Savage Flames (4 page)

Chapter Six

I saw and loved.

—Edward Gibbon

It’s been two weeks now,” Lavinia said as she sat on her bed, resting her back against the headboard. She was in a robe, for
she never knew when Hiram might decide to come and check on her, to see if she felt strong enough today to leave her room
and join him at the dining table for dinner.

“Do you think it’s been long enough, Mama?” Dorey asked as she worked on her embroidery. “Aren’t you tired of being in this
room? Surely Uncle Hiram has lost interest in his idea of making you his wife.”

“In just two weeks?” Lavinia said, laughing. “He won’t forget it until he has one foot in hell. I would gladly go there so
that I could push him in the rest of the way.”

“Mama, he asks me too often about you,” Dorey said, resting her embroidery work on her lap. “It’s making me nervous. I have
to tell him one lie after another. I’m getting quite uncomfortable making up so many stories.”

“I’m sorry to be the one to make you lie,” Lavinia said. She sighed heavily. “But there is no other way. I despise the very
ground Hiram walks on. I would die if he so much as touched me. And if I were his wife, I would be…duty bound…
to allow him to do more than that.”

“I will tell him the necessary lies until the day I die if it keeps you from having to endure something as horrible as that,”
Dorey said. She shuddered. “So don’t worry, Mama. I’m sure God understands why these lies are necessary.”

“It’s only a game, and it shouldn’t have to be necessary for much longer,” Lavinia said. She slid from the bed. She ran her
fingers through her long, golden hair, slipped her feet into soft slippers, then went to a window and threw open the shutters
so that the morning sunlight could filter in and brighten the room.

As usual, she gazed at the old oak tree where she often saw the Indian sitting and looking, it seemed, directly up at her
window. She hadn’t seen the panther for a few days and wondered why.

“Mama, Twila seems happy being here in the house with us,” Dorey said.

Her daughter’s voice drew Lavinia’s eyes from the tree, but she never seemed now to be able to put the handsome Indian from
her mind. Lavinia turned just as Dorey got up from her chair and came to join her by the window.

“I’m so glad that Twila is doing alright even though her parents are no longer there for her tolove and spend the evenings
with. The evenings were the only time they had together, you know,” Lavinia said. She took Dorey by the hand and led her to
the bed, where they both sat on the edge as they continued to talk.

“Hiram pushed them so hard even after Virgil begged him not to be so cruel to the slaves,” she murmured. “Your father was
too soft-spoken. He allowed Hiram to walk all over him, and it was Hiram who got his way for the most part. Now? With Virgil
not here to keep an eye on what’s going on, I would hate to see how Hiram is treating the slaves.”

“At least Twila doesn’t have to take such abuse,” Dorey said. “Uncle Hiram hasn’t so much as laid a hand on her since she
moved into our house. He knows how much you and I love her. And surely he must feel some guilt over how he treated her parents
…killing her mother in cold blood. Mama, we should have gone to the authorities and turned him in, but even they have
no pity for slaves or how they are abused by their owners. It would have been time wasted.”

“Dorey, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about something very private,” Lavinia suddenly said. She looked intently into her
daughter’s smoky-violet eyes. “It seems only right that you should know, especially now, since your Uncle Hiram is causing
us both such distress, wanting me to marry him. One day you will meet a man and want to marry him. I want you to know that
there is more than one reason to marry a man.”

“What do you mean?” Dorey asked. She looked in wonder into her mother’s eyes. “What other reason can there be besides loving
the man you marry?”

“There are such things as arranged marriages,” Lavinia said, her voice tense.

“Arranged…?” Dorey said. She arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean…arranged?”

“Dorey, that is why your father and I were married, not out of love,” Lavinia murmured. “You see, my parents and his were
best friends. Both families were wealthy in their own right. They wanted to combine this wealth. They saw a marriage between
myself and your father as the best way, because they knew how much we cared for one another already. But what we felt wasn’t
true love. We just cared for one another as friends who admired each other.”

“So it was because of money that you and Papa married?” Dorey asked, her eyes widening in surprise. “But you seemed so devoted
…so loving. Surely you were in love.”

“There are many ways to love a man,” Lavinia said. She suddenly felt awkward, and somewhat trapped, for she had never discussed
anything like this with her daughter before.

