Savage Spring

by Constance O'Banyon

  “I can say in all honesty that I owe you a great debt, Windhawk. My son has told me about how you have taken care of him and my daughter. You would have to be an exceptional man to have won Joanna’s heart. As her father, I offer you my gratitude and my respect.”

  Windhawk clasped Russell’s hand and smiled. “As the father of my wife, you will also be my father,” he said, deeply moved.

  Russell James could feel the pull of Windhawk’s powerful personality and knew that his daughter had found an exceptional man. Both men could read mutual respect and acceptance in the other’s eyes.

  Happiness followed as Russell James was introduced to Joanna’s son, Little Hawk, and her daughter, Sky Dancer. He then was handed Tag’s daughter and told she went by the name of Little Princess. Russell had thought it would be hard to accept his grandchildren, knowing they would be half Indian. But as he held Tag’s daughter in his arms and Little Hawk sat at his feet, asking all kinds of questions in perfect English, he felt his heart melt. His two granddaughters looked so much alike that they appeared to be twins. They were both light-skinned, with long black hair. He was astonished to find that they both had blue eyes. Little Hawk was dark-skinned like his father and had dancing ebony eyes that sparkled when he looked at his grandfather.

  When the excitement died down, Joanna watched as Tag lifted his daughter in his arms and left the lodge. She realized he needed to be alone for a while.

  Windhawk had discreetly left Joanna and her father alone to get reacquainted. Russell James told his daughter all that had happened to him and Tag in Philadelphia. She shed no tears when she heard of Claudia’s death, nor did she feel regret at Howard Landon’s passing. Joanna now knew she could put the past out of her mind and look to a bright new future with no dark clouds hanging over her. She hoped that Tag would now be able to put the bitterness and hatred behind him and get on with his life. She looked forward to meeting Alexandria, knowing the girl had helped Tag find himself.

  The night had turned quite cool, and Joanna and her father sat beside the fire. “What do you think of Alexandria, Papa? What is she like? Do you think Tag loves her?” Joanna wanted to know.

  “As to what she is like, you can judge for yourself. I find I’m very fond of her. The rest you will have to ask Tag himself.”

  “I cannot wait to see her. I am grateful that she helped Tag when he needed it.”

  “That son of mine seems to have picked up several champions along the way.”

  “How is Farley?” Joanna asked with a smile, knowing her father was referring to the old trapper.

  “He seems to be in good health and spirits,” her father assured her.

  “I can’t wait to see him—are you sure he is all right?”

  Russell laughed. “I never met anyone who was more all right than that old trapper. I’ll always be grateful to him for standing by Tag.”

  “Yes, he is wonderful,” Joanna agreed, linking her arm through her father’s. “I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to see you, Papa. You can’t know how devastated Tag and I were when we heard you were dead. It’s like a miracle having you back with us.”

  Russell searched his daughter’s lovely face. She had been only a young girl the last time he had seen her—now she was a woman who seemed to be blooming with happiness. “Are you truly happy, Joanna? Is Windhawk good to you?”

  “Papa, I could have searched the whole world over and never have found anyone as right for me as Windhawk. He is the kindest, most considerate man. You will realize this when you come to know him. I want you to like him. If you will only meet him halfway, you will like him, Papa.”

  Russell kissed her pert little nose. “With such a strong recommendation, how can I not?”

  Soon Windhawk returned, and he sat beside Joanna and talked to her father. It didn’t take long for Russell to recognize Windhawk’s intelligence, and he began to see why his son and daughter admired and respected the young chief of the Blackfoot tribe.

  Tag pulled the blanket over his daughter’s head. His heart was at peace as he walked beside the river. The people of the Blackfoot tribe respected his need to be alone—for although they would have liked to welcome him back among them, they left it until another day.

  Tag closed his eyes, and he could almost hear Morning Song’s voice whispering to him. The tiny bit of humanity he held in his arms was a part of Morning Song…just as she was a part of him.

  “Please understand, Morning Song,” he whispered aloud. “I don’t love you any less because I took another wife. What you and I had was beautiful, but I love Alexandria.”

