{"product_id":"fair-is-the-rose-isbn-9781578561278","title":"Fair Is the Rose","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Scottish Lowlands, October 1789.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eA\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eyear has come and gone since Jamie McKie fled for his life, arriving at Auchengray in search of sanctuary and a bonny wife. Young Rose McBride, as fair a lass as any in Scotland, dearly loves her handsome cousin—but so does her older sister, Leana. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDetermined to have Jamie all to herself, Rose puts in motion one desperate plan after another, enlisting the aid of Lillias Brown, a wise woman—a \u003ci\u003ewutch,\u003c\/i\u003e some say—still keen on the old ways. Impetuous Rose ignores the cruel whispers that travel up and down the parish hills, never dreaming of the tragic consequences that await her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer sister, Leana, clings to her hard-won sense of peace and assurance by a slender thread of faith. Day and night, Leana’s hours are apent caring for wee Ian and praying that her future will hold more promise than her past.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJamie McKie is busy making his own plans to return home to Glentrool and claim his inheritance. To do so means facing Evan, the brother whose blessing he stole, and Alec, the father whom he ruthlessly deceived. It is a perilous journey that will test the depth of his courage, the strength of his sword, and the tenacity of his vow to honor Almighty God, no matter the cost.\u003cp\u003e“Wonderful writing and a terrific story. Fair Is the Rose explores living, breathing people with heart-wrenching conflicts and one woman with a faith that shines. The reader is transported. Be sure to have a box of tissues close at hand.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e–Francine Rivers, author of Redeeming Love\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A colorful tapestry woven from painstaking research, a rich, vivid setting, and compelling, wonderfully real characters. With excellent writing and a keen understanding of human nature, Liz Curtis Higgs delivers a first-rate, fascinating historical saga. As big and bold a story as the Galloway landscape where it takes place and the hearts of the people who inhabit it.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e–B. J. Hoff, author of Cadence and An Emerald Ballad\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eOch!\u003c\/i\u003e What a \u003ci\u003eguid buik\u003c\/i\u003e! Once again Liz Curtis Higgs transported me to 18th-century Scotland and caused me to lose my heart to Jamie, Leana, and Rose. I couldn't help but yearn for all three to find lasting love and happiness. The next installment can't get here fast enough to suit me.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e–Robin Lee Hatcher, author of Catching Katie and Beyond the Shadows \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Fair Is the Rose is an absolutely stunning sequel to Thorn In My Heart. I was transported back in time to my ancestral Scotland and relished every moment. An exceptional work!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e–Linda Lee Chaikin, author of Yesterday’s Promise\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Liz Higgs’s writing resonates with romance and the inward struggles of the human heart. You can almost hear the tunes rising o’er the brae.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e–Patricia Hickman, author of Fallen Angels and Nazareth’s Song\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eLiz Curtis Higgs\u003c\/b\u003e has been telling tales since she wrote her first “novel” at the tender age of ten. Careers in broadcasting, public speaking, nonfiction writing, and children’s books brought her back to her first love–fiction–at the turn of the 21st century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSince 1986, Liz Curtis Higgs has presented more than 1,500 inspirational programs for audiences in all 50 states as well as Germany, England, Canada, Ecuador, France, and Scotland. In 1995, Liz received the highest award for speaking excellence, the “Council of Peers Award for Excellence,” becoming one of only forty women in the world named to the Speaker Hall of Fame by the National Speakers Association.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeature articles about Liz have appeared in more than 250 major newspapers and magazines across the country, and she has been interviewed on more than 600 radio and television stations, including guest appearances on PBS\/\u003ci\u003eReligion \u0026amp; Ethics NewsWeekly, \u003c\/i\u003eA \u0026amp; E, MSNBC, NPR, CBC Canada, BBC Radio Scotland, \u003ci\u003eFocus on the Family,\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eJanet Parshall’s America.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA member of Novelists, Inc., Liz now focuses her writing efforts on historical fiction, particularly novels set in eighteenth-century Scotland. To aid in her research, she has visited the U.K. on eight occasions, including her \"Heart for Scotland\" 12-city U.K. book tour in October 2003, and she has collected nearly 700 resource books on Scottish history and culture. A graduate of Bellarmine College with a B.A. in English, Liz is a member of the Eighteenth-Century Scottish Studies Society and the Dumfries \u0026amp; Galloway Family History Society, as well as supporting the National Museums of Scotland, Historic Scotland, and the National Trust for Scotland.