Eliza tried to hurry past Daniel, but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Is everything all right?” His low voice tickled her ear.
She kept her gaze focused on the cabin. “Of course.” She broke free and rushed to take a seat across from Andrew at the table.
A moment later, Daniel sat beside her. His leg pressed against hers beneath the small table. She scooted to the opposite edge of her chair, creating a tiny gap between them.
Andrew set aside the Bible he must have been reading. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, thank you.” She smiled. “The furs and blankets you provided were quite comfortable.”
“Good. And how is Ysabel this morning?”
“She was sick, but I helped her.”
Maria reached for one of the hanging plants. “I make tea.”
Was the tea the remedy that kept Ysabel’s food down? Why hadn’t Maria brought it with breakfast? “She’s napping now.”
Maria nodded as she set a pot of water over the fire. “Make now. Bring later.”
“Ysabel usually sleeps the morning away.” Andrew shrugged. “It seems to help. She’ll be up and wanting to move shortly before lunch, I expect. Then she’ll lie down again in the afternoon.”
If Ysabel slept that much, it was a good thing Pa hadn’t taken her with him. Wait. “Yesterday you said her brothers had been captured again. What did you mean by that? Who has captured them, and what did you mean about them being auctioned?”
“I’m not sure about this time. Last time, some rancher looking for cheap labor snuck in at night with a few of his friends and tied up Ysabel and her brothers. Ysabel’s family had just lost their home and employment because the rancher who’d owned the place where they’d grown up had died and his son sold out to a man who didn’t trust Indians. So they were camping out, trying to decide where to go when those varmints attacked them, claiming they were being arrested for vagrancy.”
Andrew took a swig from his cup and slammed it on the table. “Jim crossed paths with the group as the Indians were being marched at gunpoint to the jail in San Diego.”
His expression softened. “Jim told me he took one look at Ysabel and knew he couldn’t let her be sold—which is what happens at all of those kangaroo trials. They claim the Indians can gain their freedom by proving employment or they can pay a fee to be set free. But how’re they supposed to do that when they can barely speak the language—if it all—and rarely have a cent to their names? Then those same varmints that arrested them pay the fee and get free labor in return.” He spit on the floor. “It’s disgusting.”
Eliza shuddered. How could God allow such injustice?
Andrew took another sip from his mug. “So, Jim bribed the ranchers to let him have Ysabel. They probably thought he wanted her for himself, but he just wanted to set her free. He’d wanted to free her brothers as well, but it took everything he had to buy Ysabel’s freedom.”
Eliza cocked her head. “But they’re married now.”
“Jim told Ysabel she was free to go, but…” Andrew flapped both hands. “Well, I’ll wait and let him tell you the rest of the story when he gets back.”
Daniel leaned forward. “So what’s Jim’s plan?”
“Her brothers escaped from the jail before the trial last time, but this time Jim’s hoping he can buy their freedom before they even reach the jail.”
“Does he have enough money?”
“We’re not sure. He hasn’t been able to work with Ysabel being sick, so I gave him what I could. Won’t know if it’s enough until he finds them.”
Daniel scowled. “Doesn’t seem right paying kidnappers to free their victims.”
“Unfortunately, it’s the only way without bloodshed.”
Eliza fell back in her chair. Imagine being arrested for not having a job and then being auctioned like cattle. Her stomach rolled. She’d never understood slavery—how one person could claim to own another. Some even tried to justify their beliefs by twisting Scripture, but God had created them all. He didn’t send His Son to die for only the whites or the wealthy, but for all of His children. She shook her head. Enslaving people was the work of the devil and his demons. How could anyone claim God approved of it?
“What will he do if whoever has Ysabel’s brothers won’t sell them to him?”
“I’m not sure.” Andrew’s expression grew grim. “I warned him not to try anything foolish, but Ysabel is desperate to have her brothers back, and Jim’ll do anything for that woman.”
