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Blinking, she stared up at what appeared to be the covering of a cone-shaped tent. She turned her head and glanced at the animal skins that served as walls in the dimly lit space. Evelyn groaned and braced against her elbows to raise herself up off the ground. A thick furry hide covered her, which fell from her shoulders. She shuddered at the sudden blast of cold air against her skin.
Evelyn sucked in a startled breath, and hastily pulled the cover back over herself. She was nude! Her heart pounded fiercely against her chest, and she gasped for air. Dear God! What happened?
Holding the fur tightly against her body, she rolled to her side and sat up. The blood rushed from her head, and she braced one hand against the ground to stave off the dizziness. She tried to blink away the black swirls in front of her eyes. Frantically, she scanned the interior of the tent, hoping to spot her clothing. More furs were piled in heaps across from her at the other side of the tent, and several large leather pouches leaned against each other. An assortment of wooden bowls littered the ground.
The beating of her heart increased. Memories of the weeks of traveling through the mountains with those vile mountain men flooded her mind. Henry was dead. The Frenchman, Laurent, had sold her like a steer at auction to the highest bidder. That barbarian who bid for her had carried her off, much of his face covered in thick black hair. Those blue eyes of his had stared down at her as if he could see right through her. They were familiar eyes; the eyes of the boy she had lost her youthful heart to all those years ago. He looked exactly like the savage Henry predicted he had become.
No! Please, no! She had stared directly at her parents’ murderer. Evelyn pulled the fur covers further up her neck and squeezed her eyes shut. How long had she lain here, and what had Alex done to her while she was unconscious?
Chapter 5
Evelyn gingerly pulled her legs up underneath her and sat up fully. She made sure the blanket was wrapped tightly around her. Loud voices and boisterous laughter drifted from outside of the tent, dogs barked, and a horse whinnied in the distance. Several times, gunshots went off somewhere nearby, and she cringed. Getting caught in the crossfire on the boat was still fresh in her mind. These men . . . these trappers were nothing but uncivilized savages.
She continued to scan the dim interior of the tent, searching for her clothing. A small part of her wished the illness had killed her. Her body no longer felt feverish, but her face flushed hot with shame at the thought of what that wretched beast had probably already done to her. She tried to block out the images that came to her mind, and was glad that she had no recollection of it. She could no longer be seen in civilized society after what fate had dealt her.
Wiping away the tears that rolled down her cheeks, Evelyn inhaled a deep breath. She refused to dwell on what had happened, and didn’t want to think about what lie ahead. Was there any hope to get out of her predicament? Alex Walker now owned her and could do with her as he pleased. There would be no one here to help her.
“What did he do with my clothes?” she mumbled through gritted teeth, her frustration growing when she couldn’t spot anything that even remotely resembled something she could wear. She didn’t dare move from her spot on the soft pile of furs and animal skins. After weeks of sitting and sleeping on nothing but hard ground, the furs beneath her were almost as comfortable as her bed back home.
The tent flap suddenly moved, and bright light streamed into the interior. Evelyn shrank back, and held her breath. She clutched the cover tighter to her body. To her surprise, the head of a young girl with long dark hair appeared through the opening. She stared at Evelyn, and her lips widened in a smile. She turned her head and yelled over her shoulder, “Mama, she’s awake.”
The girl stooped over and stepped into the tent, letting the flap fall closed behind her.
“We were wondering when you were going to wake up,” she said, and sat on the ground next to Evelyn. Her bright smile hadn’t faded. She reached a hand up and held her palm to Evelyn’s forehead. “Your fever’s gone, too. Mama was hoping the willow bark tea would do some good. She didn’t know why you had a fever, but she’ll be glad to see you’re better now.”
Evelyn stared at the girl. She looked well groomed, her dark hair braided in one long rope down her back. She wore clean buckskin britches and a blue cotton shirt, and almost reminded Evelyn of an Indian maiden. Her startling blue eyes, however, were a sure indication that she was white. A soft hint of lavender drifted to Evelyn’s nose. What she wouldn’t give for a bath with some soap.
“I’m Sarah,” the girl continued. “What’s your name?”
