Dance on the Wind

by Brenda Jernigan

  “It’s a deal, then,” MacTavish said. “Nettie here has always wanted a big family. Didn’t know we’d find it in the next wagon.” There was a trace of laughter in his voice.

  Out of the darkness, Thunder appeared. “How is everyone doing tonight?” he said casually as he moved into the light of the campfire.

  Brandy couldn’t believe he’d been so quiet. She hadn’t heard him approach. But she was glad to see him, even if he did tend to be a tyrant at times.

  “MacTavish, Nettie.” Thunder nodded.

  “Cup of coffee?” Nettie held up the pot.

  “Thank you.” Thunder accepted the tin cup and sat down next to Nettie.

  “What do we have in store for us tomorrow?” MacTavish asked.

  “Tomorrow at daybreak, we cross the Missouri River. That will take the better part of a day by the time we get all the wagons across. If we’re lucky, we’ll make a couple more miles before we camp.”

  “Aye, sounds like a busy day.” MacTavish nodded. “How would you children like a story before going to bed?”

  They nodded their heads, and Brandy smiled. MacTavish seemed to have a natural charm. She was grateful to Amy for wandering off and finding these wonderful people.

  “Come, Brandy, walk with me,” Thunder said as he handed the cup back to Nettie.

  They strolled down to the river. “How are your hands?”

  “Just a little tender, but much better,” she answered.

  “I put rags on my hands when I helped put up the tent.”

  “I think you should use the cream again tonight. When your hands are better, you can ride one of the horses when they are not being used as a team. It will break up the weariness of walking. The other girls can ride, too, but we have only one saddle so you’ll have to take turns.”

  “I’m sure everyone will enjoy riding.” Brandy looked toward the dark water. “That’s a big river. How will we cross?”

  “You will see tomorrow. I am responsible for you, but I’m going to be busy helping the other families as well, so you’ll have to help keep an eye out for everyone. How did the children do today?”

  “I think they are holding their own. The grumbling ended about noon.” Brandy laughed.

  Thunder looked at her in the moonlight, thinking how nice it was to gaze at her face at the end of a long, hard day. He wondered if his life would have turned out differently if he had met her in Boston. She didn’t seem the least bit prejudiced. He reached out to trace the curve of her jaw with his fingertips. She was too naive to know how to hide her feelings, and her lips parted. She looked very inviting. He longed to accept the invitation, but he was older. He knew better.

  Brandy’s skin tingled. She found herself wanting to kiss him as they’d done before. Thunder’s eyes had darkened, and the sight of them made her breath catch in her throat. Her heart twisted just a little. She couldn’t deny that something about him appealed to her. She just wasn’t sure what that something was or what to do about it. This strange uncertainty was a very new feeling to her.

  “Brandy.” Thunder’s hand fell away from her face. “Promise me you’ll take care of yourself tomorrow,” he said, his voice thick with something Brandy didn’t understand

  Disappointment washed over her, and it was all she could do not to beg him to hold her for just a little while.

  She wanted him.

  She desperately needed him.

  She drew in a deep breath and held her hands behind her to keep from reaching for him. “I will,” she whispered. “You be careful, too.”

  She watched him walk away from her, knowing that it would be a long time before sleep chased away the thoughts of the man she could never live with, and could never live without.

  12

  The morning was bright and beautiful with a slight breeze blowing. Just enough to ease the heat so it wasn’t quite as hot as the last few days had been. The milder weather was greatly appreciated since everyone was rushing around trying to prepare for the crossing.

  Brandy and the children sat around the fire and ate their breakfast of biscuits and molasses. They had been allowed to sleep later than normal. She figured it was because they had to cross the river and the darkness would only add to the danger.

  The lead wagons had already started moving toward the water. She and the children finished their breakfast quickly, then packed everything back into the wagon. Ellen and Mary washed the dishes and placed them in the special box at the back of the wagon. Brandy went to get the oxen.

  “Brandy, you must get in line. You have to go across the river, too,” Thunder snapped as he rode past them.

