Uncivilized

by Laura Stapleton

The air left her lungs when Del glared at her. Ellen barely managed to say, “Mr. Du Boise can’t be interested in all this. Let’s just finish up and go.”

  Del stood as she did to let the boy pass but stepped in to block her way back to camp. “You’re going nowhere until I find out from you if Winslow meant to harm you. If so, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”

  Chapter 9

  He didn’t like the flash of fear in her eyes but ignored his need to comfort her. Both Winslows were looking at him, waiting as if expecting an explosion. Del knew how Jack reacted to situations. He intended on showing the brother and sister how people could be angered yet not hurt anyone else. “No, not kill. I don’t mean that. I’ll just give him a whooping.” He smiled, grateful to see their expressions soften as he did so. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Nothing really. Skeeter fell in and Pa was angry because I wasn’t keeping a close enough watch on him.” She shrugged. “Nothing more than that. So if you’ll excuse us, Buster has been alone this whole time and I don’t want him to wake up scared.”

  “No, I don’t want that, either.” Del ruffled the boy’s hair. “Whatever Ellen tells you later, thank you for letting me know what happened that day. You shouldn’t be in trouble for honesty.”

  “He’s not in trouble at all. Go on, Skeeter, and I’ll catch up.” As soon as the boy was out of earshot, she leaned against him in a halfhearted hug. “I knew you’d be angry. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

  “I understand. I’m furious at him and am even more determined to marry you again in Oregon City.”

  “Well, we’ll see.”

  He refrained from arguing, instead turning toward Sam’s camp. Del glanced back but the darkness of night had swallowed her from sight. Once among the hired hands, he sat, letting the music from Lucky’s bugle distract him. It didn’t work very well, and he brooded over how to get Ellen and the boys into a safer environment. He was sure Jack cared for his children, but pushing his daughter into a hot spring hit a limit with Del. He’d not saved her from Pointed Nose for Winslow to boil her to death.

  It took them half a day to get everyone in the Granville party across the Boise River. Del was used to this by now, coaxing people and animals alike into and through the water. He shook his head at the stragglers bringing up the rear. Sam had far more patience than he. Only Ellen and her brothers kept him here. He’d be back home or anywhere else by now.

  He rode ahead, passing the Winslows, and only saw Jack. Del ignored the man, riding on, and wished he’d been able to spot Ellen nearby. His stomach rumbled. Sam didn’t want to stop until Sulphur Springs, and Del hadn’t had time to eat this morning. The hills were high here, but still lower than any mountains. The landscape turned more featureless except for the river slicing the valley in two. Too soon, the party left water and traveled up a wide and dry valley. Hills like huge, grass-carpeted sand dunes rose on either side of them. Even as they rolled to a higher peak, more stretched out ahead of them. They’d left both the Boise and Snake Rivers miles ago. He and Arnold scouted ahead today. When either found any sort of water, they sent word back. He loved the wide, windswept land but would be glad to have the comforting canopy of pines at home. He and Arnold rode too far apart to talk, maybe fifty yards from the road on either side.

  They descended via a slow and gradual decline. Several miles passed before they caught up to the Snake again. Del saw a sparkle of blue, and soon enough they closed in on the water. The river, with bluffs on one side and gentle hills on their side, left the two scouts no choice but to ride together. He kept an eye out for good grazing, better than the hay rising up from the ground. This late in summer, their livestock would have better luck closer to the water. When he and Arnold reached the riverbank, Del saw he was right. Both men dismounted and lead their horses to drink.

  Their animals would have food, but not much. Soon, everyone else caught up and Del saw Jack. He wanted to wring the scrawny man’s neck for hurting Ellen. If he’d known her father was responsible for the pained way the woman had walked the first couple of days after the hot springs accident, Del would have held him under the water with his own hands and ignored the heat. He noticed Ellen favoring her left wrist while taking their ox to the river. Fury clouded his gaze and he clenched his teeth. Simmering with impotent rage, he turned and ran smack into Sam.

