"It's a small world, isn't it, Eli? Who would have thought that you and I would one day share the same granddaughter?"
Eli laughed. "I would never have believed it had you told me a year or even a few days ago. I only found out yesterday that my lovely daughter-in-law was your daughter."
Kane looked at his father, watching for some hint of sarcasm, and he was surprised that his father seemed to be speaking sincerely.
After Jonas was seated beside Maleaha and she had poured him a cup of coffee, he took her hand and squeezed it.
' 'Honey, I was sorely grieved to hear about your aunt's death. I know how much you loved her, and I was sorry I wasn't with you when she died to help you in your grief. I came home as soon as I heard. Lamas rode to Albuquerque and brought me the news."
Kane felt as if a knife had been twisted inside his chest. Good Lord, what she must have suffered over losing her aunt! He had accused her of lying about her aunt's illness, and Maleaha had been telling the truth all the while. When would he ever learn to trust her? She had not even tried to defend herself to him, nor had she told him that her aunt had died. He saw tears sparkle in her beautiful green eyes as she laid her head on her father's shoulder.
' 'I was glad I could be with her at the end, Father. She seemed to need me."
"I know, honey." Jonas kissed her cheek. "She was your last living link with the Jojoba tribe."
"I don't think I will ever want to return to the camp again."
"You feel that way now, honey, but the day will come when you will want to take Cimeron to visit the Jojoba, so she will feel pride in your mother's people, just as you do."
"I suppose you are right. I do want her to get to know them, and to know their worth." Maleaha glanced at Kane to find he was watching her. She saw the muscle in his jaw twitch and wondered what he could be thinking. She felt no joy in the fact that he now knew she had told him the truth. She had wanted him to believe in her.
"Speaking of my granddaughter, Eli. Let's go up and invade the nursery," Jonas said, draining his coffee cup.
"I think she is still sleeping, Father."
Eli stood up and smiled warmly at Jonas. "If she is sleeping, we will just have to awaken her. We have that right as her grandfathers, don't you think, Jonas? Did you know her nose resembles Kane's when he was a baby?"
"No, her nose is like Maleaha's," Jonas said emphatically.
"You are mistaken. She has Kane's nose."
"No, you are the one who is mistaken, but I will concede that she has Kane's eyes."
Kane watched as the two men left the dining room. He could not believe his father was acting the doting grandfather. He was not even aware that his father had paid the slightest attention to Cimeron. He frowned as he turned to face his wife. He was quiet for a moment, wondering how to speak to Maleaha. There were so many things that he wanted to tell her, and so little he dared say.
"Maleaha, about your aunt. I am sorr…"
Maleaha stood up and began stacking dishes on a tray. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say, Kane. You said it all last night."
Kane stood up and took the tray out of her hand and placed it on the table. "You are going to make it hard for me, aren't you?"
Maleaha placed her hands on her hips. "Which time do you wish to apologize for?"
"Damned if I know. It seems that I am always saying or doing the wrong thing where you are concerned."
"Save it, Kane. If you are wanting to make pretty speeches, say them for Lucinda."
"Did I hear my name mentioned?" Lucinda said, advancing into the room in a flurry of aqua-colored silk.
Maleaha turned to her and smiled sweetly. "Miss Blake, I am glad I have this chance to speak to you. My husband seems to think I have wronged you in some way."
Lucinda pouted prettily. "Kane is so kind. Which offense are you referring to? There have been so many since I arrived."
"Take your choice. Perhaps you and my husband could make a list and I will apologize one by one." She turned to Kane. "There. I have apologized, are you satisfied?" She picked up the tray of dirty dishes and hurried from the room.
Kane could not help smiling. Was there ever a woman to rival his wife? She was as headstrong as she was beautiful.
"Lord, your life must be in constant upheaval living with a woman like that," Lucinda said.
