Brianna's wedding gown had been an off-the-shoulder with a ballgown skirt, made from silk and lace, and she looked beautiful in it. She held a bouquet of thistles, roses, and violets, and was beaming throughout the ceremony, especially when Roger slipped a slim, golden band onto her finger. Brianna did the same, and then Reverend Agnew proclaimed them husband and wife. I cried, alongside Mama, as the congregation welcomed Roger and Brianna MacKenzie, before we left the church for the small reception at the Manse.

Over the last month, we had been planning extensively for our trip to the past; Mama had found a sewing machine belonging to Mrs. Graham, and had used it to take some of the clothing that Joe had sent over from Boston, as well as the fabrics found around town, and other clothing from charity shops, to put together costumes for us all. We each had one main costume, and then other odds and ends had come to us from various antique shops; we had found old coins, some books, and gemstones for the trip. Joe, meanwhile, had come through on a medical kit for Mama, which he even had engraved with her name, Dr. Claire Fraser.

Contacting Oxford hadn't been a difficult matter for me; indeed, since Roger was my professor, he was the one to explain everything to them. Meanwhile, Joe took care of Mama's resignation on her behalf, while Brianna was made to contact Harvard on her own. Brianna's went the best, however, due to her explaining that she was getting married and relocating to Scotland, which the administration seemed to accept.

It had been quite a shock when Brianna and I had walked in on Mama, who had just completed her costume, and had asked us to come in for our own fittings. Mama's costume was a cornflower blue with white, while Brianna's was green and white, and mine was a dark blue and white. Roger's, meanwhile, was shades of brown and gray; of course, what we hadn't expected was Mama to have hair that looked identical to mine.

"Mama!" Brianna cried out.

She reached up and touched her hair, flushing slightly. "Is it too much?"

I shook my head. "You look beautiful," I assured her, "although I'm beginning to wonder if people will think that you and I are the twins, and not me and Bree."

She laughed aloud at that. "I suppose I want to look as close to how Jamie last saw me as possible... It's been twenty years, after all." She used us forward then, and we were made to stand still, except for the times when she measured our arms. She looked very proud when we tried on our costumes; we had managed to find petticoats at various shops around town, which Mama had managed to make perfectly into our size, as well as corsets.

"Must remember how to breathe," Brianna whispered to me.

I giggled. "I doubt we will remember, sadly."

Brianna and I booked appointments to have the hair on our legs, underarms, and groins taken care of by a new-fangled laser, which promised temporary removal of the hair itself. We were instructed to put on lotion for sensitive skin afterwards, to ensure as little inflammation as possible. Finally, a week after Roger and Brianna had said their vows, we were fully prepared to leave for Craigh na Dun.

It was Fiona who took us, and, although she did seem a bit saddened that Brianna and Roger had married, she had seemingly accepted it. We had all our belongings on our persons, and Fiona stood by to ensure that no one came to the area. With our gemstones gripped tightly in our respective hands, we approached the same stone Geillis had a month previously, and Mama had done twenty years ago, and fell through.

Five days later, after getting a ride in a carriage, we arrived in Edinburgh on schedule, with Roger taking me and Bree to find an inn, while Mama went off in search of Jamie's print shop. I had never been to Edinburgh, even in my own time, so the notion that the hustling and bustling town was still in existence in both places was nothing short of amazing. I remembered, as I walked with Roger and Bree down the main street, that Mama had asked the three of us, and, by extension, just Bree and me, and then just me, to pose for photographs. Her intention was to show them to Jamie, to ease him into the notion that he had not one but two daughters, and that Brianna had married Roger before we'd come to the past.

An old, stone building at the end of the road greeted us around a quarter of an hour later, a sign proclaiming it The White Horse Inn. Roger stepped inside, knowing that he would need to be the one to ask for a room, and politely inquired about two rooms—one for himself and Brianna, and a second for me. The innkeeper was most kind and offered us up the rooms quickly, sending one of the servants to collect our belongings and take us upstairs. Roger and Brianna's room was the bigger of the two, and I understood why, given that they would need more space. Once I put down my bag and turned around, I could see Brianna hesitating in the hallway.

"Why don't you and Roger settle in?" I asked her, stepping forward and placing a gentle hand on her arm. I peered into the bedchamber behind her, and I could see that Roger was placing their trunk against a wall, as well as looking down at the old town below. "This is the closest thing the pair of you will have to a honeymoon, anyway."

Brianna bit her lip, unsure. "Are you sure?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at her husband, who, as if he felt her eyes upon him, turned to smile at us. "I could easily tell him that we want to go out and explore together..."

