A Journey of the Heart Collection (19 page)

Halfway through the party, a sentry rushed in. “Colonel, Spotted Tail is at the Platte!”

Colonel Maynadier jumped up and clapped his hat atop his thinning blond hair. “Raise the white flag and get my horse ready.” He turned to Rand. “Lieutenant, I hate to drag you away from the festivities, but I need you to accompany me. We'll ride out to meet Spotted Tail and assure him of our good intentions. This is what I've been waiting and hoping for. He's been with Red Cloud. If Spotted Tail is ready for peace, perhaps Red Cloud is too.”

Rand nodded. “I'll meet you at the corral, sir.”

He followed the colonel and the other officers to the corral and got their horses. At least they were all dressed in their finest. It would show respect to the Sioux. The wind picked up as he swung atop Ranger's black back and the officers got into formation. They
went out to meet the column of Sioux amassing over the rise. The wind carried the chanting to them.

Frowning, the colonel reined in his horse. “Sounds like a death lament.”

Rand's gut tightened. Could Spotted Tail have died? He waited with the rest of the officers by the fort gate as the lament grew louder.

As the tribe drew nearer, he saw Spotted Tail's face drawn with grief, so the deceased wasn't the chief himself. Spotted Tail's horse dragged a travois with a shrouded body. Rand stared hard at the covered pack, but could see no hint of the victim. His fingers tightened on the reins as a messenger rode forward.

The Sioux warrior wheeled on his pinto, then went and stopped in front of Maynadier. “Chief Spotted Tail wishes to bury his daughter in the white man's cemetery. As Ah-ho-appa drew near death, she asked her father to bring her back here. Shall you honor this request?”

Rand inhaled and glanced over at his brother. This would hit Sarah hard.

The colonel inclined his head. “I would be honored to have his daughter in the white man's cemetery.”

The warrior wheeled again and rode back to the
rest of the tribe. Rand couldn't hear what he said to Spotted Tail, but the chief urged his horse forward until he reached the colonel. He stopped close enough for Rand to see Ah-ho-appa's face.

Colonel Maynadier put his hand on his chest. “My heart grieves at your loss, my friend. I hope we can be at peace with your people now.”

Tears welled up in Spotted Tail's eyes. “My heart is very sad, and I cannot talk on business. I will wait and see the counselors.”

“Of course, my friend.”

Rand fell in with the troops as they rode back to the corral. He didn't want to think of Sarah's grief. He shouldn't care so much about seeing her hurt, but heaven help him, he still did.

Back at the fort Jacob dismounted, then went to grab Ranger's halter. “You should be the one to tell Sarah.”

TWO

T
he dance was long over by the time Rand got to the quarters where Sarah lived with Jacob and Amelia. Sarah sat stitching on quilting material in her lap when Rand strode into the parlor. The lamplight cast a soft glow over her glorious red-gold hair, and he caught his breath. She seemed to get lovelier all the time.

He cleared his throat. “Sarah?”

She looked up, and her green eyes widened as he stepped closer. “What's wrong?”

He'd never been able to hide his emotions from her. “I don't quite know how to tell you except to just say it.” He took off his hat and raked a hand through his hair. “It's Ah-ho-appa. She's dead, Sarah. Pneumonia.” He cleared his throat. “It's been a hard winter, not enough food. She was too weak to fight the lung infection.”

Sarah stared at him. “No, not Ah-ho-appa.” She reached up and grabbed his hand. “You must be wrong.”

He squeezed her hand gently. “I'm sorry. I know you loved her.”

Sarah shook her head. “There must be some mistake.”

“There's no mistake. I saw her myself. Her father has asked for her to be buried in the soldier cemetery. He said she wanted to marry a soldier.”

Sarah put her face in her hands and wept. “It's all my fault. If she hadn't been friends with me, she would have been content with her life. She would have married some young warrior who would have taken care of her.”

Rand took her hands and drew her to her feet and into his arms. “I'm sorry, Sarah, but you did all you could for her. At least she didn't go through what
Morning Song did.” Rand held her until her weeping was over. “The funeral's tomorrow. I'll take you if you want.”

She lifted her wet face and nodded. “I must tell her parents how much I loved her.”

Rand couldn't tear his gaze from her face. He'd always loved her compassion for other people. She was as beautiful inside as she was on the outside.

Several hundred mourners, consisting of Indians, off-duty soldiers, Colonel Maynadier, as well as Major O'Brien, who had arrived to take over command of Fort Laramie, crowded the parade ground at sunset for the funeral.

