Teton Splendor

by Peggy L Henderson

  Sophia breathed in the air infused with the smell of leather and male scent she knew to be Joseph’s. A tingling feeling passed through her, and she wrapped her arm around her middle to ward off the sudden tightening in her belly.

  I want to be Joseph Walker’s woman.

  She slipped out of her britches and shirt, and into the simple chemise, pantaloons, and petticoat that went under the dress. She held the plain dress out in front of her for a moment. Simple in design with no frills or adornments, the dress represented a symbol of the change from her Boston life of extravagance to the simpler ways of the wilderness. It was a gift from Joseph, a garment he’d chosen and deemed fitting for her to wear, and she’d wear it now to meet her grandfather.

  She was ready to learn about her mother’s people, but for now, it seemed more appropriate to wear the clothing of a white woman. This dress was a bridge between her formal upbringing and the life she wanted from hereon. The life she wanted with Joseph.

  Satisfied with her decision, she slipped the dress on over her head and buttoned the bodice. Running her fingers through her unbound hair, she stepped from the room. Joseph’s back was to her, but he turned instantly. A wide smile spread across his face, and Sophia’s heart fluttered. She knew immediately that she’d made the correct decision, but something in his eyes told her that he would have been pleased regardless of what she chose to wear.

  “Caleb and my mother are off in search of berries,” he said. “I don’t expect we’ll be back here for several days, so I told them not to save any pie for us.”

  Sophia swallowed. “How far is it to my grandfather’s village?”

  “We should be there in a few hours. By this time of year, they’ll be making preparations to head to their winter camps, but I suspect Two Bears is waiting for me.”

  He stepped closer, his eyes locked on her. Sophia forgot to breathe. The look of love and admiration in his gaze was so intense, he caressed her without even touching her. Her hand reached up, and she brushed her fingers along his jaw.

  “Have I told you today that I love you?” he asked huskily, and pulled her up against him.

  She couldn’t speak, and merely shook her head from side to side. He leaned forward, and her arm slid around his neck, drawing him to her. Joseph’s mouth covered hers, not in the chaste way he’d kissed her earlier, but with the intensity she’d come to crave. Sophia moaned as waves of desire rippled through her body. She leaned into him when his hands clamped around her waist, the warmth of his touch igniting a fire deep within her.

  His hands slid slowly up along her ribcage and back down to her waist while his lips explored her mouth. Sophia’s world spun out of control, and her arms clung to his neck for fear of falling through the weightless void she floated in.

  Much too soon, Joseph eased his head back, panting as hard as she was.

  “We’d better get going, or I’m gonna stand here and kiss you all day long.” He cleared his throat, and stepped back. Running a hand through his hair, he grabbed for the rifle that was propped against one of the chairs, and headed for the door.

  Sophia stood on shaky legs, holding a trembling hand over her heart. Perhaps she should tell him that she wouldn’t mind him kissing her all day. Propriety won out, however, and she stepped through the door he held open for her and into the bright fall sunshine.

  ****

  Sophia’s heart pounded when she reined her horse in beside Joseph’s. From atop the shallow rise, a village of teepees spread out before them in the meadow of tall buffalo grass and sage, flanked by a grove of cedars on one side. A wide creek flowed through the field and a herd of horses grazed lazily along the outskirts of the village. Sophia counted twelve lodges. Wisps of smoke rose from numerous cooking fires, children ran around, and dogs barked. Women tended to the fires or sat in front of lodges, scraping hides or performing other tasks.

  Joseph glanced her way. “Are you nervous?” he asked, and offered a reassuring smile. They’d ridden mostly in silence since leaving the homestead. Joseph held his rifle cradled in his lap rather than leaving it sheathed in its scabbard. He’d made it plain to her that there was a real danger that the mysterious shooter might take another shot at them, and he remained alert and vigilant throughout the ride to reach the village. To lessen their chance of a surprise attack, he’d kept to open meadows rather than take her along a more scenic route through the marshes or cedar forests.

