“Haa’he, I have.”
“Consortin’ with Injuns!” declared Mr. Wooster, coming up to his feet and shaking a finger at her. “Ye’ll come to harm, I tell ye.”
“Yes, yes, Mr. Wooster. Thank you. I’ve heard you,” Angelia said, though the man, for all the attention she paid him, might have been invisible.
“Of all the…” The rest of whatever censure Mr. Wooster had to say was lost to the wind, for he left forthwith. Unfortunately, his stench lingered behind him.
Angelia waited, for Swift Hawk did not at once elaborate on what his decision was. Unable to bear the anticipation, Angelia brightened her smile and cast Swift Hawk the most flirtatious gaze she possessed. “Yes?”
Looking away from her, Swift Hawk stiffened.
Smiling, Angelia again coaxed, “Yes?”
Swift Hawk said, “I have decided that I will help you and your brother.”
She gulped. “You have?” Slowly, Angelia stood. “You will?”
“Haa’he.I will.”
The feeling of relief was so great, Angelia became incapable of speech. Something powerful had welled up inside her, and she found she could do no more than smile, although a laugh of sorts escaped her.
It sounded more like a cough to her own ears, however, and she pressed her lips together. In a moment she was able to pull herself together, and she said, “I…I am so glad you have come back and that your decision is to help.” After a time, she forced herself to move, and she gestured to a spot across the fire. “Here, please sit and join us. Have you had your supper? You are more than welcome to anything that we have.”
He shook his head. “I have returned from a hunt and havebrought you some deer meat.” With his head, he gestured to his pony, which stood behind him, busily grazing. “I am not hungry.”
She nodded. “Have you had anything to drink? May I get you something? I have plenty of water and cold coffee—even tea and milk. Please, do sit.”
Throwing down his pony’s reins, he found a spot beside their fire and sat. “Water would be good.”
Again she nodded then hurried toward the back of their wagon, where she took up a cup and ladled out water from a large, wooden barrel.
Coming back toward him, she held the cup out to him. Carefully he took it from her. So slowly did he execute the maneuver she was reminded that he might be avoiding her touch.
She voiced, “When you left without a word, I was afraid you might not come back.”
He didn’t react, didn’t say a thing.
“And…and I am almost ashamed to admit it, but…” she sighed, “…I am afraid that I actually do need you.”
Snapping his head upward, he met her stare with one of his own, and even over the distance of the campfire, she understood the question in his midnight gaze.
“I…I mean…it’s that you know my fears…and you…well, I have nothing to hide from you, and I find that I can talk to you about things that are…that are important.” There, she’d said it. She paused momentarily, and then under her breath, she added, “I can’t talk to anyone else.”
Chin up, Swift Hawk jerked his head to the left. “It is good. This is good.”
“And I will help you too, now that you are back.”
He nodded. “I know.”
“We could start tonight. I could give you your first lesson here, right now. I mean…I’m not prepared, but I could?—”
He held up his hand. “Do not busy yourself because of me.”
“It is no trouble. Please just remain where you are. I was already going over in my mind what lessons I might teach you, and I’ve made a few notes. I beg you to give me a moment to collect my thoughts.” She rushed to the back of their wagon, where she searched frantically for her books.
Finally she found them and returned to her spot next to the fire. Smiling at him, she said, “We could start with the English language, although you speak well already.” She glanced up at him. “Did Mr. Bent teach this to you privately?”
“William Bent? Did he teach me English?” he asked. “No, Bent did not give me lessons. I learned to speak the language from listening to the people at the fort. I was young at the time and am told that I picked up the language easily. But it is only recently that I have mastered it.”
