by Sara Orwig
“The dolls seemed so foolish and silly.”
“If they had been wooden soldiers of Ethan’s, would you have smashed them?”
He flinched. “No, I wouldn’t have,” he answered forth-rightly, and Vanessa realized Ethan’s loss was causing a giant upheaval in her father’s life. At the door, he glanced back at her once more. “You went all alone from here to that camp?”
“Yes.”
“Dupree can’t figure how you got away from him in Tucumcari either. He thinks you had help.”
“No, I was alone.”
“That’s remarkable, Vanessa, really remarkable.”
“I just wanted to get back to him,” she answered quietly.
“Perhaps we should have spent more time together,” he said with a note of regret. “But time for that is past.” He glanced at the window. “I’ll talk to Belva.”
He left and she went to the open door as a cold wind whipped inside. Her father strode across the open ground and he looked as strong and determined as ever, yet Ethan’s loss had shaken him, perhaps changing him for all time. She looked up at a winter sky, gray with clouds, and she wondered if snow were falling farther north. Then any thought about weather was gone. She was going home to Lone Wolf!
She wanted to run outside and shout with joy and jump in the air. And she wanted to get on a horse right now and go. With a broad smile, she turned to run inside and pack what she wanted to take with her.
She looked at the trunks, knowing Muaahap and some of the other women would love the bright-colored silks and satins. Deciding to take most of her things, she began to fold the dresses. She could pack the belongings on horses and leave the trunks for Papa to take home.
An hour later she had bathed and washed her hair and dressed in a blue gingham. As she brushed her hair dry, she heard voices and footsteps and a knock at the door.
She opened it to face her father. He stepped inside, cold air rushing in with him as he turned to face her, and she shut the door.
“I’ve talked to Belva. She’s going with me back to McKavett.”
Astonished, Vanessa stared at him. “How did you talk her into going?”
“We had a long discussion and I made some promises to her. And I think part of the reason she changed is because I’m letting you go back to your Indian.”
“Papa, call him Lone Wolf or my husband, please,” she said.
He shrugged. “I find all the changes in my life difficult, Vanessa. That one seems impossible, but with time perhaps—”
“Belva will go to boarding school?”
“No, that’s one of my promises to her. She won’t this year and maybe not at all. She’ll continue with a tutor and we will also travel to California to visit Phoebe.”
“Oh, Papa, that’s wonderful!” Vanessa exclaimed, engulfed by a mixture of emotions. “I’m happy because I think Belva was too young to decide to go with me; yet at the same time, I love Belva and I’ll miss her as well as Phoebe.”
“I’ve promised her many things to get her to stay. I told Belva we will go to Denver and build a house. We’ll have a home, and she can stay in Denver when business demands that I travel. That way you and Phoebe will know where to find us. And she can make friends and not move away from them.”
“I think that’s grand!” Vanessa said. She was happy for Belva and felt in her heart that staying with Papa in Denver might be best for her sister, but also had a pang of loss. “Papa, it’s not too late with Belva. I hope you see that. It’s not too late with any of us in some ways because we all love you.”
“As you said, children love freely. I look back, Vanessa, and I see how I shut the three of you out. I shut your mother out,” he said quietly, “because I was so angry with her.”
Vanessa was silent, having no answer to what had happened between her parents.
“Dupree is making arrangements for Belva and me to leave tomorrow morning for McKavett. I have to make arrangements about things there and then we’ll go to Denver. In the afternoon tomorrow, Dupree said he will take a detail and they’ll escort you back to your husband.”
“Oh, Papa, that’s the most wonderful thing you’ve ever done!” she exclaimed, hugging him again.
“I’m glad we can part on a good note, Vanessa, because I feel I’ll never see you again.”
“Papa, Lone Wolf speaks English fluently and was an army scout. He knows our way of life. I think he’ll take me to Denver sometime so you can see your grandchildren.”
Abbot frowned, glancing down at her. “Are you with child?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head, “but I want a family.”
