good many children who came from loving homes.


    ¡°Josiah¡¯s no idea who his parents were, where they came from, nor what their names were,¡± Jamie explained. He coughed briefly, and cleared his throat.


    ¡°He kent his own name, and that of his brother¡ªthe brother¡¯s name is Keziah¡ªbut nothing else. Beardsley is the name o¡¯ the man who took them, but as for the lads, they dinna ken if they¡¯re Scots, English, Irish¡ªwith names like that, they likely aren¡¯t German or Polish, but even that¡¯s not impossible.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I puffed a cloud of thoughtful steam, temporarily obscuring the farmhouse below. ¡°So Josiah ran away. I imagine that had something to do with the brand on his thumb?¡±


    Jamie nodded, eyes on the ground as his horse picked its way down the slope. The ground to either side of the gravel was soft, and clumps of black dirt showed like creeping fungus through the scree.


    ¡°He stole a cheese¡ªhe was honest enough about that.¡± His mouth widened in momentary amusement. ¡°Took it from a dairy shed in Brownsville, but the dairymaid saw him. In fact, the maid said ¡¯twas the other¡ªthe brother¡ªwho took it, but . . .¡± Jamie¡¯s ruddy brows drew together for a moment.


    ¡°Perhaps Josiah wasna so honest about it as I thought. At any rate, one of the boys took the cheese; Beardsley caught the two of them with it and summoned the sheriff, and Josiah took the blame¡ªand the punishment.¡±


    The boy had run away from the farm following this incident, which took place two years before. Josiah had¡ªhe told Jamie¡ªalways intended to return and rescue his brother, so soon as he could contrive a place for them to live. Jamie¡¯s offer had seemed a godsend to him, and he had left the Gathering to make his way back on foot.


    ¡°Imagine his surprise to find us perched there on the hillside,¡± Jamie said, and sneezed. He wiped his nose, eyes watering slightly. ¡°He was lurking close by, trying to make up his mind whether to wait until we¡¯d gone, or find out whether we were headed for the farm¡ªthinking if so, we might make a fine distraction for him to slip in and steal away his brother.¡±


    ¡°So you decided to slip in with him instead, and help with the stealing.¡± My own nose was dripping from the cold. I groped for my handkerchief with one hand, trusting to the horse, Mrs. Piggy, not to catapult us head over heels down the mountain while I blew my nose. I eyed Jamie over the hanky. He still had the clammy, red-nosed look of illness, but his high cheekbones were flushed with the morning sun and he looked remarkably cheerful for a man who¡¯d been out in a cold wood all night. ¡°Fun, was it?¡±

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    ¡°Oh, aye, it was. I¡¯ve not done anything like that in years.¡± Jamie¡¯s eyes creased into blue triangles with his grin. ¡°It reminded me o¡¯ raiding into the Grants¡¯ lands with Dougal and his men, when I was a lad. Creepin¡¯ through the dark, stealing into the barn without a sound¡ªChrist, I had to stop myself in time before I took the cow. Or I would have, if they¡¯d had one.¡±


    I sniffed, and laughed indulgently.


    ¡°You are the most complete bandit, Jamie,¡± I said.


    ¡°Bandit?¡± he said, mildly affronted. ¡°I¡¯m a verra honest man, Sassenach. Or at least I am when I can afford to be,¡± he amended, with a quick glance behind, to be sure we were not overheard.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re entirely honest,¡± I assured him. ¡°Too honest for your own good, in fact. You¡¯re just not very law-abiding.¡±


    This observation appeared to disconcert him slightly, for he frowned and made a gruff sound in his throat that might have been either a Scottish noise of disagreement or merely an attempt to dislodge phlegm. He coughed, then reined in, and standing up in his stirrups, waved his hat to Roger, who was some distance up the slope. Roger waved back, and turned his horse¡¯s nose in our direction.


    I pulled my horse in beside Jamie, and dropped the reins on its neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have wee Roger take the men on to Brownsville,¡± Jamie explained, sitting back in his saddle, ¡°while I go and call upon the Beardsleys alone. Will ye come with me, Sassenach, or go on wi¡¯ Roger?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll come with you,¡± I said, without hesitation. ¡°I want to see what these Beardsleys are like.¡±


    He smiled and brushed back his hair with one hand before replacing his hat. He wore his hair loose to cover his neck and ears against the cold, and it shone like molten copper in the morning sun.


    ¡°I thought ye might. Mind your face, though,¡± he said, in half-mocking warning. ¡°Dinna go gape-jawed or gooseberry, and they mention their missing servant lad.¡±


    ¡°Mind your own face,¡± I said, rather crossly. ¡°Gooseberry, indeed. Did Josiah say that he and his brother were badly treated?¡± I wondered whether there had been more to Josiah¡¯s leaving than the cheese incident.


    Jamie shook his head.


    ¡°I didna ask, and he didna say¡ªbut ask yourself, Sassenach: would ye leave a decent home to go and live in the woods alone, to make your bed in cold leaves and eat grubs and crickets ¡¯til ye learned to hunt meat?¡±


    He nudged his horse into motion, and rode up the slope to meet Roger, leaving me pondering that conjecture. He returned a few moments later, and I turned my mount in beside him, another question in my mind.


    ¡°But if things were bad enough here as to force him to leave¡ªwhy didn¡¯t his brother go with him?¡±


    Jamie glanced at me, surprised, but then smiled, a little grimly.


    ¡°Keziah¡¯s deaf, Sassenach.¡±


    Not born deaf, from what Josiah had told him; his twin had lost his hearing as the result of an injury, occurring at the age of five or so. Keziah could therefore speak, but not hear any but the loudest of noises; and unable to perceive the sound of rustling leaves or shuffling feet, could neither hunt nor avoid pursuit.


    ¡°He says Keziah understands him, and doubtless he does. When we crept into the barn, I kept watch below while the lad went up the ladder to the loft. I didna hear a sound, but within a minute, both lads were down on the floor beside me, Keziah rubbing the sleep from his eyes. I hadna realized they were twins; gave me a turn to see the two of them, so like.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why Keziah didn¡¯t bring away his breeches,¡± I said, touching on one thing that had been puzzling me.


    Jamie laughed.


    ¡°I asked. Seems he¡¯d taken them off the night before, left them in the hay, and one o¡¯ the barn cats had kittens on them. He didna want to disturb her.¡±


    I laughed too, though with an uneasy memory of pale bare feet, blue-tinged skin showing purple in the firelight.


    ¡°Kind lad. And his shoes?¡±


    ¡°He hadn¡¯t any.¡±


    By now we had reached the bottom of the slope. The horses milled for a moment, turning in a slow gyre round Jamie as directions were decided, rendezvous appointed, farewells taken. Then Roger¡ªwith only slight evidence of self-consciousness¡ªwhistled through his teeth and waved his hat in the air in summons. I watched him ride away, and noticed him half-turn in the saddle, then turn back, looking straight ahead.


    ¡°He¡¯s no sure they¡¯ll really follow him,¡± Jamie said, watching. He shook his head critically, then shrugged, dismissing it. ¡°Aye, well. He¡¯ll manage, or not.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll manage,¡± I said, thinking of the night before.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad ye think so, Sassenach. Come on, then.¡± He clicked his tongue and reined his horse¡¯s head around.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not sure Roger can manage, why are you sending him on his own?¡± I inquired of his back, swaying in the saddle as we turned into the thin copse that lay between us and the now-invisible farm. ¡°Why not keep the men together, and take them into Brownsville yourself?¡±


    ¡°For one thing, he¡¯ll no learn, and I dinna give him the chance. For another . . .¡± He paused, turning to look back at me. ¡°For another, I didna want the whole boiling coming along to the Beardsleys¡¯ and maybe hearing of their missing servant. The whole camp saw Josiah last night, aye? If you¡¯ve a lad missing, and hear of a lad popping up and causing a stir in the forest nearby, conclusions might be drawn, d¡¯ye not think?¡±


    He turned back, and I followed him through a narrow defile between the pine trees. Dew gleamed like diamonds on bark and needle, and small icy drops fell from the boughs above, startling my skin where they fell.


    ¡°Unless this Beardsley is old or infirm, though, won¡¯t he be joining you?¡± I objected. ¡°Someone¡¯s bound to mention Josiah in his hearing sooner or later.¡±


    He shook his head, not turning round.


    ¡°And tell him what, if they do? They saw the lad when we dragged him in, and they saw him run away again. For all they ken, he got clear away.¡±


    ¡°Kenny Lindsay saw them both when you brought them back.¡±


    He shrugged.


    ¡°Aye, I had a word wi¡¯ Kenny, while we were saddling the horses. He¡¯ll say nothing.¡± He was right, I knew. Kenny was one of his Ardsmuir men; he would follow Jamie¡¯s orders without question.


    ¡°No,¡± Jamie went on, skillfully reining round a large boulder, ¡°Beardsley¡¯s not infirm; Josiah told me he¡¯s an Indian trader¡ªtaking goods across the Treaty Line to the Cherokee villages. What I don¡¯t know is if he¡¯s to home just now. If he is, though¡ª¡± He drew breath and paused to cough as the cold air tickled his lungs.


    ¡°That¡¯s the other reason for sending the men ahead,¡± he continued, wheezing slightly. ¡°We¡¯ll not join them again until tomorrow, I think. By that time, they¡¯ll have had a night to drink and be sociable in Brownsville; they¡¯ll scarce recall the lad, and be the less likely to speak of him in Beardsley¡¯s hearing. With luck, we¡¯ll be well away before anything¡¯s said¡ªno chance of Beardsley leaving us to pursue the lad then.¡±


    So he was counting on the Beardsleys being sufficiently hospitable as to put us up for the night. A reasonable expectation, in this neck of the woods. Listening to him cough again, I resolved to sit on his chest this evening, if necessary, and oblige him to be well-greased with camphor, whether he liked it or not.


    We emerged from the trees, and I glanced dubiously at the farmhouse ahead. It was smaller than I had thought, and rather shabby, with a cracked step, a sagging porch, and a wide patch of shingles missing from the weathered roof. Well, I had slept in worse places, and likely would again.


    The door to a stunted barn gaped open, but there was no sign of life. The whole place seemed deserted, save for the plume of smoke from the chimney.


    I had meant what I said to Jamie, though I hadn¡¯t been entirely accurate. He was honest, and also law-abiding¡ªprovided that the laws were those he chose to respect. The mere fact that a law had been established by the Crown was not, I knew, sufficient to make it law in his eyes. Other laws, unwritten, he would likely die for.


    Still, while the law of property meant somewhat less to an erstwhile Highland raider than it might to others, it hadn¡¯t escaped my attention¡ªand therefore certainly hadn¡¯t escaped his¡ªthat he was about to claim both hospitality and duty from a man whose property he had just helped to abscond. Jamie had no deep-seated objection to indenture as such, I knew; ordinarily, he would respect such a claim. That he hadn¡¯t meant that he perceived some higher law in operation¡ªthough whether that was friendship, pity, the claim of his earbsachd, or something else, I didn¡¯t know. He had paused, waiting for me.


    ¡°Why did you decide to help Josiah?¡± I asked bluntly, as we made our way across the ragged cornfield that lay before the house. Dry stalks snapped beneath the horses¡¯ feet, and ice crystals glittered on the litter of dead leaves.


    Jamie took off his hat, and set it on the saddle before him, as he tied back his hair in preparation for meeting company.


    ¡°Well, I said to him that if he was set on this course, so be it. But if he chose to come to the Ridge¡ªalone or with his brother¡ªthen we must rid him of the mark on his thumb, for it would cause talk, and word might get back to yon Beardsley, wi¡¯ the devil to pay and a¡¯ that.¡±


    He took a deep breath and let it out, the smoke of it wisping white around his head, then turned to look at me, his face serious.


    ¡°The lad didna hesitate for a moment, though he¡¯d been branded; he knew. And I¡¯ll tell ye, Sassenach¡ªwhile a man may do a desperate thing once from love or courage . . . it takes something more than that, if ye¡¯ve done it once already, and ye know damn well what it¡¯s going to feel like to have to do it again.¡±


    He turned away without waiting for my response, and rode into the dooryard, scattering a flock of foraging doves. He sat his horse upright, his shoulders broad and square. There was no hint of the deep-webbed scars that lined his back beneath the homespun cloak, but I knew them well.


    So that was it, I thought. As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. And the law of courage was the one he had lived by for the longest.


    SEVERAL CHICKENS HUDDLED on the porch, fluffed into balls of yellow-eyed resentment. They muttered balefully among themselves as we dismounted, but were too cold to do more than shuffle away from us, reluctant to abandon their patch of sunshine. Several boards of the porch itself were broken, and the yard nearby was littered with scraps of half-hewn lumber and scattered nails, as though someone had meant to mend it, but had not yet found a moment to attend to the job. The procrastination had lasted for some time, I thought; the nails were rusty, and the newly cut boards had warped and split with damp.


    ¡°Ho! The house!¡± Jamie shouted, stopping in the center of the dooryard. This was accepted etiquette for approaching a strange house; while most people in the mountains were hospitable, there were not a few who viewed strangers warily¡ªand were inclined to make introductions at gunpoint, until the callers¡¯ bona fides should be established.

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    With this in mind, I kept a cautious distance behind Jamie, but made sure I was visible, ostentatiously spreading my skirts and brushing them down, displaying my gender as evidence of our peaceable intent.


    Damn, there was a small hole burnt through the brown wool, no doubt from a flying campfire spark. I concealed the burned spot in a fold of skirt, thinking how odd it was that everyone regarded women as inherently harmless. Had I been so inclined, I could easily have burgled houses and murdered hapless families from one end of the Ridge to the other.


    Fortunately the impulse to do so hadn¡¯t struck me, though it had dawned on me now and then that the Hippocratic Oath and its injunction to ¡°Do no harm¡± might not have strictly to do with medical procedure. I¡¯d had the impulse to dot one of my more recalcitrant patients over the head with a stick of firewood more than once, but had so far managed to keep the urge in check.


    Of course, most people hadn¡¯t the advantage of a doctor¡¯s jaundiced view of humanity. And it was true that women didn¡¯t go in so much for the recreational sorts of mayhem that men enjoyed¡ªI rarely found women beating each other into pulp for fun. Give them a good motive, though, and . . .


    Jamie was walking toward the barn, shouting at intervals, to no apparent effect. I glanced round, but there were no fresh tracks in the dooryard save our own. A scatter of dung balls lay near the half-hewn log, but those had plainly been left days ago; they were moist with dew, but not fresh¡ªmost had crumbled to powder.


    No one had come, no one had gone, save on foot. The Beardsleys, whoever and however many of them there were, were likely still within.


    Lying low, though. It was early, but not so early that farm people would not already be about their chores; I had seen someone earlier, after all. I stepped back and shaded my eyes against the rising sun, looking for any sign of life. I was more than curious about these Beardsleys¡ªand more than slightly apprehensive about the prospects of having one or more male Beardsleys riding with us, given recent events.


    I turned back to the door, and noticed an odd series of notches cut into the wood of the jamb. Each one was small, but there were a great many, running the complete length of one doorpost, and halfway down the other. I looked closer; they were arranged in groups of seven, a scant width of unscarred wood between the groups, as a prisoner might count, keeping track of the weeks.


    Jamie emerged from the barn, followed by a faint bleating. The goats he¡¯d mentioned, of course; I wondered whether it had been Keziah¡¯s job to milk them¡ªif it was, his absence was going to become rapidly apparent, if it wasn¡¯t already.


    Jamie took a few paces toward the house, cupped his hands round his mouth, and shouted again. No answer. He waited a few moments, then shrugged and strode up onto the porch, where he hammered on the door with the hilt of his dirk. It made enough noise to wake the dead, had there been any in the vicinity, and sent the chickens squawking away in a feather-scattering panic, but no one appeared in answer to the thunderous summons.


    Jamie glanced back at me, one eyebrow raised. People didn¡¯t normally go off and leave their farms untended, not if they had livestock.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s here,¡± he said, in answer to the unvoiced thought. ¡°The goats are fresh-milked; there are drops still on their teats.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they could all be out searching for . . . er . . . you know who?¡± I murmured, moving closer to him.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± He moved to the side, bending to peer into a window. It had once been glassed, but most of the panes were cracked or missing, and a sheet of ratty muslin had been tacked over the opening. I saw Jamie frown at it, with the craftsman¡¯s disdain for a shoddy repair.


    He turned his head suddenly, then looked at me.


    ¡°D¡¯ye hear something, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I thought it was the goats, but . . .¡±


    The bleat came again¡ªthis time unmistakably from the house. Jamie set his hand to the door, but it didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Bolted,¡± he said briefly, and moved back to the window, where he reached carefully into the frame and pulled loose a corner of the muslin cloth.


    ¡°Phew,¡± I said, wrinkling my nose at the air that wafted out. I was used to the odors of a winter-sealed cabin, where the scents of sweat, dirty clothes, wet feet, greasy hair, and slop jars mingled with baking bread, stewing meat, and the subtler notes of fungus and mold, but the aroma within the Beardsley residence went well beyond the norm.


    ¡°Either they¡¯re keeping the pigs in the house,¡± I said, with a glance at the barn, ¡°or there are ten people living in there who haven¡¯t come out since last spring.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit ripe,¡± Jamie agreed. He put his face into the window, grimacing at the stink, and bellowed, ¡°Thig a mach! Come out, Beardsley, or I¡¯m comin¡¯ in!¡±


    I peered over his shoulder, to see whether this invitation might produce results. The room within was large, but so crowded that scarcely any of the stained wooden floor was visible through the rubble. Sniffing cautiously, I deduced that the barrels I saw contained¡ªamong other things¡ªsalt fish, tar, apples, beer, and sauerkraut, while bundles of woolen blankets dyed with cochineal and indigo, kegs of black powder, and half-tanned hides reeking of dog turds lent their own peculiar fragrances to the unique mephitis within. Beardsley¡¯s trade goods, I supposed.


    The other window had been covered as well, with a tattered wolf hide, so that the interior was dim and shadowy; with all the boxes, bundles, barrels, and bits of furniture lying in heaps, it looked like a poverty-stricken version of Ali Baba¡¯s cave.


    The sound came again from the back of the house, somewhat louder; a noise midway between a squeal and a growl. I took a step back, sound and acrid smell together vividly recalling an image of dark fur and sudden violence.


    ¡°Bears,¡± I suggested, half-seriously. ¡°The people are gone and there¡¯s a bear inside.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Goldilocks,¡± Jamie said, very dryly. ¡°Nay doubt. Bears or not, there¡¯s something wrong. Fetch the pistols and cartridge box from my saddlebag.¡±


    I nodded and turned to go, but before I could step off the porch, a shuffling noise came from inside, and I turned back sharply. Jamie had grasped his dirk, but as he saw whatever was inside, his hand relaxed on the hilt. His eyebrows also rose in surprise, and I leaned over his arm to see.


    A woman peered out from between two hillocks of goods, looking round suspiciously, like a rat peering out of a garbage dump. She was not particularly ratlike in appearance, being wavy-haired and quite stout, but she blinked at us in the calculating way of vermin, reckoning the threat.


    ¡°Go away,¡± she said, evidently concluding that we were not the vanguard of an invading army.


    ¡°Good morning to ye, ma¡¯am,¡± Jamie began, ¡°I am James Fraser, of¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are,¡± she replied. ¡°Go away.¡±


    ¡°Indeed I will not,¡± he said firmly. ¡°I must speak with the man o¡¯ the house.¡±


    An extraordinary expression crossed her plump face; concern, calculation, and what might have been amusement.


    ¡°Must you?¡± she said. She had a slight lisp; it came out as mutht you? ¡°And who says that you must?¡±


    Jamie¡¯s ears were beginning to redden slightly, but he answered calmly enough.


    ¡°The Governor, madam. I am Colonel James Fraser,¡± he said, with emphasis, ¡°charged with the raising of militia. All able-bodied men between the ages of sixteen and sixty are called to muster. Will ye fetch Mr. Beardsley, please?¡±


    ¡°Mili-ish-ia, is it?¡± she said, handling the word with care. ¡°Why, who will you be fighting, then?¡±


    ¡°With luck, no one. But the call to muster is sent out; I must answer, and so must all able-bodied men within the Treaty Line.¡± Jamie¡¯s hand tightened on the crosspiece of the inner frame and rattled it experimentally. It was made of flimsy pine sticks, the wood shrunken and badly weathered; he could plainly rip it out of the wall and step through the opening, if he chose to do so. He met her eyes straight on, and smiled pleasantly.


    She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, thinking.


    ¡°Able-bodied men,¡± she said at last. ¡°Hmp. Well, we¡¯ve none of those. The bond lad¡¯s run off again, but even if he were here, he¡¯s not able; deaf as that doorpotht, and quite as dumb.¡± She nodded toward the door in illustration. ¡°If you care to hunt him down, you¡¯re welcome to keep him, though.¡±


    It didn¡¯t look as though there would be any hue and cry after Keziah, then. I took a deep breath, in a sigh of relief, but let it out again, swiftly.


    Jamie wasn¡¯t giving up easily.


    ¡°Is Mr. Beardsley in the house?¡± he asked. ¡°I wish to see him.¡± He gave an experimental tug on the frame, and the dry wood cracked with a sound like a pistol shot.


    ¡°He¡¯s thcarce fit for company,¡± she said, and the odd note was back in her voice; wary, but at the same time, filled with something like excitement.


    ¡°Is he ill?¡± I asked, leaning over Jamie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I might be able to help; I¡¯m a doctor.¡±


    She shuffled forward a step or two, and peered at me, frowning under a heavy mass of wavy brown hair. She was younger than I¡¯d thought; seen in better light, the heavy face showed no cobweb of age or slackening of flesh.


    ¡°A doctor?¡±


    ¡°My wife¡¯s well-kent as a healer,¡± Jamie said. ¡°The Indian folk call her White Raven.¡±


    ¡°The conjure woman?¡± Her eyes flew wide in alarm, and she took a step back.


    Something struck me odd about the woman, and looking at her, I realized what it was. Despite the reek in the house, both the woman¡¯s person and her dress were clean, and her hair was soft and fluffy¡ªnot at all the norm at this time of year, when people generally didn¡¯t bathe for several months in the cold weather.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked bluntly. ¡°Are you Mrs. Beardsley? Or perhaps Miss Beardsley?¡±


    No more than twenty-five, I thought, in spite of the bulk of her swaddled figure. Her shoulders swelled fatly under her shawl, and the width of her h*ps brushed the barrels she stood between. Evidently trade with the Cherokee was sufficiently profitable to keep Beardsley¡¯s family in adequate food, if not his bond servants. I eyed her with some dislike, but she met my gaze coolly enough.


    ¡°I am Mrs. Beardthley.¡±


    The alarm had faded; she pursed her lips, and pushed them in and out, regarding me with an air of calculation. Jamie flexed his arm, and the window frame cracked loudly.


    ¡°Come you in, then.¡±


    The odd tone was still in her voice; half defiance, half eagerness. Jamie caught it and frowned, but released his grip on the frame.


    She moved out from between the boxes and turned toward the door. I caught no more than a glimpse of her in motion, but that was enough to see that she was lame; one leg dragged, her shoe scraping on the wooden floor.


    There was a bumping and grunting as she fumbled with the bolt; a grating noise, and then a thunk as she dropped it on the floor. The door was warped, stuck in its frame; Jamie put his shoulder to it and it sprang loose and swung in, boards quivering with the shock. How long since it had been opened? I wondered.

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    A good long time, evidently. I heard Jamie snort and cough as he went in, and did my best to breathe through my mouth as I followed. Even so, the smell was enough to knock a ferret over. Beyond the reek of the goods, there was an outhouse smell from somewhere; stale urine and a ripe fecal stench. Rotting food, too, but something else besides. My nostrils twitched cautiously as I tried to inhale no more than a few molecules of air for analysis.


    ¡°How long has Mr. Beardsley been ill?¡± I asked.


    I had picked out a distinct stench of sickness amid the general fetor. Not only the ghost of long-dried vomit, but the sweet smell of purulent discharge and that indefinable musty, yeast-rising odor that seems to be simply the smell of illness itself.


    ¡°Oh . . . thome time.¡±


    She shut the door behind us, and I felt a sudden surge of claustrophobia. Inside, the air seemed thick, both from the stench and from the lack of light. I had a great impulse to rip down the coverings from both windows and let in a little air, and clenched my hands in the fabric of my cloak to keep from


    doing it.


    Mrs. Beardsley turned sideways and scuttled crablike through a narrow passage left between the stacks of goods. Jamie glanced at me, made a Scottish noise of disgust in his throat, and ducked under a jutting bundle of tent poles to follow her. I made my way cautiously after, trying not to notice that my foot fell now and then on objects of an unpleasant squashiness. Rotten apples? Dead rats? I pinched my nose and didn¡¯t look down.


    The farmhouse was simple in construction; one big room across the front, one behind.


    The rear room was a striking contrast to the squalid clutter of the front. There was no ornament or decoration; the room was plain and orderly as a Quaker meeting hall. Everything was bare and spotless, the wooden table and stone hearth scrubbed to rawness, a few pewter utensils gleaming dully on a shelf. One window here had been left uncovered, glass intact, and the morning sun fell across the room in pure white radiance. The room was quiet and the air still, increasing the odd feeling that we had entered a sanctuary of some sort from the chaos of the front room.


    The impression of peace was dispelled at once by a loud noise from above. It was the sound we had heard earlier, but close at hand, a loud squeal filled with desperation, like a tortured hog. Jamie started at the sound, and turned at once toward a ladder at the far side of the room, which led upward to a loft.


    ¡°He¡¯th up there,¡± Mrs. Beardsley said¡ªunnecessarily, as Jamie was already halfway up the ladder. The squealing noise came again, more urgently, and I decided not to fetch my medicine box before investigating.


    Jamie¡¯s head appeared at the top of the ladder as I grasped it.


    ¡°Bring a light, Sassenach,¡± he said briefly, and his head vanished.


    Mrs. Beardsley stood motionless, hands buried in her shawl, making no effort to find a light. Her lips were pressed tight together, her plump cheeks mottled with red. I pushed past her, seized a candlestick from the shelf, and knelt to light it at the hearth before hastening upward.


    ¡°Jamie?¡± I poked my head above the edge of the loft, holding my candle cautiously above my head.


    ¡°Here, Sassenach.¡± He was standing at the far end of the loft, where the shadows lay thickest. I scrambled over the top of the ladder and made my way toward him, stepping gingerly.


    The stench was much stronger here. I caught the gleam of something in the dark, and brought the candle forward to see.


    Jamie drew in his breath, as shocked as I was, but quickly mastered his emotion.


    ¡°Mr. Beardsley, I presume,¡± he said.


    The man was enormous¡ªor had been. The great curve of his belly still rose whalelike out of the shadows, and the hand that lay slack on the floorboards near my foot could have cupped a cannonball with ease. But the flesh of the upper arm hung slack, white and flabby, the massive chest sunken in the center. What must once have been the neck of a bull had wasted to stringiness, and a single eye gleamed, frantic behind strands of matted hair.


    The eye widened, and he made the noise again, his head straining upward urgently. I felt a shudder go through Jamie. It was enough to raise the hair on the back of my own neck, but I disregarded it, pushing the candlestick into Jamie¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Hold the light for me.¡±


    I sank to my knees, too late feeling the liquid ooze through the fabric of my skirt. The man lay in his own filth, and had been lying so for quite some time; the floor was thick with slime and wet. He was nak*d, covered by no more than a linen blanket, and as I turned it back, I glimpsed ulcerated sores amid the smears of ordure.


    It was clear enough what ailed Mr. Beardsley; one side of his face sagged grotesquely, the eyelid drooping, and both the arm and the leg on the near side of his body splayed limp and dead, the joints left knobby and weirdly distorted by the falling away of the muscle around them. He snuffled and bleated, tongue poking and slobbering from the corner of his mouth in his vain but urgent attempts at speech.


    ¡°Hush,¡± I said to him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk; it¡¯s all right now.¡±


    I took the wrist to check his pulse; the flesh moved loosely on the bones of his arm, with not the slightest twitch of response to my touch.


    ¡°A stroke,¡± I said softly to Jamie. ¡°An apoplexy, you call it.¡± I put my hand on Beardsley¡¯s chest, to offer the comfort of touch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said to him. ¡°We¡¯ve come to help.¡± I spoke reassuringly, though even as I said the words, I wondered what help was possible. Well, cleanliness and warmth at least; it was nearly as cold in the loft as it was outside, and his chest was chilly and pebbled with gooseflesh among the bushy hair.


    The ladder creaked heavily, and I turned to see the outline of Mrs. Beardsley¡¯s fluffy head and heavy shoulders, silhouetted by the light from the kitchen below.


    ¡°How long has he been like this?¡± I asked sharply.


    ¡°Perhapth . . . a month,¡± she said, after a pause. ¡°I could not move him,¡± she said, defensive. ¡°He ith too heavy.¡±


    That was plainly true. However . . .


    ¡°Why is he up here?¡± Jamie demanded. ¡°If ye didna move him, how did he get here?¡± He turned, shedding the light of the candle over the loft. There was little here that would draw a man; an old straw mattress, a few scattered tools, and bits of household rubbish. The light shone on Mrs. Beardsley¡¯s face, turning her pale blue eyes to ice.


    ¡°He wath . . . chathing me,¡± she said faintly.


    ¡°What?¡± Jamie strode over to the ladder, and bending down, seized her by the arm, helping her¡ªrather against her will, it seemed¡ªto clamber up the rest of the way into the loft.


    ¡°What d¡¯ye mean, chasing you?¡± he demanded. She hunched her shoulders, looking round and homely as a cookie jar in her bundled shawls.


    ¡°He thtruck me,¡± she said simply. ¡°I came up the ladder to get away from him, but he followed. I tried to hide back here in the thadows, and he came, but then . . . he fell. And . . . he could not get up.¡± She shrugged again.


    Jamie held the candlestick near her face. She gave a small nervous smile, eyes darting from me to Jamie, and I saw that the lisp was caused by the fact that her front teeth were broken¡ªsnapped off at an angle, just beyond the gums. A small scar ran through her upper lip; another showed white in the hairs of one eyebrow.


    A horrible noise came from the man on the floor¡ªa furious squeal of what sounded like protest¡ªand she flinched, eyes shut tight in reflexive dread.


    ¡°Mmphm,¡± Jamie said, glancing from her to her husband. ¡°Aye. Well. Fetch up some water, ma¡¯am, and ye will. Another candle and some fresh rags as well,¡± he called after her departing back as she hastened toward the ladder, only too glad to be given an excuse to leave.


    ¡°Jamie¡ªbring back the light, will you?¡±


    He came and stood beside me, holding the candle so it shed its glow on the ruined body. He gave Beardsley a dark look of mingled pity and dislike, and shook his head slowly.


    ¡°God¡¯s judgment, d¡¯ye think, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°Not entirely God¡¯s, I don¡¯t think,¡± I said, my voice lowered so as not to carry to the kitchen below. I reached up and took the candlestick from him. ¡°Look.¡±


    A flask of water and a plate of bread, hard and tinged with blue mold, stood in the shadows near Beardsley¡¯s head; orts and bits of gluey, half-chewed bread covered the floor nearby. She had fed him¡ªenough to keep him alive. Yet I had seen great quantities of food in that front room as we passed¡ªhanging hams, barrels of dried fruit and salt fish and sauerkraut.


    There were bundles of furs, jugs of oil, piles of woolen blankets¡ªand yet the master of those goods lay here in the dark, starved and shivering beneath a single sheet of linen.


    ¡°Why did she not just let him die, I wonder?¡± Jamie asked softly, eyes fixed on the moldy bread. Beardsley gargled and growled at this; his open eye rolled angrily, tears running down his face and snot bubbling from his nose. He flailed and grunted, arching his body in frustration, collapsing with a meaty thud that shook the boards of the loft.


    ¡°He can understand you, I think. Can you?¡± I addressed this remark to the sick man, who gobbled and drooled in a manner that made it clear that he understood at least that he was being spoken to.


    ¡°As to why . . .¡±


    I gestured toward Beardsley¡¯s legs, moving the candle slowly above them. Some of the sores were indeed compression sores, caused by lying helpless for a long time. Others were not. Parallel slashes, clearly made by a knife, showed black and clotted on one massive thigh. The shin was decorated with a regular line of ulcerations, angry red wounds rimmed with black and oozing. Burns, left to fester.


    Jamie gave a small grunt at the sight, and glanced over his shoulder, toward the ladder. The sound of a door opening came from below, and a cold draft blew up into the loft, making the candle flame dance wildly. The door shut, and the flame steadied.


    ¡°I can make shift to lower him, I think.¡± Jamie lifted the candle, assessing the beams overhead. ¡°A sling, perhaps, with a rope put over yon beam there. Is it all right to move him?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, but I wasn¡¯t paying attention. Bending over the sick man¡¯s legs, I had caught a whiff of something that I hadn¡¯t smelled in a long, long time¡ªa very bad and sinister stink.


    I hadn¡¯t encountered it often, but even once would have been enough; the pungent smell of gas gangrene is strikingly memorable. I didn¡¯t want to say anything that might alarm Beardsley¡ªif he was capable of understanding¡ªso instead, I patted him reassuringly and stood up to go and fetch the candle from Jamie for a better look.


    He gave it to me, leaning close to murmur in my ear as he did so.


    ¡°Can ye do aught for him, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, equally low-voiced. ¡°Not for the apoplexy, that is. I can treat the sores and give him herbs against fever¡ªthat¡¯s all.¡±


    He stood for a moment, looking at the humped figure in the shadows, now quiescent. Then he shook his head, crossed himself, and went quickly down the ladder to hunt a rope.


    I went slowly back to the sick man, who greeted me with a thick ¡°Haughhh¡± and a restless thumping of one leg, like a rabbit¡¯s warning. I knelt by his feet, talking soothingly of nothing in particular, while I held the light close to examine them. The toes. All the toes on his dead foot had been burned, some only blistered, others burned nearly to the bone. The first two toes had gone quite black, and a greenish tinge spread over the upper aspect of the foot nearby.

 Page 75

    I was appalled¡ªas much by the thought of what might have led to this as by the action itself. The candle wavered; my hands were shaking, and not only with cold. I was not only horrified by what had happened here; I was also worried by the immediate prospects. What on earth were we to do about these wretched people?


    Plainly we couldn¡¯t take Beardsley with us¡ªjust as plainly, he could not be left here, under the care of his wife. There were no near neighbors to look in, no one else on the farm to safeguard him. I supposed we might manage to transport him to Brownsville; there might be a wagon in the barn. But even if so, what then?


    There was no hospital to care for him. If one of the homes in Brownsville might take him in for the sake of charity . . . well and good, but seeing Beardsley¡¯s state after a month, I thought it unlikely that his condition¡ªin terms either of paralysis or speech¡ªwould improve much. Who would keep him, if it meant caring for him day and night for the rest of his life?


    The rest of his life, of course, could be rather short, depending on my success in dealing with the gangrene. Worry retreated as my mind turned to the immediate problem. I would have to amputate; it was the only possibility. The toes were easy¡ªbut the toes might not be enough. If I had to take off the foot or part of it, we ran a greater risk from shock and infection.


    Could he feel it? Sometimes stroke victims retained feeling in an affected limb, but not movement, sometimes movement without feeling¡ªsometimes neither. Cautiously, I touched the gangrenous toe, eyes on his face.


    His working eye was open, focused on the beams overhead. He didn¡¯t glance at me or make a noise, which answered that question. No, he couldn¡¯t feel the foot. That was a relief, in a way¡ªat least he wouldn¡¯t suffer pain from the amputation. Nor, it occurred to me, had he felt the damage inflicted on his limb. Had she been aware of that? Or had she chosen to attack his dead side only because he retained some strength on the other, and might still defend himself?


    There was a soft rustle behind me. Mrs. Beardsley was back. She set down a bucket of water and a pile of rags, then stood behind me, watching in silence as I began to sponge away the filth.


    ¡°Can you cure him?¡± she asked. Her voice was calm, remote, as though she spoke of a stranger.


    The patient¡¯s head lolled suddenly back, so his open eye fixed on me.


    ¡°I think I can help a bit,¡± I said carefully. I wished Jamie would return. Aside from need of my medical box, I was finding the company of the Beardsleys rather unnerving.


    The more so when Mr. Beardsley inadvertently released a small quantity of urine. Mrs. Beardsley laughed, and he made a sound in reply that made the goose bumps rise on my arms. I wiped the liquid off his thigh and went on with my work, trying to ignore it.


    ¡°Have you or Mr. Beardsley any kin nearby?¡± I asked, as conversationally as possible. ¡°Someone who might come to lend you a hand?¡±


    ¡°No one,¡± she said. ¡°He took me from my father¡¯s house in Maryland. To thith place.¡± This place was spoken as though it were the fifth circle of hell; so far as I could see, there was certainly some resemblance at the present moment.


    The door opened below, and a welcome draft of cold air announced Jamie¡¯s return. There was a clunking noise as he set my box on the table, and I hastily rose, eager to escape them, if only for a moment.


    ¡°There¡¯s my husband with my medicines. I¡¯ll just . . . er . . . go and fetch . . . um . . .¡± I edged past Mrs. Beardsley¡¯s bulk, and fled down the ladder, sweating in spite of the chill in the house.


    Jamie stood by the table, frowning as he turned a length of rope in his hands. He glanced up as he heard me, and his face relaxed a little.


    ¡°How is it, Sassenach?¡± he asked, low-voiced, with a jerk of the chin toward the loft.


    ¡°Very bad,¡± I whispered, coming to stand beside him. ¡°Two of his toes are gangrenous; I¡¯ll have to take them off. And she says they¡¯ve no family near to help.¡±


    ¡°Mmphm.¡± His lips tightened, and he bent his attention to the sling he was improvising.


    I reached for my medical chest, to check my instruments, but stopped when I saw Jamie¡¯s pistols lying on the table beside it, along with his powder horn and shot case. I touched his arm and jerked my head at them, mouthing, ¡°What?¡± at him.


