Magic in Her Eyes

by Donna Dalton

  As his troopers rushed to do his bidding, Miss Talbot brushed past him and clattered down the steps. He jogged to catch up. For a tiny sprite of a woman, she sure moved fast. Though he preferred his women more refined, this one, with her boldness and single-minded determination, had lassoed his attention.

  “Why did you order your men to set up sentry posts?” She spiked him with an anxious glance. “Are the rogue Indians that close?”

  “We didn’t see any signs of them, but their attacks are moving nearer to this area. I don’t want to take any chances.”

  “Then we have to hurry.”

  “Agreed. The sooner we find your missing child, the sooner we can all be on our way.”

  “All be on our way?” Lacy lines furrowed her brow. “Whatever do you mean by that?”

  “It’s the reason my men and I are here. My commander feels it’s best if the surrounding homesteaders shelter at the fort until the renegades are captured. I’m here to offer my assistance in moving you and the children.”

  She stopped at the edge of the woods and cupped her hands to her mouth. “Anna, where are you? Are you out there? Please answer me.”

  Only a protesting squirrel responded. She muttered something under her breath and dove into the woods. He plunged after her, pushing through the overgrowth invading the footpath. A wily vine ambushed his legs. Another attempted to lynch him. He crushed a curse beneath his teeth. This was the very reason he’d elected to be a mounted trooper and not a foot soldier.

  Just ahead, Miss Talbot slowed. A prickly runner had captured the bottom of her skirt. Her struggles gave him a chance to close the distance between them.

  “Is the situation with the Indians so dire,” she said over her shoulder, “that we must move to the fort?”

  “Yes, it is that dire. They have already torched several outlying farms south of here and killed nearly a dozen people, including women and children.” That ought to impart the seriousness of the situation.

  Silky white calves showed above the tops of her boots, and her backside swayed in delightful wiggles as she worked to liberate her skirt. A gentleman would lend a hand. But he wasn’t in a gentlemanly mood. Not with the way his sweat-drenched uniform chafed his skin, not to mention the growing bulge in his trousers.

  “Can’t you just…” She gave a soft grunt and yanked her skirt free. “There. Can’t you just order your soldiers to stay and protect us?”

  “We don’t have the resources for that. Most of our men are out searching for the renegades. The rest are guarding the fort.” He’d trade his last bottle of prime Kentucky whiskey for command of one of those patrols.

  “If I agree to this move, where will we stay? I won’t have the children separated. The disruption will be stressful enough.”

  “Unfortunately, we have a number of civilians already quartered at the fort and many more arriving daily. I cannot guarantee you will be housed together.”

  “Do you have children, Lieutenant?”

  No, thank the Lord. One day perhaps when…make that if…he decided to settle down and marry. He wouldn’t want any offspring of his growing up as he had, craving the attention of a father who was rarely home and when he was, had no time or energy to entertain a lonely child. For now and the foreseeable future, his career would remain his focus.

  “I don’t have any children or a wife for that matter,” he said. “The army is my life.”

  “Then you don’t understand how traumatic uprooting a child can be. They require familiarity and consistency.” Her voice quivered with intensity. “These children have been through more than most, losing homes and families.”

  “I was taught that children should do as they are told.” Taught by his father’s stern voice and heavy hand.

  “Thankfully, the children’s welfare is my responsibility. I won’t move them to the fort unless you can guarantee we won’t be separated.”

  Some battles had to be forfeited to win the war. Major Allen would not be happy with this added complication, but he’d cross that trench when he got there. “Very well, we will do our best to see you are provided quarters where you can all be together.”

  “I shall hold you to that promise, Lieutenant.” She gave him a pointed look and then resumed her breakneck advance into the woods.

  He swiped sweat from his brow and lunged after her. Damn fool woman. If the vines didn’t kill them, heat apoplexy would.