Yet she knew this had to be done. One day her daughter would meet a man and fall head over heels in love with him. Lavinia
wanted Dorey to feel comfortable with such a love as that.

“And you just didn’t love Papa in a way that made you feel passionate about him?” Dorey asked, causing Lavinia to gasp. She
had never dreamed that her daughter even knew the word “passionate.”

“And how do you know about such things as…passion?” Lavinia asked guardedly, taking both of her daughter’s hands.

“Mama, you know how much I love books and that I am an avid reader,” Dorey said, blushing slightly. “I love going through
the books in our library. That word ‘passion’ appears often when relationships are written about in books.”

“My word, have you been reading romantic novels?” Lavinia asked, pulling her hands away from Dorey’s and placing them on her
daughter’s cheeks. “I wasn’t certain they were called that, but yes, I have read books that describe the love between men
and women,” Dorey said, blushing. “But this love never goes beyond kissing in the books I read, Mama, and holding hands.”

“I should go to our library and check the books more carefully,” Lavinia said, laughing absently.

“Mama, I am no longer a child,” Dorey said. She gently took her mother’s hands from her face. “I am going on nine, you know.”

“And that is so old,” Lavinia replied, laughing softly. “But back to what we were discussing: my marriage to your father.
I respected him and he was good to me, as I was to him. I still find his death devastating. But I just felt that you needed
to know about my reason for marrying your father. Our marriage had worked for both of us until he died. We were content together,
and a precious, sweet daughter was born of our comfortable marriage.”

“Oh, Mama, I miss Papa so much,” Dorey said, suddenly flinging herself into her mother’s arms andhugging her fiercely. She
sobbed. “Why, oh, why did he have to die?”

“I’m beginning to think we will never know,” Lavinia said, smoothing her fingers through Dorey’s soft, golden hair.

Dorey leaned away from Lavinia and gazed into her eyes. “Thank you for telling me about your feelings for Papa and why you
married,” she murmured. “I hope one day to find a man…a true love for myself.”

“Darling, you will,” Lavinia said. “In time, you will. You are too young now, though, to think about it. But you aren’t too
young to understand what I’ve told you about marriage and love.”

Dorey suddenly left the bed. She turned and gazed into Lavinia’s eyes. “Mama, I would love to do something today that you
might not approve of,” she said, her eyes no longer filled with tears, but instead with a quiet excitement.

“And that is?” Lavinia said, moving off the bed, too.

She went to the window and gazed at the old oak tree again, trying to fight back her curiosity about the handsome Indian.

“I want to go canoeing,” Dorey blurted out, bringing Lavinia’s eyes quickly to her again. “I haven’t gone since before Papa’s
…death. I…I…need this, Mama. Canoeing gives me such peace. And I miss my time alone in the canoe, exploring.”

Lavinia tried not to show her uneasiness about her daughter leaving the plantation grounds.

But she understood Dorey’s restlessness.

Lavinia had been the same sort of child; she could never stay in one place for long.

She had always loved exploring.

She…still…did!

And surely always would.

She didn’t want the loss of her husband to take away her love of adventure.

“Alright, go and do your exploring,” Lavinia agreed. “But do not venture farther than where I have instructed you is safe.
Stay within shouting distance of the slaves in case you get into trouble. They will alert either me or Hiram if necessary.”

“Oh, thank you, Mama,” Dorey cried, again hugging her.

Then she stepped away from Lavinia and asked, “Do you think Twila can go with me this time? I believe Uncle Hiram has gone
to Fort James. Usually when he goes to play poker with his friends at the fort, he is gone for some time. He will never know
that I have taken Twila canoeing with me.”

“Dorey, don’t you know…your Uncle Hiram seems to have eyes in the back of his head. Truly, you’d best not invite Twila
to go with you,” she said regretfully. “It could cause trouble should Hiram ever find out. It is not wise to tempt fate. It
is good that we have Twila staying in the house where we can keep an eye on her. Let’s leave it at that.”

“Can she at least go with me to the river and see me off in the canoe?” Dorey asked, begging with her eyes.

“I see nothing wrong with her doing that,” Lavinia said. “Go. Scat. Have fun.”

