Brave Beginnings (30 page)

Realizing this angle wasn’t working, Woape
decided on another tactic. “Chogan is married to Julia, and he
won’t take another wife. Why not let things go?”

“She may not always be his wife.”

She narrowed her eyes at Sarita. “What do you
mean by that?”

Sarita shrugged, though there was a hint of
sinful pleasure in the slight smile she offered. “Julia may not
always be here. We might wake up one day and find her gone. Maybe
she won’t want to stay here.”

“Is that your plan? To make her so miserable
she’ll leave?”

Her face darkened. “I’m saying she ran off
before when she saw the Okipe Ceremony. Our ways are not hers. She
left Chogan before. She could very well do it again.”

“But she wasn’t married to him last
time.”

“If she leaves his lodge, the marriage will
be over. That’s according to our customs.”

“I don’t like the fact that you’re eager to
dissolve a marriage,” Woape said, glaring at the woman who stood
within a foot of her. It’d be easy to slap her for suggesting a
divorce. But she managed to keep her hands at her sides. “You think
if Julia leaves, Chogan will marry you. You’re wrong. I’ve seen the
way he and Julia are together. She won’t ever leave him, and he’ll
die before he takes another wife. I suggest you find better things
to do with your time than pine for a man you’ll never have.”

Sarita crossed her arms, her gaze unwavering
despite Woape’s best effort to stare her down. “We’ll see about
that, won’t we?”

Woape’s jaw clenched. So talking to Sarita
was a lost cause. The woman was incapable of reason. “Perhaps you
should marry Citlali. You two would be well-matched.”

“And have you bothering me about how he’s
promised to Onawa? I think this conversation is enough.”

With a shake of her head, Woape gave up and
stomped off. So getting rid of Sarita wasn’t going to be that easy.
She hoped Julia would be strong enough to withstand whatever was to
come.

***

Ernest poured himself a glass of red wine and
turned to the fire crackling in his fireplace. He took a sip as he
stared at the flames dancing in front of him. Images flashed
through his mind. Blond hair. A woman’s smile. Laughter.

I could have given her so much…if only she’d
done as I said.

The knocking at the front door caught his
attention, and once again, he was in the present. He took another
sip of the wine before he turned to walk to the door. When he
opened it, he took in the sight of Noah as he brushed the snow off
his shoulders.

“Don’t get any snow in my house,” Ernest
ordered, motioning to the man’s boots.

Noah stomped his feet and then entered the
house. He loosened the scarf which covered a good portion of his
face, revealing cheeks and nose red from being out in the cold air
for most of the day.

Ernest shut the door and returned to the
parlor. Noah removed his boots and set them neatly on the rug by
the door. Ernest caught the slight tremble in Noah’s hands and knew
it wasn’t from the cold. Good. As long as Noah understood who was
in charge, it’d all go according to plan.

Noah stepped forward, his movements
hesitant.

Ernest turned his attention back to the fire
and asked, “Did you learn anything of interest?”’

“Julia’s at the Mandan tribe, Mr.
Freeman.”

Ernest gritted his teeth. She’d been there
since the beginning of January, and it was already the end of
March. He thought for sure living like an animal would offend her
delicate sensibilities. But no. She was still married to the
savage. He forced another sip of wine, not wishing Noah to pick up
on his aggravation.

“There’s something else,” Noah continued, his
voice wavering.

Keeping his eyes on the flames, he lowered
the wine glass, aware his grip was too tight. Once again, he caught
snippets of the blond woman and cursed her stupidity. After a long
uneasy moment passed, Ernest asked, “What else did you learn?”

“Well…ah…”

“Get on with it!”

“Yes. Um, it seems that Julia has found
herself to…well…to be in the family way.”

Ernest’s hand clenched and the wine glass
broke. Shards of glass fell to the floor and wine stained his suit.
She was with child? She had a savage little beast growing in her
womb? He closed his eyes and focused on taking deep breaths. It
wouldn’t be good for Noah to see how much this news affected
him.

“That is all,” Noah softly added as he inched
toward his boots by the door.

Motherhood would tie Julia to that animal for
the rest of her life. Any hopes Ernest had that she would come
running back to Bismarck dissipated.

