Cheyenne Caress

by Georgina Gentry

  His expression was as cold, as arrogant, as she felt. “I see. A lieutenant isn’t good enough for you.”

  “Especially not a fortune hunter,” she snapped. “Take someone else, Lieutenant. I’m sure my half-breed maid would be delighted to get an invitation.”

  She saw him redden at the taunt. “That’s unthinkable and you know it! Are you daring me?”

  “You wouldn’t dare, not even as a joke!” She flung the challenge at him as she turned to walk away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must make a call on General Carr’s wife.”

  He made a sound of rage behind her. “It’d be a joke on you if I invited her and told everyone it was your idea!”

  She looked back over her shoulder, laughing at his humiliation. Behind them, the tall Pawnee had come out of the barn. She wondered how much of that conversation he had heard? What difference did it make? With a gesture of dismissal, she marched toward the general’s quarters.

  Luci straightened at the rap on the door and put down the dress she had been pressing for Miss Starrett. That couldn’t be the lady back so soon. Winnifred hadn’t been gone long enough to have made her social call.

  She opened the door, blinking in surprise at the handsome officer from Boston. “Oh, Lieutenant. I–I’m sorry, Miss Starrett has gone out, but I’ll tell her you called–”

  “I didn’t come to see her; I came to see you.” He stood there, twisting his hat in his hands, his curly hair hanging down on his forehead.

  “Me?” She touched her breast in confusion.

  “I wanted to invite you to accompany me to the party tomorrow night. You’re so much prettier than she is.”

  Luci stared at him. “Me? Mercy! You’re inviting me? Lieutenant, it would be unthinkable for you to take me.”

  “I’ll take whom I want,” he declared, “and you be sure and let Miss Starrett know I invited you.”

  That puzzled her. She shook her head. “Even if I wanted to go, Lieutenant, I don’t have anything to wear–”

  “Nonsense. What you have on will be fine. Miss Starrett suggested I invite you. Be sure and tell everyone that.”

  A party. In all her life, Luci had never been to a real party. “Did Miss Starrett really suggest you invite me?” She felt a little guilty that she had evidently misjudged Winnifred Starrett. The beautiful white girl had a kind heart after all. “Well, in that case . . .”

  “Then that settles it! You ride over with Miss Starrett in the major’s sleigh tomorrow night and I’ll meet you there.”

  She thought a gentleman always called for a lady, but who was she to question a Bostonian’s manners? She only nodded shyly. Carter Osgoode left, whistling jauntily.

  What on earth had she done? Luci closed the door and leaned against it. In her eagerness to attend a real party, she was setting herself up for all sorts of trouble. She looked down at her simple dress and red, work-worn hands in despair. Even if she had a dress fine enough, she suspected the white ladies of the fort wouldn’t welcome her into their midst. As badly as she wanted to go, she trembled on the brink of running after Carter and telling him she’d regained her senses and changed her mind.

  An hour later, Winnifred returned. “Did you get the wrinkles out of the gown? That’s the one I intend to wear to the party.”

  Luci nodded in breathless excitement. “I’m invited too! Lieutenant Osgoode said it was your idea and to be sure and mention it to you.”

  “He did, did he?” Winnifred’s pretty lips curled almost into a sneer. “He’ll expect you to back out at the last minute after you think about it.”

  Luci bit her lip, turned away. “You’re right. I don’t really have a ball gown. The only dress I have in this world was bought by that Pawnee when–”

  “The scout?” Winnifred gave her a piercing look. “Are you his woman?”

  Luci looked away, blushing furiously. “No! Why would you think that? I keep telling him I could never get involved with an enemy of my people.”

  “I see.” There was something cold and ugly in the pretty face. “He prefers a half-breed who isn’t interested, when he could have . . .”

  Luci shrugged. “I’ll send my regrets to the lieutenant. It was silly of me to think I could attend.”

  “Nonsense!” Winnifred paused with both hands on the wide satin sash of her waist. “Land’s sake! We mustn’t disappoint Carter Osgoode! I’ll lend you a dress. You just choose one and hem it up to fit you.”

