"The possibilities are endless," her brother told her.
"Tell us more about the hidden valley, Sasha," Mara .said.
"The Seven Cities lie in a valley that is surrounded on all sides by mountains. Even in the hottest weather, there is sometimes snow on the highest peaks."
"Tell me what the palace looks like, Sasha," Mara said.
"It is very big, and very beautiful. There are many wide steps leading up to the entrance. The doorway is inlaid with gold and turquoise."
"Tajarez said you do not usually dress in buckskin, as you are now," Jeffery said.
"That is true. When I am at home, I dress in cloth, which is draped about the body."
"The men, how do they dress?" Jeffery asked.
"It is difficult to describe to you. My prince wears a white cloth garment that does not reach his knees, and golden-colored sandals. Of course, when the weather is cold, he wears the deerskin, as all the men do."
Mara and Jeffery exchanged glances as Mara gathered up her father's papers and slipped them into a leather satchel.
"I think I may have need of these, Jeffery," she told him.
"Yes, it seems you will," he replied.
"What is Tajarez's father like, Sasha?" Mara wanted to know.
Sasha's face took on a reverent look. "He is the king, and a great man, well loved by the people. He is wise and very brave, but he can also be very stern. I am told he changed after the queen's death. He does not often smile."
"Will he like me, do you think?" Mara asked, her voice full of apprehension.
"You are the Golden One. He will love you as we all do."
"Why do you call me the 'Golden One'?"
Sasha lowered her head. "It is not for me to say. You must ask the prince. I can tell you though of someone who is most anxious to meet you, Sagas the Wise. He is more than a hundred summers old, and he awaits your arrival into the city with great anticipation."
"I do not understand much that you have told me, Sasha."
"It will all become clear to you once you reach the cities," Sasha said. "You will find the people will welcome you with love."
Jeffery watched Sasha, Her skin was a light bronze. She was delicate, with a fragile kind of beauty. She was softspoken, with a kind of childlike innocence. She did not flirt or play coy, as the women of his acquaintance did. Her dark hair hung loosely about her shoulders; her lovely body was outlined by the soft buckskin. There could be danger in the way his mind was working. He must remember that she was Tajarez's cousin, and a princess of her tribe.
* * *
The days passed quickly. Mara had so many things to attend to. There were many friends she wished to say good-bye to, but there seemed to be little time to make social calls, and none of her friends called on her, knowing that David and Linda were newly married.
Tajarez did not come to see her, and each day she would wait for some word from him, but her wait was in vain, for he sent her no message.
Sometimes she would catch sight of Palomas, but it was always at a distance. Sasha had become very dear to her, and Mara was grateful to Tajarez for allowing her to stay with her. More often than not, Jeffery was at the camp with Tajarez, although he did spend his evenings with Mara and Sasha. David and Linda had now begun to spend as much time with Mara as possible. Mara knew, as the time grew near for her wedding, that David was having a hard time dealing with her leaving. She would see him watching her with the saddest expression on his face. She tried to reassure him and tell him that being Tajarez's wife was what she wanted most in life.
The day before the wedding, a cloud of gloom descended over the Golden home. Mara's belongings had all been packed and sent to Tajarez's camp. Tess walked around with a sad expression on her face, and when anyone mentioned the wedding to her, she would break into tears.
That night, the family all gathered in the sitting room, but there seemed to be long gaps in the conversation, and everyone, including Mara, was glad to go to his or her room. It was a sad time—the last night she would sleep in the room that had been hers for so long.
The air inside the house was stifling. Mara stood before her open window, but could find little relief from the heat. Everything was quiet. Everyone else must be asleep, she thought. Pulling a thin robe over her nightgown, she made her way quietly down the stairs. She wanted to walk in her mother's garden one last time before she left it forever.
As she walked down the pathway to her mother's rose garden, panic set in.
This was all so familiar to her. She was leaving her home to travel to a far place, to be with a man she did not really know, and what went on between a husband and wife she had not the slightest idea. She should ask Linda, but it was not the kind of thing she and Linda had ever discussed. She supposed if her mother were alive she would have told her all she needed to know.
Breathing in the fragrance of the roses, she tried to envision what her life would be like with Tajarez.
The garden was so still; there was not a leaf stirring on the trees. The moon was bright, and there was not a cloud in the sky. This would be the last time she would walk in her mother's garden. It was all so sad, somehow. She would miss her home, and David and Tess most of all.
"I hoped you might come here tonight," the voice she loved so well said to her from out of the darkness.
Mara drew in her breath as Tajarez emerged from the shadows.
"You came," was all she could manage to say.
"Yes, I came."
"Why did you not come sooner?" she said, her voice plainly showing she had felt neglected by him.
He stood in front of her, his eyes drinking in her loveliness.
"I had much to prepare for. I wanted to be assured you would have every comfort on the journey home."
"I would rather have seen you."
"It was hard to stay away, but I had to. Can you understand?"
"No. Hold me, Tajarez. Tell me that everything will be all right."
He groaned. "I am not allowed to touch you. Palomas would not allow it."
"Hold me," she pleaded.
A spasm of pain crossed his face, and he swallowed hard.