As Noah hastily slipped into his boots, he
added, “The person I talked to wants to see Julia leave the tribe
as much as you do. Perhaps all hope is not lost?”

Still clenching his hand around the broken
glass, Ernest took a strange comfort in the pain that dug into the
palm of his hand. The cuts provided a much needed release for his
well-controlled anger.

“You’re right. All is not lost,” Ernest
calmly stated, opening his eyes and staring, once again, into the
fire. “We just have to modify our plans. There’s more than one way
to accomplish any given task.” Sure, some ways were easier than
others, but this was not a lost cause.

Noah turned to the door and opened it.

“You will find your payment in an unmarked
envelope tomorrow morning taped inside the post box by the post
office. Be discreet and go before the post office opens.”

“Yes, Mr. Freeman.” Noah quickly left and
shut the door behind him.

Ernest took a deep breath and opened his
hand. Blood trickled from his palm and down to the floor, mixing
quite nicely with the wine. It wasn’t the first time he spilled
blood, and thanks to this unpleasant turn of events, it wouldn’t be
the last.

~~********~~

Julia pulled the coyote fur tighter around
her shoulders as she and Chogan walked down the street in Bismarck
in early May. He carried the carpet bag which held enough of their
things for the weekend visit with Erin. Julia couldn’t wait to see
her aunt. Though Chogan’s family had welcomed her and made her feel
at home in their lodge, she missed her aunt. There was a connection
she and her aunt shared that no one else could ever replace.

As the train station slipped from view, Julia
glanced up at Chogan and saw him look over his shoulder. Though he
didn’t say anything, she sensed his unease.

“Chogan, is something wrong?” she asked.

He directed his attention back to her.
“Ernest doesn’t live along this way, does he?”

“No. He’s further down that way.” She
motioned to the road up ahead. “We won’t go near his house.”

“Good.”

She slipped her hand around the crook of his
arm and smiled. “Thank you for taking me to see my aunt. I can’t
wait to tell her about the baby!”

“You didn’t tell her in a letter?”

“I wanted to tell her in person.”

“It’s been a long time since you’ve seen
her.”

“Yes. It almost seems like a lifetime.”

He returned her smile and said, “Then it’s
good we’re here.”

They turned onto the corner of the street
where her aunt lived. When they had lived here, she’d been
oblivious to most of the looks people gave them. Now she couldn’t
help but be aware of the uneasy glances they threw her and Chogan’s
way. As a couple of women passed by, one whispered to her friend
who looked at them and giggled. Julia glared at them. They quickly
looked away and hurried off down the street.

Chogan chuckled. “I think you scare people
more than I do.”

Turning her attention back to him, she
laughed. “Oh, I do not!”

“You terrified those poor women.”

“Poor women?” She shook her head. “There was
nothing poor about them. They were laughing at us.”

“I bet they’ll think twice before doing that
next time they cross our path.”

She sighed. “I suppose I can’t help what
others think when they see us together.”

“As long as I’m with you, I don’t care.”

Sometimes she envied his ability to ignore
other people when they stared at him. If she could only manage that
trick when Sarita insisted on watching her. For the past month, it
seemed wherever she went in the tribe, Sarita wasn’t too far
off—just watching her. It was positively spooky, and Julia had no
idea what she should do about it. When she tried to confront
Sarita, the woman ran off like a scared little rabbit.

She focused on walking forward. This was a
weekend where she and Chogan could relax and enjoy their time with
her aunt. She wouldn’t let Sarita, or anyone else, ruin it for
her.

“I see your aunt has her house for sale,”
Chogan said.

She spotted the sign in her aunt’s small
yard. “I hope it sells soon.”

“Me too.”

They strolled up the walkway and up the porch
steps. He set the carpet bag down and knocked on the door. Leaning
down, he whispered, “Remember the morning we married?”

“Of course I do.”

“I couldn’t wait to be alone with you.”

“You were alone with me. Everyone was
asleep.”

“I meant in bed.”

His meaning dawned on her and she
blushed.

The front door opened and her aunt ran to hug
her. “Julia! It’s so good to see you.”

Julia embraced her. “I missed you.”

