Savage Winter (12 page)

Howard watched her eyes glaze over. “Yes, I will see that you get the best of care.”

Howard thought she must be mad. Was this God’s punishment to him—that he must spend the rest of his days paralyzed and at the mercy of a deranged woman? He had been unconscious when Joanna had been taken, and he couldn’t make Claudia understand that he wanted to know what had happened to her.

Claudia was smiling to herself. Oh, had she fixed Joanna! How long would Windhawk make her suffer before he realized that it was his child she was carrying?

In her mind, Claudia began to plan all the things she would do when she got to Philadelphia. She would hire a nurse to look after Howard. She didn’t know much about the law, but she doubted that if Howard died she would be allowed to stay on in Joanna’s house.

Howard had said that he didn’t receive much money from the estate, but what he thought wasn’t much money would be a fortune to her. If she had planned her future herself, she couldn’t have made it turn out any better.

I’ve got it all, she thought happily. Oh, Joanna, you have nothing, and I have everything! She remembered the handsome savage she had seen last night. He had been like a magnificent animal wreaking revenge on his enemies. She felt a thrill go through her body and wondered what it would feel like to have Windhawk love her as much as he loved Joanna.

Claudia glanced down at her husband and found him watching her. Did she really have all she wanted? Would she be able to forget that, from now on, everything she would have would really belong to Joanna? Somewhere deep inside it bothered her that she would soon be living in Joanna’s house, waited on by Joanna’s servants, and eating Joanna’s food.

She felt a prickle of uncertainty. One day, in the not too distant future, Tag would grow up and come to Philadelphia. What would she do then? She shook her head. Tag was still just a boy; it would be a long time until he would be old enough to challenge her or Howard. Still, a feeling of uneasiness moved over Claudia’s consciousness—she knew that someday she would have to face Tag and Joanna.

Howard tried to speak again. He wanted to know what had happened to Joanna, but no one seemed to understand him. He felt cut off from everything and everyone, as if he were living in a waking nightmare. Why wouldn’t someone tell
him what was going on? Why couldn’t he move? What had happened to him? He felt Claudia’s hand on his forehead, and his eyes locked with hers. He shivered at the gleam in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, Howard. As I told you, I will take very good care of you when we reach Philadelphia!”

Joanna seemed to be in a daze as she rode silently beside Farley. Windhawk was taking her back to the Blackfoot village, whether she wanted to go or not. Farley kept watching her out of the corner of his eyes, wondering what she was thinking. He was puzzled by her strange mood. There were many questions he wanted to ask her, but the fast pace they were traveling at limited their conversation.

Joanna glanced up and saw Farley watching her with a quizzical expression on his face. She could tell he was worried about her, and she gave him a reassuring smile.

Later in the afternoon, Windhawk called a halt. He ordered Joanna and Farley to remain hidden in the forest, while he and Gray Fox rode away.

Joanna watched them until they disappeared, wondering where they were going. After Farley secured the horses, he ambled over to her and leaned against the tree she was sitting beneath. He gave her a questioning glance.

“I didn’t run away, Farley,” she told him, knowing that must be what he thought.

“I figured you didn’t. Wanna talk about it?”

“No, not yet. I don’t even want to think about it. Perhaps, in a few days, I will talk to you about what happened.”

“I’m just gonna ask you one thing, then. Was you mistreated in any way?” he asked.

Joanna leaned her head back against the tree trunk.
“No, nothing like that. I am just getting tired of so many people trying to run my life. My uncle thinks he has the right to take me back to Philadelphia; Windhawk thinks he has the right to take me back to the Blackfoot village. Just once, I wish someone would ask me what I wanted to do.”

Farley was quiet as he studied her face. “I’m askin’. Whatcha wanna do?”

Joanna sighed heavily and closed her eyes. “I don’t know, Farley. Right now, I just don’t know.”

“Sometimes I ’spect you gotta stand up for what you want, Joanna.”

Opening her eyes, she smiled at the old trapper fondly. “You have seen Windhawk’s mood. Would you suggest I stand up to him?”

Farley chewed on his lip thoughtfully. “Sometimes I ’spect you oughta back off.”

Joanna laughed for the first time in days. She adored Farley and his sharp wit. “I ’spect your right,” she mimicked him playfully.

Farley glanced up at the sun to gauge the time of day. “I’m wondering ifen Windhawk and Gray Fox will be gone long. I don’t much like the idea of them being out in the open in broad daylight,” Farley said.

“Why?”

“’Cause we’re crossing into Sioux territory. That group of warriors we seed this morning was Sioux. That’s why Windhawk wants us to hide out here while he and Gray Fox do some scouting on ahead to make sure them Sioux has left the vicinity.”

Joanna’s face whitened. “Are we in danger?”

“Only ifen them Sioux find us. They wouldn’t take too kindly to us intruding on their territory. You don’t need to worry none, though. Windhawk ain’t ’bout to take no unnecessary chances with you along,” Farley told her confidently.

