White Eagle's Touch (13 page)

Soon, however, it became evident that all the women had singled out a man and were dancing toward their partners.

Katrina glanced ahead of her. There was no one there, but White Eagle. And there was no one else dancing onward toward him…except her. He had ensured she danced straight for him, she realized, by positioning himself directly in front of her, just as one of his companions had placed himself in front of Rebecca.

She gazed at White Eagle; he looked back at her. And she would have been a liar had she pretended that she didn’t feel anything for this man.

More passion passed between them with that simple look than she could easily account for.

Too soon, however, she had danced right up to him, and she lowered her glance to the ground, if only to settle her spinning senses. She did wonder what this special favor was that the women were supposed to give to the men, and she was beginning to speculate upon it when suddenly, she was left in no doubt as to exactly what that favor was.

She watched as every woman here, who had been in line, reached up toward the man of her choice, as every woman here
kissed
that man—upon his face.

Katrina gasped and gazed quickly toward White Eagle, who did nothing more than raise his eyebrows and grin at her.

She glanced back to the line of women. Why, a few of the couples were, even now, after that kiss, leaving the dance, and it took no genius to know just what those few couples would be doing.

Startled, Katrina brought her glance back to stare at White Eagle. He returned her regard, this time minus the grin.

He motioned her forward; but she shook her head and didn’t move, incapable of doing more at the moment than stare at him. At last, though, it became evident to her that all those who had gathered around to watch the dance now stared at
her.
Some of them laughed, some giggled; mostly, however, the people simply watched her.

At last, she said to White Eagle, “I came here to speak to you, that is all. But you asked me to dance and…you lied to me. You said that no harm would come to me while I was with you.”

“Did I lie to you? Am I harming you?”

“Yes.”

“How can this be? I don’t even touch you.”

“You chose me for this dance, knowing I would have to…to…kiss you.”

“Is that so bad?”

“Yes.”

“Then do not do it. If it hurts you to give me a kiss, you do not have to do it. Perhaps I should not have teased you with the dance. Come, I will take you home.” He made to move away from her, out of the line of dancers.

But she caught at his wrist, the action staying him. She said, “No, you shouldn’t have teased me.”

He nodded, motioning her to follow him and making to move away yet again.

She, however, held firmly on to him. “And I don’t?”

“You do not…what?”

“I don’t have to kiss you?”

“No,” he said, glancing down at her hand on his.

“Will your people ridicule me if I don’t do it?”

“No.”

“Will they think badly of me?”

He shrugged, returning his regard toward her. “No,” he said.

“Nothing at all?”

“Some might think you are a coward, but that is not to be avoided. After all, they would not know that
I
chose you to dance. They will not know that you did not understand what is expected in the dance.”

“So they will think I am a coward?”

“Perhaps, but it is not—”

“If I kiss you, only a little, no one will think ill of me? No one will call me a coward?”

He gave her a considering look. “No.”

“Then I will kiss you.” She glanced up very quickly, then away.

And he very slowly grinned. He said, “Will you?”

“On the cheek.”

His smile widened and he bent down toward her, presenting her with the side of his face, his cheek.

She drew a deep breath then, and, leaning forward, she gave him a quick peck, not expecting White Eagle to turn his face around toward her so that his lips suddenly came into contact with hers.

It was a chaste kiss, merely lips upon lips, and yet, it satisfied an intense craving that had been building up within her these past few days, and she leaned in even closer to him, inviting him to do more.

She still held one of his hands, but he placed his other upon her hip, holding her away from him, as though he wished to protect her.

After several moments, he broke off the kiss and, raising his head slightly away from hers, he said softly, for her ears alone, “We are in a place here where others watch us, and so I cannot let my passion for you flare as I would like. But know this, Little Moonlight, I feel…much for you.”

She gasped, though she found herself leaning in even closer.

And he continued, his voice still low, his words meant only for her, “Do not be shocked. There is good in what is between us. Many times I have heard of people who are never honored all of their life with as much yearning as there is between us. And this from only a kiss. Do you feel how you make me tremble?” He let go of her to take her hand in his own and place it upon his chest, leaving her hand there, while his fingers came up to her neck, massaging and smoothing over her pulse.

“Do you hear how swiftly your heart beats when you are close to me, as does mine, too? And this, despite all the people who, even now, watch us.”

She stared at him, his words acting like a deluge of cold water upon her. She let go of him all at once and stepped back away from him, gazing around her as she said, “No, no, it cannot be.” She continued to back away, her eyes wide. “You don’t understand. I am engaged. I can’t feel anything for you, and I don’t know what it is that you are saying… I haven’t… I can’t…”

He just grinned at her. “There is no need to deny it. In other times and in other places, people have been engaged to be married and these things are broken. Do you not see that there is…feeling between us? Do you not know that it is a gift, this passion between us, and it is not often given to two people? I tell you now that it could grow into something worth having if you will let it.”

“No.”

“Aa,
yes,” he said, “it could.”

She didn’t hear some of the people’s high trills; she didn’t notice, nor would she have understood the meaning of what they did, the honor they showed her. All she knew at this moment was that she had responded to this man in a way that she should not respond to anyone, save her husband…

She gulped. She was
engaged.
Engaged to be married.

And she had…and others had seen her…

My Lord, what had she done? And this was not the first time she had kissed this man, nor the first time she had responded.