  “You will?” Luci clapped her hands. “Oh, Miss Starrett, you’re so kind! I would be happy to be your maid for the rest of my days!”

  “This party may turn out to be entertaining after all,” the other girl said. “I can hardly wait to see your lieutenant’s face when you show up.”

  She had misjudged the white girl, Luci thought as Winnifred went through her dresses, obviously enjoying helping Luci choose something for the party. Whatever doubts Luci had about attending were swept away in Winnifred’s enthusiasm.

  The sun came out and the snow was melting fast the next afternoon as she returned from the trading post to buy a spool of thread. The big Pawnee caught up with her.

  “Go away,” she flung at him, and looked straight ahead. “I have no time for you.”

  He grabbed her arm. “Star Eyes, we need to talk–”

  “No.” She shook his hand off. “I’ve got to finish altering a dress for the party.”

  “So you’ve been invited?” For some reason, he didn’t look surprised.

  “Lieutenant Osgoode invited me.” She said it with satisfaction.

  “Luci, you know an Indian would never be invited to an officer’s party. I–I think you should reconsider.”

  “Just because some big, stupid Pawnee says so? No!”

  He flinched and rubbed his hand across his ear. Before he could say anything else, she turned and ran through the slush of the warming day.

  Winnifred couldn’t have been sweeter about lending her the soft spring yellow dress and a pair of shoes, although they were too large for Luci’s small feet. She even showed Luci how to sweep her long black locks up into an elaborate hairdo, braid yellow ribbons through it. When Luci looked up suddenly and caught the older girl’s amused look, she felt a little uneasy. But hadn’t Miss Starrett been the one who suggested to the lieutenant that he invite her?

  Luci saw Johnny’s Ace’s dark face in her mind, its troubled expression. Could he be jealous? She had no one to turn to for advice. For a long moment, she thought about her mother. But Luci had looked after Sunrise all these years. She missed her greatly, but Sunrise had had too many problems of her own, made worse by the drinking. She had never given Luci much support or advice. Maybe this would be a step up for Luci. She certainly didn’t intend to make the same mistakes her mother had made.

  And now it was Saturday night and Luci actually put on the fine yellow dress and climbed into the sleigh with Winnifred Starrett. “Oh, this is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me! I’ll be forever grateful!”

  Winnifred smiled as if she knew a secret joke. “Y’all are the most innocent thing I ever met. I almost wish . . .”

  “Wish what?” Luci wiggled her toes in the shoes that were a trifle big. She had stuffed the toes with cotton.

  But then Winnifred eyes hardened. “Nothing. Because of my father, Indians girls deserve . . .” Her voice trailed off and then she seemed to realize that Luci listened. “Deserve a little extra. Yes, all Indian girls deserve what you’re going to get.”

  “You mean to attend a party?” Luci was almost delirious with the thrill of it. Carter would admire her beauty. The other officers would clamor to dance with her, although Winnifred had just this morning taught her how. A dozen handsome white men would want to marry her.

  Winnifred smiled thinly, smoothed the wide sash of the pink dress she wore. “What a party it’s going to be! I’ll wager it’s one neither you nor the fort will ever forget!”

  The sleigh stopped before the officer’s hall. Music
floated faintly from inside: Oh, Genevieve, sweet Genevieve, the days may come, the days may go, but still the hands of mem’ry weave the blissful dreams of lone ago, Oh, Genevieve, sweet Genevieve. . . .

  Johnny Ace lounged against a porch column. Luci ignored him pointedly as the driver came around and assisted both women down.

  But Winnifred smiled at him. “Coming inside?”

  Luci felt his gaze. Then Johnny said, “Afraid I wouldn’t feel welcome. People hereabouts don’t mix socially with savages.”

  There was some undercurrent to his words that Luci caught but didn’t understand any more than she understood the look that passed between him and the white girl.

  Winnifred grabbed Luci’s arm. “Land’s sake! Let’s go in. You don’t want to keep the lieutenant waiting.”