    The line between his brows deepened, but before he could answer, a dreadful racket came from the loft above, a great thrashing and thumping, accompanied by a gargling noise like an elephant drowning in a mud bog.


    Jamie dropped the rope and shot for the ladder, with me at his heels. He let out a shout as his head topped the ladder, and dived forward. As I scrambled into the loft behind him, I saw him in the shadows, grappling with Mrs. Beardsley.


    She smashed an elbow at his face, hitting him in the nose. This removed any inhibitions he might have had about manhandling a woman, and he jerked her round to face him and struck her with a short, sharp uppercut to the chin that clicked her jaws and made her stagger, eyes glazing. I dashed forward to save the candle, as she collapsed on her rump in a pouf of skirts and petticoats.


    ¡°God . . . dab . . . that . . . womad.¡± Jamie¡¯s voice was muffled, his sleeve pressed across his face to stanch the flow of blood from his nose, but the sincerity in it was unmistakable.


    Mr. Beardsley was flopping like a landed fish, wheezing and gurgling. I lifted the candle and found him flailing at his neck with one splayed hand. A linen kerchief had been twisted into a rope and wrapped round his neck, and his face was black, his one eye popping. I hastily seized the kerchief and undid it, and his breathing eased with a great whoosh of fetid air.


    ¡°If she¡¯d been faster, she¡¯d have had him.¡± Jamie lowered his blood-streaked arm and felt his nose tenderly. ¡°Christ, I think she broke my dose.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why did you thtop me?¡± Mrs. Beardsley was still conscious, though swaying and glassy-eyed. ¡°He thould die, I want him to die, he mutht die.¡±


    ¡°A nighean na galladh, ye could ha¡¯ killed him at your leisure any time this month past, if ye wanted him dead,¡± Jamie said impatiently. ¡°Why in God¡¯s name wait until ye had witnesses?¡±


    She looked up at him, eyes suddenly sharp and clear.


    ¡°I did not want him dead,¡± she said. ¡°I wanted him to die.¡± She smiled, showing the stubs of her broken teeth. ¡°Thlowly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Christ,¡± I said, and wiped a hand across my face. It was only mid-morning, but I felt as though the day had lasted several weeks already. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I told her I thought I could help; she thought I¡¯d save him, maybe cure him altogether.¡± The curse of a reputation for magic healing! I might have laughed, had I been in the mood for irony.


    There was a sharp, fresh stink in the air, and Mrs. Beardsley turned on her husband with a cry of outrage.


    ¡°Filthy beast!¡± She scrambled to her knees, snatched up a hard roll from the plate, and threw it at him. It bounced off his head. ¡°Filthy, thtinking, dirty, wicked . . .¡± Jamie seized her by the hair as she hurled herself at the prone body, grabbed her arm, and jerked her away, sobbing and shrieking abuse.


    ¡°Bloody hell,¡± he said, over the uproar. ¡°Fetch me that rope, Sassenach, before I kill them both myself.¡±


    The job of getting Mr. Beardsley down from the loft was enough to leave both Jamie and me sweat-soaked and streaked with filth, reeking and weak in the knees with effort. Mrs. Beardsley squatted on a stool in the corner, quiet and malevolent as a toad, making no effort to help.


    She gave a gasp of outrage when we laid the big, lolling body on the clean table, but Jamie glared at her, and she sank back on her stool, mouth clamped to a thin, straight line.


    Jamie wiped his bloodstained sleeve across his brow, and shook his head as he looked at Beardsley. I didn¡¯t blame him; even cleaned up, warmly covered, and with a little warm gruel spooned into him, the man was in a dreadful state. I examined him once more, carefully, in the light from the window. No doubt about the toes; the stink of gangrene was distinct, and the greenish tinge covered the outer dorsal aspect of the foot.


    I¡¯d have to take more than the toes¡ªI frowned, feeling my way carefully around the putrefying area, wondering whether it was better to try for a partial amputation between the metacarpals, or simply to take the foot off at the ankle. The ankle dissection would be faster, and while I would normally try for the more conservative partial amputation, there was really no point to it in this case; Beardsley was plainly never going to walk again.


    I gnawed my lower lip dubiously. For that matter, the whole business might be moot; he burned with intermittent fever, and the sores on legs and buttocks oozed with suppuration. What were the chances of his recovering from the amputation without dying of infection?


    I hadn¡¯t heard Mrs. Beardsley come up behind me; for a heavyset woman, she moved with remarkable silence.


    ¡°What do you mean to do?¡± she asked, her voice sounding neutral and remote.


    ¡°Your husband¡¯s toes are gangrenous,¡± I said. No point in trying not to alarm Beardsley now. ¡°I¡¯ll have to amputate his foot.¡± There was really no choice, though my heart sank at the notion of spending the next several days¡ªor weeks¡ªhere, nursing Beardsley. I could hardly leave him to the tender care of his wife!


    She circled the table slowly, coming to a stop near his feet. Her face was blank, but a tiny smile appeared at the corners of her mouth, winking on and off, as though quite without her willing it. She looked at the blackened toes for a long minute, then shook her head.


    ¡°No,¡± she said softly. ¡°Let him rot.¡±


    The question of Beardsley¡¯s understanding was resolved, at least; his open eye bulged, and he let out a shriek of rage, thrashing and flailing in an effort to get at her, so that he came perilously near to falling onto the floor in his struggles. Jamie seized him, shoving and heaving to keep his ponderous bulk on the table. As Beardsley at last subsided, gasping and making mewling noises, Jamie straightened up, gasping himself, and gave Mrs. Beardsley a look of extreme dislike.


    She hunched her shoulders, pulling her shawl tight around them, but didn¡¯t retreat or look away. She raised her chin defiantly.


    ¡°I am hith wife,¡± she said. ¡°I thall not let you cut him. It ith a rithk to hith life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certain death if I don¡¯t,¡± I said shortly. ¡°And a nasty one, too. You¡ª¡± I didn¡¯t get to finish; Jamie put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing hard.


    ¡°Take her outside, Claire,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Outside.¡± His hand tightened on my shoulder, almost painful in its pressure. ¡°Dinna come back until I call for ye.¡±


    His face was grim, but there was something in his eyes that made me go hollow and watery inside. I glanced at the sideboard, where his pistols lay beside my medicine chest, then back at his face, appalled.


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± I said.


    He looked at Beardsley, his face bleak.


    ¡°I would put down a dog in such case without a second¡¯s thought,¡± he said softly. ¡°Can I do less for him?¡±


    ¡°He is not a dog!¡±

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    ¡°No, he is not.¡± His hand dropped from my shoulder, and he circled the table, until he stood by Beardsley¡¯s side.


    ¡°If ye understand me, man¡ªclose your eye,¡± he said quietly. There was a moment¡¯s silence, and Beardsley¡¯s bloodshot eye fixed on Jamie¡¯s face¡ªwith undeniable intelligence. The lid closed slowly, then rose again.


    Jamie turned to me.


    ¡°Go,¡± he said. ¡°Let it be his choice. If¡ªor if not¡ªI will call for ye.¡±


    My knees were trembling, and I knotted my hands in the folds of my skirt.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. I looked at Beardsley, then swallowed hard and shook my head. ¡°No,¡± I said again. ¡°I¡ªif you . . . you must have a witness.¡±


    He hesitated a moment, but then nodded.


    ¡°Aye, you¡¯re right.¡± He glanced at Mrs. Beardsley. She stood stock-still, hands knotted under her apron, eyes darting from me to Jamie to her husband and back. Jamie shook his head briefly, then turned back to the stricken man, squaring his shoulders.


    ¡°Blink once for yes, twice for nay,¡± he said. ¡°You understand?¡±


    The eyelid lowered without hesitation.


    ¡°Listen, then.¡± Jamie drew a deep breath and began to speak, in a flat, unemotional tone of voice, his eyes steady on the ruined face and the fierce gaze of its open eye.


    ¡°Ye ken what has happened to you?¡±


    Blink.


    ¡°Ye ken that my wife is a physician, a healer?¡±


    The eye rolled in my direction, then back to Jamie. Blink.


    ¡°She says that you have suffered an apoplexy, that the damage canna be mended. You understand?¡±


    A huffing sound came from the lopsided mouth. This was not news. Blink.


    ¡°Your foot is putrid. If it is not taken off, you will rot and die. You understand?¡±


    No response. The nostrils flared suddenly, moist, questing; then the air was expelled with a snort. He had smelled the rot; had suspected, perhaps, but not known for sure that it came from his own flesh. Not ¡¯til now. Slowly, a blink.


    The quiet litany went on, statements and questions, each a shovelful of dirt, taken from a deepening grave. Each ending with the inexorable words, ¡°You understand?¡±


    My hands and feet and face felt numb. The odd sense of sanctuary in the room had altered; it felt like a church, but no longer a place of refuge. A place now in which some ritual took place, leading to a solemn, predestined end.


    And it was predestined, I understood. Beardsley had made his choice long since¡ªperhaps even before we arrived. He had had a month in that purgatory, after all, suspended in the cold dark between heaven and earth, in which to think, to come to grips with his prospects and make his peace with death.


    Did he understand?


    Oh, yes, very well.


    Jamie bent over the table, one hand on Beardsley¡¯s arm, a priest in stained linen, offering absolution and salvation. Mrs. Beardsley stood frozen in the fall of light from the window, a stolid angel of denunciation.


    The statements and the questions came to an end.


    ¡°Will ye have my wife take your foot and tend your wounds?¡±


    One blink, then two, exaggerated, deliberate.


    Jamie¡¯s breathing was audible, the heaviness in his chest making a sigh of each word.


    ¡°Do ye ask me to take your life?¡±


    Though one half of his face sagged lifeless and the other was drawn and haggard, there was enough of Beardsley left to show expression. The workable corner of the mouth turned up in a cynical leer. What there is left of it, said his silence. The eyelid fell¡ªand stayed shut.


    Jamie closed his own eyes. A small shudder passed over him. Then he shook himself briefly, like a man shaking off cold water, and turned to the sideboard where his pistols lay.


    I crossed swiftly to him, laying a hand on his arm. He didn¡¯t look at me, but kept his eyes on the pistol he was priming. His face was white, but his hands were steady.


    ¡°Go,¡± he said. ¡°Take her out.¡±


    I looked back at Beardsley, but he was my patient no longer; his flesh beyond my healing or my comfort. I went to the woman and took her by the arm, turning her toward the door. She came with me, walking mechanically, and did not turn to look back.


    THE OUTDOORS SEEMED UNREAL, the sunlit yard unconvincingly ordinary. Mrs. Beardsley pulled free of my grip and headed toward the barn, walking fast. She glanced back over her shoulder at the house, then broke into a heavy run, disappearing through the open barn door as though fiends were after her.


    I caught her sense of panic and nearly ran after her. I didn¡¯t, though; I stopped at the edge of the yard and waited. I could feel my heart beating, slowly, thumping in my ears. That seemed unreal, too.


    The shot came, finally, a small flat sound, inconsequent amid the soft bleating of goats from the barn and the rustle of chickens scratching in the dirt nearby. Head, I wondered suddenly, or heart, and shuddered.


    It was long past noon; the cold, still air of the morning had risen and a chilly breeze moved through the dooryard, stirring dust and wisps of hay. I stood and waited. He would have paused, I thought, to say a brief prayer for Beardsley¡¯s soul. A moment passed, two, then the back door opened. Jamie came out, took a few steps, then stopped, bent over, and vomited.


    I started forward, in case he needed me, but no. He straightened and wiped his mouth, then turned and walked across the yard away from me, heading for the wood.


    I felt suddenly superfluous, and rather oddly affronted. I had been at work no more than moments before, deeply absorbed in the practice of medicine. Connected to flesh, to mind and body; attentive to symptoms, aware of pulse and breath, the vital signs. I hadn¡¯t liked Beardsley in the least, and yet I had been totally engaged in the struggle to preserve his life, to ease his suffering. I could still feel the odd touch of his slack, warm flesh on my hands.


    Now my patient was abruptly dead, and I felt as though some small part of my body had been amputated. I thought I was perhaps a trifle shocked.


    I glanced at the house, my original sense of caution superseded by distaste¡ªand something deeper. The body must be washed, of course, and decently laid out for burial. I had done such things before¡ªwith no great qualms, if without enthusiasm¡ªand yet I found myself now with a great reluctance to go back into the place.


    I¡¯d seen death by violence¡ªand many much more distasteful than this was likely to have been. Death was death. Whether it came as passage, as parting, or in some cases, as dearly desired release . . . Jamie had freed Beardsley very suddenly from the prison of his stricken body; did his spirit perhaps still linger in the house, having not yet realized its freedom?


    ¡°You are being superstitious, Beauchamp,¡± I said severely to myself. ¡°Stop it at once.¡± And yet I didn¡¯t take a step toward the house, but hovered in the yard, keyed up like an indecisive hummingbird.


    If Beardsley was beyond my help, and Jamie in no need of it, there was still one who might require it. I turned my back on the house and went toward the barn.


    This was no more than a large open shed with a loft, fragrantly dark and filled with hay and moving shapes. I stood in the doorway until my eyes adjusted. There was a stall in one corner, but no horse. A rickety fence with a milking stanchion made a goat pen in the other corner; she was crouched inside it, on a pile of fresh straw. Half a dozen goats crowded and bumped around her, jostling and nibbling at the fringes of her shawl. She was little more than a hunched shape, but I caught the brief shine of a wary eye in the shadows.


    ¡°Ith it over?¡± The question was asked softly, barely audible above the quiet grunting and bleating.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I hesitated, but she seemed in no need of my support; I could see better now¡ªshe had a small kid curled in her lap, her fingers stroking the small, silky head. ¡°Are you quite all right, Mrs. Beardsley?¡±


    Silence, then the heavy figure shrugged and settled, some tension seeming to leave her.


    ¡°I thcarthely know,¡± she said softly. I waited, but she neither moved nor spoke further. The peaceful company of the goats seemed as likely as mine to be a comfort to her, so I turned and left them, rather envying her the warm refuge of the barn and her cheerful companions.


    We had left the horses in the dooryard, still saddled, tethered to an alder sapling. Jamie had loosened their girths and removed their saddlebags when he went to fetch my medicine box, but had not taken the time to unsaddle them. I did that now; plainly it would be some time yet before we could leave. I took off the bridles as well, and hobbled them, turning them loose to graze on the winter-brown grass that still grew thickly at the edge of the pines.


    There was a hollowed half-log on the western side of the house, plainly meant to serve as a horse trough, but it was empty. Welcoming the chore for the delay it allowed me, I raised water from the well and emptied bucket after bucket into the trough.


    Wiping my wet hands on my skirt, I looked round for further useful occupation, but there wasn¡¯t any. No choice, then. I braced myself, poured more water into the bucket, dropped in the hollow drinking gourd that stood on the edge of the well, and carried it back around the house, concentrating fiercely on not spilling any, in order to avoid thinking about the prospects within.


    When I raised my eyes, I was startled to see that the back door stood open. I was sure it had been closed before. Was Jamie inside? Or Mrs. Beardsley?


    Keeping a wary distance, I craned my neck to peep into the kitchen, but as I sidled closer, I heard the steady chuff of a spade shifting dirt. I went around the far corner to find Jamie digging near a mountain-ash tree that stood by itself in the yard, a short distance from the house. He was still in shirtsleeves, and the wind blew the stained white linen against his body, ruffling the red hair over his face.


    He brushed it back with one wrist, and I saw with a small sense of shock that he was crying. He wept silently and somehow savagely, attacking the soil as though it were an enemy. He caught my movement from a corner of his eye, and stopped, swiping a blood-smeared shirtsleeve quickly across his face, as though to wipe away sweat from his brow.


    He was breathing hoarsely, loud enough to hear from a distance. I came silently and offered him the gourd of water, along with a clean handkerchief. He didn¡¯t meet my eyes, but drank, coughed, drank again, handed back the gourd, and blew his nose, gingerly. It was swollen, but no longer bleeding.


    ¡°We won¡¯t sleep here tonight, will we?¡± I ventured to ask, seating myself on the chopping block that stood under the ash tree.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°God, no,¡± he said hoarsely. His face was blotched and his eyes bloodshot, but he had firm hold of himself. ¡°We¡¯ll see him decently buried and go. I dinna mind if we sleep cold in the wood again¡ªbut not here.¡± I agreed wholeheartedly with that notion, but there was one thing more to be considered.


    ¡°And . . . her?¡± I asked delicately. ¡°Is she in the house? The back door is open.¡±


    He grunted, and thrust in his shovel.


    ¡°No, that was me. I¡¯d forgot to leave it open when I came out before¡ªto let the soul go free,¡± he explained, seeing my upraised eyebrow.


    It was the complete matter-of-factness with which he offered this explanation, rather than the fact that it echoed my own earlier notion, that made the hairs prickle along my neck.

 Page 77

    ¡°I see,¡± I said, a little faintly.


    Jamie dug steadily for a bit, the shovel biting deep into the dirt. It was loamy soil and leaf mold here; the digging was easy. At last, without breaking the swing of the blade, he said, ¡°Brianna told me a story she¡¯d read once. I dinna recall all about it, quite, but there was a murder done, only the person killed was a wicked man, who had driven someone to it. And at the end, when the teller of the tale was asked what should be done, he said, ¡®Let pass the justice of God.¡¯?¡±


    I nodded. I was in agreement, though it seemed a trifle hard on the person who found himself required to be the instrument of such justice.


    ¡°Do you suppose that¡¯s what it was, in this case? Justice?¡±


    He shook his head; not in negation, but in puzzlement, and went on digging. I watched him for a bit, soothed by his nearness and by the hypnotic rhythm of his movements. After a bit, though, I stirred, steeling myself to face the task awaiting me.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯d best go and lay out the body and clear up the loft,¡± I said reluctantly, drawing my feet under me to rise. ¡°We can¡¯t leave that poor woman alone with such a mess, no matter what she did.¡±


    ¡°No, wait, Sassenach,¡± Jamie said, pausing in his digging. He glanced at the house, a little warily. ¡°I¡¯ll go in with ye, in a bit. For now¡±¡ªhe nodded toward the edge of the wood¡ª¡°d¡¯ye think ye could fetch a few stones for the cairn?¡±


    A cairn? I was more than slightly surprised at this; it seemed an unnecessary elaboration for the late Mr. Beardsley. Still, there were undoubtedly wolves in the wood; I¡¯d seen scats on the trail two days before. It also occurred to me that Jamie might be contriving an honorable excuse for me to postpone entering the house again¡ªin which case, hauling rocks seemed a thoroughly desirable alternative.


    Fortunately, there was no shortage of suitable rocks. I fetched the heavy canvas apron that I wore for surgery from my saddlebag, and began to trundle to and fro, an ant collecting laborious crumbs. After half an hour or so of this, the thought of entering the house had begun to seem much less objectionable. Jamie was still hard at it, though, so I kept on.


    I stopped finally, gasping, and dumped yet another load out of my apron onto the ground by the deepening grave. The shadows were falling long across the dooryard, and the air was cold enough that my fingers had gone numb¡ªa good thing, in view of the various scrapes and nicks on them.


    ¡°You look a right mess,¡± I observed, shoving a disheveled mass of hair off my own face. ¡°Has Mrs. Beardsley come out yet?¡±


    He shook his head, but took a moment to get his breath back before replying.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, in a voice so hoarse I could scarcely hear him. ¡°She¡¯s still wi¡¯ the goats. I daresay it¡¯s warm in there.¡±


    I eyed him uneasily. Grave-digging is hard work; his shirt was clinging to his body, soaked through in spite of the coldness of the day, and his face was flushed¡ªwith labor, I hoped, rather than fever. His fingers were white and as stiff as mine, though; it took a visible effort for him to uncurl them from the handle of the shovel.


    ¡°Surely that¡¯s deep enough,¡± I said, surveying his work. I would myself have settled for the shallowest of gouges in the soft earth, but slipshod work was never Jamie¡¯s way. ¡°Do stop, Jamie, and change your shirt at once. You¡¯re wringing wet; you¡¯ll catch a terrible chill.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother arguing, but took up the spade and carefully neatened the corners of the hole, shaping the sides to keep them from crumbling inward.


    The shadows under the pine trees were growing thick, and the chickens had all gone to roost, feathery blobs perched in the trees like bunches of brown mistletoe. The forest birds had fallen silent, too, and the shadow of the house fell long and cold across the new grave. I hugged my elbows, and shivered at the quiet.


    Jamie tossed the shovel onto the ground with a clunk, startling me. He climbed up out of the hole, and stood still for a minute, eyes closed, swaying with weariness. Then he opened his eyes and smiled tiredly at me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish, then,¡± he said.


    WHETHER THE OPEN DOOR had indeed allowed the deceased¡¯s spirit to flee, or whether it was only that Jamie was with me, I felt no hesitation in entering the house now. The fire had gone out, and the kitchen was cold and dim, yet there was no sense of anything evil within. It was simply . . . empty.


    Mr. Beardsley¡¯s mortal remains rested peacefully under one of his own trade blankets, mute and still. Empty, too.


    Mrs. Beardsley had declined to assist with the formalities¡ªor even to enter the house, so long as her husband¡¯s body remained inside¡ªso I swept the hearth, kindled a new fire, and coaxed it into reluctant life, while Jamie took care of the mess in the loft. By the time he came down again, I had turned to the main business at hand.


    Dead, Beardsley seemed much less grotesque than he had in life; the twisted limbs were relaxed, the air of frantic struggle gone. Jamie had placed a linen towel over the head, though when I peeked beneath it, I could see that there was no gory mess to deal with; Jamie had shot him cleanly through the blind eye, and the ball had not burst the skull. The good eye was closed now, the blackened wound left staring. I laid the towel gently back over the face, its symmetry restored in death.


    Jamie climbed down the ladder, and came quietly to stand behind me, touching my shoulder briefly.


    ¡°Go and wash,¡± I said, gesturing behind me to the small kettle of water I had hung over the fire to heat. ¡°I¡¯ll manage here.¡±


    He nodded, stripped off his sodden, filthy shirt, and dropped it on the hearth. I listened to the small, homely noises he made as he washed. He coughed now and then, but his breathing sounded somewhat easier than it had outside in the cold.


    ¡°I didna ken it might be that way,¡± he said from behind me. ¡°I thought an apoplexy would kill a man outright.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes that¡¯s so,¡± I said, a little absently, frowning as I concentrated on the job at hand. ¡°Most often that¡¯s the way of it, in fact.¡±


    ¡°Aye? I never thought to ask Dougal, or Rupert. Or Jenny. Whether my father¡ª¡± The sentence stopped abruptly, as though he had swallowed it.


    Ah. I felt a small jolt of realization in my solar plexus. So that was it. I hadn¡¯t remembered, but he had told me of it, years before, soon after we were married. His father had seen Jamie flogged at Fort William, and under the shock of it, had suffered an apoplexy and died. Jamie, wounded and ill, had been spirited away from the Fort and gone into exile. He had not been told of his father¡¯s death until weeks later¡ªhad no chance of farewell, had been able neither to bury his father nor honor his grave.


    ¡°Jenny would have known,¡± I said gently. ¡°She would have told you, if . . .¡± If Brian Fraser had suffered a death of such lingering ignominy as this, dwindled and shrunken, powerless before the eyes of the family he had striven to protect.


    Would she? If she had nursed her father through incontinence and helplessness? If she had waited days or weeks, suddenly bereft of both father and brother, left alone to stare death in the face as it approached, moment by slow moment . . . and yet Jenny Fraser was a very strong woman, who had loved her brother dearly. Perhaps she would have sought to shield him, both from guilt and from knowledge.


    I turned to face him. He was half-naked, but clean now, with a fresh shirt from his saddlebag in his hands. He was looking at me, but I saw his eyes slip beyond me, to fasten on the corpse with a troubled fascination.


    ¡°She would have told you,¡± I repeated, striving to infuse my voice with certainty.


    Jamie drew a deep, painful breath.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    ¡°She would,¡± I said more firmly.


    He nodded, drew another deep breath, and let it out, more easily. I realized that the house was not the only thing haunted by Beardsley¡¯s death. Jenny held the key of the only door that could be opened for Jamie, though.


    I understood now why he had wept, and had taken such care with the digging of the grave. Not from either shock or charity, let alone from regard for the dead man¡ªbut for the sake of Brian Fraser; the father he had neither buried nor mourned.


    I turned back and drew the edges of the blanket up, folded them snugly over the cleaned and decent remains, and tied it with twine at head and feet, making a tidy, anonymous package. Jamie was forty-nine; the same age at which his father had died. I stole a quick glance at him, as he finished dressing. If his father had been such a one as he was . . . I felt a sudden pang of sorrow, for the loss of so much. For strength cut off and love snuffed out, for the loss of a man I knew had been great, only from the reflection I saw of him in his son.


    Dressed, Jamie circled round the table to help me lift the body. Instead of putting his hands under it, though, he reached across and took my hands in both of his.


    ¡°Swear to me, Claire,¡± he said. His voice was nearly gone with hoarseness; I had to lean close to hear it. ¡°If it should one day fall to my lot as it did to my father . . . then swear ye will give me the same mercy I gave this wretched bugger here.¡±


    There were fresh blisters on his palms from the digging; I felt the strange softness of them, fluid-filled and shifting as he gripped my hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what must be done,¡± I whispered back, at last. ¡°Just as you did.¡± I squeezed his hands and let them go. ¡°Come now and help me bury him. It¡¯s over.¡±


    28


    BROWNSVILLE


    IT WAS MID-AFTERNOON before Roger, Fergus, and the militia reached Brownsville, having missed their road and wandered in the hills for several hours before meeting two Cherokee who pointed the way.


    Brownsville was half a dozen ramshackle huts, strewn among the dying brush of a hillside like a handful of rubbish tossed into the weeds. Near the road¡ªif the narrow rut of churned black mud could be dignified by such a word¡ªtwo cabins leaned tipsily on either side of a slightly larger and more solid-looking building, like drunkards leaning cozily on a sober companion. Rather ironically, this larger building seemed to operate as Brownsville¡¯s general store and taproom, judging from the barrels of beer and powder and the stacks of drenched hides that stood in the muddy yard beside it¡ªthough to apply either term to it was granting that more dignity than it deserved, too, Roger thought.


    Still, it was plainly the place to start¡ªif only for the sake of the men with him, who had begun to vibrate like iron filings near a magnet at sight of the barrels; the yeasty scent of beer floated out like a welcome. He wouldn¡¯t say no to a pint, either, he thought, waving a hand to signal a halt. It was a numbingly cold day, and a long time since this morning¡¯s breakfast. They weren¡¯t likely to get anything beyond bread or stew here, but as long as it was hot and washed down with some sort of alcohol, no one would complain.


    He slid off his horse, and had just turned to call to the others when a hand clutched his arm.


    ¡°Attendez.¡± Fergus spoke softly, barely moving his lips. He was standing beside Roger, looking at something beyond him. ¡°Do not move.¡±


    Roger didn¡¯t, nor did any of the men still on their horses. Whatever Fergus saw, so did they.

 Page 78

    ¡°What is it?¡± Roger asked, keeping his voice low, too.


    ¡°Someone¡ªtwo someones¡ªare pointing guns at us, through the window.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Roger noted Jamie¡¯s good sense in not riding into Brownsville after dark the night before. Evidently, he knew something about the suspicious nature of remote places.


    Moving very slowly, he raised both his hands into the air, and jerked his chin at Fergus, who reluctantly did the same, his hook gleaming in the afternoon sun. Still keeping his hands up, Roger turned very slowly. Even knowing what to expect, he felt his stomach contract at sight of the two long, gleaming barrels protruding from behind the oiled deerskin that covered the window.


    ¡°Hallo the house!¡± he shouted, with as much authority as could be managed with his hands over his head. ¡°I am Captain Roger MacKenzie, in command of a militia company under Colonel James Fraser, of Fraser¡¯s Ridge!¡±


    The only effect of this intelligence was to cause one gun barrel to swivel, centering on Roger, so that he could look straight down the small, dark circle of its muzzle. The unwelcome prospect did, though, cause him to realize that the other gun had not been trained on him to start with. It had been, and remained, pointing steadily over his right shoulder, toward the cluster of men who still sat their horses behind him, shifting in their saddles and murmuring uneasily.


    Great. Now what? The men were waiting for him to do something. Moving slowly, he lowered his hands. He was drawing breath to shout again, but before he could speak, a hoarse voice rang out from behind the deerskin.


    ¡°I see you, Morton, you bastard!¡±


    This imprecation was accompanied by a significant jerk of the first gun barrel, which turned abruptly from Roger to focus on the same target as the second¡ªpresumably Isaiah Morton, one of the militiamen from Granite Falls.


    There was a scuffling noise among the mounted men, startled shouts, and then all hell broke loose as both guns went off. Horses reared and bolted, men bellowed and swore, and drifts of acrid white smoke fumed from the window.


    Roger had thrown himself flat at the first explosion. As the echoes died away, though, he scrambled up as though by reflex, flung mud out of his eyes, and charged the door, headfirst. To his detached surprise, his mind was working very clearly. Brianna took twenty seconds to load and prime a gun, and he doubted that these buggers were much faster. He thought he had just about ten seconds¡¯ grace left, and he meant to use them.


    He hit the door with his shoulder, and it flew inward, smashing against the wall inside and causing Roger to rush staggering into the room and crash into the wall on the opposite side. He struck his shoulder a numbing blow on the chimney piece, bounced off, and managed somehow to keep his feet, stumbling like a drunkard.


    Several people in the room had turned to gape at him. His vision cleared enough to see that only two of them were in fact holding guns. He took a deep breath, lunged for the nearest of these, a scrawny man with a straggling beard, and seized him by the shirtfront, in imitation of a particularly fearsome third-form master at Roger¡¯s grammar school.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing, you wee man, you!?¡± he roared, jerking the man up onto his toes. Mr. Sanderson would have been pleased, he supposed, at the thought that his example had been so memorable. Effective, too; while the scrawny man in Roger¡¯s grip did not either wet himself or snivel, as the first-form students occasionally had under such treatment, he did make small gobbling sounds, pawing ineffectually at Roger¡¯s hand clutching his shirt.


    ¡°You, sir! Leave hold of my brother!¡± Roger¡¯s victim had dropped both his gun and powder horn when seized, spilling black powder all over the floor. The other gunman had succeeded in reloading his weapon, though, and was now endeavoring to bring it to bear on Roger. He was somewhat impeded in this attempt by the three women in the room, two of whom were blethering and pulling at his gun, getting in his way. The third had flung her apron over her head and was uttering loud, rhythmic shrieks of hysteria.


    At this point, Fergus strolled into the house, an enormous horse pistol in his hand. He pointed this negligently at the man with the gun.


    ¡°Be so kind as to put that down, if you will,¡± he said, raising his voice to be heard above the racket. ¡°And perhaps, madame, you could pour some water upon this young woman? Or slap her briskly?¡± He gestured toward the screaming woman with his hook, wincing slightly at the noise.


    Moving as though hypnotized, one of the women went slowly toward the screeching girl, shook her roughly by the shoulder, and began to murmur in the girl¡¯s ear, not taking her eyes off Fergus. The shrieking stopped, replaced by irregular gulps and sobs.


    Roger felt an immense relief. Sheer rage, simple panic, and the absolute necessity of doing something had got him this far, but he would freely admit that he had not the slightest idea what to do next. He took a deep breath, feeling his legs begin to tremble, and slowly lowered his victim, releasing his grip with an awkward nod. The man took several fast steps backward, then stood brushing at the creases in his shirt, narrowed eyes fixed on Roger in resentment.


    ¡°And who in blazes are you?¡± The second man, who had indeed put his weapon down, looked at Fergus in confusion.


    The Frenchman waved his hook¡ªwhich, Roger noticed, seemed to fascinate the women¡ªin a gesture of dismissal.


    ¡°That is of no importance,¡± he said grandly, lifting his aristocratically prominent nose another inch. ¡°I require¡ªthat is, we require¡±¡ªhe amended, with a polite nod toward Roger¡ª¡°to know who you are.¡±


    The inhabitants of the cabin all exchanged confused looks, as though wondering who they might in fact be. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, though, the larger of the two men thrust out his chin pugnaciously.


    ¡°My name is Brown, sir. Richard Brown. This is my brother, Lionel, my wife, Meg, my brother¡¯s daughter, Alicia¡±¡ªthat appeared to be the girl in the apron, who had now removed the garment from her head and stood tearstained and gulping¡ª¡°and my sister, Thomasina.¡±


    ¡°Your servant, madame, mesdemoiselles.¡± Fergus made the ladies an extremely elegant bow, though taking good care to keep his pistol aimed at Richard Brown¡¯s forehead. ¡°My apologies for the disturbance.¡±


    Mrs. Brown nodded back, looking a little glazed. Miss Thomasina Brown, a tall, severe-looking person, looked from Roger to Fergus and back with the expression of one comparing a cockroach and a centipede, deciding which to step on first.


    Fergus, having managed to transform the atmosphere from an armed confrontation to that of a Parisian salon, looked pleased. He glanced at Roger and inclined his head, clearly handing management of the situation over to him.


    ¡°Right.¡± Roger was wearing a loose woolen hunting shirt, but he felt as though it were a straitjacket. He took another deep breath, trying to force air into his chest. ¡°Well. As I said, I am . . . ah . . . Captain MacKenzie. We are charged by Governor Tryon with raising a militia company, and have come to notify you of your obligation to provide men and supplies.¡±


    Richard Brown looked surprised at this; his brother glowered. Before they could offer objections, though, Fergus moved closer to Roger, murmuring, ¡°Perhaps we should discover whether they have killed Mr. Morton, mon capitaine, before we accept them into our company?¡±


    ¡°Oh, mphm.¡± Roger fixed the Browns with as stern an expression as possible. ¡°Mr. Fraser. Will you see about Mr. Morton? I will remain here.¡± Keeping the Browns in his gaze, he held out a hand for Fergus¡¯s pistol.


    ¡°Oh, yon Morton¡¯s still canty, Captain. He isny wae us, forbye, ¡¯cause he¡¯s ta¡¯en to the broosh like a bit¡¯ moggie wae a scorchit tail, but he wiz movin¡¯ a¡¯ his limbs when I saw um last.¡± A nasal Glaswegian voice spoke from the doorway, and Roger glanced over to see a cluster of interested heads peering into the cabin, Henry Gallegher¡¯s bristly nob among them. A number of drawn guns were also in evidence, and Roger¡¯s breath came a little easier.


    The Browns had lost interest in Roger, and were staring at Gallegher in sheer bewilderment.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Mrs. Brown whispered to her sister-in-law. The older lady shook her head, lips drawn in like a pursestring.


    ¡°Mr. Morton is alive and well,¡± Roger translated for them. He coughed. ¡°Fortunately for you,¡± he said to the male Browns, with as much menace as he could contrive to put into his voice. He turned to Gallegher, who had now come into the room and was leaning against the doorjamb, musket in hand and looking distinctly entertained.


    ¡°Is everyone else all right, then, Henry?¡±


    Gallegher shrugged.


    ¡°They crap-bags hivny holed anyone, but they gie¡¯d your saddlebag rare laldy wae a load o¡¯ bird shot. Sir,¡± he added as an afterthought, teeth showing in a brief flash through his beard.


    ¡°The bag with the whisky?¡± Roger demanded.


    ¡°Get awa!¡± Gallegher bugged his eyes in horror, then grinned in reassurance. ¡°Nah, t¡¯other.¡±


    ¡°Och, well.¡± Roger waved a hand dismissively. ¡°That¡¯s only my spare breeks, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    This philosophical response drew laughter and hoots of support from the men crammed in the doorway, which heartened Roger enough to round on the smaller Brown.


    ¡°And what d¡¯ye have against Isaiah Morton?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°He¡¯s dishonored my daughter,¡± Mr. Brown replied promptly, having recovered his composure. He glared at Roger, beard twitching with anger. ¡°I told him I¡¯d see him dead at her feet, if ever he dared show his wretched countenance within ten miles of Brownsville¡ªand damn my eyes if the grass-livered spittle-snake hasn¡¯t the face to ride right up to my door!¡±


    Mr. Richard Brown turned to Gallegher.


    ¡°You mean to tell me we both missed the bastard?¡±


    Gallegher shrugged apologetically.


    ¡°Aye. Sorry.¡±


    The younger Miss Brown had been following this exchange, mouth hanging slightly open.


    ¡°They missed?¡± she asked, hope lighting her reddened eyes. ¡°Isaiah¡¯s still alive?¡±


    ¡°Not for long,¡± her uncle assured her grimly. He reached down to pick up his fowling piece, and all the female Browns burst out in a chorus of renewed screeches, as the guns of the militia at the door all raised simultaneously, trained on Brown. He very slowly put the gun back down.


    Roger glanced at Fergus, who lifted one brow and gave the slightest of shrugs. Up to him.


    The Browns had drawn together, the two brothers glaring at him, the women huddled behind them, sniffling and murmuring. Militiamen poked their heads curiously through the windows, all staring at Roger, waiting for direction.


    And just what was he to tell them? Morton was a member of the militia, and therefore¡ªhe assumed¡ªentitled to its protection. Roger couldn¡¯t very well turn him over to the Browns, no matter what he¡¯d done¡ªalways assuming he could be caught. On the other hand, Roger was charged with enlisting the Browns and the rest of the able-bodied men in Brownsville, and extracting at least a week¡¯s supplies from them as well; they didn¡¯t look as though such a suggestion would be well received at this point.

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    He had the galling conviction that Jamie Fraser would have known immediately how best to resolve this diplomatic crisis. He personally hadn¡¯t a clue.


    He did, at least, have a delaying tactic. Sighing, he lowered the pistol, and reached for the pouch at his waist.


    ¡°Henry, fetch in the saddlebag with the whisky, aye? And Mr. Brown, perhaps ye will allow me to purchase some food, and a barrel of your beer, for my men¡¯s refreshment.¡±


    And with luck, by the time it was all drunk, Jamie Fraser would be here.


