by Sharon Ihle
Amused by this, Jacob shook his head and looked away. White soldiers had very strange ways. To a Lakota, a chief was a chief, a warrior, a warrior. Never was a warrior called chief simply because he'd done a good job or shown extraordinary bravery. He fought the urge to sneer and turned back to the captain. "Shall I drive the buggy to the Custer house, sir?"
"No. I'll pick up the ladies myself. Everything looks in order here. Take the extra mount and ride on over to the Ree camp. Pick up Long Back, then head on down to the river. Wait for us there, Oh, and don't bother changing into your uniform. We have the ladies' reputations to think about."
Although he didn't understand what the captain meant, he said, "Yes, sir. Right away, sir."
With counterfeit exuberance, Jacob wheeled around and marched to the other end of the barn where the horses stood waiting. He mounted the large sorrel gelding he'd chosen for himself, then wrapped the reins of the smaller roan mare around his hand. He rode out one end of the barn, all military precision, as Captain Ruffing cracked the whip and drove his team of horses out the other.
Jacob headed up the long hill between the cavalry and infantry posts, consumed by the reality of his newest task. At the top of the hill, he would have to confront the Arikaree scouts in their own quarters—an encounter he'd managed to avoid until now.
Although he'd never actually seen a member of the hated Arikaree tribe before, on many occasions, the main topic of conversation during the Lakota council fires had been these same Indians. The discussion always centered on ways in which to spill their blood.
Grumbling to himself, but feeling no malice, Jacob wondered if Gall had any idea of the trials he would put his son through when he'd conceived this mission. Had he known that Jacob would have to face not one but two of the Lakota's most despised enemies? Or that his son would have to act like a friend to these mangy dogs?
Compelled to do no less, Jacob wore a smile as he approached the log buildings of the Ree camp. He slid down off the sorrel, hampered only slightly by the leather seat he was forced to use, then tied the animals to a log railing. Walking directly to the largest structure, a long, low building, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"I come for Long Back," he announced, his senses assaulted by the pungent odor of smoked venison and tanning hides.
Illuminated only by huge logs burning in the center fireplace, several shadowed figures stirred. One stepped forward. "I am Long Back."
Heavily jowled and broad of cheek, the scout was neither Indian nor white, warrior nor soldier. He wore buckskin breeches with heavy fringe sprouting out from the sides. Around his neck hung a string of bear claws, their points denting the gray flannel of his regulation army shirt. The leather straps of the scabbard for his government-issue rifle crossed over his chest, but then, so did his waist-length plaits.
The thing that caught Jacob's attention, that which interested him the most, was the headband the Ree wore and the feathers protruding from it. The number and color of the feathers combined with the way they were cut told of the warrior's many coups. Long Back had killed and scalped enemies and received many wounds in the bargain. A very impressive display. How many members of the Hunkpapa were represented by these symbols? Jacob wondered. How many killed or wounded by the two-faced Ree standing before him?
Once again calling on all his restraint, Jacob kept his features expressionless and said, "I am Private Stoltz. Captain Ruffing waits for us down by the river."
"I am ready."
The two men mounted their horses and rode down the long hill in silence, each entertaining private thoughts about the other. When they reached the designated meeting spot, they split up without another word between them.
From the background, Captain Ruffing raised his arm in greeting. "Welcome to you, Long Back. How."
"How." The greeting, a universal greeting or toast known to white man and Indian alike, regardless of tribe, was accompanied by the Ree's raised hand.
His required courtesy out of the way, Ed Ruffing got down to business. "Long Back, I want you and Private Stoltz to guard our flanks. Ride about a hundred yards ahead of us and keep a sharp lookout. The entire area is supposed to be free of hostiles, but I don't trust those damn—oh, excuse me, ladies—those Sioux. We don't want to alarm the women in any way, now, do we?" He twisted in his seat, gesturing to the dozen lucky men from Company B who'd been chosen to follow along behind with the supply wagon, and hollered, "Head on out."
