An Outlawed Heiress and Her Duke

by Denise Daye

“Do something! I paid you well for this!” he yelled in a mixture of fear and anger.

  Major Wicks rolled his eyes in annoyance and calmly gave his horse the spurs to ride up to George.

  “Is this yo-wr wife, Sir?”

  “She certainly is.”

  Major Wicks threw Esther a nod with his hat. “Congratulations, Ma’m.”

  She nodded back at him, crossing her arms.

  “I won’t bother ya’ll no mo-wr, he’s all yours,” were the Major’s last words before he turned his horse around, leaving what was left of Morris and his band of two to fend for themselves. Morris almost fell off his horse.

  “How dare you! Wait!” He screamed like a child having a tantrum as he watched Mr. Gorsh turn his horse around to follow the Major.

  “Gorsh, you snake! I won’t hang alone! I swear it!”

  Morris had a sheer look of madness on his face.

  “COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!” he cried out, whipping his horse with its reins to ride after them, leaving a trail of dust and dirt of who he was, and who he will remain to be, for better or for worse.

  Billy and Jones stood next to Esther and George, as they all watched in silent victory, Morris getting smaller and smaller in the distance.

  “Should I go after him?” Billy asked with his hand on his pistol. He meant it just as it sounded. But right after the words had left his mouth, several Jicarilla Apache warriors rode by them like a thunderstorm, shaking the earth underneath them.

  “Where are they going?” George asked Itza-chu.

  “Trade. The thief’s horse for his insult of calling them savages.”

  “Will he survive walking back home?” Esther asked.

  “If he’s lucky, no.” Jones crossed his arms. “I will have him charged in New York with attempted murder and forgery as soon as I get back.”

  Esther stared at the man in the far distance. A man who had almost destroyed her and everything she loved. For a while, it felt like a long lingering gaze. Like a mirage fading in the desert, a far-off nightmare that was never even real. And finally, with a feeling of great relief, she directed her gaze to her husband. Stunning and brave. Strong yet sincere. In every single way he was a man a woman could only dream of. He now faced her too, glimpsing deep into her eyes. That beautiful tingling she always felt around him spread throughout her whole body all the way to her fingertips.

  George leaned closer. “I love you,” he whispered softly brushing his lips against hers.

  “I love you, too,” she whispered back, pressing her lips onto his.

  And as the drums picked up their rhythmic beats again, accompanied by beautiful songs in a mystic language, Esther thanked her God and theirs for everything that had happened. The good, the bad—it all was part of a greater plan that had led her right into her husband’s arms—George Astley, the love of her life.

  Epilogue

  “M ama!” Miki shouted, storming past Helga and little Cliff onto the street to throw herself right into Esther’s arms. Jeff and Tom followed suit.

  “Miki! Jeff! Tom!” Esther cried, tears of joy running down her face. She had missed them so terribly.

  Little Cliff now stretched his arms toward Esther, his face ready to cry if he wasn’t held by her that very second. Esther took him into her arms and squeezed him tightly, feeling the warm joy in her heart that only a mother could feel.

  “She is a woman again!” Miki blurted at Milton who was rubbing the children’s heads to tell them in his own way that he was happy to be back.

  “Yes, just like you,” Milton replied, nodding at the cute, pink dress Miki was wearing. Esther took a step back to look at the kids. They looked fantastic. Going to school and living in a good neighborhood had turned them into children that were allowed to be just that—children.

  “You also brought a man!” Jeff shouted happily.

  George threw his head back in laughter before he leaned over. “Yes, she did.”

  “Are you going to stay with us?” Tom asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “If that is all right with you.” He rubbed Tom’s head.

  “I guess so, but it would have been better if you had brought a gift, you know,” Tom grinned.

  “To buy our love faster,” Miki clarified.

  George laughed heartily and turned toward Esther.

  “I love them already!” He turned back to the kids. “Well, fortunately for me, I did not come empty handed.”