    29


    ONE-THIRD OF A GOAT


    IT WASN¡¯T QUITE OVER, after all. It was well past dark by the time we had finished everything at the Beardsley farm, tidied up, repacked the bags, and resaddled the horses. I thought of suggesting that we eat before leaving¡ªwe had had nothing since breakfast¡ªbut the atmosphere of the place was so disturbing that neither Jamie nor I had any appetite.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait,¡± he said, heaving the saddlebags over the mare¡¯s back. He glanced over his shoulder at the house. ¡°I¡¯m hollow as a gourd, but I couldna stomach a bite within sight o¡¯ this place.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean.¡± I glanced back, too, uneasily, though there was nothing to see; the house stood still and empty. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get away from here.¡±


    The sun had sunk below the trees, and a chill blue shadow spread across the hollow where the farmhouse stood. The raw earth of Beardsley¡¯s grave showed dark with moisture, a humped mound beneath the bare branches of the mountain ash. It was impossible to look at it without thinking of the weight of wet earth and immobility, of corruption and decay.


    You will rot and die, Jamie had said to him. I hoped the reversal of those two events had been of some benefit to Beardsley¡ªit had not, to me. I hugged my shawl tight around my shoulders and breathed out hard, then deeply in, hoping the cold, clean scent of the pines would eradicate the phantom reek of dead flesh that seemed to cling to hands and clothes and nose.


    The horses were shifting, stamping, and shaking their manes, eager to be off. I didn¡¯t blame them. Unable to stop myself, I looked back once more. A more desolate sight would be hard to imagine. Even harder to imagine was the thought of staying here, alone.


    Evidently, Mrs. Beardsley had imagined it, and come to similar conclusions. At this point, she emerged from the barn, the kid in her arms, and announced that she was coming with us. So, evidently, were the goats. She handed me the kid, and disappeared back into the barn.


    The kid was heavy and half-asleep, flexible little joints folded up into a cozy bundle. It huffed warm air over my hand, nibbling gently to see what I was made of, then made a small ¡°meh¡± of contentment and relaxed into peaceful inertness against my ribs. A louder ¡°meh!¡± and a nudge at my thigh announced the presence of the kid¡¯s mother, keeping a watchful eye on her offspring.


    ¡°Well, she can¡¯t very well leave them here,¡± I muttered to Jamie, who was making disgruntled noises in the dusk behind me. ¡°They have to be milked. Besides, it¡¯s not a terribly long way, is it?¡±


    ¡°D¡¯ye ken how fast a goat walks, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had occasion to time one,¡± I said, rather testily, shifting my small hairy burden. ¡°But I shouldn¡¯t think they¡¯d be a lot slower than the horses, in the dark.¡±


    He made a guttural Scottish noise at that, rendered more expressive even than usual by the phlegm in his throat. He coughed.


    ¡°You sound awful,¡± I said. ¡°When we get where we¡¯re going, I¡¯m taking the mentholated goose grease to you, my lad.¡±


    He made no objection to this proposal, which rather alarmed me, as indicating a serious depression of his vitality. Before I could inquire further into his state of health, though, I was interrupted by the emergence from the barn of Mrs. Beardsley, leading six goats, roped together like a gang of jovially inebriate convicts.


    Jamie viewed the procession dubiously, sighed in resignation, and turned to a consideration of the logistical problems at hand. There was no question of mounting Mrs. Beardsley on Gideon the Man-Eater. Jamie glanced from me to Mrs. Beardsley¡¯s substantial figure, then at the small form of my mare, little bigger than a pony, and coughed.


    After a bit of contemplation, he had Mrs. Beardsley mounted on Mrs. Piggy, the sleepy kid balanced before her. I would ride with him, on Gideon¡¯s withers, theoretically preventing any attempt on that animal¡¯s part to fling me off his hindquarters into the underbrush. He tied a rope round the billy goat¡¯s neck, and affixed this loosely to the mare¡¯s saddle, but left the nannies loose.


    ¡°The mother will stay wi¡¯ the kid, and the others will follow the billy here,¡± he told me. ¡°Goats are sociable creatures; they¡¯ll no be wanting to stray awa by themselves. Especially not at night. Shoo,¡± he muttered, pushing an inquisitive nose out of his face as he squatted to check the saddle girth. ¡°I suppose pigs would be worse. They will gang their own way.¡± He stood up, absently patting a hairy head.


    ¡°If anything should come amiss, pull it loose at once,¡± he told Mrs. Beardsley, showing her the half-bow loop tied to the saddle near her hand. ¡°If the horse should run away wi¡¯ ye all, your wee fellow there will be hangit.¡±


    She nodded, a hunched mound atop the horse, then lifted her head and looked toward the house.


    ¡°We should go before moonrithe,¡± she said softly. ¡°She cometh out then.¡±


    An icy ripple ran straight up my spine, and Jamie jerked, head snapping round to look at the darkened house. The fire had gone out, and no one had thought to close the open door; it gaped like an empty eye socket.


    ¡°She who?¡± Jamie asked, a noticeable edge in his voice.


    ¡°Mary Ann,¡± Mrs. Beardsley answered. ¡°She was the latht one.¡± There was no emphasis whatever in her voice; she sounded like a sleepwalker.


    ¡°The last what?¡± I asked.


    The latht wife,¡± she replied, and picked up her reins. ¡°She thtands under the rowan tree at moonrithe.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s head turned toward me. It was too dark to see his expression, but I didn¡¯t need to. I cleared my throat.


    ¡°Ought we . . . to close the door?¡± I suggested. Mr. Beardsley¡¯s spirit had presumably got the idea by now, and whether or not Mrs. Beardsley had any interest in the house and its contents, it didn¡¯t seem right to leave it at the mercy of marauding raccoons and squirrels, to say nothing of anything larger that might be attracted by the scent of Mr. Beardsley¡¯s final exit. On the other hand, I really had no desire at all to approach the empty house.


    ¡°Get on the horse, Sassenach.¡±


    Jamie strode across the yard, slammed the door somewhat harder than necessary, then came back¡ªwalking briskly¡ªand swung into the saddle behind me.


    ¡°Hup!¡± he said sharply, and we were off, the glow of a rising half-moon just visible above the trees.


    It was perhaps a quarter mile to the head of the trail, the ground rising from the hollow in which the Beardsleys¡¯ farmhouse stood. We were moving slowly, because of the goats, and I watched the grass and shrubs as we brushed through them, wondering whether they seemed more visible only because my eyes were adapting to the dark¡ªor because the moon had risen.


    I felt quite safe, with the powerful bulk of the horse under me, the sociable natter of the goats around us, and Jamie¡¯s equally reassuring presence behind me, one arm clasped about my waist. I wasn¡¯t sure that I felt quite safe enough to turn and look back again, though. At the same time, the urge to look was so compelling as almost to counter the sense of dread I felt about the place. Almost.


    ¡°It¡¯s no really a rowan tree, is it?¡± Jamie¡¯s voice came softly from behind me.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, taking heart from the solid arm around me. ¡°It¡¯s a mountain ash. Very like, though.¡± I¡¯d seen mountain ash many times before; the Highlanders often planted them near cabins or houses because the clusters of deep orange berries and the pinnate leaves did indeed look like the rowan tree of Scotland¡ªa close botanical relative. I gathered that Jamie¡¯s comment stemmed not from taxonomic hairsplitting, though, but rather from doubt as to whether the ash possessed the same repellent qualities, in terms of protection from evil and enchantment. He hadn¡¯t chosen to bury Beardsley under that tree from a sense either of aesthetics or convenience.


    I squeezed his blistered hand, and he kissed me gently on top of the head.


    At the head of the trail, I did glance back, but I could see nothing but a faint gleam from the weathered shingles of the farmhouse. The mountain ash and whatever might¡ªor might not¡ªbe under it were hidden in darkness.


    Gideon was unusually well-behaved, having made no more than a token protest at being double-mounted. I rather thought he was happy to leave the farm behind, too. I said as much, but Jamie sneezed and expressed the opinion that the wicked sod was merely biding his time while planning some future outrage.


    The goats seemed inclined to view this nocturnal excursion as a lark, and ambled along with the liveliest interest, snatching mouthfuls of dry grass, bumping into one another and the horses, and generally sounding like a herd of elephants in the crackling underbrush.


    I felt great relief at leaving the Beardsley place at last. As the pines blotted out the last sight of the hollow, I resolutely turned my mind from the disturbing events of the day, and began to think what might await us in Brownsville.


    ¡°I hope Roger¡¯s managed all right,¡± I said, leaning back against Jamie¡¯s chest with a small sigh.


    ¡°Mmphm.¡± From long experience, I diagnosed this particular catarrhal noise as indicating a polite general agreement with my sentiment, this overlaying complete personal indifference to the actuality. Either he saw no reason for concern, or he thought Roger could sink or swim.


    ¡°I hope he¡¯s found an inn of sorts,¡± I offered, thinking this prospect might meet with a trifle more enthusiasm. ¡°Hot food and a clean bed would be lovely.¡±


    ¡°Mmphm.¡± That one held a touch of humor, mingled with an inborn skepticism¡ªfostered by long experience¡ªregarding the possible existence of such items as hot food and clean beds in the Carolina backcountry.


    ¡°The goats seem to be going along very well,¡± I offered, and waited in anticipation.


    ¡°Mmphm.¡± Grudging agreement, mingled with a deep suspicion as to the continuance of good behavior on the part of the goats.


    I was carefully formulating another observation, in hopes of getting him to do it again¡ªthree times was the record so far¡ªwhen Gideon suddenly bore out Jamie¡¯s original mistrust by flinging up his head with a loud snort and rearing.


    I crashed back into Jamie¡¯s chest, hitting my head on his collarbone with a thump that made me see stars. His arm crushed the air out of me as he dragged at the reins one-handed, shouting.


    I had no idea what he was saying, or even whether he was shouting in English or Gaelic. The horse was screaming, rearing and pawing with his hooves, and I was scrabbling for a grip on anything at all, mane, saddle, reins. . . . A branch whipped my face and blinded me. Pandemonium reigned; there was screeching and bleating and a noise like tearing fabric and then something hit me hard and sent me flying into the darkness.

 Page 80

    I wasn¡¯t knocked out, but it didn¡¯t make much difference. I was sprawled in a tangle of brush, struggling for breath, unable to move, and unable to see anything whatever beyond a few scattered stars in the sky overhead.


    There was an ungodly racket going on some little distance away, in which a chorus of panicked goats figured largely, punctuated by what I took to be a woman¡¯s screams. Two women¡¯s screams.


    I shook my head, confused. Then I flung myself over and started crawling, having belatedly recognized what was making that noise. I had heard panthers scream often enough¡ªbut always safely far in the distance. This one wasn¡¯t far away at all. The tearing-fabric noise I¡¯d heard had been the cough of a big cat, very close at hand.


    I bumped into a large fallen log and promptly rolled under it, wedging myself as far into the small crevice there as possible. It wasn¡¯t the best hiding place I¡¯d ever seen, but might at least prevent anything leaping out of a tree onto me.


    I could still hear Jamie shouting, though the tenor of his remarks had changed to a sort of hoarse fury. The goats had mostly quit yammering¡ªsurely the cat couldn¡¯t have killed all of them? I couldn¡¯t hear anything of Mrs. Beardsley, either, but the horses were making a dreadful fuss, squealing and stamping.


    My heart was hammering against the leafy ground, and a cold sweat tingled along my jaw. There isn¡¯t much for invoking raw terror like the primitive fear of being eaten, and my sympathies were entirely with the animals. There was a crashing in the brush near at hand, and Jamie shouting my name.


    ¡°Here,¡± I croaked, unwilling to move out of my refuge until I knew for certain where the panther was¡ªor at least knew for certain that it wasn¡¯t anywhere near me. The horses had stopped squealing, though they were still snorting and stamping, making enough noise to indicate that neither of them had either fallen prey to our visitor or run away.


    ¡°Here!¡± I called, a little louder.


    More crashing, close at hand. Jamie stumbled through the darkness, crouched, and felt under the log until his hand encountered my arm, which he seized.


    ¡°Are ye all right, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought to notice, but I think so,¡± I replied. I slid cautiously out from under my log, taking stock. Bruises here and there, abraded elbows, and a stinging sensation where the branch had slapped my cheek. Basically all right, then.


    ¡°Good. Come quick, he¡¯s hurt.¡± He hauled me to my feet and started propelling me through the dark with a hand in the small of my back.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The goat, of course.¡±


    My eyes were well-adapted to the dark by now, and I made out the large shapes of Gideon and the mare, standing under a leafless poplar, manes and tails swishing with agitation. A smaller shape that I took to be Mrs. Beardsley was crouched nearby, over something on the ground.


    I could smell blood, and a powerful reek of goat. I squatted and reached out, touching rough, warm hair. The goat jerked at my touch, with a loud ¡°MEHeheh!¡± that reassured me somewhat. He might be hurt, but he wasn¡¯t dying¡ªat least not yet; the body under my hands was solid and vital, muscles tense.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the cat?¡± I asked, locating the ridged hardness of the horns and feeling my way hastily backward along the spine, then down the ribs and flanks. The goat had objections, and heaved wildly under my hands.


    ¡°Gone,¡± Jamie said. He crouched down, too, and put a hand on the goat¡¯s head. ¡°There, now, a bhalaich. It¡¯s all right, then. Seas, mo charaid.¡±


    I could feel no open wound on the goat¡¯s body, but I could certainly smell blood; a hot, metallic scent that disturbed the clean night air of the wood. The horses did, too; they whickered and moved uneasily in the dark.


    ¡°Are we fairly sure it¡¯s gone?¡± I asked, trying to ignore the sensation of eyes fastened on the back of my neck. ¡°I smell blood.¡±


    ¡°Aye. The cat took one of the nannies,¡± Jamie informed me. He knelt next to me, laying a big hand on the goat¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Mrs. Beardsley loosed this brave laddie, and he went for the cat, bald-heided. I couldna see it all, but I think the creature maybe slapped at him; I heard it screech and spit, and the billy gave a skelloch just then, too. I think his leg is maybe broken.¡±


    It was. With that guidance, I found the break easily, low on the humerus of the right front leg. The skin wasn¡¯t broken, but the bone was cracked through; I could feel the slight displacement of the raw ends. The goat heaved and thrust his horns at my arm when I touched the leg. His eyes were wild and rolling, the odd square pupils visible but colorless in the faint moonlight.


    ¡°Can ye mend him, Sassenach?¡± Jamie asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The goat was still struggling, but the flurries of movement were growing perceptibly weaker, as shock set in. I bit my lip, groping for a pulse in the fold between leg and body. The injury itself was likely repairable, but shock was a great danger; I had seen plenty of animals¡ªand a few people, for that matter¡ªdie quickly following a traumatic incident, of injuries that were not fatal in themselves.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said again. My fingers had found a pulse at last; it was trip-hammer fast, and thready. I was trying to envision the possibilities for treatment, all of them crude. ¡°He may well die, Jamie, even if I can set the leg. Do you think perhaps we ought to slaughter him? He¡¯d be a lot easier to carry, as meat.¡±


    Jamie stroked the goat¡¯s neck, gently.


    ¡°It would be a great shame, and him such a gallant creature.¡±


    Mrs. Beardsley laughed at that, a nervous small giggle, like a girl¡¯s, coming out of the dark beyond Jamie¡¯s bulk.


    ¡°Hith name ith Hiram,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯th a good boy.¡±


    ¡°Hiram,¡± Jamie repeated, still stroking. ¡°Well, then, Hiram. Courage, mon brave. You¡¯ll do. You¡¯ve balls as big as melons.¡±


    ¡°Well, persimmons, maybe,¡± I said, having inadvertently encountered the testicles in question while making my examination. ¡°Perfectly respectable, though, I¡¯m sure,¡± I added, taking shallow breaths. Hiram¡¯s musk glands were working overtime. Even the harsh iron smell of blood took second place.


    ¡°I was speaking figuratively,¡± Jamie informed me, rather dryly. ¡°What will ye be needing, Sassenach?¡±


    Evidently, the decision had been made; he was already rising to his feet.


    ¡°Right, then,¡± I said, brushing back my hair with the back of a wrist. ¡°Find me a couple of straight branches, about a foot long, no twigs, and a bit of rope from the saddlebags. Then you can help here,¡± I added, trying to achieve a good grip on my struggling patient. ¡°Hiram seems to like you. Recognizes a kindred spirit, no doubt.¡±


    Jamie laughed at that, a low, comforting sound at my elbow. He stood up with a final scratch of Hiram¡¯s ears, and rustled off, coming back within moments with the requested items.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, loosing one hand from Hiram¡¯s neck in order to locate the sticks. ¡°I¡¯m going to splint it. We¡¯ll have to carry him, but the splint will keep the leg from flexing and doing any more damage. Help me get him onto his side.¡± Hiram, whether from male pride or goat stubbornness¡ªalways assuming these to be different things¡ªkept trying to stand up, broken leg notwithstanding. His head was bobbing alarmingly, though, as the muscles in his neck weakened, and his body lurched from side to side. He scrabbled feebly at the ground, then stopped, panting heavily.


    Mrs. Beardsley hovered over my shoulder, the kid still clutched in her arms. It gave a faint bleat, as though it had awakened suddenly from a nightmare, and Hiram gave a loud, echoing ¡°Mehh¡± in reply.


    ¡°There¡¯s a thought,¡± Jamie murmured. He stood up suddenly, and took the kid from Mrs. Beardsley. Then he knelt down again, pushing the little creature up close to Hiram¡¯s side. The goat at once ceased struggling, bending his head around to sniff at his offspring. The kid cried, pushing its nose against the big goat¡¯s side, and a long, slimy tongue snaked out, slobbering over my hand as it sought the kid¡¯s head.


    ¡°Work fast, Sassenach,¡± Jamie suggested.


    I needed no prompting, and within minutes, had the leg stabilized, the splinting padded with one of the multiple shawls Mrs. Beardsley appeared to be wearing. Hiram had settled, making only occasional grunts and exclamations, but the kid was still bleating loudly.


    ¡°Where is its mother?¡± I asked, though I didn¡¯t need to hear the answer. I didn¡¯t know a great deal about goats, but I knew enough about mothers and babies to realize that nothing but death would keep a mother from a child making that sort of racket. The other goats had come back, drawn by curiosity, fear of the dark, or a simple desire for company, but the mother didn¡¯t push forward.


    ¡°Poor Beckie,¡± said Mrs. Beardsley sadly. ¡°Thuch a thweet goat.¡±


    Dark forms bumped and jostled; there was a whuff of hot air in my ear as one nibbled at my hair, and another stepped on my calf, making me yelp as the sharp little hooves scraped the skin. I made no effort to shoo them away, though; the presence of his harem seemed to be doing Hiram the world of good.


    I had the leg bones back in place and the splint bandaged firmly round them. I had found a good pulse point at the base of his ear, and was monitoring it, Hiram¡¯s head resting in my lap. As the other goats pressed in, nuzzling at him and making plaintive noises, he suddenly lifted his head and rolled up onto his chest, the broken leg awkwardly stuck out before him in its bindings.


    He swayed to and fro like a drunken man for a moment, then uttered a loud, belligerent ¡°MEEEEEHHH¡± and lurched onto three feet. He promptly fell down again, but the action cheered everyone. Even Mrs. Beardsley emitted a faint trill of pleasure at the sight.


    ¡°All right.¡± Jamie stood up, and ran his fingers through his hair with a deep sigh. ¡°Now, then.¡±


    ¡°Now, then what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Now I shall decide what to do,¡± he said, with a certain edge to his voice.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going on to Brownsville?¡±


    ¡°We might,¡± he said. ¡°If Mrs. Beardsley happens to ken the way well enough to find the trail again by starlight?¡± He turned expectantly toward her, but I could see the negative motion of her head, even in the shadows.


    It dawned on me that we were, in fact, no longer on the trail¡ªwhich was in any case no more than a narrow deer track, winding through the forest.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be terribly far off it, surely?¡± I looked round, peering vainly into the dark, as though some lighted sign might indicate the position of the trail. In fact, I had no idea even in which direction it might lie.


    ¡°No,¡± Jamie agreed. ¡°And by myself, I daresay I could pick it up sooner or later. But I dinna mean to go floundering through the forest in the dark with this lot.¡± He glanced round, evidently counting noses. Two very skittish horses, two women¡ªone distinctly odd and possibly homicidal¡ªand six goats, two of them incapable of walking. I rather saw his point.


    He drew his shoulders back, shrugging a little, as though to ease a tight shirt.

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    ¡°I¡¯ll go and have a keek round. If I find the way at once, well and good. If I don¡¯t, we¡¯ll camp for the night,¡± he said. ¡°It will be a deal easier to look for the trail by daylight. Be careful, Sassenach.¡±


    And with a final sneeze, he vanished into the woods, leaving me in charge of the camp followers and wounded.


    The orphaned goat was becoming louder and more anguished in its cries; it hurt my ears, as well as my heart. Mrs. Beardsley, though, had become somewhat more animated in Jamie¡¯s absence; I thought she was rather afraid of him. Now she brought up one of the other nannies, persuading her to stand still for the orphan to suckle. The kid was reluctant for a moment, but hunger and the need for warmth and reassurance were overwhelming, and within a few minutes, it was feeding busily, its small tail wagging in a dark flicker of movement.


    I was happy to see it, but conscious of a small feeling of envy; I was all at once aware that I had eaten nothing all day, that I was very cold, desperately tired, sore in a number of places¡ªand that without the complications of Mrs. Beardsley and her companions, I would long since have been safely in Brownsville, fed, warm, and tucked up by some friendly fireside. I put a hand on the kid¡¯s stomach, growing round and firm with milk, and thought rather wistfully that I should like someone simply to take care of me. Still, for the moment, I seemed to be the Good Shepherd, and no help for it.


    ¡°Do you think it might come back?¡± Mrs. Beardsley crouched next to me, shawl pulled tight around her broad shoulders. She spoke in a low tone, as though afraid someone might overhear.


    ¡°What, the panther? No, I don¡¯t think so. Why should it?¡± Nonetheless, a small shiver ran over me, as I thought of Jamie, alone somewhere in the dark. Hiram, his shoulder firmly jammed against my thigh, snorted, then laid his head on my knee with a long sigh.


    ¡°Thome folk thay the catth hunt in pairth.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I stifled a yawn¡ªnot of boredom, simply fatigue. I blinked into the darkness, a chilled lethargy stealing over me. ¡°Oh. Well, I should think a good-sized goat would do for two. Besides¡±¡ªI yawned again, a jaw-cracking stretch¡ª¡°besides, the horses would let us know.¡±


    Gideon and Mrs. Piggy were companionably nose-and-tailing it under the poplar tree, showing no signs now of agitation. This seemed to comfort Mrs. Beardsley, who sat down on the ground quite suddenly, her shoulders sagging as though the air had gone out of her.


    ¡°And how are you feeling?¡± I inquired, more from an urge to maintain conversation than from any real desire to know.


    ¡°I am glad to be gone from that place,¡± she said simply.


    I definitely shared that sentiment; our present situation was at least an improvement on the Beardsley homestead, even with the odd panther thrown in. Still, that didn¡¯t mean I was anxious to spend very long here.


    ¡°Do you know anyone in Brownsville?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t sure how large a settlement it was, though from the conversation of some of the men we had picked up, it sounded like a fair-sized village.


    ¡°No.¡± She was silent for a moment, and I felt rather than saw her tilt back her head, looking up at the stars and the peaceful moon.


    ¡°I . . . have never been to Brownsville,¡± she added, almost shyly.


    Or anywhere else, it seemed. She told the story hesitantly, but almost eagerly, with no more than slight prodding on my part.


    Beardsley had¡ªin essence¡ªbought her from her father, and brought her, with other goods acquired in Baltimore, down to his house, where he had essentially kept her prisoner, forbidding her to leave the homestead, or to show herself to anyone who might come to the house. Left to do the work of the homestead while Beardsley traveled into the Cherokee lands with his trade goods, she had had no society but a bond lad¡ªwho was little company, being deaf and speechless.


    ¡°Really,¡± I said. In the events of the day, I had quite forgotten Josiah and his twin. I wondered whether she had known both of them, or only Keziah.


    ¡°How long is it since you came to North Carolina?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Two yearth,¡± she said softly. ¡°Two yearth, three month, and five dayth.¡± I remembered the marks on the doorpost, and wondered when she had begun to keep count. From the very beginning? I stretched my back, disturbing Hiram, who grumbled.


    ¡°I see. By the way, what is your Christian name?¡± I asked, belatedly aware that I had no idea.


    ¡°Frantheth,¡± she said, then tried again, not liking the mumbled sound of it. ¡°Fran-cess,¡± the end of it a hiss through her broken teeth. She gave a shrug, then, and laughed¡ªa small, shy sound. ¡°Fanny,¡± she said. ¡°My mother called me Fanny.¡±


    ¡°Fanny,¡± I said, encouragingly. ¡°That¡¯s a very nice name. May I call you so?¡±


    ¡°I . . . would be pleathed,¡± she said. She drew breath again, but stopped without speaking, evidently too shy to say whatever she¡¯d had in mind. With her husband dead, she seemed entirely passive, quite deprived of the force that had animated her earlier.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, belatedly realizing. ¡°Claire. Do call me Claire, please.¡±


    ¡°Claire¡ªhow pretty.¡±


    ¡°Well, it hasn¡¯t any esses, at least,¡± I said, not thinking. ¡°Oh¡ªI do beg your pardon!¡±


    She made a small pff sound of dismissal. Encouraged by the dark, the faint sense of intimacy engendered by the exchange of names¡ªor simply from a need to talk, after so long¡ªshe told me about her mother, who had died when she was twelve, her father, a crabber, and her life in Baltimore, wading out along the shore at low tide to rake oysters and gather mussels, watching the fishing craft and the warships come in past Fort Howard to sail up the Patapsco.


    ¡°It wath . . . peatheful,¡± she said, rather wistfully. ¡°It wath tho open¡ªnothing but the thky and the water.¡± She tilted back her head again, as though yearning for the small bit of night sky visible through the interlacing branches overhead. I supposed that while the forested mountains of North Carolina were refuge and embrace to a Highlander like Jamie, they might well seem claustrophobic and alien to someone accustomed to the watery Chesapeake shore.


    ¡°Will you go back there, do you think?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Back?¡± She sounded slightly startled. ¡°Oh. I . . . I hadn¡¯t thought . . .¡±


    ¡°No?¡± I had found a tree trunk to lean against, and stretched slightly, to ease my back. ¡°You must have seen that your¡ªthat Mr. Beardsley was dying. Didn¡¯t you have some plan?¡± Beyond the fun of torturing him slowly to death, that is. It occurred to me that I had been getting altogether too comfortable with this woman, alone in the dark with the goats. She might truly have been Beardsley¡¯s victim¡ªor she might only be saying so now, to enlist our aid. It would behoove me to remember the burned toes on Beardsley¡¯s foot, and the appalling state of that loft. I straightened up a little, and felt for the small knife I carried at my belt¡ªjust in case.


    ¡°No.¡± She sounded a little dazed¡ªand no wonder, I supposed. I felt more than a little dazed myself, simply from emotion and fatigue. Enough so that I almost missed what she said next.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I thaid . . . Mary Ann didn¡¯t tell me what I wath to do . . . after.¡±


    ¡°Mary Ann,¡± I said cautiously. ¡°Yes, and that would be . . . the first Mrs. Beardsley, would it?¡±


    She laughed, and the hair on my neck rippled unpleasantly.


    ¡°Oh, no. Mary Ann wath the fourth one.¡±


    ¡°The . . . fourth one,¡± I said, a little faintly.


    ¡°Thye¡¯th the only one he buried under the rowan tree,¡± she informed me. ¡°That wath a mithtake. The otherth are in the woodth. He got lazy, I think; he did not want to walk tho far.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, for lack of any better response.


    ¡°I told you¡ªsshe thtands under the rowan tree at moonrithe. When I thaw her there at firtht, I thought sshe wath a living woman. I wath afraid of what he might do, if he thaw her there alone¡ªtho I sstole from the houthe to warn her.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Something in my voice must have sounded less than credulous, for her head turned sharply toward me. I took a firmer grip on the knife.


    ¡°You do not believe me?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do!¡± I assured her, trying to edge Hiram¡¯s head off my lap. My left leg had gone to sleep from the pressure of his weight, and I had no feeling in my foot.


    ¡°I can thow you,¡± she said, and her voice was calm and certain. ¡°Mary Ann told me where they were¡ªthe otherth¡ªand I found them. I can thow you their graveth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± I said, flexing my toes to restore circulation. If she came toward me, I decided, I would shove the goat into her path, roll to the side, and make off as fast as possible on all fours, shouting for Jamie. And where in bloody hell was Jamie, anyway?


    ¡°So . . . um . . . Fanny. You¡¯re saying that Mr. Beardsley¡±¡ªit occurred to me that I didn¡¯t know his name either, but I thought I would just as soon keep my relations with his memory formal, under the circumstances¡ª¡°that your husband murdered four wives? And no one knew?¡± Not that anyone necessarily would know, I realized. The Beardsley homestead was very isolated, and it wasn¡¯t at all unusual for women to die¡ªof accident, childbirth, or simple overwork. Someone might have known that Beardsley had lost four wives¡ªbut it was entirely possible that no one cared how.


    ¡°Yeth.¡± She sounded calm, I thought; not incipiently dangerous, at least. ¡°He would have killed me, too¡ªbut Mary Ann thtopped him.¡±


    ¡°How did she do that?¡±


    She drew a deep breath and sighed, settling herself on the ground. There was a faint, sleepy bleat from her lap, and I realized that she was holding the kid again. I relaxed my grip on the knife; she could hardly attack me with a lapful of goat.


    She had, she said, gone out to speak to Mary Ann whenever the moon was high; the ghostly woman appeared under the rowan tree only between half-moon wax and half-moon wane¡ªnot in the dark of the moon, or at crescent.


    ¡°Very particular,¡± I murmured, but she didn¡¯t notice, being too absorbed in the story.


    This had gone on for some months. Mary Ann had told Fanny Beardsley who she was, informed her of the fate of her predecessors, and the manner of her own death.


    ¡°He choked her,¡± Fanny confided. ¡°I could see the markth of his handth on her throat. Sshe warned me that he would do the thame to me, one day.¡±


    One night a few weeks later, Fanny was sure that the time had come.


    ¡°He wath far gone with the rum, you thee,¡± she explained. ¡°It wath alwayth worth when he drank, and thith time . . .¡±


    Trembling with nerves, she had dropped the trencher with his supper, splattering food on him. He had sprung to his feet with a roar, lunging for her, and she had turned and fled.


    ¡°He wath between me and the door,¡± she said. ¡°I ran for the loft. I hoped he would be too drunk to manage the ladder, and he wath.¡±


    Beardsley had stumbled, lurching, and dragged the ladder down with a crash. As he struggled, mumbling and cursing, to put it into place again, there came a knock on the door.

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    Beardsley shouted to know who it was, but no answer came; only another knock at the door. Fanny had crept to the edge of the loft, to see his red face glaring up at her. The knock sounded for a third time. His tongue was too thick with drink to speak coherently; he only growled in his throat and held up a finger in warning to her, then turned and staggered toward the door. He wrenched it open, looked out¡ªand screamed.


    ¡°I have never heard thuch a thound,¡± she said, very softly. ¡°Never.¡±


    Beardsley turned and ran, tripping over a stool and sprawling full-length, scrabbling to his feet, stumbling to the foot of the ladder and scrambling up it, missing rungs and clawing for purchase, crying out and shouting.


    ¡°He kept thouting to me to help him, help him.¡± Her voice held an odd note; perhaps only astonishment that such a man should have called to her for help¡ªbut with a disquieting note that I thought betrayed a deep and secret pleasure in the memory.


    Beardsley had reached the top of the ladder, but could not take the final step into the loft. Instead, his face had gone suddenly from red to white, his eyes rolled back, and then he fell senseless onto his face on the boards, his legs dangling absurdly from the edge of the loft.


    ¡°I could not get him down; it wath all I could do to pull him up into the loft.¡± She sighed. ¡°And the retht . . . you know.¡±


    ¡°Not quite.¡± Jamie spoke from the dark near my shoulder, making me jump. Hiram grunted indignantly, shaken awake.


    ¡°How the hell long have you been there?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Long enough.¡± He moved to my side and knelt beside me, a hand on my arm. ¡°And what was it at the door, then?¡± he asked Mrs. Beardsley. His voice held no more than light interest, but his hand was tight on my arm. A slight shudder went over me. What, indeed.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she said simply. ¡°There wath no one there at all, that I could thee. But¡ªyou can thee the rowan tree from that door, and there wath a half-moon rithing.¡±


    There was a marked period of silence at this. Finally, Jamie rubbed a hand hard over his face, sighed, and got to his feet.


    ¡°Aye. Well. I¡¯ve found a spot where we can shelter for the night. Help me wi¡¯ the goat, Sassenach.¡±


    We were on hilly ground, spiked with rocky outcrops and small tangles of sweet shrub and greenbrier, making the footing between the trees so uncertain in the dark that I fell twice, catching myself only by luck before breaking my neck. It would have been difficult going in broad daylight; by night, it was nearly impossible. Fortunately, it was no more than a short distance to the spot Jamie had found.


    This was a sort of shallow gash in the side of a crumbling clay bank, overhung with a tattered grapevine and thatched with matted grasses. At one time, there had been a stream here, and the water had carved away a good-sized chunk of earth from the bank, leaving an overhanging shelf. Something had diverted the flow of water some years ago, though, and the rounded stones of what had been the streambed were scattered and half-sunk in mossy soil; one rolled under my foot and I fell to one knee, striking it painfully on another of the beastly stones.


    ¡°All right, Sassenach?¡± Jamie heard my rude exclamation and stopped, turning toward me. He stood on the hillside just above me, Hiram on his shoulders. From below, silhouetted against the sky, he looked grotesque and rather frightening; a tall, horned figure with hunched and monstrous shoulders.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, rather breathless. ¡°Just here, is it?¡±


    ¡°Aye. Help me . . . will ye?¡± He sounded a lot more breathless than I did. He sank carefully to his knees, and I hurried to help him lower Hiram to the ground. Jamie stayed kneeling, one hand on the ground to brace himself.


    ¡°I hope it won¡¯t be too hard to find the trail in the morning,¡± I said, watching him anxiously. His head was bent with exhaustion, air rattling wetly in his chest with each breath. I wanted him in a place with fire and food, as fast as possible.


    He shook his head, and coughed, clearing his throat.


    ¡°I ken where it is,¡± he said, and coughed again. ¡°It¡¯s only¡ª¡± The coughing shook him hard; I could see his shoulders braced against it. When he stopped, I put a hand gently on his back, and could feel a fine, constant tremor running through him; not a chill, just the trembling of muscles forced beyond the limits of their strength.


    ¡°I canna go any further, Claire,¡± he said softly, as though ashamed of the admission. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Lie down,¡± I said, just as softly. ¡°I¡¯ll see to things.¡±


    There was a certain amount of bustle and confusion, but within a half hour or so, everyone was more or less settled, the horses hobbled, and a small fire going.


    I knelt to check my chief patient, who was sitting on his chest, splinted leg stuck out in front. Hiram, with his ladies safely gathered behind him in the shelter of the bank, emitted a belligerent ¡°Meh!¡± and threatened me with his horns.


    ¡°Ungrateful sod,¡± I said, pulling back.


    Jamie laughed, then broke off to cough, his shoulders shaking with the spasm. He was curled at one side of the depression in the bank, head pillowed on his folded coat.


    ¡°And as for you,¡± I said, eyeing him, ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking about that goose grease. Open your cloak, lift your shirt, and do it now.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me, and shot a quick glance in Mrs. Beardsley¡¯s direction. I hid a smile at his modesty, but gave Mrs. Beardsley the small kettle from my saddlebag and sent her off to fetch water and more firewood, then dug out the gourd of mentholated ointment.


    Jamie¡¯s appearance alarmed me slightly, now that I had a good look at him. He was pale and white-lipped, red-rimmed round the nostrils, and his eyes were bruised with fatigue. He looked very sick, and sounded worse, the breath wheezing in his chest with each respiration.


    ¡°Well, I suppose if Hiram wouldn¡¯t die in front of his nannies, you won¡¯t die in front of me, either,¡± I said dubiously, scooping out a thumbful of the fragrant grease.


    ¡°I am not dying in the least degree,¡± he said, rather crossly. ¡°I¡¯m only a wee bit tired. I shall be entirely myself in the morn¡ªoh, Christ, I hate this!¡±


    His chest was quite warm, but I thought he wasn¡¯t fevered; it was hard to tell, my own fingers being very cold.


    He jerked, made a high-pitched ¡°eee¡± noise, and tried to squirm away. I seized him firmly by the neck, put a knee in his belly, and proceeded to have my way with him, all protests notwithstanding. At length, he gave up struggling and submitted, only giggling intermittently, sneezing, and uttering an occasional small yelp when I reached a particularly ticklish spot. The goats found it all very entertaining.


    In a few minutes, I had him well-greased and gasping on the ground, the skin of his chest and throat red from rubbing and shiny with grease, a strong aroma of peppermint and camphor in the air. I patted a thick flannel into place on his chest, pulled down his shirt, drew the folds of his cloak around him, and tucked a blanket up snugly under his chin.


    ¡°Now, then,¡± I said with satisfaction, wiping my hands on a cloth. ¡°As soon as I have hot water, we¡¯ll have a nice cup of horehound tea.¡±


    He opened one eye suspiciously.


    ¡°We will?¡±


    ¡°Well, you will. I¡¯d rather drink hot horse piss, myself.¡±


    ¡°So would I.¡±


    ¡°Too bad; it hasn¡¯t any medicinal effects that I know of.¡±


    He groaned and shut the eye. He breathed heavily for a moment, sounding like a diseased bellows. Then he raised his head a few inches, opening his eyes.


    ¡°Is yon woman back yet?¡±


    ¡°No, I imagine it will take her a little time to find the stream in the dark.¡± I hesitated. ¡°Did you . . . hear everything she was telling me?¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Not all¡ªbut enough. Mary Ann and that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that.¡±


    He grunted.


    ¡°Did ye believe her, Sassenach?¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply immediately, but took my time in cleaning the goose grease out from under my fingernails.