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLiz is the author of twenty-one books, with more than 2 million in print. Her fiction to date includes two historical novels and two contemporary novels:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e• Fair Is the Rose\u003cbr\u003e• Thorn in My Heart\u003cbr\u003e• Bookends\u003cbr\u003e• Mixed Signals\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eThe most recent of her 11 nonfiction, best-selling books include…\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003cbr\u003e• Unveiling Mary Magdalene\u003cbr\u003e• Really Bad Girls of the Bible\u003cbr\u003e• Bad Girls of the Bible \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eThe above titles also have corresponding VHS videos and companion workbooks.\u003cbr\u003eAnd she has written five books for young children:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e• Go Away, Dark Night\u003cbr\u003e• The Parable of the Lily \u003cbr\u003e• The Pine Tree Parable \u003cbr\u003e• The Sunflower Parable\u003cbr\u003e• The Pumpkin Patch Parable\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eHer children’s Parable Series was awarded the ECPA Gold Medallion for Excellence at the Christian Booksellers Association Convention in July 1998, and her book \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBad Girls of the Bible\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e was an ECPA Gold Medallion Finalist\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003ein 2000. Her first novel, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMixed Signals\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, was a RITA Finalist for both Best First Novel and Best Inspirational Novel. Her second novel, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003eBookends\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, was a Christy Finalist for Best Contemporary Fiction. And her third novel, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003eThorn in My Heart\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, was a #1 historical fiction Christian bestseller, followed by a second historical bestseller, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003eFair Is the Rose\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhence Came a Prince\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e,\u003c\/i\u003e the latest novel in the series, publishes in March 2005. In addition, Liz is the editor of an annual newsletter, \u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003eThe Graceful Heart\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, with 25,000 readers, and is a columnist for \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eToday’s Christian Woman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e magazine with her back page feature,\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\"Life with Liz.\" Her first video Bible study series, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLoved by God,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e was released in March 2004.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn the personal side, Liz is married to Bill Higgs, Ph.D., who serves as Director of Operations for her speaking and writing office. Liz and Bill share their 19th-century farmhouse in Louisville, KY, with their two teenagers, Matthew and Lillian, and too many cats. For more about Liz, visit her Web site: \u003cu\u003ewww.LizCurtisHiggs.com\u003c\/u\u003e.\u003cb\u003eChapter One\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNever wedding, ever wooing,\u003cbr\u003eStill a lovelorn heart pursuing,\u003cbr\u003eRead you not the wrong you’re doing\u003cbr\u003eIn my cheek’s pale hue?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTHOMAS CAMPBELL\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNewabbey Parish Manse\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eOctober 1789\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRose McBride pressed her back against the paneled wall, her gaze\u003cbr\u003efixed on the man kneeling by her sister’s bedside. She could not\u003cbr\u003esee Jamie McKie’s face at that late hour. Only his sleek brown hair,\u003cbr\u003etied at the nape of his neck, and his favorite blue waistcoat, crumpled\u003cbr\u003efrom a long day of waiting for his son to be born. Moments after the\u003cbr\u003echild had made his entrance into the world, Jamie had appeared in the\u003cbr\u003ebirthing room and sent her heart spinning.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe’d not come to see \u003ci\u003eher, \u003c\/i\u003ebut Rose would see her fill of \u003ci\u003ehim. \u003c\/i\u003eAye,\u003cbr\u003eshe would.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA peat fire burned low in the grate, barely warming the chilly room.\u003cbr\u003eThe minister’s spence served as a parlor during the day and as a bedroom\u003cbr\u003eand study in the evening. ’Twas the last place her sister had expected to\u003cbr\u003egive birth; when her labor had started in the middle of services, Leana\u003cbr\u003ehad had little choice. Though Rose’s knees ached from crouching in the\u003cbr\u003esame position for several minutes, she dared not move and risk discovery.