Gypsy in Black: The Romance of Gypsy Travelers (23 page)

“
What's wrong with my horse?
”

The
Rom Baro
laughed, sendi
ng chills down Sahara's spine. 
She recognized that laugh from th
e night at her father's saloon.
It was his cheating laugh. 
“
A
ny man with eyes and some sense
about horses can see your stallio
n has laminitis.
”

The farmer made a face of disbelief. 
“
That st
allion's fine! 
There ain't one thing wrong wit
h it.
”
  But his expression said
otherwise.  Worried, he ran his
fingers through his dirty hair
and glanced the stallion over.

The
Rom Baro
started to w
alk away again. 
“
Then you keep
it.
Let it fou
nder on your farm rather than my trail
while pulling a wagon.
”

“
Now wait a minute.
”
  The far
mer stepped in front of the
Rom Baro
, eager to rid himself of the
sickly stallion.  A sick horse
couldn't plow fields or pull wago
ns.  Especially one destined to
die. 
“
Maybe we can come to some sort of agreement.
”

“
Agreement?
”
  The
Rom Baro
cr
ossed his arms over his chest. 
“
I will listen to you, yes.
”

“
Now...
”
  The farmer
rubbed his stubbly double chin,
glancing at his sick horse agai
n. 
“
You say my stallion's ill,
right?
”
  He looked back at the
shriveled
old gypsy before him. 
Hooking his fingers under his arm
pits, the farmer tried to sound
authoritative. 
“
I know enough abo
ut horses to say he ain't.  But
that mare you got looks mighty fine.  And I need a brood mare more than I need a st
allion.  We was gonna trade the stallion for
the mare plus twenty dollars cash
, right?  Well, forget the cash
and call it even.
”

An angry frown crossed the
Rom Baro
's face as he shook his
head once. 
“
We can call it off
, yes.  Not even.
”
  He tried to
walk away again.

The gadjo refused to let the gypsy pass h
im.  He took a firm
hold on the
Rom Baro
's arm. 
Desperately
, the farmer mumbled in a
low voice,
“
I need that mare.  Ain't much chance for me to find
one again for a while after you al
l
leave.  What kind of bargain
would you accept?
”

The
Rom Baro
looked at th
e stallion then turned to
Nicolae
. 
They exchanged some more unin
telligible words.  Finally,
Nicolae
nodded to the
Rom Baro
.  The
Rom Baro
smiled and turned back to
the farmer. 
“
I am a fair man.  I
do not need that mare any more
than I need a dying horse.  Bu
t you are in a situation, yes. 
Without the mare, you cannot breed
.  With your stallion, you will
soon be out a horse
but it will take us to the next town
.  I will help you, yes.
”
 

The farmer eyed
Nicolae
suspici
ously. 
“
How do I know he knows
his horses?
”

The
Rom Baro
's smile faded.  A muscle
in his cheek twitched
as he narrowed his eyes. 
“
You dare to insult me?
”

Sahara realized what was
happening.  The stallion was no
sicker than the mare was young
and healthy.  They were conning
the ignorant gadjo.  Quickly, she jumped forward, stepping in the
middle of the group. 
Although
she did not approve of cheating
such ignorant farmers, she felt a
growing loyalty to
Nicolae
and his
people.  Besides, she thought, the
mare could certainly bare once
or twice more in her life. 
“
Sir, perhaps I can help you.
”

The farmer,
previously unawa
re of Sahara's presence, stared
at her as she le
d him away from
the stunned gypsies.  The gadjo
scratched his chin again, eyeing
Sahara just as suspiciously as
he eyed
Nicolae
.  Although her attire screamed gypsy, the pureness o
f
her face told him otherwise.  Sh
e didn't look as tired and worn
out as the other gypsy women
her age.  Tilting his head, the
farmer replied,
“
You one of them?
”

Sahara glared over her shoulder at
Nicolae
. 
“
God no!
”

The gadjo raised a distrustful eyebrow at
the beautiful
girl, not sure whether to bel
ieve her or not. 
“
Dressed like
`em.
”

“
They
stole me from my ailing mum.
”

