Wind Dancer by Jamie Carie

astonishment as Clark declared that the Americans were taking the fort from the British. They intended to stop the bloodshed by the Indians of the Illinois country and Kentucky, and they hoped to break the alliance between the British and the Indians. He explained that the Americans—yes, the Long Knives—were here to free the people of Kaskaskia from British tyranny to live the life of their hearts in this new land where anything was possible.
    Isabelle strained to see the faces of the French citizens. They had been shocked into silence. Rising before she had time to really consider what she was doing, she moved closer, dashing toward a watering trough right next to Clark.
    His gaze swung to her, piercing blue, full of fire and ice, outrage, and weighing judgment. Isabelle froze, still crouched, grasping her weapon in her right hand with a terrorized grip. All eyes turned toward her. Suddenly a man materialized from Clark’s side and she lifted her gaze into the point of a rifle, her rifle being torn from her grasp.
    â€œIsabelle?”
    Isabelle looked up from the rifle into the eyes of Samuel Holt. Exhaling with relief, she gave him a tight smile. “I’m … sorry?”
    Samuel hauled her to her feet and marched her over to Clark, where she stood with her hair blowing around her shoulders and into her face like a great black veil. With her right hand she held her hair back from her face and lifted her eyes to Clark’s.
    â€œWhat do we have here, Sam? This wouldn’t be your wife , would it?”
    He said it low, and Isabelle thought that possibly no one else had heard him, but it so infuriated her that she kicked out at Samuel’s shins and hissed at the colonel, “I’m no wife of his, sir.”
    â€œThen why aren’t you with the other obedient citizens who are waiting patiently in their houses?” Clark demanded.
    Isabelle took a breath, started to speak, then changed her mind and admitted with a resigned tone, “I’ve always had somewhat of a problem with obedience, sir.”
    Clark looked shocked for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed. “Take her to my headquarters, Samuel. I think we can come up with some practice lessons for her, don’t you?”
    Samuel nodded, scowling at her for the kick. With a tight grip on her upper arm and her rifle gripped in the other, he pulled her along to the doctor’s house where Clark had set up his office. Once inside Isabelle turned on him, hackles raised and fluttering.
    â€œYou’re with them ? You are one of the Americans .”
    Samuel gave her a quick nod, staring hard at her.
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell me?”
    â€œI couldn’t. It was a scouting mission, Isabelle.”
    â€œSo you used us, Julian and me, as a front.” She stopped suddenly, eyes widening. “That’s why you told those people we were married!”
    Samuel had the decency to flush and shrug one shoulder. “It seemed a good idea at the time.”
    â€œHow convenient for you.”
    â€œI’m sorry.”
    Isabelle stared out the window at the men still listening to Clark. “You got what you wanted, didn’t you?”
    â€œI guess you could say that.”
    â€œSo what are you going to do now? Or is that a secret too?”
    â€œIsabelle …” Samuel sighed. “I am sorry.”
    Isabelle turned away from the sight of this tall and handsome scout. She didn’t want to soften. She was confused by the events and didn’t know what to think of them. “Will they let Julian and me go? We were planning to head back to Vincennes today.”
    Samuel stepped closer, standing just behind her shoulders, leaning toward her head a little. “I don’t know. I’ll speak with Clark about it.”
    She turned, looking up into his eyes, studying his face for truth. “He doesn’t really plan to keep me here and teach me a lesson, does