Dear All,
I’ve been going through the manuscript (partial) of BLESSING, picking out possible short excerpts that might be suitable for reading during my turn at the Edinburgh Book Festival on the 19th (they have to be brief, since the author’s slot is an hour, and includes both and interview with a Festival person and (probably) some questions for the audience.
Click the image at upper right to view an on-demand stream of my talk at the Edinburgh Book Festival on their website, which will open in a new browser window or tab. Added on August 26, 2026.
I don’t know whether I’ll read this one at the Festival (there are a couple of other good candidates — but I should have alternatives, to fit the available time and/or the mood of the audience (I’ve done this Festival two or three times before, and it was somewhat lively, so don’t want to bring the mood down — though it’s OK to use a slower piece, as long as it’s short AND you have a livelier (but still short) one to follow.
In the meantime, though, it occurs to me that I haven’t posted any excerpts here or on Facebook lately, so thought I’d put this one up. Hope you enjoy it!
EXCERPT from A BLESSING FOR A WARRIOR GOING OUT, Copyright © 2026 Diana Gabaldon
[In which William goes to the stable (on Fraser’s Ridge) to check on his horse, before leaving with Jamie on their quest to rescue Lord John, and finds Fanny, who has been readying his horse for the journey. (The horse’s original name is Dandelion, though William’s renamed him Trajan.)]
“There.” She arranged a strand of straggling mane, and stepped back, curry-comb in hand. “He’s ready.” She was keeping a calm expression, but her fingers were squeezing the handle of the comb as though it was a snake.
“He looks splendid, Frances—a regular dandy.”
She ignored the feeble jest and gave William a side-long look.
“You’re not going to kiss me goodbye?”
Mildly surprised, William nevertheless bent courteously toward her, only to have her step back.
“Not on the cheek,” she said. She sounded slightly breathless, but determined. “I’m not a little girl.”
He realized, with an odd feeling that ran down his backbone like quicksilver, that she wasn’t. He took her hand, and bowed over it.
“My apologies, Miss Pocock.” Her hand was quite warm in his, and surprisingly larger than he’d expected. Her fingers were long, supple and well-shaped—and they turned, moving between his own and grasping his hand.
“And not that, either.”
He’d straightened up in surprise, but didn’t—not yet—pull his hand away.
“I’ve kissed men before, you know,” she said.
“Who?” he asked, not at all sure he wanted to know, but unable not to ask.
“I’ve been kissing men since I was five years old,” she said boldly, and he realized suddenly that while Jane had saved her sister from violation and defilement, there were other services a very young girl might be required to perform in a brothel.
He concealed his shock, though, asking lightly instead, “Oh? What about the tall Scottish chap that’s been skulking about looking daggers at me? Hasn’t he tried to kiss you?”
“Cyrus can’t skulk,” she said, without offense. “He’s much too tall. He didn’t have to ask. And you should be pleased it’s only looks. He’s a Highlander and a fisherman and he hasn’t punched you yet because I told him not to.”
“I appreciate your forbearance, Frances,” he said gravely. And not so gravely, took his hand from hers, and lifting her chin with a forefinger, bent again and kissed her lightly on the lips.
It lasted no more than a second or two, but long enough to leave a sense of softness and warmth.
“Goodbye, Frances,” he said, meeting her eyes, the soft yellow-brown of uncured tobacco. “I’ll see you again.” And picking up his saddlebags, took Trajan’s rein and led him toward the daylight.
At the open door, though, he turned for a moment.
“Why did you do that?” he asked.
She was standing quite still in the shadows, the curry-comb hanging from her hand, and her eyes still on him.
“In case you don’t come back,” she said. “Often people don’t.”
[end section]
Click to visit my official Book Ten webpage for information on A BLESSING FOR A WARRIOR GOING OUT, and to read more excerpts from it.
An earlier version of this excerpt was also posted on this website as “I’m Not A Little Girl” on Thursday, August 10, 2023.
The photo of drying tobacco leaves is from the University of Kentucky Extension website, which states: “You can view educational photos and diagnostic guides of tobacco leaves through the University of Kentucky Burley Tobacco Extension.” (there’s an active link to this on their site)
This excerpt was also posted on my official Facebook page on August 10, 2026.