  The two went inside. Major North hurried to Winnifred, hesitated, and looked a little surprised at seeing Luci.

  Winnifred smiled. “Lieutenant Osgoode invited her,” she said by way of explanation.

  The major pulled at his trim mustache, seeming ill at ease. “In that case . . .” He turned and signaled to Carter, who stood laughing with other young officers. “Lieutenant, your young lady has arrived.”

  Carter Osgoode’s mouth sagged slowly open and the officer next to him punched him in the ribs and winked at one of the others, who glanced at Luci and laughed.

  Luci smiled at him, too aware of the way people were turning slowly to stare at her.

  Major North had led Winnifred to the dance floor. Carter Osgoode walked over very slowly and nodded to Luci. He turned to watch the dancers, then edged away slightly.

  The small band paused between numbers, and the ladies of the post surrounded Major North and his partner and introduced themselves.

  “Oh, Miss Starrett, we’ve been so eager to meet you! What’s the news from the cities?”

  Winnifred fluttered her fan. “Y’all flatter me, ladies! But in Montgomery, we hear that the new Godey’s says the ‘bustle’ will be the fashion news from Paris now. The hoop is about to become passé.”

  “No! Really?” The women crowded around the newcomer. “And what’s this we’re hearing about Wyoming Territory thinking of allowing their women to vote?”

  Winnifred’s beautiful face frowned. “Sheer gossip, I think. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  The band struck up a lively Stephen Foster tune that drowned out the conversation.

  De Camptown ladies sing dis song, Doo-dah! Doo-dah! De Camptown racetrack five miles long, oh, doo-dah day . . .

  Luci watched the dancers and looked up appealingly at Carter.

  He ran his finger around the collar of his blue uniform as if it were choking him and stared straight ahead. “Ye Gods! I–I didn’t really think you’d come.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t have, but Miss Starrett loaned me a dress and encouraged me. She said you’d be surprised.”

  “Did she now?” His tone was at the very least annoyed.

  Luci couldn’t understand why he was upset. He had invited her and she knew she looked pretty in the yellow dress with its wide sash.

  He didn’t say anything else, just ran his hand distractedly through his brown curly hair and watched the dancers. Winnifred swept by and waved to them both.

  “Bitch!” Carter whispered under his breath so softly that Luci wasn’t sure that was really the word he used. No gentleman . . . of course she had been mistaken.

  Luci stood there, ill at ease. She felt people looking at her and nudging each other. Perhaps she was being too self-conscious. Surely they weren’t talking about her.

  Carter said, “May I get you a cup of punch, Miss Luci?”

  Her throat felt so dry, she wasn’t sure she could swallow. “Yes, a–a cup of punch would be nice.”

  Carter disappeared into the crowd toward the back. Now Luci stood there all alone. She tried to look nonchalant, but it was hard when she felt people were staring at her. Winnifred and the major danced past and Luci nodded shyly when the other girl smiled in her direction.

  The music stopped and immediately, young officers crowded around Winnifred. “Oh, please, Miss Starrett, may I have the next dance?”

  The elegant beauty’s fan fluttered, her Southern accent became more pronounced. “Now, gentlemen, I promise to dance with y’all, but you must wait your turn.”

  Major North smiled, bowed, and handed Winnifred over to her bevy of admirers. Then he walked off the dance floor with one of the men from the train. “I should have known I wouldn’t have her to myself. Tell me, Mr. Johnson, how are things in Washington?”

  The man’s heavy jowls waggled. “Lots of talk about that Suez Canal being built. Seems to me we should get that de Lesseps fella to dig us one of our own across Panama.”

  “But is it practical, considering the yellow fever of the Tropics?”

  They brushed past Luci, lost in conversation. The music began again but no man asked Luci to dance although she felt them sneaking glances at her. What was keeping Carter? He had been gone a long time for that cup of punch . . . or did it just feel like forever standing here with everyone staring at her?

  The music ended and another song played and then another. Still no one asked Luci to dance. However, Winnifred was besieged by eager young men. When the older girl danced past Luci, there was something almost cruel, something triumphant, in her smile.