The day wore on. When Windhawk and Gray Fox finally returned, it was late afternoon. Without a word, Windhawk
motioned for Joanna and Farley to mount up, and soon they were on their way again.

Windhawk had not spoken one word to Joanna since he had taken her four days earlier. He drew rein and pulled back to ride beside her now. She glanced over at him and thought how unbending his attitude seemed. His face was an expressionless mask.

He must have felt her eyes on him, for he turned his head and stared at her for only a moment before looking away again. Joanna saw the unleashed fury in the depth of his eyes. It was all too apparent from his attitude that he believed she had allowed Harland to make love to her, and it angered her. How could he believe such a thing about her? If he was too stubborn to ask the questions that were troubling him, then she would volunteer no answers!

They were riding in open country, and suddenly Windhawk pulled up his horse and motioned for the others to do likewise. Joanna looked around, trying to determine the reason he had stopped. Off to her left she could see a dust cloud, and she thought it might be the group of Sioux Farley had told her about.

“We are too open here…we will ride for that distant plateau. I do not think they have seen us yet,” Windhawk said, turning Puh Pom and urging him back the way they had come.

Joanna bent low on Fosset’s back, and when they reached the rocky incline she dismounted and led her horse up to the top of the plateau.

Farley gathered up the reins of the horses and led them out of sight behind some scrub bushes. Windhawk and Gray Fox lay down on their stomachs and crawled over to the edge of the cliff, peering down.

Farley motioned for Joanna to get down, and she fell quickly to her knees. She could feel the tension in the air as she watched the dust cloud drawing nearer.

“They have picked up our trail,” Windhawk said. “It will not be long until our tracks will lead them straight to us.”

Joanna estimated there were more than twenty Sioux warriors. She watched as two of them dismounted and studied the ground, knowing Windhawk was right.

Gray Fox knelt down beside Joanna, and she looked questioningly into his face. “What will they do to us, Gray Fox?” she asked fearfully.

“I do not know, Joanna,” he replied. “The Sioux are our old enemies. There are far too many of them for us to make a fight.”

Windhawk stood up and motioned for Farley. “Old man, it will not be long until the enemy is upon us. I will try to stall them as long as I can, but if I should fail in that, you must be prepared to take Joanna and ride hard until you reach the forest. Go down the back way; it will be your only chance of escape.”

Joanna scrambled to her feet. “Windhawk, do not do this! They will kill you!” she cried.

His eyes rested on her face for just a moment, then he glanced away. “If that is so, then you can return to your white lover,” he whispered harshly.

She felt as if he had dismissed her from his mind when he turned to Farley. “Do not let the Sioux take her alive,” he said pointedly.

Joanna was stunned by his cruel words. Would he face death with this terrible misunderstanding between them? She had to try one more time to reach him.

“Windhawk, why can we not all ride down the back of the hill and try to get away? You said yourself that would be our only chance.”

Windhawk seemed to look right through her, and she knew in that moment that he would be buying time for her to get away. Reaching out, she laid her hand on his shoulder.

“Please, Windhawk, come with us!”

He stared down at her hand for a moment, then pushed her roughly away. “I charge you with her safety, old man. Put her on Puh Pom, since he is the swiftest,” he said, turning away.

Joanna wanted to go to him and beg him not to do this
thing. She wanted to tell him that there was a wall of lies between them and that she still loved him, but his cold, indifference sealed her lips.

Farley took her by the hand and led her toward the horses. She was already up on Puh Pom’s back before she realized she could never leave Windhawk. How could she just ride away when there were so many misunderstandings between them?

She heard Farley utter an oath when she leaped from the horse’s back and ran toward the edge of the plateau. She was too late! Windhawk had already started down the slope toward the group of waiting Sioux warriors.

Gray Fox pulled Joanna down beside him and gave her a heated glance. “Windhawk will be angry that you did not obey him, Joanna. It is still not to late to flee!”

“I won’t go, and you can’t make me leave Windhawk!” she cried in English.

Gray Fox studied her a moment and then nodded. “I do not understand you, Joanna. Did you not leave Windhawk before when he wanted you to stay? Why do you stay now when he wants you to go?”

Joanna didn’t bother to answer. She was watching Windhawk make his way down to the enemy. She noticed that the Sioux had their faces painted, and she couldn’t help shivering. Some of them had their lances aimed at Windhawk, while others had drawn their bows.

Farley crawled over to Joanna and raised his rifle. He would have no more than one shot, and she knew that wouldn’t save Windhawk’s life.

How proud and unafraid her love carried himself! Joanna thought. No one but Windhawk would go to meet death instead of allowing it to come to him.

“Will they kill him? Isn’t there something we can do to help him?” she asked through trembling lips.

“Shh, let’s see what happens,” Farley said as Windhawk’s voice carried to them.

“Brothers of the great Sioux nation, I am Windhawk, chief
of the Blood Blackfoot. As you see, I have come not to war on you but merely to cross your lands.”

