Passion's Series

by Adair, Mary

  "Dear me." Lady Montgomery sprang up from her seat. "That's it, isn't it? The dear child is ill. We must call for a physician right away."

  Cook hurried forward. "No, she's fine, I promise you. I asked Sara to keep her occupied for me this morning. I hope you don't mind. It's Sara's morning off and she said she didn't mind. I'm just a bit tired and she offered to help," Cook gushed out in one hurried breath.

  Both Ladies seemed to consider the cook and her strange behavior. Raven sipped his second cup of tea and considered everyone strange this morning. His mind drifted to Dawn and his skin tingled.

  "Raben!" Theresa's shrill, excited voice rang out. The child ran at breakneck speed and didn't stop until she collided with Raven's thigh. She placed both dirty hands on his leg for balance and hopped in place. "Sara told me that you wouldn't come today. I knew she was just teasing me!"

  "Good, there she is. I feel much better now." Lady Gaylord resumed her seat.

  Cook rushed forward and grabbed the child to pull her away. Theresa thwarted her effort by clinging to Raven's pants leg like a determined kitten while screeching. "No, no, I want Raben!"

  "Just look at what you're doing, Theresa," Cook begged. "You've gotten dust all over Mr. Cloud's trousers."

  "It's all right, Cook. Let her stay and talk to me." Raven leaned forward and wrapped his arms about the child and lifted her into his lap. He wasn't about to let her go until he knew what was going on here, and he was sure the precocious little girl was about to enlighten him.

  Theresa cuddled close to his chest as she gave him what Raven had taught her was called a big bear hug. She growled softly as she squeezed with all her tiny might.

  "Isn't that the cutest sight?" Lady Gaylord cooed.

  "Yes, it is. Raven will make a wonderful father. I have never seen children take so quickly to a grown man," Lady Montgomery agreed.

  "Children, matrons, beautiful women, are there any females safe from your charm?" William teased as he sauntered into the room. "Hi, mutt!" He ruffled Theresa's brown curls as he walked past, eliciting a happy giggle from her.

  Lady Gaylord shook a finger in his direction. "Don't call her that, Willie. If Cook weren't so tired, she would chase you from the room."

  Cook waved a quick hand over her shoulder, but didn't turn. "Nonsense, Theresa loves Lord Montgomery."

  "See!" William pointed at the Cook. "If everyone treated me with such respect, I'd be a happy man."

  "Oh poo!" Lady Gaylord helped herself to toast.

  William pulled out a chair, sat down and leaned toward his friend. "That is where my odd vocabulary comes from, Raven. If I ever remind you that you are in England again, you have my permission to..." he considered for a moment before adding, "Tell me not to remind you again. There, how's that?" He grinned magnanimously. "Oh, by the way, has anyone seen Dawn this morning?" He reached for a hot bun.

  An interesting groan came from Cook. Raven stared at her stiff back as he placed a kiss to the top of Theresa's bobbing head. Just as he had begun to feel better with the return of the usual banter, the mention of Dawn's name sent a ripple through the room.

  Theresa placed a tiny hand on his cheek and pulled his face around to look at her. "I have a secret," she whispered and Cook whirled around.

  "Oh, there you are," Sara rushed forward from the doorway. "I'll take her, Mr. Cloud. I hope she hasn't been any trouble." Sara reached out, but the child clung to Raven and whined in protest.

  Raven held her close. "Everyone keeps trying to take Theresa from me when she is content to sit right here. I want everyone to leave the child be."

  He turned his attention to Theresa and spoke quietly. "Tell me your secret, sweetheart."

  Theresa's giggle filled the room. She placed a tiny fist under her chin and curled a chubby finger to bring him closer. Raven grinned as he leaned forward, turning his head so she could whisper in his ear.

  "You know what?" she said in a wet whisper loud enough for all to hear.

  "No, what?" Raven responded with a chuckle as he resisted poking his finger into his tingling ear.

  "I saw Miss Dawn take off all her clothes and stand in the garden pond this morning."

  The following pandemonium tested Raven's reserve.

  The grandmothers screeched in unison. "She did what?"