  “Whoa there, buddy. You look like a thundercloud.” His friend nodded at Ellen. “I suppose it’s to do with her?”

  “Yes, as always. Her scalding was no accident. Winslow pushed her in.”

  Sam’s face blanched. “Dear God in heaven.” He looked at her, returning her wave. “She’s coming over. We’ll talk about this later.”

  Del turned and watched as she walked to them, leading her ox. “All right.” He noticed she led the animal with reins in her left hand. “How is your arm, ma coeur? Feeling better?”

  “Her arm?” asked Sam as she neared them.

  “I fell and sprained it, I think. I keep bumping and reinjuring it.” She waved her wrist a little. “It seems to be feeling better.”

  “Good. I’d noticed you wore a wrap and meant to ask why.” Sam held out his hand to hold her arm to the light.

  She smiled at him, the amusement reaching her eyes. “You probably forgot because it wasn’t important.”

  Sam glanced up through his lashes before turning his attention back to her injury. “I consider injuries important.”

  “Not ones as small as this.” She patted his arm as if to reassure him. “I’m fine and doing better.”

  He looked at Del, who nodded in agreement with her. “Very well, just let me know next time. I assume your whisky has run dry?”

  A blush stained her cheeks. “I’m afraid so.”

  “Come by our camp next time, and I’ll make sure you have a dose to help ease the pain. There’s no sense in you suffering when I have a cure available.”

  “Thank you, Sam. I’ll remember that for next time.” She nodded at Del. “Mr. Du Boise, good night to you too.”

  His heart sank. He’d hoped to see her this evening, but no. Her brothers took all her time. Del had seen Winslow slinking off to other groups, catting around with the ladies there after running through the women here. He sighed when she disappeared from his sight, missing her already.

  Sam nudged him, saying, “First watch, because Winslow doesn’t come back until the beginning of second.”

  Del chuckled at his friend’s intentions. “You’re a romantic.”

  “Newlyweds are supposed to be. Which reminds me, you’ve kept lookout for us a few times. Should I return the favor?”

  A whimper escaped him and Sam laughed until Del gave him an evil glare. “Yes, but no. Not at the moment.”

  Sam grinned. “Right. Not enough trees or shrubbery.”

  His friend’s amusement was infectious and Dell couldn’t help but retort, “Add to your guidebook, Carry more topiaries in the wagon to make private time truly private.”

  “Excellent idea.”

  A couple hours later, a full pan of fish cooked for dinner. Marie had taken over a lot of what Uncle Joe used to do. She didn’t have quite the way with food that her predecessor had but continued to improve with practice. Del and every other man sat around the fire, ready to eat. He grinned at how much like begging dogs they must seem while staring at Marie as she cooked.

  She glanced over at him. “What is so funny?”

  “All of us waiting for dinner are.”

  “Not for long!” She lifted a fillet up from the pan with the crude spatula. “Who’s first?” Every man held out his plate and Marie laughed. “Very well, left to right.”

  They all ate fast, hungry. Del tried to slow down and savor the meal. He gave his empty too soon dishes to a waiting Lefty and stood. “I’ll take first watch.”

  “Very well,” replied Sam from the fireside. “Lucky will be along with you tonight.”

  Del didn’t bother to answer, wanting to hurry over to the Winslows�
�� wagon. Once there, he saw her writing in a journal with both of her brothers asleep nearby. For a moment, he enjoyed how the dying embers cast a glow on her face. Impatience to hear her voice hurried him to say, “Psst. Ellen. Psst.”

  She blocked the firelight with a hand, and he could tell when she saw him. Ellen eased to her feet. She tiptoed to him, quiet so as not to wake the boys. “What, Adelard, what?”

  He grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the campground. Looking around for witnesses, he only stopped once out of sight of the camp. He held her face in his hands and said, “Say my full name once more.”

  “Adelard,” she whispered.

  Her voice sent shivery need along every nerve in him. His entire body responded with urgent hunger as his lips captured hers. She groaned and he felt the completion their touch made too. The passion with which she returned his kiss delighted Del, and he held her hard against him. He loved her sweet face and his mouth left hers to kiss her forehead, cheeks, nose, until finally trailing down her neck.