    ¡°I did at the time,¡± I finally said. ¡°Just now¡ªI¡¯m not sure.¡±


    He grunted again, this time with approval.


    ¡°I shouldna think she¡¯s dangerous,¡± he said. ¡°But keep your wee knife about ye, Sassenach¡ªand dinna turn your back on her. We¡¯ll take watch and watch about; wake me in an hour.¡±


    He shut his eyes, coughed, and without further ado, fell fast asleep.


    CLOUDS WERE BEGINNING to drift across the moon, and a cold wind stirred the grass on the bank above us.


    ¡°Wake him in an hour,¡± I muttered, shifting myself in an effort to achieve some minimal level of comfort on the rocky ground. ¡°Ha, bloody ha.¡± I leaned over and hoisted Jamie¡¯s head into my lap. He groaned slightly, but didn¡¯t twitch.


    ¡°Sniffles,¡± I said accusingly to him. ¡°Ha!¡±


    I wriggled my shoulders and leaned back, finding some support against the sloping wall of our shelter. Despite Jamie¡¯s warning, it seemed unnecessary to keep an eye on Mrs. Beardsley; she had obligingly built up the fire, then curled up among the goats and¡ªbeing merely flesh and blood, and therefore exhausted by the day¡¯s events¡ªhad gone immediately to sleep. I could hear her on the far side of the fire, snoring peacefully among the assorted wheezings and grunts of her companions.


    ¡°And what do you think you are, anyway?¡± I demanded of the heavy head resting on my thigh. ¡°Vulcanized rubber?¡± My fingers touched his hair, quite without intent, and smoothed it gently. One corner of his mouth lifted suddenly, in a smile of startling sweetness.


    It was gone as quickly as it had come, and I stared at him in astonishment. No, he was sound asleep; his breath came hoarse but even, and the long parti-colored lashes rested dark against his cheeks. Very softly, I stroked his head again.


    Sure enough; the smile flickered like the touch of a flame, and disappeared. He sighed, very deeply, bent his neck to nuzzle closer, then relaxed completely, his body going limp.


    ¡°Oh, Christ, Jamie,¡± I said softly, and felt tears sting my eyes.


    It had been years since I¡¯d seen him smile in his sleep like that. Not since the early days of our marriage, in fact¡ªat Lallybroch.


    He¡¯d always do it as a wee lad, his sister Jenny had told me then. I think it means he¡¯s happy.


    My fingers curled into the soft, thick hair at the nape of his neck, feeling the solid curve of his skull, the warm scalp and the hair-thin line of the ancient scar across it.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± I whispered to him.


    30


    SPAWN OF SATAN


    MRS. MACLEOD and her two children had gone to stay with Evan Lindsay¡¯s wife, and with the leaving of the MacLeod brothers with the militia, plus Geordie Chisholm and his two eldest sons, the congestion in the big house was eased substantially. Not nearly enough, though, Brianna reflected, considering that Mrs. Chisholm remained.


    The problem was not Mrs. Chisholm as such; the problem was Mrs. Chisholm¡¯s five younger children, all boys, and referred to collectively¡ªby Mrs. Bug¡ªas ¡°the spawn of Satan.¡± Mrs. Chisholm, perhaps understandably, objected to this terminology. While the other inhabitants of the house were less forthright than Mrs. Bug in stating their opinions, there was a remarkable unanimity among them. Three-year-old twin boys would have that effect, Brianna thought, eyeing Jemmy with some trepidation as she envisioned the future.

 Page 83

    He was at the moment giving no indication of a potential for future rampage, being half-asleep on the rag rug of Jamie¡¯s study, where Brianna had retired in the faint hope of fifteen minutes¡¯ semi-solitude in which to write. Residual awe of Jamie was sufficient to keep the little warts out of this room, for the most part.


    Mrs. Bug had informed eight-year-old Thomas, six-year-old Anthony, and five-year-old Toby Chisholm that Mrs. Fraser was a notable witch; a White Lady, who would undoubtedly turn them into toads on the spot¡ªand no great loss to society, she gave them to understand¡ªshould any harm come to the contents of her surgery. That didn¡¯t keep them out¡ªquite the opposite; they were fascinated¡ªbut it had so far prevented them breaking much.


    Jamie¡¯s inkstand stood to hand on the table; a hollow gourd, neatly corked with a large acorn, with a pottery jar of neatly sharpened turkey quills beside it. Motherhood had taught Brianna to seize random moments; she seized this one, and a quill, flipping open the cover of the small journal in which she kept what she thought of as her private accounts.


    Last night I dreamed about making soap. I haven¡¯t made soap yet, myself, but I¡¯d been scrubbing the floor yesterday, and the smell of the soap was still on my hands when I went to bed. It¡¯s a nasty smell, something between acid and ashes, with a horrible faint stink from the hog fat, like something that¡¯s been dead for a long time.


    I was pouring water into a kettle of wood ash, to make lye, and it was turning to lye even as I poured. Big clouds of poisonous smoke were coming up from the kettle; it was yellow, the smoke.


    Da brought me a big bowl of suet, to mix with the lye, and there were babies¡¯ fingers in it. I don¡¯t remember thinking there was anything strange about this¡ªat the time.


    Brianna had been trying to ignore a series of crashing noises from upstairs, which sounded like several persons jumping up and down on a bedstead. These ceased abruptly, succeeded by a piercing scream, which in turn was followed by the sound of flesh meeting flesh in a loud slap, and several more screams of assorted pitches.


    She flinched and shut her eyes tight, recoiling as the sounds of conflict escalated. A moment more, and they were thundering down the stairs. With a glance at Jemmy, who had been startled awake, but didn¡¯t seem frightened¡ªmy God, he was getting used to it, she thought¡ªshe put down the quill and stood up, sighing.


    Mr. Bug was there to tend the farm and livestock and repel physical threats; Mr. Wemyss was there to chop firewood, haul water, and generally maintain the fabric of the house. But Mr. Bug was silent, Mr. Wemyss timid; Jamie had left Brianna formally in charge. She was, therefore, the court of appeal, and judge in all conflicts. Herself, if you would.


    Herself flung open the study door and glowered at the mob. Mrs. Bug, red in the face¡ªas usual¡ªand brimming with accusation. Mrs. Chisholm, ditto, overflowing with maternal outrage. Little Mrs. Aberfeldy, the color of an eggplant, clutching her two-year-old daughter, Ruth, protectively to her bosom. Tony and Toby Chisholm, both in tears and covered with snot. Toby had a red handprint on the side of his face; little Ruthie¡¯s wispy hair appeared to be oddly shorter on one side than the other. They all began to talk at once.


    ¡°. . . Red savages!¡±


    ¡°. . . My baby¡¯s beautiful hair!¡±


    ¡°She started it!¡±


    ¡°. . . Dare to strike my son!¡±


    ¡°We was just playin¡¯ at scalpin¡¯, ma¡¯am . . .¡±


    ¡°. . . EEEEEEEEEEE!¡±


    ¡°. . . and torn a great hole in my feather bed, the wee spawn!¡±


    ¡°Look what she¡¯s done, the wicked auld besom!¡±


    ¡°Look what they¡¯ve done!¡±


    ¡°Look ye, ma¡¯am, it¡¯s only . . .¡±


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAA!¡±


    Brianna stepped out into the corridor and slammed the door behind her. It was a solid door, and the resultant boom temporarily halted the outcry. On the other side, Jemmy began to cry, but she ignored him for the moment.


    She drew a deep breath, prepared to wade into the melee, but then thought better of it. She couldn¡¯t face the thought of the interminable wrangling that would come of dealing with them as a group. Divide and conquer was the only way.


    ¡°I am writing,¡± she declared instead, and looked narrow-eyed from face to face. ¡°Something important.¡± Mrs. Aberfeldy looked impressed; Mrs. Chisholm affronted; Mrs. Bug astonished.


    She nodded coolly to each one in turn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to each of you about it later. Aye?¡±


    She opened the door, stepped inside, and shut it very gently on the three pop-eyed faces, then pressed her back against it, closed her eyes, and let out the breath she had been holding.


    There was silence outside the door, then a distinct ¡°Hmp!¡± in Mrs. Chisholm¡¯s voice, and the noise of footsteps going away¡ªone set up the stairs, another toward the kitchen, and a heavier tread into the surgery across the hall. A rush of small footsteps out the front door announced Tony and Toby making their escape.


    Jemmy ceased wailing when he saw her, and started sucking his thumb instead.


    ¡°I hope Mrs. Chisholm doesn¡¯t know anything about herbs,¡± she told him, whispering. ¡°I¡¯m sure Grandma keeps poisons in there.¡± A good thing her mother had taken the box of saws and scalpels with her, at least.


    She stood still a moment, listening. No sounds of breaking glass. Perhaps Mrs. Chisholm had merely stepped into the surgery in order to avoid Mrs. Aberfeldy and Mrs. Bug. Brianna sank down in the straight chair by the small table her father used as a desk. Or maybe Mrs. Chisholm was lying in wait, hoping to snare Brianna to listen to her own grievances, as soon as the others were safely out of the way.


    Jemmy was now lying on his back with his feet in the air, happily mangling a bit of rusk he had found somewhere. Her journal had fallen to the floor. Hearing Mrs. Chisholm come out of the surgery, she hastily seized the quill, and snatched one of the ledger books from the stack on the desk with the other.


    The door opened an inch or two. There was a moment¡¯s silence, during which she bent her head, frowning in exaggerated concentration at the page before her, scratching with an empty quill. The door closed again.


    ¡°Bitch,¡± she said, under her breath. Jemmy made an interrogative noise, and she looked down at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear that, all right?¡±


    Jemmy made an agreeable noise and crammed the soggy remnant of his toast into his left nostril. She made an instinctive movement to take it away from him, then stopped herself. She wasn¡¯t in the mood for any more conflict this morning. Or this afternoon, either.


    She tapped the black quill thoughtfully on the ledger page. She¡¯d have to do something, and fast. Mrs. Chisholm might have found the deadly nightshade¡ªand she knew Mrs. Bug had a cleaver.


    Mrs. Chisholm had the advantage in weight, height, and reach, but Brianna personally would put her money on Mrs. Bug, in terms of guile and treachery. As for poor little Mrs. Aberfeldy, she¡¯d be caught in the crossfire, riddled with verbal bullets. And little Ruthie would likely be bald as an egg before another week was out.


    Her father would have sorted them out in nothing flat by the joint exercise of charm and male authority. She gave a small snort of amusement at the thought. Come, he sayeth to one, and she curleth up at his feet, purring like Adso the cat. Go, he sayeth to another, and she goeth promptly out into the kitchen and baketh him a plate of buttered muffins.


    Her mother would have seized the first excuse to escape the house¡ªto tend a distant patient or gather medicinal herbs¡ªand left them to fight it out among themselves, returning only when a state of armed neutrality had been restored. Brianna hadn¡¯t missed the look of relief on her mother¡¯s face as she swung up into her mare¡¯s saddle¡ªor the faintly apologetic glance she sent her daughter. Still, neither strategy was going to work for her¡ªthough the urge to seize Jemmy and run for the hills was pretty strong.


    For the hundredth time since the men had left, she wished passionately that she could have gone with them. She could imagine the bulk of a horse moving under her, the clean, cold air in her lungs, and Roger riding by her side, the sun glowing off his dark hair, and unseen adventure to be faced together, somewhere ahead.


    She missed him with a deep ache, like a bruise to the bone. How long might he be gone, if it really came to fighting? She pushed that thought aside, not wanting to look at the thought that came after it; the thought that if it came to fighting, there was a possibility¡ªhowever faint¡ªthat he would come back ill or injured¡ªor wouldn¡¯t come back at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to come to that,¡± she said firmly, aloud. ¡°They¡¯ll be back in a week or two.¡±


    There was a rattling sound as a blast of icy rain struck the window. The weather was turning cold; it would be snowing by nightfall. She shivered, drawing the shawl around her shoulders, and glanced at Jem to see that he was warm enough. His smock was puddled up around his middle, his diaper was plainly damp, and one stocking had fallen off, leaving his small pink foot bare. He appeared not to notice, being absorbed in babbling a song to the bare toes idly flexing overhead.


    She looked dubiously at him, but he seemed happy enough¡ªand the brazier in the corner was putting out some heat.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, and sighed. She had Jem, and that was that. That being that, the problem was to find some means of dealing with the Three Furies before they drove her crazy or assassinated each other with rolling pin or knitting needle.


    ¡°Logic,¡± she said to Jemmy, sitting up straight in the chair and pointing the quill at him. ¡°There must be a logical way. It¡¯s like that problem where you have to get a cannibal, a missionary, and a goat across a river in a canoe. Let me think about this.¡±


    Jem began trying to get his foot into his crumb-encrusted mouth, despite the clear illogic of the procedure.


    ¡°You must take after Daddy,¡± she told him, tolerantly. She put the quill back in its jar, and started to close the ledger, then stopped, attracted by the sprawling entries. The sight of Jamie¡¯s characteristically messy writing still gave her a faint thrill, remembering her first sight of it¡ªon an ancient deed of sasine, its ink gone pale brown with age.


    This ink had been pale brown to start with, but had now darkened, the iron-gall mixture achieving its typical blue-black with exposure to air over a day or so.


    It was not so much a ledger, she saw, as a logbook, recording the daily activities of the farm.


    16 July¡ªRec¡¯d six weaned piglets of Pastor Gottfried, in trade for two bottles muscat wine and a goosewing axhead. Have put them in the stable ¡¯til they be grown enough to forage conveniently.


    17 July¡ªOne of the hives commenced to swarm in the afternoon, and came into the stable. My wife fortunately recaptured the swarm, which she housed in an empty churn. She says Ronnie Sinclair must make her a new one.


    18 July¡ªLetter from my aunt, asking advice re sawmill on Grinder¡¯s Creek. Replied, saying I will ride to inspect the situation within the month. Letter sent with R. Sinclair, who goes to Cross Creek with a load of 22 barrels, from which I am to receive half his profit toward payment of debt on cobbler¡¯s tools. Have arranged to deduct cost of new churn from this amount.

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    The flow of entries was soothing, as peaceful as the summer days they recorded. She felt the knot of tension between her shoulder blades beginning to relax, and her mind began to loosen and stretch, ready to seek a way out of her difficulties.


    20 July¡ªBarley in the lower field as high as my stocking-tops. A healthy heifer calf born to red cow soon after midnight. All well. An excellent day.


    21 July¡ªRode to Muellers¡¯. Exchanged one jar honeycomb for leather bridle in poor repair (but can be mended). Home well after dark, in consequence of seeing a twilight hatch rising upon the pond near Hollis¡¯s Gap. Stopped to fish, and caught a string of ten fine trout. Six eaten for supper; the rest will do for breakfast.


    22 July¡ªMy grandson has a rash, though my wife declares it of no moment. The white sow has broken through her pen again and escaped into the forest. I am in two minds whether I shall pursue her or only express sympathy for the unfortunate predator that first encounters her. Her temper is similar to that of my daughter at the moment, the latter having slept little these past few nights . . .


    Brianna leaned forward, frowning at the page.


    . . . in consequence of the infant¡¯s screaming, which my wife says is the colic and will pass. I trust she is right. Meanwhile, I have settled Brianna and the child in the old cabin, which is some relief to us in the house, if not to my poor daughter. The white sow ate four of her last litter before I could prevent her.


    ¡°Why, you bloody bastard!¡± she said. She was familiar with the white sow in question, and not flattered by the comparison. Jemmy, alarmed by her tone, stopped crooning and dropped his toast, his mouth beginning to quiver.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s all right, sweetie.¡± She got up and scooped him into her arms, swaying gently to soothe him. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s all right. Mummy is just talking to Grandpa, that¡¯s all. You didn¡¯t hear that word either, okay? Shh, shh.¡±


    Jemmy was reassured, but leaned out from her arms, reaching after his discarded meal with small grunts of anxiety. She stooped and picked it up, eyeing the half-dissolved object with distaste. The crust was not only stale and wet, but had acquired a light coating of what seemed to be cat hair.


    ¡°Ick. You don¡¯t really want that, do you?¡±


    Evidently he did, and was persuaded only with difficulty to accept a large iron bull¡¯s ring¡ªused for leading male animals by the nose, she noted with some irony¡ªfrom the shelf in lieu of it. A brief nibble confirmed the desirability of the nose ring, though, and he settled down in her lap to single-minded gnawing, allowing her to reread the conclusion of the offensive entry.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± She leaned back, shifting Jemmy¡¯s weight more comfortably. He could sit up easily now, though it still seemed incredible that his noodle-neck could support the round dome of his head. She regarded the ledger broodingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a thought,¡± she said to Jemmy. ¡°If I shift the old bi¡ªI mean, Mrs. Chisholm¡ªto our cabin, it will get her and her horrible little monsters out of everyone¡¯s hair. Then . . . hmm. Mrs. Aberfeldy and Ruthie could go in with Lizzie and her father, if we move the trundle from Mama and Da¡¯s room in there. The Bugs get their privacy back, and Mrs. Bug stops being an evil-minded old . . . er . . . anyway, then I suppose you and I could sleep in Mama and Da¡¯s room, at least ¡¯til they come back.¡±


    She hated to think of moving from the cabin. It was her home, her private place, her family¡¯s place. She could go there and close the door, leaving the furor here behind. Her things were there; the half-built loom, the pewter plates, the pottery jug she had painted¡ªall the small, homely objects with which she had made the space her own.


    Beyond the sense of possession and peace, she had an uncomfortable sense of something like superstition about leaving it. The cabin was the home Roger had shared with her; to leave it, however temporarily, seemed somehow an admission that he might not return to share it again.


    She tightened her grip on Jemmy, who ignored her in favor of concentration on his toy, his fat little fists shiny with drool where he grasped the ring.


    No, she didn¡¯t want to give up her cabin at all. But it was an answer, and a logical one. Would Mrs. Chisholm agree? The cabin was much more crudely built than the big house, and lacking its amenities.


    Still, she was pretty sure Mrs. Chisholm would accept the suggestion. If ever she¡¯d seen someone whose motto was, ¡°Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven . . .¡± Despite her trouble, she felt a small bubble of laughter rise beneath her stays.


    She reached out and flipped the ledger closed, then tried to replace it on the stack from which she¡¯d taken it. One-handed, though, and encumbered by Jemmy, she couldn¡¯t quite reach, and the book slipped off, falling back onto the table.


    ¡°Rats,¡± she muttered, and scooted forward on her chair, reaching to pick it up again. Several loose sheets had fallen out, and she stuffed these back as tidily as she could with her free hand.


    One, plainly a letter, had the remnants of its wax seal still attached. Her eye caught the impression of a smiling half-moon, and she paused. That was Lord John Grey¡¯s seal. It must be the letter he had sent in September, in which he described his adventures hunting deer in the Dismal Swamp; her father had read it to the family several times¡ªLord John was a humorous correspondent, and the deer hunt had been beset by the sort of misfortunes that were no doubt uncomfortable to live through, but which made picturesque recounting afterward.


    Smiling in memory, she flipped the letter open with her thumb, looking forward to seeing the story again, only to find that she was looking at something quite different.


    13 October, Anno Domini 1770


    Mr. James Fraser


    Fraser¡¯s Ridge, North Carolina


    My dear Jamie,


    I woke this Morning to the sound of the Rain which has beat upon us for the last Week, and to the gentle clucking of several Chickens, who had come to roost upon my Bedstead. Rising under the Stare of numerous beady Eyes, I went to make Inquiry as to this Circumstance, and was informed that the River has risen so far under the Impetus of the recent Rain as to have undermined both the Necessary House and the Chicken Coop. The contents of the latter were rescued by William (my Son, whom you will recall), and two of the Slaves, who swept the dispossessed Fowl out of the passing Floodwaters with Brooms. I cannot say whose was the Notion to sequester the hapless feathered Flood Victims in my Sleeping Chamber, but I hold certain Suspicions in this regard.


    Resorting to use of my Chamber Pot (I could wish that the Chickens shared this Facility, they are distressing incontinent Fowl), I dressed and ventured forth to see what might be salvaged. Some few Boards and the shingled Roof of the Chicken Coop remain, but my Privy, alas, has become the Property of King Neptune¡ªor whatever minor water Deity presides over so modest a Tributary as our River.


    I pray you will suffer no Concern for us, though; the House is at some distance from the River, and safely placed upon a Rise of Ground, such as to render us quite safe from even the most incommodious flooding. (The Necessary had been dug by the old homestead, and we had not yet attempted a new structure more convenient; this minor disaster, by affording us the Necessary opportunity for rebuilding, thus may prove a blessing in disguise.)


    Brianna rolled her eyes at the pun, but smiled nonetheless. Jemmy dropped his ring and began at once to whine for it. She stooped to pick it up, but stopped halfway down, riveted by the words at the beginning of the next paragraph.


    Your letter mentions Mr. Stephen Bonnet, and inquires whether I have news or knowledge of him. I have met with him, you will collect, but have unfortunately no Memory whatever of the Encounter, not even to Recalling of his Appearance, though as you know, I carry a small Hole in my Head, as a singular Memento of the occasion. (You may inform your Lady Wife that I am healed well, with no further Symptoms of Discomfort than the occasional Headache. Beyond this, the Silver Plate with which the Opening is covered is subject to sudden chill when the Weather is cold, which tends to make my left Eye water, and to cause a great Discharge of Snot, but this is of no consequence.)


    As I thus share your Interest in Mr. Bonnet and his Movements, I have long since had Inquiries dispersed among such Acquaintance as I have near the Coast, since the Descriptions of his Machinations cause me to believe the man is most like to be found there (this is a comforting Notion, given the Great Distance between the Coast and your remote Eyrie). The River being navigable to the Sea, however, I had some Thought that the River Captains and Water Scallywags who now and again grace my Dinner Table might at some Point bear me Word of the man.


    I am not pleased by the Obligation to report that Bonnet still resides among the Living, but both Duty and Friendship compel me to impart such Particulars of him as I have obtained. These are sparse; the Wretch appears sensible of his criminal Situation, so far as to render him subtle in his Movements until now.


    Jemmy was kicking and squawking. As though in a trance, she stooped, holding him, and picked up the ring, her eyes still fixed on the letter.


    I had heard little of him, save a Report at one Point that he had repaired to France¡ªgood News. However, two Weeks past I had a Guest, one Captain Liston (¡°Captain¡± being no more than a title of courtesy; he claims service with the Royal Navy, but I will stake a Hogshead of my best Tobacco [a sample of which you will find accompanying this Missive¡ªand if you do not, I would be obliged to hear of it, since I do not altogether trust the Slave by whom I send it] that he has never so much as smelled the Ink on a Commission, let alone the Reek of the Bilges) who gave me a more recent¡ªand highly disagreeable¡ªHistory of the man Bonnet.


    Finding himself at large in the Port of Charleston, Liston said that he fell in with some Companions of low Aspect, who invited him to accompany them to a Cockfight, held in the Innyard of an Establishment called the Devil¡¯s Glass. Among the Rabble there was a Man notable for the fineness of his Dress, and the Freedom with which he spent his Coin¡ªListon heard this man referred to as Bonnet, and was told by the Landlord that this Bonnet had the name of a Smuggler upon the Outer Banks, being Popular with the Merchants of the coastal Towns in North Carolina, though much less so with the Authorities, who were Helpless to deal with the Man by reason of his Business and the dependence of the Towns of Wilmington, Edenton, and New Bern upon his Trade.


    Liston took little further Note of Bonnet (he said) until an Altercation rose over a Wager upon the Fighting. Hot Words were exchanged, and nothing would do save Honor be satisfied by the drawing of Blood. Nothing loath, the Spectators at once began to wager upon the Outcome of the human Contest, in the same manner as that of the fighting Fowl.


    One combatant was the man Bonnet, the other a Captain Marsden, a half-pay Army Captain known to my Guest as a good Swordsman. This Marsden, feeling himself the injured Party, damned Bonnet¡¯s eyes, and invited the Smuggler to accommodate him upon the Spot, an Offer at once accepted. Wagers ran heavy upon Marsden, his Reputation being known, but it was soon clear that he had met his Match and more in Bonnet. Within no more than a few moments, Bonnet succeeded in disarming his Opponent, and in Wounding him so grievously in the Thigh that Marsden sank down upon his Knees and yielded to his Opponent¡ªhaving no Choice in the Matter at that Point, to be sure.

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    Bonnet did not accept of this Surrender, though, but instead performed an Act of such Cruelty as made the deepest Impression upon all who saw it. Remarking with great coolness that it was not his own Eyes that would be damned, he drew the Tip of his Weapon across Marsden¡¯s Eyes, twisting it in such Fashion as not only to blind the Captain, but to inflict such Mutilation as would make him an Object of the greatest Horror and Pity to all who might behold him.


    Leaving his Foe thus mangled and fainting upon the bloody Sand of the Innyard, Bonnet cleansed his Blade by wiping it upon Marsden¡¯s Shirtfront, sheathed it, and left¡ªthough not before removing Marsden¡¯s Purse, which he claimed in payment of his original Wager. None present had any Stomach to prevent him, having so cogent an Example of his Skill before them.


    I recount this History both to acquaint you with Bonnet¡¯s last known whereabouts, and as warning to his Nature and Abilities. I know you are already well acquainted with the Former, but I draw your Attention to the Latter, out of due Regard for your Well-being. Not that I expect a word of my well-meant Advice will find lodging in your Breast, so filled must it be with animadverse Sentiment toward the Man, but I would beg that you take Notice at least of Liston¡¯s Mention of Bonnet¡¯s Connexions.


    Upon the occasion of my own Meeting with the man, he was a Condemned Felon, and I cannot think he has since performed such Service toward the Crown as would gain him official Pardon. If he is content to flaunt himself thus openly in Charleston¡ªwhere scant Years ago he escaped the Hangman¡¯s Noose¡ªit would seem he is in no great Fears for his Safety¡ªand this can only mean that he now enjoys the Protection and Patronage of powerful Friends. You must discover and beware of these, if you seek to destroy Bonnet.


    I will continue my Inquiries in this regard, and notify you at once of any further Particulars. In the meantime, keep you well, and spare a thought now and again to your drenched and shivering Acquaintance in Virginia. I remain, sir, with all good Wishes toward your Wife, Daughter, and Family,


    Your ob¡¯t. servant,


    John William Grey, Esq.


    Mount Josiah Plantation


    Virginia


    Postscriptum: I have been in search of an Astrolabe, per your Request, but so far have heard of nothing that would suit your Purpose. I am sending to London this month for assorted Furnishings, though, and will be pleased to order one from Halliburton¡¯s in Green Street, their Instruments are of the highest Quality.


    Very slowly, Brianna sat back down on the chair. She placed her hands gently but firmly over her son¡¯s ears, and said a very bad word.


    31


    ORPHAN OF THE STORM


    I FELL ASLEEP, leaning against the bank, with Jamie¡¯s head on my lap. I dreamed luridly, as one does when cold and uncomfortable. I dreamed of trees; endless, monotonous forests of them, with each trunk and leaf and needle etched like scrimshaw on the inside of my eyelids, each one crystal-sharp, all just alike. Yellow goat-eyes floated in the air between the tree trunks, and the wood of my mind rang with the screams of she-panthers and the crying of motherless children.


    I woke suddenly, with the echoes of their cries still ringing in my ears. I was lying in a tangle of cloaks and blankets, Jamie¡¯s limbs heavily entwined with my own, and a fine, cold snow was falling through the pines.


    Granules of ice crusted my brows and lashes, and my face was cold and wet with melted snow. Momentarily disoriented, I reached out by reflex to touch Jamie; he stirred and coughed thickly, his shoulder shaking under my hand. The sound of it brought back the events of the day before¡ªJosiah and his twin, the Beardsley farm, Fanny¡¯s ghosts; the smell of ordure and gangrene and the cleaner reek of gunpowder and wet earth. The bleating of goats, still echoing from my dreams.


    A thin cry came through the whisper of snow, and I sat up abruptly, flinging back the blankets in a spray of icy powder. Not a goat. Not at all.


    Startled awake, Jamie jerked and rolled instinctively away from the mess of cloaks and blankets, coming up in a crouch, hair in a wild tangle and eyes darting round in search of threat.


    ¡°What?¡± he whispered hoarsely. He reached for his knife, lying nearby in its sheath on the ground, but I lifted a hand to stop him moving.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A noise. Listen!¡±


    He lifted his head, listening, and I saw his throat move painfully as he swallowed. I could hear nothing but the chisping of the snow, and saw nothing but dripping pines. Jamie heard something, though¡ªor saw it; his face changed suddenly.


    ¡°There,¡± he said softly, nodding at something behind me. I scrambled round on my knees, to see what looked like a small heap of rags, lying some ten feet away, next to the ashes of the burned-out fire. The cry came again, unmistakable this time.


    ¡°Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ.¡± I was scarcely aware of having spoken, as I scrambled toward the bundle. I snatched it up and began to root through the layers of swaddling cloth. It was plainly alive¡ªI had heard it cry¡ªand yet it lay inert, almost weightless in the curve of my arm.


    The tiny face and hairless skull were blue-white, the features closed and sere as the husk of a winter fruit. I laid my palm over nose and mouth and felt a faint, moist warmth against my skin. Startled by my touch, the mouth opened in a mewling cry, and the slanted eyes crimped tighter shut, sealing out the threatening world.


    ¡°Holy God.¡± Jamie crossed himself briefly. His voice was little more than a phlegmy crackle; he cleared his throat and tried again, glancing around. ¡°Where¡¯s the woman?¡±


    Shocked by the child¡¯s appearance, I had not paused to consider its origin, nor was there time to do so now. The baby twitched a little in its wrappings, but the tiny hands were cold as ice, the skin mottled blue and purple with chill.


    ¡°Never mind her now¡ªget my shawl, will you, Jamie? The poor thing¡¯s nearly frozen.¡± I fumbled one-handed with the lacing of my bodice; it was an old one that opened down the front, worn for ease of dressing on the trail. I pulled loose my stays and the drawstring of my shift and pressed the small icy creature against my bare br**sts, my skin still warm from sleep. A blast of wind drove stinging snow across the exposed skin of my neck and shoulders. I pulled my shift hastily up over the child and hunched myself, shivering. Jamie flung the shawl round my shoulders, then wrapped his arms round us both, hugging fiercely as though to force the heat of his own body into the child.


    The heat of him was considerable; he was burning with fever.


    ¡°My God, are you all right?¡± I spared a glance up at him; white-faced and red-eyed, but steady enough.


    ¡°Aye, fine. Where is she?¡± he asked again, hoarsely. ¡°The woman.¡±


    Gone, evidently. The goats were huddled close together under the shelter of the bank; I saw Hiram¡¯s horns bobbing among the nannies¡¯ brindled backs. Half a dozen pairs of yellow eyes watched us with interest, reminding me of my dreams.


    The place where Mrs. Beardsley had lain was empty, with no more than a patch of flattened grass to testify that she had ever been there. She must have gone some distance away in order to give birth; there was no trace of it near the fire.


    ¡°It is hers?¡± Jamie asked. I could still hear the congestion in his voice, but the small wheezing sound in his chest had eased; that was a relief.


    ¡°I suppose it must be. Where else could it have come from?¡±


    My attention was divided between Jamie and the child¡ªit had begun to stir, with little crablike movements against my belly¡ªbut I spared a glance around our makeshift camp. The pines stood black and silent under the whispering snow; if Fanny Beardsley had gone into the forest, no trace remained on the matted needles to mark her passage. Snow crystals rimed the trunks of the trees, but not enough had fallen to stick to the ground; no chance of footprints.


    ¡°She can¡¯t have gone far,¡± I said, craning to peer round Jamie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°She hasn¡¯t taken either of the horses.¡± Gideon and Mrs. Piggy stood close together under a spruce tree, ears morosely flattened by the weather, their breath making clouds of steam around them. Seeing us up and moving, Gideon stamped and whinnied, big yellow teeth showing in an impatient demand for sustenance.


    ¡°Aye, ye auld bugger, I¡¯m coming.¡± Jamie dropped his arms and stepped back, wiping his knuckles beneath his nose.


    ¡°She couldna have taken a horse, if she meant to be secret. If she had, the other would have made a fuss and roused me.¡± He laid a gentle hand on the bulge under my shawl. ¡°I¡¯ll need to go and feed them. Is he all right, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s thawing out,¡± I assured him. ¡°But he¡ªor she, for that matter¡ªwill be hungry, too.¡± The baby was beginning to move more, squirming sluggishly, like a chilled worm, its mouth blindly groping. The feeling was shocking in its familiarity; my nipple sprang up by reflex, the flesh of my breast tingling with electricity as the tiny mouth groped, rooted, found the nipple, and clamped on.


    I gave a small yelp of surprise, and Jamie raised one eyebrow.


    ¡°It . . . um . . . is hungry,¡± I said, readjusting my burden.


    ¡°I see that, Sassenach,¡± he said. He glanced at the goats, still snug in their sheltered spot by the bank, but beginning to shift and stir with drowsy grumbles. ¡°He¡¯s no the only one starving. A moment, aye?¡±


    We had brought large forage nets of dry hay from the Beardsley farm; he opened one of these and scattered feed for the horses and goats, then returned to me. He stooped to disentangle one of the cloaks from the damp heap of coverings, and put it round my shoulders, then rootled through the pack for a wooden cup, with which he purposefully approached the grazing goats.


    The baby was suckling strongly, my nipple pulled deep into its mouth. I found this reassuring so far as the health of the child was concerned, but the sensation was rather unsettling.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I mind at all, really,¡± I said to the child, trying to distract both of us. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not your mother, you see? Sorry.¡±


    And where in bloody hell was its mother, anyway? I turned slowly round in a circle, searching the landscape more carefully, but still discerned no trace of Fanny Beardsley, let alone any reason for her disappearance¡ªor her silence.


    What on earth could have happened? Mrs. Beardsley could have¡ªand quite obviously had¡ªhidden an advanced pregnancy under that mound of fat and wrappings¡ªbut why should she have done so?


    ¡°Why not tell us? I wonder,¡± I murmured to the top of the baby¡¯s head. It was growing restless, and I rocked from foot to foot to soothe it. Well, perhaps she had feared that Jamie wouldn¡¯t take her with us, if he knew she was so far gone with child. I didn¡¯t blame her for not wanting to remain in that farmhouse, whatever the circumstance.


    But still, why had she now abandoned the child? Had she abandoned it? I considered for a moment the possibility that someone, or something¡ªmy spine prickled momentarily at the thought of panthers¡ªhad come and stolen the woman from the fireside, but my common sense dismissed the notion.


    A cat or bear might conceivably have entered the camp without waking Jamie or me, exhausted as we were, but there wasn¡¯t a chance that it could have come near without raising alarms from the goats and horses, who had all had quite enough to do with wild beasts by this time. And a wild animal looking for prey would clearly prefer a tender tidbit like this child, to a tough item like Mrs. Beardsley.

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    But if a human agency had been responsible for Fanny Beardsley¡¯s disappearance¡ªwhy had they left the child?


    Or, perhaps, brought it back?


    I sniffed deeply to clear my nose, then turned my head, breathing in and out, testing the air from different quarters. Birth is a messy business, and I was thoroughly familiar with the ripe scents of it. The child in my arms smelled strongly of such things, but I could detect no trace at all of blood or birth waters on the chilly wind. Goat dung, horse manure, cut hay, the bitter smell of wood ash, and a good whiff of camphorated goose grease from Jamie¡¯s clothes¡ªbut nothing else.


    ¡°Right, then,¡± I said aloud, gently jiggling my burden, who was growing restless. ¡°She went away from the fire to give birth. Either she went by herself¡ªor someone made her go. But if someone took her and saw that she was about to deliver, why would they have bothered bringing you back? Surely they¡¯d either have kept you, killed you, or simply left you to die. Oh¡ªsorry. Didn¡¯t mean to upset you. Shh, darling. Hush, hush.¡±


    The baby, beginning to thaw from its stupor, had had time to consider what else was lacking in its world. It had relinquished my breast in frustration, and was wriggling and wailing with encouraging strength by the time Jamie returned with a steaming cup of goat¡¯s milk and a moderately clean handkerchief. Twisting this into a makeshift teat, he dipped it in the milk and carefully inserted the dripping cloth into the open maw. The mewling ceased at once, and we both sighed with relief as the noise stopped.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s better, is it? Seas, a bhalaich, seas,¡± Jamie was murmuring to the child, dipping more milk. I peered down at the tiny face, still pale and waxy with vernix, but no longer chalky, as it suckled with deep concentration.


    ¡°How could she have left it?¡± I wondered aloud. ¡°And why?¡±


    That was the best argument for kidnapping; what else could have made a new mother abandon her child? To say nothing of making off on foot into a darkened wood immediately after giving birth, heavy-footed and sore, her own flesh still torn and oozing . . . I grimaced at the thought, my womb tightening in sympathy.


    Jamie shook his head, his eyes still intent on his task.


    ¡°She had some reason, but Christ and the saints only ken what it is. She didna hate the child, though¡ªshe might have left it in the wood, and us none the wiser.¡±


    That was true; she¡ªor someone¡ªhad wrapped the baby carefully, and left it as close to the fire as she could. She wished it to survive, then¡ªbut without her.


    ¡°You think she left willingly, then?¡±


    He nodded, glancing at me.


    ¡°We¡¯re no far from the Treaty Line here. It could be Indians¡ªbut if it was, if someone took her, why should they not capture us as well? Or kill us all?¡± he asked logically. ¡°And Indians would have taken the horses. Nay, I think she went on her own. But as to why . . .¡± He shook his head, and dipped the handkerchief again.


    The snow was falling faster now, still a dry, light snow, but beginning to stick in random patches. We should leave soon, I thought, before the storm grew worse. It seemed somehow wrong, though, simply to go, with no attempt to determine the fate of Fanny Beardsley.


    The whole situation seemed unreal. It was as though the woman had suddenly vanished through some sorcery, leaving this small substitute in exchange. It reminded me bizarrely of the Scottish tales of changelings; fairy offspring left in the place of human babies. I couldn¡¯t fathom what the fairies could possibly want with Fanny Beardsley, though.


