As I was kneeling beside the berry vines, a noise drew my attention, and I turned to see a man coming through the back gate with an armload of wood. He hadn’t even noticed me there, as he began dumping the wood in the woodshed. I assumed he must furnish wood for my aunt. When he straightened up, he glanced over at me, and took a startled step back.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean to disturb your morning. The thing is, I do not know who you are. I thought I got in the wrong court yard. I didn’t know there were Indians in the vicinity,” he half chuckled.
“I am Miss Daniels niece,” I told him. “Vanessa Daniels.” I gave him a smile.
“I’m Elliot Porter,” he told me, removing his cap, revealing dark curly hair. “I bring Miss Daniels her wood, and do odd jobs around the place. You will probably see me around, if you stay for any length of time.” He was eying my squaw dress with interest. “You aren’t related to an Indian, are you?”
“No, I just returned from an Indian tribe that took me in, when I fell into the river on my way to Oregon with my family. One of their braves saved me, and they gave me shelter until I could hitch a ride with a trapper going this way. I will be going on to Oregon, come spring,” I explained.
“That must have been some experience living with those Indians,” he half-smiled. “You probably have some interesting stories to relate.”
“Well I did learn a lot, that is for sure,” I shrugged.
“I wouldn’t mind hearing some of them,” Elliot said.
“Maybe sometime,” I murmured.
“After I finish up here, Miss Kelly usually shares breakfast with me.” he informed me. “So I will probably see you then.”
“Oh,” I smiled. “Just don’t tell anyone about me being fresh from an Indian tribe. Aunt Kelly is not so keen on the idea that I had to live with those heathens, as she calls them. She wants me to keep out of sight until she can find me some decent clothes.”
“You look just fine in the dress you are wearing,” he said. “In fact, I think it suits you. Your skin is all dark and tanned; you almost look like a real Indian, except for your golden brown hair.”
“Yes, my aunt informed me I looked heathen to her too,” I laughed.
“Not heathen,” he said, with a serious look on his face. “Beautiful.”
I was taken back a bit. “Well thank you for the complement,” I said, self consciously.
“It was a sincere observation,” he smiled. I look forward to talking to you more and getting acquainted.”
His strange green eyes, so contrasting with his dark hair, smiled at me. I had noticed he had an accent, and I was trying to place it.
“Where are you from?” I asked, suddenly, before he started to go out the gate for more wood.
“Ireland,” he grinned. “I’m what they call the Black Irish, because of my black hair,” he informed me, and then he went out the gate, and I went into the house.
When I entered, my aunt was busy fixing breakfast, so I fell in and started helping her. She gave me a slight smile.
“I can’t get used to you looking so much like one of those heathens,” she mumbled. “After breakfast, I should get you some new clothes.”
“I want to go with you to pick out something that will fit me right,” I told her.
“I would be embarrassed to be seen with you,” she said bluntly.
“I am sorry, but you will just have to take it in your stride,” I told her. “I don’t want you getting something I can’t even use and will make me feel uncomfortable. I don’t want to wear any corsets, or get anything that fits snug around the waist. I am not concerned about the fashion of the day, so I will be happy to just have some out of style dress, as long as it fit’s the way I want it to.”
“Then you will have to keep your distance, when we walk to the shop,” she informed me.
“I will gladly escort her,” I heard that familiar lilting voice saying, as Elliot pushed the back door open, and came in with an armload of wood. “You wouldn’t have to come at all. Just give us how much you wish to spend, and I can take care of Miss Daniel’s needs,” he said.
“You know my niece?” Aunt Kelly asked astonished.
“We just met in the courtyard a few moments ago, but when I am through here, I don’t have that much to do, so I will take your niece shopping for more appropriate clothes,” he told her.
“I think that would do just fine,” Aunt Kelly said, probably feeling relieved she did not have to be seen with me in public.
My respect for Elliot Porter was growing by the minute.
“Thank you,” I said, giving him a grateful smile.
“It would be my pleasure. On the way, maybe you could relate your adventure to me,” he said hopefully.
I knew whatever I told him would only be a sketchy version of what really happened, but as long as it entertained him, I was happy to oblige.
Breakfast was just about ready, so Elliot sat at the kitchen table, while Aunt Kelly and I brought the food and set it on the table.
“I expect, to have a student coming after breakfast,” Aunt Kelly informed us. “So after you do your shopping, perhaps Elliot could take you for a turn around town and show you the sights. Then you won’t have to worry about disturbing me. I should be through around eleven o’clock, if that is not too much trouble,” she smiled, nodding towards Elliot.
“No trouble at all, Miss Kelly. I will be looking forward to spending the morning with your niece. She has promised to tell me all about her adventures with the Indians.”
“Mercy me! I don’t even want to think about it. No telling what happened while she was there. I have heard stories of what happens to white women the Indians capture.”
“I was not captured, Aunt Kelly. I was saved, and then made a guest,” I corrected.
“That is neither here nor there! You lived with those heathens, came back dressed like them, and you want me to believe you have not acted like them as well? I shudder to think what you have been exposed to. I hear they are half naked most of the time, and do diabolical things, that shouldn’t be mentioned in polite company.”
