He paused in his motion, then shifted to a sitting position so he could see her better.
Her expression gave no sign of the tidings she brought. She could rival any Indian brave with her expressionless mask.
But what news did she carry underneath that stoic look? She must have brought the council’s decision, and their verdict had the power to set him free ... or take his life.
5
Evan held his breath as Brielle paused a few steps into the room and surveyed him, then shifted her focus to the guard.
He readied himself to interpret her French, but she spoke to the man in English. Maybe she used that language so Evan would understand, too.
“We continue the guard. The council will vote on his fate in a few weeks’ time.” She motioned the man toward her. “I’ll take over. Go. Eat. Send Philip when night falls.”
Evan’s chest tightened at her words.A few weeks. He’d been ordered to return before the new year. To meet that deadline, he’d need to head back to the States in three weeks at the most. A winter storm could blast through at any time and slow his travels, so he needed to give an extra window for that possibility.
And before he could return, he had to find pitchblende.
The guard studied Brielle even as he stepped forward to obey her command. He seemed to see something in her gaze that eased his concern. With a nod and a salute, he strode out the door. Had she murmured something under her breath only he heard?
When the door closed behind the man, Brielle swept hergaze over Evan. He couldn’t help straightening under her scrutiny. Did she see a man who was weak and injured? Or only a potential threat to her people? Both possibilities soured his gut.
Whatever she saw, her face gave no hint of her opinion. She turned and strode to her former place against the wall. But this time she slid down to sit, as she hadn’t before. She sat cross-legged, settling as though she planned to be there a while.
Her gaze hovered on him, but from the faint lines between her brows, her thoughts seemed to be far away. If he asked, would she tell him what was said at the meeting? She clearly didn’t plan to explain on her own.
He reached for a strip of rawhide that had split from the hide underneath him and fingered the piece with both hands, a gesture that should appear relaxed. His screaming belly told him he would need to lie down again soon, but he hated being in that vulnerable position. Especially in front of this woman.
He inhaled a steadying breath. “Do you plan to keep me locked up until the council’s vote?”
She gave only a single nod. Not even a word of response.
He tamped down his rising frustration. “Is there a reason your people don’t trust me? Or are you this unfriendly to all outsiders?” Perhaps he should have been more subtle, but she didn’t strike him as the kind of person who enjoyed cat-and-mouse games. She’d already proven she shot straight for the gut.
Again, her face revealed no sign of her thoughts. Nor surprise at his bold questions. She sharpened her gaze on him. “Why have you come here?”
Yup, straight through the ribs. Too bad he couldn’t be as forthcoming. But he needed to make her think he was.
He kept his expression relaxed and laced his tone with a hint of earnestness, but not so much as to sound feigned. He’d learned the skill well in his years as a spy. “I’m exploring. Little is known of this area.” Should he say anything about the government sending him? That would be as much truth as he could give, but it also might raise concerns. These people clearly wanted to remain hidden away. They wouldn’t be pleased to think a large country wanted to take control of their unusual village.
Better they think he was exploring for the sake of adventure. Although, if she asked directly, he wouldn’t lie. Not anymore. He may not answer, he may come up with a creative way to respond without giving away his mission, but he would only speak the absolute truth.
“What is it you seek in your exploration? What do you hope to find?”
Of all the focus her questions could’ve taken, how did she know to hone in on that specific detail? She didn’t ask why he came alone. Why he’d wandered so far north. Only what he sought.
He shrugged. “I suspect I’ll know it when I find it.” Then he forced a casual grin. “At least I hope so.”
Her mouth pinched, sealing away her very appealing lips. Good. He shouldn’t be thinking about them anyway, and the more she kept her questions to herself, the better.
Brielle swung the front legs of the caribou carcass off her left shoulder, then slipped out from under the load as it thunked to the ground in front of Marcellus’s mother,Jeanette. “I’m sorry I haven’t removed the skin. I’m to take my turn with the prisoner at dawn.”
“No apologies, dear.” The woman reached a hand to rest on Brielle’s arm. “I’m just grateful for the meat. And the other parts, of course. Most of them anyway.” A gentle smile wreathed her mouth, sinking deep in the lines around her eyes. As much as this woman had been through in the past dozen years, she still possessed a sweet spirit that Brielle herself had never been able to master.
Brielle nodded, then backed away from the fire the woman had been tending. “I need to go.”
“Brielle?” Jeanette’s expression had shifted to a pensive look. “The stranger ... is he dangerous, do you think?”
A lump burned up Brielle’s throat. Was she remembering the last Englishmen who’d come into these walls? That day had changed both of their lives forever. Losing her mother had been the worst thing Brielle could imagine.