“I shall,” Dorey said, hurrying to the closed door. She turned and smiled at Lavinia. “Oh, Mama, I shall! Thank you.”

Lavinia nodded and watched her daughter leave the room, then went to the window again and peered out at the old oak tree.

She knew it was strange that she wasn’t concerned about Dorey going canoeing today. Somehow she sensed that the Indian was
close and would keep her safe.

It seemed that the handsome Indian came often now, as though he were keeping an eye on the plantation, making sure Lavinia
was safe. He seemed to have appointed himself her protector, even though they had never actually met or spoken.

She just saw him in the tree, watching.

Sometimes she still saw the panther, too, but not as much as she had at first.

Lavinia’s eyes were drawn elsewhere as she watched Dorey and Twila running toward the river, hand in hand, giggling.

Several large canoes rested on the banks of the river, along with one small one, which was Dorey’s. Dorey dragged her canoe
into the water as Twila watched.

Twila’s voice wafted up to Lavinia as she asked Dorey to keep an eye out for her pappy. The girl added hopefully that maybe
he was not dead at all, but hiding somewhere in the Everglades.

Lavinia was glad when she heard Dorey tell Twila that she was not going to travel as far as the swamp, but only a little way
downriver to smell the tropicalflowers that grew not far from the plantation grounds.

Lavinia saw Twila wipe tears from her eyes as she watched Dorey paddle away. Then she turned and walked with lowered eyes
back toward the house.

Lavinia wanted to go outside and comfort Twila, but although she knew that Hiram should be gone for some time, she did not
want to take the chance of his suddenly appearing and finding her well enough to have left her bed.

For now, it was best that she still play this game, but she knew that it couldn’t go on much longer.

She must never allow herself to forget that Hiram was not as stupid as he seemed!

Chapter Seven

I love those who yearn for

The impossible.

—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

The morning sun streamed through the open door of the lodge where Joshua lay on a thick pallet of blankets and furs. He was
healing quickly from the wound made by the poisoned arrow.

Chief Wolf Dancer had just brought him some warm soup made from turtle meat and was sitting beside him.

Warmed by the soup, and feeling thankful that he was alive, Joshua gave Chief Wolf Dancer a wide, toothy smile. “Thank you
for saving my life,” he said, although he had already thanked the young chief many times. “I wish my wife and daughter were
here with me. They are not safe while they are at the plantation with dat evil man. If he would shoot his very own brotha’,
who is to say what he might do to mere females who are helpless to protect themselves. With me no longer there to work in
the tobacco fields, he might decide that both my wife and daughter are too worthless to keep around. He often gripes about
how much foodhe has to feed the slaves. Now he might choose to stop feeding my family altogether.”

“I will find a way to bring them to you,” Wolf Dancer said, pausing when two young braves came to the door and peered inside.
He went outside to them. “What is on your minds this morning?” he asked, looking from one to the other.

“Can we go exploring today in our canoe?” Running Bear asked, speaking for himself and his ten-year-old brother, Deer Shadow,
who stood beside him. “When we asked our mother, she said to ask you. As our chief, you say who can and who cannot leave our
island.”

“I see no harm in your going a short distance,” Wolf Dancer said. He placed a gentle hand on Running Bear’s shoulder, which
was already showing muscles even though he had only eleven winters. “But remember not to venture too far from the safety of
our island.”

“We promise,” they said in almost the same breath. “We understand the danger.”

Running Bear looked past Wolf Dancer. “How is the black man faring?” he asked, gazing up into Wolf Dancer’s eyes. “We heard
he was shot with a poisoned arrow. Is that true?”

“It is true,” Wolf Dancer said, frowning. “And so you see why I warn you not to travel far. Although I know who shot him and
do not expect the madman anywhere near our village, I still warn you to be careful. Take your bows and quivers of arrows.
Do not hesitate to use them if you find yourself in danger.”

“We can even shoot a white man?” Deer Shadow asked, his eyes wide with wonder.

“Only if he threatens you with a weapon of his own,” Wolf Dancer said solemnly. “But I do not expect such a thing will happen
or I would not give you permission to leave our village.”

He patted both boys on the shoulder, one at a time, smiled, then gestured with a hand toward the river, where the young braves’
canoe was moored with the others. “Go,” he said, smiling. “And if you find more turtles, bring them home for your mother’s
cook pot.”