I shook my head. "Don't worry; we don't know how long we're going to be in Edinburgh, anyhow, so I'm sure we'll have the opportunity to explore some of the town together."

Brianna sighed. "All right. But we will have dinner together, won't we?"

"I'm sure we will, if Mama even remembers us by then," I joked.

Once I was assured that my own bedroom was secure, I ventured back downstairs, nodded to the innkeeper, and made my way out into the overcast day. Although it was cool out, my cloak provided more than adequate warmth, and there was no sign of rain. There were a plethora of street vendors, selling anything and everything from produce, to cheese, to soap, but I held back from spending any money just yet, knowing that it was very likely that I would need it later. The cobblestones were still wet from last night's rain, and so I ventured carefully through the crowds, not wanting to fall and risk getting my new garments wet.

After walking for about five minutes, I did hear something, something that didn't sound like the typical chatter around me. I rounded the bend of one of the buildings, following the sound, which is when I came upon an immaculately dressed young boy, who couldn't have been more than eight years old, who was sitting on a discarded wooden box, his dark brown head hidden in his hands, as he sobbed quietly. I stepped forward, drawn to the sound, while my heart ached for the little boy, automatically believing that he was lost. He must have been loved, or, at least, well cared for in some way, due to the clothes he was wearing, although I had learned the hard way never to judge a child by the way they were dressed.

"Pardon," I said softly, stepping forward, my voice gentle, and I couldn't help but smile as the boy looked up at me, his striking blue eyes and fine features still marred with sadness. "Are you all right?" I continued, coming closer, but making no move to touch him, as I was a stranger and didn't want to risk frightening him.

The little boy shook his head. "I cannot find Papa," he said, his lower lip wobbling.

"Oh, you poor dear," I said, and crouched in front of him, knowing that, if I presented myself eye-to-eye with him, it would, perhaps, make him more secure in my presence. "Perhaps I could help you find him. What's your name?"

"Willie," he said, and sniffled a bit, wiping his eyes.

"Hello, Willie. My name is Beatrice," I said gently, "but most people call me Tris." I reached into the pocket of my skirts, something that Mama had stitched into all our clothes, and brought out a handkerchief. "I have something to dry your eyes with, or you may do it yourself, if you like," I offered, wanting to give him a choice.

Willie's lip trembled again, and so I leaned forward and gently wiped at his eyes and cheeks. "I thank you, Tris," he said, although his voice was unsteady, unsure.

"That is quite all right, Willie," I answered. "Now, then," I said, folding up the handkerchief and returning it to my pocket, "would you allow me to assist in finding your papa?"

Willie nodded his head, rising from the box and holding out his hand, which I promptly took and led him out from his refuge behind the building. "I've never been to Scotland," he said softly, as we walked in the direction he pointed out, which was back the way I'd come. "Papa and I are here to visit a friend. I... I got a bit overwhelmed with excitement, and ran off."

I nodded; I could understand that, being so young, once upon a time. "I have never been to Edinburgh before, but I have spent quite a bit of time in Inverness, where my sister's husband lives," I told him softly.

Willie blinked, looking up at me as we ventured further into the crowd. "You have a sister?" he asked, obviously feeling a bit better.

I smiled down at him. "I do," I confirmed, "and she is called Brianna. We're twins. Do you know what twins are?"

Willie nodded his little dark head. "Yes. It means you were born to your mother at the same time, on the same day."

"That is correct, Willie," I told him, smiling. "Her husband is called Roger. They just got married earlier this month, and are very happy. We came here, with our mother, to meet with our father, my mother's husband."

"What is your mother called?" Willie asked.

"She's called Claire," I told him patiently.

Willie nodded again. "And your papa?"

"He is called Jamie," I responded. "What about your papa?"

"John," Willie said, smiling a bit; he obviously loved his father very much. "And my mother was called Isobel."

I felt my insides tense at the notion that he referred to his mother in the past tense. "Oh. Did Isobel not come with you to Scotland?" I asked, hoping that that was it.

Willie shook his head. "No. When Papa and I were looking at manor houses, Mother caught influenza. The physicians tried to help, but..."

I squeezed his hand gently, which felt so small in my own. "I'm terribly sorry that happened, Willie, terribly sorry."

Willie gave me a soft smile. "I feel better now," he said quietly, "because you're here with me, Tris. I wish I had a mother, just like you."

I smiled down at him. "Oh? We have only just met, Willie. What makes me qualified to be a mother to anyone?"

