Lakota Princess (33 page)

But no more. Now she knew her “husband” existed. The man lived. And it remained her duty to find him.

There was more.

She no longer wondered about her heritage. She knew it. And though she couldn’t prove her royal connection, there remained yet a feeling of responsibility. A duty that mayhap was as ingrained as it was unwanted.

And Estrela felt more and more the need to “air” the truth, if for no other reason than she felt she had to express this newfound weight of duty and responsibility.

It was odd. The extreme wealth of her position, the riches due her, the power within her reach meant nothing to her. The only real riches in her life, the only things that meant anything to her at all, were her honor, her love.

Black Bear.

Without Black Bear, her life held little meaning.

And truly, he was the only wealth she considered valuable.

And yet he was not something she could have, the honor of her vow kept him from her.

Which left her what choices?

If she went with Black Bear, she lost her honor.

If she stayed here, and proved her honor, she lost Black Bear.

And what of her heritage? What did she do about that?

If she proved it, she still stood to lose Black Bear. For she realized that a princess had the duty to marry into other royalty. It was as much a responsibility of the position as was the power and wealth of the title. Plus, she assumed Sir Connie would step forward in such an event, himself most likely a part of the aristocracy.

If she remained unknown, she still could not win. Bound by her honor to find the man, Sir Connie, once she found him, she was duty-bound to the marriage.

Truly, she was damned on every hand. Caught by her honor, held by her love, she remained unable to set into action any plan.

And so it continued; yes, she was happy, no, she was not.

An odd state of affairs, indeed.

She was still riding, Anna and the Prince still following her when, the sun almost at its zenith, she espied movement in her peripheral vision.

There—off to the right—the mad dash of the fox.

At once she heard the yelping of the dogs and turned her head to watch the pack of them in pursuit. In no more than seconds, the fox hunters came, dressed in scarlet-red riding suits with black caps, laughing and whooping with merriment, darting across the fields, jumping low hedges, splashing through streams in zealous pursuit.

It looked quite a fun sport—for people—and Estrela smiled to watch them as they dashed on past her.

That’s when she saw them. The Indians, Black Bear, and his two friends.

Apart from the rest, dressed in their own native costumes of buckskin and porcupine quills, they burst across the fields, in pursuit of… Were they hunting the huntsmen, themselves?

Estrela thought so as she watched. The Indians galloped up beside each hunter, leaning over and touching each person with their bows, their coup sticks, their lances, even, in some cases, their hands, before spurting away, leaving the hunters behind as though those riders in red were leisurely cantering their horses.

What was occurring here?

The Indians were obviously not out fox hunting—or were they?

How curious. How curious, indeed. Estrela sat forward, and adjusting her hat farther down on her head so that it would not blow away, she gave a quick yell behind her to Anna and the Prince. Then, guiding her horse off the main road, she set her direction in determined pursuit of the whole party, fox hunters, Indians, and hounds, and with a quick kick to the horse’s flanks, she burst away from the road, galloping across the fields as if she herself enjoyed nothing better than hunting down and watching the hounds devour a fox.

Estrela remembered the first time she had experienced a fox hunt. She clearly recalled watching the hounds corner the fox and then, when the signal was given, slaughter the animal.

She hadn’t liked it then. She didn’t like it now.

Mayhap it was her digression into her Indian mores that caused the disillusionment. Perhaps it was simply her belief that there should be reason to kill the animal. Or maybe she simply misunderstood the whole sport.

Whatever the reason, it made no difference She did not like the game.

She watched now as, up ahead of her, the hounds cornered the wild animal. The yelping and growling of the hounds was almost deafening, and Estrela experienced a moment of discomfort. She wished that she could…

What was that?

All three Indians seemed to swoop down into the scene out of nowhere. One moment no one was there, the next, the three of them looked to be everywhere, themselves whooping and hollering even louder than the hounds.

A strange occurrence to watch.

The hounds cried like young pups as they cowered beneath the warlike yelps from the Indians and the three of them, with buckskin bags held outward, raced around the scene, disbursing the hounds, each of the three Indians sweeping down, attempting to pick up the fox.