  Cook was all but in tears as she held her ample mid-section with one hand and one scarlet cheek with the other. "Oh, dear! Oh, my! Theresa, you were not supposed to tell."

  Above it all William alternated between choking on his kippers and hooting with laughter.

  "I see," Raven responded in a calm tone, which surprised even him. Suddenly, he felt separate from all that was around him. He wondered briefly if this household was going to survive Dawn's visit. Would he survive it with his sanity intact?

  Turning toward Sara, he saw her lean weakly against the doorjamb. His heart went out to her. Dawn's actions must have been devastating to Sara's gentle nature.

  "Why did Miss Dawn take a bath in the garden, Raben?" Theresa demanded impatiently.

  "Well, you see, sweetheart..." Raven stalled as he gently pushed a stray curl away from her forehead. How to answer the child truly stumped him. After a few moments, he decided on the truth as the only answer.

  "Has anyone told you that Miss Dawn is a Cherokee?"

  "Yes." The child tilted her head sideways and peeked at Raven from beneath her lashes. "What is a Charkey?"

  Raven glanced at the occupants of the room. The Ladies were now composed and listened with great interest. Poor Cook's cheeks blazed a couple of shades redder than her usual ruddy complexion. William giggled like a mad man while he alternately raised his cup to his lips and then lowered it again.

  "You know that your grandmother came from Ireland?"

  The little girl bobbed her head up and down.

  "Well then, Miss Dawn came from another place as well. This place is very far away. It's across the big water we call the ocean. That place is called America. The people that lived there before others came are called Indians."

  Theresa bounced excitedly and tugged at the front of his shirt, "I know about Inbians! They are mean and look really scary and shoot people with bows and arrows!"

  William, who had chosen that moment to try a sip, was in near apoplexy. The startled grandmothers were too enraptured to notice his choked gasps.

  "I am sure that is how some white people have seen them, and some day I want to tell you a different story, but for now, I want to tell you about Dawn. There are different tribes of Indians."

  "Tibes?"

  "Yes. That's kind of like families. Dawn's family, or tribe, is Cherokee."

  "Miss Dawn is a Inbian?" the child said with wide eyes and a sharp intake of breath.

  William sobered, sat up straight in his chair and admonished, "Now you're scaring the poor child...Raben." He then dissolved once again into great guffaws of laughter.

  "A very good Indian. Surely you know that Dawn would never hurt you."

  Theresa smiled. "I know it. Dawn is my friend. I don't care if she is a Inbian. But why did she take a bath in the garden pond?"

  "She was saying her prayers."

  Theresa placed both chubby hands over her mouth and giggled through her fingers. With a shrill little girl voice, she corrected, "Nobody says their prayers naked!"

  "Why not?" Raven asked her seriously.

  The child blinked her eyes a couple of times and looked at her grandmother. Cook said nothing, just stared at Raven with her mouth open.

  "When do you say your prayers?"

  Theresa turned back to Raven. "When I go to bed, but I have my night clothes on," she answered very seriously.

  "You say your prayers when you go to bed, with your night clothes on because that was your grandmother's custom and that is what she taught you."

  The child waited patiently for Raven to explain himself.

  "It's a Cherokee custom to take a bath early every morning and then stand up just as the sun comes
up and raise their arms to the sun and thank the Great Spirit —"

  "That's God, right?" Theresa interrupted.

  "That's right! You're very smart." Raven grinned and tickled her stomach. Giving her a chance to calm dawn, he finished, "They thank God for giving them another beautiful day."

  "That's because they never know when a bad Inbian is going to shoot them with a arrow!" She pulled her arms up to demonstrate just how such an act was done.

  Raven gently lowered her arms. "I guess you could say that. When you pray at night you thank God for the wonderful day you had. When Dawn prays in the morning, she is thanking God for the day that has just started."

  "And it is her custom to pray naked, like it is my custom to pray with my night clothes on." Theresa nodded her head sharply. "Yes, that is a good custom, but I don't think Grandmother will let me do it."

  "Oh, it's not necessary for you to do that, too. God made us all, and he loves us all. He listens to all our prayers. It makes him very happy when we talk to him, and it doesn't have to be just when we go to sleep or wake up."