  A few minutes later, the path opened onto a clearing sliced by a shallow creek. The crystal-clear water burbled over submerged rocks, the soothing sound beckoning him to indulge. With his body smoldering beneath the cocoon of wool, a cool dip sounded quite inviting, especially if it included a blonde-haired nymph with flashing violet eyes. He envisioned discarded footwear on the bank and the two of them wading in the water where more of her creamy calves would be visible.

  He shook off the image. What was he doing? He should be focusing on the task at hand, not fantasizing about foolish romps with a woman who set his mind and body whirling out of control.

  Miss Talbot paced at the water’s edge. “I don’t see any footprints. I do hope Anna hasn’t gone down to where the creek widens and becomes deeper. She hasn’t yet learned to swim.”

  Her comment sparked a memory. “Does this Anna child have reddish-colored hair?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “When riding up to the property, we spotted a young girl sitting near the creek bank. She had red hair and wore a pink dress.”

  Miss Talbot reeled to face him, her eyes blasting at him like the barrels of a derringer. “Why didn’t you say so before?”

  “It didn’t occur to me until now. Besides, she didn’t appear to be in any distress. She sat calmly as we rode by. I assumed she was being looked after.”

  “How could you leave a child all alone?”

  Her tone poked bayonet sharp. He couldn’t stop from thrusting back. “How could you let her out of your sight? You are the steward of this place. As you said, her welfare is your responsibility.”

  A slap to the face couldn’t have produced more astonishment. Or hurt. Tears brimmed in her eyes. Damn. What was wrong with him? He knew better than to give free rein to his anger.

  Before he could tender an apology, she swiped at her tears and charged past him. “Show me where you saw her.”

  Thirty minutes and a fiery tromp later, they arrived at the creek where he and his men had spotted the child. Nothing moved in the glade. No hint of pink, no reddish curls. The child had vanished. Of course she had. He didn’t expect anything less on a day that had turned foul as a festering bullet wound. He wouldn’t let his thoughts drift to the possibility that renegades were the cause of the girl’s disappearance.

  He approached a cluster of rocks bunched at the creek’s edge. “She was sitting right here.”

  Miss Talbot cupped her mouth and called out, “Anna? Anna, are you here? Please come out.”

  Only a squawking blue jay replied as it took flight. Preston squinted at the sun just visible through the leafy canopy. The day was wasting away. He needed to find this child and get her and all the others to the fort before the sun set and the predators, both two-legged and four-legged, came out of the hills to hunt.

  Tiny, water-filled craters stamped the creek bank, most of them disappearing in the mire. Tracking the child would be nearly impossible. “We’ll find her faster if we split up.” He pointed eastward. “You go upstream. I’ll go down.”

  A mutinous glint steeled her eyes. She opened her mouth as if to challenge his suggestion and then just as quickly snapped her lips shut. “Fine,” she pushed out. “But, if you locate her, don’t touch her. Just call for me.”

  Like hell he would. This search had already cost him valuable time. The urchin would have to deal with her fear of strangers.

  He followed the creek, slipping and sliding on the flood-cratered bank. Sand and mud clotted his boots. Private Greene would have a devil of a time removing the grime and buffing scratches from the
boot leather. On the next furlough, he’d give the hard-working striker an extra day, especially after assigning him the onerous duty of looking after Miss Talbot’s imps.

  As he rounded a bend, a smudge of pink peeked through a patch of bushes overhanging the creek bed. He scaled the small incline and pushed the branches aside. A red-haired girl huddled in the hidey-hole with a kitten clutched against her chest. Finally.

  He held out his hand. “Here, let me help you out of there.”

  Her eyes grew wide, and she thrust back against the wall of brush.

  “Come now, Anna is it? Be a good little girl and take my hand.”

  Red curls whipped around pudgy cheeks. He bit down on a curse. Children should obey their elders. Another sage dictum Miss Talbot’s flock appeared inclined to ignore.

  He reached down and plucked the girl from her nest. “There. Now grab hold of my neck.”

  The child went stiff as a board. The kitten clasped under her arm began mewling in protest. What the hell? He didn’t have time for this. He snagged the girl’s hand and set it on his neck so she could hang on while he navigated the treacherous creek bed. The last thing he needed was to drop the child on her head and give the pretty, but shrewish, Miss Talbot more ammunition to fire at him.