"Palomas, come to me," he called.
Palomas seemed to materialize out of nowhere, and Tajarez spoke to him rapidly in their language. "Allow me to hold her in my arms. You can stand beside me to see that nothing happens."
"I will permit it. I will even turn my back to you, and since I cannot understand what you say, you will feel you are alone."
"Not quite, Palomas, but you are wise not to leave me alone with her."
Tajarez reached for Mara's hand as Palomas walked a few paces away and turned his back.
"Your hand trembles, Mara. Are you afraid? Or are you disturbed by my nearness, as I am by yours?"
His hands slid around her waist as he pulled her into his arms.
"I love you, Tajarez."
"You cannot know the torture I have been through, Mara. I want to be near you. I want to hold you." He lowered his head and said against her lips, "I want to kiss you. Once a man has tasted the sweetness of your lips, beloved, he could be in agony for another taste."
Softly, his lips covered hers, and Mara stood on her tiptoes, trying to be closer to him. The old familiar weakness began to flicker to life within her, and her heart swelled with love. She felt his grip tighten about her waist. His hands roamed at will over her back and hips, .bringing her ever closer to him. The feel of her softness underneath the silken robe drove him to the brink of his self-control.
Mara could feel the hard outline of his body through her thin robe. His lips became hard and insistent. She wished he would never stop kissing her.
He tore his lips away from hers and stared at her with desire burning in his dark eyes.
"Mara, I love you so deeply. I am in agony to possess you.
The love shone brightly in her eyes as she looked into his fiery eyes, grateful that she had the ability to move this beautiful, powerful man.
"Tomorrow I will belong to you, Tajarez."
"No, beloved, not in the eyes of my people."
"Does this mean we must remain apart?"
"Yes, although I wish it were otherwise."
"But according to the law of God and man, I will be your wife."
"By your laws, Mara. I am governed only by the laws of my people."
"Tajarez, David told me that you worship God."
"Yes, Mara, the god who created the earth and made you. I thank that god every night for giving you to me."
"That is a beautiful thing to say, Tajarez. I have never had a man say anything half so dear to me before."
His face darkened, and his eyes narrowed. "How many men have whispered love words to you, Mara?"
"I did not keep a tally," she told him in a teasing voice.
His grip tightened about her waist, but she did not heed the danger signal.
"How many, Mara?"
"Dozens," she teased.
His grip tightened even more. "You dare let any man say the things to you that should only come from me," he said between clenched teeth. "You belong to me. I would kill any man who dared touch you, although according to you, I would be wiping out half the male population."
She remembered the other time she had made him angry, and tried to loosen his grip from around her waist.
"I only meant to tease you, Tajarez. The others meant nothing to me."
"I do not understand 'teasing,' Mara," he said, pulling her tightly against him. "We said we would always be truthful with each other."
She looked at him, angry now herself. "What does it matter what a man said to me before I met you? I do not ask you how many women you have been with before you met me."
"I cannot stand the thought of another man touching you. Never before have I cared what a woman did when she was not with me, but with you, it is different."
She was still not pacified. If he was this demanding and jealous now, what would he be like after they were married?
"We only met last spring. How can it make any difference what man whispered pretty words to me before that?"
His hand moved slowly up her throat as he gently caressed the pulsebeat he felt there.
"You were mine long before we actually met." His eyes rested on her lips. "How many men have tasted the sweetness of your lips, Mara? How many men are unable to sleep tonight because the thought of you makes their body ache with wanting you? How many men have told you they love you, and how many men have you said you love?"
"I have told no one but you that I love him, though a few have said they love me," she said defiantly. "How many women have you told that you loved?" she retaliated.
"I have never spoken words of love to any woman but you. How could I, when you were always with me, just out of reach, haunting my dreams, causing me to find fault with all others?"
"I do not understand."
"No, you do not understand, nor will you ever," he said angrily. "Do you think I like your having so much control over my life? I am a man, Mara, but since I was a youth, I have loved the image of you, and have not been in control of my own destiny." His eyes suddenly became soft. "Never has a man waited so long for a woman, or loved her as much as I love you, and it is tearing me apart inside."
She was moved by his words. "Oh, Tajarez, I love you so much. Is it not proof of that love that tomorrow I will marry you and leave my family to go with you?"
"I am not sure I can change, Mara, but I will try. I can promise you no more than this."
She laughed. "You will not change, my love. There will be many times when your eyes will flash and you will get that stubborn set to your chin, and you will demand much from me; but always love me, Tajarez. Never stop loving me."
"The day I stop loving you is the day I close my eyes in death, beloved, and I think I will love you even beyond that."
"Tajarez, no one has been so fortunate as I. I will tell you this, so you can put all of your doubts about me to rest. When I met you, I was but sixteen. At that age my mother and father would not have allowed me alone in the company of a man, and in the year we have been apart, I have thought only of you."
"Many men have admired you."
She was silent for a moment. "Yes, but they were always respectful to me, and I felt nothing more for them than friendship."
"Sometimes I forget how really young you are, Mara."
"I am old enough to know I love you."