    I knew it was futile, but turned slowly round once more, surveying our surroundings. Nothing. The clay bank loomed over us, fringed with dry, snow-dusted grass. The trickle of a tiny stream ran past a little distance away, and the trees rustled and sighed in the wind. There was no mark of hoof or foot on the layer of damp, spongy needles, and no hint of any trail. The woods were not at all silent, what with the wind, but dark and deep, all right.


    ¡°And miles to go before we sleep,¡± I remarked, turning back to Jamie with a sigh.


    ¡°Eh? Ah, no, it¡¯s no more than an hour¡¯s ride to Brownsville,¡± he assured me. ¡°Or maybe two,¡± he amended, glancing up at the white-muslin sky, from which the snow was falling faster. ¡°I ken where we are, now it¡¯s light.¡±


    He coughed again, a sudden spasm racking his body, then straightened, and handed me the cup and dummy.


    ¡°Here, Sassenach. Feed the poor were sgaogan while I tend the beasts, aye?¡±


    Sgaogan. A changeling. So the air of supernatural strangeness about the whole affair had struck him, too. Well, the woman had claimed to see ghosts; perhaps one of them had come for her? I shivered, and cradled the baby closer.


    ¡°Is there any settlement near here, besides Brownsville? Anywhere Mrs. Beardsley might have decided to go?¡±


    Jamie shook his head, a line between his brows. The snow melted where it touched his heated skin, and ran down his face in tiny streams.


    ¡°Naught that I ken,¡± he said. ¡°Is the wean takin¡¯ to the goat¡¯s milk?¡±


    ¡°Like a kid,¡± I assured him, and laughed. He looked puzzled, but one side of his mouth turned up nonetheless¡ªhe wanted humor just now, whether he understood the joke or not.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the Americans call¡ªwill call¡ªchildren,¡± I told him. ¡°Kids.¡±


    The smile broadened across his face.


    ¡°Oh, aye? So that¡¯s why Brianna and MacKenzie call wee Jem so, is it? I thought it was only a bit of private fun between them.¡±


    He milked the rest of the goats quickly while I dribbled more nourishment into the child, bringing back a brimming bucket of warm milk for our own breakfast. I should have liked a nice hot cup of tea¡ªmy fingers were chilled and numb from dipping the false teat over and over¡ªbut the creamy white stuff was delicious, and as much comfort to our chilled and empty stomachs as to the little one¡¯s.


    The child had stopped suckling, and had wet itself copiously; a good sign of health, by and large, but rather inconvenient just at the moment, as both its swaddling cloth and the front of my bodice were now soaked.


    Jamie rootled hastily through the packs once again, this time in search of diapering and dry clothes. Fortunately, Mrs. Piggy had been carrying the bag in which I kept lengths of linen and wads of cotton lint for cleansing and bandaging. He took a handful of these and the child, while I went about the awkward and drafty business of changing my shift and bodice without removing skirt, petticoat, or cloak.


    ¡°P-put on your own cloak,¡± I said, through chattering teeth. ¡°You¡¯ll die of f-frigging pneumonia.¡±


    He smiled at that, eyes focused on his job, though the tip of his nose glowed redly in contrast to his pale face.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he croaked, then cleared his throat with a noise like ripping cloth, impatient. ¡°Fine,¡± he repeated, more strongly, then stopped, eyes widening in surprise.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, more softly. ¡°Look. It¡¯s a wee lassie.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± I dropped to my knees beside him to look.


    ¡°Rather plain,¡± he said, critically surveying the little creature. ¡°A good thing she¡¯ll have a decent dowry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you were any great beauty when you were born, either,¡± I said rebukingly. ¡°She hasn¡¯t even been properly cleaned, poor thing. What do you mean about her dowry, though?¡±


    He shrugged, contriving to keep the child covered with a shawl, meanwhile sliding a folded sheet of linen dexterously beneath her miniature bottom.


    ¡°Her father¡¯s dead and her mother¡¯s gone. She¡¯s no brothers or sisters to share, and I didna find any will in the house saying that anyone else was to have Beardsley¡¯s property. There¡¯s a decent farm left, though, and a good bit in trade goods there¡ªto say nothing of the goats.¡± He glanced at Hiram and his family, and smiled. ¡°So they¡¯ll all be hers, I expect.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± I said slowly. ¡°So she¡¯ll be a rather well-to-do little girl, won¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Aye, and she¡¯s just shit herself. Could ye not have done that before I¡¯d put ye on a fresh clout?¡± he demanded of the child. Unfazed by the scolding, the little girl blinked sleepily at him and gave a soft belch.


    ¡°Oh, well,¡± he said, resigned. He shifted himself to better shelter her from the wind, lifted the coverings briefly, and wiped a smear of blackish slime deftly off the budlike privates.


    The child seemed healthy, though rather undersized; she was no bigger than a large doll, her stomach bulging slightly with milk. That was the immediate difficulty; small as she was, and with no body fat for insulation, she would die of hypothermia within a very short time, unless we could keep her warm as well as fed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her get chilled.¡± I put my hands in my armpits to warm them, in preparation for picking up the child.


    ¡°Dinna fash yourself, Sassenach. I must just wipe her wee bum and then¡ª¡± He stopped, frowning.


    ¡°What¡¯s this, Sassenach? Is she damaged, d¡¯ye think? Perhaps yon silly woman dropped her?¡±


    I leaned close to look. He held the baby¡¯s feet up in one hand, a wad of soiled cotton lint in the other. Just above the tiny buttocks was a dark bluish discoloration, rather like a bruise.


    It wasn¡¯t a bruise. It was, though, an explanation of sorts.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t hurt,¡± I assured him, pulling another of Mrs. Beardsley¡¯s discarded shawls up to shelter her daughter¡¯s bald head. ¡°It¡¯s a Mongol spot.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°It means the child is black,¡± I explained. ¡°African, I mean, or partly so.¡± Jamie blinked, startled, then bent to peer into the shawl, frowning.


    ¡°No, she isn¡¯t. She¡¯s as pale as ye are yourself, Sassenach.¡±


    That was quite true; the child was so white as to seem devoid of blood.


    ¡°Black children don¡¯t usually look black at birth,¡± I explained to him. ¡°In fact, they¡¯re often quite pale. The pigmentation of the skin begins to develop some weeks later. But they¡¯re often born with this faint discoloration of the skin at the base of the spine¡ªit¡¯s called a Mongol spot.¡±


    He rubbed a hand over his face, blinking away snowflakes that tried to settle on his lashes.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Aye, well, that explains a bit, does it not?¡±


    It did. The late Mr. Beardsley, whatever else he might have been, had assuredly not been black. The child¡¯s father had been. And Fanny Beardsley, knowing¡ªor fearing¡ªthat the child she was about to bear would reveal her as an adulteress, had thought it better to abandon the child and flee before the truth was revealed. I wondered whether the mysterious father had had anything to do with what had happened to Mr. Beardsley, for that matter.


    ¡°Did she know for sure that the father was a Negro, I wonder?¡± Jamie touched the small underlip, now showing a tinge of pink, gently with one finger. ¡°Or did she never see the child at all? For after all, she must have given birth in the dark. If she had seen it looked white, perhaps she would ha¡¯ chosen to brazen it out.¡±

 Page 87

    ¡°Perhaps. But she didn¡¯t. Who do you suppose the father can have been?¡± Isolated as the Beardsleys¡¯ farm had been, I couldn¡¯t imagine Fanny having the opportunity to meet very many men, other than the Indians who came to trade. Did Indian babies perhaps have Mongol spots? I wondered.


    Jamie glanced bleakly around at the desolate surroundings, and scooped the child up into his arms.


    ¡°I dinna ken, but I shouldna think he¡¯ll be hard to spot, once we¡¯ve reached Brownsville. Let¡¯s go, Sassenach.¡±


    JAMIE RELUCTANTLY DECIDED to leave the goats behind, in the interest of reaching shelter and sustenance for the child as quickly as possible.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine here for a bit,¡± he said, scattering the rest of the hay for them. ¡°The nannies wilna leave the auld fellow¡ªand ye¡¯re no going anywhere for the present, are ye, a bhalaich?¡± He scratched Hiram between the horns in farewell, and we left to a chorus of protesting mehs, the goats having grown used to our company.


    The weather was worsening by the moment; as the temperature rose, the snow changed from dry powder to large, wet flakes that stuck to everything, dusting ground and trees with icing sugar, and melting down through the horses¡¯ manes.


    Well-muffled in my thick hooded cloak, with multiple shawls beneath and the child snuggled in a makeshift sling against my stomach, I was quite warm, in spite of the flakes that brushed my face and stuck in my lashes. Jamie coughed now and then, but on the whole, looked much healthier than he had; the need to take charge of an emergency had energized him.


    He rode just behind me, keeping an eye out in case of marauding panthers or other menaces. I thought myself that any self-respecting cat¡ªparticularly one with a bellyful of goat¡ªwould spend a day like this curled up in some cozy den, not out tramping through the snow. Still, it was very reassuring to have him there; I was vulnerable, riding with one hand on the reins, the other wrapped protectively over the bulge under my cloak.


    The child was sleeping, I thought, but not quiet; it stretched and squirmed with the slow, languid movements of the water world, not yet accustomed to the freedom of life outside the womb.


    ¡°Ye look as though you¡¯re wi¡¯ child, Sassenach.¡± I glanced back over my shoulder, to see Jamie looking amused under the brim of his slouch hat, though I thought there was something else in his expression; perhaps a slight wistfulness.


    ¡°Probably because I am with child,¡± I replied, shifting slightly in the saddle to accommodate the movements of my companion. ¡°It¡¯s just somebody else¡¯s child I¡¯m with.¡± The pressure of small knees and head and elbows shifting against my belly were in fact unsettlingly like the sensations of pregnancy; the fact that they were outside rather than inside made remarkably little difference.


    As though drawn to the swelling under my cloak, Jamie nudged Gideon up beside me. The horse snorted and tossed his head, wanting to push ahead, but Jamie held him back with a soft ¡°Seas!¡± of rebuke, and he subsided, huffing steam.


    ¡°Ye¡¯re troubled for her?¡± Jamie asked, with a nod toward the surrounding forest.


    No need to ask whom he meant. I nodded, my hand on the curled tiny backbone, arched still to fit the curve of the vanished womb. Where was she, Fanny Beardsley, alone in the wood? Crawled off to die like a wounded beast¡ªor making, perhaps, for some imagined haven, floundering blindly through frozen leaf mold and deepening snow, heading back, maybe, toward the Chesapeake Bay and some memory of open sky, of broad waters and happiness?


    Jamie leaned over and laid a hand on mine where it curled over the sleeping child; I could feel the chill of his ungloved fingers through the layer of cloth between us.


    ¡°She¡¯s made her choice, Sassenach,¡± he said. ¡°And she¡¯s trusted us wi¡¯ the bairn. We¡¯ll see the wee lass safe; that¡¯s all we can do for the woman.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t turn my hand to take his, but nodded. He let my hand go with a squeeze and dropped back, and I turned my face toward our destination, my lashes wet and spiky as I blinked away the melting drops.


    By the time we came in sight of Brownsville, though, most of my concern for Fanny Beardsley had been subsumed by anxiety for her daughter. The child was awake and bawling, pummeling my liver with tiny fists in search of food.


    I lifted myself in the saddle, peering through the curtain of falling snow. How big a place was Brownsville? I could see no more than the roofline of a single cabin peeping through the evergreen of pine and laurel. One of the men from Granite Falls had said it was sizable, though¡ªwhat was ¡°sizable,¡± here in the backcountry? What were the odds that at least one of the residents of Brownsville might be a woman with a nursing child?


    Jamie had emptied out the canteen and filled it with goat¡¯s milk, but it was better, I thought, to reach shelter before trying to feed the baby again. If there was a mother who might offer her milk to the child, that would be best¡ªbut if not, the goat¡¯s milk would need to be heated; cold as it was outside, to give the baby cold milk might lower her body temperature dangerously.


    Mrs. Piggy snorted out a great gout of steam, and suddenly picked up her pace. She knew civilization when she smelled it¡ªand other horses. She threw up her head and whinnied piercingly. Gideon joined her, and when the racket stopped, I could hear the encouraging replies of a number of horses in the distance.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± I exhaled in a steamy burst of relief. ¡°The militia¡ªthey made it!¡±


    ¡°Well, I should hope so, Sassenach,¡± Jamie replied, taking a firm grip to prevent Gideon¡¯s bolting. ¡°If wee Roger couldna find a village at the end of a straight trail, I¡¯d have my doubts of his wits as well as his eyesight.¡± But he was smiling, too.


    As we came round a curve in the trail, I could see that Brownsville really was a village. Chimney smoke drifted up in soft gray plumes from a dozen cabins, scattered over the hillside that rose to our right, and a cluster of buildings stood together by the road, clearly placed for custom, judging from the rubble of discarded kegs, bottles, and other rubbish strewn in the dead weeds of the roadside.


    Across the road from this pothouse, the men had erected a crude shelter for the horses, roofed with pine boughs and walled on one side with more branches to break the wind. The militiamen¡¯s horses were gathered under this in a cozy knot, hobbled and snorting, wreathed in clouds of their mingled breath.


    Spotting this refuge, our own horses were moving at a good clip; I had to pull heavily on the reins one-handed in order to keep Mrs. Piggy from breaking into a trot, which would have seriously jostled my passenger. As I hauled her back to a reluctant walk, a slight figure detached itself from the shelter of a pine tree and stepped into the road before us, waving.


    ¡°Milord,¡± Fergus greeted Jamie, as Gideon slewed to a reluctant halt. He peered up at Jamie from beneath the band of an indigo-dyed knitted cap, which he wore pulled down over his brows. It made his head look rather like the top of a torpedo, dark and dangerous. ¡°You are well? I thought perhaps you had encountered some difficulty.¡±


    ¡°Och.¡± Jamie waved vaguely at me, indicating the bulge beneath my cloak. ¡°No really a difficulty; it¡¯s only¡ª¡±


    Fergus was staring over Gideon¡¯s shoulder at the bulge with some bemusement.


    ¡°Quelle virilit¨¦, monsieur,¡± he said to Jamie, in tones of deep respect. ¡°My congratulations.¡±


    Jamie gave him a scathing look and a Scottish noise that sounded like boulders rolling underwater. The baby began to cry again.


    ¡°First things first,¡± I said. ¡°Are there any women here with babies? This child needs milk, and she needs it now.¡±


    Fergus nodded, eyes wide with curiosity.


    ¡°Oui, milady. Two, at least, that I have seen.¡±


    ¡°Good. Lead me to them.¡±


    He nodded again, and taking hold of Piggy¡¯s halter, turned toward the settlement.


    ¡°What¡¯s amiss, then?¡± Jamie inquired, and cleared his throat. In my anxiety for the baby, I hadn¡¯t paused to consider what Fergus¡¯s presence meant. Jamie was right, though; simple concern for our well-being wouldn¡¯t have brought him out on the road in this weather.


    ¡°Ah. We appear to have a small difficulty, milord.¡± He described the events of the previous afternoon, concluding with a Gallic shrug and a huff of breath. ¡°. . . and so Monsieur Morton has taken refuge with the horses¡±¡ªhe nodded ahead, toward the makeshift shelter¡ª¡°while the rest of us enjoy the hospitalit¨¦ of Brownsville.¡±


    Jamie looked a trifle grim at this; no doubt from a contemplation of what the hospitalit¨¦ for forty-odd men might cost.


    ¡°Mmphm. I take it that the Browns dinna ken Morton is there?¡±


    Fergus shook his head.


    ¡°Why is Morton there?¡± I asked, having temporarily stifled the baby by putting it to my own breast. ¡°I should have thought he¡¯d be off away, back to Granite Falls, and pleased to be alive.¡±


    ¡°He will not go, milady. He says he cannot forgo the bounty.¡± Word had come just before our departure from the Ridge; the Governor was offering forty shillings per man as an inducement to serve in the militia; a substantial sum, particularly to a new homesteader such as Morton, facing a bleak winter.


    Jamie rubbed a hand slowly over his face. This was a dilemma, all right; the militia company needed the men and supplies from Brownsville, but Jamie could scarcely conscript several Browns who would immediately attempt to assassinate Morton. Nor could he afford to pay Morton¡¯s bounty himself. Jamie looked as though he were tempted to assassinate Morton personally, but I supposed this wasn¡¯t a reasonable alternative.


    ¡°Perhaps Morton could be induced to marry the girl?¡± I suggested delicately.


    ¡°I thought of that,¡± Fergus said. ¡°Regretfully, Monsieur Morton is already possessed of a wife in Granite Falls.¡± He shook his head, which was beginning to look like a small snowcapped hillock in his cap.


    ¡°Why did the Browns not follow yon Morton?¡± Jamie asked, apparently following his own train of thought. ¡°If an enemy comes upon your land, and you wi¡¯ your kin, ye dinna just let him flee; ye hunt him down and kill him.¡±


    Fergus nodded, clearly familiar with this brand of Highland logic.


    ¡°I believe that was the intent,¡± he said. ¡°They were distracted, however, by le petit Roger.¡±


    I could hear a distinct note of amusement in his voice; so could Jamie.


    ¡°What did he do?¡± he asked warily.


    ¡°Sang to them,¡± Fergus said, the amusement becoming more pronounced. ¡°He has been singing most of the night, and playing upon his drum. The entire village came to hear¡ªthere are six men of suitable age for the militia, and,¡± he added practically, ¡°the two women avec lait, as I said, milady.¡±


    Jamie coughed, wiped a hand under his nose, and nodded to Fergus, with a wave at me.


    ¡°Aye. Well, the wee lass must eat, and I canna stay back or the Browns will tumble to it that Morton¡¯s here. Go and say to him that I shall come and speak to him as soon as may be.¡±


    He reined his horse¡¯s head toward the tavern, and I nudged Mrs. Piggy to follow.

 Page 88

    ¡°What are you going to do about the Browns?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Christ,¡± Jamie said, more to himself than to me. ¡°How in hell should I know?¡± And coughed again.


    32


    MISSION ACCOMPLISHED


    OUR ARRIVAL with the baby created a sufficient sensation to distract everyone in Brownsville from their private concerns, be these practical or homicidal. A look of intense relief crossed Roger¡¯s face at sight of Jamie, though this was instantly suppressed, replaced by a bland attitude of square-shouldered self-assurance. I ducked my head to hide a smile, and glanced at Jamie, wondering if he had noted this rapid transformation. He sedulously avoided my eye, indicating that he had.


    ¡°Ye¡¯ve done well,¡± he said in a casual undertone, clapping Roger¡¯s shoulder in greeting before turning to receive the salutations of the other men and introductions to our involuntary hosts.


    Roger merely nodded in an offhand sort of way, but his face took on a muted glow, as though someone had lit a candle inside him.


    Young Miss Beardsley caused a great stir; one of the nursing mothers was fetched and at once put the screeching baby to her breast, hastily handing me her own child in exchange. A three-month-old boy of placid temperament, he looked up at me with mild bewilderment, but seemed not to object to the substitution, merely blowing a few thoughtful spit bubbles in my direction.


    A certain amount of confusion ensued, with everyone asking questions and offering speculations at once, but Jamie¡¯s story¡ªedited to terseness¡ªof events at the Beardsley farm put a stop to the hubbub. Even the red-eyed young woman whom I recognized from Fergus¡¯s story as Isaiah Morton¡¯s inamorata forgot her grief, listening openmouthed.


    ¡°Poor little creature,¡± she said, peering at the baby as it suckled fiercely at her cousin¡¯s breast. ¡°So you have no parents at all, it seems.¡± Miss Brown cast a dark look at her own father, apparently thinking orphanhood had its advantages.


    ¡°What will become of her?¡± Mrs. Brown asked, with more practicality.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll see she¡¯s taken good care of, my dear. She¡¯ll find a secure place with us.¡± Her husband put a reassuring hand on her arm, at the same time exchanging a glance with his brother. Jamie saw it, too; I saw his mouth twitch as though he might say something, but he shrugged slightly and turned instead to confer with Henry Gallegher and Fergus, his two stiff fingers tapping gently on his leg.


    The elder Miss Brown leaned toward me, preparing to ask another question, but was prevented by a sudden blast of arctic wind that blew through the big room, lifting the loose hides over the windows and peppering the room with a spray of snow like frozen bird shot. Miss Brown gave a small whoop, abandoned her curiosity, and ran to fasten down the window coverings; everyone else stopped discussing the Beardsleys and began hastily to batten down hatches.


    I caught a quick glimpse outside, as Miss Brown struggled with the unwieldy hides. The storm had arrived now in good earnest. Snow was coming down thick and fast; the black ruts of the road had all but disappeared under a coating of white, and it was obvious that Fraser¡¯s Company was going nowhere for the time being. Mr. Richard Brown, looking mildly disgruntled, nonetheless graciously offered us a second night¡¯s shelter, and the militiamen settled in for supper among the houses and barns of the village.


    Jamie went out to bring in our bedding and provisions from the horses, and see them fed and sheltered. Presumably he would also take the opportunity to speak privately with Isaiah Morton, if the latter was still lurking out there in the blizzard.


    I did wonder what Jamie meant to do with his mountain Romeo, but I hadn¡¯t time for much speculation. It was getting on now for twilight, and I was sucked into the swirl of activity around the hearth, as the women rose to the fresh challenge of providing supper for forty unexpected guests.


    Juliet¡ªthat is, the younger Miss Brown¡ªmoped sullenly in the corner, refusing to help. She did, though, take over care of the Beardsley baby, rocking the little girl and crooning to her long after it was plain that the child was asleep.


    Fergus and Gallegher had been sent off to retrieve the goats, and returned with them just before suppertime, wet and muddy to the knees, their beards and eyebrows frosted with snow. The nannies were wet and snow-caked, too, their chilled udders red with cold, milk-swollen and swinging painfully against their legs. They were enchanted to be back in the bosom of civilization, though, and nattered to each other in cheerful excitement.


    Mrs. Brown and her sister-in-law took the goats off to the tiny barn to be milked, leaving me in charge of the stewpot and Hiram, who was installed in solitary majesty near the hearth, contained in a makeshift pen composed of an overturned table, two stools, and a blanket chest.


    The cabin was essentially one large, drafty room, with a walled loft above and a small lean-to at the back for storage. Crowded as it was with tables, benches, stools, kegs of beer, bundles of hides, a small handloom in one corner, a chiffonier¡ªwith a most incongruous chiming clock, adorned with cupids¡ªin another, a bed against the wall, two settles by the hearth, a musket and two fowling pieces hung above the chimney breast, and various aprons and cloaks on pegs by the door, the presence of a sick goat was surprisingly inconsequential.


    I had a look at my erstwhile patient, who mehed ungratefully at me, long blue tongue protruding in derision. Snow was melting from the deep spirals of his horns, leaving them black and shiny, and his coat was soaked into brindled spikes round his shoulders.


    ¡°There¡¯s gratitude for you,¡± I said rebukingly. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Jamie, you¡¯d be cooking over that fire, instead of beside it, and good enough for you, too, you wicked old sod.¡±


    ¡°Meh!¡± he said shortly.


    Still, he was cold, tired, and hungry, and his harem wasn¡¯t there to be impressed, so he suffered me to rub his head and scratch his ears, feed him wisps of hay, and¡ªeventually¡ªto step into his pen and run a light hand down his injured leg to check the splinting. I was more than a little tired and hungry, too, having had nothing to eat since a little goat¡¯s milk at dawn. Between the smell of the simmering stew and the flickering light and shadows in the room, I felt light-headed, and very slightly disembodied, as though I were floating a foot or two above the floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re a nice old lad, aren¡¯t you?¡± I murmured. After an afternoon spent in close contact with babies, all in varying stages of moistness and shrieking, the company of the irascible old goat was rather soothing.


    ¡°Is he going to die?¡±


    I looked up in surprise, having quite forgotten the younger Miss Brown, who had been overlooked in the shadows of the settle. She was standing by the hearth now, still holding the Beardsley baby and frowning down at Hiram, who was trying to nibble the edge of my apron.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, twitching the cloth out of his mouth. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t think so.¡± What was her name? I groped blearily through my memory, matching up faces and names from the earlier flurry of introductions. Alicia, that was it, though I couldn¡¯t help still thinking of her as Juliet.


    She wasn¡¯t much older than Juliet; barely fifteen, if that. She was a plain child, though, round-jawed and pasty. Narrow in the shoulder and broad through the hip; not much of the jewel in the Ethiop¡¯s ear about her. She said nothing more, and to keep the conversation going, I nodded at the baby, still in her arms. ¡°How¡¯s the little one?¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± she said listlessly. She stood staring at the goat a moment longer. Then tears suddenly welled in her eyes.


    ¡°I wish I was dead,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± I said, taken aback. ¡°Er . . . well . . .¡± I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to summon enough presence of mind to deal with this. Where was the beastly girl¡¯s mother? I cast a quick look at the door, but heard no one coming. We were momentarily alone, the women milking or minding supper, the men all caring for the stock.


    I stepped out of Hiram¡¯s pen and laid a hand on her arm.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said in a low voice. ¡°Isaiah Morton¡¯s not worth it. He¡¯s married; did you know that?¡±


    Her eyes went wide, then squinted nearly shut, spurting sudden tears. No, evidently she hadn¡¯t known.


    Tears were pouring down her cheeks and dripping on the baby¡¯s oblivious head. I reached out and took the swaddled child gently from her, steering her toward the settle with my free hand.


    ¡°H-how did you . . . ? Wh-who . . . ?¡± She was gurgling and sniffling, trying to ask questions and get control of herself at the same time. A man¡¯s voice shouted something outside, and she scrubbed frantically at her cheeks with her sleeve.


    The gesture reminded me that while the situation seemed rather melodramatic¡ªnot to say slightly comic¡ªin my currently muzzy frame of mind, it was a matter of great seriousness to the principals involved in it. After all, her male relations had tried to kill Morton, and would certainly try again, if they found him. I tensed at the sound of approaching feet, and the baby stirred and whined a little in my arms. But the footsteps crunched past in the road, and the sound vanished in the wind.


    I sat down beside Alicia Brown, sighing with the sheer pleasure of taking weight off my feet. Every muscle and joint in my body ached from the aftereffects of the previous day and night, though I hadn¡¯t had time until now to think about it much. Jamie and I would undoubtedly spend the night wrapped in blankets on someone¡¯s floor; I eyed the grimy, firelit boards with an emotion approaching lust.


    It was incongruously peaceful in the large room, with the snow whispering down outside, and the stewpot burbling away in the hearth, filling the air with the enticing scents of onion, venison, and turnips. The baby slept on my breast, emanating peaceful trust. I would have liked just to sit and hold her, thinking of nothing, but duty called.


    ¡°How do I know? Morton told one of my husband¡¯s men,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know who his wife is, though; only that she lives in Granite Falls.¡± I patted the tiny back, and the baby burped faintly and relaxed again, her breath warm beneath my ear. The women had washed and oiled her, and she smelled rather like a fresh pancake. I kept one eye on the door, and the other warily on Alicia Brown, in case of further hysterics.


    She sniffed and sobbed, hiccuped once, and then relapsed into silence, staring at the floor.


    ¡°I wish I was dead,¡± she whispered again, in tones of such fierce despair that I set both eyes on her, startled. She sat hunched, hair hanging limply beneath her cap, her hands fisted and crossed protectively over her belly.


    ¡°Oh, dear,¡± I said. Given her pallor, the circumstances, and her behavior toward the Beardsley baby, that particular gesture made it no great leap to the obvious conclusion. ¡°Do your parents know?¡±


    She gave me a quick look, but didn¡¯t bother asking how I knew.


    ¡°Mama and Aunt do.¡±


    She was breathing through her mouth, with intermittent wet snuffles.


    ¡°I thought¡ªI thought Papa would have to let me wed him, if¡ª¡±


    I never had thought blackmail a very successful basis for marriage, but this seemed the wrong time to say so.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± I said instead. ¡°And does Mr. Morton know about it?¡±

 Page 89

    She shook her head, disconsolate.


    ¡°Does he¡ªdoes his wife have children, do you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea.¡± I turned my head, listening. I could hear men¡¯s voices in the distance, carried on the wind. So could she; she gripped my arm with surprising strength, wet brown eyes spike-lashed and urgent.


    ¡°I heard Mr. MacKenzie and the men talking last night. They said you were a healer, Mrs. Fraser¡ªone said you were a conjure woman. About babies. Do you know how¡ª¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡± I pulled away from her, interrupting before she could finish. ¡°Here, take care of the baby. I need to¡ªto stir the stew.¡±


    I thrust the child unceremoniously into her arms and rose. When the door opened to admit a blast of wind and snow along with a large number of men, I was standing at the hearth, spoon in hand, eyes fixed on the pot and my mind bubbling as vigorously as the stew.


    She hadn¡¯t had time to ask explicitly, but I knew what she¡¯d been about to say. Conjure woman, she¡¯d called me. She wanted my help to get rid of the child, almost certainly. How? I wondered. How could a woman think of such a thing, with a living child in her arms, less than a day out of the womb?


    But she was very young. Very young, and suffering from the shock of hearing that her lover was untrue. Not yet far enough advanced in pregnancy to show, either; if she hadn¡¯t yet felt her own child move, no doubt it seemed quite unreal to her. She¡¯d seen it only as a means of forcing her father¡¯s consent; now it likely seemed a trap that had closed suddenly upon her.


    No wonder if she was distraught, looking frantically for escape. Give her a little time to recover, I thought, glancing at the settle, where the shadows hid her. I should talk to her mother, to her aunt. . . .


    Jamie appeared suddenly beside me, rubbing reddened hands over the fire, snow melting from the folds of his clothes. He looked extremely cheerful, in spite of his cold, the complications of Isaiah Morton¡¯s love life, and the storm going on outside.


    ¡°How is it, Sassenach?¡± he asked hoarsely, and without waiting for me to reply, took the spoon from my hand, put one hard, cold arm around me, and pulled me off my feet and up into a hearty kiss, made the more startling by the fact that his half-sprouted beard was thickly encrusted with snow.


    Emerging slightly dazed from this stimulating embrace, I realized that the general attitude of the men in the room was similarly jolly. Backs were being slapped, boots stamped, and coats shaken to the accompaniment of the sort of hoots and roaring noises men make when feeling particularly exuberant.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, looking round in surprise. To my astonishment, Joseph Wemyss stood in the center of the crowd. The tip of his nose was red with cold, and he was being knocked half off his feet by men smacking him on the back in congratulations. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±


    Jamie gave me a brilliant smile, teeth gleaming in the frozen wilderness of his face, and thrust a limp crumple of wet paper into my hand, fragments of red wax still clinging to it.


    The ink had run with the wet, but I could make out the relevant words. Hearing of General Waddell¡¯s intended approach, the Regulators had decided that discretion was the better part of valor. They had dispersed. And as per this order from Governor Tryon¡ªthe militia was stood down.


    ¡°Oh, good!¡± I said. And flinging my arms round Jamie, kissed him back, snow and ice notwithstanding.


    THRILLED WITH THE NEWS of the stand-down, the militia took advantage of the bad weather to celebrate. Equally thrilled not to be obliged to join the militia, the Browns instead joined heartily in the celebration, contributing three large kegs of Thomasina Brown¡¯s best home-brewed beer and six gallons of hard cider to the cause¡ªat half-cost.


    By the time supper was over, I sat in the corner of a settle with the Beardsley baby in my arms, half-dissolved with weariness, and kept vertical only by the fact that there was no place as yet to lie down. The air shimmered with smoke and conversation, I had drunk strong cider with my supper, and both faces and voices tended to swim in and out of focus, in a way that was not at all disagreeable, though mildly disconcerting.


    Alicia Brown had had no further chance to speak with me¡ªbut I had had no chance to speak with her mother or her aunt. The girl had taken up a seat by Hiram¡¯s pen, and was methodically feeding the goat crusts of corn bread left from supper, her face set in lines of sullen misery.


    Roger was singing French ballads, by popular request, in a soft, true voice. A young woman¡¯s face floated into view in front of me, eyebrows raised in question. She said something, lost in the babble of voices, then reached gently to take the baby from me.


    Of course. Jemima, that was her name. The young mother who had offered to nurse the child. I stood up to give her room on the settle, and she put the baby at once to her breast.


    I leaned against the chimney piece, watching with dim approval as she cupped the child¡¯s head, guiding it and murmuring. She was both tender and businesslike; a good combination. Her own baby¡ªlittle Christopher, that was his name¡ªsnored peaceably in his grandmother¡¯s arms, as the old lady bent to light her clay pipe from the fire.


    I glanced back at Jemima, and had the oddest sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. I blinked, trying to catch the fleeting vision, and succeeded in capturing a sense of overwhelming closeness, of warmth and utter peace. For an instant, I thought it was the sense of nursing a child, and then, odder still, realized that it was not the mother¡¯s sense I felt . . . but the child¡¯s. I had the very distinct memory¡ªif that¡¯s what it was¡ªof being held against a warm body, mindless and replete in the sure conviction of absolute love.


    I closed my eyes, and took a firmer grip on the chimney breast, feeling the room begin a slow and lazy spin about me.


    ¡°Beauchamp,¡± I murmured, ¡°you are quite drunk.¡±


    If so, I wasn¡¯t the only one. Delighted at the prospect of imminent return to their homes, the militiamen had absorbed most of the drinkables in Brownsville, and were working assiduously on the remainder. The party was beginning to break up now, though, with men stumbling off to cold beds in barns and sheds, others thankfully rolling up in blankets by the fire.


    I opened my eyes to see Jamie throw back his head and yawn enormously, gape-jawed as a baboon. He blinked and stood up, shaking off the stupor of food and beer, then glanced toward the hearth and saw me standing there. He was plainly as tired as I was, if not quite as giddy, but he had a sense of deep content about him, apparent in the long-limbed ease with which he stretched and settled himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see to the horses,¡± he said to me, voice husky from grippe and much talking. ¡°Fancy a walk in the moonlight, Sassenach?¡±


    THE SNOW HAD STOPPED, and there was moonlight, glowing through a haze of vanishing cloud. The air was lung-chillingly cold, still fresh and restless with the ghost of the passing storm, and did much to clear my spinning head.


    I felt a childish delight in being the first to mark the virgin snow, and stepped high and carefully, making neat bootprints and looking back to admire them. The line of footprints wasn¡¯t very straight, but fortunately no one was testing my sobriety.


    ¡°Can you recite the alphabet backward?¡± I asked Jamie, whose footsteps were wavering companionably along with my own.


    ¡°I expect so,¡± he replied. ¡°Which one? English, Greek, or Hebrew?¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡± I took a firmer grip of his arm. ¡°If you remember all three forward, you¡¯re in better condition than I am.¡±


    He laughed softly, then coughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re never drunk, Sassenach. Not on three cups of cider.¡±


    ¡°Must be fatigue, then,¡± I said dreamily. ¡°I feel as though my head¡¯s bobbing about on a string like a balloon. How do you know how much I drank? Do you notice everything?¡±


    He laughed again, and folded a hand round mine where it clutched his arm.


    ¡°I like to watch ye, Sassenach. Especially in company. You¡¯ve the loveliest shine to your teeth when ye laugh.¡±


    ¡°Flatterer,¡± I said, feeling nonetheless flattered. Given that I hadn¡¯t so much as washed my face in several days, let alone bathed or changed my clothes, my teeth were likely the only things about me that could be honestly admired. Still, the knowledge of his attention was singularly warming.


    It was a dry snow, and the white crust compressed beneath our feet with a low crunching noise. I could hear Jamie¡¯s breathing, hoarse and labored still, but the rattle in his chest had gone, and his skin was cool.


    ¡°It will be fair by morning,¡± he said, looking up at the hazy moon. ¡°D¡¯ye see the ring?¡±


    It was hard to miss; an immense circle of diffuse light that ringed the moon, covering the whole of the eastern sky. Faint stars were showing through the haze; it would be bright and clear within the hour.


    ¡°Yes. We can go home tomorrow, then?¡±


    ¡°Aye. It will be muddy going, I expect. Ye can feel the air changing; it¡¯s cold enough now, but the snow will melt as soon as the sun¡¯s full on it.¡±


    Perhaps it would, but it was cold enough now. The horses¡¯ brushy shelter had been reinforced with more cut branches of pine and hemlock, and it looked like a small, lumpy hillock rising from the ground, thickly covered over with snow. Dark patches had melted clear, though, warmed by the horses¡¯ breath, and wisps of steam rose from them, scarcely visible. Everything was quiet, with a palpable sense of drowsy content.


    ¡°Morton will be cozy, if he¡¯s in there,¡± I observed.


    ¡°I shouldna think so. I sent Fergus out to tell him the militia was disbanded, so soon as Wemyss came wi¡¯ the note.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but if I were Isaiah Morton, I don¡¯t know that I would have set straight out on the road home in a blinding snowstorm,¡± I said dubiously.


    ¡°Likely ye would, if ye had all the Browns in Brownsville after ye wi¡¯ guns,¡± he said. Nonetheless, he paused in his step, raised his voice a little, and called ¡°Isaiah!¡± in a croaking rasp.


    There was no answer from the makeshift stable, and taking my arm again, he turned back toward the house. The snow was virgin no longer, trampled and muddied by the prints of many feet, as the militia dispersed to their beds. Roger had stopped singing, but there were still voices from inside the house; not everyone was ready to retire.


    Reluctant to go back at once to the atmosphere of smoke and noise, we walked by unspoken mutual consent round the house and barn, enjoying the silence of the snowy wood and the nearness of each other. Coming back, I saw that the door of the lean-to at the rear of the house stood ajar, creaking in the wind, and pointed it out to Jamie.


    He poked his head inside, to see that all was in order, but then, instead of closing the door, he reached back and took my arm, pulling me into the lean-to after him.


    ¡°I¡¯d a question to ask ye, Sassenach, before we go in,¡± he said. He set the door open, so the moonlight streamed in, shining dimly on the hanging hams, the hogsheads and burlap bags that inhabited the lean-to with us.


