"That damn Indian is asking too many questions," Kirk growled. "He's been hired to lead, not to interfere in our private lives."
Jolena tugged at Kirk's hand, trying to get free. "Let me go, Kirk," she said, anger brimming in her eyes as she glared at him. "What you did was most impolite. He was just making conversation."
"He saw your skin coloring," Kirk grumbled, flashing an angry look back at her. "And it wasn't just polite conversation that caused him to say what he did. Jolena, you are Indian, through and through. He saw it. He wants to make it his business to know why, and I won't allow it."
Jolena ceased struggling with her brother, knowing that although she was the more willful of the two, he was the stronger.
Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she gazed at Spotted Eaglethis Indian whose name, as well as his handsomeness, intrigued her.
She did not know how, but Spotted Eagle was one and the same as the Indian in her dreams! She did not see how that could be so, yet it was. No one could say that all Indians looked alike, for the slighter Indian companion of Spotted Eagle's looked nothing like the man in her dream. In her eyes, he was not handsome at all.
He, too, had looked at her strangely, but she had defined this as an interest in her. She knew lust in the eyes of a man when she saw it, and this man lusted after her. He seemed ready even at this moment to throw her to the ground and cover her with his body. He frightened her, and she knew to keep an eye on him, especially if she was left alone for any length of time with him.
"Kirk," Jolena blurted, finally yanking herself out of her brother's grip. "I hope that today isn't a sample of how guarded you are going to be of my every move and new acquaintance. You made me look helpless in front of everyone. You know better than that, so please think before you act next time."
"It doesn't take much thinking to know when you need your brother to look after your welfare, especially when an Indian warrior is becoming too inquisitive about you," Kirk said, giving Jolena a frown. "I promised father I would…"
His words broke off as a guarded look came into his eyes, then he looked away from Jolena, silent.
"You promised father you would keep me from finding out about my heritage, didn't you?" she snapped back. "Is he… are you… so threatened by the truth that you will do anything to keep me from even talking to an Indian? Kirk, that won't work and you know it. If I want to talk, for instance, to Spotted Eagle, I will, and I will not allow you to humiliate me, nor him, ever again."
"Didn't you see the way he was looking at you, sis?" Kirk said urgently. "He was looking at you as though he wanted to possess you, or perhaps already did. And I saw the way you were looking at him. Damn it, sis, don't get infatuated with an Indian just because your skin is the same color as his. II don't want you deciding to stay behind when it is time to return to Saint Louis."
Knowing that Kirk's worries were well-founded, and that even she saw the dangers in allowing her feelings for Spotted Eagle to grow, Jolena did not offer him a response. In truth, she did not know what to say. She could not deny even to her brother that she was intrigued by the Blackfoot warrior, for she was not skilled in telling lies.
Instead, she escaped further conversation with him by gazing around her, taking in the scene around them. The site of the fort had been well selected, on a beautiful prairie on the banks near the junction of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. Jolena's father had told her that since this was the principal headquarters of the fur companies of this region, a vast stock of goods was kept on hand. At certain times of the year, the numerous traders from the distant outposts concentrated here with the profits from their season's trade and outfitted themselves with a fresh supply of goods to trade with the Indians. This post was also the general rendezvous of a great number of Indian tribes, who were continually concentrating there for the purpose of trade.
It appeared that those who lived within the walls of the fort lived in a comfortable style. Jolena could count some eight or ten log houses and stores and knew that forty or fifty soldiers were stationed there. She was amazed at the number of horses in the corral at the far end of the courtyard, not far from the long row of barracks. There had to be at least one hundred horses inside the fence!
''Here now, let me take you to my private dwelling," Ralph said, suddenly nudging his way between Jolena and Kirk. "You can get comfortable with a cup of hot tea before everyone else arrives for supper. Your trunks and personal belongings are being seen to. Tomorrow they will be loaded into the covered wagons that should be arriving from another outpost. These wagons will take you where you need to go. Spotted Eagle knows the avenue of travel that will take you around the worst, impassable terrain."
The name Spotted Eagle made Jolena's heart leap. She looked guiltily at Kirk and saw that his reaction to the name was much different from her own. In his blue eyes she could see a trace of guarded anger.
