Juliet stopped. With certainty, her movement might provoke the reptile. If the rattlesnake bit Mary, she’d die a painful death.
Two Eagles moved stealthily forward, bobbing and weaving, as if casting some kind of spell, mesmerizing the snake and distracting the rattler away from Mary He slowly drew his knife and threw. Juliet’s hand sailed to her chest. The blade traveled end over end and severed the snake from its head, the body uncoiling, and writhing with its last breath.
Juliet could not move if she wanted to.
Mary fell into his embrace, weeping.
Two Eagles held her at arm’s length, and spoke angrily. “An Indian woman will learn to be as brave and uncomplaining as his brothers in the forest. The wounded wolf or bear, the dying deer never cries out in pain. The beasts bear their pain in silence, giving no outward sign. They go forward to meet danger. They shrink not from pain or suffering, sickness or death.”
Two Eagles gathered her in his arms, rubbing his hand up and down her back.
“An Indian child is taught never to cry. Loud sounds of grief will attract a wolf or panther or an enemy of the Oneidas. You must learn to bear your pain and give no sign.”
Juliet opened and closed her mouth, no more shocked than Mary who tilted her head up and stared at Two Eagles. “You speak English? Joshua said you didn’t—”
“Joshua was correct. I don’t like to speak English. I prefer my own tongue.”
Mary’s hands flew to her cheeks. “All this time…and you let me think…what a fool you must think of me…all the things I said about you.”
Two Eagles smiled and placed her palms on his chest. “I like how your heart spoke.”
She pushed away from him but his arms held her head to his chest, touching her hair. “I’ve not once seen hair this color before. It is like the gold of corn tassel.”
“I like your strong heartbeat beneath my fingers,” Mary said tentatively.
“You don’t need to fear when I’m with you, Mary. I’m a warrior and will protect you.”
“I have many fears. I am alone and the wilderness is frightening.”
Two Eagles held up her chin and gazed into her eyes. “There is no shame in fear. What matters is how we face it.”
“I have been wounded—”
“I know of the baby and the man. I listened to Juliet speak when you were asleep in the canoe and she did not know I understood English. Baron Bearsted is a coiling rattlesnake, whose bite is like the sting of bad arrows.”
“You do not judge me?”
“I would kill him. Death would be his atonement. An Indian man would never abandon his woman or his child. Nor will I ever abandon you.” Then…he kissed her.
Juliet’s eyes widened, her mouth fell open. A second later, she shook her head and not keen to be caught as a voyeur, she retraced her steps to the camp. Mary and a savage? No.
Chapter Sixteen
Juliet strode down to the river to confront Joshua regarding his deception with Two Eagles. He sat on a rock, his hair tied back with a leather thong, fingering a letter, absently lifting a lace-edged handkerchief to his nose. But it was the way he clutched the letter, grief ravaging his face. When he noticed her, he secreted the items in his pack, burying his despair, and then cast his gaze over the waterfall.
“What is it?” His tone was gruff.
She pulled herself up to full posture. “I have a matter to discuss with you. Two Eagles can speak English. Why did you mislead me?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and that devilish smile of his came back. “Oh that—”
You let Mary think and say those things about him.”
“What did she say?”
Juliet clamped her mouth shut. He’d not been around when Mary was mooning over Two Eagles like an infatuated schoolgirl. His innocent expression gave him away. No doubt, Two Eagles told him. Never in a million years would she give Joshua the satisfaction of repeating what Mary said.
“You let me struggle trying to understand him, knowing full well he could speak English?”