\u003cbr\u003eHer beloved Jamie had yet to spy her hiding behind the high-backed\u003cbr\u003echair in the darkest corner. She intended to keep it that way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow he was leaning toward her sister, Leana. Touching her hand,\u003cbr\u003ethen caressing his son’s wee head. The catch in his voice said more than\u003cbr\u003ehis words. “Leana, will you forgive me?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNae! \u003c\/i\u003eRose bit down on her lower lip, fighting tears. \u003ci\u003e’Tis Leana’s fault,\u003cbr\u003enot yours, Jamie.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe could not hear the whispered words that followed, but her eyes\u003cbr\u003etold her more than she wanted to know. Leana brushed aside her damp\u003cbr\u003eblond hair and put the babe to her breast while Jamie stood gazing\u003cbr\u003edown at her, his growing fondness for Leana palpable even from a distance.\u003cbr\u003eRose averted her gaze, though the tender image lingered. Why,\u003cbr\u003eoh, why hadn’t she left the room with the others?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll at once they both laughed, and Leana’s voice carried across the\u003cbr\u003eroom. “One has found a way to come between us.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRose swallowed hard. Did Leana mean the babe…or her?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Nothing will come between us again,” Jamie said firmly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe means me. \u003c\/i\u003eRose clutched the back of the chair, feeling faint.\u003cbr\u003eWhy would he say such a thing? \u003ci\u003eYou love me, Jamie. You \u003c\/i\u003eken \u003ci\u003eyou do.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJamie entreated her sister with words no woman could resist. “Will\u003cbr\u003eyou give me a chance to prove myself to you?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProve yourself ? Oh, Jamie. \u003c\/i\u003eRose sank to the floor on her knees, not\u003cbr\u003ecaring if they heard her, not caring if she drew another breath. Jamie,\u003cbr\u003ethe handsome cousin who had kissed her that very morning, was prepared\u003cbr\u003eto put her aside like a dish of half-eaten pudding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“We shall begin again,” she heard her sister say. “Now then, tell me\u003cbr\u003eabout your dream.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“So I will.” A chair scraped against the wooden floor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuch as Rose tried to resist, Jamie’s voice, low and familiar, drew\u003cbr\u003eher like smoke to a flue. He spun a far-fetched story about the night he\u003cbr\u003eleft his home in Glentrool and slept on a stony cairn among the crushed\u003cbr\u003eberries of a leafy Jacob’s ladder plant. Then he dreamed of a mountain,\u003cbr\u003ehe said, taller than any in Galloway and bright as a full moon in a midnight\u003cbr\u003esky. Winged creatures moved up and down the mountainsides\u003cbr\u003elike stairsteps, and a voice roared like the sea.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What did this…this \u003ci\u003evoice \u003c\/i\u003etell you?” Leana asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Jamie did not respond, Rose shifted to see him better, her\u003cbr\u003ecuriosity aroused. In a twelvemonth, Jamie had not mentioned such a\u003cbr\u003edream to her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Leana, it was a voice like no other. Wondrous. And \u003ci\u003efrichtsome. \u003c\/i\u003eThe words clapped like thunder: ‘Behold, I am with you wherever you go. I will never leave you.’ ”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeana gasped. “But, Jamie–”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Aye, lass. The same words you whispered to me on our wedding\u003cbr\u003enight.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNae! \u003c\/i\u003eRose pressed her hands to her ears at the very moment a sharp\u003cbr\u003eknock sounded at the door. Startled, she fell forward with a soft cry, her\u003cbr\u003ehiding place forgotten.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeana’s voice floated across the room. “Who’s there, behind the\u003cbr\u003echair?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRose drew back, her heart pounding beneath her stays. But it was\u003cbr\u003etoo late. Taking a long, slow breath, she stood to her feet and did her\u003cbr\u003ebest to look penitent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe peat fire lit Jamie’s astonished face. “Rose?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShame burned her cheeks. Before she could find words to explain\u003cbr\u003eherself, the door creaked open, and the coppery head of their housekeeper,\u003cbr\u003eNeda Hastings, appeared.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Leana, I’ve come \u003ci\u003etae \u003c\/i\u003esee ye get some rest…” Neda’s words faded as\u003cbr\u003eshe caught sight of Rose. “There ye are, lass! I \u003ci\u003ethocht \u003c\/i\u003eye’d wandered off\u003cbr\u003etae the kitchen.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Nae.” She could not look at Jamie. “I…I wanted to see…the baby.”