Steve guided her and Kirk toward the largest and most handsome of the log cabins. She followed him inside, finding a huge stone fireplace where a soft fire burned in the massive grate; plush, deeply cushioned chairs were positioned before the fireplace.
As she looked slowly around the room, she found signs that only a man lived there and concluded that Ralph was not married, or perhaps was widowed. All the furniture was manly and crude, and lined along the far wall were his trophiesstuffed heads of deer and every other kind of wild animal to be found in this untamed Montana Territory region.
Jolena turned quickly when a Mexican woman came into the room, wiping her hands on an apron. Her graying hair was worn in a tight bun atop her head, and her eyes were wide and smiling as she gazed from Kirk to Jolena.
"We have visitors, s?, Mister Ralph?" Maria Estefan said, still smiling her approval. "And isn't she the pretty one?" she said, looking Jolena slowly up and down. "Indian? Which tribe?"
Jolena had been returning the woman's smile until she had referred to her as an Indian, going as far as asking her tribe.
There was a strained silence.
Ralph quickly interceded. "Maria, this is Jolena and Kirk Edmonds from Saint Louis," he said, gesturing toward them. "They have come to search for a rare butterfly. They will be leaving on the expedition tomorrow. Don't you think you should show them the supper you've prepared for them and their associates?"
Maria squinted curiously up at Jolena from her extremely short height, but said no more as she guided them into the dining room, which was set for the evening meal. The long oak table seemed to groan under the luxuries of the countrybuffalo meat and tongues, beavers' tails and marrow fat. A bottle of Madeira and an excellent port sat glistening in the light of several candles in the center of the table, and piles of bread and cheese looked tem�
�pting midst the other delicacies.
"Does it meet with your approval?" Ralph said, moving to the table and running his hand along its smooth, highly polished top.
"I wasn't even aware of being hungry until I saw this," Jolena said, laughing softly.
One by one the rest of the scientists and their assistants filed into the room. Jolena sat down beside Kirk and welcomed a cup of tea as Maria then filled a long-stemmed glass with wine. She smiled her thanks, yet was remembering the woman's questionwhich tribe was she from?
It ate at her insides, the not knowing.
Now, more than ever before, she had to find out her true heritage… her true father… her true people.
Somehow, some wayshe would.
Her thoughts switched quickly to the handsome warrior. Perhaps he could help her discover the truths that until now were kept from her?
She tingled from head to toe to think that she had a true reason to become closer to Spotted Eagle.
Still in awe of this woman who was Indian, yet was dressed in white clothing, Spotted Eagle only went through the motions of making camp just inside the fort's walls. Everything he did he did mechanically, without thought. He could not conceive how this woman could be anyone but the daughter of Sweet Dove and Brown Elk. No one could look so like someone without being related!
He glanced at Two Ridges as he was spreading his pelts for the night close beside the fire. He found it impossible to share with Two Ridges his suspicion that Jolena was Two Ridges' half-sister.
Looking away from Two Ridges, again occupying himself with his own chores of preparing his pelts for the night, he decided that knowing who Jolena surely was would be his secret, to be savored until the time came that Jolena would be taken to meet her true people. Then Two Ridges would know.
Only then.
Spotted Eagle did not want to share Jolena with Two Ridges for any reason as yet. It was going to be difficult enough to find ways to get her away from her white brother, this man seemingly obsessed with her.
In time, this would change, he thought, smiling to himself.
The only man who would possess and be obsessed with her would be Spotted Eagle!
He took a piece of dried meat and back fat from the buckskin pouch that he had brought from his horse, sat down by the fire, and began eating slowly, his thoughts still on this woman who so resembled the woman of his past. It was bringing back many memories that made a slow ache around his heart.
Two Ridges looked guardedly over at Spotted Eagle. When he thought that his friend might be too lost in thought to notice his absence, he moved stealthily away from the campsite. He had noticed the arrival of another Blackfoot friend of another Blackfoot village making temporary camp outside the fort walls to trade his pelts on the morrow.
White Mole did anything for payment, even if it was telling a lie to add horses to his corral back at his village.
For two horses, White Mole would do most anything.
Even lying to Spotted Eagle, a most revered Blackfoot warrior!