He nodded. “Will you talk to Belva?”
“Yes, right now,” she agreed, throwing her woolen cape across her shoulders.
They stepped outside, and the wind whipped against her. She noticed the guard was gone and she guessed he wouldn’t return. Joyous, she hurried across the compound.
“I’ll leave you so you’ll be alone with her. She stays in that building,” he said, pointing to a long, frame structure. “She’s in the first room to your right.”
Vanessa knocked on a closed door. When it opened, she entered to find clothing strewn around the narrow, sparsely furnished room that held only a bed and desk and washstand.
“Papa told you,” Belva said, pushing long strands of brown hair away from her face. “I’m going with him.”
“Yes, and I think that’s fine.”
Belva ran across the room to hug Vanessa. “I’ll miss you! I’ll miss White Bird and Lone Wolf and Muaahap.”
Vanessa squeezed Belva’s shoulders and stepped back, wiping tears from her eyes. “I’ll miss you, too, Belva, but you’re probably doing what’s best.”
“Papa said if I’m not happy by next winter, we could come back and try to find the Kiowa winter camp so that I could go with you.”
“That’s a wonderful offer.” Vanessa looked at the sparkle in Belva’s blue eyes and smiled.
Belva became solemn. “I’ll still miss you.”
“I know you will, and I’ll miss you.” Vanessa glanced around. “I’ll help you get ready to go.”
As they filled Belva’s trunks, Vanessa’s thoughts kept going to Lone Wolf, hoping that he was still in the camp and that a war party had not yet started toward the fort.
A few light flurries of snow swirled through the air and caught on the ground around posts. The cold north wind whipped against Vanessa and she pulled the cloak more tightly around her as she stood beside a wagon. Papa, Belva, and twelve soldiers were ready to ride for Fort McKavett. The soldiers had accompanied Papa to Bascom and would return with him. Belva stood gazing at the wagon while Dupree waited beside Vanessa.
Papa came across the grounds, leading two horses, and Vanessa looked at him with curiosity. “Vanessa,” he called to her as he stopped at a hitching rail.
Holding the cloak tightly closed under her chin, she hurried to him.
“I went to Tucumcari yesterday and bought these horses. I know how important horses are to Indians, so these go to you and your husband as a wedding gift.”
“Thank you!” she exclaimed, shocked more by his thoughtfulness and relenting than by his generosity, astounded he would give something to Lone Wolf. “Thank you, Papa,” she said, giving him a hug which he returned stiffly with one arm. He stepped back and held up his other hand, holding out a rifle. “This is a gift to your husband.”
She looked into her father’s blue eyes, amazed that he would give Lone Wolf a special gift. “I’ll take it to him.”
“I don’t like what you’re doing, but I like even less losing all of my children—and I almost did. If you’ll come back, Vanessa, I’ll let you do what you want.”
She shook her head. “No, Papa. This is my place now. I’ll take the rifle and horses. Thank you.”
He glanced at the cluster of soldiers milling around the wagon, Dupree talking to Belva. “Dupree said he will pack and start out within the hour to take you to Lo
ne Wolf.”
She nodded. “Be good to Belva.”
“I will be.” Abbot looked down at her. “Everyone is waiting. Shall we go?”
They walked to the wagon, and he turned to extend his hand to Dupree. “Thank you, Dupree. Thank you for returning my daughters to me and for taking Vanessa back to her husband.”
“Thank you, sir, for your generosity. I’m sorry about your son. Don’t worry about Vanessa. We’ll get her there safely.”
Abbot nodded and turned to Vanessa. “Goodbye, Vanessa,” he said.
She stepped up to kiss his cheek and hug him, and then she turned to Belva, who had tears spilling onto her cheeks. They hugged each other tightly.
“Come on, Belva,” Papa said and helped her into the wagon.
He climbed up to drive, and they turned out of the fort while the soldiers rode with them. As the wind whistled across the open ground and blew the cloak tightly around her, Vanessa watched them go. When they turned, Belva waved and Vanessa returned the wave.