Jacob tried to look into Dominique's eyes, but she refused to meet his gaze. What he saw in her expression—indifference mingled with something he couldn't identify—disturbed and hurt him more than he ever could have imagined. He touched the shirt pocket nearest his heart, then coaxed the sorrel into a gentle lope. The note. This sudden change in her attitude had to have something to do with the note she'd sent him. Jacob spent the rest of the morning not looking for hostiles he knew weren't there, but searching for a way to make things right between himself and the crazy one.
* * *
She'd felt Jacob's eyes on her, knew he was trying to attract her attention, but Dominique's sense of justice had to be served. Two weeks. Almost two weeks and the ungrateful private hadn't even had sense enough to send his regrets or his apologies. Now he expected her to look at him and pretend the breach of etiquette didn't matter, didn't hurt?
Dominique straightened her shoulders and drew her fur- trimmed pelisse closer to her bosom. She gave Ed Ruffing a sidelong glance and said, "How long before we reach town?"
Shifting the reins from his right hand to his left, Ed said through a broad grin, "Maybe three, four hours. Depends on the river crossing and how often you want to stop. You see something pretty like those flowers over yonder, you just holler and we'll pull up and give a look."
"That's very thoughtful of you." Dominique inched closer to the edge of the wooden seat and peered out across the sun-kissed meadow. A few patches of anemone splattered the new grass, their soft gray petals and bright blue centers contrasting with the spring green. To a bored Dominique, the smattering of flowers looked like a field of tattered army blankets. The last thing she wanted to be reminded of was the army or its officers, and certainly not its enlisted men. "This is a close enough look for me, Captain. I'm in a hurry to get to town."
"Whatever you say, ma'am. I'm here to see to your pleasures."
From behind, Barney cleared his throat and said, "Have you heard from your uncle in the last couple of days, Miss DuBois? When's he due back?"
"I don't know. Aunt Libbie got another letter just yesterday saying he'd been delayed again. It seems that every time he thinks he's ready to return, someone from the Senate summons him and makes him testify against the secretary of war or the Indian traders, or both. I'm not sure. It's all so tiresome. Seems to me he could have simply written a letter to the government stating his observations and been done with it."
Barney opened his mouth to set her straight, but Hazel silenced him with a finger pressed against her lips. "Hush, now," she cautioned in a whisper. "You must remember Dominique's unfortunate childhood, or lack of it, shall I say?" Glancing up to make sure her impetuous charge couldn't hear, Hazel went on. "She lost her mother at a very impressionable age, you know, then spent her growing years in a succession of boarding schools. If she seems a little, well, spoiled, it's only because the schoolmasters felt sorry for such a lovely motherless child. Do be gentle when conversing with her."
"Sure, Hazel. Whatever you say." But he had no real interest in Dominique's troubled childhood. All Barney's attention was heaped on Hazel and her mesmerizing amber eyes. For nearly forty years he'd managed to stay clear of Cupid's, if not the Sioux's, arrows. Then the indomitable, even-tempered, and highly sensual Hazel Swenson had literally waltzed into his life. She'd been a dream to hold at the ball, a fluffy dumpling of mature womanhood whose capacity for satisfying his appetites he could only imagine.
Vaguely uncomfortable, Barney shifted against the blanket. She was a widow woman, most likely
well versed in the ways of lovemaking. The thought sent a delicious shudder slamming into his loins and a spurt of sheer terror up his spine. What if their relationship progressed? What if she actually wanted him—him.
He wouldn't know what to do, how to act—how to touch a woman of her breeding. Crimson wings of shame fluttered along his neck as he realized the full scope of his inexperience. His knowledge of women had never been anything more personal than a business transaction. How could he ever hope to claim a fine woman like Hazel Swenson as his own?
"Barney?" she whispered, concerned about the deep furrows between his thick eyebrows. "Did I say something wrong? I only wanted you to understand about Dominique."
"It's not you," he finally said, brushing off her apology. "I was just thinking ahead, wondering how the boys are gonna make out, this being their first time in town since winter and all. I'd sure hate to have the general come back and find half the troops in jail."
"I heard that." Ed Ruffing spun sideways on the seat, intentionally brushing the back of his hand against the bodice of his silent passenger's dress. "Do you really think the men will be a problem once we get to town?"