    It was cold inside, but out of the wind I at once felt warmer, and put back the hood of my cloak.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I said, mildly curious. The fresh air had cleared my head, at least, and while I knew I would be as good as dead the instant I lay down, for the moment I had that sense of pleasant lightness that comes with the feeling of effort completed, honor satisfied. It had been a terrible day and night, and a long day after, but now it was done, and we were free.

 Page 90

    ¡°Do ye want her, Sassenach?¡± he asked softly. His face was a pale oval, blurred by the mist of his breath.


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked, startled. He gave a small grunt of amusement.


    ¡°The child. Who else?¡±


    Who else, indeed.


    ¡°Do I want her¡ªto keep her, you mean?¡± I asked cautiously. ¡°Adopt her?¡± The notion hadn¡¯t crossed my mind consciously, but must have been lurking somewhere in my subconscious, for I was not startled at his question, and at the speaking, the idea sprang into full flower.


    My br**sts had been tender since the morning, feeling full and engorged, and I felt the demanding tug of the little girl¡¯s mouth in memory. I could not feed the baby myself¡ªbut Brianna could, or Marsali. Or she could live on cow¡¯s milk, goat¡¯s milk.


    I realized suddenly that I had unconsciously cupped one breast, and was gently massaging it. I stopped at once, but Jamie had seen it; he moved closer and put an arm around me. I leaned my head against him, the rough weave of his hunting shirt cold against my cheek.


    ¡°Do you want her?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t sure whether I was hopeful of his answer, or fearful of it. The answer was a slight shrug.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big house, Sassenach,¡± he said. ¡°Big enough.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said. Not a resounding declaration¡ªand yet I knew it was commitment, no matter how casually expressed. He had acquired Fergus in a Paris brothel, on the basis of three minutes¡¯ acquaintance, as a hired pickpocket. If he took this child, he would treat her as a daughter. Love her? No one could guarantee love¡ªnot he . . . and not I.


    He had picked up my dubious tone of voice.


    ¡°I saw ye with the wean, Sassenach, riding. Ye¡¯ve a great tenderness about ye always¡ªbut when I saw ye so, wi¡¯ the bairn tumbling about beneath your cloak, it¡ªI remembered, how it was, how ye looked, when ye carried Faith.¡±


    I caught my breath. To hear him speak the name of our first daughter like that, so matter-of-factly, was startling. We spoke of her seldom; her death was so long in the past that sometimes it seemed unreal, and yet the wound of her loss had scarred both of us badly.


    Faith herself was not unreal at all, though.


    She was near me, whenever I touched a baby. And this child, this nameless orphan, so small and frail, with skin so translucent that the blue threads of her veins showed clear beneath¡ªyes, the echoes of Faith were strong. Still, she wasn¡¯t my child. Though she could be; that was what Jamie was saying.


    Was she perhaps a gift to us? Or at least our responsibility?


    ¡°Do you think we ought to take her?¡± I asked cautiously. ¡°I mean¡ªwhat might happen to her if we don¡¯t?¡±


    Jamie snorted faintly, dropping his arm, and leaned back against the wall of the house. He wiped his nose, and tilted his head toward the faint rumble of voices that came through the chinked logs.


    ¡°She¡¯d be well cared for, Sassenach. She¡¯s in the way of being an heiress, ken.¡±


    That aspect of the matter hadn¡¯t occurred to me at all.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I said dubiously. ¡°I mean, the Beardsleys are both gone, but as she¡¯s illegitimate¡ª¡±


    He shook his head, interrupting me.


    ¡°Nay, she¡¯s legitimate.¡±


    ¡°But she can¡¯t be. No one realizes it yet except you and me, but her father¡ª¡±


    ¡°Her father was Aaron Beardsley, so far as the law is concerned,¡± he informed me. ¡°By English law, a child born in wedlock is the legal child¡ªand heir¡ªof the husband¡ªeven if it¡¯s known for a fact that the mother committed adultery. And yon woman did say that Beardsley married her, no?¡±


    It struck me that he was remarkably positive about this particular provision of English law. It also struck me¡ªin time, thank God, before I said anything¡ªexactly why he was positive.


    William. His son, conceived in England, and so far as anyone in England knew¡ªwith the exception of Lord John Grey¡ªpresumably the ninth Earl of Ellesmere. Evidently, he legally was the ninth Earl, according to what Jamie was telling me, whether the eighth Earl had been his father or not. The law really was an ass, I thought.


    ¡°I see,¡± I said slowly. ¡°So little Nameless will inherit all Beardsley¡¯s property, even after they discover that he can¡¯t have been her father. That¡¯s . . . reassuring.¡±


    His eyes met mine for a moment, then dropped.


    ¡°Aye,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Reassuring.¡± There might have been a hint of bitterness in his voice, but if there was, it vanished without trace as he coughed and cleared his throat.


    ¡°So ye see,¡± he went on, matter-of-factly, ¡°she¡¯s in no danger of neglect. An Orphan Court would give Beardsley¡¯s property¡ªgoats and all¡±¡ªhe added, with a faint grin¡ª¡°to whomever is her guardian, to be used for her welfare.¡±


    ¡°And her guardians¡¯,¡± I said, suddenly recalling the look Richard Brown had exchanged with his brother, when telling his wife the child would be ¡°well cared for.¡± I rubbed my nose, which had gone numb at the tip.


    ¡°So the Browns would take her willingly, then.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye,¡± he agreed. ¡°They kent Beardsley; they¡¯ll ken well enough how valuable she is. It would be a delicate matter to get her away from them, in fact¡ªbut if ye want the child, Sassenach, then ye¡¯ll have her. I promise ye that.¡±


    The whole discussion was giving me a very queer feeling. Something almost like panic, as though I were being pushed by some unseen hand toward the edge of a precipice. Whether that was a dangerous cliff or merely a foothold for a larger view remained to be seen.


    I saw in memory the gentle curve of the baby¡¯s skull, and the tissue-paper ears, small and perfect as shells, their soft pink whorls fading into an otherworldly tinge of blue.


    To give myself a little time to organize my thoughts, I asked, ¡°What did you mean, it would be a delicate matter to get her away from the Browns? They¡¯ve no claim on her, have they?¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Nay, but none of them shot her father, either.¡±


    ¡°What¡ªoh.¡± That was a potential trap that I hadn¡¯t seen; the possibility that Jamie might be accused of killing Beardsley in order to get his hands on the trader¡¯s farm and goods, by then adopting the orphan. I swallowed, the back of my throat tasting faintly of bile.


    ¡°But no one knows how Aaron Beardsley died, except us,¡± I pointed out. Jamie had told them only that the trader had had an apoplexy and died, leaving out his own role as the angel of deliverance.


    ¡°Us and Mrs. Beardsley,¡± he said, a faint tone of irony in his voice. ¡°And if she should come back, and accuse me of murdering her husband? It would be hard to deny, and I¡¯d taken the child.¡±


    I forbore from asking why she might do such a thing; in light of what she had already done, it was clear enough that Fanny Beardsley might do anything.


    ¡°She won¡¯t come back,¡± I said. Whatever my own uncertainties about the rest of it, I was sure that in this respect at least, I spoke the truth. Wherever Fanny Beardsley had gone¡ªor why¡ªI was sure she had gone for good.


    ¡°Even if she did,¡± I went on, pushing aside my vision of snow drifting through an empty wood, and a wrapped bundle lying by the burned-out fire, ¡°I was there. I could say what happened.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯d let ye,¡± Jamie agreed. ¡°Which they wouldna. You¡¯re a marrit woman, Sassenach; ye couldna testify in a court, even if ye weren¡¯t my own wife.¡±


    That brought me up short. Living as we did in the wilderness, I seldom encountered the more outrageous legal injustices of the times in a personal way, but I was aware of some of them. He was right. In fact, as a married woman, I had no legal rights at all. Ironically enough, Fanny Beardsley did, being now a widow. She could testify in a court of law¡ªif she wished.


    ¡°Well, bloody hell!¡± I said, with feeling. Jamie laughed, though quietly, then coughed.


    I snorted, with a satisfactory explosion of white vapor. I wished momentarily that I was a dragon; it would have been extremely enjoyable to huff flame and brimstone on a number of people, starting with Fanny Beardsley. Instead, I sighed, my harmless white breath vanishing in the dimness of the lean-to.


    ¡°I see what you mean by ¡®delicate,¡¯ then,¡± I said.


    ¡°Aye¡ªbut not impossible.¡± He cupped a large, cold hand along my cheek, turning my face up to his. His eyes searched my own, dark and intent.


    ¡°If ye want the child, Claire, I will take her, and manage whatever comes.¡±


    If I wanted her. I could feel the soft weight of the child, sleeping on my breast. I had forgotten the intoxication of motherhood for years; pushed aside the memory of the feelings of exaltation, exhaustion, panic, delight. Having Germain and Jemmy and Joan nearby, though, had reminded me vividly.


    ¡°One last question,¡± I said. I took his hand and brought it down, fingers linked with mine. ¡°The baby¡¯s father wasn¡¯t white. What might that mean to her?¡±


    I knew what it would have meant in Boston of the 1960s, but this was a very different place, and while in some ways society here was more rigid and less officially enlightened than the time I had come from, in others it was oddly much more tolerant.


    Jamie considered carefully, the stiff fingers of his right hand tapping out a silent rhythm of contemplation on the head of a barrel of salt pork.


    ¡°I think it will be all right,¡± he said at last. ¡°There¡¯s no question of her being taken into slavery. Even if it could be proved that her father was a slave¡ªand there¡¯s no proof at all¡ªa child takes the mother¡¯s status. A child born to a free woman is free; a child born to a slave woman is a slave. And whatever yon dreadful woman might be, she wasna a slave.¡±


    ¡°Not in name, at least,¡± I said, thinking of the marks on the doorpost. ¡°But beyond the question of slavery . . . ?¡±


    He sighed and straightened.


    ¡°I think not,¡± he said. ¡°Not here. In Charleston, aye, it would likely matter; at least if she were in society. But in the backcountry?¡±


    He shrugged. True enough; so close as we were to the Treaty Line, there were any number of mixed-breed children. It was in no way unusual for settlers to take wives among the Cherokee. It was a good deal rarer to see children born of a black and white liaison in the backcountry, but they were plentiful in the coastal areas. Most of them slaves¡ªbut there, nonetheless.


    And wee Miss Beardsley would not be ¡°in society,¡± at least, not if we left her with the Browns. Here, her potential wealth would matter a great deal more than the color of her skin. With us, it might be different, for Jamie was¡ªand always would be, despite his income or lack of it¡ªa gentleman.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the last question, after all,¡± I said. I laid a hand over his, cold on my cheek. ¡°The last one is¡ªwhy are you suggesting the notion?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, I only thought . . .¡± He dropped his hand, and looked away. ¡°What ye said when we came home from the Gathering. That ye could have chosen the safety of barrenness¡ªbut did not, for my sake. I thought¡ª¡± He stopped again, and rubbed the knuckle of his free hand hard along the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath and tried again.

 Page 91

    ¡°For my sake,¡± he said firmly, addressing the air in front of him as though it were a tribunal, ¡°I dinna want ye to bear another child. I wouldna risk your loss, Sassenach,¡± he said, his voice suddenly husky. ¡°Not for a dozen bairns. I¡¯ve daughters and sons, nieces and nephews, grandchildren¡ªweans enough.¡±


    He looked at me directly then, and spoke softly.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve no life but you, Claire.¡±


    He swallowed audibly, and went on, eyes fixed on mine.


    ¡°I did think, though . . . if ye do want another child . . . perhaps I could still give ye one.¡±


    Brief tears blurred my eyes. It was cold in the lean-to, and our fingers were stiff. I fumbled my hand into his, squeezing tight.


    Even as we had spoken, my mind had been busy, envisioning possibilities, difficulties, blessings. I did not need to think further, for I knew the decision had made itself. A child was a temptation of the flesh, as well as of the spirit; I knew the bliss of that unbounded oneness, as I knew the bittersweet joy of seeing that oneness fade as the child learned itself and stood alone.


    But I had crossed some subtle line. Whether it was that I was born myself with some secret quota embodied in my flesh, or only that I knew my sole allegiance must be given elsewhere now . . . I knew. As a mother, I had the lightness now of effort complete, honor satisfied. Mission accomplished.


    I leaned my forehead against his chest and spoke into the shadowed cloth above his heart.


    ¡°No,¡± I said softly. ¡°But, Jamie . . . I so love you.¡±


    WE STOOD WRAPPED in each other¡¯s arms for a time, hearing the rumble of voices from the other side of the wall that separated the house from the lean-to, but silent ourselves, and content with the peace of it. We were at once too exhausted to make the effort to go in, and reluctant to abandon the tranquillity of our rude retreat.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to go in soon,¡± I murmured at last. ¡°If we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll fall down right here, and be found in the morning, along with the hams.¡±


    A faint wheeze of laughter ran through his chest, but before he could answer, a shadow fell over us. Someone stood in the open door, blocking the moonlight.


    Jamie lifted his head sharply, hands tight on my shoulders, but then he let his breath out, and his grip relaxed, allowing me to step back and turn round.


    ¡°Morton,¡± Jamie said, in a long-suffering sort of voice. ¡°What in Christ¡¯s name are ye doing here?¡±


    Isaiah Morton didn¡¯t much look like a rakish seducer, but then, I supposed tastes must differ. He was slightly shorter than I, but broad through the shoulder, with a barrel-shaped torso and slightly bowed legs. He did have rather pleasant-looking eyes and a nice mop of wavy hair, though I was unable to tell the color of either, in the dim light of the lean-to. I estimated his age at somewhere in the early twenties.


    ¡°Colonel, sir,¡± he said in a whisper. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± He gave me a quick, brief bow. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to give you fright, ma¡¯am. Only I heard the Colonel¡¯s voice and thought I best seize the day, so to speak.¡±


    Jamie regarded Morton narrowly.


    ¡°So to speak,¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I couldn¡¯t make out how I was to get Ally to come forth, and was just a-circling of the house again, when I caught heed of you and your lady talking.¡±


    He bowed to me again, as though by reflex.


    ¡°Morton,¡± Jamie said, softly, but with a certain amount of steel in his voice, ¡°why have ye not gone? Did Fergus not tell ye that the militia is stood down?¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye, sir, he did, sir.¡± He bowed to Jamie this time, looking faintly anxious. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t go, sir, not without seeing Ally.¡±


    I cleared my throat and glanced at Jamie, who sighed and nodded to me.


    ¡°Er . . . I¡¯m afraid that Miss Brown has heard about your prior entanglement,¡± I said delicately.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Isaiah looked blank, and Jamie made an irritable noise.


    ¡°She means the lass kens ye¡¯ve a wife already,¡± he said brutally, ¡°and if her father doesna shoot ye on sight, she may stab ye to the heart. And if neither of them succeeds,¡± he went on, drawing himself up to his fully menacing height, ¡°I¡¯m inclined to do the job myself, wi¡¯ my bare hands. What sort of man would slip round a lass and get her with child, and him with no right to give it his name?¡±


    Isaiah Morton paled noticeably, even in the dim light.


    ¡°With child?¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± I said, quite coldly.


    ¡°She is,¡± Jamie repeated, ¡°and now, ye wee bigamist, ye¡¯d best leave, before¡ª¡±


    He stopped speaking abruptly, as Isaiah¡¯s hand came out from under his cloak, holding a pistol. Close as he was, I could see that it was both loaded and cocked.


    ¡°I¡¯m that sorry, sir,¡± he said apologetically. He licked his lips, glancing from Jamie to me, and back. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do you harm, sir, nor certain sure your lady. But you see, I just got to see Ally.¡± His rather pudgy features firmed a little, though his lips seemed inclined to tremble. Still, he pointed the pistol at Jamie with decision.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± he said to me, ¡°if might be as you¡¯d be so kind, would you go on into the house and fetch Ally out? We¡¯ll . . . just wait here, the Colonel and me.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t had time to feel afraid. I wasn¡¯t really afraid now, though I was speechless with astonishment.


    Jamie closed his eyes briefly, as though praying for strength. Then he opened them and sighed, his breath a white cloud in the cold air.


    ¡°Put it down, idiot,¡± he said, almost kindly. ¡°Ye ken fine ye willna shoot me, and so do I.¡±


    Isaiah tightened both his lips and his trigger finger, and I held my breath. Jamie continued to look at him, his gaze a mixture of censure and pity. At last, the finger relaxed, and the pistol barrel sank, along with Isaiah¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I just got to see Ally, Colonel,¡± he said softly, looking at the ground.


    I drew a deep breath, and looked up at Jamie. He hesitated, then nodded.


    ¡°All right, Sassenach. Go canny, aye?¡±


    I nodded, and turned to slip into the house, hearing Jamie mutter something under his breath in Gaelic behind me, to the general effect that he must have lost his mind.


    I wasn¡¯t sure he hadn¡¯t, though I had also felt the strength of Morton¡¯s appeal. If any of the Browns happened to discover this rendezvous, though, there would be hell to pay¡ªand it wouldn¡¯t be only Morton who paid.


    The floor inside was littered with sleeping bodies wrapped in blankets, though a few men still huddled round the hearth, gossiping and passing a jug of something spirituous among themselves. I looked carefully, but fortunately Richard Brown was not among them.


    I made my way across the room, carefully stepping through and over the bodies on the floor, and peered into the bed that stood against the wall as I passed. Richard Brown and his wife were both curled up in it, sound asleep, nightcaps pulled well down over their respective ears, though the house was warm enough, what with all the trapped body heat.


    There was only one place that Alicia Brown could be, and I pushed open the door to the loft stair, as quietly as I could. It made little difference; no one by the fire paid the slightest attention. One of the men appeared to be trying to get Hiram to drink from the jug, with some success.


    By contrast to the room below, the loft was quite cold. This was because the small window was uncovered, and quite a lot of snow had drifted in, together with a freezing wind. Alicia Brown was lying in the little snowdrift under the window, stark nak*d.


    I walked over and stood looking down at her. She lay stiffly on her back, arms folded over her chest. She was shivering, and her eyes were squinched shut with ferocious concentration. Obviously, she hadn¡¯t heard my footsteps, over the noises from below.


    ¡°What in God¡¯s name are you doing?¡± I inquired politely.


    Her eyes popped open and she gave a small shriek. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth and sat up abruptly, staring at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of a number of novel ways of inducing miscarriage,¡± I told her, picking up a quilt from the cot and dropping it over her shoulders, ¡°but freezing to death isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m d-dead, I won¡¯t need to m-m-miscarry,¡± she said, with a certain amount of logic. Nonetheless, she drew the quilt around her, teeth chattering.


    ¡°Scarcely the best means of committing suicide, either, I shouldn¡¯t think,¡± I said. ¡°Though I don¡¯t mean to sound critical. Still, you can¡¯t do it now; Mr. Morton is out in the lean-to and won¡¯t go away until you come down to speak to him, so you¡¯d better get up and put something on.¡±


    Her eyes flew wide and she scrambled to her feet, her muscles so stiff with cold that she stumbled awkwardly and would have fallen, had I not grabbed her arm. She said nothing more, but dressed as quickly as her chilled fingers would allow, wrapping a thick cloak around herself.


    Bearing in mind Jamie¡¯s adjuration to ¡°Go canny,¡± I sent her down the narrow stair alone. Alone, she would be merely assumed to be going to the privy¡ªif anyone even noticed her departure. Both of us together might cause comment.


    Left by myself in the darkened loft, I drew my own cloak around me and went to the narrow window to wait for the few minutes necessary before I could leave, too. I heard the soft thump of the door closing below, but couldn¡¯t see Alicia from this high angle. Judging from her response to my summons, she didn¡¯t intend to stab Isaiah to the heart, but heaven knew what either of them did intend.


    The clouds were gone now, and the frozen landscape stretched before me, brilliant and ghostly under a setting moon. Across the road, the horses¡¯ brushy shelter stood dark, dappled with clumps of snow. The air had changed, as Jamie had said, and warmed by the horses¡¯ breath, chunks of melting snow slid free and plopped to the ground.


    In spite of my annoyance with the young lovers, and the undertones of comic absurdity attending the whole situation, I couldn¡¯t help but feel some sympathy for them. They were so in earnest, so intent on nothing but each other.


    And Isaiah¡¯s unknown wife?


    I hunched my shoulders, shivering slightly inside my cloak. I should disapprove¡ªI did, in fact¡ªbut no one knew the true nature of a marriage, save those who made it. And I was too aware of living in a glass house, to think of throwing stones myself. Almost absently, I stroked the smooth metal of my gold wedding ring.


    Adultery. Fornication. Betrayal. Dishonor. The words dropped softly in my mind, like the clumps of falling snow, leaving small dark pits, shadows in moonlight.


    Excuses could be made, of course. I had not sought what had happened to me, had fought against it, had had no choice. Except that, in the end, one always has a choice. I had made mine, and everything had followed from it.


    Bree, Roger, Jemmy. Any children that might be born to them in the future. All of them were here, in one way or another, because of what I had chosen to do, that far-off day on Craigh na Dun.


    You take too much upon yourself. Frank had said that to me, many times. Generally in tones of disapproval, meaning that I did things he would have preferred I did not. But now and then in kindness, meaning to relieve me of some burden.

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    It was in kindness that the thought came to me now, whether it was truly spoken, or only called forth from my exhausted memory for what comfort the words might hold. Everyone makes choices, and no one knows what may be the end of any of them. If my own was to blame for many things, it was not to blame for everything. Nor was harm all that had come of it.


    ¡¯Til death us do part. There were a great many people who had spoken those vows, only to abandon or betray them. And yet it came to me that neither death nor conscious choice dissolved some bonds. For better or for worse, I had loved two men, and some part of them both would be always with me.


    The dreadful thing, I supposed, was that while I had often felt a deep and searing regret for what I had done, I had never felt guilt. With the choice so far behind me, now, perhaps, I did.


    I had apologized to Frank a thousand times, and never once had I asked him for forgiveness. It occurred to me suddenly that he had given it, nonetheless¡ªto the best of his ability. The loft was dark, save for faint lines of light that seeped through the chinks of the floor, but it no longer seemed empty.


    I stirred abruptly, pulled from my abstraction by sudden movement below. Silent as flying reindeer, two dark figures darted hand-in-hand across the field of snow, cloaks like clouds around them. They hesitated for a moment outside the horses¡¯ shelter, then disappeared inside.


    I leaned on the sill, heedless of the snow crystals under my palms. I could hear the noise of the horses rousing; whickers and stamping came clearly to me across the clear air. The sounds in the house below had grown fainter; now a clear, loud ¡°Meh-eh-eh!¡± came up through the floorboards, as Hiram sensed the horses¡¯ uneasiness.


    There was renewed laughter from below, temporarily drowning the sounds across the road. Where was Jamie? I leaned out, the wind billowing the hood of my cloak, brushing a spray of ice across my cheek.


    There he was. A tall dark figure, walking across the snow toward the shelter, but going slowly, kicking up white clouds of dusty ice. What . . . but then I realized that he was following in the lovers¡¯ tracks, stamping and floundering deliberately to obliterate a trail that must tell its story clearly to any of the trackers in the house below.


    A hole appeared suddenly in the brushy shelter, as a section of the branched wall fell away. Clouds of steam roiled out into the air, and then a horse emerged, carrying two riders, and set off to the west, urged from a walk to a trot and then a canter. The snow was not deep; no more than three or four inches. The horse¡¯s hooves left a clear dark trail, leading down the road.


    A piercing whinny rose from the shelter, followed by another. Sounds of alarm came from below, scuffling and thuds as men rolled from their blankets or lunged for their weapons. Jamie had disappeared.


    All at once, horses burst from the shelter, knocking down the wall and trampling the fallen branches. Snorting, whinnying, kicking, and jostling, they spilled out over the road in a chaos of flying manes and rolling eyes. The last of them sprang from the shelter and joined the runaway, tail whisking away from the switch that landed on its rump.


    Jamie flung away the switch and ducked back into the shelter, just as the door below flung open, spilling pale gold light over the scene.


    I seized the opportunity of the commotion to run downstairs without being seen. Everyone was outside; even Mrs. Brown had rushed out, nightcap and all, leaving the quilts pulled half off the bed. Hiram, smelling strongly of beer, swayed and mehed tipsily at me as I passed, yellow eyes moist and protuberant with conviviality.


    Outside, the roadway was full of half-dressed men, surging to and fro and waving their arms in agitation. I caught sight of Jamie in the midst of the crowd, gesticulating with the best of them. Among the excited bits of question and comment, I heard scraps of speech¡ª¡°spooked¡± . . . ¡°panther?¡± . . . ¡°goddamn!¡± and the like.


    After a bit of milling around and incoherent argument, it was unanimously decided that the horses would likely come back by themselves. Snow was blowing off the trees in veils of whirling ice; the wind stuck freezing fingers through every crevice of clothing.


    ¡°Would you stay out on a night like this?¡± Roger demanded, reasonably enough. It being generally decided that no sane man would¡ªand horses being, if not quite sane, certainly sensible creatures¡ªthe party began to trickle back into the house, shivering and grumbling as the heat of excitement began to die down.


    Among the last stragglers, Jamie turned toward the house and saw me, still standing on the porch. His hair was loose and the light from the open door lit him like a torch. He caught my eye, rolled his own toward heaven, and raised his shoulders in the faintest of shrugs.


    I put cold fingers to my lips and blew him a small frozen kiss.


    PART FOUR


    I Hear No Music


    But the Sound of Drums


    33


    HOME FOR CHRISTMAS


    WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?¡± Brianna asked. She turned over, moving carefully in the narrow confines of Mr. Wemyss¡¯s bed, and parked her chin comfortably in the hollow of Roger¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What would I have done about what?¡± Warm through for the first time in weeks, filled to bursting with one of Mrs. Bug¡¯s dinners, and having finally achieved the nirvana of an hour¡¯s privacy with his wife, Roger felt pleasantly drowsy and detached.


    ¡°About Isaiah Morton and Alicia Brown.¡±


    Roger gave a jaw-cracking yawn and settled himself deeper, the corn-shuck mattress rustling loudly under them. He supposed the whole house had heard them at it earlier, and he didn¡¯t really care. She¡¯d washed her hair in honor of his homecoming; waves of it spread over his chest, a silky rich gleam in the dim glow of the hearth. It was only late afternoon, but the shutters were closed, giving the pleasant illusion that they were inside a small private cave.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What your Da did, I suppose; what else? Your hair smells great.¡± He smoothed a lock of it around his finger, admiring the shimmer.


    ¡°Thanks. I used some of that stuff Mama makes with walnut oil and marigolds. What about Isaiah¡¯s poor wife in Granite Falls, though?¡±


    ¡°What about her? Jamie couldn¡¯t force Morton to go home to her¡ªassuming that she wants him back,¡± he added logically. ¡°And the girl¡ªAlicia¡ªwas evidently more than willing; your father couldn¡¯t very well have made a kerfuffle about Morton leaving with her, unless he wanted the man dead. If the Browns had found Morton there, they would have killed him on the spot and nailed his hide to their barn door.¡±


    He spoke with conviction, remembering the pointed guns that had greeted him in Brownsville. He smoothed the hair behind her ear, and lifted his head far enough to kiss her between the eyebrows. He¡¯d been imagining that for days, that smooth pale space between the heavy brows. It seemed like a tiny oasis among the vivid danger of her features; the flash of eyes and blade of nose were more than attractive, to say nothing of a mobile brow and a wide mouth that spoke its mind as much by its shape as by its words¡ªbut not peaceful. After the last three weeks, he was in a mood for peace.


    He sank back on the pillow, tracing the stern arch of one ruddy brow with a finger.


    ¡°I think the best he could do under the circumstances was to give the young lovers a bit of room to get safe away,¡± he said. ¡°And they did. By the morning, the snow was already melting to mud, and with all the trampling, you couldn¡¯t have told whether a regiment of bears had marched through, let alone which way they were going.¡±


    He spoke with feeling; the weather had turned suddenly to a warm thaw, and the militia had returned to their homes in good spirits, but muddy to the eyebrows.


    Brianna sighed, her breath raising a pleasant gooseflesh across his chest. She lifted her own head a little, peering in interest.


    ¡°What? Have I got filth stuck to me still?¡± He had washed, but in haste, eager to eat, more eager to get to bed.


    ¡°No. I just like it when you get goose bumps. All the hairs on your chest stand up, and so do your n**ples.¡± She flicked one of the objects in question lightly with a fingernail, and a fresh wave of gooseflesh raced across his chest for her entertainment. He arched his back a little, then relaxed. No, he¡¯d have to go downstairs soon, to deal with the evening chores; he¡¯d heard Jamie go out already.


    Time for a change of subject. He breathed deep, then lifted his head from the pillow, sniffing with interest at the rich aroma seeping through the floor from the kitchen below.


    ¡°What¡¯s that cooking?¡±


    ¡°A goose. Or geese¡ªa dozen of them.¡± He thought he caught an odd undertone in her voice, a faint tinge of regret.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a treat,¡± he said, running a lingering hand down the length of her back. A pale gold down covered her back and shoulders, invisible save when there was candlelight behind her, as there was now. ¡°What¡¯s the occasion? For our homecoming?¡±


    She lifted her head from his chest and gave him what he privately classified as A Look.


    ¡°For Christmas,¡± she said.


    ¡°What?¡± He groped blankly, trying to count the days, but the events of the last three weeks had completely erased his mental calendar. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, idiot,¡± she said with exaggerated patience. She leaned over and did something unspeakably erotic to his nipple, then heaved herself up in a rustle of bedclothes, leaving him bereft of blissful warmth and exposed to chilly drafts.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see all the greenery downstairs when you came in? Lizzie and I made the little Chisholm monsters go out with us to cut evergreens; we¡¯ve been making wreaths and garlands for the last three days.¡± The words were somewhat muffled, as she wormed her way into her shift, but he thought she sounded only incredulous, rather than angry. He could hope.


    He sat up and swung his feet down, toes curling as they came in contact with the cold boards of the floor. His own cabin had a braided rug by the bed¡ªbut his cabin was full of Chisholms at the moment, or so he was informed. He rubbed a hand through his hair, groping for inspiration, and found it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything when I came in but you.¡±


    That was the simple truth, and evidently honesty was the best policy. Her head popped through the neckhole of her shift and she gave him a narrow look, which faded into a slow smile as she saw the evident sincerity stamped on his features.


    She came over to the bed and put her arms around him, enveloping his head in a smother of marigolds, butter-soft linen, and . . . milk. Oh, aye. The kid would be needing to eat again soon. Resigned, he put his arms round the swell of her h*ps and rested his head between her br**sts for the few moments that were his own meager share of that abundance.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, words muffled in her warmth. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten it entirely. I¡¯d have brought you and Jem something, if I¡¯d thought.¡±


    ¡°Like what? A piece of Isaiah Morton¡¯s hide?¡± She laughed and let go, straightening up to smooth her hair. She was wearing the bracelet he¡¯d given her on an earlier Christmas Eve; the hearthlight glinted off the silver as she lifted her arm.


    ¡°Aye, ye could cover a book in it, I suppose. Or make a pair of wee boots for Jem.¡± It had been a long ride, men and horses pushing past tiredness, eager for home. He felt boneless, and would have asked no better present himself than to go back to bed with her, pressed tight together in warmth, to drift toward the inviting depths of deep black sleep and amorous dreams. Duty called, though; he yawned, blinked, and heaved himself up.

 Page 93

    ¡°Are the geese for our supper tonight, then?¡± he asked, squatting to poke through the discarded pile of mud-caked garments he¡¯d shucked earlier. He might have a clean shirt somewhere, but with the Chisholms in his cabin, and Bree and Jem temporarily lodged here in the Wemysses¡¯ room, he had no idea where his own things were. No sense to put on something clean only to go and muck out a byre and feed horses, anyway. He¡¯d shave and change before supper.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Mrs. Bug has half a hog barbecuing in a pit outside for tomorrow¡¯s Christmas dinner. I shot the geese yesterday, though, and she wanted to use them fresh. We were hoping you guys would be home in time.¡±


    He glanced at her, picking up the same undertone in her voice.


    ¡°Ye don¡¯t care for goose?¡± he asked. She looked down at him, with an odd expression.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten one,¡± she answered. ¡°Roger?¡±


    ¡°Aye?¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering. I wanted to ask if you knew . . .¡±


    ¡°If I know what?¡±


    He was moving slowly, still wrapped in a pleasant fog of exhaustion and lovemaking. She had put her gown on, brushed her hair, and put it up neatly in a thick coil on her neck, all in the time it had taken him to disentangle his stockings and breeches. He shook the breeks absentmindedly, sending a shower of dried mud fragments pattering over the floor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that! What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Flushed with sudden annoyance, she snatched the breeks away from him. She thrust open the shutters and leaned out, flapping the garment violently over the sill. She jerked the shaken breeks back in and threw them in his general direction; he dived to catch them.


    ¡°Hey. What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    ¡°Matter? You shower dirt all over the floor and you think there¡¯s something wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    She made a noise deep in her throat. It wasn¡¯t very loud, but it was threatening. Obeying a deep-seated masculine reflex, he shoved a leg into his breeches. Whatever might be happening, he¡¯d rather meet it with his trousers on. He jerked them up, talking fast.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t think of it being Christmas. It was¡ªthere were important things to deal with; I lost track. I¡¯ll make it up to ye. Perhaps when we go to Cross Creek for your aunt¡¯s wedding. I could¡ª¡±


    ¡°The hell with Christmas!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He stopped, breeks half-buttoned. It was winter dusk, and dark in the room, but even by candlelight, he could see the color rising in her face.


    ¡°The hell with Christmas, the hell with Cross Creek¡ªand the f**king hell with you, too!¡± She punctuated this last with a wooden soap dish from the washstand, which whizzed past his left ear and smacked into the wall behind him.


    ¡°Now just a f**king minute!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you use language like that to me!¡±


    ¡°But you¡ª¡±


    ¡°You and your ¡®important things¡¯!¡± Her hand tightened on the big china ewer and he tensed, ready to duck, but she thought better of it and her hand relaxed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent the last month here, up to my eyeballs in laundry and baby shit and screeching women and horrible children while you¡¯re out doing ¡®important things¡¯ and you come marching in here covered in mud and tromp all over the clean floors without even noticing they were clean in the first place! Do you have any idea what a pain it is to scrub pine floors on your hands and knees? With lye soap!¡± She waved her hands at him in accusation, but too quickly for him to see whether they were covered with gaping sores, rotted off at the wrist, or merely reddened.


    ¡°. . . And you don¡¯t even want to look at your son or hear anything about him¡ªhe¡¯s learned to crawl, and I wanted to show you, but all you wanted was to go to bed, and you didn¡¯t even bother to shave first . . .¡±


    Roger felt as though he¡¯d walked into the blades of a large, rapidly whirling fan. He scratched at his short beard, feeling guilty.


    ¡°I . . . ah . . . thought you wanted to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I did!¡± She stamped her foot, raising a small cloud of dust from the disintegrated mud. ¡°That hasn¡¯t got anything to do with it!¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± He bent to get his shirt, keeping one eye warily on her. ¡°So¡ªyou¡¯re mad because I didn¡¯t notice you¡¯d washed the floor, is that it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he repeated. He took a deep breath and tried again. ¡°So, it is that I forgot it¡¯s Christmas?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re angry that I wanted to make love to you, even though you wanted to do it, too?¡±


    ¡°NO! Would you just shut up?¡±


    Roger was strongly tempted to accede to this request, but a dogged urge to get to the bottom of things made him push on.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t understand why¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t! That¡¯s the problem!¡±


    She spun on her bare heel and stomped over to the chest that stood by the window. She flung back the lid with a bang, and began rummaging, with a series of small snorts and growls.


    He opened his mouth, shut it again, and jerked the dirty shirt on over his head. He felt simultaneously irritated and guilty, a bad combination. He finished dressing in an atmosphere of charged silence, considering¡ªand rejecting¡ªpossible remarks and questions, all of which seemed likely to inflame the situation further.


    She had found her stockings, yanked them on, and gartered them with small savage movements, then thrust her feet into a pair of battered clogs. Now she stood at the open window, drawing deep breaths of air as though she were about to perform a set of RAF exercises.


    His inclination was to escape while she wasn¡¯t looking, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself simply to leave, with something wrong¡ªwhatever in God¡¯s name it was¡ªbetween them. He could still feel the sense of closeness that they had shared, less than a quarter of an hour before, and couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe that it had simply evaporated into thin air.


    He walked up behind her, slowly, and put his hands on her shoulders. She didn¡¯t whirl round and try either to stamp on his foot or to knee him in the stones, so he took the risk of kissing her lightly on the back of the neck.


    ¡°You were going to ask me something about geese.¡±


    She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, relaxing just a little against him. Her anger seemed to have vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him baffled but grateful. He put his arms round her waist, and pulled her back against him.


    ¡°Yesterday,¡± she said, ¡°Mrs. Aberfeldy burnt the biscuits for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Aye?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Bug accused her of being too taken up with her daughter¡¯s hair ribbons to pay attention to what she was doing. And what was she doing¡ªMrs. Bug said¡ªputting blueberries into buttermilk biscuits in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t one put blueberries into buttermilk biscuits?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. But Mrs. Bug doesn¡¯t think you should. And then Billy MacLeod fell down the stairs, and his mother was nowhere to be found¡ªshe went to the privy and got stuck¡ªand¡ª¡±


    ¡°She what?¡± Mrs. MacLeod was short and rather stout, but had a well-defined rear aspect, with an arse like two cannonballs in a sack. It was all too easy to envision such an accident befalling her, and Roger felt laughter gurgle up through his chest. He tried manfully to stifle it, but it emerged through his nose in a painful snort.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t laugh. She had splinters.¡± Despite this rebuke, Brianna herself was quivering against him, tremors of mirth fracturing her voice.


    ¡°Christ. What then?¡±


    ¡°Well, Billy was screaming¡ªhe didn¡¯t break anything, but he banged his head pretty hard¡ªand Mrs. Bug shot out of the kitchen with her broom, hollering because she thought we were being attacked by Indians, and Mrs. Chisholm went to find Mrs. MacLeod and started yelling from the privy, and . . . well, anyway, the geese came over in the middle of all of it, and Mrs. Bug looked up at the ceiling with her eyes popping, then said ¡®Geese!¡¯ so loud that everybody stopped yelling, and she ran into Da¡¯s study and came back with the fowling piece and shoved it at me.¡±


    She had relaxed a little with the telling. She snorted, and settled back against him.


