Savage Winter

by Constance O'Banyon

  Claudia held up Joanna’s doeskin gown, looking at it with distaste. “How the mighty have fallen. I remember you once paraded around in the latest fashions. Is this what they are wearing in Paris this year?”

  Joanna sank lower down in the galvanized bathtub, trying to ignore Claudia. She had suffered her acrid tongue in silence for over a week now, and she had just about had her fill of Claudia’s complaining. Ducking her head under water, she rinsed the soap from her hair.

  If only she could have some time alone so she could think. Surprisingly, her uncle had been kind and considerate to her, which was more than she could say for Claudia.

  Joanna’s Uncle Howard had hired the wife of one of the trappers to make her several new gowns. As badly as she hated to admit it, her doeskin gown was beyond repairing. She couldn’t very well object to wearing the gowns that had been made for her.

  “If you know what’s good for you, you had better send for that brother of yours. Howard won’t put up with your stubbornness for much longer. If you insist on having your way, you may regret it,” Claudia threatened, as her voice seemed to drone on and on.

  Joanna reached for a towel and wrapped it about her as she stepped but of the bathtub. “I can assure you, I will do no such thing. Tag will remain where he is and nothing you or my uncle can do will make me change my mind. I would be a fool to expose my brother to any danger.” For days, her uncle and Claudia had been grilling her about Tag’s whereabouts. She wasn’t about to tell either of them where he was.

  “Howard said if you don’t tell us where Tag is, we’re leaving for Philadelphia early tomorrow morning. How will you like that, miss priss?”

  Joanna shrugged her shoulders. “It’s all the same to me. My uncle will find I am not so easy to control as I once was. Without my brother, he cannot hold the threat of his safety over my head.”

  Claudia threw the doeskin gown at Joanna, but it landed on the floor at Joanna’s feet. “You just wait and see.” Claudia’s eyes glinted for a moment. “I bet you would give anything to return to that Indian you’ve been living with. How do you like the way I tricked you?”

  Joanna pulled the gray gown over her head and fastened it at the collar. “I have to hand it to you, Claudia, you had me believing Harland had sent for me. Do you feel proud of yourself for taking me away from my husband?”

  “You weren’t ever married in a proper wedding ceremony. You were living in sin with that heathen!”

  Joanna refused to allow Claudia to goad her into anger. “Just because we weren’t joined together in a church or by a presiding minister doesn’t mean we aren’t man and wife. My becoming Windhawk’s wife was more beautiful than you could ever imagine.”

  Claudia sank down in a chair. “I can’t understand you at all, Joanna. You had everything a girl could want—money, beautiful gowns, and a grand house to live in. I happen to know that Captain Thatcher even asked you to marry him. Why would you throw all that away to be with an Indian?”

  Joanna picked up a brush and began brushing the tangles from her hair. “It’s very simple, but I don’t expect you to understand. I love…loved Windhawk.”

  “Tell me what he looks like?” Claudia asked with interest. “I must confess all Indians look alike to me.”

  Joanna smiled. “How can I describe his handsomeness? How could I make you understand his gentleness and compassion? He has every quality I would ever want in a husband. He was the kindest, most loving man I have ever met.”

  Claudia’s eyes seemed to glaze over. “Tell me, what does it feel like to have a savage make love to you?”

  Joanna paused with the brush halfway through a red-gold curl. “You go too far, Claudia. I would never discuss anything so private with you.”

  Claudia’s lewd laughter filled the room. “My, my, aren’t we touchy, though! Does your Indian lover know how to kiss a woman?”

  Joanna threw the brush down on the bed. “Isn’t there something you should be doing? I have nothing further to say to you now or in the future.”

  Claudia laughed gleefully, knowing she had finally struck a nerve. “I have nothing to do but keep an eye on you to make sure you don’t try to escape.”

  “Do you think you could stop me if I decided to go through that door right now?” Joanna challenged.

  “I might not be able to stop you, but the Boggs brothers are stationed right outside that door. I think they could easily detain you.”

