Angelia sighed once again and shut her eyes. Soon, however, a shadow fell between herself and the sun.
Pierre? Was it time to eat already?
Yawning, she stretched her arms above her head. “Yes, yes, Pierre, I’ll prepare dinner in a moment.”
She settled back for another few minutes’ nap, when she noticed that Pierre was being awfully quiet. Curious, she opened her eyes and, shading her face with her hand, she gasped.
It wasn’t Pierre standing over her, it was Swift Hawk.
Raising an eyebrow, she said, “Hello,” taking good stock of him before she once more closed her eyes. “What’s the matter?” she asked, faking another yawn. “Are Julian and Red Fox not here? Or have you somehow become lost from them?”
She heard his soft chuckle. But she paid it no attention, choosing to snub him also.
Drat the man. Truth be told, he had brushed her aside lately, neglected her at a time when she needed to speak with him and settle things between them. But she hadn’t seen him, or her brother or Red Fox these last few days, except from afar. The three seemed to be always together, but never with her.
While they had on occasion returned to her campfire in the evening, it was usually for only a short period of time, and then so late in the evening that she was almost always abed. Certainly, few could suspect her and Swift Hawk of anything irregular now.
But here the man was, standing over her, and she could practically feel the heat radiating from his body. She didn’t want to open her eyes, didn’t want to look at him or start the conversation. She wanted to sulk.
However, the silence was grating on her nerves, and so, peeping one eye open and then closing it, she said, “What brings you here on this fine spring day? Have your friends gone off and left you behind?”
Swift Hawk made no comment to this rather crass remark.
She took a good look at him, then closed her eyes again and silently moaned. Aloud, she yawned once more, pretending boredom.
Without warning, Swift Hawk sat down beside her, and peeking sideways, she caught a glimpse of a naked thigh, there where breechcloth and leggings did not meet. Her pulse jumped at the sight, and quickly she turned her head.
Perhaps she might be a little friendlier, she thought. But why?
Fact was, she was homesick, and she was yearning for conversation, for this was a caravan made up mostly of merchants, men she could hardly speak with. On the face of it, she had Mr. Hudson’s children and his mother to talk to. But that wasn’t quite the same thing.
Additionally, though Angelia was committed to telling Swift Hawk what she must, she was bothered that the man was all but ignoring her. In fact, this was so much the case, she was beginning to believe she was worrying over their encounter for nothing.
Angelia tried to remain silent. But when several more minutes drifted by and Swift Hawk sat there, not uttering aword, Angelia found herself saying, “Where are your friends?”
“Red Fox is watching your brother while your brother is busy tracking someone who is following him.”
This was rather alarming news, and Angelia sat up a little straighter. “There is someone following my brother?”
Swift Hawk nodded.
“Who is it, do you know?”
Another nod from Swift Hawk.
“Will you tell me who it is?”
“It is someone you know.”
Angelia gave Swift Hawk a sly glance. “Hey, what is this? A quiz?”
“What is this word, ‘quiz’?”
“Never mind. Does Julian know who it is that tracks him?”
“No, it is this that your brother is determined to discover.”
“I see. But you do know this person’s identity?”