Mortified, she moaned and, giving White Eagle a pained look, she turned swiftly away, fleeing in the direction of the fort, without so much as a backward glance at
him,
at the crowd, or even at Rebecca.

White Eagle watched her, marking her every movement, until he could no longer see her against the blackness of the night. He also noted that her young friend quickly followed her, leaving the two men, White Eagle and his companion, Night Thunder, to watch them.

“We should go after them and ensure that they come to no harm within our camp.”

White Eagle nodded. “Yes, there are too many of our people here tonight who have blinded themselves with the white-man’s-water.” He paused. “Did she kiss you?”

Night Thunder grinned. “What do you think?”

White Eagle gave his friend a quick look. “Should I warn you that she is white and that she will not be an easy prize to win?”

Night Thunder just looked at his friend. “Should I caution you?”

White Eagle laughed, and without another word being said between them, the two men followed the women, watching as Katrina and her maid gained easy access to the fort’s inner sanctum.

Said Night Thunder, still staring at the gate, “She is most certainly beautiful.”

“Aa,
yes,” answered White Eagle, both men scrutinizing the fort as if it were the personification of the two women.
“Soka’piiwa, nitakkaawa, soka’piiwa.
It is good, my friend, it is good.”

Night Thunder had already turned away, but White Eagle’s glance caught on an object on the ground, lying close to the fort.

He moved a little closer to it, smiling as he recognized it, and, bending, he picked up Shines Like Moonlight’s frilly parasol.

He chuckled as he put the contraption under his arm. This time, he decided, he would keep it.

Chapter Nine

The new day found him watching her.

It was early morning, most of the engagés and men of the fort were still abed.

Yet, there she was, up, awake, already bargaining.

He’d known she would be an early riser this morning, the day the white man, whom others called the prince, and his entourage, were to leave on their journey to the fort which lay deep within the heart of the Blackfoot country.

He knew also that she was going to try to convince these men to let her accompany them, a task which would be quite impossible, if his knowledge of the white man were correct and if her fiancé stood by the opinion he had given the previous evening.

For many seasons, White Eagle had observed the white traders, wondering why this breed of man did not bring his women with him when he came into this country; why this man chose to leave her behind him, out of his life, and out of his adventures. White Eagle did not know why the white man did this to his women, why he punished them in this way, he only knew that it was so.

Indeed, the chiefs of many of the tribes had even begun to wonder if there were such a thing as a white woman, if this might not be the reason the white man came to this country, so greatly did the white man covet the Indian woman, but White Eagle had never wondered about such a thing. He had known a white woman; he knew one still.

He stood, leaning on his bow. He was here to watch the show this morning, for he was certain that Shines Like Moonlight would not give up her quest easily; she was more woman than these white men had yet to perceive. Yet, if he were correct in his estimation of the white man, the outcome would be inevitable—which was the other reason
he
had come here this morning—to rescue her.

And he had no doubt that she would need assistance.

She had wanted to speak to him last night; she had been seeking his help, he knew. But what she didn’t understand, what she didn’t seem to know, was that she already had it. There was no need for her to ask.

“I will need all of my things brought aboard the boat,” he heard her say and glanced over to where she had engaged a French voyageur in conversation.

“But, ma’am,” the boatman replied, “I can’t have ’ee putting me in danger of losing my position…”

“Well, I can assure you that if you do not do as I say, you will most certainly lose your job.”

The voyageur took his hat off his head and slapped it against his thigh. “Now, ma’am, I must needs ta speak with the bourgeois. He said nothin’ ta me last night about ’ee travelin’ with the keelboat. And if he don’t tell it to me himself, he’ll have me afoot afore I can pick up me wages, he will.”

Katrina drew back from the man’s speech as though affronted. “My good man, do you imply that I lie? That I try to take advantage of you?”

“No, ma’am, I do not doubts ’ee. I just need ta ask the bourgeois. Seems mighty strange ta me, a white woman goin’ out thyar, into Injun country.”

“It is not strange at all. As I have told you, my uncle awaits me at Fort McKenzie, and he has requested that I go there with my fiancé to meet him.”

The voyageur shook his head and began to walk away. “I must needs ta ask M’Kenzie. Maybe that derned crittur of a bourgeois has gone all weak in the head, he has. But I needs ta see it for myself.”

“My good man, must I remind you that it is impolite to walk away from a lady when she is talking to you? That you should—”

It was no use; the man was gone.

White Eagle saw Shines Like Moonlight look around the fort’s courtyard then, as if to seek help from another.

White Eagle grinned. Never had he observed a woman with so much spirit, and he began to wonder if he might not be wrong, if she might perhaps just outfox these men. It made him smile to think of it. These men, who tried so hard to hold Shines Like Moonlight down, might soon find that such a task was near impossible.

It didn’t matter to him if she took the white man’s boat to see her uncle, or if she let White Eagle and his friends accompany her there. Either way, he would follow her; either way, he would see that she arrived safely.

In truth, in one aspect, he hoped she would win at this; that she would force the white men to take her there.

It would strengthen her character to do so, and it would do much to cause the white man to observe Little Moonlight’s courage.

However, another part within him hoped that she would travel with him so that he could have an opportunity to…woo her. To make love to her.

To make love to her…