After a long moment, Erin released her and
turned to Chogan. “It’s good to see you too.” She hugged him as
well. “Thank you for coming.”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Julia asked as Erin
stepped back.

“No reason, I suppose,” her aunt replied with
a wry grin. “It’s lonely here, in this big place all by myself.
I’ll be glad when I can go to the tribe.”

“Have you had anyone inquire about this house
yet?” Julia asked as she followed her aunt into the house.

“One person, but I don’t think it’ll suit
him.”

“Why not?”

Erin shrugged. “A feeling.”

“But you’ve had no others come by?” Julia
pressed as Chogan entered the house and closed the door behind
him.

“I’ve only had it up for sale for a month,”
her aunt replied. “You need to be patient.” She glanced at Chogan.
“Is she like this with you?”

He grinned at Julia. “She is full of fire.
The fire is nice.”

Erin sighed but her lips were turned up in
amusement. “Gary didn’t care much for that fire.”

“Gary is weak,” Chogan said. “Woape is good
for him.”

“Now, Chogan,” Julia began in a teasing tone,
“Woape is a lovely person. I’m sure she sees something in Gary we
don’t.”

Erin laughed. “I never thought I’d hear the
day you paid Woape such a high compliment.”

“They are good friends,” Chogan said. “They
see each other all the time. I have to take Julia hunting to get
time alone with her.”

“It’s not that bad,” Julia replied.

He playfully rolled his eyes. “If you say
so.”

“You two make a good couple,” Erin said.
Clapping her hands, she motioned to the parlor. “Come on in and
sit. I made cake and coffee. We’ll have supper soon.”

Julia took off the coyote fur, and Erin
stopped her before she draped it on the coat tree by the door.

“What is this?” Erin asked.

“It’s lovely, isn’t it?” Julia handed it to
her so she could look at it. “Chogan hunted a coyote and gave me
the fur for a shawl. It’s my first authentic Mandan item of
clothing.”

Erin ran her hand over the design. “You
painted symbols and sewed beads into it?”

“Well, his grandmother helped, but I told her
what I wanted and handed her the beads and paints.”

Her aunt laughed. “You never were
artistically inclined.”

Julia shot Chogan a wry grin. “I told you
that’s what she’d say.”

“Now, you came up with the ideas.” Erin
frowned and asked, “What do these symbols mean?”

“The beaded diamond is Chogan, the bow and
arrows are the summer we fell in love, and the young wolf is our
first child. I’ll add more wolves when we have more children.”

“A child?” Her eyes lit up as she clutched
the fur to her chest. “Julia, does this mean you’re in the family
way?”

“Yes. The baby will be born in November!”

Erin shrieked and hugged her. “This is
wonderful news! Why didn’t you tell me in your letter?”

“Because I wanted to see your face.”

“Well, wait until we tell Millicent! She’s
engaged, you know.” Erin looked at Chogan. “I hope she told you
more than she told me.”

Julia shook her head and smiled. “Now, that’s
not fair. I intended to surprise you.”

She patted Julia’s hand. “And it’s the best
surprise I could ask for.” She waved them to the parlor. “You’ve
had a long journey, and I’d be a rude hostess if I didn’t see to
your needs.”

Nodding, Julia set the fur on the coat tree
and joined Chogan in the parlor where they sat on the sofa. She
scooted closer to him so that their thighs touched.

While her aunt poured the coffee, Chogan
whispered, “Do you wish for your aunt to sit on this sofa too?”

By his tone, she recognized his teasing. “I
like being close to my husband. Is that a crime?” she softly asked,
batting her eyelashes at him.

Before he could respond, Erin handed them
their cups and smiled at them. “You two make a gorgeous
couple.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Julia said, winking
at Chogan who chuckled and brought the cup to his lips. “Aunt Erin,
will we get to meet Millicent’s beau while we’re here?”

“Yes. They’ll come for supper tomorrow.”

“It’ll be good to see her again. Sometimes I
miss her.”

“She won’t be living in Bismarck after they
marry. His job is in Fargo, so she will go there with him.”

“Really?” Julia took a sip of the warm
coffee. “What kind of job does he have?”