    ¡°I was so mad, I just really wanted to kill something. And there were a lot of them¡ªthe geese¡ªyou could hear them calling all across the sky.¡±


    He had seen the geese, too. Black V-shapes, flexing in the winds of the upper air, arrowing their way through the winter sky. Heard them calling, with a strange feeling of loneliness at the heart, and wished she were beside him there.


    Everyone had rushed out to watch; the wild Chisholm children and a couple of the half-wild Chisholm dogs went scampering through the trees with whoops and barks of excitement, to retrieve the fallen birds, while Brianna shot and reloaded, as quickly as she could.


    ¡°One of the dogs got one, and Toby tried to wrestle it away, and the dog bit him, and he was running around and around the yard screaming that his finger was bitten off, and there was blood all over him, and nobody could make him stop so we could see whether it was, and Mama wasn¡¯t here, and Mrs. Chisholm was down by the creek with the twins . . .¡±


    She was stiffening again, and he could see the hot blood rising once more, flushing the back of her neck. He tightened his hold on her waist.


    ¡°Was his finger bitten off, then?¡±


    She stopped and took a deep breath, then looked round at him over her shoulder, the color fading slightly from her face.


    ¡°No. The skin wasn¡¯t even broken; it was goose blood.¡±


    ¡°Well, so. Ye did well, didn¡¯t you? The larder full, not a finger lost¡ªand the house still standing.¡±


    He¡¯d meant it as a joke, and was surprised to feel her heave a deep sigh, a little of the tension going out of her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, and her voice held a note of undeniable satisfaction. ¡°I did. All present and accounted for¡ªand everybody fed. With minimal bloodshed,¡± she added.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true what they say about omelettes and eggs, aye?¡± He laughed and bent to kiss her, then remembered his beard. ¡°Oh¡ªsorry. I¡¯ll go and shave, shall I?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t.¡± She turned as he released her, and brushed a fingertip across his jaw. ¡°I sort of like it. Besides, you can do that later, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Aye, I can.¡± He bent his head and kissed her gently, but thoroughly. Was that it, then? She¡¯d only wanted him to say that she¡¯d done well, left on her own to run the place? He was thinking she deserved it, if so. He¡¯d known she hadn¡¯t been only sitting by the hearth singing cradle songs to Jemmy in his absence¡ªbut he hadn¡¯t envisioned the gory details.


    The smell of her hair and the musk of her body was all round him, but breathing deep to get more of it, he realized that the room was fragrant with juniper and balsam, too, and the mellow scent of beeswax candles. Not just one; there were three of them, set in candlesticks about the room. Normally, she would have lit a rush dip, saving the valuable candles, but the small room glowed now with soft gold light, and he realized that the bloom of it had lit them through their lovemaking, leaving him with memories of russet and ivory and the gold down that covered her like a lion¡¯s pelt, the shadowed crimson and purple of her secret places, the dark of his skin on the paleness of hers¡ªmemories that glowed vivid against white sheets in his mind.

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    The floor was clean¡ªor had been¡ªits white-pine boards scrubbed, and the corners strewn with dried rosemary. He could see the tumbled bed past her ear, and realized that she¡¯d made it up with fresh linen and a new quilt. She¡¯d taken trouble for his homecoming. And he¡¯d come barging in, brimming with his adventures, expecting praise for the feat of coming back alive, and seeing none of it¡ªblind to everything in his urgent need to get his hands on her and feel her body under his.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said softly in her ear. ¡°I may be a fool, but I love you, aye?¡±


    She sighed deeply, her br**sts pushing against his bare chest, warm even through the cloth of shift and gown. They were firm; filling with milk, but not yet hard.


    ¡°Yeah, you are,¡± she said frankly, ¡°but I love you too. And I¡¯m glad you¡¯re home.¡±


    He laughed and let go. There was a branch of juniper tacked above the window, heavy with its clouded blue-green berries. He reached up and broke off a sprig, kissed it, and tucked it into the neck of her gown, between her br**sts, as a token of truce¡ªand apology.


    ¡°Merry Christmas. Now, what was it about the geese?¡±


    She put a hand to the juniper sprig, a half-smile growing, then fading.


    ¡°Oh. Well. It¡¯s not important. It¡¯s just . . .¡± He followed the direction of her eyes, turned, and saw the sheet of paper, propped up behind the basin on the washstand.


    It was a drawing, done in charcoal; wild geese against a stormy sky, striving through the air above a lash of wind-tossed trees. It was a wonderful drawing, and looking at it gave him the same odd feeling at the heart that hearing the geese themselves had done¡ªhalf joy, half pain.


    ¡°Merry Christmas,¡± Brianna said softly, behind him. She came to stand beside him, wrapping a hand around his arm.


    ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s . . . God, Bree, you¡¯re good.¡± She was. He bent and kissed her, hard, needing to do something to lessen the sense of yearning that haunted the paper in his hand.


    ¡°Look at the other one.¡± She pulled a little away from him, still holding his arm, and nodded at the washstand.


    He hadn¡¯t realized there were two. The other drawing had been behind the first.


    She was good. Good enough to chill the blood at his heart. The second drawing was in charcoal, too, the same stark blacks and whites and grays. In the first, she had seen the wildness of the sky, and put it down: yearning and courage, effort enduring in faith amid the emptiness of air and storm. In this, she had seen stillness.


    It was a dead goose, hung by the feet, its wings half-spread. Neck limp and beak half-open, as though even in death it sought flight and the loud-calling company of its companions. The lines of it were grace, the details of feather, beak, and empty eyes exquisite. He had never seen anything so beautiful, nor so desolate, in his life.


    ¡°I drew that last night,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Everybody was in bed, but I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    She had taken a candlestick and prowled the crowded house, restless, going outside at last in spite of the cold, seeking solitude, if not rest, in the chill dark of the outbuildings. And in the smokeshed, by the light of the embers there, had been struck by the beauty of the hanging geese, their clear plumage black and white against the sooty wall.


    ¡°I checked to be sure Jemmy was sound asleep, then brought my sketch box down and drew, until my fingers were too cold to hold the charcoal anymore. That was the best one.¡± She nodded at the picture, her eyes remote.


    For the first time, he saw the blue shadows in her face, and imagined her by candlelight, up late at night and all alone, drawing dead geese. He would have taken her in his arms then, but she turned away, going to the window, where the shutters had begun to bang.


    The thaw had faded, to be followed by a freezing wind that stripped the last sere leaves from the trees and sent acorns and chestnut hulls sailing through the air to rattle on the roof like buckshot. He followed her, reached past her to draw in the shutters and fasten them against the bitter wind.


    ¡°Da told me stories, while I was¡ªwhile I was waiting for Jemmy to be born. I wasn¡¯t paying close attention¡±¡ªthe corner of her mouth quirked with wryness¡ª¡°but a bit here and there stuck with me.¡±


    She turned around then, and leaned against the shutters, hands gripping the sill behind her.


    ¡°He said when a hunter kills a greylag goose, he must wait by the body, because the greylag mate for life, and if you kill only one, the other will mourn itself to death. So you wait, and when the mate comes, you kill it, too.¡±


    Her eyes were dark on his, but the candle flames struck glints of blue in their depths.


    ¡°What I wondered is¡ªare all geese like that? Not only greylags?¡± She nodded at the pictures.


    He touched her, and cleared his throat. He wanted to comfort her, but not at the price of an easy lie.


    ¡°Maybe so. I don¡¯t know for sure, though. You¡¯re worried, then, about the mates of the birds you shot?¡±


    The soft pale lips pressed tight together, then relaxed.


    ¡°Not worried. Just . . . I couldn¡¯t help thinking about it, afterward. About them, flying on . . . alone. You were gone¡ªI couldn¡¯t help thinking¡ªI mean, I knew you were all right, this time, but next time, you might not come¡ªwell, never mind. It¡¯s just silly. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    She stood up, and would have pushed past him into the room, but he put his arms around her and held her, close so she couldn¡¯t see his face.


    He knew that she didn¡¯t absolutely require him¡ªnot to make hay, to plow, to hunt for her. If needs must, she could do those things herself¡ªor find another man. And yet . . . the wild geese said she needed him¡ªwould mourn his loss if it came. Perhaps forever. In his present vulnerable mood, that knowledge seemed a great gift.


    ¡°Geese,¡± he said at last, his voice half-muffled in her hair. ¡°The next-door neighbors kept geese, when I was a wee lad. Big white buggers. Six of them; they went round in a gang, all high-nosed and honking. Terrorized dogs and children and folk that passed by on the street.¡±


    ¡°Did they terrorize you?¡± Her breath tickled warm on his collarbone.


    ¡°Oh, aye. All the time. When we played in the street, they¡¯d rush out honking and peck at us and beat us with their wings. When I wanted to go out into the back garden to play with a mate, Mrs. Graham would have to come, too, to drive the bastards off to their own yard with a broomstick.


    ¡°Then the milkman came by one morning while the geese were in their front garden. They went for him, and he ran for his float¡ªand his horse took fright at all the honking and screeching, and stamped two of the geese flatter than bannocks. The kids on the street were all thrilled.¡±


    She was laughing against his shoulder, half-shocked but amused.


    ¡°What happened then?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Graham took them and plucked them, and we had goose pie for a week,¡± he said matter-of-factly. He straightened up and smiled at her. She was flushed and rosy. ¡°That¡¯s what I ken about geese¡ªthey¡¯re wicked buggers, but they taste great.¡±


    He turned and plucked his mud-stained coat from the floor.


    ¡°So, then. Let me help your Da with the chores, and then I want to see how ye¡¯ve taught my son to crawl.¡±


    34


    CHARMS


    I TOUCHED A FINGER to the gleaming white surface, then rubbed my fingers together appraisingly.


    ¡°There is absolutely nothing greasier than goose grease,¡± I said with approval. I wiped my fingers on my apron and took up a large spoon.


    ¡°Nothing better for a nice pastry crust,¡± Mrs. Bug agreed. She stood on her tiptoes, watching jealously as I divided the soft white fat, ladling it from the kettle into two large stone crocks; one for the kitchen, one for my surgery.


    ¡°A nice venison pie we¡¯ll have for Hogmanay,¡± she said, eyes narrowing as she envisioned the prospect. ¡°And the haggis to follow, wi¡¯ cullen skink, and a bit o¡¯ corn crowdie . . . and a great raisin tart wi¡¯ jam and clotted cream for sweeties!¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I murmured. My own immediate plans for the goose grease involved a salve of wild sarsaparilla and bittersweet for burns and abrasions, a mentholated ointment for stuffy noses and chest congestion, and something soothing and pleasantly scented for diaper rash¡ªperhaps a lavender infusion, with the juice of crushed jewelweed leaves.


    I glanced down in search of Jemmy; he had learned to crawl only a few days before, but was already capable of an astonishing rate of speed, particularly when no one was looking. He was sitting peaceably enough in the corner, though, gnawing intently at the wooden horse Jamie had carved for him as a Christmas present.


    Catholic as many of them were¡ªand nominally Christian as they all were¡ªHighland Scots regarded Christmas primarily as a religious observance, rather than a major festive occasion. Lacking priest or minister, the day was spent much like a Sunday, though with a particularly lavish meal to mark the occasion, and the exchange of small gifts. My own gift from Jamie had been the wooden ladle I was presently using, its handle carved with the image of a mint leaf; I had given him a new shirt with a ruffle at the throat for ceremonial occasions, his old one having worn quite away at the seams.


    With a certain amount of forethought, Mrs. Bug, Brianna, Marsali, Lizzie, and I had made up an enormous quantity of molasses toffee, which we had distributed as a Christmas treat to all the children within earshot. Whatever it might do to their teeth, it had the beneficial effect of gluing their mouths shut for long periods, and in consequence, the adults had enjoyed a peaceful Christmas. Even Germain had been reduced to a sort of tuneful gargle.


    Hogmanay was a different kettle of fish, though. God knew what feverish pagan roots the Scottish New Year¡¯s celebration sprang from, but there was a reason why I wanted to have a good lot of medicinal preparations made up in advance¡ªthe same reason Jamie was now up at the whisky spring, deciding which barrels were sufficiently aged as not to poison anyone.


    The goose grease disposed of, there was a good bit of dark broth left in the bottom of the kettle, aswirl with bits of crackled skin and shreds of meat. I saw Mrs. Bug eyeing it, visions of gravy dancing in her brain.


    ¡°Half,¡± I said sternly, reaching for a large bottle.


    She didn¡¯t argue; merely shrugged her rounded shoulders and settled back on her stool in resignation.


    ¡°Whatever will ye do with that, though?¡± she asked curiously, watching as I put a square of muslin over the neck of the bottle, in order to strain the broth. ¡°Grease, aye, it¡¯s a wonder for the salves. And broth¡¯s good for a body wi¡¯ the ague or a wabbly wame, to be sure¡ªbut it willna keep, ye know.¡± One sketchy eyebrow lifted at me in warning, in case I hadn¡¯t actually known that. ¡°Leave it more than a day or two, and it¡¯ll be blue with the mold.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do hope so,¡± I told her, ladling broth into the muslin square. ¡°I¡¯ve just set out a batch of bread to mold, and I want to see if it will grow on the broth, too.¡±


    I could see assorted questions and responses flickering through her mind, all based on a growing fear that this mania of mine for rotten food was expanding, and would soon engulf the entire output of the kitchen. Her eyes darted toward the pie safe, then back at me, dark with suspicion.

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    I turned my head to hide a smile, and found Adso the kitten balanced on his hind legs on the bench, foreclaws anchored in the tabletop, his big green eyes watching the movements of the ladle with fascination.


    ¡°Oh, you want some, too?¡± I reached for a saucer from the shelf and filled it with a dark puddle of broth, savory with bits of goose meat and floating fat globules.


    ¡°This is from my half,¡± I assured Mrs. Bug, but she shook her head vigorously.


    ¡°Not a bit of it, Mrs. Fraser,¡± she said. ¡°The bonnie wee laddie¡¯s caught six mice in here in the past two days.¡± She beamed fondly at Adso, who had leaped down and was lapping broth as fast as his tiny pink tongue could move. ¡°Yon cheetie¡¯s welcome to anything he likes from my hearth.¡±


    ¡°Oh, has he? Splendid. He can come and have a go at the ones in my surgery, then.¡± We were presently entertaining a plague of mice; driven indoors by cold weather, they skittered along the baseboards like shadows after nightfall, and even in broad daylight, shot suddenly across floors and leaped out of opened cupboards, causing minor heart failure and broken dishes.


    ¡°Well, ye can scarcely blame the mice,¡± Mrs. Bug observed, darting a quick glance at me. ¡°They go where the food is, after all.¡±


    The pool of broth had nearly drained through the muslim, leaving a thick coating of flotsam behind. I scraped this off and dropped it on Adso¡¯s saucer, then scooped up a fresh ladle of broth.


    ¡°Yes, they do,¡± I said, evenly. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry about it, but the mold is important. It¡¯s medicine, and I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye! Of course it is,¡± she assured me hurriedly. ¡°I ken that.¡± There was no tinge of sarcasm in her voice, which rather surprised me. She hesitated, then reached through the slit in her skirt, into the capacious pocket that she wore beneath.


    ¡°There was a man, as lived in Auchterlonie¡ªwhere we had our hoose, Arch and me, in the village there. He was a carline, was Johnnie Howlat, and folk went wary near him¡ªbut they went. Some went by day, for grass cures and graiths, and some went by night, for to buy charms. Ye¡¯ll ken the sort?¡± She darted another glance at me, and I nodded, a little uncertainly.


    I knew the sort of person she meant; some Highland charmers dealt not only in remedies¡ªthe ¡°graiths¡± she¡¯d mentioned¡ªbut also in minor magic, selling lovephilters, fertility potions . . . ill wishes. Something cold slid down my back and vanished, leaving in its wake a faint feeling of unease, like the slime trail of a snail.


    I swallowed, seeing in memory the small bunch of thorny plants, so carefully bound with red thread and with black. Placed beneath my pillow by a jealous girl named Laoghaire¡ªpurchased from a witch named Geillis Duncan. A witch like me.


    Was that what Mrs. Bug was getting at? ¡°Carline¡± was not a word I was certain of, though I thought it meant ¡°witch,¡± or something like it. She was regarding me thoughtfully, her normal animation quite subdued.


    ¡°He was a filthy wee mannie, Johnnie Howlat was. He¡¯d no woman to do for him, and his cot smelt of dreadful things. So did he.¡± She shivered suddenly, in spite of the fire at her back.


    ¡°Ye¡¯d see him, sometimes, in the wood or on the moor, pokin¡¯ at the ground. He¡¯d find creatures that had died, maybe, and bring back their skins and their feet, bones and teeth for to make his charms. He wore a wretched auld smock, like a farmer, and sometimes ye¡¯d see him comin¡¯ doon the path wi¡¯ something pooched up under his smock, and stains of blood¡ªand other things¡ªseepin¡¯ through the cloth.¡±


    ¡°Sounds most unpleasant,¡± I said, eyes fixed on the bottle as I scraped the cloth again and ladled more broth. ¡°But people went to him anyway?¡±


    ¡°There was no one else,¡± she said simply, and I looked up. Her dark eyes fixed unblinkingly on mine, and her hand moved slowly, fingering something inside her pocket.


    ¡°I didna ken at first,¡± she said. ¡°For Johnnie kept mool from the graveyard and bone dust and hen¡¯s blood and all manner of such things, but you¡±¡ªshe nodded thoughtfully at me, white kerch immaculate in the fire-glow¡ª¡°ye¡¯re a cleanly sort.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, both amused and touched. That was a high compliment from Mrs. Bug.


    ¡°Bar the moldy bread,¡± she added, the corners of her mouth primming slightly. ¡°And that heathen wee pooch ye keep in your cabinet. But it¡¯s true, no? Ye¡¯re a charmer, like Johnnie was?¡±


    I hesitated, not knowing what to say. The memory of Cranesmuir was vivid in my mind, as it had not been for many years. The last thing I wanted was for Mrs. Bug to be spreading the rumor that I was a carline¡ªsome already called me a conjure-woman. I was not worried about legal prosecution as a witch¡ªnot here, not now. But to have a reputation for healing was one thing; to have people come to me for help with the other things that charmers dealt in . . .


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I said, guardedly. ¡°It¡¯s only that I know a bit about plants. And surgery. But I really don¡¯t know anything at all about charms or . . . spells.¡±


    She nodded in satisfaction, as though I had confirmed her suspicions instead of denying them.


    Before I could respond, there was a sound from the floor like water hitting a hot pan, followed by a loud screech. Jemmy, tiring of his toy, had cast it aside and crawled over to investigate Adso¡¯s saucer. The cat, disinclined to share, had hissed at the baby and frightened him. Jemmy¡¯s shriek in turn had frightened Adso under the settle; only the tip of a small pink nose and a flicker of agitated whiskers showed from the shadows.


    I picked Jem up and soothed his tears, while Mrs. Bug took over the broth-straining. She looked over the goose debris on the platter and picked out a leg bone, the white cartilage at the end smooth and gleaming.


    ¡°Here, laddie.¡± She waved it enticingly under Jemmy¡¯s nose. He at once stopped crying, grabbed the bone, and put it in his mouth. Mrs. Bug selected a smaller wing bone, with shreds of meat still clinging to it, and put that down on the saucer.


    ¡°And that¡¯s for you, lad,¡± she said to the darkness under the settle. ¡°Dinna fill your wame too full, though¡ªstay hungry for the wee moosies, aye?¡±


    She turned back to the table, and began to scoop the bones into a shallow pan.


    ¡°I¡¯ll roast these; they¡¯ll do for soup,¡± she said, eyes on her work. Then without changing tone or looking up, she said, ¡°I went to him once, Johnnie Howlat.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡± I sat down, Jemmy on my knee. ¡°Were you ill?¡±


    ¡°I wanted a child.¡±


    I had no idea what to say; I sat still, listening to the drip of the broth through the muslin cloth, as she scraped the last bit of gristle neatly into the roasting pan, and carried it to the hearth.


    ¡°I¡¯d slippit four, in the course of a year,¡± she said, back turned to me. ¡°Ye¡¯d not think it, to look at me now, but I was nay more than skin and bane, the color o¡¯ whey, and my paps shrunk awa to nothing.¡±


    She settled the pan firmly into the coals and covered it.


    ¡°So I took what money we had, and I went to Johnnie Howlat. He took the money, and put water in a pan. He sat me doon on the one side of it and him on the other, and there we sat for a verra long time, him starin¡¯ into the water and me starin¡¯ at him.


    ¡°At last, he shook himself a bit and got up, and went awa to the back of his cot. ¡¯Twas dark, and I couldna see what he did, but he rummaged and poked, and said things beneath his breath, and finally he came back to me, and handed me a charm.¡±


    Mrs. Bug straightened up and turned round. She came close, and laid her hand on Jemmy¡¯s silky head, very gently.


    ¡°He said to me, Johnnie did, that here was a charm that would close up the mouth of my womb, and keep a babe safe inside, until it should be born. But there was a thing he¡¯d seen, lookin¡¯ in the water, and he must tell me. If I bore a live babe, then my husband would die, he said. So he would give me the charm, and the prayer that went with it¡ªand then it was my choice, and who could say fairer than that?¡±


    Her stubby, work-worn finger traced the curve of Jemmy¡¯s cheek. Engaged with his new toy, he paid no attention.


    ¡°I carried that charm in my pocket for a month¡ªand then I put it away.¡±


    I reached up and put my hand over hers, squeezing. There was no sound but the baby¡¯s slobbering and the hiss and pop of the bones in the coals. She stayed still for a moment, then drew her hand away, and put it back in her pocket. She drew out a small object, and put it on the table beside me.


    ¡°I couldna quite bring myself to throw it away,¡± she said, gazing down at it dispassionately. ¡°It cost me three silver pennies, after all. And it¡¯s a wee thing; easy enough to carry along when we left Scotland.¡±


    It was a small chunk of stone, pale pink in color, and veined with gray, badly weathered. It had been crudely carved into the shape of a pregnant woman, little more than a huge belly, with swollen br**sts and buttocks above a pair of stubby legs that tapered to nothing. I had seen such figures before¡ªin museums. Had Johnnie Howlat made it himself? Or perhaps found it in his pokings through wood and moor, a remnant of much more ancient times?


    I touched it gently, thinking that whatever Johnnie Howlat might have been, or might have seen in his pan of water, he had no doubt been astute enough to have seen the love between Arch and Murdina Bug. Was it easier for a woman, then, to forswear the hope of children, thinking it a noble sacrifice for the sake of a much-loved husband, than to suffer bitterness and self-blame for constant failure? Carline he may have been, Johnnie Howlat¡ªbut a charmer, indeed.


    ¡°So,¡± Mrs. Bug said, matter-of-factly, ¡°it may be as ye¡¯ll find some lass who¡¯s a use for it. Shame to let it go to waste, aye?¡±


    35


    HOGMANAY


    THE YEAR ENDED clear and cold, with a small, brilliant moon that rose high in the violet-black vault of the sky, and flooded the coves and trails of the mountainside with light. A good thing, as people came from all over the Ridge¡ªand some, even farther¡ªto keep Hogmanay at ¡°the Big House.¡±


    The men had cleared the new barn and raked the floor clean for the dancing. Jigs and reels and strathspeys¡ªand a number of other dances for which I didn¡¯t know the names, but they looked like fun¡ªwere executed under the light of bear-oil lanterns, accompanied by the music of Evan Lindsay¡¯s scratchy fiddle and the squeal of his brother Murdo¡¯s wooden flute, punctuated by the heartbeat thump of Kenny¡¯s bodhran.


    Thurlo Guthrie¡¯s ancient father had brought his pipes, too¡ªa set of small uilleann pipes that looked nearly as decrepit as did Mr. Guthrie, but produced a sweet drone. The melody of his chanter sometimes agreed with the Lindsays¡¯ notion of a particular tune, and sometimes didn¡¯t, but the overall effect was cheerful, and sufficient whisky and beer had been taken by this point in the festivities that no one minded in the least.


    After an hour or two of the dancing, I privately decided that I understood why the word ¡°reel¡± had come to indicate drunkenness; even performed without preliminary lubrication, the dance was enough to make one dizzy. Done under the influence of whisky, it made all the blood in my head whirl round like the water in a washing machine. I staggered off at the end of one such dance, leaned against one of the barn¡¯s uprights, and closed one eye, in hopes of stopping the spinning sensation.

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    A nudge on my blind side caused me to open that eye, revealing Jamie, holding two brimming cups of something. Hot and thirsty as I was, I didn¡¯t mind what it was, so long as it was wet. Fortunately it was cider, and I gulped it.


    ¡°Drink it like that, and ye¡¯ll founder, Sassenach,¡± he said, disposing of his own cider in precisely similar fashion. He was flushed and sweating from the dancing, but his eyes sparkled as he grinned at me.


    ¡°Piffle,¡± I said. With a bit of cider as ballast, the room had quit spinning, and I felt cheerful, if hot. ¡°How many people are in here, do you think?¡±


    ¡°Sixty-eight, last time I counted.¡± He leaned back beside me, viewing the milling throng with an expression of deep content. ¡°They come in and out, though, so I canna be quite sure. And I didna count the weans,¡± he added, moving slightly to avoid collision as a trio of small boys caromed through the crowd and shot past us, giggling.


    Heaps of fresh hay were stacked in the shadows at the sides of the barn; the small bodies of children too wee to stay awake were draped and curled among them like so many barn kittens. The flicker of lantern light caught a gleam of silky red-gold; Jemmy was sound asleep in his blanket, happily lulled by the racket. I saw Bree come out of the dancing and lay her hand briefly on him to check, then turn back. Roger put out a hand to her, dark and smiling, and she took it, laughing as they whirled back into the stamping mass.


    People did come in and out¡ªparticularly small groups of young people, and courting couples. It was freezing and frost-crisp outside, but the cold made cuddling with a warm body that much more appealing. One of the older MacLeod boys passed near us, his arm round a much younger girl¡ªone of old Mr. Guthrie¡¯s granddaughters, I thought; he had three of them, all much alike to look at¡ªand Jamie said something genial to him in Gaelic that made his ears go red. The girl was already pink with dancing, but went crimson in the face.


    ¡°What did you say to them?¡±


    ¡°It doesna bear translation,¡± he said, putting a hand in the small of my back. He was pulsing with heat and whisky, alight with a flame of joy; looking at him was enough to kindle my own heart. He saw that, and smiled down at me, the heat of his hand burning through the cloth of my gown.


    ¡°D¡¯ye want to go outside for a moment, Sassenach?¡± he said, his voice pitched low and rich with suggestion.


    ¡°Well, since you mention it . . . yes,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe not just yet, though.¡± I nodded past him, and he turned to see a cluster of elderly ladies sitting on a bench against the wall, all viewing us with the bright-eyed curiosity of a flock of crows. Jamie waved and smiled at them, making them all burst into pink-faced giggles, and turned back to me with a sigh.


    ¡°Aye, well. In a bit, then¡ªafter the first-footing, maybe.¡±


    The latest spate of dancing came to an end, and there was a general surge in the direction of the tub of cider, presided over by Mr. Wemyss at the far end of the barn. The dancers clustered round it like a horde of thirsty wasps, so that all that was visible of Mr. Wemyss was the top of his head, fair hair almost white under the glow of the lanterns.


    Seeing it, I looked round for Lizzie, to see whether she was enjoying the party. Evidently so; she was holding court on a hay bale, surrounded by four or five gawky boys, who were all behaving very much like the dancers round the cider tub.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the big one?¡± I asked Jamie, calling his attention to the small gathering with a nod of my head. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize him.¡± He glanced over, squinting slightly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, relaxing, ¡°that will be Jacob Schnell. He¡¯s ridden over from Salem with a friend; they came with the Muellers.¡±


    ¡°Really.¡± Salem was a good long ride; nearly thirty miles. I wondered whether the attraction had been the festivities alone. I looked for Tommy Mueller, whom I had privately marked out as a possible match for Lizzie, but didn¡¯t see him in the crowd.


    ¡°Do you know anything about this Schnell lad?¡± I asked, giving the boy in question a critical look. He was a year or two older than the other boys dancing attendance on Lizzie, and quite tall. Plain-featured but good-natured-looking, I thought; heavy-boned, and with a thickness through the middle that foretold the development of a prosperous paunch in middle age.


    ¡°I dinna ken the lad himself, but I¡¯ve met his uncle. It¡¯s a decent family; I think his father¡¯s a cobbler.¡± We both looked automatically at the young man¡¯s shoes; not new, but very good quality, and with pewter buckles, large and square in the German fashion.


    Young Schnell appeared to have gained an advantage; he was leaning close, saying something to Lizzie, whose eyes were fixed on his face, a slight frown of concentration wrinkling the skin between her fair brows as she tried to make out what he was saying. Then she worked it out, and her face relaxed in laughter.


    ¡°I dinna think so.¡± Jamie shook his head, a slight frown on his face as he watched them. ¡°The family¡¯s Lutheran; they wouldna let the lad marry a Catholic¡ªand it would break Joseph¡¯s heart to send the lass to live so far away.¡±


    Lizzie¡¯s father was deeply attached to her; and having lost her once, he was unlikely to give her so far away in marriage as to lose sight of her again. Still, I thought that Joseph Wemyss would do almost anything to insure his daughter¡¯s happiness.


    ¡°He might go with her, you know.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s expression grew bleak at the thought, but he nodded in reluctant acknowledgment.


    ¡°I suppose so. I should hate to lose him; though I suppose Arch Bug might¡ª¡±


    Shouts of ¡°Mac Dubh!¡± interrupted him.


    ¡°Come on, a Sheumais ruaidh, show him how!¡± Evan called from the far end of the barn, and jerked his bow authoritatively.


    There had been a break in the dancing, to give the musicians time to breathe and have a drink, and in the interim, some of the men had been trying their hand at sword dancing, which could be done with only the accompaniment of pipes or to a single drum.


    I had been paying little attention to this, only hearing the shouts of encouragement or derision from that end of the barn. Evidently, most of those present were no great hand at the sport¡ªthe latest gentleman to try it had tripped over one of the swords and fallen flat; he was being helped to his feet, red-faced and laughing, returning genial insults with his friends as they beat the hay and dirt from his clothes.


    ¡°Mac Dubh, Mac Dubh!¡± Kenny and Murdo shouted in invitation, beckoning, but Jamie waved them off, laughing.


    ¡°Nay, I havena done that in more time than I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mac Dubh! Mac Dubh! Mac Dubh!¡± Kenny was thumping his bodhran, chanting in rhythm, and the group of men around him were joining in. ¡°Mac Dubh! Mac Dubh! Mac Dubh!¡±


    Jamie cast me a brief look of helpless appeal, but Ronnie Sinclair and Bobby Sutherland were already heading purposefully toward us. I stepped away, laughing, and they seized him each by an arm, smothering his protests with raucous shouts as they hustled him into the center of the floor.


    Applause and shouts of approval broke out as they deposited him in a clear space, where the straw had been trampled into the damp earth far enough to make a hard-packed surface. Seeing that he had no choice, Jamie drew himself up and straightened his kilt. He caught my eye, rolled an eye in mock resignation, and began to take off his coat, waistcoat, and boots, as Ronnie scrambled to lay out the two crossed broadswords at his feet.


    Kenny Lindsay began to tap gently on his bodhran, hesitating between the beats, a sound of soft suspense. The crowd murmured and shifted in anticipation. Clad in shirt, kilt, and stockinged feet, Jamie bowed elaborately, turning sunwise to dip four times, to each of the ¡°airts¡± in turn. Then he stood upright, and moved to take his place, standing just above the crossed swords. His hands lifted, fingers pointing stiff above his head.


    There was an outburst of clapping nearby, and I saw Brianna put two fingers in her mouth and give an earsplitting whistle of approbation¡ªto the marked shock of the people standing next to her.


    I saw Jamie glance at Bree, with a faint smile, and then his eyes found mine again. The smile stayed on his lips, but there was something different in his expression; something rueful. The beat of the bodhran began to quicken.


    A Highland sword dance was done for one of three reasons. For exhibition and entertainment, as he was about to do it now. For competition, as it was done among the young men at a Gathering. And as it first was done, as an omen. Danced on the eve of a battle, the skill of the dancer foretold success or failure. The young men had danced between crossed swords, the night before Prestonpans, before Falkirk. But not before Culloden. There had been no campfires the night before that final fight, no time for bards and battle songs. It didn¡¯t matter; no one had needed an omen, then.


    Jamie closed his eyes for a moment, bent his head, and the beat of the drum began to patter, quick and fast.


    I knew, because he had told me, that he had first done the sword dance in competition, and then¡ªmore than once¡ªon the eve of battles, first in the Highlands, then in France. The old soldiers had asked him to dance, had valued his skill as reassurance that they would live and triumph. For the Lindsays to know his skill, he must also have danced in Ardsmuir. But that was in the Old World, and in his old life.


    He knew¡ªand had not needed Roger to tell him¡ªthat the old ways had changed, were changing. This was a new world, and the sword dance would never again be danced in earnest, seeking omen and favor from the ancient gods of war and blood.


    His eyes opened, and his head snapped up. The tipper struck the drum with a sudden thunk! and it began with a shout from the crowd. His feet struck down on the pounded earth, to the north and the south, to the east and the west, flashing swift between the swords.


    His feet struck soundless, sure on the ground, and his shadow danced on the wall behind him, looming tall, long arms upraised. His face was still toward me, but he didn¡¯t see me any longer, I was sure.


    The muscles of his legs were strong as a leaping stag¡¯s beneath the hem of his kilt, and he danced with all the skill of the warrior he had been and still was. But I thought he danced now only for the sake of memory, that those watching might not forget; danced, with the sweat flying from his brow as he worked, and a look of unutterable distance in his eyes.


    PEOPLE WERE STILL TALKING of it when we adjourned to the house, just before midnight, for stovies, beer, and cider, before the first-footing.


    Mrs. Bug brought out a basket of apples, and gathered all the young unmarried girls together in a corner of the kitchen, where¡ªwith much giggling and glancing over shoulders toward the young men¡ªeach peeled a fruit, keeping the peeling in one piece. Each girl tossed her peel behind her, and the group all whirled round to cluster and exclaim over the fallen strip and see what was the shape of the letter it made.


    Apple peelings being by their nature fairly circular, there were a good many ¡°C¡±s, ¡°G¡±s, and ¡°O¡±s discovered¡ªgood news for Charley Chisholm, and Young Geordie Sutherland¡ªand much speculation as to whether ¡°Angus Og¡± might be the meaning of an ¡°O¡± or not, for Angus Og MacLeod was a canty lad, and much liked, while the only ¡°Owen¡± was an elderly widower, about five feet tall, and with a large wen on his face.

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    I had taken Jemmy up to put him to bed, and after depositing him limp and snoring in his cradle, came down in time to see Lizzie cast her peeling.


    ¡°¡®C¡¯!¡± chorused two of the Guthrie girls, almost knocking heads as they bent to look.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s a ¡®J¡¯!¡±


    Appealed to as the resident expert, Mrs. Bug bent down, eyeing the strip of red peel with her head on one side, like a robin sizing up a likely worm.


    ¡°A ¡®J¡¯ it is, to be sure,¡± she ruled, straightening up, and the group burst out in giggles, turning as one to stare at John Lowry, a young farmer from Woolam¡¯s Mill, who peered over his shoulder at them in total bewilderment.


    I caught a flash of red from the corner of my eye, and turned to see Brianna in the doorway to the hall. She tilted her head, beckoning me, and I hurried to join her.


    ¡°Roger¡¯s ready to go out, but we couldn¡¯t find the ground salt; it wasn¡¯t in the pantry. Do you have it in your surgery?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes, I have,¡± I said guiltily. ¡°I¡¯d been using it to dry snakeroot, and forgot to put it back.¡±


    Guests packed the porches and lined the wide hallway, spilling out of the kitchen and Jamie¡¯s study, all talking, drinking, and eating, and I threaded my way through the crush after her toward my surgery, exchanging greetings as I ducked brandished cups of cider, stovie crumbs crunching under my feet.


    The surgery itself was nearly empty, though; people tended to avoid it, through superstition, painful associations, or simple wariness, and I had not encouraged them to go in, leaving the room dark, with no fire burning. Only one candle was burning in the room now, and the only person present was Roger, who was poking among the bits and pieces I¡¯d left on the counter.


    He looked up as we entered, smiling. Still faintly flushed from the dancing, he had put his coat back on and draped a woolen scarf round his neck; his cloak lay over the stool beside him. Custom held that the most fortunate ¡°firstfoot¡± on a Hogmanay was a tall and handsome dark-haired man; to welcome one as the first visitor across the threshold after midnight brought good fortune to the house for the coming year.


    Roger being beyond argument the tallest¡ªand quite the best-looking¡ªdark man available, he had been elected to be firstfoot, not only for the Big House, as folk called it, but for those homes nearby. Fergus and Marsali and the others who lived near had already rushed off to their houses, to be ready to greet their firstfoot when he should come.


    A red-haired man, though, was frightful ill luck as a firstfoot, and Jamie had been consigned to his study, under the riotous guard of the Lindsay brothers, who were to keep him safely bottled up ¡¯til after midnight. There were no clocks nearer than Cross Creek, but old Mr. Guthrie had a pocket watch, even older than himself; this instrument would declare the mystic moment when one year yielded to the next. Given the watch¡¯s propensity for stopping, I doubted that this would be more than a symbolic pronouncement, but that was quite enough, after all.


    ¡°Eleven-fifty,¡± Brianna declared, popping into the surgery after me, her own cloak over her arm. ¡°I just checked Mr. Guthrie¡¯s watch.¡±


    ¡°Plenty of time. Are ye coming with me, then?¡± Roger grinned at Bree, seeing her cloak.


