on a different level of awareness, that she was promised to him?
She was from another world entirely, and he sensed that she looked upon his environment, upon him, as beneath her. Yet, despite this, she had responded to him, easily and without guile.
He took a deep breath.
It was worth a try. Spoiled though she was, she possessed also great spirit…fortitude. And these were qualities to admire in anyone.
He brought his attention back to the present and watched her as he stood deep within the shadows of the bastion.
And he decided all at once what he was going to do: He was going to make her begin to care for him again…mayhap to come to love him once more.
He promised it to himself.
Chapter Eight
She saw him.
He was standing across from her, on the other side of the circle of dancers, the fire throwing light and shadows onto his face and chest, making him appear more handsome, yet more mysterious at the same time.
His eyes were dark against the lighter, bronze color of his skin; his cheekbones were high, his chest broad and masculine, and every muscle there shone to perfection, in the glow of the firelight. A single feather fell from one of his sidelocks, and around his neck hung a necklace made of what looked like shell or bone. Strung in about twelve half circles, it looked more like a breastplate than a necklace.
White Eagle stared at her; she knew it, she could see it, even here in the darkness.
He looked strange, foreign, yet…
There was something about him…something that beckoned to her; something unearthly…as though he called to her from a distant place. And she knew she had to go to him, even though she dared not.
Unconsciously, she parted her lips, and she almost took a first step in his direction, when a hand reached out to grab at her own.
She jumped.
“’Tis I, mistress.”
“Oh, Rebecca,” Katrina whispered on a harshly exhaled breath. “You frightened me.”
“As you have me.” Rebecca, too, spoke in a hushed tone. “Why have you come here? It is dangerous.”
“Is it?” Katrina asked, then, “Yes, you are right. I…I just wanted to see the, ah…Indian dance, and I need to speak to…”
“That Indian man,” Rebecca supplied, “that same Indian man that you spoke to a few days ago?”
“Yes.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you waited until the morning to do this?”
Katrina glanced over toward Rebecca. She said simply, “No.”
And Rebecca shrugged. “There is a problem?”
“Yes,” Katrina said.
“And you feel you cannot speak of it to anyone else?”
Again, Katrina nodded, saying, “Yes.”
“Then it must have to do with your uncle.”
Katrina looked down toward the ground. “It does. It appears that the marquess is going to refuse to travel upriver. But worse, he is expecting me to stay here, too, until my uncle can be brought back. This is something I cannot do.”
Rebecca paused for a moment before she said, “And so you are thinking of asking the Indians to take you there?”
“No, not really. I cannot even envision the marquess traveling overland with Indians, and yet, I feel I need some…advice.”
“Yes, I see that, but…to seek out an Indian, and at night. Have you asked the prince if you can travel with him?”
“No,” said Katrina. “Not yet. I fear, though, that his response will be as negative as my fiancé’s. Truly, I know of nowhere else to turn.”
“I understand.” Rebecca glanced quickly around her. “Perhaps, though, you could seek out the Indian in the morning, when it is safer. I fear you should go back to the fort now.”
“No, I…I wish to stay a little longer.”
“But, mistress, we are not within the shelter of the fort, and we are among…well, these savages. They might likely kill you…or me.”
“Might they? Yes, yes, of course you are right,” Katrina said, “and yet at times, I have felt myself more in danger at the fort.”
Rebecca didn’t reply at once. “This is true,” she said at last.
She was from another world entirely, and he sensed that she looked upon his environment, upon him, as beneath her. Yet, despite this, she had responded to him, easily and without guile.
He took a deep breath.
It was worth a try. Spoiled though she was, she possessed also great spirit…fortitude. And these were qualities to admire in anyone.
He brought his attention back to the present and watched her as he stood deep within the shadows of the bastion.
And he decided all at once what he was going to do: He was going to make her begin to care for him again…mayhap to come to love him once more.
He promised it to himself.
Chapter Eight
She saw him.
He was standing across from her, on the other side of the circle of dancers, the fire throwing light and shadows onto his face and chest, making him appear more handsome, yet more mysterious at the same time.
His eyes were dark against the lighter, bronze color of his skin; his cheekbones were high, his chest broad and masculine, and every muscle there shone to perfection, in the glow of the firelight. A single feather fell from one of his sidelocks, and around his neck hung a necklace made of what looked like shell or bone. Strung in about twelve half circles, it looked more like a breastplate than a necklace.
White Eagle stared at her; she knew it, she could see it, even here in the darkness.
He looked strange, foreign, yet…
There was something about him…something that beckoned to her; something unearthly…as though he called to her from a distant place. And she knew she had to go to him, even though she dared not.
Unconsciously, she parted her lips, and she almost took a first step in his direction, when a hand reached out to grab at her own.
She jumped.
“’Tis I, mistress.”
“Oh, Rebecca,” Katrina whispered on a harshly exhaled breath. “You frightened me.”
“As you have me.” Rebecca, too, spoke in a hushed tone. “Why have you come here? It is dangerous.”
“Is it?” Katrina asked, then, “Yes, you are right. I…I just wanted to see the, ah…Indian dance, and I need to speak to…”
“That Indian man,” Rebecca supplied, “that same Indian man that you spoke to a few days ago?”
“Yes.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you waited until the morning to do this?”
Katrina glanced over toward Rebecca. She said simply, “No.”
And Rebecca shrugged. “There is a problem?”
“Yes,” Katrina said.
“And you feel you cannot speak of it to anyone else?”
Again, Katrina nodded, saying, “Yes.”
“Then it must have to do with your uncle.”
Katrina looked down toward the ground. “It does. It appears that the marquess is going to refuse to travel upriver. But worse, he is expecting me to stay here, too, until my uncle can be brought back. This is something I cannot do.”
Rebecca paused for a moment before she said, “And so you are thinking of asking the Indians to take you there?”
“No, not really. I cannot even envision the marquess traveling overland with Indians, and yet, I feel I need some…advice.”
“Yes, I see that, but…to seek out an Indian, and at night. Have you asked the prince if you can travel with him?”
“No,” said Katrina. “Not yet. I fear, though, that his response will be as negative as my fiancé’s. Truly, I know of nowhere else to turn.”
“I understand.” Rebecca glanced quickly around her. “Perhaps, though, you could seek out the Indian in the morning, when it is safer. I fear you should go back to the fort now.”
“No, I…I wish to stay a little longer.”
“But, mistress, we are not within the shelter of the fort, and we are among…well, these savages. They might likely kill you…or me.”
“Might they? Yes, yes, of course you are right,” Katrina said, “and yet at times, I have felt myself more in danger at the fort.”
Rebecca didn’t reply at once. “This is true,” she said at last.
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