\u003cbr\u003e“Come, dearie,” Leana murmured, stretching out her hand. “You\u003cbr\u003ehad only to ask.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGathering her skirts and her courage about her, Rose crossed the\u003cbr\u003ewooden floor to Leana’s bedside, barely noticing the others as her gaze\u003cbr\u003efell on the tiny bundle in Leana’s arms. “Isn’t he a dear thing?” While\u003cbr\u003eLeana held back the linen blanket, Rose smoothed her hand across Ian’s\u003cbr\u003edowny hair, as rich a brown as Jamie’s own. “ ’Tis so soft,” she whispered.\u003cbr\u003eHad she ever touched anything more precious? His little head fit\u003cbr\u003eperfectly within the cup of her hand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Would you like to hold him, Rose?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer breath caught. “Might I?” She bent down, surprised to find her\u003cbr\u003earms were shaking. She’d held babies before, but not this one. Not\u003cbr\u003eJamie’s. “Ohh,” she said when Leana placed the babe in the crook of her\u003cbr\u003earm. “How warm he is!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRose held Ian close and bent her head over his, breathing in the scent of his skin, marveling at how pink he was. And how small. Deep inside her a longing stirred to life, as if some unnamed desire had waited for this moment to arrive. All of her sixteen years Rose had feared motherhood; the miracle in her arms put such foolish concerns to rest. Her mother had died in childbirth, yet Leana had lived, and so had her babe. “My own nephew,” Rose said gently, stroking his cheek. “Ian James McKie.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo wonder Jamie was enchanted. Leana was not the one who’d\u003cbr\u003estolen Jamie’s heart this night; it was Ian, his newborn son.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNeda came up behind her, resting her hands on Rose’s shoulders,\u003cbr\u003epeering round her to look at the babe. “Ye’ll make a fine \u003ci\u003emither \u003c\/i\u003esomeday.\u003cbr\u003eSuppose ye \u003ci\u003egie \u003c\/i\u003eIan back tae yer sister afore he starts to \u003ci\u003egreet.\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Aye.” Rose did as she was told, chagrined at how cool and empty\u003cbr\u003eher arms felt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The \u003ci\u003eauld \u003c\/i\u003ewives say,” Neda cooed, tucking Leana’s bedcovers in\u003cbr\u003eplace, “the child that’s born on the Sabbath day is blithe and bonny and\u003cbr\u003egood and gay. Isn’t that so, Mr. McKie?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJamie smiled down at his son. “Ian is all those things.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Jamie lifted his head, Rose looked into his eyes, hoping she\u003cbr\u003emight find his love for her reflected there. “I’m sorry, Jamie. For hiding\u003cbr\u003ein the corner.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“No harm was done, Rose.” His steady gaze confused her. Was he\u003cbr\u003eglad she was there? Or eager for her to leave?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNeda picked up the candle by the bed and waved it toward the\u003cbr\u003edoor. “Go along, lass. And ye as well, Mr. McKie. Leana needs a bit\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003emair \u003c\/i\u003ecare and a \u003ci\u003eguid \u003c\/i\u003edeal o’ sleep. We’ll bring yer wife and babe \u003ci\u003ehame\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003etae Auchengray soon.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRose took her leave, pretending not to notice as Jamie bent down\u003cbr\u003eto kiss her sister’s hand, then her brow, then her mouth, where he tarried\u003cbr\u003elonger than duty required. \u003ci\u003eOh, Jamie. \u003c\/i\u003eHad his affections shifted\u003cbr\u003eso quickly? In a day? In an hour? Rose closed the door behind her,\u003cbr\u003eshutting out the worst of it. Her empty stomach squeezed itself into a\u003cbr\u003ehard knot, even as her chin began to wobble. She would not cry. She\u003cbr\u003ewould \u003ci\u003enot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe hall was pitch-black, the last of the candles snuffed out by the\u003cbr\u003ethrifty minister’s wife, who’d shooed her household off to bed an hour\u003cbr\u003eago. Rose halted, unsure of her way in the darkness. Was that her green\u003cbr\u003ecloak hanging near the door or someone else’s? She would need its thick\u003cbr\u003ewoolen folds for the journey home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBehind her the spence door shut with a faint click of the latch.\u003cbr\u003e“Rose?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJamie. \u003c\/i\u003eShe could not bring herself to answer him, though she sensed\u003cbr\u003ehim closing the distance between them, his footsteps echoing in the\u003cbr\u003eempty hall. His hand touched her waist. “Rose, you must understand…”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I do understand.” Her voice remained steady while the rest of her\u003cbr\u003etrembled. “Now that she has given you a healthy son, Leana is the one\u003cbr\u003eyou love.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Nae, Rose.” Jamie grasped her elbow and spun her about. The heat\u003cbr\u003eof his fingers penetrated the fabric of her gown, and his eyes bored into\u003cbr\u003ehers. “To my shame, I do not love Leana. Not yet.” He lowered his\u003cbr\u003evoice, tightening his grip on her arm. “But I will learn to love your sister.