  “My daughter cannot hear you, Tag. She is dead,” Sun Woman said from behind him.

  Tag turned around to face Morning Song’s mother. He had dreaded facing her, fearing she wouldn’t understand about Alexandria. “It is good to see you, my mother,” he told her, bending to kiss her cheek.

  “Word has already reached me that you brought a white wife with you. Will this woman be good to you and my dead daughter’s baby?”

  “She has a kind heart, my mother. I believe she will treat the child as her own.”

  “Will you be returning to the white world, my son?”

  “Yes, but when I leave, I will leave a part of myself behind, my mother.”

  Sun Woman touched his face. “I have always known the time would come for you to leave us. I think Morning Song knew it also. It is good that you filled her life with happiness before she died.”

  “I…does it bother you that I now have another wife?”

  “Do you love this woman?”

  “Yes, very much.”

  “How, then, can I object? I am pleased to see the sadness gone from your eyes. Morning Song would be happy also. I do not want to see this woman for a time, but I will come to accept her, if it is your wish.”

  Tag looked into the face that had become so dear to him over the years. He would miss many things and people when he returned to Philadelphia. Sun Woman would be one of those he would miss.

  “I will see to it that my daughter visits you when she is older. I will always tell her about her mother and the Blackfoot people. She will grow up being proud of her Indian blood. This I promise you!”

  “It is good, my son. I am content. Will you give this daughter a name? You failed to do so before you left. We were forced to call her Little Princess.”

  “I have been thinking about that. I have decided to call her after my French grandmother—her name will be Danielle!”

  “It is a strange-sounding name, but if it is after your grandmother, it is good,” Sun Woman said, leaning forward and placing her cheek against Tag’s.

  “Has my daughter’s death been avenged, my son?” she asked softly.

  “Yes, my mother. Morning Song can now rest in peace…”

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Alexandria rode beside Farley, not daring to look back at the six Blackfoot warriors who were following closely behind. Her heart was in her mouth as they crossed the river and rode up the bank toward the Blackfoot village.

  Alexandria glanced at the numerous women and children who rushed forward to greet Farley as they entered the village. Their dark eyes stared at her curiously, and she had the feeling she had just entered an alien world. The horses moved past the throng of people, and she kept hoping to see Tag. Farley gave her a reassuring smile as they reached the center of the village, and he halted his mount before a huge lodge.

  Farley dismounted and helped her down. “Where is Tag?” she asked, looking about her and seeing that the Indian women and children had gone on about their business, seeming to ignore her and Farley.

  “I ’spect he’s inside,” he said, pushing the lodge flap aside and yelling at the top of his voice. “Joanna, it’s me, Farley…I’m home!”

  Farley pulled Alexandria into the lodge behind him, and her eyes hadn’t yet become accustomed to the darkness when she heard a soft voice she knew could only belong to Tag’s sister, Joanna.

  “Farl
ey, I have missed you! Things just haven’t been the same around here without you.”

  Alexandria hadn’t yet been able to get a close look at the woman who was crushed in a bear hug by the old trapper. She saw only a woman dressed in fringed buckskin and knee-high moccasins, with red-gold hair that hung down her back to her waist.

  Alexandria had always dreaded this moment. She so desperately wanted Joanna to like her. She wasn’t prepared for the bright smile or the heartfelt welcome in the violet-blue eyes that sought hers.

  “Alexandria, my dear. I feel as if I know you already,” Joanna said, taking the young girl’s hand. “You are every bit as lovely as Tag and my father said you were.” Joanna slid a comforting arm about Alexandria’s waist, remembering how frightened she had been when Windhawk had first brought her to the Blackfoot village. “You must be very tired from such a long journey.”

  Each woman looked into the other’s eyes, and each formed her own opinion. Alexandria thought that nothing she had heard about Joanna had done her real justice. Surely there was no more beautiful woman anywhere in the world. Her face was perfectly shaped, and her smile was genuine, as was the softness in her eyes. Joanna caught the anxious light in the golden-colored eyes and she wanted to assure Alexandria that she need not worry. The young girl’s skin was smooth and ivory-colored, and Joanna could see how Tag would be drawn to her. Although Joanna was a head taller than Alexandria, she could see that the girl carried herself straight and proud.

