CHAPTER FIVE
Why did he feel it his duty to constantly reprove her?
Earlier tonight, Amelia McIntosh had watched Gray Falcon as he had leaned back against the upright logs that helped to create one of Fort McKenzie's walls. Standing there, he had appeared as unmovable as a boulder.
In reaction to him, she had faltered a little, having nurtured hopes he might approach her. Indeed, her flirtatious behavior tonight had been for his benefit alone, hoping he might take the hint and ask her to dance.
Yet, he hadn't done so. Instead, he had glowered at her, making his dissatisfaction of her quite plain for anyone to see.
And, now he was gone.
She was, at present, sitting upon a rather large log placed next to the dancing area. Glancing up at Pierre—one of the fort's French engagées—she laughed at an outrageous statement he made about the steamboat, calling it the "Creeping Dragon of the Missouri."
Soon the small band of musicians struck up another waltz, and when Pierre asked her to dance, she smiled up at him but said, "Please excuse me. It would be my pleasure to dance with you, but I cannot. My sister is expecting me to visit with her tonight, and I must go there. Her home is in the Indian village."
"Oui, Mademoiselle,I am employ here in de Fur Camp dis year. Soon I am to befree trappare.But, now I am to bid youbon soir, Mademoiselle."
"Bon soir, Pierre."She smiled and accepted his hand as he helped her to her feet. Looking around briefly, she saw Gray Falcon had already left. Stepping toward the fort's open gate, she hoped to catch sight of him. But, it was not to be.
She sighed. Perhaps her best course of action would be to find her sister's lodge. If her sister, Laylah, had already set up a lodge for Amelia and Sharon next to her own tepee, maybe this was where she would spend the night, instead of within the fort. Then in the morning she would return inside the gate and gather together her own things, as well as Sharon's.
She smiled. She was very likely going to spend the night in a tepee. What fun! All at once, the disappointment at watching Gray Falcon walk away became less because, in an odd way, she would be close to his people tonight and, thus, close to him.
****
As Gray Falcon strode back toward Fort McKenzie, he beheld A'sitápi standing slightly forward from the fort's main gate. What was she doing there? Why wasn't she dancing?
She was looking forward in the direction of the Pikuni encampment and hadn't yet seen him. She was so beautiful, he took a moment to stop and admire this delicate woman. There was a slight wind on the plains this night, and it blew back her hair from her face, causing the heart shape of her face to come into prominence. The slight gale also had the effect of causing her green dress to blow back, accentuating her curves and allowing him to admire her womanly figure.
Placing his blanket in front of him in case his body decided to betray him again, he approached her, not caring to sneak up on her. After all, the only reason he was coming back to the fort was because of her.
However, as he came to stand beside her, she still was unaware of him, and he murmured, "I will need to teach you to observe a little better."
She jumped. "Oh, it's you. You startled me. But, I am glad to see you. I was looking into your camp to see if I could find you. And, here you are."
"Áa.Are you thinking of going into my people's camp?"
"I was, but...as I was standing here, trying to find my sister's tepee, I have been looking at all your people's many lodges. There must be thousands of them, and I fear I became a little afraid to go into the camp alone."
"Áa, and yet I well remember a girl who used to come to my lodge almost every day, unafraid. And, by herself."
"That was because you were there and I knew you wouldn't let anything bad happen to me."
He smiled, recalling how much he had admired her courage all those winters ago. It was, perhaps, enlightening to know a part of her bravery was due to her trust in him.
"Come with me. I will take you to your sister's lodge. We should not be here together."
"Why not?"
"Because if I am alone with you too much, it will ruin your reputation. How did you manage to pull yourself away from all your admirers?"
"Oh, you mean the engagées?"
"I do."
"I simply told them I was going to go into the Indian encampment so I might find my sister's lodge, and then I left. Actually, though, I was hoping to find you."
"And, so you have."