  When he returned to her lips, she let him stay until she broke away to kiss down his chin to the base of his throat. He gasped at the sensuality of her touch and she trailed her lips down to the hollow.

  He tilted his head back to give her better access. “Mon Dieu! Your favorite place to kiss me?”

  “One of them, yes.”

  Del moaned a little, his pants hurting him. She didn’t stop her torment of him, nibbling down his chest to the bottom of the shirt’s vee. If they’d had time, he’d let her remove whatever of his clothes she wanted to. “Ellen, if we had the night together….”

  She explored her way back to his throat and traced a circle with her tongue, stopping only to reply, “We could do so much with each hour.”

  “Mon amour, la coeur du ma vie.” With her body pressed so tight against his, he knew she must be aware of his hunger for her physically. He fought to keep his hands on her waist instead of reaching under her skirts and helping both of them unite. “We must stop. You’re…I’m…we’re both uncontrollable.” He wanted to pull apart the bun her hair was in and bury his face in her tresses. Preferably while he was buried in her. Del shuddered. “No more, please.”

  She drew in an erratic breath. “Ma coor?”

  He chuckled, pleased she’d tried to speak his language. “Oui?”

  “I don’t want to go. You feel so good against me.”

  “You want to stay and let me throw you to the ground? Let me take you like the hungry animal I am?”

  “Yes, I would like that.”

  He laughed at her honesty. “As would I, but not yet. I’d hate for them to see us so ready for each other. Another few moments and I could have all of you.”

  “Another few and I would insist you do so.”

  Del pressed his lips against her ear. He needed to be sensible, but her desire for him wiped any sort of responsibility clean from his character. “Ellen, you must know how I think about you all day, dream about you at night. You’re an obsession I can’t escape.”

  She bit her lip, looking up at him. “One last kiss and we stop, or I’ll let you go too far tonight.”

  Ellen held his face, giving him the briefest of touches before kissing him with a passion that matched his. He nearly sobbed, letting his hands fall to cup her buttocks and hold her hard against him. Her gasp let him know they’d veered too close to a limit and he stepped away from her. Unable to even think in English for a moment or two, he stammered, “Oui, allons ou, merde, we must go.” Del held her at arm’s length. “Allons, ma cherie du coeur.” Taking her hand, he led her towards the group.

  She stopped, making him stop as well. “Adelard, what is it you’re saying to me when you speak French?”

  “If you must know…” He hesitated, looking toward the camp. “Very well. It is that I care very much for you. You are my heart, the dearest of all, beautiful and mine.”

  “Oh my.”

  “Indeed. And now, I’ve kept us away for too long.”

  “I’m tired of obeying my father. I’ve come to think he’s not worth it.”

  Del refused to admit he agreed so stayed silent until they reached the others. “Tomorrow?”

  “Yes, if I can.”

  He continued on to the Granville wagon before stopping midway and rethinking his return to the others. Del preferred his body calmed down enough to be in polite company. As it was, memories of her kiss kept him hungry for more so he skirted the camp and kept to his watch duties.

  The smell of coffee woke Del first. He didn’t want to open his eyes, but the sounds around him said everyone else’s day had already begun. He ignored the activity flowing around him for a couple of minutes before climbing out of bed. First he had breakfast, then cleaned up, and soon he had Pomme fed and ready to scout ahead with him and Arnold. They led everyone north and parallel to Burnt River for most of the day. The group had no choice but to spend noon in a dry area. A few hours farther and an oasis of sorts appeared ahead of them, and what at first had seemed like brush now loomed large as trees. Not until now did Del realize how much he missed the cool shade only green leaves provided.

