"Did she manage to get a fair price?"

"More than fair, there were many willing to…"

"And did my sister pay her own way?"

"She mentioned your brother made all the arrangements for her, Sir."

"I see. Thank you, Alistair, that will be all." Hannish watched the door close and then read the short, but to the point, cablegram again:

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All rooms filled STOP

No George Graham aboard STOP

Pleasure to meet you and charming wife STOP

Hannish wadded the cablegram up and threw it across the room.

*

It wasn't long before the sky outside looked as gloomy as Hannish felt. Rain was beginning to pound against the windows and he found he could not stay in his study a moment more. He picked up the cablegram, smoothed it out, put it in his desk drawer, and went to see what his sister was up to. He found her surrounded by women in the upstairs sitting room, all of whom were looking out the window. At a sudden flash of lightning, each of them drew back a little.

Sassy giggled, "We dinna often see it in the orphanage. It frightened Old Mrs. Forthright and she'd not let us near the windows. We could see the light, but…" Just then, loud thunder rolled across the sky and then slowly subsided.

"Oh look," McKenna said, "you can see it dance all the way to Kansas. How thrilling!"

"Mrs. Forthright was right to be frightened, Sassy," said Blanka. "You will surely die if it hits you. In Scotland, I once saw it split a tree in half."

Sarah sighed. "What I love is the way the rain washes the earth. Everything smells so new and fresh afterwards. You can smell rain coming, you know."

"How?" McKenna asked. "I have never smelled it in Scotland."

"I do not know, but you will smell it here someday," Sarah answered. "It is spring and it often rains in spring."

"Does it snow in spring?" Donnel wanted to know.

Sarah answered, "I have seen it snow a foot in June."

Sassy wrinkled her brow. "We were not allowed out in the snow either. How deep is a foot, exactly?"

Sarah held her hands apart to indicate the depth. "As deep as this and you best not go out until the paths are swept. It is slippery."

"We opened a window last year and touched it," Sassy bragged. "But we was caught; she was always catchin' us."

"What did she do?" McKenna asked.

Sassy giggled. "She spanked me good. Then she made me take care of the babies for a whole month while Miss Mary was away. I dinna let on, but I love holdin' the babies and rockin' them to sleep. I had the knack, the others said. Miss McKenna, you best get busy as I'll be needin' a baby to rock soon." Sassy enjoyed the disturbed look on McKenna's face and then laughed with the others.




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