"Well, you are kind," Willie began, obviously thinking on it very hard as his brow furrowed. "You listen to me. You ask me questions. And you're very pretty."

I felt my heart squeeze with an unexpected emotion, but forced my emotions to remain in check as I continued walking along with Willie. "Well, thank you, Willie. I am not a mother yet, but, perhaps I will be, one day."

"Papa is lonely," Willie admitted quietly.

I gave Willie a soft smile. "I am sorry for it. Do you feel lonely?"

Willie resolutely shook his head. "Not now," he declared boldly, "but I do wish Papa was here. I know that he would like you, because I like you."

"Well, I like you too, Willie," I responded, "very much."

"Papa!" Willie suddenly shouted, and stopped walking, standing as high on his toes as he could, as a tall gentleman hurried through the crowd, obviously having heard Willie's voice. "That's my papa!" Willie said, and nodded in the man's direction.

"Willie!" the man, who I presumed to be John, called out, and quickly darted through the press of people towards us. Once he'd made it through them all, Willie broke away from me and ran to him, John going onto his knees and wrapping his arms around him, and Willie flew into them. "I was worried half to death," John declared, pressing a kiss to Willie's temple, as I tentatively stepped forward. "I have told you not to run from me, Willie..."

"I know, Papa," Willie said quietly. "I am sorry... But Tris," he said, pulling back and gesturing towards me, "found me. She made sure I was all right."

John followed his son's gaze, his eyes landing upon me, and I very nearly gasped at the shade of startling blue which locked onto me. John blinked as if momentarily shocked, before he got back to his feet, retaining a firm grip upon Willie. "I cannot thank you enough for coming to my son's aid, Miss...?"

"Fraser," I said, giving John a compassionate smile, as I put out my hand. "Beatrice Fraser. A pleasure to meet you...?"

John became all the more stunned as he took ahold of my hand, but, instead of shaking it, kissed the back of it. "Lord John Grey, your humble servant, Miss Fraser," he said, and bowed his head reverently. "Do you by any chance know of a Jamie Fraser?"

I blinked, knowing that it would be potentially dangerous to admit that I was familiar with him, but, given the circumstances, he had served his time and was now a free man. And, to top it all off, the gentleman before me seemed so decent a fellow... "He is my father."

John, who had not yet released my hand, still appeared stunned. "You... But he... I beg your pardon, Miss Fraser, but I was informed that Master Fraser had lost a wife and child after the Battle of Culloden."

"My mother is alive and well, my lord," I told him, hoping that he kept a good hold upon Willie's hand, else he could become bored of our conversation and do another runner. "As for 'child', well, I believe you will soon find that the term 'children' is more appropriate, for I have a twin sister, Brianna."

"Ah, so there are two Miss Frasers, then?" John asked, looking down for a moment at Willie, who merely smiled up at him, before he turned his attention back onto me.

"No, there is just me, as my sister is just recently Mistress MacKenzie," I replied, wondering, for a moment, why I felt so at ease speaking with this man. "She and her husband, Roger, remained at The White Horse Inn, where we are staying. We came from Inverness just an hour ago, and they were...tired, from their journey," I said, looking down at Willie, who smiled at me, and I returned it. "My mother went to seek out my father," I continued, looking up at John again.

"You are tall, as he is," John said quietly, and I raised my eyebrows. "You also have his eyes... I should have known your identity from the moment I laid eyes on you."

I felt a thrumming from within me at his words, unsure of where it had come from, given that the feeling was so alien to me. "Thank you, my lord," I answered, knowing that it was quite simple to be genuine with this man. "And... Well, Willie is a credit to you," I said, looking down at his son once more. "He is positively wonderful, with impeccable manners."

"He should know better, when in a new place, not to run from me," John said, more in worry than in anger, and Willie lowered his eyes.

"He will learn, I'm sure," I said, looking down at him again, before I crouched before the young boy, who beamed at me, and straightened his cravat. "Now, I know you'll stay nearer to your dear papa, now won't you?"

Willie nodded, hesitating for a moment, before he let go of John's hand and wrapped his arms around my neck, trembling slightly. "I wish you were my mummy," he said softly.

I felt my heart going out to the poor boy, as I held him back. "You have a lovely papa, Willie, and I know he loves you very much."

Willie held onto me for a moment longer, before he seemingly forced himself away from me. "I wish you could stay with us..."

"Willie," John said, his tone a warning, though he flushed slightly.