    ¡°Are you kidding? I haven¡¯t been out after midnight in years.¡± She grinned back at him, swirling the cloak around her shoulders. ¡°Got everything?¡±


    ¡°All but the salt.¡± Roger nodded toward a canvas bag on the counter. A firstfoot was to bring gifts to the house: an egg, a faggot of wood, a bit of salt¡ªand a bit of whisky, thus insuring that the household would not lack for necessities during the coming year.


    ¡°Right. Where did I¡ªoh, Christ!¡± Swinging open the cupboard door to search for the salt, I was confronted by a pair of glowing eyes, glaring out of the darkness at me.


    ¡°Good grief.¡± I put a hand over my chest, to keep my heart from leaping out, waving the other hand weakly at Roger, who had sprung up at my cry, ready to defend me. ¡°Not to worry¡ªit¡¯s just the cat.¡±


    Adso had taken refuge from the party, bringing along the remains of a freshly killed mouse for company. He growled at me, evidently thinking I meant to snatch this treat for myself, but I pushed him crossly aside, digging the small bag of ground salt out from behind his furry hindquarters.


    I closed the cupboard door, leaving Adso to his feast, and handed Roger the salt. He took it, laying down the object he had had in his hand.


    ¡°Where did ye get that wee auld wifie?¡± he asked, nodding toward the object as he put the salt away in his bag. I glanced at the counter, and saw that he had been examining the little pink stone figure that Mrs. Bug had given me.


    ¡°Mrs. Bug,¡± I replied. ¡°She says it¡¯s a fertility charm¡ªwhich is certainly what it looks like. It is very old, then?¡± I¡¯d thought it must be, and seeing Roger¡¯s interest confirmed the impression.


    He nodded, still looking at the thing.


    ¡°Very old. The ones I¡¯ve seen in museums are dated at thousands of years.¡± He traced the bulbous outlines of the stone with a reverent forefinger.


    Brianna moved closer to see, and without thinking, I set a hand on her arm.


    ¡°What?¡± she said, turning her head to smile at me. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t touch it? Do they work that well?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    I took my hand away, laughing, but feeling rather self-conscious. At the same time, I became aware that I would really rather she didn¡¯t touch it, and was relieved when she merely bent down to examine it, leaving it on the counter. Roger was looking at it, too¡ªor rather, he was looking at Brianna, his eyes fixed on the back of her head with an odd intensity. I could almost imagine that he was willing her to touch the thing, as strongly as I was willing her not to.


    Beauchamp, I said silently to myself, you have had much too much to drink tonight. All the same, I reached out by impulse and scooped the figure up, dropping it into my pocket.


    ¡°Come on! We have to go!¡± The odd mood of the moment abruptly broken, Brianna straightened up and turned to Roger, urging him.


    ¡°Aye, right. Let¡¯s go, then.¡± He slung the bag over his shoulder and smiled at me, then took her arm and they disappeared, letting the surgery door close behind them.


    I put out the candle, ready to follow them, and then stopped, suddenly reluctant to go back at once to the chaos of the celebration.


    I could feel the whole house in movement, throbbing around me, and light flowed under the door from the hall. Just here, though, it was quiet. In the silence, I felt the weight of the little idol in my pocket, and pressed it, hard and lumpy against my leg.


    There is nothing special about January the first, save the meaning we give to it. The ancients celebrated a new year at Imbolc, at the beginning of February, when the winter slackens and the light begins to come back¡ªor the date of the spring equinox, when the world lies in balance between the powers of dark and light. And yet I stood there in the dark, listening to the sound of the cat chewing and slobbering in the cupboard, and felt the power of the earth shift and stir beneath my feet as the year¡ªor something¡ªprepared to change. There was noise and the sense of a crowd nearby, and yet I stood alone, while the feeling rose through me, hummed in my blood.


    The odd thing was that it was not strange in the slightest. It was nothing that came from outside me, but only the acknowledgment of something I already possessed, and recognized, though I had no notion what to call it. But midnight was fast approaching. Still wondering, I opened the door, and stepped into the light and clamor of the hall.


    A shout from across the hall betokened the arrival of the magic hour, as announced by Mr. Guthrie¡¯s timepiece, and the men came jostling out of Jamie¡¯s office, joking and pushing, faces turned expectantly toward the door.


    Nothing happened. Had Roger decided to go to the back door, given the crowd in the kitchen? I turned to look down the hall, but no, the kitchen doorway was crowded with faces, all looking back at me in expectation.


    Still no knock at the door, and there was a small stir of restiveness in the hallway, and a lull in conversation, one of those awkward silences when no one wants to talk for fear of sudden interruption.


    Then I heard the sound of footsteps on the porch, and a rapid knock, one-two-three. Jamie, as householder, stepped forward to fling the door open and bid the firstfoot welcome. I was near enough to see the look of astonishment on his face, and looked quickly to see what had caused it.


    Instead of Roger and Brianna, two smaller figures stood on the porch. Skinny and bedraggled, but definitely dark-haired, the two Beardsley twins stepped shyly in together, at Jamie¡¯s gesture.


    ¡°A happy New Year to you, Mr. Fraser,¡± said Josiah, in a bullfrog croak. He bowed politely to me, still holding his brother by the arm. ¡°We¡¯ve come.¡±


    THE GENERAL AGREEMENT was that dark-haired twins were a most fortunate omen, obviously bringing twice the luck of a single firstfoot. Nonetheless, Roger and Bree¡ªwho had met the twins hesitating in the yard, and sent them up to the door¡ªwent off to do their best for the other houses on the Ridge, Bree being severely warned not to enter any house until Roger had crossed the threshold.


    Fortunate or not, the appearance of the Beardsleys caused a good deal of talk. Everyone had heard of the death of Aaron Beardsley¡ªthe official version, that is, which was that he had perished of an apoplexy¡ªand the mysterious disappearance of his wife, but the advent of the twins caused the whole affair to be raked up and talked over again. No one knew what the boys had been doing between the militia¡¯s expedition and New Year¡¯s; Josiah said only ¡°wanderin¡¯¡± in his raspy croak, when asked¡ªand his brother Keziah said nothing at all, obliging everyone to talk about the Indian trader and his wife until exhaustion caused a change of subject.


    Mrs. Bug took the Beardsleys at once under her wing, taking them off to the kitchen to be washed, warmed, and fed. Half the partygoers had gone home to be firstfooted; those who would not leave ¡¯til morning split into several groups. The younger people returned to the barn to dance¡ªor to seek a bit of privacy among the hay bales¡ªthe older ones sat to talk of memories by the hearth, and those who had overindulged in dance or whisky curled up in any convenient corner¡ªand quite a few inconvenient ones¡ªto sleep.


    I found Jamie in his study, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, a drawing of some kind on the table before him. He wasn¡¯t asleep, and opened his eyes when he heard my step.


    ¡°Happy New Year,¡± I said softly, and bent to kiss him.


    ¡°A guid New Year to you, a nighean donn.¡± He was warm and smelled faintly of beer and dried sweat.


    ¡°Still want to go outside?¡± I asked, with a glance at the window. The moon had set long since, and the stars burned faint and cold in the sky. The yard outside was bleak and black.


    ¡°No,¡± he said frankly, rubbing a hand over his face. ¡°I want to go to bed.¡± He yawned and blinked, trying to smooth down the disheveled bits of hair sticking up on the top of his head. ¡°I want you to come, too, though,¡± he added, generously.

 Page 98

    ¡°I¡¯d like nothing better,¡± I assured him. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I circled round behind him, looking over his shoulder at the drawing, which seemed to be some sort of floor plan, with mathematical calculations scribbled in the margins.


    He sat up, looking a trifle more alert.


    ¡°Ah. Well, this is wee Roger¡¯s gift to Brianna, for Hogmanay.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s building her a house? But they¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not her.¡± He grinned up at me, hands flat on either side of the drawing. ¡°The Chisholms.¡±


    Roger, with a guile that would have become Jamie himself, had scouted round among the settlers on the Ridge, and engineered an agreement between Ronnie Sinclair and Geordie Chisholm.


    Ronnie had a large and commodious cabin next to his cooperage. So the agreement was that Ronnie, who was unmarried, would move into the cooper¡¯s shop, where he could easily sleep. The Chisholms would then move into Ronnie¡¯s cabin, to which they would at once¡ªweather allowing¡ªadd two rooms, as per the plan on Jamie¡¯s table. In return, Mrs. Chisholm would undertake to make Ronnie¡¯s meals and do his washing. In the spring, when the Chisholms took possession of their own homestead and built a house there, Ronnie would take back his newly enlarged cabin¡ªwhen the grandness of his improved accommodation might prove sufficient inducement for some young woman to accept his proposal of marriage, he hoped.


    ¡°And in the meantime, Roger and Bree get back their cabin, Lizzie and her father stop sleeping in the surgery, and everything is beer and skittles!¡± I squeezed his shoulders, delighted. ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful arrangement!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a skittle?¡± he inquired, frowning back at me in puzzlement.


    ¡°One of a set of ninepins,¡± I said. ¡°I believe the expression is meant to exemplify a state of general delight with prevailing conditions. Did you do the plan?¡±


    ¡°Aye. Geordie¡¯s no carpenter, and I dinna want the place to fall down about his ears.¡± He squinted at the drawings, then took a quill from the jar, flipped open the inkwell, and made a small correction to one of the figures.


    ¡°There,¡± he said, dropping the quill. ¡°That¡¯ll do. Wee Roger wants to show it to Bree when they come back tonight; I said I¡¯d leave it out for him.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be thrilled.¡± I leaned against the back of his chair, massaging his shoulders with my hands. He leaned back, the weight of his head warm against my stomach, and closed his eyes, sighing in pleasure.


    ¡°Headache?¡± I asked softly, seeing the vertical line between his eyes.


    ¡°Aye, just a bit. Oh, aye, that¡¯s nice.¡± I had moved my hands to his head, gently rubbing his temples.


    The house had quieted, though I could still hear the rumble of voices in the kitchen. Beyond them, the high sweet sound of Evan¡¯s fiddle drifted through the cold, still air.


    ¡°¡®My Brown-Haired Maid,¡¯¡± I said, sighing reminiscently. ¡°I do love that song.¡± I pulled loose the ribbon binding his plait, and unbraided the hair, enjoying the soft, warm feel of it as I spread it with my fingers.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather odd that you don¡¯t have an ear for music,¡± I said, making small talk to distract him, as I smoothed the ruddy arcs of his brows, pressing just within the edge of the orbit. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but an aptitude for mathematics often goes along with one for music. Bree has both.¡±


    ¡°I used to,¡± he said absently.


    ¡°Used to what?¡±


    ¡°Have both.¡± He sighed and bent forward to stretch his neck, his elbows resting on the table. ¡°Oh, Christ. Please. Oh, aye. Ah!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I massaged his neck and shoulders, kneading the tight muscles hard through the cloth. ¡°You mean you used to be able to sing?¡± It was a family joke; while possessed of a fine speaking voice, Jamie¡¯s sense of pitch was so erratic that any song in his voice was a chant so tuneless that babies were stunned, rather than lulled, to sleep.


    ¡°Well, perhaps not that, so much.¡± I could hear the smile in his voice, muffled by the fall of hair that hid his face. ¡°I could tell one tune from another, though¡ªor say if a song was sung badly or well. Now it¡¯s no but noise or screeching.¡± He shrugged, dismissing it.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. ¡°And when?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was before I kent ye, Sassenach. In fact, quite soon before.¡± He lifted a hand, reaching toward the back of his head. ¡°Do ye recall, I¡¯d been in France? It was on my way back wi¡¯ Dougal MacKenzie and his men, when Murtagh came across ye, wanderin¡¯ the Highlands in your shift. . . .¡±


    He spoke lightly, but my fingers had found the old scar under his hair. It was no more now than a thread, the welted gash healed to a hairbreadth line. Still, it had been an eight-inch wound, laid open with an ax. It had nearly killed him at the time, I knew; he had lain near death in a French abbey for four months, and suffered from crippling headaches for years.


    ¡°It was that? You mean that you . . . couldn¡¯t hear music anymore, after you were hurt?¡±


    His shoulders lifted briefly in a shrug.


    ¡°I hear no music but the sound of drums,¡± he said simply. ¡°I¡¯ve the rhythm of it still, but the tune is gone.¡±


    I stopped, my hands on his shoulders, and he turned to look back at me, smiling, trying to make a joke of it.


    ¡°Dinna be troubled for it, Sassenach; it¡¯s no great matter. I didna sing well even when I could hear it. And Dougal didna kill me, after all.¡±


    ¡°Dougal? You do think it was Dougal, then?¡± I was surprised at the certainty in his voice. He had thought at the time that it might perhaps have been his uncle Dougal who had made the murderous attack upon him¡ªand then, surprised by his own men before being able to finish the job, had pretended instead to have found him wounded. But there had been no evidence to say for sure.


    ¡°Oh, aye.¡± He looked surprised, too, but then his face changed, realizing.


    ¡°Oh, aye,¡± he said again, more slowly. ¡°I hadna thought¡ªyou couldna tell what he said, could you? When he died, I mean¡ªDougal.¡± My hands were still resting on his shoulders, and I felt an involuntary shiver run through him. It spread through my hands and up my arms, raising the hairs all the way to the back of my neck.


    As clearly as though the scene took place before me now, I could see that attic room in Culloden House. The bits and pieces of discarded furniture, things toppled and rolling from the struggle¡ªand on the floor at my feet, Jamie crouching, grappling with Dougal¡¯s body as it bucked and strained, blood and air bubbling from the wound where Jamie¡¯s dirk had pierced the hollow of his throat. Dougal¡¯s face, blanched and mottled as his lifeblood drained away, eyes fierce black and fixed on Jamie as his mouth moved in Gaelic silence, saying . . . something. And Jamie¡¯s face, as white as Dougal¡¯s, eyes locked on the dying man¡¯s lips, reading that last message.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± My hands were tight on his shoulders, and his face was turned away as my thumbs rose up under his hair to seek the ancient scar again.


    ¡°Sister¡¯s son or no¡ªI would that I had killed you, that day on the hill. For I knew from the beginning that it would be you or me.¡± He spoke calm and low-voiced, and the very emotionlessness of the words made the shudder pass again, this time from me to him.


    It was quiet in the study. The sound of voices in the kitchen had died to a murmur, as though the ghosts of the past gathered there to drink and reminisce, laughing softly among themselves.


    ¡°So that was what you meant,¡± I said quietly. ¡°When you said you¡¯d made your peace with Dougal.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± He leaned back in his chair and reached up, his hands wrapping warmly round my wrists. ¡°He was right, ken. It was him or me, and would have been, one way or the other.¡±


    I sighed, and a small burden of guilt dropped away. Jamie had been fighting to defend me, when he killed Dougal, and I had always felt that death to be laid at my door. But he was right, Dougal; too much lay between them, and if that final conflict had not come then, on the eve of Culloden, it would have been another time.


    Jamie squeezed my wrists, and turned in his chair, still holding my hands.


    ¡°Let the dead bury the dead, Sassenach,¡± he said softly. ¡°The past is gone¡ªthe future is not come. And we are here together, you and I.¡±


    36


    WORLDS UNSEEN


    THE HOUSEHOLD WAS QUIET; it was the perfect opportunity for my experiments. Mr. Bug had gone to Woolam¡¯s Mill, taking the Beardsley twins; Lizzie and Mr. Wemyss had gone to help Marsali with the new mash; and Mrs. Bug, having left a pot of porridge and a platter of toast in the kitchen, was out, too, combing the woods for the half-wild hens, catching them one by one and dragging them in by the feet to be installed in the handsome new chicken coop her husband had built. Bree and Roger sometimes came up to the big house for their breakfast, but more often chose to eat by their own hearth, as was the case this morning.


    Enjoying the peace of the empty house, I made up a tray with cup, teapot, cream, and sugar, and took it with me to my surgery, along with my samples. The early morning light was perfect, pouring through the window in a brilliant bar of gold. Leaving the tea to steep, I took a couple of small glass bottles from the cupboard and went outside.


    The day was chilly but beautiful, with a clear pale sky that promised a little warmth later in the morning. At the moment, though, it was cold enough that I was glad of my warm shawl, and the water in the horses¡¯ trough was frigid, rimmed with sheets of fragile ice. Not cold enough to kill the microbes, I supposed; I could see long strands of algae coating the boards of the trough, swaying gently as I buckled the thin crust of ice and disturbed the water, scraping one of my bottles along the slimy edge of the trough.


    I scooped up further samples of liquid from the springhouse and from a puddle of muddy standing water near the privy, then hurried back to the house to make my trials while the light was still good.


    The microscope stood by the window where I had set it up the day before, all gleaming brass and bright mirrors. A few seconds¡¯ work to place droplets on the glass slides I¡¯d laid ready, and I bent to peer through the eyepiece with rapt anticipation.


    The ovoid of light bulged, diminished, went out altogether. I squinted, turning the screw as slowly as I could, and . . . there it was. The mirror steadied and the light resolved itself into a perfect pale circle, window to another world.


    I watched, enchanted, as the madly beating cilia of a paramecium bore it in hot pursuit of invisible prey. Then a quiet drifting, the field of view itself in constant movement as the drop of water on my slide shifted in its microscopic tides. I waited a moment more, in hopes of spotting one of the swift and elegant Euglena, or even a hydra, but no such luck; only bits of mysterious black-green, daubs of cellular debris and burst algal cells.


    I shifted the slide to and fro, but found nothing else of interest. That was all right; I had plenty of other things to look at. I rinsed the glass rectangle in a cup of alcohol, let it dry for a moment, then dipped a glass rod into one of the small beakers I had lined up before my microscope, dabbing a drop of liquid onto the clean slide.

 Page 99

    It had taken some experimentation to put the microscope together properly; it wasn¡¯t much like a modern version, particularly when reduced to its component parts for storage in Dr. Rawlings¡¯s handsome box. Still, the lenses were recognizable, and with that as a starting point, I had managed to fit the optical bits into the stand without much trouble. Obtaining sufficient light, though, had been more difficult, and I was thrilled finally to have got it working.


    ¡°What are ye doing, Sassenach?¡± Jamie, with a piece of toast in one hand, paused in the doorway.


    ¡°Seeing things,¡± I said, adjusting the focus.


    ¡°Oh, aye? What sorts of things?¡± He came into the room, smiling. ¡°Not ghosties, I trust. I will have had enough o¡¯ those.¡±


    ¡°Come look,¡± I said, stepping back from the microscope. Mildly puzzled, he bent and peered through the eyepiece, screwing up his other eye in concentration.


    He squinted for a moment, then gave an exclamation of pleased surprise.


    ¡°I see them! Wee things with tails, swimming all about!¡± He straightened up, smiling at me with a look of delight, then bent at once to look again.


    I felt a warm glow of pride in my new toy.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it marvelous?¡±


    ¡°Aye, marvelous,¡± he said, absorbed. ¡°Look at them. Such busy wee strivers as they are, all pushing and writhing against one another¡ªand such a mass of them!¡±


    He watched for a few moments more, exclaiming under his breath, then straightened up, shaking his head in amazement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a thing, Sassenach. Ye¡¯d told me about the germs, aye, but I never in life imagined them so! I thought they might have wee teeth, and they don¡¯t¡ªbut I never kent they would have such handsome, lashing wee tails, or swim about in such numbers.¡±


    ¡°Well, some microorganisms do,¡± I said, moving to peer into the eyepiece again myself. ¡°These particular little beasts aren¡¯t germs, though¡ªthey¡¯re sperms.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re what?¡±


    He looked quite blank.


    ¡°Sperms,¡± I said patiently. ¡°Male reproductive cells. You know, what makes babies?¡±


    I thought he might just possibly choke. His mouth opened, and a very pretty shade of rose suffused his countenance.


    ¡°Ye mean seed?¡± he croaked. ¡°Spunk?¡±


    ¡°Well . . . yes.¡± Watching him narrowly, I poured steaming tea into a clean beaker and handed it to him as a restorative. He ignored it, though, his eyes fixed on the microscope as though something might spring out of the eyepiece at any moment and go writhing across the floor at our feet.


    ¡°Sperms,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Sperms.¡± He shook his head vigorously, then turned to me, a frightful thought having just occurred to him.


    ¡°Whose are they?¡± he asked, his tone one of darkest suspicion.


    ¡°Er . . . well, yours, of course.¡± I cleared my throat, mildly embarrassed. ¡°Who else¡¯s would they be?¡±


    His hand darted reflexively between his legs, and he clutched himself protectively.


    ¡°How the hell did ye get them?¡±


    ¡°How do you think?¡± I said, rather coldly. ¡°I woke up in custody of them this morning.¡±


    His hand relaxed, but a deep blush of mortification stained his cheeks dark crimson. He picked up the beaker of tea and drained it at a gulp, temperature notwithstanding.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said, and coughed.


    There was a moment of deep silence.


    ¡°I . . . um . . . didna ken they could stay alive,¡± he said at last. ¡°Errrrm . . . outside, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you leave them in a splotch on the sheet to dry out, they don¡¯t,¡± I said, matter-of-factly. ¡°Keep them from drying out, though¡±¡ªI gestured at the small, covered beaker, with its small puddle of whitish fluid¡ª¡°and they¡¯ll do for a few hours. In their proper habitat, though, they can live for up to a week after . . . er . . . release.¡±


    ¡°Proper habitat,¡± he repeated, looking pensive. He darted a quick glance at me. ¡°Ye do mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said, with some asperity.


    ¡°Mmphm.¡± At this point, he recalled the piece of toast he still held, and took a bite, chewing meditatively.


    ¡°Do folk know about this? Now, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Know what? What sperm look like? Almost certainly. Microscopes have been around for well over a hundred years, and the first thing anyone with a working microscope does is to look at everything within reach. Given that the inventor of the microscope was a man, I should certainly think that . . . Don¡¯t you?¡±


    He gave me a look, and took another bite of toast, chewing in a marked manner.


    ¡°I shouldna quite like to refer to it as ¡®within reach,¡¯ Sassenach,¡± he said, through a mouthful of crumbs, and swallowed. ¡°But I do take your meaning.¡±


    As though compelled by some irresistible force, he drifted toward the microscope, bending to peer into it once more.


    ¡°They seem verra fierce,¡± he ventured, after a few moments¡¯ inspection.


    ¡°Well, they do need to be,¡± I said, suppressing a smile at his faintly abashed air of pride in his gametes¡¯ prowess. ¡°It¡¯s a long slog, after all, and a terrific fight at the end of it. Only one gets the honor, you know.¡±


    He looked up, blank-faced. It dawned on me that he didn¡¯t know. He¡¯d studied languages, mathematics, and Greek and Latin philosophy in Paris, not medicine. And even if natural scientists of the time were aware of sperm as separate entities, rather than a homogenous substance, it occurred to me that they probably didn¡¯t have any idea what sperm actually did.


    ¡°Wherever did you think babies came from?¡± I demanded, after a certain amount of enlightenment regarding eggs, sperms, zygotes, and the like, which left Jamie distinctly squiggle-eyed. He gave me a rather cold look.


    ¡°And me a farmer all my life? I ken precisely where they come from,¡± he informed me. ¡°I just didna ken that . . . er . . . that all of this daffery was going on. I thought . . . well, I thought a man plants his seed into a woman¡¯s belly, and it . . . well . . . grows.¡± He waved vaguely in the direction of my stomach. ¡°You know¡ªlike . . . seed. Neeps, corn, melons, and the like. I didna ken they swim about like tadpoles.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± I rubbed a finger beneath my nose, trying not to laugh. ¡°Hence the agricultural designation of women as being either fertile or barren!¡±


    ¡°Mmphm.¡± Dismissing this with a wave of his hand, he frowned thoughtfully at the teeming slide. ¡°A week, ye said. So it¡¯s possible that the wee lad really is the Thrush¡¯s get?¡±


    Early in the day as it was, it took half a second or so for me to make the leap from theory to practical application.


    ¡°Oh¡ªJemmy, you mean? Yes, it¡¯s quite possible that he¡¯s Roger¡¯s child.¡± Roger and Bonnet had lain with Brianna within two days of each other. ¡°I told you¡ªand Bree¡ªso.¡±


    He nodded, looking abstracted, then remembered the toast and pushed the rest of it into his mouth. Chewing, he bent for another look through the eyepiece.


    ¡°Are they different, then? One man¡¯s from another, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Er . . . not to look at, no.¡± I picked up my cup of tea and had a sip, enjoying the delicate flavor. ¡°They are different, of course¡ªthey carry the characteristics a man passes to his offspring. . . .¡± That was about as far as I thought it prudent to go; he was sufficiently staggered by my description of fertilization; an explanation of genes and chromosomes might be rather excessive at the moment. ¡°But you can¡¯t see the differences, even with a microscope.¡±


    He grunted at that, swallowed the mouthful of toast, and straightened up.


    ¡°Why are ye looking, then?¡±


    ¡°Just curiosity.¡± I gestured at the collection of bottles and beakers on the countertop. ¡°I wanted to see how fine the resolution of the microscope was, what sorts of things I might be able to see.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aye? And what then? What¡¯s the purpose of it, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, to help me diagnose things. If I can take a sample of a person¡¯s stool, for instance, and see that he has internal parasites, then I¡¯d know better what medicine to give him.¡±


    Jamie looked as though he would have preferred not to hear about such things right after breakfast, but nodded. He drained his beaker and set it down on the counter.


    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s sensible. I¡¯ll leave ye to get on with it, then.¡±


    He bent and kissed me briefly, then headed for the door. Just short of it, though, he turned back.


    ¡°The, um, sperms . . .¡± he said, a little awkwardly.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Can ye not take them out and give them decent burial or something?¡±


    I hid a smile in my teacup.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of them,¡± I promised. ¡°I always do, don¡¯t I?¡±


    THERE THEY WERE. Dark stalks, topped with clublike spores, dense against the pale bright ground of the microscope¡¯s field of view. Confirmation.


    ¡°Got them.¡± I straightened up, slowly rubbing the small of my back as I looked over my preparations.


    A series of slides lay in a neat fan beside the microscope, each bearing a dark smear in the middle, a code written on the end of each slide with a bit of wax from a candle stub. Samples of mold, taken from damp corn bread, from spoiled biscuit, and a bit of discarded pastry crust from the Hogmanay venison pie. The crust had yielded the best growth by far; no doubt it was the goose grease.


    Of the various test substrates I had tried, those were the three resultant batches of mold that had contained the highest proportion of Penicillium¡ªor what I could be fairly sure was Penicillium. There were a dismaying number of molds that would grow on damp bread, in addition to several dozen different strains of Penicillium, but the samples I had chosen contained the best matches for the textbook pictures of Penicillium sporophytes that I had committed to memory, years ago, in another life.


    I could only hope that my memory wasn¡¯t faulty¡ªand that the strains of mold I had here were among those species that produced a large quantity of penicillin, that I had not inadvertently introduced any virulent bacteria into the meat-broth mixture, and that¡ªwell, I could hope for a lot of things, but there came a point when one abandoned hope for faith, and trusted fate for charity.


    A line of broth-filled bowls sat at the back of the countertop, each covered with a square of muslin to prevent things¡ªinsects, airborne particles, and mouse droppings, to say nothing of mice¡ªfrom falling in. I had strained the broth and boiled it, then rinsed each bowl with boiling water before filling it with the steaming brown liquid. That was as close as I could come to a sterile medium.


    I had then taken scrapings from each of my best mold samples, and swished the knife blade gently through the cooled broth, dissipating the clumps of soft blue as best I could before covering the bowl with its cloth and leaving it to incubate for several days.


    Some of the cultures had thrived; others had died. A couple of bowls showed hairy dark green clumps that floated beneath the surface like submerged sea beasts, dark and sinister. Some intruder¡ªmold, bacterium, or perhaps a colonial alga¡ªbut not the precious Penicillium.

 Page 100

    Some anonymous child had spilled one bowl; Adso had knocked another onto the floor, maddened by the scent of goose broth, and had lapped up the contents, mold and all, with every evidence of enjoyment. There obviously hadn¡¯t been anything toxic in that one; I glanced down at the little cat, curled up in a pool of sunshine on the floor, the picture of somnolent well-being.


    In three of the remaining bowls, though, spongy velvet mats of mottled blue covered the surface, and my examination of a sample taken from one of them had just confirmed that I did indeed have what I sought. It wasn¡¯t the mold itself that was antibiotic¡ªit was a clear substance secreted by the mold, as a means of protecting itself from attack by bacteria. That substance was penicillin, and that was what I wanted.


    I had explained as much to Jamie, who sat on a stool watching me as I poured the broth from each live culture through another bit of gauze to strain it.


    ¡°So what ye¡¯ve got there is broth that the mold has pissed in, is that right?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you insist on putting it that way, yes.¡± I gave him an austere glance, then took up the strained solution and began distributing it into several small stoneware jars.


    He nodded, pleased to have got it right.


    ¡°And the mold piss is what cures sickness, aye? That¡¯s sensible.¡±


    ¡°It is?¡±


    ¡°Well, ye use other sorts of piss for medicine, so why not that?¡±


    He lifted the big black casebook in illustration. I had left it open on the counter after recording the latest batch of experiments, and he had been amusing himself by reading some of the earlier pages, those recorded by the book¡¯s previous owner, Dr. Daniel Rawlings.


    ¡°Possibly Daniel Rawlings did¡ªI don¡¯t.¡± Hands busy, I lifted my chin at the entry on the open page. ¡°What was he using it for?¡±


    ¡°Electuary for the Treatment of Scurvy,¡± he read, finger following the neat small lines of Rawlings¡¯s script. ¡°Two Heads of Garlic, crushed with six Radishes, to which are added Peru Balsam and ten drops of Myrrh, this Compound mixed with the Water of a Man-child so as to be conveniently drunk.¡±


    ¡°Bar the last, it sounds like a rather exotic condiment,¡± I said, amused. ¡°What would it go with best, do you think? Jugged hare? Ragout of veal?¡±


    ¡°Nay, veal¡¯s too mild-flavored for radish. Hodgepodge of mutton, maybe,¡± he replied. ¡°Mutton will stand anything.¡± His tongue flicked absentmindedly across his upper lip in contemplation.


    ¡°Why a man-child, d¡¯ye think, Sassenach? I¡¯ve seen the mention of it in such receipts before¡ªAristotle has it so, and so have some of the other ancient philosophers.¡±


    I gave him a look, as I began tidying up my slides.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly easier to collect urine from a male child than from a little girl; just try it, sometime. Oddly enough, though, urine from baby boys is very clean, if not entirely sterile; it may be that the ancient philosophers noticed they had better results with it in their formulae, because it was cleaner than the usual drinking water, if they were getting that from public aqueducts and wells and the like.¡±


    ¡°Sterile meaning that it hasna got the germs in it, not that it doesna breed?¡± He gave my microscope a rather wary glance.


    ¡°Yes. Or rather¡ªit doesn¡¯t breed germs, because there aren¡¯t any there.¡±


    With the countertop cleared, save for the microscope and the jars of penicillin-containing broth¡ªor at least I hoped that¡¯s what they were¡ªI began the preparations for surgery, taking down my small case of surgical instruments, and fetching a large bottle of grain alcohol out of the cupboard.


    I handed this to Jamie, along with the small alcohol burner I had contrived¡ªan empty ink bottle, with a twisted wick of waxed flax drawn up through a cork stuck into the neck.


    ¡°Fill that up for me, will you? Where are the boys?¡±


    ¡°In the kitchen, getting drunk.¡± He frowned in concentration, carefully pouring the alcohol. ¡°Is the urine of wee lassies not clean, then? Or is it only harder to get?¡±


    ¡°No, actually, it isn¡¯t as clean as that of boys.¡± I unfolded a clean cloth on the countertop and laid out two scalpels, a pair of long-nosed forceps, and a bunch of small cautery irons. I dug about in the cupboard, unearthing a handful of cotton pledgets. Cotton cloth was hideously expensive, but I had had the good fortune to cajole a sack of raw cotton bolls from Farquard Campbell¡¯s wife, in return for a jar of honey.


    ¡°The . . . um . . . route to the outside isn¡¯t quite so direct, you might say. So the urine tends to pick up bacteria and bits of debris from the skin folds.¡± I looked over my shoulder at him and smiled. ¡°Not that you ought to go feeling superior on that account.¡±


    ¡°I shouldna dream of it,¡± he assured me. ¡°Are ye ready, then, Sassenach?¡±


    ¡°Yes, fetch them in. Oh, and bring the basin!¡±


    He went out, and I turned to face the east window. It had snowed heavily the day before, but today was a fine, bright day, clear and cold, with the sun reflecting off the snow-covered trees with the light of a million diamonds. I couldn¡¯t have asked for better; I should need all the light I could get.


    I set the cautery irons in the small brazier to heat. Then I fetched my amulet from the cabinet, put it round my neck so it hung beneath the bodice of my gown, and took down the heavy canvas apron from its hook behind the door. I put that on, too, then went to the window and looked out at the cold icing-sugar landscape, emptying my mind, steadying my spirit for what I was about to do. It was not a difficult operation, and I had done it many times before. I had not, however, done it on someone who was sitting upright and conscious, and that always made a difference.


    I hadn¡¯t done it in several years, either, and I closed my eyes in recollection, visualizing the steps to take, feeling the muscles of my hand twitch slightly in echo of my thoughts, anticipating the movements I would make.


    ¡°God help me,¡± I whispered, and crossed myself.


    Stumbling footsteps, nervous giggles, and the rumble of Jamie¡¯s voice came from the hallway, and I turned round smiling to greet my patients.


    A month of good food, clean clothes, and warm beds had improved the Beardsleys immensely, in terms of both health and appearance. They were both still small, skinny, and slightly bowlegged, but the hollows of their faces had filled out a bit, their dark hair lay soft against their skulls, and the look of hunted wariness had faded a little from their eyes.


    In fact, both pairs of dark eyes were presently a little glazed, and Lizzie was obliged to grab Keziah by the arm in order to prevent his stumbling over a stool. Jamie had Josiah gripped firmly by the shoulder; he steered the boy over to me, then set down the pudding basin he carried under his other arm.


    ¡°All right, are you?¡± I smiled at Josiah, looking deep into his eyes, and squeezed his arm in reassurance. He swallowed hard, and gave me a rather ghastly grin; he wasn¡¯t drunk enough not to be scared.


    I sat him down, chatting soothingly, wrapped a towel round his neck, and set the basin on his knees. I hoped he wouldn¡¯t drop it; it was china, and the only large pudding basin we had. To my surprise, Lizzie came to stand behind him, putting her small hands on his shoulders.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to stay, Lizzie?¡± I asked dubiously. ¡°We can manage all right, I think.¡± Jamie was thoroughly accustomed to blood and general carnage; I didn¡¯t think Lizzie could ever have seen anything beyond the common sorts of illness and perhaps a childbirth or two.


    ¡°Oh, no, ma¡¯am; I¡¯ll stay.¡± She swallowed, too, but set her small jaw bravely. ¡°I promised Jo and Kezzie as I¡¯d stay with them, all through.¡±


    I glanced at Jamie, who lifted one shoulder in the hint of a shrug.


    ¡°All right, then.¡± I took one of the stoneware jars of penicillin broth, poured it into two cups, and gave one to each of the twins to drink.


    Stomach acid would likely inactivate most of the penicillin, but it would¡ªI hoped¡ªkill the bacteria in their throats. Following surgery, another dose washed over the raw surfaces might prevent infection.


    There was no way of knowing exactly how much penicillin there might be in the broth; I might be giving them massive doses¡ªor too little to matter. At least I was reasonably sure that whatever penicillin was in the broth was presently active. I had no means of stabilizing the antibiotic, and no notion how long it might be potent¡ªbut fresh as it was, the solution was bound to be medicinally active, and there was a good chance that the rest of the broth would remain usable for at least the next few days.


    I would make new cultures, as soon as the surgery was complete; with luck, I could dose the twins regularly for three or four days, and¡ªwith greater luck¡ªthus prevent any infections.


    ¡°Oh, so ye can drink the stuff, can ye?¡± Jamie was eyeing me cynically over Josiah¡¯s head. I had injected him with penicillin following a gunshot injury a few years before, and he obviously now considered that I done so with purely sadistic intent.


    I eyed him back.


    ¡°You can. Injectable penicillin is much more effective, particularly in the case of an active infection. However, I haven¡¯t any means of injecting it just at present, and this is meant to prevent them getting an infection, not to cure one. Now, if we¡¯re quite ready . . .¡±


    I had thought that Jamie would restrain the patient, but both Lizzie and Josiah insisted that this was not necessary; Josiah would sit quite still, no matter what. Lizzie still gripped his shoulders, her face paler than his, and her small knuckles sharp and white.


    I had examined both boys at length the day before, but had another quick look before starting, using a tongue depressor made of a slip of ash wood. I showed Jamie how to use this to keep the tongue pressed out of my way, then took up forceps and scalpel and drew a long breath.


    I looked deep into Josiah¡¯s dark eyes, and smiled; I could see two tiny reflections of my face there, both looking pleasantly competent.


    ¡°All right, then?¡± I asked.


    He couldn¡¯t speak, with the tongue depressor in his mouth, but made a good-natured sort of grunt that I took for assent.


    I needed to be quick, and I was. The preparations had taken hours; the operation, no more than a few seconds. I seized one spongy red tonsil with the forceps, stretched it toward me, and made several small, quick cuts, deftly separating the layers of tissue. A trickle of blood was running out of the boy¡¯s mouth and down his chin, but nothing serious.


    I pulled the gobbet of flesh free, dropped it into the basin, and shifted my grip to the other tonsil, where I repeated the process, only a trifle more slowly in consequence of working backhanded.


    The whole thing couldn¡¯t have taken more than thirty seconds per side. I drew the instruments out of Josiah¡¯s mouth, and he goggled at me, astonished. Then he coughed, gagged, leaned forward, and another small chunk of flesh bounced into the basin with a small splat, together with a quantity of bright red blood.


    I seized him by the nose and thrust his head back, stuffed pledgets into his mouth to absorb sufficient blood that I could see what I was doing, then snatched a small cautery iron and took care of the largest vessels; the smaller ones could clot and seal on their own.