  A moan started low in the girl’s throat and grew louder. She started howling and thrashing in his arms. He tightened his grip. Was the creature possessed?

  “Stop flailing or you’re going to make me drop you.”

  The child screeched louder. The kitten joined in. His ears rang with the cacophony. The kitten struggled in the child’s embrace. Not getting anywhere, it twisted and sank its teeth into his forearm. He let go a yelp and jerked away. The momentum sent him stumbling down the incline. His boot heel caught on a root. He scrambled to regain his balance but lost the battle.

  He clasped the child against him as he fell backward. His backside met the creek, and water sprayed around him. He managed to right himself. The fall had dislodged the girl’s hand from his neck. She sat on his lap, thankfully silent, holding onto her kitten and glaring up at him as if the entire incident was his fault. Creek water rushed over his legs and lapped at his waist. Not the soothing dip or the nymph he’d envisioned.

  Miss Talbot appeared on the path and ran toward them. She wadded into the water and snatched the child from his lap. Violet eyes snapped at him. “Are you daft? I told you not to touch her.”

  He swiped mud from his face. If he made it back to Fort Dent without ending his misery with a bullet, it would be a miracle.

  Chapter Two

  Lieutenant Booth’s soldiers loaded the last of the luggage onto the wagon. The children crowded around her at the bottom of the porch steps, quiet now after the chaos of Anna’s return and the packing of their belongings. While upsetting, the relocation to Fort Dent was necessary for their safety. Yet the fort could very well hold just as much danger as the rogue Indians.

  “Are you angry with me, Miss Talbot? Your mouth is tilted down. It does that when people are mad.” Anna’s chin trembled. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Daisy ran off, and once I found her, we decided to play by the creek for a while.”

  Their neighbor Mr. Pryor had presented the kitten to the orphanage once it was old enough to be weaned from its mother. Anna had immediately adopted the cat and was rarely seen without her playmate. Even now, she had Daisy cradled in her arms.

  Meredith smoothed bedraggled red curls. “No, sweetling. I’m not angry with you. I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed by this sudden need to leave.”

  “I wish Mrs. Campbell was here.”

  The child’s woeful words echoed her own thoughts. Aunt Mildred would know the right thing to do. During the eight months since her arrival at Seaton House, she had discovered her aunt was a force unto herself. Mildred had left Pennsylvania with her husband well before Meredith had been born. When Mr. Campbell died in a mining accident, Mildred had fended for herself and quite successfully. She turned their tiny silver mine into a profitable business and used the proceeds from its sale to purchase a farmhouse which she ultimately turned into the orphanage. Meredith sighed. If only she could be half as successful and self-assured.

  “Everything is going to be just fine, Anna. You’ll see.”

  Lily moved closer, her fingers choking a satchel handle. “Do we have to go, Miss Talbot? From what the soldiers are saying, it sounds as if there are a lot of people staying at the fort.”

  Before being rescued by Mildred, twelve-year-old Lily Kendrick had suffered greatly at the hands of ignorance. She’d been labeled a liar and a witch. No one believed in reading tarot cards or seeing auras. It was understandable that the girl would be reluctant to leave the seclusion and safety of the orphanage.

  Meredith pasted on her most encouraging smile, although reassured was the last thing she felt. “I’m afraid we do, Lily. But it will only be temporarily. Just until the renegades are captured.”

  “Can’t the soldiers stay here and protect us?”

  She wished. However, as Mildred often said, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. She shook her head. “Lieutenant Booth says most of the soldiers are out looking for the Indians or protecting the garrison. There aren’t enough to spare for guarding Seaton House. We’ll just have to manage at Fort Dent as best we can until we are able to return.”

  “What about Mrs. Clement and Mr. Hoggard?” Worry pinched Anna’s face. “What will they do?”