  “And good morning to you, too,” she called to his back. Damn man! He was so frustrating!

  Billy chuckled as he hitched the oxen instead of the horses. “Mary, get the cow and lead him behind the wagon. Brandy, you ready?”

  Brandy raised a brow. Billy was beginning to issue orders like Thunder. Or maybe she was just being oversensitive. “Yes. Let’s go.”

  They had to wait since they were the next to last wagon. She would have pointed out that small fact to Thunder, if she’d had the chance. Why hurry when they just had to wait for their turn? Maybe he just didn’t know how to say good morning. She smiled at that.

  It was interesting watching the other wagons float across the river on the large boats she’d heard Ward call scows. The extra horses, cows, and oxen swam their way to the other side. So far, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

  It was midday when their turn finally came. With a wave of the hand from the boatman, they were motioned to move forward. Billy guided the wagon to the edge of the riverbank, where he unhitched the team. Several men rolled the wagon upon the scow, which was basically a flat barge with no sides. They placed blocks of wood in the front and the back of the wheels so the wagon wouldn’t roll into the water. Brandy paid the fee of a dollar for the wagon, twenty-five cents for the yoke of oxen, and twenty-five cents for each horse.

  Once the wagon was secured, Thunder told them what to do. “Everybody get in the wagon. Brandy, Mary, you can stand by the sides, and Billy and I will follow with the rest of the horses.”

  The boatman shoved them away from the riverbank, and the scow glided through the water, pulled by a tow rope on the other side. The muddy-colored river spanned out in front of them. Brandy was surprised at how routinely everything seemed to be moving. She glanced at the opposite shore and saw that the other wagons were hitching up their teams and starting to move out. They would have to catch up with them by nightfall.

  “What’s that in the water?” Mary asked as she peered over the side of the scow. Suddenly, her scream pierced the air.

  “Woman overboard,” the boatman shouted.

  Brandy swung around just in time to see Mary topple off the side of the boat. Her head went under immediately.

  Panic seized Brandy. There wasn’t anyone to help Mary. Without thinking, Brandy jumped into the water. Father Brown had taken them to a lake many times when it was hot, but Mary had never been able to swim.

  As Mary’s head surfaced, she screamed, “I can’t swim!” Water covered her mouth and silenced her screams and she went under again.

  Brandy jerked her skirt up to her waist and tied it in a knot so it wouldn’t catch around her legs again. Then she started swimming toward the girl. It seemed like forever before Brandy finally reached Mary and was able to grasp her arm and yank her up.

  Mary coughed and thrashed her arms wildly as she panicked, hitting Brandy in the head.

  “I’ve got you, Mary. Calm down,” Brandy told her as she struggled to keep her own head above water. “Tread water with your arms like this.” She demonstrated with her free hand. “Or we’re both going to go under.”

  Mary calmed a little. Brandy looked to shore but they were in the middle of the river, which was much too wide to swim. The scow was being towed by a rope, so it kept on going across.

  Out of the comer of her eye, she saw Thunder and Billy, but t
hey were too far away.

  She heard the boatman call to shore. “They’re going to drown.”

  Scared, Mary started thrashing again. “We’re going to die, Brandy. We’re going to die!”

  This time they both went under.

  Brandy was determined that they would get out of this alive.

  They hadn’t come this far to drown.

  God would give her strength. She shoved Mary to the top and then followed, gasping for air. She was losing strength, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on. She just knew that she had to, no matter what.

  Thunder watched helplessly as the two heads bobbed in the water. His heart was beating so fast he could imagine it bursting from his chest as he urged his horse to swim faster, but it still wasn’t fast enough. With the clothes that the women had on it would be like a weight dragging them down. What if Brandy died? He felt a sensation so unfamiliar to him it almost robbed him of his breath.

  They were going under. He reached out.

  Suddenly, a hand swept down and grabbed her. The next thing she knew, she was being hauled beside a horse. “Wait! Get Mary first,” Brandy insisted.

  “Billy has her,” Thunder said.