Sarah stood with Amelia in the cemetery. The scaffold beside them rose eight feet in the air. The soldiers had built it to hold the coffin to honor Ah-ho-appa. She couldn't tear her horrified gaze away from the heads and tails of two white ponies hanging from the structure.

Amelia, her dark hair tucked into a bonnet, looked that direction and grimaced. “Jacob said the ponies
were her favorites, and they were killed to carry her into the afterlife. Their heads are pointed toward the rising sun.” She gestured to a barrel of water. “That's to quench their thirst before they begin their ride.”

Sarah shuddered and hugged herself. “It seems so barbaric.”

She watched the ambulance bring the coffin. A mountain howitzer followed the ambulance. The post band played a solemn march as the Brulé Sioux with Spotted Tail circled the scaffold. Behind them marched most of the men of the garrison, and they formed a large square around the Sioux.

Her gaze touched on Isaac Liddle's open and honest face. She didn't know if she could ever feel as strongly about him as she did Rand, but she had to move on with her life. Somehow.

Officers transported the girl from the ambulance into the open coffin. Colonel Maynadier contributed a pair of gauntlets to keep Ah-ho-appa's hands warm. Rand added red flannel and Jacob put a pair of moccasins into the coffin.

The Sioux women walked to the coffin. Each whispered something to Ah-ho-appa and dropped a small gift inside. When the women were done, Sarah
approached and gazed down into her friend's casket, built by the fort's carpenter. Her long, raven-black hair was braided with bright-red ribbons and lay draped over her shoulders and across the soft white elk skin that covered her.

Tears filled Sarah's eyes. “Good-bye, my friend.” She dropped one of her brooches into the casket.

The colonel had arranged for both Sioux and Christian funerals. When the ceremonies were over, Sarah pushed through the crowd while Rand followed her.

“That was a nice thing to do,” he whispered. “You've probably made a friend for life. I know it's hard for you, Sarah. It's all so different out here. You're used to activity and fun. It's pretty dreary confined to those small rooms all the time and never being allowed to go outside the fort. If the weather holds, how about going skating on the Laramie River tomorrow after worship services?”

Sarah nodded eagerly. Could he really want to spend some time with her, or was he just sorry for her?

“Jessica's been wanting to go for weeks.”

Sarah's heart clenched. He didn't seem to hear her quick intake of breath as he offered his arm and
escorted her back to her quarters. He'd made it clear where his loyalties were.

Sunday morning was bright and sunny, with the mercury hovering near twenty-five degrees though it was already March. Shouts of laughter and squeals echoed through the trees as Sarah laced her skates. She'd worn her warmest dress over a pair of Joel's trousers. Her brother was already out on the ice with his friends, and she smiled as he went zipping by with his blond hair flying in the wind.

Rand skated by with Jessica laughing up at him, and Sarah's heart squeezed. She got up and tucked her hands into mittens, then skated along the frozen surface of the river. She refused to let the circumstances spoil her day. Rand was going to marry Jessica, and she was determined to be fine with it.

She linked hands with Amelia and skated until Jacob came to claim his wife for a race. Her chest burned from exertion so she skated over to rest on a rock where she'd left her boots. The cold seeped into her skin after a few minutes, and she stood to
warm up. There was a movement in the trees, and she squinted at the shadows.

Was that Jessica talking with Ben?

Something about their furtive behavior made her frown. She hadn't seen Ben since Ah-ho-appa's funeral, though she'd half expected him to accost her when she was out and about.

She wished she could hear what they were talking about. She stared at her skates. If she took them off, she might be able to move more silently in their direction. And where was Rand? Did he know his fiancée was with Ben?

She sat back down on the rock and untied her skates, then slipped them off. With her boots on, she moved as quietly as she could into the trees. The deep timbre of Ben's voice grew plainer as she leaned against a tree and strained to hear.

“I have the plan in place.”

“I knew you were the right man to talk to.” Jessica's words could just be made out over the wind. “I just want her out of the way. You won't hurt her, will you? Rand would never forgive me.”

“Of course not. I only want the best for her myself.”

Who were they talking about? Sarah wished she
dared to get closer, but she'd certainly be discovered. She tipped her ear toward the voices again.

“There's no great rush as long as you get it done,” Jessica said.

“I'll get it done.”

Footsteps came closer, and Sarah would be found if she lingered. If only she knew who they were talking about. Ben never wanted anyone's good but his own, so she feared for whomever he had in his sights next.