“Will you be ready to leave soon?”
She looked at Dupree and nodded. “Within the hour.”
“I’ll send someone for your things.”
She nodded, gazing to the east, knowing within days she would be with Lone Wolf.
She bathed and changed, dressing in a heavy woolen riding habit and putting the thick woolen cloak around her shoulders. Her hair was in a long braid. When the soldiers arrived for her things, she motioned to the bundles she had tied up. They lashed her bundles on packhorses and, at last, Dupree appeared. He was mounted on a black horse and he halted, the horse prancing nervously in front of her quarters.
“Ready to go?”
Closing the door, she nodded and mounted the gray horse that was saddled and waiting for her. They rode out of the fort as gusts of wind buffeted her. She rode beside Dupree, and twenty soldiers followed. Four more rode in front of them.
Her gaze swept the horizon, looking at the flat land, hoping there would be no war party and she could arrive at the winter camp without incident.
“Your sister made a wise choice,” Dupree said dryly, glancing at her. There was a cold tone in his voice, and she realized he was angry with her.
“With Ethan’s loss, Papa changed. I think this will be good for Belva and for Papa.”
“It’ll be damned good for Belva,” Dupree remarked with cynicism.
They fell silent, and she continued to look over the countryside. “If there is a war party, you’ll raise the white flag at once, won’t you?”
His head swung around, and he looked at her with a faint smile.
Fear stabbed her as she studied him. “You’ll fight?”
“We will if we’re attacked.”
“You told Papa you’d take me back in peace.”
“We’re doing that. Your father will hear we rode out to take you to the Kiowa winter camp. Along the way, if we’re attacked, we’ll fight. That’s different.”
“No, it’s not! It may be Lone Wolf coming for me. He said he would.”
Dupree shrugged. “If he attacks us with two or three hundred, then yes, I’ll raise the white flag and hand you over. If he comes with twenty or thirty or forty, then we’ll fight.”
“You won’t be attacked if you raise the white flag,” she snapped, anger replacing her fear. “You know Papa thought you were escorting me to my husband, not going out to fight him.”
Dupree shrugged, and she felt a leaden weight and a rush of anger. “He won’t attack us if he wants you back.”
“With the soldiers in front of us, no one can see that I’m with you until they’re close to us.”
“If he comes in peace, he may have you. If he attacks, he’ll get a fight.”
“You’d better not turn your back on me, captain,” she snapped.
He looked mildly amused. “And what would you shoot me with? The rifle your father bought that has no ammunition. You don’t have a revolver, Vanessa, and you won’t get your hands on one during this ride.”
“Dupree, my father will hear about this, and you won’t be in his favor then.”
“I don’t think he’ll hear about anything.”
She closed her mouth, looking at him again and then shifting her gaze to the horizon.
As the afternoon wore on, the cold seemed to seep through her cape and bite at her skin. By the time the sun was setting and Dupree called a halt, she was huddled on her horse, chilled, tired, and ready to stop traveling.
She watched while Dupree gave orders and men put up tents. As soon as Dupree motioned to one, she hurried toward it. “This is yours, Vanessa. Right next to mine so I can hear if you want anything.”
“Thank you.”
She hurried inside and found a bedroll, a lantern, blankets, and utensils. As soon as she stepped out of the wind, she felt warmer. Shedding the cape, she listened to the canvas tent flap as the wind struck it. She could hear men moving around outside, and Dupree giving orders.
The tent had a canvas floor and cut off the wind completely. She unrolled the bedding.
Within the hour she could smell something cooking and stepped outside. Lighting the night, a bonfire roared, shedding a large circle of light, and the men milled around it. Dupree appeared at her side, taking her arm.
“Let’s eat. We brought along beef and there’s some stew. But come to my tent for a minute. I have something to warm you up.”