  “A present?!” All three gushed over George with eyes sparkling like stars. George nodded and stepped aside to reveal Peggy, who was standing a few feet away tied to the back of their carriage.

  “A HORSIE!” Miki gave a high-pitched squeak, launching toward Peggy closely followed by Tom and Jeff.

  “Wait!” George called after them to warn them of the famous Peggy nips, but it was too late. Miki, Jeff, and Tom had already thrown their arms around Peggy’s chest, rubbing their faces against her soft fur like this was the greatest moment of their lives. George and Esther’s mouths fell to the floor. Peggy, the horse notoriously famous in the whole West for her grumpiness, stood as still as a statue, letting Miki, Tom, and Jeff do with her as they pleased.

  “I love her!” Miki shouted to George who was now walking over to them. Maybe she wasn’t a barn sour after all? Maybe she just didn’t like the dry West? But the moment George stepped into her reach, Peggy nipped at him, almost getting him in his arm. Esther and the kids burst into loud laughter.

  “Bloody horse…” George growled to Peggy, but his heart was filled with joy. He looked over to Esther who was holding Cliff tight to her chest. She caught his gaze with a smile that swept him off his feet.

  “We are very lucky,” he mumbled to Peggy who was clearly enjoying the kids’ attention and love.

  “Very, very lucky…”

  Several Months Later

  The carriage stopped on top of a hill, looking down onto the enormous complex of Aberdeen Park. Its façade shimmered golden in the sun, ready to welcome back its Duke and Duchess with all the elegance and bling they deserved, nothing less.

  Esther and the kids were speechless. Never had they seen anything like it.

  “Is this the town hall, Papa?” Miki squeaked under wide eyes and gasping breath.

  George laughed. “No, my princess, this is your new home.”

  Miki let out another happy squeak, throwing her arms around George. “I am so happy I could scream.”

  “You just did.” Milton rolled his eyes, still staring at the castle that would now be his home and someday, as the oldest son, his.

  “Can we run down?” Tom begged.

  “Pleeeeeeeeeease,” Jeff threw in his support for the idea.

  “If your mother doesn’t mind your new clothes getting dirty again.” George smiled at Esther. She let out a deep breath.

  “You totally ruined your other clothes this morning when you tried to bathe Peggy.” She tested the waters for a no. But the kids all fired back at her with big, droopy eyes, their little mouths frowning all the way to the floor. Esther let out an audible sigh.

  “Fine…” She gave up.

  “Yeay!” Miki, Tom and Jeff shouted, jumping off the carriage, giving it a good shake. Tom and Jeff had already stormed down the hill, but Miki ran to the back of the carriage instead.

  George turned to see what she was doing. She had freed Peggy, who was tied to the back of the carriage.

  “Peggy has to come with us,” she said in her cute little girl voice.

  George frowned. Poor Miki didn’t know that Peggy was a barn sour. It had literally taken four bloody men this morning to push Peggy out of her barn before they could tie her up to the back of the carriage. It took another two men to push her into motion to let the carriage start its journey. This whole drama had taken so long, Helga had had to take another carriage ahead of them to inform the staff that their late arrival was nothing to worry about.

  “That’s so nice of you, princess, but you know that Peggy doesn’t like t
o move much.” But George had barely spoken his words, when old, lazy Peggy flew down the hill like Pegasus! George jerked up in his seat to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. He even rubbed them once just to be absolutely certain that this was really happening. But Esther’s beautiful laugh that always warmed his heart confirmed that this in fact was real.

  And if that wasn’t enough, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, little Cliff opened his mouth and pointed down the hill:

  “Peggy,” he announced, his first word ever spoken, loud and clear. “Peggy, Peggy!” he now yelled down to the horse that was running up and down the hill to entertain the kids, her longs legs galloping pridefully like a wild mustang. George fell backwards into his seat.