  She was imagining that, of course, Luci thought in her growing uneasiness. Miss Starrett had been so kind and helpful. Why, mercy! Luci couldn’t have attended without the loan of the dress and shoes!

  Where was Carter? She couldn’t stand here in the same spot all evening as if roots had spouted on the bottom of her borrowed shoes. When she looked around, she thought she saw Johnny Ace’s face at the window, watching the festivities. He had tried to warn her not to come. Well, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of saying “I told you so.”

  She would make her way through the crowd to the refreshment table at the back. There had obviously been a problem. Maybe they had run out of punch cups. Maybe Carter had been taken ill and had had to leave and someone had forgotten to give her his apology Maybe . . .

  Carter Osgoode stood laughing and talking with a group of young officers. His unsteady posture and loud voice told her he’d been drinking.

  The men stopped talking and looked at her with curiosity. One of them nudged Carter. “I didn’t know we were hosting a powwow. Did you think we were hosting a powwow, Carter? She’s not wearing war paint and feathers!”

  Another snickered. “Who called for a clean shirt?”

  They all roared with laughter.

  Carter blinked, ran his finger around his collar again. “Uh, Luci? I–I thought maybe you left–”

  “Good idea!” She whirled and pushed through the crowd, blinded by tears. Behind her the young officers laughed but Carter called after her, “Luci, wait!”

  For what? Further humiliation? She seemed to feel every eye in the hall upon her. Though tears blinded her, she managed to keep her face expressionless as she hurried toward the door and ran out into the cool spring night.

  Chapter Four

  She blinked back tears as she ran down the steps. The Pawnee stepped out of the shadows. “Luci, wait!”

  She walked faster, head high. Her pride would not allow her to weep in front of this enemy. She’d been shamed enough. “Go away.”

  He caught up then fell in step beside her. “I watched through the window.”

  She kept walking. “Watched what? I had a perfectly lovely evening. The lieutenant couldn’t have been more charming.”

  He matched her short stride easily with his long legs. “Then why are you leaving early and why isn’t he escorting you home?”

  The tears were rising in her throat, making a hard, bitter knot that threatened to choke her. “I don’t have to answer to you! Why do you keep following me?” She began to sob a little, unable to hold back her anguish any longer.

  “That white bastard!
” He caught her arm and she tried to pull free. People driving past in a wagon turned to look curiously.

  Luci struggled to break away, crying now and furious that she was humiliating herself before him. “Let go of me or I’ll scream!”

  He glanced at the passing wagon. “Star Eyes, I want to talk to you.” He said it quietly, but with iron determination in his voice. He didn’t loosen his grip as he forced her to walk toward the barn. “Inside where no one will see us.”

  Inside the barn, she jerked out of his grasp, stumbled backward. “I don’t see that we have anything to discuss!”

  The barn was warm from the heat of the many horses’ bodies and it smelled of sweet hay and leather. A horse snorted in its stall at the sound of their voices. In the moonlight, she recognized Katis pricking his ears forward at the sight of his beloved master.

  “I didn’t like what I saw tonight–you trying to be a white girl, and all those people humiliating you.”

  She choked back a sob. “You don’t understand how much it hurt–”

  “Don’t I?” Very slowly, he rubbed his hand along his ear. “Believe me, I know. Star Eyes, we’re both Indian. We can never be whites, no matter how much we try to ape them.”

  “No, we’re not even Indians.” The tears came now. “You don’t fit in with your people, I’m not sure I could fit in with mine! We’re white man’s Indians, that’s all we are! I–I was so flattered when Carter asked me to the party–”

  “I tried to warn you.” He stood feet wide apart, hand on the knife in his belt. “I ought to go pull that bastard out of that party and take my knife to his–”

  “Stop it!” She tried to get past him and out the barn door, but he blocked her path. “Mercy! You’d say anything to keep me from going to Denver, wouldn’t you? You think if I don’t go with Winnifred Starrett, I’ll be here for your pleasure! Stop treating me as if I were your woman! I’m not yours! I’ll never be!”