Eliza shivered as cold slithered down her spine. What if something happened to Pa? Was waiting for him here any better than waiting for his letters in San Francisco? How could she help him if she couldn’t even find him? She glared at Andrew. “Why didn’t you stop him?”
Andrew leaned back, one brow arched. “Has anyone been able to stop your father from doing what he’s set his mind on?”
“You could have at least gone with him in case something went wrong. He could be attacked or even killed while you’re waiting here in your comfortable cabin.”
Daniel’s face whipped toward hers. “Eliza!”
Andrew set his mug down. “Would you have had me leave Ysabel and Maria on their own?” He waved to encompass the cabin. “We live in this place for a reason. Few people come through here since the main trails run north and east of us. But some still do. How do you think Maria and Ysabel would defend themselves should someone come looking to arrest them?”
Eliza sniffed. “Maria seems a good shot.”
“She is, but if an Indian can be sold into slavery for no reason at all, what do you think they’d do to one who killed a white man?”
Eliza dropped her gaze. Andrew was right. She squeezed the folds of her skirt. But Pa might be facing down a group of armed men all on his own. “And you have no idea where he is?” If Andrew would give her some direction, perhaps she could go after Pa. Help him somehow. “You said they were being taken to Los Angeles. Do you know which route they took?”
“The Indians who visited us weren’t sure. All they knew was that the men were captured somewhere west of Temecula and those who witnessed it believed the men who’d captured them were from ranches nearer to Los Angeles. So it stands to reason they would take the Indians there.”
“How did they even know these men were Ysabel’s brothers?”
“Ysabel’s brothers had been searching for her and were asking about her before they were captured.” He shook his head. “There are too many ways to reach Los Angeles from Temecula. As much as I pray for his success, it’s unlikely Jim will even find them. If you set out after him, you’d have more chance of finding trouble than finding your father.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but Andrew wasn’t finished.
“Either way, Jim would have my hide if I let you take off alone with Mr. Clarke again, and taking you myself wouldn’t be much better for your reputation. Not to mention that if word reached the men holding Ysabel’s brothers that I’ve been asking around after Jim, it’d cause trouble for sure. Jim’s new and mostly unknown around these parts. The Indians who came by yesterday only knew where to find Ysabel because I’d taken Maria to their rancheria to trade for some plants she wanted for Ysabel. They knew nothing about Jim. But I’m a well known Squaw Man, as they call it. If Jim’s association with me got around, the men holding Ysabel’s brothers would know exactly what he was after.” He jabbed a finger on the table. “Those kind of men don’t take kindly to those of us who treat the Indians with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
“But I…”…could go after Pa myself. The words died on her tongue. She’d tried that before, and look where it got her. But for Daniel and God’s grace, she wouldn’t have survived the journey here. She clasped her hands on the table. Still, Pa was traveling alone. If anything happened, there would be no one to help him.
As if reading her mind, Andrew laid his hand over hers. “God is with your father.”
An ache built in
her throat. She was back to where she’d started—wondering how to trust God with Pa’s life. Dipping her head, she squeezed her eyes shut. God, please keep him safe.
When she lifted her head, Andrew and Daniel’s expressions were somber as they sipped their drinks.
She searched the cabin for a topic of conversation to distract herself from the danger Pa might be facing. The dried plants hanging from the rafters caught her attention. “How long have you and Maria lived here?” The cabin appeared tidy but well lived-in. Its wood siding was seasoned—as opposed to freshly cut—and there was dust in those crevices every house had—the ones that tended to fill over time but refused to be cleaned by anything larger than a toothpick. “How did the two of you meet?”
“Well, I’m originally from Massachusetts.”
Daniel leaned forward, his eyes lighting. “Are you really? So am I.”
Andrew slapped the table. “I knew I recognized your accent.”
“What did you do there?”
“I was the pastor for a small church in a little town in the middle of nowhere.”