The farmer shifted his weight
uneasily.  She could've passed
as a gypsy with the dark ha
ir and skin.  But her story was
believable.  He had often heard ta
les of gypsies kidnapping young
girls. 
“
Why didn't you go back?
”

Sahara shrugged her shoulde
rs, trying to act indifferent. 
“
To what?  Mum's dead by now.
Filthy gypsies spoiled me.  No
decent man would marry me.
”
  Quickly she chang
ed the subject. 
“
That horse you got there.
”
  She
pointed at the stallion. 
“
Seen
it before.  Strikes the young ones.  Looks healthy and all.  But he's got it alright.  Look how
quiet he is.  Standing there so
still, hi
s legs
stiff and forward.  Founder for certain.
”
  Sahara turned around, no
dding toward the mare the gypsy
still held. 
“
Now that horse...`t
was my own but they don't treat
it right.  Good mare, ready to
bare.  Give the gypsy a little
money and I'm sure he'll take it for your sick stallion.
”

The farmer thought for a mi
nute then gruffly pushed Sahara
aside, walking back to the gyps
ies. 
“
Old man, give you twenty
for the mare.
”

“
Twenty?
”
  The
Rom Baro
chuck
led to himself, nudging
Nicolae
who
glared at the gadjo.  His rough treatment of Sah
ara had not gone
unnoticed.  The
Rom Baro
looked
at the amused faces staring at
him, still snickering. 
“
Did you
hear that?  Twenty dollars for
the mare.
”

The farmer grinded hi
s teeth, eager to be rid of the
stall
ion and take the mare. 
“
Twenty-
five!
”

The
Rom Baro
took a dee
p breath and held his hands out
before him. 
“
What can I do?  Thir
ty and I will trouble myself to
take the stallion off your hands.
”

The farmer lifted his chin victoriously. 
“
That's a deal!
”

As the two men settled up the bargain,
Nicolae
dragged Sahara
away from the men.  She stumbled o
ver a rock, knocking into him. 
Pausing only to steady her,
Nicolae
t
ightened his hold on her arm as
they walked until they stood by a w
agon, far away from the gadjo. 
Nicolae
loosened his grip, resting his hand above her head on the side of the wagon.  His eyes
met hers in the dying light the
sunset cast.  Shaking his head,
Nicolae
smiled, mostly to himself as
he wondered about the
feisty
w
oman he had married.  He wasn't
sure whether to scold her for so
foolhardily
j
umping into the
men's business or admire her i
ngenuity. 
“
You are remarkable,
S'hara.
”
 

She bit the inside of her
lip, staring into his handsome
face.  The way his dark eyes l
aughed at her stirred something
inside.  She began to feel warm all over.  In t
he distance,
someone laughed over the flamboya
nt gypsy music.  She could tell
by the laugh it was a drunk g
adjo. 
“
I don't approve of your
methods,
Nicolae
.  But I don't lik
e these people.
”
  She waved her
hand at the people around the fires.

Nicolae
's smile grew as he teased her. 
“
Your people, yes?
”

“
No!
”
  She stamped her foo
t. 
“
They never were my people!
Just my captors.
”
 

“
And I?
”
  Lazily, he reache
d out to stroke her long, black
hair that hung over her shoulders.
  He felt that familiar longing
grow in his groin.  Never had
a woman aroused him as much as
Sahara did. 
“
What am I to you?
”
   

Sahara sensed his amorous
ness.  Leaning her hands on his
chest, Sahara stood on her t
oes, whispering in his ear,
“
My
lover.
”

Nicolae
trailed his lips across her throat.  He
r skin tasted
sweet like honeysuckle in spring.  Placing his one hand on the back of her neck, he met her lips
with his.  Hungrily, his tongue
probed into her mouth.  She receiv
ed his passion as eagerly as it was given.
Pressing her body
against his, she
felt the strength
of his muscles.  When he pul
led away, Sahara felt a rush of
disappointment.  Confused, she
stared into his face, wondering
why he had pushed her away. 
Nicolae
h
eld her hand, raising it to his
lips.  Softly, he kissed her open palm. 
“
I will
meet you,
S'hara, in our tent.  But first, I must speak with someone, yes?
”

Her impatience to feel his t
ouch frustrated her. 
“
Can't it
wait?
”