  The housekeeper and handyman had left earlier that morning for their monthly trip to purchase goods and supplies. The town of Mineral sat just outside of Fort Dent, some twelve miles west of Seaton House. Mildred wanted the orphanage to be as far from prying eyes as possible, but still have the outside world easily accessible. Unfortunately, it might not be far enough. In anticipation of negotiations between the railway and the Creek Indians, the small mining town had already begun expanding. Privacy would soon be a hard commodity to come by.

  “If Mrs. Clement and Mr. Hoggard have already started back, then we should cross paths on the way. They can turn around and join us. Otherwise we’ll catch up to them in town.” In the distance, dark clouds bruised the skyline. A shiver poured down her spine. Provided that storm held off.

  “We’re ready for the children now,” one of the soldiers called out.

  Perfect. Any longer and her doubts and the weather might get the better of her.

  “Me first,” little Robbie shouted as he broke into a run.

  Always the adventurer, the six-year-old wasn’t about to let uncertainties hold him back. “Go on, children,” she urged the others. “Get into the wagon.”

  She started to follow, but a tug stopped her. Anna held onto the bottom of her skirt, her little mouth sagging, her eyes wide and ringed with dark circles. The trauma with Lieutenant Booth had drained the child of all vitality.

  “Come, sweetling.” Meredith gave the girl a nudge. “You can sit on my lap during the ride if you’d like.”

  Anna remained rooted in place, clutching her kitten and eyeing the other children being lifted into the wagon. Her lips pulled into a taut line, and she shoved her shoulders back in a mulish pose. “I won’t get in the wagon. Not with them there.”

  Meredith called on her last reserves of patience, which after the day she’d had, wasn’t much. “I won’t let the soldiers touch you, I promise.”

  Soulful brown eyes lifted and poured over her as if weighing the reliability of her guardian’s claim.

  “Please, Anna. It’s getting late. We don’t want to be on the road when the sun sets. You know how frightened Becky is of the dark.”

  Anna glanced at the wagon and back. Her chin tilted higher. “Only you can touch me.”

  Meredith squeezed Anna’s shoulder. “Only me. Now, let’s get into the wagon, shall we? Before Robbie and Gabe toss out all the straw the nice soldiers spread in the bed to cushion our ride.”

  As they started for the wagon, a stiff gust kicked up. Dirt stung her eyes and blasted
her exposed skin. Meredith clamped a hand on her bonnet and bent into the squall. Springtime storms in the Indian Territories seemed to be much fiercer than back east. Mildred had told her about the great whirlwinds that could spawn with no warning and cause massive destruction. The good Lord willing, no such beast would lurk within the approaching storm.

  The gust thankfully let up as she and Anna reached the wagon. Meredith held out a hand. “Let Lily hold Daisy while you get in.”

  The girl relinquished the kitten but not her grip on Meredith’s skirts. The soldiers were still too close for comfort. Meredith shooed them with a wave of her hand. “Thank you, but we don’t require any assistance. You men can go about your other duties.”

  They stood immobile, blinking at her as if she had invited them to jump over the moon. Daft men. Just like their commander.

  As if hearing her thoughts, Lieutenant Booth abandoned the soldier he was talking with and strode toward them. Squishing sounds salted his steps. His trousers and most of his uniform jacket were damp with creek water. Though his expression remained unreadable, he had to be uncomfortable. Wet wool tended to chafe most unpleasantly. She smiled inwardly. Served him right for not listening. Maybe next time, he would heed her counsel.

  “What’s the delay?” He glanced at Anna, submerged now in the safety of wide skirts. “Oh, I see.”

  “I told these soldiers we didn’t require any assistance getting into the wagon. But they don’t seem to grasp my words.” She put on her most puzzled frown, the one she adopted when prompting the children during their lessons. “I understand hearing loss can be a consequence of constant exposure to gun fire. Is that what’s wrong with them?”

  The skin covering the lieutenant’s jaw twitched, and his penetrating gaze drilled into her. A poked hornet couldn’t look more agitated.

  “My men hear just fine.” He shifted his glare to the soldiers. “You two mount up and scout ahead. Private Greene, check the mules and then bring me my horse.”