I smiled at the boy as I returned to my feet, patting his cheek. "That is a lovely thought," I said quietly, giving John a smile as well, letting him know that I wasn't offended by his little son's words towards me. "But, I believe, since your father and mine know one another... Well, this may not be our final meeting."

Willie looked up at me, his eyes wide with excitement. "Papa, may we please see Miss Fraser again one day?" he cried, obviously excited.

John, his eyes locked onto mine, remained silent for a moment, before he answered, "I believe that can be arranged, if Miss Fraser is open to it."

I felt my lips forming into a smile. "I should like that very much, my lord. And," I said, turning my attention to Willie again, "I would very much like to see you again, Willie." As I turned my attention back towards John, however, I spotted a tall gentleman past him, further back in the crowd; he towered above everyone, had red hair, and was speaking to Mama. "O mo chreach," I breathed before I could stop myself.

John, who had, by this time, taken Willie by the hand again, turned his head, and was now looking at what I had just seen. His gaze turned back to me, looking back and forth; Jamie had yet to see me, and John said quietly, "You have yet to meet your father."

My gaze snapped back to his, my cheeks flushing at that, directly causing John to appear as if he was in pain. "I..." I turned back towards Mama and Jamie, and it was then that Jamie looked up and ahead of them, before he stopped walking, catching a glimpse of me for the first time. I swallowed, as we all stood there, momentarily frozen in time, before Jamie took the initiative and all but pushed his way through the crowd, only to stop once he saw that John and Willie were stood, just meters away from me. "John?" he asked.

John gave him a nod. "Hello."

"Mac!" cried Willie, his shout of excitement directly causing Mama to turn her head from where she still stood, speaking to one of the street vendors, and she watched as Willie ran for Jamie, throwing his arms around his legs. "I thought you were gone forever!"

"It was no' forever, Willie," Jamie responded, patting his head with affection, though his tone was awkward as he looked past John and back at me again. "Tris."

I gave him a short nod. "Hello, Da."

Jamie appeared stunned by the title, but seemed to grow at ease with it rather quickly, before he cleared his throat. "I see ye've met Lord John and his son, Willie..."

I nodded. "I have," I answered.

"Tris found me!" Willie said, eyes shining as he kept looking up at Jamie. "I ran away from Papa because I've never been to Scotland before!"

John lowered his gaze. "It was quite the fright he brought me," he said softly.

"But Tris came—she is an angel!" Willie declared happily, as Mama slowly but surely made her way through the crowd, and stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of Willie. "She was ever so kind to me, and dried my eyes with her very own handkerchief!" he continued, unaware of Mama staring at him, with something akin to devastation.

I flushed again as both Jamie and John looked over at me. "It... It seemed like the proper thing to do, when once sees a child in distress. Of course, I gave him the opportunity to do so himself," I added in quickly, not wanting John to think I'd forced physical contact upon his son, and didn't want to even begin to wonder why I cared so much about John's opinion on the matter, despite the notion that Willie was his son.

"I wanted her to dry my eyes," Willie said, his tone firm. "It was what a proper mummy would do, and I think Tris would make a proper mummy."

Jamie turned his attention from Willie to John, and something seemed to pass between them at Willie's words. "Is Isobel no'...?"

"We lost her to influenza just six months ago," John said softly.

"Papa has been lonely," Willie informed Jamie.

"Willie," John said, his tone firm.

Mama stepped forward during the lull in the conversation, positioning herself beside Jamie, before she rewarded John with a tight smile. "Hello," she said. "I'm Claire."

John's eyes widened for a moment before he took ahold of her outstretched hand. "Lord John Grey, at your service, Madam Malcolm," he said, bowing over it, obviously aware of what Jamie called himself in Edinburgh.

Mama nodded at John, affording him a respectful curtsy, before she turned her attention onto Willie, who smiled so genuinely up at her that her face melted. "Hello," she said, her voice kind as she looked down at him. "You must be Willie."

"Yes. Are you Tris's mummy?" Willie asked.

Mama smiled down at him. "Why, yes I am," she said.

Willie beamed at her. "Tris is pretty, like you, Madam Claire," he said, very resolute in his opinion. "I like Tris very much, and Papa does, too."

John cleared his throat. "Now, Willie..."

Willie, finally letting go of Jamie, turned to face his father. "You do like Tris, Papa," he said, putting out his lower lip in a slight pout.

I looked up and through the crowd, sensing something, something important, arriving in our midst, and it was only when I saw Brianna rushing forward, Roger at her heels, that I knew what was happening. I hurried around John and Jamie, as well as Mama and Willie, before I caught hold of Brianna's cool hands. "Are you all right?" I asked her, taking in her flushed cheeks and pounding heart. "What is it?"