Drawing her wrap tight against her breasts, Dominique moved as far away from the captain as she could get without toppling over the edge of the buckboard. Her tone icy, she cut into Barney's reply before he could even voice it. "This trip to town was planned by me, for me, Captain, even if you do plan to fill the supply wagon. The main purpose is for Hazel and me to purchase some yard goods. I strongly suggest you speak to your men and let them know my uncle will not be pleased if one of them should ruin this little outing for me."
"Of course, ma'am." Ed glanced at the haughty woman, and grumbled under his breath. The general's niece was proving to be a real uppity bitch, too good to even sit close by him. She'd been hanging on the edge of the buckboard since they'd left the fort, even stayed put during the ferry ride across the river, clinging to the wooden slats as if her precious virtue depended on it. As far as Ed Ruffing was concerned, she could die unspoiled. She wasn't worth the trouble, or the risk to his career should the general find out his intentions were less than honorable.
Turning back to the horses, he made the decision that would best serve his military future. "I expect I'd best stay with the troops just to make sure they behave themselves. Lieutenant Woodhouse? Bismarck can be a pretty rowdy town. Think you can handle these two women by yourself?"
"It'd be a pleasure, Captain."
Ed didn't bother to hide his sneer or the snicker as he steered the rig onto Main Avenue. Barney Woodhouse wouldn't know pleasure if she ripped off his pants and raped him. But Ed Ruffing did. And Ed Ruffing planned to find himself some hot, willing flesh if it took all day. He glanced to his right and grimaced. He sure as hell wasn't going to find it with the ice maiden sitting next to him.
Ed made his plans for the afternoon as he guided the buckboard down Main Avenue and steered it toward a series of logs fashioned into hitching posts across from the shops and stores of Bismarck. By the time he'd jumped from the seat and tied the horses, his blood was boiling for a good time.
"Lieutenant, we can't afford to miss that last ferry. You see those ladies are back here at least two hours before sundown." He spun on his heel and marched over to his guides. "You're free for the afternoon. Just make sure to stay out of trouble. Long Back, you know the rules—no whiskey. Stoltz, if you want a drink or two, go ahead, but don't get so drunk you can't stay in the saddle on the way back. Understood?"
Jacob nodded, watching as the captain sauntered on across the wide dirt road. Then he turned to question Long Back about the town, but the Ree had disappeared. Jacob spun back to the buckboard. Barney was helping Hazel and Dominique out of the rig. Laughing together, with never a glance in his direction, the trio dodged horses and buggies as they made their way across the street. Then they disappeared inside one of buildings.
Jacob was suddenly alone in what might as well have been a new world. Impulse and his survival instincts told him to flee, to run for cover in the cottonwood trees along the riverbank. Common sense told him to stay put. With a tremendous effort, Jacob willed his pulse to slow, then he shoved his hands in his pockets in an effort to still their sudden tremors. Forcing an expression of nonchalance, he glanced around at the town, searching for something, anything, that might bring him comfort or at least some sense of safety. A long seemingly endless row of buildings threatened him from across the street. All of them bore large hand-painted letters above their openings, but none of them made any sense or spelled a word he could understand. A group of horsemen rounded the corner, whooping and hollering as they galloped on by him, splattering his boots with mud in the bargain. Wagons and buggies bobbed along, crisscrossing the deep ruts in the road, adding to Jacob's confusion.
Then he noticed the sign above the doorway of one of the buildings. Although he couldn't make sense of the letters, Braun Mercantile, something about their shape and arrangement seemed familiar.
He decided to take a chance. Avoiding the mud puddles in earth still damp from the spring thaw, Jacob made his way across the street and stepped inside the large wooden store. The rich scent of leather goods and expensive fabrics greeted him, but he passed by the yard goods and piles of furs just purchased from trappers, and headed for the counter laden with sparkling glass jars.
He was staring at a jar containing something that looked like bees frozen in honey when the clerk said, "Kin I hep ya?"
Jacob snapped his head upward. "Ah, yes. Some of those."
"How much? A pound?"
