"I'm not weeping."
"Because you won't letyourself. You will not let me see you weep."
"Why should I wail? Ihave the man I have loved all my life, who brings me pleasure and who—"
"You never give up, doyou? Sweet Margaret… "
She was not sweet. Sometimesshe thought Ian had no idea of her true nature. At the moment she wanted toscream and kick and shake her fist at the fates that had done this to him."You mustn't give up either. I need you."
"I dream about it everynight now. Do you remember when as children on fine days we would go and sit onthe hill among the heather?"
"Aye."
"I think it will be likethat, peaceful and full of light and happiness." Ian brushed her hair backfrom her face. "It's waiting for me."
"Then let it wait anotherfifty years," she said fiercely. "We will fool it. You will growstronger every single day and there will be a child for Glenclaren and wewill—" He was shaking his head. "Itwillhappen. I'll make ithappen." She buried her face on his chest, the fear and desperationmounting within her.
"Why, you're trembling,Margaret." His breath feathered the top of her head. "You mustn'tupset yourself. All is well. Go to sleep, love."
How could she sleep? He hadsaid all was well, but he had not promised to fight to stay with her and he waswandering farther down that other path with every passing day.
He drifted off to sleep a fewminutes later, but she lay staring into the darkness, rigid with fear, holdinghim.
"You must stop work atonce." Margaret swept into Kartauk's workroom and shut the door. "Ihave to talk to you."
"Oh, must I?"Kartauk asked as he wiped his hands on a towel. "Since you've not deignedto visit me since we've arrived in Cinnidar, I assume it is on a subject of nomean importance."
"Of course it is. I don'twaste time on trivial matters." She smoothed the skirt of her gown and satdown on a cushioned fan chair. She glanced around at the gleaming white mosaicfloor and walls and multitude of windows whose latticed shutters were thrownwide to let in the sunlight. The furniture was simple but finely crafted, thechamber completely unlike his room at the stable, which she had gradually cometo think of as a haven. She forced a smile. "This room is really quitepleasant. I was afraid you'd make a shambles of it as you did your workroom atGlenclaren."
"I've been here only twomonths. It takes even me an extended period of time to create such gloriousdisarray."
"Where is yourfurnace?"
Kartauk nodded to the frenchdoors leading to the veranda. "Ruel had a special cottage built away fromthe main house. He said he wasn't going to risk me tearing down any of hiswalls or burning up his palace."
"Very sensible." Shestraightened the lace on her sleeve. "I suppose you're enjoying dabblingwith your precious gold. It seems a hedonistic extravagance when oneconsiders—"
"Why are you here,madam?"
She frowned. "I wasgetting to it."
"Not with any greatspeed. I need to finish this frieze before nightfall."
"It's earlymorning."
"Exactly. Is itIan?"
"Partly."
"I take it he has nottaken a turn for the worse, or you would not be here. Are you satisfied withTamar's care of him?"
"Tamar? The man is aparagon. Ian has only to lift an eyebrow and Tamar rushes to obey. Jock hasnothing to do anymore." She noticed the dog lying slumbering at Kartauk'sfeet. "What is Sam doing here? I thought he was in the stable."
"Jane asked me to keephim. She has no faith in his intelligence. She was afraid he would startchasing a squirrel and fall off into the canyon."
"A distinctpossibility." She smoothed the hair at her temple. "Are you not goingto have the courtesy to ask me to have a cup of that foul liquid you callcoffee?"
"No, your hand is tremblingso much you would probably drop the cup."
