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Show Page 88 I snapped. "And that does not include indentured servants!" I could have bitten off my tongue for those false words, for I was not one to judge a person by the rank he held in life. Had I not criticized Richard Kean for doing just that? The color had fled from John's face, leaving only a spot of red upon each cheek and the lines about his lips drawn tight and pale. The flecks of gold in his eyes had dimmed, leaving a prick of pain in their dark depths. "I did not mean to speak so unkindly," I said hastily, sorely regretting that I had so wounded him with my thoughtless speech. "My words were unjust. Please forgive me." "Your apologies are accepted," John replied. He bent and began to fill my basket with strawberries. He looked not upon me again until we had reached the palisade gate of my home. Then he said, "The fishing went well today. Perhaps Mistress Davidson would like some herring for the evening meal." "I'm certain she would appreciate it," I said softly, hoping to make amends. "It is very thoughtful of you.. "You must be a good fisherman to have done so well," I added, noting the large string of fish he had uncovered in the basket Rawhunt carried. "I am a hopeless fisherman. It is my friend here who knows the ways of the water and is willing to bide my companionship and teach me what he knows. The natives of Virginia do not mind that I am a servant and will remain so for |