  “I…have been looking forward to meeting you, Joanna. Tag has told me so much about you.”

  Joanna’s laughter was infectious, and Alexandria felt her heart lighten. “You are not to believe everything that my brother tells you about me, Alexandria—he tends to exaggerate where I am concerned.”

  “I think he was being truthful. You are very lovely.”

  Joanna smiled and her violet eyes twinkled with mirth. “I think I’m going to like you, Alexandria James.”

  “I think I liked you before I met you, Joanna,” Alexandria said, her amber eyes glowing earnestly.

  Farley ambled over to the two cradles and looked down at the sleeping babies. He had known Joanna would put Alexandria at ease. Maybe she could help the two young people find their way to each other, he thought, touching the dark head of Tag’s baby daughter.

  “Tag and my father rode out with Windhawk this morning—they should be home for lunch,” Joanna said, voicing Alexandria’s unasked question. “Would you like to see the children?” Joanna asked.

  “Yes, very much.”

  Joanna led Alexandria first to her own daughter’s cradle. “Little Hawk, our eldest, is with his grandmother this morning—you will see him later.”

  Alexandria looked down on the sleeping baby, amazed by her shock of ebony hair. The child looked so angelic in sleep that Alexandria couldn’t help but touch her soft cheek. “She is lovely, Joanna. I can see that you would be proud of her.”

  “Indeed I am,” Joanna said, moving Alexandria to the cradle where Tag’s child lay. She watched Tag’s new wife’s face for her reaction to the child. “This is Danielle, Tag’s daughter,” Joanna told her.

  There could be no mistaking the mist in the amber eyes as Alexandria reached out her hand and touched the head that was covered with black downy hair and was so soft to the touch. The child opened her eyes, and Alexandria saw that they were startlingly blue, in deep contrast to her golden-colored skin. When the child began to gurgle and laugh, Alexandria felt a tug at her heart.

  “Oh, she is so lovely! May I hold her?”

  “Of course, you can. By Indian custom, Danielle is now your daughter.” Again Joanna watched Alexandria’s face carefully, to see if she would accept the child that Tag had fathered by another woman.

  Alexandria lifted the child in her arms and held her close to her heart. The tears that ran from her eyes fell onto the child’s face.

  “I didn’t know how I would feel about this child, but I believe I love her already,” Alexandria said, kissing the smooth cheek.

  Joanna felt relief wash over her. Tag’s daughter was so dear to her, she was glad to see that she would be loved by Alexandria. It tore at her heart to know that Tag would be taking Danielle away from her when he returned to Philadelphia, but she could see that the child would be in loving hands. Joanna would take comfort from the fact that Danielle would have Alexandria for her mother.

  The two girls hadn’t noticed that Farley had left them alone. When the lodge flap was thrown aside, both of them looked up.

  Joanna had been dreading the moment Sun Woman would confront Alexandria. Her mother-in-law stared at Alexandria long and hard before she crossed the lodge.

  “Have courage. This is the baby’s grandmother, Sun Woman,” Joanna whispered quickly, trying to prepare Alexandria for what was to come.

  Alexandria stared into hostile dark eyes. She was certain Morning Song’s mother, if she were of a mind to, had the capacity to rip a person to shreds.

  Sun Woman looked down at her granddaughter, then back at Alexandria. Morning Song’s mother didn’t say a word, but Alexandria could read her thoughts and handed the baby to her. Sun Woman took the baby and walked out of the lodge without a word.

  “I…do not understand,” Alexandria said, looking to Joanna for an answer to the woman’s strange behavior.

  “First, let me tell you that Sun Woman loves her granddaughter very much. Danielle has become a substitute for her dead daughter, Morning Song. She knows that you and Tag will be taking the child away when you leave, and she has to deal with that fact in her own way. Be patient with her, and she will come around before you leave,” Joanna assured her.