Black Bear became the proud winner in this match, his prize securely fixed within his pouch. And he tore away, across the fields, jumping fences and hedges and carrying away the most valued possession of the hunt—the fox.

Estrela sat stunned, watching, having reined in her mount.

She didn’t even notice when the red-coated hunters joined her. She didn’t even hear them at first, until the cursing began. And then—

“Damn! They’ve jolly well done it again.”

“Damn nuisance is what they are! Oh, excuse us, M’lady, we did not see you here.”

“Can’t keep denying the hounds their treat, can we now? Must do something, we must.”

At last Estrela took note of where she was, just who was surrounding her and she asked, none too politely, “What is it?”

“The Indians, M’lady,” one of the scarlet-coated gentlemen answered. “Every time we have a fox hunt, I tell you the Indians beat us to the fox, and I daresay, they carry the animal away every time. Getting to be a nuisance is what it is.”

Estrela almost laughed. And it was only with the greatest of efforts that she replied simply, “Pray, do tell.”

“I have no idea at all,” the gentleman continued, “what the savages do with the animals.”

“Probably tear it to pieces themselves…with their teeth,” one of the hunters volunteered.

Estrela gasped.

“I do say,” another ventured, “the savage’s bite is probably worse than the fox’s, probably worse than the hound’s.”

And to the resounding laugher, Estrela lifted her chin, frowning.

In all fairness, the hunters had most likely forgotten her heritage. And perhaps had they realized the true effect of their bantering, they would have stopped.

Perhaps.

“…I say the savages probably eat the animal raw.”

Laughter.

“…snap off the tail with their teeth…”

“…savages probably wear it in their hair…”

More and more laughter.

Estrela raised her chin a tiny bit higher. And assuming a pose whereby she looked directly down her nose at them, she said, “Gentlemen,” but to no avail.

“…pierce it in their ears…”

“Gentlemen!” She put the exact amount of stress on the word. First one, and then another and another huntsman looked her way.

She cleared her throat. “Gentlemen,” she said, a trifle more gently. “I must tell you that in my opinion, if there are any savages present”—she swung her gelding around to look at each and every man present—“if such people are anywhere nearby, I daresay I sit among those ‘savages’ right now.”

No one said a word. No one even laughed. Every gaze at the moment had turned to her.

At length, Estrela grinned. She said no more. She didn’t need to. She simply reined in her horse and, turning him to walk into and through the ring of red-coated horsemen, she spurred her mount forward, following in the same direction as the “savages.”

It was some time later, finally catching a glimpse of the three Indians that she saw Black Bear loosen his pouch to the ground. He had set the fox free.

As Estrela watched, leaning forward in her saddle, she smiled.

“Children, children.” The Duchess of Colchester hurried into the breakfast parlor, where even now, the servants were setting up an informal luncheon. “Oh, I must say, I am beside myself. What do you suppose I have here in my hand?”

No one answered, the hunters still sulking, the Indians not in the least curious and the Prince distracted, watching the maiden Anna as she stood a good distance away with the other ladies’ maids.

The Duchess waved the letter she held in her hand, saying, “Who do you suppose this is from?”

Black Bear raised an eyebrow, and Estrela glanced up.

“The King,” the Duchess promptly answered. “He is coming here. Here, mind you, to Shelburne Hall.”

“The King?”

“Coming here?”

“To Shelburne Hall, you say?” It was the Duke who spoke.

“Yes,” the Duchess replied, smiling now that she had everyone’s attention. “It seems King William has heard nothing but rumor after rumor of the Indians and he wishes to meet them. He also desires a country visit and so he is coming here. Oh, my, what shall I do? I will have to hire more staff, more servants, and of course, our daughters and Lady Estrela must have new gowns, only the latest fashion, of course, and I must see to…”

“Well, I daresay.” Even the Duke seemed suddenly agitated. “Must invite more of my colleagues from Parliament here. Politics, you know. Must be able to talk the latest in politics. The King is coming here,” the Duke commented. “We’ll have to import more game, more birds, mind you—perhaps partridges. Not enough wild game here to make hunting profitable at the moment. I say, is the Queen also visiting?”