One of the men raised his hand in greeting and dismounted. “I have heard of the great, powerful Chief Windhawk—your many brave deeds have reached my ears. Why do you cross the land of the Sioux?”

“My woman was taken by the white eyes—I could do no less than follow them to get her back.”

“Did you meet the white eyes in battle?”

“Yes.”

“Did you reclaim your woman?”

Windhawk hesitated. “Yes.”

“It is good. Too many of the white eyes come to our lands. They search for the gold in our sacred mountains. I will not take your life this day. I have too much respect for the great Windhawk to slay you without even odds. Take your woman and go in peace. Do not again come to the land of the Sioux. Tell this to all your brothers to the south.”

Joanna felt relief wash over her. Windhawk had faced his enemies unafraid and, in doing so, had won their respect. They weren’t going to harm him! She turned tear-bright eyes to Farley, and he shook his head.

“I’ll be damned, he’s done ’er! Guess this’ll just be one more thing to add to the legend of Windhawk.”

Windhawk’s voice reached them once more. “When I tell my people of this meeting with you, what name shall I call you by?”

“I am called Sitting Bull of the Hunkpapa Sioux. There will be many in my lodge this night who will speak of my meeting with Windhawk.”

The two men stared into each other’s eyes with shared admiration—then they clasped arms in farewell.

“If all our red brothers were wise, Sitting Bull, they would bury their anger with one another and concentrate on their common enemy, the white eyes.”

“That is true, Windhawk; it is a pity this will not happen
in my lifetime or yours. Perhaps our children will be wiser than we are.”

Windhawk nodded his head. “It will be too late then, my friend—the whites will already have overrun us.”

“It is so,” Sitting Bull said, turning away to mount his horse. Windhawk watched the Sioux warriors ride away before he climbed back up the hill.

When Windhawk saw that Joanna and Farley had not gone as he had ordered them to, his dark eyes showed his displeasure. Joanna was still sitting on the ground staring at him when he gathered up his horse’s reins and led him down the steep incline. Knowing it was not wise to anger Windhawk further, she got to her feet and followed him.

That night was the first time Windhawk allowed them to light a campfire. Farley had killed two rabbits, and they were now roasting on a spit. Windhawk had gone off into the woods, and Joanna was glad to be relieved of his disturbing presence for a while. When he was near, she could feel the coldness he directed toward her.

She sat down on a blanket, lost in her own misery. How long would this wall of silence exist between her and Windhawk? Sooner or later, she knew they would have to talk. She was determined Windhawk would come to her, because she certainly wasn’t going to go to him! She had done nothing wrong, and she wasn’t going to act guilty just to appease his anger.

Gray Fox saw Joanna’s misery and wanted to go to her and speak words of comfort, but he dared not. He had never seen Windhawk in such a quiet mood before, and he wasn’t sure what to expect.

Farley ambled over to Joanna and offered her a portion of the rabbit. “You haven’t eat much lately…we don’t want you getting sick, now do we?”

Joanna took the meat and bit into it, more to please Farley than out of hunger. “What do you think will happen to me when we get home, Farley?”

“I can’t say, Joanna. That depends on how mad Windhawk is.”

“He has no reason to be angry. It is I who have suffered, not him.”

“Well, I don’t rightly think he seed it just that way. You and me knowed you didn’t go running off, but he thinks you did.” Farley looked into her eyes. “Tell me, Joanna, just what did happen?”

“I don’t know where to start. You know about the letter I received from Captain Thatcher?”

“Yep, I knowed ’bout that.”

“As it turned out, it wasn’t from Harland at all, but from my uncle. Stranger than that, Farley, my uncle is now married to Claudia Maxwell, and she helped him scheme to get me and Tag back.”

Farley whistled through his teeth. “I don’t knowed your uncle, but seems he woulda been better off marrying up with a scorpion.”

“You don’t know the worst of it. Claudia told Windhawk that I was carrying Harland’s baby, and he believed her! You know how spiteful Claudia is. She would do anything to hurt me. What makes me mad is that Windhawk took her word against mine—not once has he come to me and asked if it’s true.”

Farley shook his head. “That woman can’t knowed the trouble she started.”

“Oh, she knew all right, Farley. Claudia always knows what she’s doing.”

“Well, her lie can’t last fer long. Windhawk will soon knowed that you ain’t gonna have no baby.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Farley. I knew I was going to have Windhawk’s baby before I was ever taken captive by the Boggs brothers.”

Farley’s shrewd eyes fastened on Joanna’s face. “It ’pears to me the thing for you to do would be to tell Windhawk the truth.”

“Why should I? He wouldn’t believe me, anyway. Besides, I don’t care what he thinks.” Joanna picked up a fallen leaf and ran a delicate finger across its smooth surface.

“Have you heard about Red Bird, Farley?”

Farley lowered his eyes but not before Joanna saw the truth in them. “One can hear lots of things…that don’t make them true. You oughta know that.”