But Two Ridges saw no other way to get the copper princess all to himself. He wanted her badly enough to try anything to have her, even if, in the end, he lost Spotted Eagle's friendship.
Hurrying anxiously, he came upon White Mole's campsite. He embraced his short, squat friend, whose eyes were strangely disfigured by a white mole above each of them. "My friend, it is good to see you again," Two Ridges said, stepping away from his friend. "Would you share a smoke with your Blackfoot neighbor?"
" Kyi- ok-yi, come. It will be good to share my pipe with Two Ridges," White Mole said, kneeling to reach inside his buckskin travel bag for his long-stemmed pipe. Two Ridges sat down on White Mole's blanket as White Mole settled down beside him, stamping Indian tobacco into the bowl of the pipe. After the pipe was lit by a burning twig, they took turns drawing from the stem, then laid it aside and talked.
"You have come to White Mole for more than smoke?" White Mole asked.
"That is so," Two Ridges said stiffly, his legs crossed, his hands on each of his knees.
"You tell White Mole why," the smaller Indian said, leaning his face closer to Two Ridges.
"First I want to say that I will pay you two horses if you do as I ask," Two Ridges said, watching White Mole's thick lips form a slow smile.
"Two horses will be fine payment," White Mole said, nodding. "Tell me what to do. It is the same as done."
Two Ridges looked over his shoulder to see if Spotted Eagle had noticed where he had gone, glad to see that a row of bushes hid him from his friend's view.
He then leaned closer to White Mole. "I must say this quickly, then return to my campsite before my friend finds me with you," he said softly.
White Mole strained his neck, looking around the bushes. "You are with Spotted Eagle, I see," he said.
"Yes, as I usually am," Two Ridges said, then leaned closer again to White Mole. "My friend, there are many white people who will be leaving the fort in covered wagons tomorrow. Follow them a full day and night, then go into their camp and give this false message to Spotted Eaglethat another brave has come to you and told you to relay a message to Spotted Eagle that he must return home, that his father is ailing. By the time Spotted Eagle discovers the deceit, Two Ridges will have a chance to draw the one called Jolena into loving him. You will not be accused of the deception, because you will say a brave whose name is not known to you has told you."
" Hai- vah! You are deceiving your favored friend?" White Mole said, his voice filled with wonder.
"For a beautiful woman, would you not do the same?" Two Ridges said, smiling devilishly at White Mole. It was important to Two Ridges to have something to cause envy in Spotted Eagle! As he saw it, it was not fair that Spotted Eagle received so much adoration from their Blackfoot people, especially the elders, and Two Ridges so little. Two Ridges had a strong drive to change that.
White Mole returned the smile. "I will make hasty trade of my pelts at early sunrise then wait hidden for the white people to leave on wagons and will follow."
He placed a hand on Two Ridges' shoulder. "You pay me well with best horses for such a deceit?" he said, his eyes dancing.
"The best," Two Ridges said, nodding.
" Kyi. The deed is the same as done," White Mole said, chuckling. Two Ridges rose quickly to his feet and made a wide circle so that, should Spotted Eagle turn and see his return to the campsite, he would not see where he had been.
But Two Ridges found quickly enough that he had nothing to fear. He reached his camp without even a sidewise glance from Spotted Eagle. Spotted Eagle was as though in a trance, his mind surely locked on the beauty of the woman of mystery, Two Ridges' copper princess!
This made Two Ridges even more determined in his priva
te pursuit of this woman that had stolen the hearts of two friends!
Chapter Six
Comfortably full from the large meal and feeling sparkling clean from a bath, Jolena stared from the window of the bedroom that she had been assigned for the night. She hugged herself when a shiver raced across her flesh, the small dot of a campfire against the falling dusk making her think of Spotted Eagle. He was out there, making camp just inside the walls of the fort.
She could not make him out in the darkening shawl of evening, yet knew that it must be his campfire she could see flickering softly in the night in the courtyard of the fort.
Something akin to a silent bidding seemed to be calling her there, to discover why there had been an instant attraction between herself and the Blackfoot warrior. The thought of being with him day and night in the coming weeks made the pit of her stomach take on a strange churning. To imagine how it might be to be held by him, to be kissed by him, made her heart thud wildly.
Savage Illusions Page 6