  “This bloody horse…” he growled with a smile on his face that was as bright as the sun above them. “This bloody horse…”

  A Few Notes of Interest

  (Jicarilla Maiden, Curtis Edward S., 1905)

  The Jicarilla Apache

  Struggles Both Past and Present

  T he story of the Jicarilla Apache began hundreds of years ago during the Canada to Southwestern migratory period. This nomadic group ranged across what is now New Mexico and the southern edge of Colorado. As with most other Native American nations, they gradually settled in one place as agriculture took hold as a prominent practice. Unfortunately, similar to other indigenous groups, the arrival of European explorers and the eventual practice of Manifest Destiny pushed them away from their chosen home.

  This oft-repeated story of the clash between Native Americans and Europeans echoed through the centuries as the Jicarilla Apache fought to protect themselves and their culture and claim a reservation for their own.

  A History of Displacement

  The earliest movements of the Jicarilla Apache involved the natural travel associated with a hunting and seasonal farming group. It was not until the Spanish arrived that they began to feel real pressure to abandon their normal territory. Although prior to forced relocation the Jicarilla were not completely peaceful and regularly rated other Apache groups, they were not threatened with obliteration until the Europeans showed up.

  The American Indian wars around 1850 forced the Jicarilla Apache to become one of the most feared groups in the Southwest. Subsequent US military actions were met with a fierce defense. Ultimately, however, the group was killed, died due to disease, starvation, or exposure, or dispersed to other areas.

  The Long Journey to a Reservation

  After the battles, broken treaties, and other efforts to destroy the Jicarilla Apache completely, the group was left without any land to call their own. Representatives arrived in Washington DC in 1873 for the first request but were not granted reservation land until 1887. The area did not include traditional sacred lands or areas suitable for agriculture. Twenty years later, additional acreage was added so that the people could start farming sheep.

  While the long struggle to get a reservation was over, it did very little to provide a bright future for the Jicarilla Apache. Natural gas and oil were discovered in the late 1940s and improved the economic standing of the tribe. A 1971 monetary payment for loss of sacred lands for $9.15 million was awarded as part of the Indian Claims Commission.

  The Jicarilla Apache Today

  While, like many other Native Americans across the United States, large numbers of the Jicarilla Apache have assimilated into modern culture, the reservation remains a focal point in their lives. Tribal children go to school there, many members work at the tribe-owned casinos and natural gas and oil wells, both sheep and cattle ranching are prominent moneymakers, and they generally welcome all modern amenities into their lives.

  The fight to get the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in the late 19th century has provided many of them with a place to call home. However, it comes with many of the common issues that plague reservations across the country: unemployment, poverty, crime, and alcohol abuse.

  The continuing effort for the preservation of the Jicarilla Apache culture exists in many of the same ways as it has for hundreds of years. Although they no longer have to defend their people from European invasion or tribal battles, their way of life still involves struggles that affect their well-being and success.

  Street Arabs of New York

  Poverty in Victorian NYC

  Street Arabs in sleeping quarters.

  Three children curled up on a metal grate in a below-grade areaway.

  New York, cs. 1890,

  W hile many modern people think of opulent furnishings, clothing, and industry in the Victorian era, things were much different for the lower classes in New York City and beyond. For those who could not afford velvet draperies and carriage rides, the mid-to-late 1800s were defined by squalor, hard living conditions, and often a complete disconnect from society at large.

  The so-called Street Arabs of New York were a vast population of tens of thousands of homeless children and youth. Most of those captured in early photographs and written about were boys.

  The Truth About Poverty in Victorian Times

  The Industrial Revolution may have heralded a new age of products and possibility, but it also boosted US immigration numbers by a lot and flooded New York City. All of these people needed places to live and jobs so they could support themselves and their families. These conditions simply did not exist for many.