Dry grass swished against her skirt as she walked beside him. They entered a tent like hers; both were roomy enough to stand and move around, and his held a small field desk. Hanging on a post, a lantern glowed brightly. He opened a flask and poured two tin cups with brandy, turning to hand one to her. “Drink it. It’ll warm you.”
She took the brandy and sipped it, feeling the fiery liquid go down and heating her as he had said it would.
“I hope Papa and Belva travel out of this cold.”
“They should; they ride south,” he said, stepping to the flap and tying it shut. She frowned at him, her gaze going from the flap to him.
“What are you doing?”
He straightened up, a faint smile on his face, his eyes heavy lidded and filled with lust as he let his gaze lower over her.
“I’m going to enjoy the night with you, Vanessa,” he said quietly and started toward her.
Twenty-seven
Her pulse pounded with anger as she stared at him while he removed his coat. “Get out of here, Dupree. If you harm me, my father will ruin you.”
“Your father will never know what I do with you,” Dupree answered slyly. “Are you going to write to him? Go back to see him?” he asked in a cynical voice. “Hell, no. He left you with a band of soldiers to go to the middle of nowhere. No one knows where you are except me and my men, and the men with me were carefully chosen. I can trust them.”
She felt cold, suddenly realizing how vulnerable she was, how much she had trusted Dupree when she should have known better. His pleasant cooperation the last days with Papa present had lulled her into forgetting the first hours with Dupree and his deceit about Lone Wolf.
The lantern glowed with a yellow light, highlighting Dupree’s pointed chin and his broad cheekbones, leaving his cheeks in shadows. He unbuckled his belt and moved toward her.
“Lone Wolf will kill you if you harm me.”
“I hope he comes after me. Then I’ll get to finish the job. I hoped he would die after the beating I gave him. And it will give me pleasure to do as I please to his squaw,” Dupree said with contempt.
“Someone will get word to my father. You’ll never do this and get away with it,” she said, moving from him, thinking about the rifle she had let him pack on one of the horses. “He’ll learn about it, and it’ll be the end of your army career.”
She shifted to one side, backing away as he unfastened his shirt and pulled it off.
“I held back that first night with you, but not tonight. Your father will never know. When I get back, I’ll send a telegram that I deliv
ered you safely to the redskin camp. I have two dozen men out there who will back me up and be witnesses that you were safely taken to the camp. They’ll be happy to lie because I’ve told them they each get a chance with you.”
“I should have known what you would be like once Papa was gone.”
Dupree shook his head. “You won’t go back to tell him.”
“I’ll scream.”
As Dupree smiled, her blood ran cold. “I hope you do. I told you I trust these men. I’ve promised you to them when I’m finished with you, Vanessa.”
She inhaled swiftly, frightened now, her mind racing. She glanced at the lantern, but he stood closer to it than she did. It hung against the center pole several feet behind him and above his head.
“One of the men will talk or I’ll get back. And Lone Wolf will come after you.”
“He won’t ever know,” Dupree said softly. “You disappear out here on this godforsaken land and who will know? Lone Wolf will think you’re with your father and he won’t know where to look. Your father will think you’re with Lone Wolf, so he won’t expect to hear from you again.”
“You’re a monster! I trusted you,” she said, edging away, knowing in a minute she would be backed against the canvas.
“You’ll regret turning down my offer. You could have had a life of ease and wealth. Between your father and me, you would have been pampered and cared for. Instead, Vanessa, I’m going to spend a couple of days enjoying you and then let my men have you and then we’ll leave you. Only this time you won’t have a horse and you won’t have food and you won’t have anyone to help you. I doubt if you’ll even feel like walking when twenty men have pleasured themselves with you.”
“Someone will find out, Dupree,” she said, trying to control her fear, to choke back the scream that threatened. She was terrified of him because she saw no way to stop him this time.
She lunged for the flap, her fingers yanking at the ties.
He caught her, pulling her back against him. He was strong and her struggles against him were useless. He caught both her wrists, lashing them together with his belt. He turned her to face him, his fingers going to her throat to unbutton her dress.