"Mara, I am seven and twenty. Compared to you, that is old. I have traveled far, and seen many things. 1 have looked death in the face many times and never flinched, but when I think of you not loving me, I tremble in fear."
She smiled, looking at his handsome face. "You are far from your dotage, Tajarez, and if anyone should be jealous, it should most probably be me. I doubt there have been many nights you spent in solitude, and I wonder how many women of your tribe would like to scratch my eyes out."
He laughed. "I have not kept a tally."
Mara felt a twinge of jealousy herself, and tried to push it aside.
"Mara, Palomas gives me the look that says I have stayed long enough. I really came to give you a gift. Will you wear it tomorrow? It was my mother's and even beyond. One day our son will give it to his bride," he said, handing her a metal box. When she would have opened it, he stayed her hand. "Open it when you are alone, Mara."
Palomas appeared at Mara's side, and Tajarez looked at him for a moment.
"I must leave you." He reached out and touched her face softly. "Until tomorrow, beloved." Then he seemed to fade into the darkness, as he always did. She did not know that he watched her from the shadows until she was safely inside the house. Then he and Palomas slipped away silently, each in his own way feeling love for the small golden-haired girl.
When Mara reached her room, she lit a candle and opened the box, which was silver inlaid with turquoise. She drew in her breath when she saw the beautiful necklace. It was the biggest emerald she had ever seen. It was attached to a long golden chain. She touched it lovingly, knowing Tajarez's mother had once worn it. When she slipped it over her head and felt it nestle between her breasts, there were tears in her eyes.
Removing her robe, she lay down on her bed, remembering that Tajarez had said the necklace would one day belong to their son's bride. Her son and Tajarez's. When she thought of a baby's coming from their union, she smiled to herself. Would he have fierce brown eyes like his father's? Tomorrow was her wedding day. She fell asleep with the green stone clenched in her hand.
I DISPATCHED AN EXPRESS THIS MORNING TO CAPTAIN LEWIS AT ST. LOUIS. ALL OUR PROVISIONS, GOODS, AND EQUIPAGE ON BOARD OF A BOAT OF 22 OARS. . .. MEN COMPLETED WITH POWDER CARTRIDGES AND 100 BALLS EACH, ALL IN HEALTH AND READINESS TO SET OUT.
— William Clark
11
Tess drew the drapery aside to allow the light to penetrate Mara's bedroom. It was a cloudy, overcast day that threatened rain. Mara opened her eyes and stretched her arms above her head. This was her wedding day. She paid little heed to Tess's muttering about rain being a bad omen for a wedding.
Linda came into the room, balancing a tray with Mara's breakfast on it, and smiled cheerfully. "I think it is nice on one's wedding day to have breakfast in bed. I convinced Tess to allow me to prepare my specialty for you, since it is such a special occasion."
Mara looked at the fluffy yellow omelette and the hot buttered biscuits. Linda poured her a cup of coffee from the silver server and handed it to her.
"Thank you, Linda. It was very considerate of you. This looks delicious," she said, spooning a bit of the omelette into her mouth.
"Most likely the last time you will know any special treatment for a long time. I doubt you will be having breakfast in bed where you are going," Tess said gruffly.
"Tess, you should not say such things to Mara," Linda scolded lightly. "From what I gather, Mara will have people tending to her every wish. Are you forgetting Sasha? Has she not been trained to look after Mara?"
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Tess's eyes filled with tears. "It has been my chore to look after my baby. I know all her likes and dislikes." She turned to Mara. "Who will look after you when you are ailing? And when your first baby is born, who will tend you then?"
Mara got out of bed and walked over to Tess, putting her arm around the woman who had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. "I will miss you, Tess. But you are not to worry about my welfare. With all I have learned from you, I will be able to look after myself as well as a husband," Mara said.
Tess sniffled and wiped her eyes on her white apron. "It's just that I worry about you. What if you need me?"
Linda came up beside Tess and put her arms about her waist. "We have to let her go, Tess. She is no longer a child, and Tajarez will see that she has the best of care. Besides, I need you."
Tess looked at the new mistress of the house. She had known her since she was a young girl and had watched her grow into womanhood. Linda was a sensitive, loving person, and, Tess had no doubt, a very capable one. Maybe she would not need her at all.
"1 can't stand around here lollygagging all day. I have things to attend to in the kitchen," Tess said, squaring her shoulders and walking to the door. She turned back to Mara. "He did say you could come home for a visit?"
Mara smiled and nodded. "Yes, Tess. I will be coming home for a visit." She felt a tightening in her throat. How she would miss Tess—but saying good-bye to those one loved was all a part of growing up.
After Tess left, Mara returned to her bed, where she ate the omelette, which was now cold. She hardly tasted it, so heavy was her heart. She watched Linda as she bustled around the room, packing the last of Mara's few remaining possessions. The room had been virtually stripped of all her belongings. When she left today, there would be little evidence to show that she had occupied this room for so many years.
Linda turned and smiled at her, as though reading her thoughts. "This will always be your room, Mara. We will keep it just the way you leave it, so when you do come home, it will be the same."
Savage Desire (Savage Lagonda 1) Page 16