  With limited or no regulation, tenement homes sprouted up everywhere. Families got barely enough floorspace to lie down at night, had no access to hygienic amenities, and simply could not afford to care for all their children. Of course, in those times, many children went to work in the factories or elsewhere by the time they were ten or twelve years old.

  Those who could not get a position or were otherwise unsupportable ended up on the streets in the Street Arab population that was first brought to life in 1888 with Jacob Riis' iconic photograph of three small boys sleeping on a heater vent in an alley.

  Who Were the Street Arabs of New York?

  The term "Arab" in the Street Arab moniker referred to the nomadic lifestyle of these children and has nothing to do with the Middle East or Arabic ancestry or culture. They were also called urchins, gamins, or simply homeless. They existed throughout New York City in both poorer and more established areas where they begged or performed simple jobs like shoe shining, selling newspapers, and one-time jobs to fetch and carry items and similar tasks.

  The initial story and photographs that brought attention from the middle classes revealed that these Street Arabs were not all orphans as some might expect. Some were turned out by their families because they could not afford to keep them while others chose the life of a street nomad because conditions in the tenements were so dismal. They formed their own gangs or pseudo-families, cared for each other or squabbled over the slim pickings in the city, and grew up mostly forgotten if they got the chance to grow up at all.

  The Brunot Agreement

  Severe Limits on the Ute Nations

  Six tribal leaders (l to r) Little Plume (Piegan), Buckskin Charley (Ute), Geronimo (Chiricahua Apache), Quanah Parker (Comanche), Hollow Horn Bear (Brulé Sioux), and American Horse (Oglala Sioux) on horseback in ceremonial attire

  T he United States government created the Brunot Agreement in 1873 so they could take advantage of the high presence of gold and other precious metals in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. This so-called agreement is just one example of the continuing powers of the federal government over what was designated as Native American land.

  At that time, the Utes already had control of approximately 15 million acres of land given to them in the Treaty of 1868. Their reservation covered approximately 30% of Colorado and did not allow any use or specifically mining activity by non-tribal people. Unfortunately, as things frequently go for the Native American people, their claim to land was ignored and eventually turned over officially with the Brunot Agreement.

  Initial Negotiations Are Met with Failure

  As soon as the minerals were
discovered in the San Juan Mountains around 1869, the European Americans and especially the federal government took notice. By this time in history, it was standard operating procedure to remove control of anything of value from Native American people no matter where they had settled. Creating reservations outside of sacred or traditional lands was a part of this.

  When the development of mines by the Ute people began, the US government launched their efforts to have the profitable mountain regions removed from the reservation. The Utes and other groups such as the Jicarilla Apache were there to strengthen the refusal to sell the land and attempt to enforce the removal of trespassers as promised by the original treaty.

  The Brunot Agreement — A Matter of Delay and Deceit

  Despite the refusal of the Ute and other first Nations people to allow their mining land under the control of the government, they did not have the power to keep non-native miners off their reservation lands. Throughout the early 1870s, the incursions to gather up as much lucrative minerals as possible went on on a regular basis. Despite the treaty that stated the US would remove them, nothing was done.

  It was this type of external pressure combined with more deceitful negotiations that led to the Brunot Agreement in 1873. Felix R. Brunot, who was at the time the Chairman of the Board of Indian Commissioners, orchestrated forced negotiations that were defined more by delays, misdirection, and deceit than by any sense of fairness. He used promises for a return of a kidnapped son as leverage but did not deliver. He ultimately presented a choice of a lesser of two evils to the Ute people. Either sign the Brunot Agreement and get compensated for the land or lose it by force.

  The acceptance of the Brunot Agreement lost the Ute people a large percentage of their existing reservation, rights to many of the mineral mines in the mountains, and some of their prime hunting land. The American towns that sprung up near the mines grew quickly and expanded into land still owned by the tribe. Ultimately, the same thing that happened to so many other Native American peoples happened in western Colorado. The march of so-called progress through the west took over and the Utes could no longer remain on their traditional lands.