Eliza smothered a snort. That explained yesterday’s lecture.
Daniel straightened. “Why’d you leave?”
“I felt God calling me to serve our men in the army. And there was a new young pastor, fresh from seminary, who was eager to take my place.”
As they listened to Andrew talk about his time in the army—ultimately serving in the war against Mexico—Daniel shifted beside her. His leg pressed against hers. With the wall against her opposite side, she had nowhere to go. She inspected him from the corner of her eye. His expression gave no hint as to whether he was aware of the contact or not. Though, surely he was unaware. This was Daniel, after all. He’d never be so forward—even if he weren’t engaged.
She returned her attention to Andrew but struggled to focus as he explained that after the war he’d left the army and wandered north, alone. His horse threw him, breaking several of his bones. He was unable to move from the spot where he fell and lay there for three days, nearly dying of thirst, before Maria found him. She nursed him back to health, and they were married shortly thereafter. Two years ago, they’d built this cabin.
Daniel leaned back in his seat, his leg rubbing against hers.
She shot to her feet, covering her reaction with an exaggerated stretch that would have elicited an hour-long lecture from her aunt. “Oh goodness, I think I’m still recovering from our journey. If you’ll excuse me, I think I need a walk.”
Andrew nodded, though his brows drew together. “Of course.”
“I’ll join you.” Daniel stood.
“No!” She cleared her throat as she walked toward the door. “Er—No, thank you. I…so much has happened, I just need some time…to think it all over. Alone.”
Not waiting for his reply, she yanked open the door and rushed outside.
Chapter 32
Eliza wandered the hillside for two hours. She needed to distance herself from Daniel, and he might seek her out if she returned to Pa and Ysabel’s cabin too soon. Daniel probably hadn’t even realized their legs brushed, so her abrupt departure had surely stirred questions she wasn’t prepared to answer.
As she neared Ysabel’s cabin, her stomach rumbled its desire for dinner. Inside, she found Ysabel sitting cross-legged on the floor. Beside her lay a pile of long, skinny reeds. On her belly, she held a beautiful woven disk displaying an intricate pattern in various shades of brown. Reed tails stuck out from the edge of the disk closest to Ysabel’s face. She held one reed tail between her teeth, while her left hand gripped the disc and her right hand wiggled a thin bone tool between the woven strands. Ysabel removed the bone tool, then threaded the tail she’d been holding with her teeth through the tiny gap she’d created. She pulled the reed tight, creating a loop that secured the loose tails to the disk. Finally, she lifted her face to Eliza.
“Hello.” Her wide smile revealed a missing tooth on the right side of her mouth. As if remembering this, Ysabel’s lips snapped closed, though they remained tipped up. Eliza’s favorite baker in San Francisco—also missing a few teeth—had hid her smile as well. It took more than a year for the woman to relax enough to smile naturally around Eliza.
Please don’t let it take Ysabel as long to grow comfortable around me. She has a beautiful smile.
Hoping to set Ysabel at ease, Eliza grinned and sat on the floor in front of her. “Hello. What are you making?”
Ysabel’s brow creased so Eliza pointed to the beautiful woven disk. “Is this going to be a basket?”
Ysabel lifted the woven piece. “Sa weel.”
“Saw wheel?”
Ysabel nodded, then returned to her weaving.
What’s a saw wheel? Whatever it was, it was fascinating watching Ysabel work.
Sometime later, there was a knock at the door.
Eliza stiffened. Had Daniel come to check on her?
Without pausing her work, Ysabel called out in that odd language Eliza didn’t recognize. It must be Ysabel’s native tongue.
Eliza relaxed when Maria entered with two bowls and strode to the small table. She said something that Eliza couldn’t understand as she set down the food. Again, Ysabel spoke without lifting her gaze from her work. Maria turned to go.
Steam rose from the bowls on the table. Maria seemed to be constantly preparing for their next meal. Even Ysabel was working, despite her condition. And here Eliza sat. Accomplishing nothing.
