“Well, my grandma and my uncle’s wife, Mary, would be glad to have you visit, so would Iris. Let’s go back inside and I’ll introduce you to them. I’ll bet Grandma will remember you.” As he took her arm, she shivered. They walked back into the ballroom to see Abbie dancing with Dr. Mead. “How about a dance first?” Hawk asked.
“Well, I guess it would be all right. After all, we do know each other. I’ll introduce you to Edward as soon as he comes back.” Hawk put a hand to her waist, and she placed her gloved right hand in his raised hand. Lifting her skirt slightly, she moved gracefully around the ballroom floor. Meeting his eyes, she was unable to stop looking at him as they danced, so many thoughts and emotions rushing through her. There was so much to say, so much that had to be left unsaid. She could see it in his eyes. He wished she did not belong to another. And for a few moments she wished she did not. “Edward is thirty,” she told him. “He’s been doctoring for seven years now. He’s Dr. Mead’s nephew, and that’s how he got to take Dr. Mead’s place. We love it here in Denver. Do you?”
I want to embrace you. “It’s fine. I won’t always work here, though. I intend to look into working as an attorney who represents American Indians in Congress. There are still a lot of problems with the whole government’s involvement with Indians. The Indians need someone on their side, someone who understands them.”
She smiled. “Years ago you said you’d find a way to help them. I’m sure you will. I always admired the way you were so sure of yourself and of what you wanted. I’m so proud of you, Hawk. Please don’t think me too bold when I tell you I thought about you many times over the years, wondered what you had done, wondered about your father. I truly never thought, though, that I would ever see you again. This is such a pleasant surprise.”
“It is for me, too.” His gaze dropped to her bosom again just for a moment. “Little Arianne.” He met her eyes again. “You were a skinny, bashful girl back then, and I was ornery as hell, always telling you to go away.” They both laughed. “It’s nice seeing you again.”
Did you ever realize how in love I was back then? she wondered. How easy it could be to feel that way again, but she had Edward now, and he was a good man, loving and gentle.
“You mentioned I should have a family,” Hawk was saying. “How about you? Any children?”
She blushed deeply. “I … no. We aren’t sure what the problem is. Edward says there is nothing wrong …” Good Lord, she thought, such an intimate subject! How could she explain it? She’d never conceived, and it worried and upset her that she’d been unable to have children, but such subjects just weren’t discussed with casual friends.
“I’m sorry,” Hawk said: “I didn’t mean to bring up something that upsets you. I didn’t know.”
“It’s all right.” The waltz ended, and she put on a smile. “Let’s go meet your grandmother.”
Hawk took hold of her hand, squeezing it as though to tell her not to be embarrassed. The old friendship was still there, and although it made her feel a little guilty, she felt better for it.
Abbie sat beside Dan’s bed, holding his hand, Rebecca on the other side, holding the other one. What hurt most was that he no longer recognized them; the once so robust and handsome Daniel Monroe had wasted away to a mere skeleton. The end was near, and seventeen-year-old Emily sat in a chair nearby, quietly crying.
Dan had managed to hang on three years longer than expected; Abbie was grateful for Emily’s sake. Now she actually prayed he would die soon, for he had been in unbearable pain this last week. It seemed such a hideous way for a man like Dan to die, and Abbie felt part of her was dying with him, bits and pieces of her heart gone with her loved ones.
This was the last remaining white brother of Zeke Monroe, and the one to whom Zeke had been closest. It was Zeke who had saved Dan from death during the Civil War, and while in the army, Dan had done the same for Wolf’s Blood more than once, risking his own career to keep her warrior son from being arrested and shot. There was a time when she and Dan had been very close, after Dan’s second wife, Bonnie, died. Later he’d married Rebecca. At least he’d been happy these past years.
Dan had been so very handsome in his prime, with his blond hair and blue eyes, the opposite of Zeke in looks and personality but very close in build.
