Savage Summer

by Constance O'Banyon

  Danielle and Wolfrunner had been traveling southward all day. Danielle was aware that by late afternoon Wolfrunner had slowed his pace so he wouldn’t push her beyond her endurance. Not that he cared for her, she thought bitterly; he just didn’t want a sick woman on his hands.

  As the sun began to set, he stopped and motioned for her to rest. Danielle leaned her head against a trunk of a tree and took a deep breath. She was exhausted, but proud of the fact that she hadn’t complained. Of course, she reminded herself, this was just the first day of traveling on foot. She had little doubt her strength and courage would be tested to the limit before they reached the safety of the Blackfoot village.

  “Do you know how to use a knife, white woman?” Wolfrunner asked, breaking into her thoughts.

  Danielle turned to face him and saw him watching her closely. “I…no. I have never had any need to use a knife,” she admitted, wondering why he should call her white woman. She had as much Indian blood in her veins as Sky Dancer. Now wasn’t the time to belabor the point, however.

  His eyes narrowed. “I will leave the knife for you. Let us hope if the need is such, you will learn quickly to use it.”

  She reached out her hand toward him. “You aren’t leaving me alone, are you?”

  “I will not be gone long. You should be in no danger. You have but to call out and I will hear you.”

  Danielle wanted to beg him not to leave her, but pride sealed her lips. Taking the knife he held out to her, she turned away. His movements were so quiet she didn’t hear him as he melted into the evening shadows. When she turned back, he had disappeared from sight.

  Sinking down to her knees, Danielle felt alone for the first time in her life. It was so quiet, even the birds seemed to be silent. She felt as if she had been abandoned and was the only person left on earth.

  She sat huddled in her misery, watching the night shadows move across the land. Strange sounds now came from the woods. Danielle laid her face against the rough tree trunk, trembling with fear.

  “You are a coward,” she said aloud, hoping the sound of her own voice would bring her courage. “Sky Dancer wouldn’t be frightened if she were left alone.”

  Clutching the knife in her hand, she stood up and leaned her back against the tree. What would she do if Scar Face came upon her? Suppose some wild animal were to attack her?

  With the darkness came a cold wind blowing out of the north. Danielle kept her back to the tree while her eyes searched the darkness. Her hunger was all but forgotten, because it had been replaced by the stronger emotion—fear. Fear seemed to seep through every pore of her skin and dance down the back of her spine. The eerie sounds coming from deep in the woods seemed magnified, and she expected a bear or some other fierce animal to come charging out at her any moment. She shuddered, and her hand tightened on the hilt of the knife. She prayed that Wolfrunner would soon return.

  Wolfrunner backtracked to find out if they were being followed. Finding no sign of Scar Face, he set out at a steady run to find food for the white girl.

  So far the girl had surprised him. He had expected her to cry and complain. His jaw clamped into a grim line. She would cry out in anger and fear many times before they reached the village. She was soft, and he did not admire her. He would feed her and keep her alive, but should she fall behind or become too much of a burden, he would leave her.

  When Wolfrunner returned to where he had left Danielle, he found her huddled by a tree, fast asleep. She still clutched the knife in her hand and didn’t even wake as he sat down beside her.

  He placed his small bounty of berries and roots in his pouch, thinking the girl needed sleep more than food.

  Hearing Danielle’s deep breathing, he turned his face away and closed his eyes. Even though he appeared to be asleep, his ears were attuned to hear any danger that might come. He had been trained since birth to fight and survive in the wilderness. He had little doubt that he could outsmart Scar Face if it weren’t for the girl. He realized that he must not take the trail that Scar Face would expect him to take. He would have to go the long way around, through the grassy prairies. It would take many days longer to reach the village that way, but it would be safer for the girl. He couldn’t allow Scar Face to get his hands on her again.