  Brandy didn’t realize how the sound of Thunder’s wonderful, deep voice could calm her. Even if he didn’t sound pleased. She floated beside his horse as they swam to the other bank. When the horse had gained his footing, Thunder let Brandy slip to the ground. She stumbled, but managed to get back up by herself. She wrung the water from her hair and shoved it behind her back and out of her face. Next she wrung the water from her skirt.

  Thunder was beside her in a split second. “Next time, I will make you both get into the wagon! That was a damned foolish thing to do. And where did you learn to swim?”

  “Father Brown took us to a lake when it was hot,” Brandy informed him and gave him a puzzled look. Then anger sparked in her eyes. “But I knew how to swim before then. I was taught when I was a child. The only thing I know is that Mary went overboard, and I just couldn’t let her drown,” Brandy stormed back. “What is it about the daylight hours that make you so ornery?” she demanded as she brushed her wet skirts down. She glared at him. He merely smiled, making her that much angrier.

  Brandy marched over to Mary. “Are you all right?”

  Mary had been on her knees, throwing up water. Once she had settled her stomach, Brandy reached down and helped the girl to her feet. Mary wiped her mouth with her skirt. Finally, she turned and faced Brandy. There were tears in her eyes as she answered, “Yes.” Then, after an awkward moment of silence, Mary said, “Thank you.”

  Ellen and Scott came running. “Brandy, you saved Mary,” Scott shouted and looked at Brandy as if she were a hero.

  “You sure did. Mary would have drowned if you hadn’t been there,” Ellen seconded.

  “She would have done the same for me.” Brandy shrugged. Thinking that they needed a little bit of humor, she added, “Or at least thrown me a rope.”

  The children laughed.

  “I hope we don’t have any more rivers to cross,” Ellen said, worry in her eyes. Poor Ellen was afraid of everything.

  “I’m sure we will.” Brandy squeezed Ellen’s shoulder. “But probably none as deep or as wide as the Missouri.” Brandy smiled and said, “Let’s go change clothes. There is only one wagon left and then we’ll have to be back on the trail.”

  “The excitement is over,” Thunder told them. “It’s time to catch up to the rest of the wagons.”

  Mary and Brandy left the others and went to the wagon, where they changed clothes. When Brandy had trouble with the buttons, Mary brushed her hands away and buttoned Brandy’s blouse.

  Brandy smiled, and together they moved on with the wagon train. She sensed that something had changed between them, but it was still too fragile to talk about.

  The train only gained two miles before it was time to circle up. Today had been long, but not as long as the days that lay ahead, Brandy thought.

  * * *

  Mary and Billy dug a pit for the fire and placed two forked sticks in the ground on each side of the rocks. Then they laid a pole across the two sticks to hold the heavy black kettle to cook in.

  Brandy, Ellen, and Scott gathered buffalo chips to burn in the fire.

  “What are buffalo chips?” Scott asked as he placed one in the basket.

  Brandy laughed. “You don’t want to know. Nettie said they burn just as well as wood, and there aren’t any trees so we have to have something,” Brandy explained, not bothering to tell him that the chips were dried dung.

  “What we having to eat?” Scott asked.

  “Nettie said that MacTavish killed a wild hen of some kind, so we will actually have meat tonight.” Brandy looked down at the basket of chips. “I think we have enough for now.”

  “Good. I’m starved,” Scott shouted and ran ahead of them.

  Brandy turned to Ellen. “I can finish this up if you want to milk the cow.”

  “All right.” Ellen headed in the same direction as Scott.

  Brandy caught sight of a horse and rider and knew by instinct that it was Thunder.

  “How are you doing since your near-drowning in the river?” he asked when he got close enough.

  “I’m fine. Are you going to eat dinner with us tonight?”

  His gaze traveled over her face and searched her eyes. Warmth crept through Brandy’s veins.

  Finally, he said, “I have to do some scouting ahead, so I’ll be gone for a couple of days.”

  She swallowed hard, feeling very uncomfortable inside. “Please be careful.”