  "I know it. We can pray anytime we want and be naked if we want!" Theresa giggled again and threw her arms around Raven's neck before placing a big wet kiss to his cheek. She then scrambled down from his lap and ran from the room without a backward glance.

  "Bravo, Mister Cloud," Cook cheered. "You handled that quite nicely. I say I feel much better about what we witnessed this morning."

  "Yes," the other two grandmothers chimed in.

  "It sounds like a wonderful custom. Will you tell us about some of the other Cherokee customs?" Lady Montgomery asked with great interest.

  Raven pushed himself from the table. To better know what to expect the next time? he mused. "I promise to do that at some later date. If you ladies will excuse me, I'm late for an appointment. I will be back this afternoon. William, are you coming?"

  William dried his eyes with his napkin. "I'll be along later. I have a few things to do myself. Maybe a nice dip in the garden pond will be just the thing."

  Raven turned on his heel and stomped from the room as William again hooted in laughter. As he stepped out into the fresh air, he heard Lady Montgomery scolding William, who was still laughing.

  Chapter Nine

  "Time to wake up, Dawn." Sara nudged Dawn lying on blankets spread on the floor. "We must hurry. Mr. Cloud is waiting in the parlor."

  There was no need for Sara's insistence. Dawn awakened the moment Sara had pushed open the door.

  "What time is it?" Dawn asked as she rolled over onto her back and glanced toward the window. "Oh my, I can't believe I slept so long."

  "It's nearly noon. The Ladies are concerned 'bout you sleeping so late. Of course, they don't know you were out all night." Sara dropped her chin and glanced through her lashes. "That thing you did at sunrise in the garden." Her cheeks reddened with uncertainty. "The entire household is in an uproar."

  Dawn shoved the blanket back and sat up. "I didn't know anyone would be up that early. And even if they were, why were they in the garden?"

  Sara sat back on her heels. "The gentry may sleep late, but the household staff is up by dawn," she answered with maddening logic.

  Dawn groaned as she rubbed her eyes. Why hadn't she thought of that? Of course the servants started their work early. Some warrior she turned out to be. She had to focus.

  "In fact," Sara continued as she pushed herself up, "we barely made it back from the docks before the whole house was up. By the time you got undressed and stepped into that pond, there wasn't one servant still abed. The only reason you didn't see anyone on your way to your room was that they were all hidin' in embarrassment." Sara went to the wardrobe and pulled out a dress, which she held up for Dawn's inspection.

  Dawn waved her hand in approval and then dropped backwards with a low groan. The whole household knew about her little lapse in judgment. But would they have mentioned it to Raven? Possibly not. She could still have a chance to explain it to the Ladies before Raven heard about it. Feeling a little calmer, she sat up and watched Sara rush about gathering up the various articles of clothing.

  Sara laid the clothes out carefully. "Cook often strolls through the garden in the wee hours of the morning." She said carefully. "She says it helps her to prepare for the day."

  Dawn looked at her with sudden realization. "Theresa?"

  Sara nodded and smiled mischievously.

  Dawn returned the smile and the stiffness left her face. "Well, if it had to be told, better Theresa than anyone else." Regret for her actions flooded her. To embarrass her hostesses was never her intent. "There was nothing wrong with what I did," Dawn said in her defense.

  Sara's expression, a cross between mischief and compassion, told Dawn that Sara had enjoyed her moment of teasing. "Oh, we understand what you did," Sara told her with a grin. "Mr. Cloud explained it, and it sounds like a lovely custom. Now please come and get ready." She yanked the covers from the pallet where Dawn still sat. "We mustn't keep Mr. Cloud waiting."

  Dawn giggled and snatched up a pillow from the floor and tossed it at Sara who caught it easily. They both laughed. Sara was good for her, she decided. It was good knowing she had a friend she could count on. Dawn knew she faced a rebuke, but her determination was renewed. She would not be ashamed of her actions. She was not a lady. She was Cherokee and proud of it!

  She rose easily from her pallet, splashed water on her face and quickly dressed. Sara followed close behind, working at combing out her hair. In less than fifteen minutes, she pushed open the study doors.