  Other groups had the same idea and crowded around the pond at the base of the low canyon. He nodded at Arnold and they fanned out, claiming a big enough area for their group to stay. Before long, Sam and everyone else arrived, taking the usual half circle along the water’s banks. Their tasks were so routine, no one needed to talk. Sam had warned him about this before Ellen was kidnapped, how at some point everyone knew everything else anyone would say, so the talking decreased to nothing. Of course visiting between groups occurred, especially between wagons going east and those going west. An understanding part of him knew why Jack went off for other company at night. The selfish part of him wished the man would stay put for the rest of the journey in any other camp and let Ellen sneak away with him more often.

  Dusk fell on children playing in the woods and around the pond while the adults caught up on washing and mending. The blue sky looked grey, mountains seemed flat, and nothing interested him when he didn’t see Ellen during the day. He needed to fix that problem and headed off to the river with a handful of dirty laundry.

  He found her there, washing her baby brother’s clothes. The smell reached him first. Del didn’t envy her the chore. He scuffed his feet on approach so she wasn’t startled. “Good afternoon,” he said, kneeling on grass near the riverbank.

  “Good afternoon!” She glanced over at him, clearly pleased he’d joined her. “Are you here to help me with Buster’s clothes?”

  Del laughed outright before saying, “No, thank you. I can smell them from here.”

  “Too bad.” She gave him a teasing smile. “I figured they’d remind you of why you might like to continue your free and wild life.”

  He shook his head and began washing his own clothes. “They do remind me to be grateful, I’ll admit.”

  Ellen sat back on her heels, wiping the sweat from her forehead. “Don’t get me wrong. Buster is the best baby ever, but goodness, when he’s sick, he doesn’t do things halfway.”

  “Is he sick often?”

  “Not too much.” She grimaced when she picked up a new item to clean. “But then, even once is too often.”

  “I understand.” He grinned at her, enjoying the warm sun, cool water, and wonderful company. “This is pleasant. Should we try to find a shade tree this evening? Or maybe you could visit me, us, at dinner tonight?”

  She wrung out the last item and paused until someone from another group passed by. “I’d love that but may not be able to do anything but care for the boys tonight.”

  “Bring them with you. No one would mind.” And so what if they did, Del added in his mind. He needed more than this brief conversation with her. His gaze followed her as she stood and looked in the direction of her family’s wagon. He nudged her verbally. “At least promise to try?”

  “I can do that.” Ellen grinned. “If you’re sure they won’t mind all of us,
we might visit for the music.”

  “Please do.” He stayed on his knees, ignoring his desire to hop up and go to her. She returned his smile with a modest one of her own. “I won’t sit next to you, if you’d like.”

  She gave a skittish search of the area before answering him. “I wouldn’t like that at all. I miss you.”

  He almost replied about how much he missed her too. She walked away and he turned to see Jack strolling toward them. Del shrugged as if unconcerned and went back to washing clothes. He kept the splashing down, listening for Winslow’s yelling in case he was angry about Ellen being near him. Hearing nothing, he wrung out the last shirt and went back to the Granville wagon.

  No one was there. He assumed they were off on various chores. He wondered if anyone happened to be fishing and decided to see if the trout were biting. Several hours later, he had a string of fish, enough for the entire camp.

  “You brought us supper!” said Sam when Del reached camp.

  Marie left the fireside and admired the catch. “How soon can you gentlemen have these cleaned and ready for me to cook?”

  “Not long, ma’am.” Arnold walked up. “I don’t mind helping if it means we eat sooner.”

  “Count me in on clean up,” added Lefty.

  Sam let down the tailgate, and every man settled in with a fish. Many hands made short work of the task and soon a heap of cleaned fillets lay waiting for Marie’s cook pan. Del asked Sam, “Is this enough to invite others in our group to share?”

  He grinned before replying, “I’d think so. Lucky, tell the Allens to join us. Lefty, can you let the Nelsons know? And Arnold, you get the Winslows.”

  Del nodded, pleased to have Ellen and her family asked to attend, and even more pleased about not having to ask them himself. His absence made it more likely Winslow would let them come here and get a good meal. Del realized he’d never had Ellen’s cooking. He’d always assumed she could fix a good meal, but now he wondered. They all seemed on the scrawny side in her family. Maybe she was awful and he should have been inviting them over far more often.