“You over exaggerate, Aunt Kelly,” I said, starting to feel irritated at her attitude. “The Indians are more civilized than you give them credit for.”
“You must have been with those heathens too long, Vanessa. I believe they converted you to their ways!”
I wondered if maybe she was right? After all I willingly agreed to become a member of their tribe. I glanced over at Elliot, and he merely smiled at me and winked.
When breakfast was finished, Aunt Kelly said she would clean up everything, and handed Elliot some money to buy me some clothes with.
“Don’t come back before noon,” she reminded us, and then I was following Elliot out of the door, feeling strange and out of place because I barely knew him.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I walked beside Elliot, trying not to feel so out of place, but when people stared at us, as we walked side by side, I felt less and less a part of the community I used to belong to. Although none of my old friends lived in this part of Missouri, I had always felt comfortable here, when ever we came to visit my aunt. Now I felt like even my aunt wasn’t really related to me.
“Don’t mind people staring,” Elliot whispered in my ear, and then put his hand on my waist. “They don’t have anything better to occupy their minds. You are an oddity, dressed the way you are, and they are just curious. I am sure they mean no disrespect.”
“Even my aunt seems to think I have turned heathen, because I wear a squaw-dress. I think she is trying to convince herself that I am really not her niece, and that I had actually died in that river.”
“Tell me about it,” he murmured, looking down at me, smiling.
“It is way too long of a story to attempt to tell you right now,” I told him.
“Then after we get you some clothes. We could go to for a walk, like your aunt suggested, and find a place to sit and talk. I would
like to know more about you.”
“Since there will be nothing else for us to do until noon, I suppose that would be acceptable,” I responded, wondering if I really wanted to tell him my story.
He seemed concerned, and he accepted me more readily than my own aunt did. We turned the corner, and he opened the door to a second-hand goods shop.
As we came in the door, the woman looked up from what she was doing. “May I help you?” she asked politely.
“I’m looking for a dress. A loose-fitting dress,” I informed her.
“Will you be trading in your Indian Dress? I could get a good price for it as a novelty,” she told me.
“No. A friend of mine made this dress for me. I plan to keep it, but I need something else to wear, since everyone seems to think I am a novelty, because I wear it.”
“Apparently, you have been around the Indians, if you are dressed in that get-up,” she smiled.
“I just came from a Sioux village, if that is what you are referring to. Could you show me some dresses that hang from under the breast. I don’t want a tight waist to constrain me.”
“Over in that trunk behind you. There are some older fashions there. I am sure you can find something to your liking,” she smiled.
Elliot and I went over to the trunk and started lifting dresses out.
“I like this one,” Elliot said, holding up a soft blue dress. “It matches your eyes,” he pointed out.
“I will go try it,” I told him, and walked to the fitting closet, to try the dress on.
I didn’t have any under things, and wondered if I should buy some, but I felt too embarrassed to mention it to Elliot. The dress fell loosely from a wide ribbon that was positioned under the breast. The sleeves were short and puffed, and the neck line was square, trimmed with lace, as were the sleeves. It barely brushed the floor, and when I came from behind the curtain, Elliot smiled at me.
“I think it suits you,” he smiled. “I believe there should be enough money to buy a second dress and a pair of shoes, and if not, I shall add whatever else is needed.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I complained.
“But I wish to. You shouldn’t just have one dress to wear, so choose another.”
I found a yellow dress that hung from the shoulders and had a sash to gather the waste in, which I decided would work for changes in my condition as the baby grew, so I added it to our purchases, and then I found a pair of slippers to wear. They were almost as comfortable as my moccasins, I thought.
I had the proprietor of the shop, wrap the extra dress and my Indian dress in the brown paper she tied with string, before handing it to me, and Elliot paid her the amount she asked for. He took the package from me, and placed it under his arm.
“Now why don’t we walk down to the river and watch the paddle boats?” he told me, offering me his elbow.
I gaily took his elbow and allowed him to lead me in the direction of the river that was a few blocks away. We descended down the dirt road which led to the docks, where the riverboats picked up passengers, or dropped off supplies, they transported on the river. I felt much better, because now, any glances I received, were brief. Men tipped their hats, in a respectful way at me, as we passed, while women merely tittered, probably about the fact I was not dressed in style. We found a bench, located in the shade of a tree, and was seated, as we watched the bustle going on along the shore.
The town where my aunt lived was not a large place. It was sprawled out over a hillside above the river, and then graduated towards plantations and farms on the outskirts of town, where our farm was located. The farm was still there, I assumed. We had closed it up, sold all the livestock, and left. It was a family farm with a history that started at the beginning of Missouri, so my father didn’t want to sell it. He thought, perhaps in the future, Jessie, or myself could come back and live there with our own families, if the situation in Missouri ever changed. There had been rumors of war, and that eventually, the plantation owners would be forced to get rid of their slaves. If that happened, the competition would not be as great then, and the farm could become profitable again. There were many slaves who escaped to the north, where the citizens were working to make laws against having slaves.