Another good-bye. Another loved one to look forward to seeing when it was her turn to go. Somehow she had learned to accept death. It had not been easy, and she would never quite get over losing Zeke. But she had accepted these losses as facts of life. She was grateful for Arianne’s husband, Dr. Edward Ralston. The governor had sent the man to tend to Dan, and Ralston had been able to provide some relief for Dan’s pain. However, nothing could be done to stop the inevitable.
Outside in the hallway the rest of the family waited, LeeAnn and Joshua, Jeremy and Mary, Zeke and Georgeanne. Even Ellen and Hal had come from Pueblo, but Margaret and Morgan had stayed at the ranch. Several pregnant mares were due at any time, and oats had to be harvested. Besides that, their new home was under construction, at Zeke’s direction and expense. Soon the old cabin would be empty again; Abbie looked forward to going there to spend her last days. She wished Jason could be here, but his own doctoring duties at the reservation kept him very busy, and it was a long trip to Denver. He and Louellen had three children now, Jonathan, Marian and James, seven, three and one.
It was the children and grandchildren who kept hope alive in time of death. The old moved on, the young took over.
Edward came in to look at Dan again, and he could only shake his head. He was a nice man, very caring. Arianne had chosen well, but Abbie could tell by the inflection in her voice and the look in her eyes whenever she visited and asked about Hawk that Arianne had never lost her infatuation with him. She did not come often, always stayed away when she knew Hawk might be visiting. Abbie wondered if Edward knew how Arianne had once felt about Hawk. She also wondered if Arianne was pregnant. She had looked heavier in the waist and stomach when she’d visited two months ago, but Abbie hadn’t wanted to ask, afraid she would embarrass the woman if there was no pregnancy.
She watched the doctor leave the room, saw Hawk approach him and put out his hand.
“Thanks for your help,” Hawk told the doctor.
Edward shook his hand firmly. “I know Dan Monroe is important to your grandmother, and your grandmother is important to the governor. I’m glad to be of whatever help I can.”
Abbie turned away, glad it was Hawk who had made a point of thanking him.
“And how is Arianne?” Hawk asked Edward in the hallway. “I haven’t seen her at all since the governor’s ball six months ago. I was hoping I could visit with her once more, talk about old times.”
Edward eyed him closely, certainly not oblivious to Hawk’s dark good looks. When his wife had first told him about her life on the reservation in Montana, he had not missed the look of longing in her eyes. Arianne had had a childhood crush on this man; yet now she seemed to deliberately avoid him. There could only be one reason, but he told himself that was not Hawk’s fault. Feelings were feelings, and that was that. This was simply a case of nostalgia. He loved Arianne, and he knew she loved him.
“Arianne is carrying,” he told Hawk. “It took us quite a while to make that happen, and she wants to be sure she hangs on to this baby, so she’s been staying home to rest.” He liked being able to tell Hawk that. In his mind the pregnancy cemented his marriage. He told himself he was a fool to think of Hawk as competition. The man had not done one thing to show an interest in Arianne, had made no advances; and Arianne had remained devoted and loving. Neither of them had done anything to elicit the feelings of jealousy Edward sometimes experienced. Perhaps it was simply that he knew Hawk was bigger and more handsome than he, and shared a past with Arianne that he could never share.
“Well, I’m glad for you both,” Hawk said, sincerity in his eyes. “I hope she has no problems.” He could not quash the little pangs of jealousy, the silent wish that A
rianne was still unattached. He thought himself a fool for caring. He told himself he was truly happy for her. He’d recently been seeing a young Mexican woman, although he had no true romantic interest in her. All this time he’d managed to keep his schooling and career his primary concern, deciding women would only get in the way. It was not until he’d seen Arianne again that his needs had begun to plague him. “Please give her my regards. Perhaps when this is over you can both join us here at Jeremy’s for a family dinner. My grandmother would enjoy seeing her again.”
Edward nodded. “Maybe we’ll do that. It depends on whether Arianne feels up to it.”