She jumped to her feet. “Wait.”
Maria paused to regard Eliza.
“Can I help you?”
Maria tilted her head, her brows furrowing.
Eliza pointed to the bowls. “You shouldn’t have to wait on everyone. Let me help you cook.” She considered the intricate basket taking shape in Ysabel’s capable hands. “I’m sure I don’t know how you do things here, but I’m willing to learn.”
Maria still appeared confused, so Eliza crossed to the bowls, lifted one, and brought it to the fireplace. She pointed to herself. “I”—she held the bowl over the fire and made a stirring motion—“make”—she pretended to scoop the mush from the bowl and eat—“food. All right?”
Maria’s furrowed brow eased. “Ahh. Quieres cocinar!”
Eliza squinted at Maria. What did ‘key-air-ess koh-see-nar’ mean?
“You, uh…” Maria’s eyes tilted up and to the right. Then she shrugged. “Tomorrow. You come. Yes?”
Did Maria understand what Eliza had asked? Maybe Eliza should go find Andrew to translate. Then again, Maria seemed confident. Eliza smiled. “Sí. Tomorrow.”
Maria left the cabin.
Tomorrow would be interesting.
Daniel adjusted his grip on the heavy buckets of water. Dead leaves crunched beneath his boots as he tromped through the forest. The sound was oddly satisfying. He veered toward a large pile of the fallen foliage and stomped it down. Water sloshed against the wooden sides of the buckets, threatening to escape. He paused to let it settle.
Where is she? He’d exited the Coopers’ cabin mere moments after Eliza, but she was nowhere in sight. He checked for her at the Brookses’ cabin, but when he peeked inside, Ysabel was alone. The pregnant woman smiled at him from where she sat on the floor weaving something with reeds, but didn’t seem to understand his questions about Eliza. The sight of Eliza’s belongings at the foot of her pallet assured him that she hadn’t left to find Jim.
He waited outside the Brookses’ cabin for an hour, but Eliza hadn’t returned.
Now he scanned the landscape surrounding him as if she might appear between the bushes. Where did she go? Why had she rushed out the way she had?
Her behavior had been odd from the moment she arrived in the yard that morning. Gone was the warm and open friendship they had developed over the last few days. In its place was the cold, stand-offish woman she’d been in San Francisco. Then she tried to put Andrew in his place, sounding like her aunt. Daniel wrinkled his nose. What was she thinking?
He set down one bucket and poured the other into a large metal tub. Had he done something to offend her? If so, why didn’t she tell him what he’d done so they could discuss it? He set aside the empty bucket and poured the second into the trough. They only had a few days until her pa returned and Daniel would need to leave. He didn’t want to spend the little time they had left at odds with each other.
Late the following morning, Eliza struggled to keep her gaze on Maria and ignore Daniel’s attempts to snag her attention. He and Andrew sat at the Coopers’ small table swapping stories from their home state, but any time Eliza turned their way, Daniel found some excuse to involve her in the conversation. She kept her answers short, but avoiding his eyes was growing increasingly difficult.
Maria’s preparation of their noon meal was fascinating, but now that Eliza had resolved to distance herself from Daniel, his presence seemed to shout at her. Ignore him. She shifted so that Daniel was blocked from even her peripheral vision.
Reaching into a large basket, Maria withdrew several handfuls of acorns before spreading them on a large flat stone near the fire. Then she picked up a smaller rock and cracked the shells open. With the shells removed, Maria rubbed each nut between her fingers before placing them all in a shallow basket and carrying it outside.
Eliza followed her.
Maria stood in the part of the clearing where the breeze was the strongest, gently swirling the shallow basket in circles as the wind picked up the nut skins and carried them away. After a few minutes, the nuts were bare and Maria returned to the cabin. Again, Eliza followed.
Waltz in the Wilderness Page 22