  “Nervous?” she echoed, her eyes darting from the village to look at him. She’d never felt more nervous about anything in her life, but she swallowed back her apprehension and plastered a smile on her face.

  Joseph reached over and ran his hand from the top of her head down the length of her hair, to rest his palm on her back. The gesture sent ripples of delicious chills down her spine.

  “Two Bears will love you,” he said in a low voice. “Your mother was his only child.”

  Sophia nodded. She’d learned more about her parents the night before while she sat at the table with the Walker family. Her French father had been secretly in love with her mother for years before he finally asked the chief to marry her. Two Bears had given his blessing to the white trapper. Alex Walker had explained that a union between a white trapper and an Indian woman was a common occurrence during the days of the fur trade. Such a union worked in favor of both the trapper and the Indian tribes. The trapper would be under the tribe’s protection while the Indians would benefit from the western goods the trapper could provide.

  “Whispering Waters was overjoyed the day she came to me with the news that she was expecting,” Evelyn had said with a smile on her face. “She confided in me that she was afraid that she was barren because it took her more than two years to finally conceive. Laurent treated her as if she would break at any moment after he found out. I think by the time you were born, she was ready to toss him out.” She laughed.

  Tears had welled in Sophia’s eyes at hearing Joseph’s mother talk fondly about her real parents.

  Her horse shifted beneath her. Sophia sniffed, and hastily wiped her hand across her face. Learning about her real parents from people who had known them made them seem real for the first time.

  “You all right?” Joseph leaned forward. His palm still rested on her back, the warmth from his touch a welcome reassurance.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she said firmly. “Let’s go see my grandfather. You did say he spoke some English? I’m afraid the few words Summer Rain taught me will not help me hold a conversation. ”

  “He speaks a little English. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble talking with him.”

  He withdrew his hand, and nudged his horse down the hill. Inhaling a deep breath, Sophia followed. Before they even reached the village, children came running toward them, shouting and waving. Men and women stopped what they were doing to watch them approach. Sophia held her head high, and tried not to stare.

  These are my people. This is how I might have grown up had my parents lived.

  Joseph called out a greeting as he rode through the village. He reined his horse to a stop in front of a large teepee near the center. Children surrounded them like a swarm of bees to a fragrant flower.

  Sophia didn’t understand the words he spoke to the children, but he reached for a leather pouch tied to his saddle, and opened it slowly, a wide grin on his face. Their anticipation was almost palpable. She stared at him, a renewed wave of love crashing through her for this man when he handed out various candies, ribbons, and trinkets to eager little hands. Wide-eyed and open-mouthed, the children accepted the gifts and rushed off.

  Sophia raised her head and glanced around. Several women stood silently off to the side, curiosity written clearly on their faces. Each one of the people had raven hair, and their bronzed skin was a shade darker than her own. Self-conscious, Sophia touched her fingers to the top of her hand. No one here would ostracize her for her dark skin, but would they shun her for her lighter complexion instead? She glanced toward Joseph. Although his skin was
darker than that of most men in Boston, he stood out as a white man among these people.

  Joseph conversed with several men who walked up and greeted him with hardy handshakes and pats on the back. One man gestured to the teepee in front of them, and the smile froze on Joseph’s face. He glanced quickly at her, then back to the man speaking to him. Several feathers adorned the man’s long braids that hung from either side of his head.

  “Wait right here, Sophie,” Joseph said quickly, then held open the flap to the tent, ducked, and disappeared inside.

  Sophia swallowed the lump in her throat, and glanced around. Everyone stared at her, the expressions on their faces unreadable. She didn’t know what to do, but decided it might be best to dismount her horse. Riding astride in britches had definitely been easier and more comfortable than in a dress, but she managed to climb down from the saddle without her skirt catching on anything.

  A woman walked up to her, and offered a tentative smile. “Hakaniun,” she said, and swept her arm in front of her, bowing her head. “Kaakki?”