  “What do you expect to get out of all this, Claudia? You can’t tell me you married my uncle out of love. I can tell the two of you don’t even like each other. Yours doesn’t seem to be a match made in heaven!”

  Claudia stood up. “Had it not been for you, I would now be married to Captain Thatcher.”

  “Don’t blame me for your failures, Claudia. It’s not my fault that Harland didn’t marry you.”

  Claudia’s face became distorted with anger. “What is it about you that causes the men to lust after you? I’m as pretty as you are, and a lot more obtainable.”

  “Look to yourself for the answers. I’m sure I don’t know.”

  “What will your Indian lover do when he finds out you are missing?” Claudia asked, changing the subject abruptly. “Will he come after you, do you think?”

  Joanna closed her eyes for just a moment. “I don’t know. Because of your letter he will think that I have gone off with Captain Thatcher. Windhawk is very jealous of Harland.”

  “For some reason, you don’t seem unduly upset to be separated from Windhawk. Why is that?”

  Joanna had no intention of telling Claudia that she had been hurt because Windhawk had decided to take another wife. How could she tell anyone about the pain that burned in her heart?

  She had become resigned to the fact that her uncle was taking her back to Philadelphia—anyway, there wasn’t much she could do about it. Perhaps it was for the best. She could never have stayed with Windhawk and watched him turn to another woman. As far as Tag was concerned, he would be much better off with Windhawk than with her uncle. The one thing she must prevent from happening was allowing her Uncle Howard to get his hands on Tag.

  “You didn’t answer me, Joanna!” Claudia loudly reminded her.

  “I don’t want to talk to you anymore, Claudia. I’m not feeling too well.” In truth, Joanna was still suffering from morning sickness and had been trying to hide her condition from Claudia and her uncle. She knew she couldn’t keep her condition hidden much longer. Already, her stomach was beginning to swell, and her waistline was expanding.

  “I would like a breath of fresh air. Could we go for a walk?” Joanna asked, feeling as if the four walls were closing in on her.

  “Sure, why not? I’m so bored I would even welcome a walk with you,” Claudia answered.

  As they walked outside, Joanna observed that Claudia had spoken the truth. The two Boggs brothers were leaning against the porch, standing guard. Apparently, her uncle wasn’t taking any chances that she might get away.

  Joanna looked away with disgust when she saw the way Claudia swung her hips and batted her eyes at Chester and Jim Boggs. Claudia was just the kind of wife her uncle deserved, she thought bitterly.

  As they walked along, Joanna noticed many Indians inside the compound. She could tell by their manner of dress that none of them were Blackfoot. She wished there were some way she could get a message to Tag so he would know she was safe. He would never know what had happened to her. The last thing he would ever expect would be that she was back under their uncle’s domination. She hoped he never found out, because she knew if he did he would find a way to come to her in Philadelphia.

  Joanna saw her uncle walking toward them, and she tensed as she always did when he was near. She noticed there was a man walking beside him who was wearing a blue army uniform.

  “Could that soldier possibly be Captain Thatcher?” she asked Claudia.

  “If it isn’t, the man could pass for his double,” Claudia answered.

  They waited for th
e man to approach near enough so they could see his face more clearly.

  “Yes, it is Harland!” Joanna cried, happy to see a friendly face. She started running and threw herself into Harland’s arms. “I am so glad to see you!” she said, burying her face against his blue jacket.

  “I’m sorry to see you here,” he whispered in her ear. “Are you all right?”

  Joanna stood back and wiped the tears from her face. “Forgive me for the tears, I was just so happy to see you.”

  Harland read many things on her face. He was devastated that he had unwittingly sent her uncle to Fort Union, making it possible for Howard Landon to get her back. It had been many months since he had last seen her and, if anything, Joanna was even more beautiful than he remembered.

  “I wasn’t aware that you were so well acquainted with my niece, Captain,” Howard Landon spoke up.

  Harland took Joanna’s hand. “We are very good friends, Mr. Landon. I once asked your niece to marry me, but she turned me down.”