  "I'm glad to see that you are finally awake," Raven said as he turned from the tall window. With a slow nod toward the only uncomfortable chair in the room, he indicated for her to sit.

  Dawn made no move toward the chair. Instead she looked about the room. Only Raven and she were present. The first chance in days to be alone with Raven and he wore a rain cloud on his face. Instinctively, she stiffened her spine.

  Raven placed his drink on a nearby table and rubbed the back of his neck in a gesture only too familiar to her. "You have once again upset this household. Did you really find it necessary to greet the sun this morning in the garden pond?"

  "Do you really find it necessary to be so dramatic?" She sighed heavily. "I have done this all my life. It is a part of who I am. I see no harm..."

  "That's the problem, Dawn. You never see the harm. You just stripped yourself and stood in the middle of a small pond in the center of a very large garden..." He paused, then his true concern came spurting out. "Did you know that William's room overlooks the garden?" he asked in total frustration.

  Dawn dropped her head to hide the tiny smile fighting its way onto her face. Her heart sang to know that jealousy added motivation to his present frustration. In fact, in his jealous insecurity, he'd forgotten Lady Montgomery made William move out.

  "No. I didn't know," she answered him as meekly as she could.

  "Well it does." Raven turned his back to her and looked out the large window. He flinched when she touched his shoulder. When he turned and met her gaze, she gave him her most apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Raven. I didn't realize."

  "Your window faces the garden. Didn't you even consider that someone else's might as well?"

  She lowered her eyes and tucked in her chin. "No. Truly I didn't." Raven pulled her to him and Dawn wrapped her arms around his waist, grateful for whatever mood created this impulsive gesture. "I'm sorry, Raven. From now on I'll greet the sun from my window."

  Raven gave her a quick squeeze and released her. "There will be no need. Both of William's grandmothers are all packed up and ready to go. I have a walled garden with a pond at Manor Oaks. You will be free to greet the sun there as you wish."

  Dawn knew the magic moment had passed. She hated to lie to Raven, but it was necessary. "I'm not feeling well, Raven."

  Raven tilted her head back and looked hard at her face. She knew he was studying the dark circles under her eyes. "I'm sorry. I should h
ave realized you must be ill to still be abed. Of course, we'll wait until you feel better. I'll send for a doctor at once."

  "No." Dawn reached out and caught his arm before he could pull the bell cord. "I'll be fine in about five days. Surely you understand." She lowered her eyes and caught her lip between her teeth as she feigned embarrassment.

  "Of course." He combed his long strong fingers through his hair, starting at the temple all the way back to his neck.

  Dawn grinned as she peeked at him through her lashes. "I like your hair loose."

  Raven frowned. "Go to your room, Dawn. We'll leave when your time is up."

  Dawn stiffened, then dropped in a deep curtsy. "Thank you, sir.”

  It was all Raven could do not to grin when she straightened, and he could see the spirit sparkle in her eyes. He did grin when she turned in a huff and marched from the room.

  As he watched her proud retreat, he pulled the bell cord. Sara immediately entered the room. "Dawn isn't feeling well. She'll be staying in her room for the next few days. Please check on her needs often."

  "Of course, Mr. Cloud." Sara bobbed. "Will there be anything else?"

  "No, thank you. Oh, yes, do you know if Lord Montgomery is about?"

  "He's in the kitchen with his grandmothers. Lady Montgomery said you were not to be disturbed while you chatted with Miss Fitz-Gerald. I'll tell them your conversation is completed."

  "That won't be necessary," William said from the doorway. "I heard Dawn slam her door and knew it would be safe to come in now. I suppose from the sounds she made, you told her it was time to leave for the country."

  Raven indicated that Sara could go as he spoke to William. "We will not be leaving for another five days."

  "Why the delay? I was rather anxious to be on our way."

  "No more anxious than I to send you," Raven answered contritely. "The situation is unavoidable, however. It's her time of confinement. Her being here in England restricts her customs enough. I'll not interfere with this one."

  "Her what?"

  "It is a Cherokee custom. Every month when a woman's monthly time comes, she puts herself into confinement. Absolutely no contact with men. It's not even a conversation you and I should be having."