  Sophia recognized her name. She nodded, and returned the woman’s smile, holding out her hand. The woman stared at it, but didn’t move to shake it. She said more words Sophia didn’t understand, then solemnly stared toward the tent in which Joseph had disappeared. Other women surrounded her, talking and smiling, and some even touched the material of her dress. All she could do was return their smiles and wait for Joseph.

  No sooner had the thought entered her mind, when the tent flap moved, and Joseph reappeared.

  “Your grandfather is eager to see you,” he said. The serious, pained look on his face startled her.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, and grabbed hold of his arm.

  Joseph stared at her. “He’s ill. I knew he wasn’t well when I left this past spring, but I didn’t know how serious it was. We may have arrived just in time.”

  A small gasp escaped her throat. “Oh, no.” The nervous apprehension at meeting her mother’s father vanished, replaced by a sense of dread and concern.

  “Go on in. He wants to see you alone.” Joseph nodded toward the teepee.

  Sophia took a tentative step toward the structure. She turned her head. “Will you be here?” she asked.

  “I’ll be nearby,” he said simply, and lifted the buffalo hide that served as the cover to the entrance.

  She looked at Joseph, and their gazes locked. An almost imperceptible smile formed at the corners of his mouth. Sophia inhaled a deep breath and ducked inside the tent. She widened her eyes to adjust to the darkness within, and looked around. A fire blazed in the center of the circular structure, and an older woman sat beside a pile of furs. She looked up, and moved to the side, revealing a person lying on the palette. Only his wrinkled face and long silvery hair was visible under all the furs.

  Sophia moved closer, her heart pounding in her chest. The man under the covers turned his head slowly, and his eyes opened. A soft smile formed on his face, and he shifted. Moaning softly, he raised himself to a sitting position and held out his hands.

  “Kunu?” Sophia asked tentatively, and knelt in front of him.

  “Toko,” he said, clasping her hands between his. His grip was frail and his skin cold to the touch. “Granddaughter. You honor me with your presence.” His voice was weak and raspy, but his words clear. His watery eyes moved up and down, appraising her appreciatively. “In my dreams, I knew you would look like your mother. My dreams have not deceived me.”

  “I am pleased to be here, Grandfather,” Sophia whispered, trying to keep her voice even and the tears from her eyes.

  “You look well, my child. Many seasons have passed since you were taken from us. Tell me, has the white man been good to you?”

  “Byron Yancey?” Sophia’s forehead wrinkled. “He raised me as his own, and I’ve wanted for nothing,” she said when he nodded. “But I am happy to have returned home to my place of birth.”

  The old chief looked pleased at what she said.

  “My spirit soars at hearing you say this. I have waited for you to return. I can now walk with peace into the spirit world.”

  Her heart jolted. His talk of death seemed so matter-of-fact.

  He studied her in silence for a moment, and Sophia shifted her weight on her haunches. All her old insecurities came rushing back. Was he judging her?

  Two Bears glanced toward the woman sitting quietly by the fire, and spoke to her. Sophia didn’t understand what he had said, but the woman smiled brightly, and raised herself up off the ground. Bright light streamed into the teepee when she lifted the flap and disappeared.

  Sophia brought her attention back to her grandfather, who still held her hands. His grip tightened. “I will tell you a story about your father and your mother, but first I have one last request.”

  “Anything, Grandfather,” Sophia said hastily.

  Two Bears nodded and smiled. “You have been raised well, Granddaughter,” he said with an approving tone. His voice seemed to be getting stronger. Glad that she would be able to do something to make this old man happy, she squeezed his hand.

  “What is it you wish?” she asked.

  “I have chosen a man among my people, a great and worthy warrior, to be your husband. It is my wish that you become his wife so that I may know that you are provided for and my line will continue when I die.”

  Sophia blinked, then stared. Her jaw dropped, just as her heart sank into her stomach. Husband! Wife! Her grandfather wanted her to marry a warrior from this tribe? A man she didn’t know?