  Opening his eyes, he allowed them to roam over the girl. How could she look so like Sky Dancer and yet be so different. He had always looked on Sky Dancer with awe and reverence. She was a Blackfoot princess, but then so was this girl. Danielle provoked deeper and more disturbing emotions within him. He found himself wanting to reach out and cradle her in his arms so she would feel warm and protected. His body seemed to stir to life and this troubled him more than anything. He frowned, knowing what her reaction would be should he take her in his arms. She would scream and struggle, thinking he was trying to ravish her.

  Turning his dark eyes away, he knew he was in danger of losing his heart to this unworthy white girl. The sooner he returned her to Windhawk and Joanna, the sooner he would be rid of her. She was beginning to creep into his mind more and more. There were many Indian maidens for him to choose from. Why had he never wanted one of them? Why should this girl he didn’t even like make his blood run hot?

  He wrestled with himself, trying to cleanse his mind of this girl, but was not successful. Yes, she did make his blood run hot, and he had to admit that he wanted her.

  Turning over on his back, he watched the stars twinkle in the ebony sky. Was he not a warrior in command of his own destiny and feelings? He would never allow a woman to enter into his heart unbidden. This girl was unworthy of a Blackfoot warrior.

  He watched as a shooting star streaked across the sky, leaving a fiery trail in its wake. He knew he was going to have to be strong and deny his desire for Danielle. Was he not Wolfrunner, one of Windhawk’s most trusted warriors?

  His dark eyes moved across the heavens, and he sought inner peace within himself. That peace did not come, not even when the first hint of the morning sun lit the eastern sky.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Morgan had called at the James house on several occasions, but Skyler always refused to see him. He also received a cool reception from Alexandria and that puzzled him. What had he done?

  Skyler had come to the agonizing realization that to see Morgan, and talk to him, would only prolong her pain and make forgetting him even more difficult. She rotated between loving and hating him. She couldn’t understand how he could be so small-minded as to hate a whole race of people just because they were different from him.

  When she was in the privacy of her room at night, she often cried herself to sleep. She had begun to count the days until it would be time for her to return to her village. Perhaps when she was back home with her family again she would forget all about Morgan Prescott.

  Skyler tied the pink bonnet beneath her chin and rushed out the front door to join her Aunt Alexandria, who was already waiting for her in the buggy. They were going to have tea with Mrs. Wendham and her daughter Priscilla. Skyler wished she didn’t have to go. It was very apparent that her aunt was trying to keep her busy so she wouldn’t dwell on her unhappiness.

  Her aunt and uncle had said very little to her about the incident in the summerhouse. She knew they were sorry she had been hurt, but there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it now.

  Entering the carriage, she arranged her pink and white gown so it wouldn’t wrinkle. As she gazed out the window, she saw it was an overcast day, and it looked as if it might rain before the day was over.

  Since the Wendham’s home adjoined the Prescott estate, it took no time at all to arrive at the neighbor’s front door. As they climbed the stairs to the stone house, Mrs. Wendham and her daughter came out to greet them. Priscilla linked her arm through Skyler’s and led her into the house, declaring her gown was the loveliest creation she had ever seen.

  There was polite conversation over tea, and afterward Priscilla took Skyler up to her bedroom. They were seated at the window seat, and P
riscilla smiled brightly.

  “I have a secret to tell you if you promise you won’t tell another living soul, Skyler.” Priscilla had light brown eyes and red hair. She was so light-complected, she tended to freckle across her nose. Pretty, was the only way Skyler could describe her friend.

  “I promise,” Skyler said, puzzled.

  “I am madly in love. If my mother ever found out, she would confine me to the house and never let me out again.”

  “Why would she do such a thing? Does she not want you to love a man?”

  “Of course she does, but only if she thinks the man comes up to scratch. She expects me to marry in my own class.”

  “I do not think I understand. What is your class?”

  “Skyler, you are such a silly goose sometimes. You know what I mean—a man with the same interests and who comes from the same background as I do.”