"You cannot guess." Yes, his life had been in chaos since he had first met Maleaha. He had never known a dull day since she had become his wife. His love for her seemed to grow with each passing day. Kane wondered how much longer he would be able to keep his love for Maleaha hidden. He chuckled, feeling pride in his wife. She had in no way humbled herself when she had apologized a moment ago. She was miles above Lucinda in every way. From her he was learning patience, loyalty, and honesty. She had been raised to live with dignity and honor, and she expected everyone else to be the same. She was learning a cruel lesson. She was finding out that others did not always behave as she expected them to. Kane found himself wanting to be a man she would look up to and respect. He wanted that almost as much as he wanted her love.
"I was hoping you would show me about the ranch today, Kane." He had forgotten that Lucinda was in the room with him. He looked at her absentmindedly.
"Please say you will show me around. I have never seen how a ranch operates."
Kane saw the pout on her face and was repulsed by it. Maleaha never played games as she did. "I am very busy, Lucinda."
"Oh please, Kane. I want you to take me riding, if only for a few hours," she said with tears glinting in her blue eyes.
He looked at her irritated. "You will have to find something more appropriate to wear. This isn't Boston, you know."
"I have the perfect outfit to wear. It is a crimson riding habit. Wait until you see me in it."
Jonas and Eli had ridden into town. Maleaha was kept busy for most of the morning changing the linens in the upstairs bedrooms. She rapped lightly on the door of the room Lucinda's aunt occupied but received no answer. She thought the lady must be sleeping and decided not to disturb her. She had yet to meet the woman. Poor lady, she thought, she must be very ill. She thought she would ask Eli if they should have the doctor ride out to take a look at her.
She found time later in the morning to play with Cimeron. After she had fed her lunch she tucked her into bed for a nap.
Going into the kitchen, she made two apple pies and put them into the oven to bake. She knew that Kane had taken Lucinda for a ride and that they had packed a lunch. She tried not to think what they might be doing. Jealousy was a new emotion for Maleaha, and she found that she had a hard time dealing with it. She wondered how Kane could love any one as frivolous and false as Lucinda was. He was such a special man, so strong and loving. She envied the love he gave to Lucinda. At times Kane had been kind to her. She knew that he often desired her as a woman, but desire was not love. Can I give him up, she wondered. You never really had him, she told herself.
She passed through the sitting room, straightening the whatnots on the bookshelves. She needed to get out of the house. She couldn't just wait here for Kane and Lucinda to return, she thought.
When Maleaha rode away from the ranch house, she heard a rider coming up behind her. She slowed her mount, allowing Lamas to catch up with her.
"I have not seen much of you lately, my friend," she told him, looking at the wrinkled face that was so dear to her.
"I went to Albuquerque to tell your father about your aunt's death," he said, glancing over his head at the fleeting clouds that had passed over the sun.
"Cimeron misses you."
"I have stayed away from the big house." His face eased into a grin. "I seem to scare your guest."
"I would like to frighten one of them myself," Maleaha mumbled under her breath.
Maleaha's problems seem to lessen as she urged her horse into a full gallop. The wind was cold, and it brought a rosy tint to her cheeks. For the moment she wished she could ride forever and never re
turn to the house, where so many troubles seemed to be piling up for her.
She thought about the apology she had given Lucinda that morning. Perhaps Kane would think twice before asking her to apologize again.
After riding for half an hour, Maleaha halted her horse at the edge of a deep mesa. She dismounted and drank in all the beauty of this land she loved so much. She seemed to draw her strength from this wild, untamed land. It was in her blood, and it was her birthright. She remembered her grandfather's telling her what a difficult life she would have with one foot in the Indian world and the other in the white world. He had been right. It was very difficult when one was born a half-breed.
Lamas stood beside her and glanced into her lovely face. She looked so much like her mother at the moment. Her long black hair was blowing freely in the wind, and her lovely face was creased into a worried frown. She wore the doeskin dress with the ease that any Indian maiden would have. She was troubled about something, something that he could not help her with.
Maleaha saw the dark clouds that were gathering in the east. "Winter comes early this year, Lamas."