  Her hands slipped from the old man’s grasp, and she gasped for air. Frantically her brain struggled for a solution out of this situation. Her head turned toward the teepee entrance. Where was Joseph? Panic engulfed her, the urge to run from the dwelling so strong, she gripped the blanket at her feet. The world around her tilted precariously, and Sophia was afraid she might faint.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Joseph guided his horse along the banks of the wide stream. Thin wisps of smoke rose skyward between the trees, the only indication that the Bannock village was around the bend of the waterway. Rather than wait in camp for Sophie’s private meeting with Two Bears to end, a solitary ride was just what he needed to mull things over in his mind. Up ahead, an old abandoned beaver lodge hindered the water from flowing along its original course. The creek had long ago altered its channel around the dam.

  With his eyes scanning ahead, and his ears trained on any unusual sounds, Joseph dismounted his horse and allowed the gelding to drink from the water. With his rifle cradled in the crook of his arm, he wandered through the thick sage. What did he expect to find? If the shooter had followed him and Sophie today, this provided a perfect opportunity to take another shot. The man could be concealed behind any one of the numerous conifers that blanketed this area.

  His mind wandered to Two Bears. Disturbed at the frail condition of his long-time friend, Joseph wished he had returned sooner. The look of joy in the old man’s eyes when Joseph told him that he brought Raven back to him gave him a small spark of hope that Two Bears would recover to his former health.

  Sophie. Raven. A soft smile spread across his lips. She loved him. She loved the Tetons. His future couldn’t look any better. He was eager to ask her to be his wife. They would have to wait until spring to be wed, though. There were no white settlements close enough to find a preacher who could marry them, so he would be forced to wait until he could take her to Fort Laramie or another army outpost and see about getting married.

  Joseph chuckled. How was he going to survive the long winter months with her so close, yet so far out of reach? He couldn’t keep his hands to himself now; he’d surely go insane once the snow began to fall. Sophie’s passionate responses whenever he held her and kissed her drove him beyond the brink of rational thought.

  His own parents didn’t have a wedding in the traditional sense at first. His father had laid claim to his mother at a trapper rendezvous, and they only married in the church a ye
ar later. How would Sophie react if he said he wanted her to be his wife without benefit of a real wedding?

  She hasn’t even said she’d marry you, fool. Don’t put the cart before the horse.

  What if she wanted to return to Boston for some extravagant wedding there? Joseph mentally shook his head. He knew her well enough by now that those things didn’t matter to her, even though she had grown up spoiled and pampered.

  Movement across the creek caught his attention, and Joseph gripped his rifle, only to relax his hold a second later. A moose emerged from the thicket, and waded through the creek. Joseph grabbed his horse’s reins and moved downstream. Although this was a cow, the rutting season was getting under way, and a bull moose in defense of a female was one of the most dangerous animals he could encounter here.

  The large animal wandered along the creek in the opposite direction, and Joseph stopped. He glanced up at the sky. The sun was well past the highest point. Perhaps it was time to return to camp. Would Two Bears have finished his conversation with Sophie? Would she finally believe that she belonged, and fit in? Her constant worry about acceptance unsettled him. He tried to imagine what it must have been like for her, growing up in Boston, and always feeling like she didn’t belong. He had a difficult time relating, but it had obviously left a large wound inside of her, a wound he hoped to heal. His lips widened in a slow smile. He knew exactly where she belonged.

  Joseph gathered the reins and turned to swing up into the saddle. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement from the treeline. He froze, and cocked his rifle. It wasn’t a moose this time, of that he was sure. He pointed his rifle toward the trees. The figure of a person emerged fully into the open. A woman wearing a buckskin dress. The long fringes at the ends danced and swayed seductively with her movements as she approached.

  Joseph cursed. He hadn’t seen her in five years, but he recognized her instantly. Her long unbraided hair flowed in the breeze, and she carried her head proudly. Her beauty hadn’t diminished over the years.