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Page 251
the fire and was readying salt pork for frying. "Bonjour, roes demoiselles," he called. "We shall have a busy morning, n'est ce pas?"
"It's certainly pas," Holly agreed, baiting the man so his toadlike features scrunched into a frown.
Mariah would have laughed again if she hadn't felt so miserable. And concerned. She'd made up her mind to tell Holly the truth but was worried whether it was the right thing to do.
"Would you like company to the stream this morning?" René asked.
Mariah hesitated. She wanted to speak to Holly alone, but she knew what the next incident was supposed to be and didn't want it to come true because of her imprudence. "Sure." She ignored Holly's irritated scowl.
They didn't have an opportunity to speak until they'd brought back water and René had left them tending food while he entertained the guests. Mariah still hadn't seen Thorn, though on most mornings he would have appeared by this time.
He was avoiding her. The thought increased her anguish.
After stirring the bubbling porridge and setting a kettle of water over the fire for tea, Mariah turned to Holly. "Okay," she said. "If you're sure you want to hear my whole sad story"
"I'm sure."
The two sat on stools at the worktable, measuring flour and water for bread. "This is going to sound crazy," Mariah said.
"I've a big tolerance for craziness, I have."
Mariah took a few seconds to gather her thoughts, then began speaking. She decided to work her way into the incredible part of her story, describing her childhood first. "It was terrible! My father was a dreamer of the highest sort, a liar who kept promising my mother the world and instead abandoned herand meover and over. I couldn't help loving him, charmer that he was, but I hated him, too. My mother, thoughhe finally killed her with the broken prom-

 
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