He nodded. "It will snow before two days pass."
"Cimeron will be delighted with the snow."
Lamas spotted the two riders who came out of the pine forest. He recognized Kane and the white woman as they dismounted beside the stream. Looking at Maleaha, he saw that she had also seen them.
Maleaha stiffened as she saw Lucinda throw her arms around Kane's neck and then kiss him firmly on the mouth. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. Her eyes were drawn to her husband and the woman he loved. She felt the prickle of tears in her eyes. Oh, she hurt so badly. Her heart was shattered into a thousand pieces. She watched as the two of them moved apart, and covered her face with her hands.
"What in the hell do you think you are up to, Lucinda? I don't have time for your little games," Kane said angrily.
"I love you, Kane. I have always loved you. Say that you care for me just a little," Lucinda said, tears sparkling in her eyes.
"Lucinda, I do not mean to be cruel, but I am married, and I love Maleaha."
"But you could not love her, Kane. She is so different from you and me."
Kane's thoughts had been on Maleaha all day. He had loved her for a long time, but he had not truly understood her worth until this morning. He had twice accused Maleaha of lying to him, and twice he had found out she had told the truth. Dear Lord, what kind of woman was she? What strength of character she possessed. When he had accused her of lying about Clay, and then again about her aunt, she had not even tried to defend herself to him. For so long Kane had looked for the worst in people, and more often than not, he had found it. That was before Maleaha had come into his life. She was teaching him that there were decent and honorable people in the world, and she, his wife, was one shining example of that fact.
"No, Lucinda, Maleaha is not like you and me, but if I am damned lucky, perhaps some of her goodness will rub off on me."
"I don't understand you, Kane. She is nothing but a half-breed!"
Kane grabbed her by the arm, and she cried out in pain. "You and I are not worthy to stay under the same roof with Maleaha. I know she doesn't love me, but I cannot give her up."
"But, Kane, I always thought you and I would be perfect for one another. Your father thinks so, too."
He smiled not unkindly at her. "You and I would never be right for each other, Lucinda. We are both too selfish, or at least I once was. Lately I believe I have changed a great deal. My wife has taught me many worthwhile things, not the least of which is humility."
"Are you saying that you don't love me at all?"
"Lucinda, I don't even like you. I never did."
Kane's eyes were drawn beyond the stream to the distant mesa. He saw two people, and he recognized Maleaha's horse. His heart contracted as he watched her mount and ride away with the ever-faithful Lamas riding beside her.
Kane shoved Lucinda away from him, knowing how the scene that had taken place between them might be misinterpreted from a distance.
"Isn't the English translation of the name of your ranch paradise?" Lucinda asked with a spiteful gleam in her eyes.
"Yes," Kane said, watching as his wife disappeared over the rise.
"Well, Kane," Lucinda said, holding out her hand for him to help her mount, "I think there will be trouble in paradise tonight."
Maleaha dismounted and unsaddled her horse, while Lamas watched her, knowing what she was feeling inside.
"Everything is not always as it seems, Maleaha. Sometimes the eyes deceive."
Maleaha lifted her saddle onto a rail and turned to face him. "That's true, Lamas. It is also true that things can be much worse than they appear.''
"I believe that Kane cares for you."
"You may believe that, Lamas, but let me assure you it is not so. He loves Lucinda Blake."
Lamas watched her walk toward the house and leaned against the stall door. Kane did love Maleaha. He did not know what the white woman meant to Kane, but he could not love her. Too many times Lamas had seen the love burning in Kane's eyes when he looked at Maleaha. He wondered why the white man played games with love. The Indian way was much better. If an Indian brave loved a maiden, he would tell her so.
Maleaha went directly to her room and threw herself down on the bed. She rolled over onto her back and stared dry-eyed at the ceiling. Today she had final proof that Kane loved Lucinda. Her Indian logic took over, pushing aside her white woman's heart. If Kane wanted Lucinda, then she would not stand in his way. But I love him, the white side of her cried. He does not love you, the Indian side of her answered.