"It felt like you were in trouble," she admitted.

"She wouldna fall asleep," Roger said quietly.

I gave Roger a small grimace. "I'm sorry about that," I said, turning around, and nodding towards John and Willie.

Brianna looked at the scene in front of us. "Who is that?" she asked.

I followed her gaze. "That is Lord John Grey, a friend of Jamie's, and his son, Willie. I came upon Willie, all alone..."

"Oh, no," Brianna said softly. "Was he lost?"

I nodded. "He was," I confirmed.

"He is very handsome," Brianna said.

"Oi," Roger said quietly, but chuckled, letting us know that he wasn't offended.

"Yes, he is," I agreed.

"Mama looks a little perturbed," Brianna observed, leaning back slightly into Roger. "Roger, don't you think Mama looks perturbed?"

Roger followed Brianna's gaze and rested it upon our mother. "In the little time I've come to ken Claire, aye," he said, nodding his head. "Yer sister often gave that expression whenever I gave her an assignment she didna like..."

"Hey, that's not fair," I said, turning to give Roger a hard look.

"Oh, you're doing it now," Brinna informed me, grinning.

I rolled my eyes at my sister's words before a quick pair of footsteps caught my attention, and I turned to see Willie hurrying towards us. "Willie, what did your papa tell you about running off?" I asked him firmly, catching ahold of his hands.

Willie sighed. "Papa and Mac are saying long words," he said, obviously not fully understanding the conversation he'd heard.

"Mac?" Brianna asked.

Willie turned and regarded Brianna for the first time, his eyes wide. "You're Mac's other daughter," he said with a smile.

Brianna smiled at him. "Yes, I am. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Brianna."

"My name is Willie," he responded, looking past Brianna and in Roger's direction.

Roger smiled. "My name is Roger. It's good to meet you, Willie."

Willie beamed at him. "A pleasure, Roger. You're tall, and kind, just like Mac. Mac worked at the place where I was born."

Roger leaned downwards and smiled at Willie. "Where were ye born, lad?"

"Helwater," Willie answered promptly. "Mac tended to the horses there. He taught me how to ride," he continued, his tone informing us that this was a cherished memory.

"Helwater?" Brianna asked, looking at me and Roger.

Roger shook his head. "I dinna ken it," he said softly.

"It is a big house," Willie said, not dissuaded at all, "far from here, in England. Mac lived there for quite a long time, and I've known him all my life."

"How old are you, Willie?" Brianna asked kindly.

"Eight years," Willie answered, standing up straight. "I'm a young man now."

I patted his head. "You certainly are," I informed him, looking at Brianna. "At least this accounts for where Jamie was after Ardsmuir," I said softly to her.

Brianna nodded. "It does," she said quietly.

Willie pulled slightly on my skirts, and I looked down at him again. "Tris?"

"Yes, Willie?"

Willie looked unsure. "I'm hungry."

"Are you?" I asked, looking past him towards John. "Well... Do you think your papa would mind if you had something to eat?"

Willie shook his head. "He wouldn't mind..."

Roger pulled out his pocket watch that he'd obtained from an antique shop. "It's gone noon now, high time for lunch," he put in. He looked around, spotted a street vendor selling food nearby, and hurried over. They spoke for a few moments, before coin was exchanged for food, and he hurried back towards us. "All right, Willie," Roger said, kneeling down, "I've got two choices for ye, all righ'?"

Willie nodded. "May I see, please, Roger?"

Roger smiled. "A'course ya can, lad," he said, opening up two of the parcels he held. "One of these is a Scotch egg," he explained, nodding to the meatball-like one. "It's an egg, wrapped in sausage. This one," he continued, "is Scotch pie, a pie filled with mutton, vegetables, and various herbs. Which one would you like?"

"The pie, please. Thank you, Roger," Willie responded.

Roger nodded. "Good lad," he said, handing the pie over to him, and immediately handing me one of the Scotch eggs.

Brianna blinked. "You didn't give Tris a choice," she pointed out.

"Ah, but Tris doesna like mutton," Roger explained. "Fiona wanted to make a leg of lamb last Christmas, but Father talked her out of it, due to Tris's aversion."

"And I appreciate you remembering that," I put in.

Brianna sighed. "I really hate that I don't know as much about you as I'd like..."

Willie, who was enjoying his pie, waited until he'd chewed and swallowed before he asked his next question. "Roger, who is Fiona?"

