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''Here now, let me take you to my private dwelling," Ralph said, suddenly nudging his way between Jolena and Kirk. "You can get comfortable with a cup of hot tea before everyone else arrives for supper. Your trunks and personal belongings are being seen to. Tomorrow they will be loaded into the covered wagons that should be arriving from another outpost. These wagons will take you where you need to go. Spotted Eagle knows the avenue of travel that will take you around the worst, impassable terrain."
The name Spotted Eagle made Jolena's heart leap. She looked guiltily at Kirk and saw that his reaction to the name was much different from her own. In his blue eyes she could see a trace of guarded anger.
Steve guided her and Kirk toward the largest and most handsome of the log cabins. She followed him inside, finding a huge stone fireplace where a soft fire burned in the massive grate; plush, deeply cushioned chairs were positioned before the fireplace.
As she looked slowly around the room, she found signs that only a man lived there and concluded that Ralph was not married, or perhaps was widowed. All the furniture was manly and crude, and lined along the far wall were his trophiesstuffed heads of deer and every other kind of wild animal to be found in this untamed Montana Territory region.
Jolena turned quickly when a Mexican woman came into the room, wiping her hands on an apron. Her graying hair was worn in a tight bun atop her head, and her eyes were wide and smiling as she gazed from Kirk to Jolena.
"We have visitors, s?, Mister Ralph?" Maria Estefan said, still smiling her approval. "And isn't she the pretty one?" she said, looking Jolena slowly up and down. "Indian? Which tribe?"
Jolena had been returning the woman's smile until she had referred to her as an Indian, going as far as asking her tribe.
There was a strained silence.
Ralph quickly interceded. "Maria, this is Jolena and Kirk Edmonds from Saint Louis," he said, gesturing toward them. "They have come to search for a rare butterfly. They will be leaving on the expedition tomorrow. Don't you think you should show them the supper you've prepared for them and their associates?"
Maria squinted curiously up at Jolena from her extremely short height, but said no more as she guided them into the dining room, which was set for the evening meal. The long oak table seemed to groan under the luxuries of the countrybuffalo meat and tongues, beavers' tails and marrow fat. A bottle of Madeira and an excellent port sat glistening in the light of several candles in the center of the table, and piles of bread and cheese looked tem?
?pting midst the other delicacies.
"Does it meet with your approval?" Ralph said, moving to the table and running his hand along its smooth, highly polished top.
"I wasn't even aware of being hungry until I saw this," Jolena said, laughing softly.
One by one the rest of the scientists and their assistants filed into the room. Jolena sat down beside Kirk and welcomed a cup of tea as Maria then filled a long-stemmed glass with wine. She smiled her thanks, yet was remembering the woman's questionwhich tribe was she from?
It ate at her insides, the not knowing.
Now, more than ever before, she had to find out her true heritage… her true father… her true people.
Somehow, some wayshe would.
Her thoughts switched quickly to the handsome warrior. Perhaps he could help her discover the truths that until now were kept from her?
She tingled from head to toe to think that she had a true reason to become closer to Spotted Eagle.
Still in awe of this woman who was Indian, yet was dressed in white clothing, Spotted Eagle only went through the motions of making camp just inside the fort's walls. Everything he did he did mechanically, without thought. He could not conceive how this woman could be anyone but the daughter of Sweet Dove and Brown Elk. No one could look so like someone without being related!
He glanced at Two Ridges as he was spreading his pelts for the night close beside the fire. He found it impossible to share with Two Ridges his suspicion that Jolena was Two Ridges' half-sister.
Looking away from Two Ridges, again occupying himself with his own chores of preparing his pelts for the night, he decided that knowing who Jolena surely was would be his secret, to be savored until the time came that Jolena would be taken to meet her true people. Then Two Ridges would know.
Only then.
Spotted Eagle did not want to share Jolena with Two Ridges for any reason as yet. It was going to be difficult enough to find ways to get her away from her white brother, this man seemingly obsessed with her.
In time, this would change, he thought, smiling to himself.
The only man who would possess and be obsessed with her would be Spotted Eagle!
He took a piece of dried meat and back fat from the buckskin pouch that he had brought from his horse, sat down by the fire, and began eating slowly, his thoughts still on this woman who so resembled the woman of his past. It was bringing back many memories that made a slow ache around his heart.
Two Ridges looked guardedly over at Spotted Eagle. When he thought that his friend might be too lost in thought to notice his absence, he moved stealthily away from the campsite. He had noticed the arrival of another Blackfoot friend of another Blackfoot village making temporary camp outside the fort walls to trade his pelts on the morrow.
White Mole did anything for payment, even if it was telling a lie to add horses to his corral back at his village.
For two horses, White Mole would do most anything.
