“Who is that?” Reina asked, poking the air at Samantha. “The one you warm your bed with now? He always gets tired of women once he has had them in bed few times, does our Faren. Bet he never told you that.”<br/><br/>She came in, towing the little girl, making herself right at home. Nimue’s mouth opened and closed a few times. She normally had something to say but words failed her now.<br/><br/>“Yes indeedy. Ole Faren, here, is good between the sheets and fertile too.” Reina slung the little girl around in front of her. “ I don’t know what he told you, but he has obligations to Maisie and me. If he told you he would marry you, then he is a liar, an adulterer and a bigamist. “<br/><br/>She held  out her hand and flashed a plain gold band toward Samantha. Samantha had just sat there and stared stupidly at Faren, at the woman and at the child. She wasn’t sure who was more bewildered, her or the little girl.<br/>Samantha stared at Faren and slowly withdrew her hand from his.<br/><br/>“Samantha, you are white as a sheet.” Nimue hissed, “Don’t faint.”<br/><br/>Reina kept talking to Samantha although Samantha didn’t respond.<br/><br/>“You seem familiar.” She said. “ I left Cornwall right after Faren here disappeared, although you seem familiar.” She snapped her fingers. “The gardener’s wife. That is who you look like.”<br/><br/>Samantha whispered, folding her hands in her lap. They used to always be stained from the work with the plants and the green cuticles had been an embarrassment.<br/><br/>“I’m the gardener’s daughter,” she whispered.<br/><br/>“That’s right. I remember now. Every one used to talk about how homely you are. Well, I can tell you that Maisie isn’t homely. No sirree. She looks like her daddy and I have come to fetch him home.”