\u003cbr\u003eBy all that’s holy, I must, Rose. She is my wife, the mother of my son,\u003cbr\u003eand–”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“And she loves you.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe dared not disagree, for they both knew it was true. “Aye, she\u003cbr\u003edoes.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Well, so do I.” Swallowing her pride, Rose reached up to caress his\u003cbr\u003eface, reveling at the rough feel of his unshaven skin. “And you love me,\u003cbr\u003eJamie. You told me so again this morning, you said–”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Things I should not have said on this or any other Sabbath.” Jamie\u003cbr\u003eturned away, releasing his hold on her. “Something happened this day,\u003cbr\u003eRose.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Aye. Your son was born–”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Before that, I mean. I had a discussion with Duncan.” He hung\u003cbr\u003ehis head. “More like a confession.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Duncan, you say?” Neda’s husband, the overseer of Auchengray,\u003cbr\u003ewas a good man and kind. But unbending when it came to certain\u003cbr\u003ematters. “Whatever did you confess to him?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The truth.” The relief on Jamie’s face was visible even in the dim\u003cbr\u003eentrance hall. “I promised Duncan…nae, I promised God that I would\u003cbr\u003ebe a good husband to Leana and a good father to Ian. I must keep that\u003cbr\u003epromise now. You ken I must.” He stared down at the flagstone floor,\u003cbr\u003ehis voice strained. “Let me go, Rose. Please.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Let you \u003ci\u003ego?\u003c\/i\u003e” Her throat tightened. “But, Jamie, I love you. After\u003cbr\u003eall we’ve been through, how can you ask such a thing of me?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Because you love your sister.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe cringed at the reminder. “Not as much as I love you.”\u003cbr\u003eJamie looked up. “You’ve loved her longer though. Every day of\u003cbr\u003eyour life.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Not this day,” Rose protested, though they both knew she didn’t\u003cbr\u003emean it. Hour after hour she’d held Leana’s hand, pleading with her not\u003cbr\u003eto die, praying for her with Neda and the others. Aye, she loved her\u003cbr\u003esister. But she loved Jamie as well. How could she possibly let him go?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe took her hand and led her toward the hall bench, pulling her\u003cbr\u003edown onto the wooden seat next to him. “Rose…” His voice was as tender\u003cbr\u003eas she’d ever heard it. “I saw you with Ian. You were born to be a\u003cbr\u003emother. And someday you will surely be one. But first you must find a\u003cbr\u003ehusband of your own.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003ePlease, \u003c\/i\u003eJamie!” Did he not understand? Did he not \u003ci\u003esee? \u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eYou \u003c\/i\u003eshould\u003cbr\u003ehave been my husband. And Ian my son–”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Nae!”\u003c\/i\u003eHe fell back against the wall with a groan. “I beg you, do not\u003cbr\u003esay such things, Rose. ’Tis too late for all of that. God in his mercy\u003cbr\u003ehas forgiven my unfaithful heart, and I will not disappoint him–or\u003cbr\u003eLeana–again.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer heart sank. “Instead you will disappoint me.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Aye, it seems I must.” Jamie turned toward her, his face a handbreadth\u003cbr\u003eaway. “Forgive me, darling Rose. You were my first love; I cannot\u003cbr\u003edeny it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis first love. But not his last. \u003c\/i\u003eShe closed her eyes. He was too near.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I may never care for Leana as I have for you. But I must try. Don’t\u003cbr\u003eyou see?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I…” She could hold back her tears no longer. “I only see that you\u003cbr\u003edon’t want me.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As my cousin, always. But not as my wife.” His grip tightened.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“You must let me go, Rose. For Ian’s sake.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe stood, tugging her hands free to wipe her cheeks, looking away\u003cbr\u003elest he see the sorrow in her eyes. “You ask too much of me, Jamie. You\u003cbr\u003eask…too much.” She fled for the front door, stopping long enough to\u003cbr\u003efling her cloak over her shoulders before disappearing into the fogshrouded\u003cbr\u003enight.","brand":"WaterBrook","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305056719077,"sku":"NP9781578561278","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781578561278.jpg?v=1767726637","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/fair-is-the-rose-isbn-9781578561278","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}