Jacob offered his palms and shrugged. "Sure."
Using a big metal scoop, the clerk dug several pieces of the candy out of the jar and dropped them into a bag. "There ya go. A pound of horehound drops. Anything else?"
His eyes suddenly bright and childlike, Jacob nodded. "Some of those, and how about a pound of these, too." He made his way down the row as the clerk followed along filling bags with licorice, chocolate drops, and peppermint balls. He was eyeing some small cookies cut in the shape of stars when he bumped into another shopper. "Pardon me—"
"It's no—" Dominique stared into the deep blue of Jacob's eyes, caught for a moment by what she saw in them, stunned by the fact she could see in them at all. Usually shuttered, the windows to his soul were wide open, if only for a moment. She saw laughter, delight, wonder, and awe. She saw the child Jacob, the boy who'd never had a chance to live. Too soon he looked away.
"That be all, soldier?" the clerk asked.
"Yes." Jacob handed the man several coins, hoping he'd brought the correct amount of money, then accepted the bags.
Unable to resurrect her earlier anger, Dominique laughed as he collected his candy. "That's some sweet tooth you have, Private. Aren't you worried your teeth will fall out?"
Feeling awkward, embarrassed, Jacob took the change from the clerk's hand and fumbled for the right words, "I like these candy drops. My teeth, I don't know ..." Unable to finish the sentence, he gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged.
His candor and that odd look of innocence spread like a warm poultice across her breast. Dominique reached out and impulsively pressed her fingers against his broad shoulder. "Why, Jacob?" she blurted out. "Why did you ignore my note last week? Why did you ignore me?"
"Your note?" he said, acutely aware how near her hand was to that very object.
"Don't play the innocent with me, Private. I know you received it. You've had almost two weeks to explain yourself. Why didn't you at least send your regrets?"
He paused, going over the story he'd settled on during the ride, then wondered if the truth wouldn't serve just as well. But he said, "You mean the note was from you?"
"Of course it was from me. Can't you read?"
Any thoughts he'd entertained about telling the truth vanished at her words. Stiff and guarded again, he lied. "I never had the chance to read your letter. It seems Peaches likes you and anything you have touched a great deal. She a
te it before I had the chance to open it."
"Peaches? Oh," she said laughing, "that's right. She did eat my hat. That means you didn't get a look at the contents?"
"No. Was the message important? I thought if it was, whoever sent the note would have come to me by now."
"Oh, yes, I suppose I should have checked back with you, but I've been so busy of late." Chagrined, Dominique let her words and feeble explanation die out. Not convinced that she owed him an apology, however, she waved a gloved hand. "Then I guess we've just had a little misunderstanding. The note contained an invitation to join me and my aunt in her parlor for an evening of music and refreshments. It's a pity you couldn't make it. We had a delightful time."
"I am sorry I missed it." He lifted the bag of horehound drops, but before he could offer one, Barney and Hazel approached them.
"Private." Barney greeted Jacob before turning to Dominique. "Have you finished your shopping, Miss DuBois? Hazel and I are thinking of going over to the Korner Kafe for some pie and coffee."
"I thought I'd look at the furs a little closer. Why don't you two run along? I can take care of myself."
"Oh, Dominique," Hazel clucked. "Bismarck is a very dangerous place for a young lady alone. I'm afraid you'll have to stay with us."
"I have no plans," Jacob said. "I will be happy to escort Miss DuBois around town and see that she is safe."
"Well... I don't know." Warming to the private, but not entirely certain he could be trusted, Hazel looked to Barney. "Do you think that will be all right?"
"I believe Private Stoltz can handle the assignment." Barney directed a narrowed eye at Jacob. "Captain Ruffing was right. Bismarck can be a little rowdy, son. Stay close to Miss DuBois and don't mention you're a soldier to anyone. Townsfolk, even the lowest of them, think we're on the same level as the savages we fight. Your duty today is to make certain the lady's reputation remains intact. And see that no harm comes to her, hear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Oh, and make sure you stay away from Murderer's Gulch. No telling what kind of trouble you'll find there, but find it you will."