  “Oh, yes, I see. It is the same with me. My father would never allow me to marry…one who…” Skyler’s voice trailed off. She had been about to say her father would never allow her to marry a warrior who was not from one of the wealthier families. “Who is this man, and where did you meet him?” she asked instead.

  “His name is Billy Kirby, and he works at Donaldson’s Printing Shop. He hopes to own the shop one day. I met him in the park one Sunday and we were both drawn to each other immediately. We try to meet in the park every Sunday when I can get away.”

  “Priscilla, I do not think it is a good thing to go behind your parents’ backs. Could you not tell them about your feelings for this man?”

  “Heaven forbid! They would never understand.”

  “Tell me about this Billy. What is he like?”

  Priscilla’s eyes took on a dreamy look. “He is very handsome, with blond curly hair and bright blue eyes. I wish you could meet him.” Priscilla giggled. “No, perhaps I don’t want you to meet him. You are much too pretty.”

  Skyler ignored the compliment. “I do not have a good feeling about this, Priscilla. It is not right to go against what your father and mother would want for you.”

  “If you loved someone and you knew your parents wouldn’t approve, would you just give him up?”

  Skyler closed her eyes for a moment. “If someone is wrong for me, even if I loved him, I would turn away from him. The man I marry will have to understand me.”

  “You are stronger than me, or else you have never loved someone as I love Billy. His language is coarse and his manners are appalling, but still I love him.”

  Skyler thought of Morgan and felt renewed pain in her heart. She loved him so deeply that it hurt to even think about him, but he was not for her. “To love is to feel pain sometimes. I do not think I want to love.”

  “Sometimes you talk in riddles, Skyler, and I don’t understand you. Even though we are the same age, I sometimes feel you are years older than I. There is something very mysterious about you.”

  “My mother would say I am too serious about life. I take after my father.”

  “It has not escaped my notice that you never really talk about yourself other than in general terms. I like you very much, but I don’t really know that much about you.”

  Skyler smiled at her friend. “There is nothing to know. My life has been very dull up until the time I came to Philadelphia.”

  “I know a secret that you don’t know,” Priscilla said, clasping her hands together and looking at Skyler smugly. “I know someone who is very intrigued with you.”

  “Who?” Skyler couldn’t help but ask.

  “None other than Dr. Morgan Prescott himself. I would simply die if he was interested in me. He is so handsome, and when he looks at me with those silver eyes, I could just swoon. All the young ladies in Philadelphia would be ready to scratch your eyes out if they knew how Morgan feels about you.”

  “No, you are mistaken,” Skyler said, moving to the vanity table and picking up a china figurine. She didn’t want to hear about Morgan today.

  “It’s the truth. I had it straight from his best friend’s mouth. Jeb Taylor told me that Morgan is extremely interested in you. Aren’t you excited?”

  Skyler turned the figurine over in her hand and pretended to be examining it to hide her distress. She felt tears gathering behind her eyes and prayed she wouldn’t cry. Crying had always been foreign to her nature, but lately she had succumbed to that weakness a great deal.

  “Jeb Taylor is wrong, Priscilla. Mr. Prescott does not care for me—not really,” she managed to say.

  Priscilla stood up and studied Skyler’s face. “You are the one who is mistaken. Morgan has never paid marked attention to any young lady, although many have tried to catch his eye. I have seen the way he looks at you, and so has my mother. Mama declares Morgan has lost his heart at last. She says it’s strange that Morgan should care for you, when he never gave a second look at Danielle. The two of you do look a great deal alike, you know.”

  “Your mother is wrong.” Skyler wanted to end this conversation before she burst out crying.

  “I have heard that Morgan took you to the riverboat party. He would never have done that if he hadn’t been interested in you,” Priscilla insisted.

  Skyler knew if she didn’t escape she wouldn’t be able to hold the tears back. “I have a dreadful headache, Priscilla. I believe I will ask my aunt to take me home now.”