  He gave her that half-smile that she liked so much. “I will, but I think I should be saying the same to you after what happened today.”

  She laughed. “You may be right.”

  “Do stay out of trouble, and if you find that impossible, Ward said he would look out for you.” Brandy gave him a sassy frown, and then she shifted the basket to her other hip and moved over to his horse. She placed her hand on Thunder’s leg and gazed up at him as she tried to read his unreadable features. “Come back soon,” she said, almost in a whisper.

  He placed his hand on hers, and she couldn’t help but notice the tingle of excitement rushing through her. “I will be back. Take care of yourself,” Thunder said in what sounded like a strained voice.

  She backed away from his horse and nodded, and then he rode off. She willed him to look back. If he did, it would mean he cared.

  But he didn’t look back.

  * * *

  That night after dinner the story of Brandy rescuing Mary was told over and over again. The children told it so much that Brandy was embarrassed and uncomfortable. She needed to do something to shift the attention off herself. “Let’s hear one of your stories, MacTavish.”

  “Please,” all the children chorused. Amy clapped her little hands as she sat in Nettie’s lap.

  “Let me see now . . .” MacTavish rubbed his red beard as he thought. “How about a ghost story?”

  “Yeah,” Scott answered, his eyes as wide as saucers.

  Everyone gathered around the fire with MacTavish at the head of the circle.

  “I know many tales, but I believe I’ll tell ye the story of the Gray Lady.” He paused, then began. “There is a Scottish baronial mansion that stands overlooking Brodrick Bay. ’Tis an enormous castle. That’s where the ghost lives to this very day. Sometimes, when yer in the library you can hear clump, clump, clump . . MacTavish thumped the cooking pot with a spoon very slowly for effect “Eerie footsteps in the room above yer head.”

  “Have you heard it?” Billy asked.

  “Aye. And Nettie, my girl, actually saw the ghost.”

  Ellen gaped at Nettie. “Really?”

  “Aye,” Nettie said with a nod. “The Gray Lady came in through the side door of the sitting room I was in. She seemed to float across the room, but paused midway to look at me. And then she did the strangest thing . . .” Nettie paused
.

  “What?” Scott prompted, leaning a little closer. “She walked right through the wall.”

  Several of the children gasped.

  Brandy had gotten caught up in the story herself. “Are you certain?”

  “Aye. Right though the brick wall. Found out later that there used to be an archway in the wall, but it had been bricked up for twenty-some years.”

  “I would have liked to have seen that” Scott said as he sat back on his heels.

  Nettie rose with a sleepy Amy on her hip. “ ’Twould make the hairs stand up on the back of yer neck.” She chuckled. “Ye can finish the story, MacTavish. I’m going to put this wee lassie to bed.”

  “What did the Gray Lady look like?” Mary asked, mesmerized by the story.

  “’Tis said she looks like a dairymaid. She’s been seen many times going down a back stairway, dressed in gray with a white collar.” MacTavish paused. “One morning the butler—”

  “What’s a butler?” Scott asked.

  “He’s a mon who opens the doors of great houses.”

  “Why? Are they heavy?”

  MacTavish chuckled. Brandy stepped in. “People with lots of money have servants who do different jobs around the house so that they will not have to.”

  Scott thought about it for a moment and then asked, “Why don’t we have servants? Then we wouldn’t have to milk the cow.”

  “Because we don’t have any money,” Brandy said simply. “Now be quiet so MacTavish can finish his story before bedtime.”

  MacTavish stroked his red beard. “Where did I leave off?”

  “With the butler,” Billy prompted.

  “Ah, yes. One day the butler noticed someone walking down the stairway.” MacTavish leaned forward as if he were going to tell a secret. “It was the Gray Lady. She paused beside a mon who was doing odd jobs around the castle. This time he was scrubbing the floor. The lady seemed to stop and talk to the mon before moving on. But when asked who had spoken to him, he gave a funny look and said no one.”

  Everyone was quiet for a few minutes. Then Mary broke the silence. “Do we know why she haunted the castle?”