Their eyes held in unspoken understanding, and although Hawk only knew this man slightly, he could tell there was a hint of jealousy in Edward’s gray eyes. The doctor was not a big man, but he had a good build. Rather plain-featured, he had brown hair, fair skin, a thin mustache. “Arianne is a fine woman. I only knew her when we were kids, and that’s how I still picture her. We were actually just friends. My last words to her before leaving the reservation were quite cruel. I always felt bad about that. I’m glad she found such a fine man for a husband and is happy. I truly wish you the best with the child. At least she’s in good hands.”
Edward breathed a little easier. “I like to think so.” He grinned then. “Although when the time comes, I believe I’ll let Dr. Mead take over. I’m not sure I could stay calm enough to deliver my own child.”
Hawk laughed lightly. “I can understand that.”
“Dr. Ralston,” Rebecca called.
Everyone sobered as Edward hurried back into Dan’s room. The rest of the family gathered outside as Edward bent over Dan, listening for a heartbeat but hearing nothing. “He’s passed on,” the doctor told Dan’s wife.
Rebecca began to sob, putting her head down against the back of Dan’s hand. Hawk watched his grandmother, who leaned down and kissed Dan’s other hand, then rose so that Emily could come and sit by him. She looked at Hawk, and he saw the agony in her eyes, knew she was nearing the point where she would not mind leaving this world herself. The only thing that kept her going now was Wolf’s Blood, and the hope she might see her eldest son once more before she died.
A quick pain stabbed his heart at suddenly realizing what an empty place this world would be without his grandmother in it.
Twenty-one
1898 …
Abbie stared at the new home built for Margaret and Morgan, who stood beside her with big grins on their faces. Zeke and Georgeanne were also there, with their three-year-old Peter and the new baby in Georgeanne’s arms, another son, named Jason, after Zeke’s uncle Jason.
“My, oh my,” Abbie exclaimed.
“It’s wonderful!” Ellen added. She and Hal had come from Pueblo to the ranch with Abbie, wanting to see the finished house Zeke had built for his parents. It had taken nearly two years to complete.
Lillian and Daniel, now nineteen and fifteen, were with Ellen and Hal, Lillian itching to get back to Pueblo and the young man there who had been courting her.
“There are two separate apartments upstairs. Susan and I live in one of them,” Zeke’s brother Nathan told them. He held his son, Joseph in his arms. The boy was four years old now, and Susan’s stomach was heavy with a second child who would be born anytime. That would bring the number of Abbie’s great-grandchildren to seven, all born after the family reunion eleven years ago.
“If only Zeke could see this,” Abbie commented, tears welling in her eyes. “Such a home on the Monroe ranch.” The three-story structure was completely surrounded by a wide veranda, providing a wonderful place to sit in the afternoons and watch the sun set behind the mountains to the west. The second floor also had a veranda, as well as two turrets, and four wide, brick chimneys rose from the rooftop, vents for the eight stone fireplaces inside.
“It’s Queen Anne style,” Zeke told them. “The ground floor is brick, and the second two floors are sided with shingles. I wanted it plenty big, as Georgie and I plan to spend a lot of time here and we’ll want our own private apartment. That’s what the second apartment upstairs is for. There are several rooms at the back of the house where Lance lives, a big enough area for him to live there with a wife when he gets married.” He glanced at his little brother, not so little anymore. Lance was sixteen now, and he grinned bashfully at the mention of taking a wife. “I wanted a place where the whole family can be together. You’re welcome to live there, Grandma, now that you’re back home.”
Abbie turned her gaze to the simple log cabin Zeke Monroe had built for her nearly fifty years ago. It had been altered some since then, Morgan having added on to it because of the need for more room, but the basic cabin was still there. “No, thank you, Zeke.” Oh, the memories in that little cabin! Zeke’s mandolin still sat in the corner, and her faithful old mantel clock, a gift from him, still worked, ticking away … waiting for her to come home. “It’s a beautiful home, and Margaret and Morgan deserve such luxury; but home for me is that cabin. That’s where I want to live out the rest of my days. I’ll be quite happy there, and if the children need me, I’m nearby.”