“…and I will have to ensure the dinner is prepared by only the best chefs I can find, oh, I must send into town for all our help there…and that… What was it you asked?” The Duchess looked up to meet her husband’s gaze.

“I say, is the Queen also planning to visit?”

“Well.” The Duchess glanced at the note in her hand. “The letter is not quite clear on that point, but I would assume that the Queen will attend as well, Oh, bless me, my, but I am afraid we will never be prepared in time. He is due to arrive here in, oh my, oh my, in only a fortnight. So little time, so much to do, so many things to attend to… I must send into town at once for my servants, my…”

The Duchess sat down to the table, still muttering, but so much to herself it was hard to pay her attention until all at once, “Why I know what we’ll do.” The Duchess stood up suddenly, scattering food and dishes on the table, upsetting her chair. “We’ll give another ball, we’ll give a dinner party. That will be easy enough. Oh, it will be a party, the likes of which no one has ever seen before and no one will ever see again. Why, we have the most beautiful ballroom, the loveliest of halls in the country, all the best hardwood floors, and… Oh, dear me, they’ll need wax. Beeswax. Why, I must send for beeswax immediately. Oh my, oh my, so much to do. So much to organize. Pray, do excuse me.” She turned around as if to leave, then spun back toward the table and, with a grand gesture of her arm, the, Duchess swept up the letter in one hand, a napkin in the other and pivoted back toward the door. With determination, she strode from the room, beckoning over her shoulder to the servants. “Bring me my paper and quills at once and oh, prepare the carriage. We must send word to people at once. Oh, so much to do, so many people to tell. I must…” Her words faded into the distance, her voice quickly out of earshot.

Black Bear reached for a scone, the movement so nonchalant, Estrela was unprepared for his next statement.

He didn’t even smile. “We go soon.”

Estrela heard him, but as though realizing her worst nightmare, she did no more than smile at him.

Black Bear took note of it, ignored it, looked directly at her. “We go now,” he repeated, speaking in Lakota. “Prepare your things and mine. We will leave here soon. We will stay to see the King, then we go.”

Estrela sat stunned for a moment. She had been living on the tip of time, knowing this moment would come, avoiding it, hoping for more time, more space. And though she’d been aware that this would eventually happen, she felt unprepared for it. And so she stared at him, saying nothing for a very long time. At last, she ventured, “We?”

He nodded toward her, answering her instantly. “We go. You, my two Lakota brothers, myself, perhaps even my brother, the Prince. Do you wish to bring your friend?”

Estrela sat still a moment longer. She opened her mouth to speak, but not knowing what to say, she closed it.

Perhaps the moment had not yet arrived. Maybe she misunderstood. And so, after several moments, she asked, “Where do we go?”

He didn’t even look at her. He chewed on a bite of scone as he said, “Home, to the prairie.”

Estrela choked on the tea she had just sipped. That a servant immediately pounced on her, pounding her on the back didn’t help in the least.

And as she sputtered into her napkin, the servant still pounding her back, she heard Black Bear say, “We leave to go home soon. My brother, He Topa, brings me news from the great water docks in the town called London. He says there is a ship there that will sail to America within another moon.” Here Black Bear took note of Estrela, her face flushed, her breath still coining in wheezes. “We will be on it.”

He reached for another scone, placing it carefully in a napkin, along with other food, which he would then take outside to give to the poor.

He didn’t look at her. He didn’t look anywhere, and Estrela could have sworn she saw the tiniest trace of a smile, but it was too quickly gone for her to be certain.

Did he merely play with her?

Did he only jest?

She prayed so.

She had come to hope after a month had gone by and he remained at her side, that somehow, without her speaking it, he had understood her problem.

She silently cursed herself now.

What had she thought? Had she really believed that Black Bear, against all personal mores, would agree to be only lover to her? She had never asked it of him; she had never explained it to him. She had simply hoped…