  Suddenly Alexandria realized why Tag had asked her to come with him. He wanted her to look after his daughter until they got back to Philadelphia. She felt her heart sink, along with her last hope of winning Tag’s love. She was nothing more to him than just someone to care for Danielle. She knew in that moment that he wouldn’t be happy about the baby she was carrying. Knowing she must hide her disappointment from Joanna, Alexandria gave her a weak smile.

  “I must convince Sun Woman, for Tag’s sake, that the baby will be in good hands—mustn’t I?” Alexandria asked softly.

  Joanna hadn’t missed the sparkle of tears in Alexandria’s eyes, and she understood better than Alexandria realized. Joanna was beginning to see that Morning Song’s ghost stood between Tag and his young wife. She knew she might have to take a hand, if Tag didn’t come to his senses before too long. Surely her brother wasn’t aware of the fact that he was hurting this lovely young girl.

  “I hear riders coming into camp—it might be your husband and mine,” Joanna said, taking Alexandria’s hand and leading her outside.

  Alexandria watched as Tag and his father dismounted in a cloud of dust. She knew without being told that the tall, handsome Indian who took Joanna’s hand would be the legendary Windhawk. She looked at Tag shyly, thinking he had never looked more unapproachable. He wore nothing but a leather breechcloth. Alexandria couldn’t help but notice the way his firm, hard body rippled with muscles. She quickly looked up at his hair and focused her eyes on the leather band about his golden hair. He was laughing at something his father had said and hadn’t even noticed her. She had never felt more like an intruder than she did at that moment.

  “Alexandria, I would like you to meet my husband, Windhawk,” Joanna said, pulling her attention away from Tag.

  When Alexandria looked into Windhawk’s dark eyes, at first she felt a prickle of fear. He was so different from any man she had ever seen. He was no ordinary Indian—one look told her that he was a man of great strength and character. His eyes were kind as they rested on her.

  “I welcome you to my village, Alexandria,” he said, nodding his head slightly. “I hope you will feel that our home is yours,” he added.

  “I…thank you,” she said, meeting his dark gaze.

  Windhawk turned to Joanna and said something that made Joanna laugh.
“My husband has told me he has never seen eyes the color of the golden falcon’s wing. He thinks they are most wondrous to behold.”

  Tag moved forward to join in the conversation. “I thought they were a most unusual color myself when I first gazed upon them, but then at the time, I had no way of knowing just how unusual they were,” he said, smiling at Alexandria. She knew he was reminding her that at that time he had thought her to be a young boy.

  Russell James draped his arm about Alexandria’s shoulder. “I think Alexandria is as lovely and unusual as the color of her eyes. I find myself feeling privileged that she has come to me as a daughter.”

  Alexandria cast Tag’s father a grateful look. She felt closer to him than she did to the others—he, more than anyone else, seemed to sense what she was feeling.

  As they entered the lodge, Alexandria found that Tag wasn’t with them. She knew he had gone to see Sun Woman, who had his daughter.

  Later, as she helped Joanna serve the lunch of deer meat and berry cakes, she wished she could be alone to cry out her misery. She didn’t belong with these people, and she didn’t belong to Tag. They were a family, and she felt left out of the love they had for one another.

  Alexandria knew she must tell Tag that she wouldn’t live with him as the mother of his child. He had the money to hire a woman who would perform that service. All she wanted was to return to Meadowlake and heal her broken heart. How easy it would be to love and be a mother to Tag’s daughter—how great was the temptation to give in just so she could be near Tag. No, her pride wouldn’t allow her to bask in what crumbs he wished to toss her way. She would return to Meadowlake and have her baby. When she and Tag were alone, she would tell him she wished to leave as soon as possible.

  A short time later Tag joined them, and they all had lunch. Tag noticed that Alexandria was unusually quiet. He knew how difficult it must be for her being in an alien world that she couldn’t possibly understand. He blamed himself for not spending more time with her. For some reason he was at a loss as to how to approach her. He had so many things to say to her, and he didn’t know how to say them. Perhaps he would take her for a walk tonight and explain some of his feelings to her at that time.