Inside of Maleaha raged a war, logic against love. Love him, the Indian side prompted her, but set him free. Love that is not freely given is no love at all.
She sat up and checked the time. Cimeron would be demanding to be fed and Mrs. Higgens would be needing help in the kitchen. Maleaha rose wearily to her feet, knowing that life goes on even if one's heart was broken. She wished she could be alone to think things through. She had never been one to act on impulse. Jonas had taught her to think carefully and to weigh all the consequences before reaching a conclusion.
Dinner would have been a miserable affair, had it not been for Jonas and Eli. The two men had spent the day together, and they seemed to have become fast friends.
Kane didn't contribute much to the conversation, and Lucinda was unusually quiet. Maleaha refused to look at either of them, and it was hard at times, for she could feel Kane's eyes on her. He knows that I saw him and Lucinda, she thought. He knows, and perhaps he is glad that it is finally out in the open. Kane had never struck her as the kind of man who would sneak around behind one's back. That was what was bothering her more than anything else. She had thought him to be a man of honor. It had not been a deed of honor today when he had kissed Lucinda beside the stream. She shied away from thinking what else could have transpired between them earlier, or after she had ridden away.
Against her will, Maleaha raised her head and stared into the silver eyes of her husband.
Kane saw disillusionment and pain in the green eyes of his wife. I did not betray you, he wanted to shout to her. Can't you see that I love you?
He wants to tell me that he loves Lucinda, Maleaha thought as she looked away from him. She would never heal from the pain she was feeling today. She would never stop loving the man who was her husband. How would she ever be able to give him his freedom without crying and begging him not to leave her. She tried to pull her mind away from Kane, and soon her father's words reached her.
"Eli, my daughter was always the champion of the weak. When she was a child," Jonas was saying, "I remember the day particularly because it was her tenth birthday. We were visiting one of the mission schools. I had donated the money to build the school, and I wanted to see how it was faring. While we were there a fight broke out on the playground. It seemed that three big lads had ganged up on one smaller one. Before I could sto
p Maleaha, she went flying across the playground and tackled one of the larger boys. She quickly wrestled him to the ground and then flew at another. I watched the third boy take flight just as a teacher came out of the door of the schoolhouse and approached Maleaha. The two remaining boys were crying and declared that Maleaha had attacked them, which indeed she had. The teacher asked Maleaha to accompany her into the schoolroom, where she threatened to spank her. I informed the woman that she was not to lay a hand on my daughter. Well, the teacher went away murmuring something about the overindulgence of some parents. I never encouraged Maleaha to fight, and to my knowledge she never had a fight other than that day."
Eli laughed. "One would never know there was a wild streak in you, Maleaha. You look every bit the well brought-up young lady."
"Oh, don't let her delicate looks deceive you, Eli. Underneath she is strong in will as well as deed," Jonas said proudly.
Eli stood up and towered over Maleaha. "My dear, I have something for you. If you will excuse me, I will go and get it for you now."
When he reappeared a few moments later he handed Maleaha a package tied up in brown paper.
"What is it?" Maleaha asked. She glanced down the table to where Kane sat and noticed he had a puzzled expression on his face.
"Why don't you open it and see for yourself," Eli said, smiling at her.
Maleaha untied the string that was bound about the package and pushed the paper aside. She gasped when she saw what appeared to be the piece of pottery that her grandfather had given her. Her hands ran over the smooth surface, tracing the dark pattern with her finger. When she raised her eyes to Eli, he saw tears sparkling in the green depths.
"How did you . . . when . . . I do not understand," she said in confusion.
"I took the broken pieces into Santa Fe yesterday and found a potter who assured me that he could mend the vase without anyone's being able to tell where it had been broken."
Maleaha handed the precious piece of pottery to her father and threw her arms about a startled Eli's neck. At first he stood stiffly as she kissed his cheek, then he laughed and hugged her tightly.
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