  Without giving her friend time to answer, she rushed down the stairs. When Skyler announced that she wasn’t feeling well, her aunt immediately took her leave of Mrs. Wendham.

  On the ride home, the tears Skyler had been trying to conceal fell down her face. Alexandria held her while she cried, knowing that something must have been said about Morgan. Her heart felt as if it had a weight on it, knowing the pain her niece was going through so needlessly. How well she could remember what it felt like to be young and hopelessly in love. She was reminded of a time when she first knew she loved Tag, and how hopeless she had thought that love had been. Alexandria had no words of comfort to offer Skyler. All she could do was hold her and share her pain. She could see no solution for the problem that faced Skyler and Morgan.

  “Cry it out, Skyler. Get it all out of your system, and then perhaps you will feel better,” she said, dabbing at the young girl’s face with a handkerchief. “What in the world happened that brought this all on?”

  Skyler bit her trembling lip, trying to gain control of her emotions. “It was nothing really. Priscilla just said that Morgan was…interested in me. I don’t know why I am acting so foolish.”

  Alexandria drew Skyler into her arms, and held her tightly. She knew it was a hopeless situation. Perhaps it would be best if Skyler returned to the Blackfoot village. She hated the thought of Skyler leaving, but she could see no other solution. If Skyler stayed in Philadelphia she was bound to run into Morgan, and that would only keep her wound open.

  “There, there, don’t dwell on this,” Alexandria soothed. “Tag and I wanted so for this summer to be a wonderful experience for you. I can’t tell you how I grieve for your heartache.”

  Skyler smiled through her tears. “Even with what happened to me with Morgan, I wouldn’t have missed getting to know you and my uncle better. I love you.”

  Alexandria felt tears in her own eyes. “We love you too, dear—very much.”

  The house was quiet and everyone had gone to bed. Alexandria curled up in Tag’s arms, and he rested his hand on her stomach.

  “How was your tea with Mrs. Wendham this afternoon?” he asked, brushing his lips against hers.

  “It was a mistake to go, Tag. Priscilla brought up Morgan’s name and Skyler fell to pieces. I barely got her to the buggy before she started crying. It breaks my heart to see her so unhappy. I believe it would be better for her if you would take her back to her home.”

  “Damn Morgan for what he said to her. The humorous thing in all this, if there is any humor, is he doesn’t even know what he’s done wrong. I believe he cares deeply for Skyler. It’s all so tragic.”


  “I don’t think he will ever be able to bridge the gap between the two of them. Some people are just not meant to fall in love.”

  Tag tilted her chin up and looked into the golden eyes that still moved him deeply after all the years they had been married. “We are fortunate, Alex. Do you know I believe you are more beautiful than you were when I fell in love with you. Your beauty seems to deepen as the years go by.”

  She looked into his eyes and felt his love for her like a soft blanket of security. “If I am beautiful, it is because I’m carrying your baby.”

  He gathered her close to him. “We will think about a solution to Skyler’s problem. I don’t want to take her back just yet. I have loved having her here with us. Let’s just wait a few more days and see what happens.”

  Alexandria pulled Tag’s head toward her. “I pray that there is an easy end to all this, Tag. Skyler is lost and confused. I am frightened that Danielle might be feeling lost herself. We may have made a mistake by forcing the two girls to leave all that was dear to them. Perhaps neither of them can function in a world they are not accustomed to.”

  Tag rested his lips against her smooth cheek. “Perhaps you are right, but it’s too late to look back. Let’s just take one day at a time and see what happens.”

  As Tag’s hand moved over Alexandria’s back, she closed her eyes. Her heart was so filled with fear for the two girls who now walked in worlds they didn’t understand.

  Skyler had been unable to sleep so she got out of bed and went for a walk in the garden. The big yellow moon seemed to hang suspended against the ebony sky, while kissing the landscape with its silvery light. She was a child of nature and she felt akin to earth and sky. She drew her strength from the land, but not this land. This land was foreign to her.