"Fiona was my father's housekeeper, Willie," Roger explained, taking a pie for himself, while Brianna opted for the Scotch egg as well. "A pleasant enough woman. She took over the position from her grandmother."

Willie nodded, absorbing the information, before he looked up at Brianna, his eyes filled with questions. "Why don't you know too much about Tris, Brianna?" he asked her.

"I... Well," Brianna said, looking at me in a panic.

"Brianna was raised in the Colonies, Willie," I explained carefully. "I was raised in a fair amount of places... I've been to France, Spain, and even Ireland. I have lived in Scotland since I was a bit younger than you, however."

Willie blinked, looking back and forth between us. "But you're sisters, twin sisters..."

Brianna nodded. "We are," she confirmed.

Willie appeared saddened for a moment. "But you should have been raised in the same household," he said, not fully understanding.

I smiled, smoothing Willie's brow. "It is a very long, very complicated story, Willie. Life sometimes has a way of being that way."

Willie sighed. "I know," he admitted quietly.

"Milady?"

I looked up as a young man came through the crowd, having spotted Mama, and turned to regard Brianna, who was watching the scene unfold as well.

"Fergus?" Mama breathed, hurrying towards him. "Fergus," she said again, wrapping her arms around him.

Willie turned his head to watch the exchange. "Who is that?" he asked softly.

"I think that's our brother," Brianna answered.

Roger, sensing that we would like a moment alone, turned to look at Willie, who had since finished his pie, and Roger had done so as well. "I saw some deer jumping over on the greenery, just there," he said, speaking directly to Willie, and nodding towards a significant space between two of the vendors, just a stone's throw away from where we stood. "Would ye like to come and look at them with me?"

Willie looked up at me, and then and Brianna, before he turned towards me again. "Should I go and look?" he asked.

"I think it could be quite a bit of fun," I answered, looking over at Brianna.

Brianna nodded at Willie. "And Roger can tell you a wonderful story about a young deer called Bambi," she said, looking at Roger.

"Oh, aye," Roger said quickly, nodding his head. "Bambi was a young deer who lived in the forest with his mother, as well as his two dearest friends, a rabbit called Thumper, and a skunk called Flower."

Willie's eyes widened. "A deer was friends with a skunk?" he cried out, obviously amused, and took Roger's offered hand to go and see the deer.

"What is it with boys and smelly things?" Brianna asked.

I laughed, shaking my head. "No idea, and I'm not sure I want to find out."

Mama was saying something to Fergus, before she looked in our direction, and he followed her gaze. She gave him a final embrace before gesturing towards the pair of us, and Fergus stepped in our direction, while Mama continued speaking to Jamie and John.

Fergus stepped forward, his blue eyes wide with excitement. "Is it true?" he asked, almost as if he was in disbelief. "Are you mes soeurs?"

"Oui, mon frère," I answered, and Fergus turned to gaze upon me, his lips forming a smile. "Je m'appelle Béatrice, et voici Brianna."

Fergus promptly smiled with clear excitement. "Je suis soulagée de savoir qu'une de mes sœurs parle français, panthèra," he declared, obviously pleased. "Est-ce que tu parles français aussi, ma renarde?" he asked, turning to Brianna.

Brianna slowly shook her head at him, as if she feared his potential disappointment. "Non, juste un peu," she said after a moment, looking back and forth between me and Fergus. "What did he call us?" she asked softly.

"He called me a panther, and you a fox, likely due to the color of our hair," I said softly, smiling at Brianna's naïvety. "Panthers come in black, and foxes are known for being red."

"Well, we can speak English, ma renarde, et ma panthèra," Fergus informed us in a reassuring manner, looking over his shoulder. "Milord seems worried. I know that Lord John Grey is a good man, though he has been sad, in the letters he sends milord, since Lady Isobel died..."

"Have you met Lord John before, Fergus?" Brianna asked.

Fergus gave a slight nod. "I have," he answered, smiling a bit. "It has been a while since he journeyed to Edinburgh for business, and he never came with..." He looked up, obviously having caught sight of Willie. "Who is that man speaking with him there?"

"Oh," Brianna said, following his gaze for a moment before turning back to address him properly with a smile, "that's my husband, Roger. He thought we may want a moment alone to meet you properly, so he took Willie over there so watch some of the deer."

Fergus smiled. "That was very kind of him. I'm sure you will want to meet Ian as well..."

I blinked, cocking my head to one side. "Ian?"

"Our cousin," Fergus said quickly. "He is here as well, assisting in the print shop. The lad is eager to learn, though he is only thirteen."

Brianna looked shocked at that. "Thirteen? Do his parents know he's here?"

