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willing to swallow her pride, face her fear and skin those rabbits. |
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He finished cleaning the butchering table, then rinsed out the piece of cloth in a pan of water he poured from the bucket. |
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Not that her fear was rational. He had done her a favor by issuing the challenge. If she were to survive, learning to dress game was a vital skill. |
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The lovely but spoiled young lady had plainly been born into wealth in the east. |
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And yet she was smarter, spunkier, sassier than any rich girl he had ever metand long ago he had known many. |
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Still, to survive, Mariah Walker would need to face further challenges and to soil those hands even more. |
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Her hands. He recalled how soft they had been when she had first arrived, how red and abused they had become when she had spent the day washing clothing, some of it his. |
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He had taken her hands into his own in regret, used them to pull her closer, and . . . |
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"Here they are!" René burst through the kitchen door, followed by Mariah, Holly and a dozen people in plain but serviceable clothing. Eight were men, the rest women and all chattered excitedly. |
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They had a look he recognized: anticipation, hope, and yet, a touch of dread. |
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"Welcome." At a nod from René to remind him of his duty, he moved forward. He extended his hand to the closest man, not meaning his greeting in the least. Settlers were fools. Worse, they could bring trouble to his inn. |
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For tonight, though, with this many guests, the help of the extra servants, Mariah and Holly, would be most welcome. |
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"I'm Francis Kerr," said a tenor voice. Its owner shook Thorn's hand heartily. "This is my sister Ann, my friend Edgar and his wife. . . . " |
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Thorn stopped listening. He did not wish to know the names of these people. Better that he not know, for the entire group was unlikely to survive. |
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