Once she even said outright "If you are gay and want to bewith someone else, just let me know - I don't want to stand in your way."He had spent a long...time reassuring her it was just a joke and he saw nowthat it wasn't really funny (even though he didn't really see that atall.) Eventually it had all blown over, and both of them (he assumed)had forgotten all about it.A horn sounded next to him and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Passingby was Ellen, who cleaned his house every two weeks. He. Give my love to Iain." Thank you, sweety."The following Sunday was indeed fun. The two families took to each other immediately, particularly Tricia and Zoë. Iain very tactfully let Jerry know that he would be happy to help him out with the wedding expenses. Jerry was very grateful. Emma had told him that Will had years earlier put some money aside for the girls' weddings but it was not a huge amount and, from his own point of view, an army pension, while quite adequate for normal living. Sarah and Aoifa held hands as they joined us. Sarah's face seemed pale, but Aoifa whispered encouraging words to her. She was probably quoting scripture from the Glassnerian bible. Aoifa had her faith in my father and step-mother. I didn't. I had faith in my family traveling with us.“We need to be quiet,” Chase said as she looked at the city. “It appears empty, but I doubt it. Let's not attract notice.”Sister Stella nodded. Today she held Alison's bridle. Chase had her bow out and the string. Soon, the pains too have faded to the back of my mind. My nostrils are filled with the scents of the forest, even as, inevitably, the hunger starts to grow.The moist black tip of my nose twitches as it catches a faint whiff of what I must have, and my guts twist in anticipation as I turn to follow the scent.I do not have far to go, but the hated scent of man is all about, so I circle warily. My nose and ears tell me exactly where my prey is, but I have learned from painful experience not to.