To create, to hoard, to send these things, these fragile documents, down through the years, with only the hope that they would survive and reach those for whom they were intended.
Escorted by Murtagh, who was disguised as my groom, I had barely made it out of sight of the prison before sliding off my horse and being sick in the snow.
I relaxed my grip on the knife; she could hardly attack me with a lapful of goat.
It’s two hundred year, in the Highland tales – when folk fall asleep on fairy duns and end up dancing all night wi’ the Auld Folk; it’s usually two hundred year later when they come back to their own place.
There’s worse has happened to others, lass,” he said quietly. Then he let go and the spell was broken.
It’s a rare plant,” he said, touching the sprig in my open hand. “Flowers, fruit and leaves all together at the one time. The white flowers are for honor, and red fruit for courage – and the green leaves are for constancy.
Well, legends are many-legged beasties, aye? But they generally have at least one foot on the truth.
Besides, what would you do with the body, if you killed him? the logical side of my mind inquired. He wouldn’t fit in the cupboard, let alone the hidey-hole.
I marched into the shop and bought the vases.
As a mother, I had the lightness now of effort complete, honor satisfied. Mission accomplished.
You can’t make a horse do anything. You see what he’s going to do and then you tell him to do that, and he thinks it’s your idea, so next time you tell him something, he’s more likely to do what you tell him.
Open your eyes and tell me yourself, Sassenash,” said a deep urgent voice somewhere close.
All loss is one, and one loss becomes all, a.
He was overcome with a sudden sense of premonition, though he did not believe in premonition. He felt things in motion around him, things that he did not understand and could not control, things settling of themselves into an ordained and appointed position, like the revolving spheres of his father’s orrery – and he wished to protest this state of affairs, but could not.
Je suis prest.” I am ready.
He came toward us, looking worried. As the birth grew closer, we had both been edgy; Frank irritable and myself terrified, having no idea what might happen between us, with the appearance of Jamie Fraser’s child. But when the nurse had taken Brianna from her bassinet and handed her to Frank, with the words “Here’s Daddy’s little girl,” his face had grown blank, and then – looking down at the tiny face, perfect as a rosebud – gone soft with wonder. Within a week, he had been hers, body and soul.
I canna think why the good Lord should waste hair like that on a man.
According to the vicar, many of the local folk thought the War was due in part to people turning away from their roots and omitting to take proper precautions, such as burying a sacrifice under the foundation, that is, or burning fishes’ bones on the hearth – except haddocks, of course,” he added, happily distracted. “You never burn a haddock’s bones – did you know? – or you’ll never catch another. Always bury the bones of a haddock instead.
If either of them stops shouting long enough to hear the other, they’ll be hurting each other’s feelings.
I could see the water purling away from keeled scales that ran in a crest down the sinuous neck.