  “More’s the pity,” Claudia intervened. “How are you, Captain?”

  “Actually, I’m not a captain any longer, Miss…Mrs. Landon. As a matter of fact, I’m on my way home to Philadelphia.”

  “Strange, I would have thought Fort Union a bit out of your way, if you were going to Pennsylvania,” Claudia purred in a silky-smooth voice.

  Harland’s eyes rested on Joanna. “It is out of the way, but I came to see a friend.”

  In that moment, Joanna knew that Harland meant he had come to Fort Union because of her. She gave him a bright smile that told him how much she appreciated his kindness.

  “On learning that the captain is headed our way, I have asked him to travel along with us,” Howard spoke up. “Of course, the Boggs brothers will be traveling with us as far as Independence, as extra protection.”

  Joanna felt such relief knowing that Harland would be going with them that it showed on her face. She would have a friend beside her on the way back to Philadelphia.

  Harland hadn’t realized he was still holding Joanna’s hand until her uncle wrenched it away from him.

  “We’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning, Captain. I intend to get an early start.” So saying, he tucked Joanna’s hand under his arm and strolled off, leaving Claudia to come or stay as she wished.

  “He’ll never allow you to see her alone, you know,” Claudia taunted Harland.

  Harland bowed stiffly—he had never liked Claudia, and it showed in his eyes now. “Good day, Mrs. Landon,” he said curtly, turning on his heels and walking away.

  Claudia’s eyes clouded over. Joanna still had it all, she thought bitterly. She had struck at her in the worst possible way, by tearing her away from the man she loved, and still Joanna seemed to come out the winner. Was there no way she could mortally wound Joanna, other than by taking her life? If there was a weakness in Joanna, somehow…she would find it. Her goal in life had become to hurt Joanna, and before she was finished, she was determined to accomplish just that!

  Chapter Ten

  In spite of the fact that Joanna’s uncle had wanted to get an early start, it was midmorning before the small party of travelers rode out the gates of Fort Union. Joanna rode beside Claudia, while Howard and Harland rode to the rear, and the two Boggs brothers led the way.

  As Claudia had predicted, Joanna hadn’t yet been allowed to be alone with Harland. There were many questions she wanted to ask him, but her uncle seemed bound and determined to keep them apart.

  Joanna turned in her saddle to look back over her shoulder. As she watched the fort fade in the distance, there was a deep ache in her heart that she was leaving everyone she cared about behind.

  How long would it be before she would see Tag again? Would Sun Woman and Morning Song believe she had run away? She thought of the tall chief of the Bloods. Would he search for her? She doubted that he would ever find out what had happened to her…at least, not for a long time. Sooner or later, Farley would go to Fort Union for supplies, and someone there would tell him that her uncle had taken her back to Philadelphia with him.

  When Windhawk returned from the buffalo hunt, would he forget all about her and take Red Bird to his lodge? Again, Joanna felt betrayal and heartbreak. He would never know he was going to be a father. She remembered removing the bear-claw necklace Windhawk had given her—she also remembered telling Windhawk if she ever gave it back to him, it would mean she no longer loved him. She hadn’t meant it to happen this way, but perhaps it was for the best.

  Howard watched Joanna closely. He noticed that a great change had come over her. Once she would have fought him to the bitter end for her freedom; now she seemed almost passive. It was as if she accepted the fact that he was taking her home. He had always felt exhilarated when the two of them had bandied words in the past. Somehow he almost resented the fact that she had become so submissive. Joanna had been breathtaking when she had challenged him two years ago. Howard had loved the way her violet eyes had sparkled with defiance. He didn’t know how to handle her now. She was like a small bird with a broken wing. She was bringing out feelings in him that he had never known he possessed. He would take her home and shower her with kindness. Perhaps, one day, she would begin to bloom again.

  Howard shook his head—Joanna wasn’t the only one who had changed. He no longer wanted to see her humbled as he once had. He wanted to see her raise her head proudly and defy him or anyone who stood in her way.