"Uncle Ian and Aunt Jenny?" Fergus asked. "Ah, no. They would not approve of such a thing, believing his is destined for farm life."

I shook my head. "Although they should know where he is, they shouldn't force a particular way of life on him, if he doesn't want it. It will only hurt their bond."

Fergus nodded his head. "I agree, but our aunt certainly knows her own mind. She is a stubborn one, as all we Frasers are."

"Perhaps you would like to meet Roger?" Brianna asked.

Fergus nodded. "I would. He is to be my brother, after all," he declared, offering his arm to Brianna, as she led them over.

I smiled as I watched Brianna introduce them all, as well as Roger and Fergus attempting to make Willie laugh with funny expressions, all of which went over well. Even Brianna was laughing hysterically, and Roger lifted Willie up onto his shoulders, and they began to play at ponies. This lead me to remember how Max and Uncle Patrick had done such things with me as a little girl, and how simple everything was, before time travel came into the narrative—

"No!" Mama suddenly shouted, but Brianna, Roger, Fergus, and Willie did not hear, likely due to Roger and Fergus's antics, as well as Willie's laughter. Mama sounded quite angry, and as I turned to face her, noticed her cheeks were red with rage. "I don't care how you gentlemen believe things are done in the eighteenth-century! I won't have it!"

Jamie sighed. "Sassenach..."

"Jamie," Mama said, interrupting him, her tone clipped. "I realize that you trust Lord John with your life, given that your friendship began at Ardsmuir, as well as the notion that he got you paroled to England instead of the New World, but I won't have this, I won't!"

Jamie was clearly exasperated. "I dinna want ye to worry—"

"Worry?" Mama snapped. "You are literally asking me to sell one of my daughters—"

"I despise that word," John put in, as I found myself compelled to step closer to their tightly-wound triangle. "No one shall be selling anyone—"

"Marriages are merely contracts to nobility and royalty, my lord, where a dowry is paid on behalf of the bride's family for her upkeep," Mama informed him, as if she was speaking to a child. "I am sure you are aware of such practices."

"I am well aware of the traditions associated with marriage, I assure you, Madam Malcolm," John informed her, quite patient despite the circumstances, "however I would never take a bride who is unwilling to be married to me, nor would I be in need of a dowry. If one was accepted by me, mind you, I would place it in a trust for my wife to use whenever she liked or wanted, although I would not need funds to keep her happy."

"Claire, it is the best possible way," Jamie was saying, his tone urgent. "Willie would grow up with a mother—"

"It is a convoluted plan, Jamie," Mama said, shaking her head. "If you only knew what Beatrice had been through—"

"Mama, that's enough!" I cried, hurrying forward the rest of the way, my eyes temporarily darting around as I attempted to ensure that no one had been listening, but I couldn't be positively sure of that fact. "Other than the notion that Lord John and I have only just met mere moments before you and Da arrived, I am utterly convinced that he could never be so inclined to marry someone like me."

John turned to me with such suddenness and such heat in his gaze that I promptly turned to meet his eyes. "I am confident that any daughter of Jamie Fraser's would be completely wonderful a bride to anyone, Miss Fraser."

I felt my jaw drop in the most unbecoming way, before I shook my head for a moment and reached outwards, placing a hand upon John's arm. "Won't you excuse us?" I asked, the question directed at Mama and Jamie, before I promptly dragged John away from them, and into a little alcove a few yards away, so that we were still visible to them, but our conversation wouldn't be heard do to the thrum of activity around us. I dropped my hold upon him and stepped a respectable distance away, before I looked up at him. "I am sorry to drag you away from my parents like that, my lord. It was most unladylike, one of the largest examples of why any marriage between us would be unsuitable."

John shook his head. "Other than the notion that we have just met one another, I cannot fathom why you would not suit me, Miss Fraser." He chuckled. "Although, of course, it is seen as a blessing if one knows one's future spouse. Isobel and I grew up as children, so we had that on our side when I proposed to her, not long after Willie's birth..." He turned his head, looking over towards his son, and smiled as he saw Brianna laughing while Roger and Fergus were playing with him. "I know Fergus, and I am sure your brother-in-law is a wonderful gentleman."

"He was a university professor," I told John softly, "and took me on as his private student."

John turned to look at me again. "You? A woman?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Why not? Perhaps this will convince you that I am an unsuitable bride for you."

John smiled. "Although I am surprised that a woman gained any form of university education, I am not against it. You must be very bright."

"In some areas, I am," I replied. "Brianna and I we... We were not raised together."