I was brought out of my thoughts, as Elliot turned to me and smiled.
“Now you must tell me about your adventure, and don’t leave out a thing,” he insisted, as he looked deeply into my eyes.
“I didn’t know if I could trust him with the complete story, so I merely told him the highlights of my adventure, and how Shadow Hawk wanted me as his woman, but that Shy Dove had put a stop to it, which caused Shadow Hawk to give up on insisting I become his woman. I told him about my friendship with Running Wolf, and how he offered to watch over me, but was killed during the buffalo hunt. I told him of how I tried to escape several times, to no avail, and Elliot cheered me on for trying.
“Why did Shadow Hawk decide to let you go?” he asked, looking puzzled. “He had gone to such lengths to try to track you down, every time you tried to escape. Then he suddenly decides he doesn’t want you, after some crazy Indian woman stabs you? It doesn’t make sense.”
“He wanted me as his woman and expected me to give him children. The medicine man said I couldn’t have children, after I had been stabbed. We never got along anyway, so I guess it really doesn’t matter.”
“You look sad when you say that,” he noticed. “I think you must have really grown to like Shadow Hawk, in spite of everything.”
“There was a time I thought I did want to become his woman, but I discovered he wished to have a second wife along with me. I would not agree to that, so he let me go.”
“I see. Indians must have strange customs. I believe having one wife would be enough to keep a man busy,” he laughed. “Well, I consider it was his loss. I am sorry to hear you can no longer have children, though.”
He looked tenderly at me.
“That is merely what the Medicine man believed. It doesn’t mean he was right,” I mumbled.
“Then let’s hope he wasn’t right,” Elliot smiled.
“Yes. I am sure he had no medical education, and was merely stating what he believed was the case, perhaps, based on other similar cases he had dealt with.”
“So you plan to join your family in Oregon?” he asked.
“I will have to wait until spring. Hudson may come and escort me, at least as far as the Sioux village, he always returns to, after he sells his pelts.”
“And then after that? You don’t plan to travel on your own, do you?”
“I plan to visit the Sioux tribe again. I want to see Running Wolf’s mother one more time before I join my family.”
I did not tell him why it was so important to see his mother, though.
“Once I get there, maybe I can talk a couple of braves into taking me the rest of the way to Oregon. It would be safer if I was with Indians, since I heard that many of the different Indian tribes in the area are not very friendly to whites. They often tried to attack the wagon train I was with. I would feel safer with Indian guides, than just regular travelers. On the other hand, I could go with trappers traveling farther west. Most of them are friends with the Indians because most of them have Indian wives and trade with the Indians. Only I have heard stories about the Indians chasing trappers, trying to steal their pelts, so one never knows which tribes to trust.”
“If you don’t plan to leave until next spring, that gives me a whole year to enjoy your company,” he smiled. “I hope you will allow me to become your close friend.”
“You seem a gentleman, and my aunt knows you, so I suppose I would be safe in allowing your friendship,” I said, a little shyly.
I had no friends, and I thought it might be nice to have someone to do things with at times, but once he discovered my condition, I wasn’t sure he would even want to be seen with me.
“I will not hold it against you, though, if you decide I am too much of a bother to continue a close
friendship with,” I told him, preparing myself for his future rejection.
“Nonsense! How could you ever be a bother? I am sure we will get along famously.”
“We shall see,” is all I said.
We had taken up most of the time talking, so Elliot escorted me back to my aunt’s house. When she saw us enter, she gave me a smile.
“You look much better, only that dress is so out of date! I am sure the shop had newer dresses than that one.”
“I like the old style,” I told her. “It is much more comfortable than the new dresses with all their buttons, and huge sleeves, not to mention you have to wear a corset with them to do them justice, and all sorts of petty coats. I prefer something more flowing, and less restrictive. I am used to wearing something that just hangs from the shoulders, and does not fit your form so tightly.”
“Those Indians have changed you, I fear,” my aunt mumbled. “Even your eyes have a wild look to them. I hope you will manage to settle down and get used to civilized ways once again.”
“Just about the time I do it, I will be going back into the wild country,” I laughed. “Don’t worry about me. I will just have to muddle thorough.”
I turned to Elliot, who was still standing at my side.
“Thank you so much for taking me shopping and keeping me company,” I told him.
“The pleasure was all mine, and perhaps when your aunt is busy with teaching students, I could keep you company again.”
“That would be just fine,” my aunt piped up. “I have lessons every other morning, until noon, so if you want to take Vanessa out for a stroll on those mornings, I am sure she could accommodate you.”
“Yes, I would like that,” I added.
“Very well, then. I shall be here day after tomorrow,” Elliot smiled, handing me my package and departing.
“I am sorry if I am disrupting your schedule,” I said to Aunt Kelly. “I could easily stay in my room during the mornings you are teaching.”
“Nonsense! A woman needs to take the air, and Elliot is a fine young man. He has been helping me out for about three years now, and I trust him. You need to get interested in young men, seeing as how you are of a marrying age and he seems genuinely attentive to you. I have not seen him stepping out with any other girls in the three years he has been working for me.”
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