  His eyes moved to Claudia. He had been acquainted with many types of women in the past, but she was a new breed to him. She was completely devoid of any feeling for anyone except herself. He would know how to handle her when they reached Philadelphia. He refused to have her hanging about his neck like a dead weight.

  Howard smiled to himself. Claudia might not feel so smug if she knew how he had rid himself of his first wife, he thought.

  Harland Thatcher shifted his weight. He too had sensed the change in Joanna. He wanted to talk to her, but Mr. Landon had thus far kept them apart. He was glad that his army duty was over, so he could return to Philadelphia to be near her. Claudia had told him how they had used him to trick Joanna, and he resented the fact that he had been the bait that had cost Joanna her freedom. Somehow he felt responsible for the plight she was now in. If he hadn’t unwittingly sent her uncle to Fort Union, Howard Landon might never have found her.

  After his release from the army, Harland had ridden to Fort Union because he had an uneasy feeling about Joanna’s Uncle Howard. When he reached the fort, he had found out about her capture. Harland was now more sure than ever that she feared her uncle. He had watched her pull back every time Howard Landon approached her.

  Harland felt a deep, burning love for Joanna, and he wanted to reach out to her and give her comfort. Somehow, some way, he had to get her alone so he could talk to her. He would keep a wary eye out and make sure that she came to no harm from her uncle. Harland knew that Claudia hated Joanna, and he would be watching her, as well. He wouldn’t put anything past that woman!

  Windhawk and Gray Fox waited in the forest for Farley’s return from Fort Union. Windhawk viewed the fort through the thick trees, and his lip curled in contempt. Outside the walls of the fort the land was dotted with tipis of the Assiniboin tribe. The Blackfoot and the Assiniboin had been bitter enemies for many years.

  “We must take care, Windhawk. The Assiniboin would like nothing better than to have your scalp dangling from their lance,” Gray Fox warned.

  Windhawk’s eyes moved over the distant tipis. “I have little fear of the Assiniboin. They are as lowly as the dog meat they eat for food,” he stated contemptuously.

  “What will we do if the old man does not find out anything about Joanna, my chief?”

  Windhawk looked down, studying the toe of his moccasin. “If that is the case, I will allow you and the old man to return home. I will never give up hope until I have found her or until I have breathed my last breath.”

  “Do you think Joanna ra
n away because of the Piegan woman, Windhawk?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you not see the trouble you would cause by bringing the Piegan chief’s daughter to our village? Joanna does not understand about the double marriages. I know this because she and I have talked about this before.”

  “I had no intention of making Red Bird my wife. I have told Joanna many times I would take no other wife. She should have believed me instead of that woman. I have never spoken a lie to her!”

  “Is it true what Red Bird said about you taking her to your mat?”

  “What is true is that she came to me one night when I lay in her father’s lodge. I was sleeping, and she lay down beside me.”

  “Would this make Joanna angry?” Gray Fox asked. “Would she care that you took another to your mat?”

  “I did not do the deed. I think her father put her up to coming to me. When I found her beside me, I got up and left the lodge.”

  “You did not want her?”

  “No, I did not want her, and I do not like anyone to think they can trick me.”

  “What happened after that? Why did you send the woman to our village?”

  “The next morning, Yellow Wing said that I took his daughter’s innocence from her, and it was right that I make her my wife. I told him I had not touched his daughter, but he said she was shamed in front of her people anyway. I explained to him that I had a wife and wished no other. He asked if I would take her to my village to find a suitable husband for her. I think he believed I would marry her…he was wrong.”

  “What do you intend to do with the Piegan woman? She is trouble, I think.”

  “I have not decided. When I sent her to your tipi, I did not foresee the trouble she would cause. At the time, I thought only to avoid trouble between the Blackfoots and their brothers, the Piegan.”

  Gray Fox nodded. “I can see that you did the right thing. Your mistake was in not telling Joanna. What will you do to Joanna if you do find her with the long knife?”