John looked stunned. "I do not understand."

"My mother believed that Jamie had died at Culloden, so she went to the Colonies for a new life, not wanting to bring danger to Lallybroch," I answered quietly. "While she was there, she found out that she was with child, and married another man called Frank. Frank agreed to raise the child as his own, but my mother was ill after the birth, leading Frank to select Brianna, and send me off to an orphanage in Mississippi," I continued, recalling the first area where such an institution had been established, in 1729.

John looked angered. "Dear God in heaven," he breathed.

"It wasn't all bad; I was taken into the home of a Maximilian and Virginia Carlyle; he was an engineer, constructing bridges and aqueducts throughout the world, while his wife was a governess to various families," I went on, smiling slightly, for, in the early years, I was well-loved and cared for. "Max was a hard worker, while Virginia had a much simpler schedule, and devoted much time to raising me. It was a bitter blow when there was a bridge collapse near Inverness when I was a little girl, which caused my mother to turn to drink, and invite unsavory men home from the pub..."

John's eyes were wide. "Beatrice," he whispered, and I did not fault him for addressing me by my first name.

"It only took a short time for her to permit the men to use me however they liked, and she would whip me if I refused," I continued, while John appeared enraged. "I took the razor my father had left upon his death, and used it as an implement upon myself," I said softly, recalling the blade shimmering in the light for a moment before I had drawn it across the flesh of both my inner arms and legs. "I suppose a large part of me believed that, if I made myself ugly, then the men wouldn't want me anymore..." I shook my head, turning it slightly to dash the tears from my eyes as I said quietly, "It did not work, of course..."

John slowly reached outwards, so that I could see his movement, and offered me his hand, which I took, and he gently brought his other hand to cradle it. "I see nothing but the maiden before me who brought me over here just moments ago, although now I know her far better than before," he informed me softly.

I looked up at him. "That is one way to describe it, yes."

John sighed, not releasing my hand. "Willie needs a mother," he said softly, "and he is correct; I have been lonely since we lost Isobel."

I swallowed. "John, I am not a maid," I whispered, keeping my voice down. "You can't honestly think that—"

"How old were you when it began?"

I gritted my teeth. "Ten."

"And when it ended?"

"Fourteen," I whispered.

"Ah, see? There. You were but a child," John informed me, although his tone was gentle. "You did not want what happened to you to happen."

I nodded. "You are correct, however—"

"I felt something when I saw you, Beatrice, something which I never considered happening to me again," he said quietly. "Did you not feel something, anything?"

I nodded despite myself. "I did," I told him. "Other than the notion that you were, by far, the most handsome man I'd ever laid eyes upon, I knew you were good, because you were Willie's father, and he had spoken of you with such love and care..."

John sighed. "Willie was my late wife, Isobel's, sister's son," he said softly. "Her mother and father married her off to the eighth Earl of Ellesmere, and she passed away in childbirth. The earl was killed in a misadventure not long thereafter. I asked Isobel to be my wife, so that we could ensure that Willie was given a good life."

I felt my eyes prickling slightly with tears. "So, not only are you kind, well-spoken, considerate, but you obviously have a great love of children..." I shook my head. "I also sense that you are sensitive and patient. All things that anyone would value in a husband..."

"I would certainly like to believe I have all those qualities," John answered. "As for you, I know that you are intelligent, given that you received some university education. What was the subject that Roger taught?"

"History," I answered.

John smiled. "There you are. You are also honest, modest, quick-thinking, not to mention beautiful, and Willie was immediately taken with you."

I smiled at that. "I adored him almost at once," I admitted. "I always wanted children, and you mentioned yourself that he was in need of a mother..."

John leaned downwards and, ever so slightly, pressed a kiss to the back of my hand. "What is your entire name, my dear?" he asked.

I felt shivers enveloping my entire body at the nickname. "Beatrice Eryn Fraser," I told him, thus truly cementing myself as Jamie Fraser's daughter.

"Well, then, Beatrice Eryn Fraser," John said, and knelt down before me, to which I saw Brianna patting Roger and Fergus on their arms, so that they could watch, "would you do me the honor of becoming my wife, as well as Willie's mother?"

I gasped slightly, knowing that this would displease Mama for some odd reason, but I found, for the first time, I did not care. I had always wanted a marriage, children, and the notion that I had told someone as good as John about my past, which he had not only taken extremely well, but did not fault me for it... I knew the time had come for me to accept something for myself, for the first time in my life. "Yes, John," I answered, nodding. "I will. I will marry you."