Outlander Kitchen

Murtagh’s Gift to Ellen from Outlander

I caught a strange nonmetallic gleam in the depths of the box, and pointed.  “What’s that?”

“Oh, those,” she said, dipping into the box again.  “I’ve never worn them; they don’t suit me.  But you could wear them — you’re tall and queenly, like my mother was.  They were hers, ye ken.”

They were a pair of bracelets.  Each made from the curving, almost-circular tusk of a wild boar, polished to a deep ivory glow, the ends capped with silver tappets, etched with flowered tracery.

“Lord, they’re gorgeous!”  I’ve never seen anything so…so wonderfully barbaric.”

Jenny was amused.  “Aye, that they are.  Someone gave them to Mother as a wedding gift, but she never would say who.  My father used to tease her now and then about her admirer, but she wouldna tell him, either, just smiled like a cat that’s had cream to its supper.  Here, try them.”

The ivory was cool and heavy on my arm.  I couldn’t resist stroking the deep yellow surface, grained with age.

“Aye, they suit ye,” Jenny declared.  “And they go wi’ that yellow gown, as well.  Here are the earbobs — put these on, and we’ll go down.”

Diana Gabaldon,  Outlander (Chapter 31)

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