Margaret, her dark hair splashed with even more gray now, shook her head. “If the children need you? Don’t you think it’s getting to the point of being the other way around? I think it’s our turn to be there for you, Mother. You’ve been our strength for too many years. It’s time you leaned on us a little.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to be a burden to any of you. I’ll just live quietly in my little cabin and enjoy my memories. I’ll live in the past.” She turned to face them. “The rest of you belong to the future.” She looked at the house again. “Maybe this Christmas, instead of all of us going to Denver, LeeAnn and Jeremy and the grandchildren can all come here for Christmas. That would be nice. Hawk and Iris should come, too, and see this wonderful house. And I hope this time Jason and Louellen can come down for the holidays. It’s been so long since any of us have seen your little brother, Margaret. You’ve never seen his children, and even I haven’t seen little Marian and James. They’re already four and two, and Jonathan is eight already.”
“Well, let’s go inside and look around,” Zeke told her, taking her arm. “I’ll take you over to the cabin and unload your things later. The house doesn’t have much furniture yet. I’ve ordered some from New York City. Nothing but the best for my mother and father.”
“I think we should send my father a personal invitation to come and visit,” Georgeanne said to her husband. “Wouldn’t this house make him eat some of his words?”
Zeke still hated the man. His trips back here this year had been the first since he’d originally left in ’87. It felt good to be home, but at first he’d been plagued with bad dreams prompted by memories of his last days spent here in pain. His gold discovery, the fact that he had two million dollars in a bank in Denver, that he’d been able to buy more land and build this home for his parents, were all forms of sweet revenge. They made him glad to be here again, although from now on the elegant ranch home outside of Denver would be his and Georgeanne’s true home.
“I think we should pay your father a visit,” he answered. “Maybe seeing his grandchildren will bring him around a little.”
Georgeanne wanted to think that was so; still, she had her doubts. Little Jason was a sweet, good baby, but it was already obvious that he was going to look very Indian. He had a shock of straight, black hair on his tiny head, and his skin was dark brown. Peter, who now walked with his great-grandmother, was a handsome little boy with curly, dark brown hair and beautiful brown eyes surrounded by long lashes. His skin was a very soft brown, and like his father’s, his face had no distinctive features to say just what blood he carried. Georgeanne loved her children, did not want them hurt. “I don’t know if we should. He might say something to upset the boys. I never want them insulted, certainly not by their own grandfather. They would never understand that.”
“Well, either way they’ve got to be told the truth eventually, about
their heritage and about their grandfather, that he does exist. We’ll have to find a way to explain to them why they never get to see him.”
“We’ll find a way. Right now let’s just enjoy your parents’ new home and bask in the satisfaction of having paid for it ourselves, Mr. Brown.”
He smiled, and they all went inside for a grand tour of the library, the study, the game room, parlor, dining room, living room, the huge kitchen, and the big apartments on the second floor. There were laundry chutes, and oil lamps of every size and style were placed throughout the house. “Before you know it they’ll be bringing electricity all the way out to places like this,” Zeke suggested.
“That will never happen!” Margaret insisted. “Not clear out here.”
“You should see the progress in Denver,” Abbie told her. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if electric lines came out this way someday. I have ceased to be amazed at what man can do when he sets his mind to it. When I first came out here, there were no roads, no railroads—there wasn’t even a Denver yet. We’d been living out here twelve years before gold was discovered along Cherry Creek and Denver was born. Now look at the size of it.” She shook her head. “I swear, I can’t keep up with how fast things are growing and changing. I know it’s hard for the Cheyenne, too … all the Indian tribes.” Quickly pain stabbed her at the thought of Wolf’s Blood, and she walked out onto the second-floor veranda to look across the plains toward the north.
Margaret walked up beside her and put an arm around her waist. “You’re thinking of my brother.”
“Yes.”
“He knows you’d want to see him once more, Mother. If we have to, we’ll take you up to Canada ourselves. Maybe Hawk can find some free time to show us where he is.”
Eagle’s Song Page 27