Deer Shadow frowned. “I have never enjoyed taking turtles to eat,” he said. “They seem so defenseless.”

“If you want to grow up and be strong like the warriors of our village, you must not think that way, for food is what sustains
our people,” Wolf Dancer replied. “Turtle meat is one of our people’s favorites. It is necessary for you to gather turtles
for their meat. Do you understand?”

Deer Shadow humbly lowered his eyes. “Yes, I understand,” he said meekly. He looked quickly up at Wolf Dancer again. “I want
to be a skilled hunter and to make you, my chief, proud. If that means bringing home turtle meat, I shall do it.”

“That is good,” Wolf Dancer said. He gently patted the boy on his shoulder. “Go. Tell your mother that I have given permission
for you to leave the village, but do not stay away from your home long. Your mother will worry.”

“We will be gone only long enough to enjoy ourtime on the river and then return,” Running Bear said, sliding an arm around
his younger brother’s shoulders. He gazed into Deer Shadow’s dark eyes. “Come, brother. We must tell our mother, and then
we can do as we planned.”

As the young braves looked into each other’s eyes, Wolf Dancer thought he saw some silent communication between them, as though
they had a plan that they were not sharing with him.

It was the mischievous, anxious look in their expressions that told him this, yet he did not speak of his feelings and suspicions.
He did not want them to think he did not fully trust them.

He watched them turn and run off, go into their mother’s hut, then soon leave again, giggling and running hard toward the
thick brush alongside the river.

Wolf Dancer continued to feel uneasy as he saw them disappear into the thicket, their giggles still audible as they spoke
anxiously to each other about their adventure.

Wolf Dancer tried to hear the details of the adventure they were discussing, but it was impossible. When he couldn’t hear
their voices any longer, he shrugged and told himself the young braves were just happy to be allowed to leave the village
for a while. All children their age needed some adventure. Having talked long enough with Joshua, and knowing that the injured
man still needed rest in order to regain his full strength, Wolf Dancer walked toward his home.

He only stopped occasionally to stare in thedirection from which he had last seen and heard the young braves.

He wondered again why they had seemed more anxious than usual to go canoeing today. Again he shrugged and went on his own
way.

Meanwhile, the young braves had reached the canoe, pushed it out into the water, and climbed aboard.

“Big brother, I have never been so excited as I am now,” Deer Shadow said. He drew his paddle through the water in unison
with his brother. “Do you think the plan will work?”

“It should, for we have been careful to make our preparations whenever we were allowed to leave the village,” Running Bear
said. He looked over at his brother and smiled broadly. “I am so excited. Today might be the day we see and abduct her.”

Both wore only breechclouts and moccasins, as well as a necklace around each of their necks, with the fangs of a snake hanging
from it.

They were proud of their necklaces. Deer Shadow had stood by and watched his brother kill the two snakes from which he had
taken the fangs.

Deer Shadow smiled even now as he remembered how his brother had done it.

Running Bear had cut a pine knot from a tree and used it as a club to kill each snake. After cutting off the heads, he’d taken
out the fangs and hung them on the necklaces.

Both their father and their chief had applauded their bravery, so they wore their necklaces with much pride every day.

Their long, black hair fluttered in the wind as they paddled down the river away from their village.

“I’m so excited,” Deer Shadow said, his thoughts about their matching necklaces already far from his mind. “We have the tree
house ready, but what if she doesn’t come today? She hasn’t for several days now. What if she never goes canoeing again?”

“I have watched her many times, and I can tell that she has the same adventurous nature as we do, little brother,” Running
Bear said, smiling. “It is that adventurous nature that attracted us to her. So, if she does not come today, perhaps she will
tomorrow, or the day after that. All I know is that we are ready for her. We just have to be patient.”

“I know,” Deer Shadow said, sighing. “But I do not like having to be patient. And I am not certain how many more times our
chief will allow us to leave the village. He might already be suspicious of what we are doing.”

“What if our plan brings whites searching for the white girl and causes trouble for our people?” Deer Shadow asked anxiously.

“Stop whining, and stop thinking such things,” Running Bear said, his tone impatient. “We have this planned out carefully.
We will not cause trouble for our people.”

“I am not so certain of that,” Deer Shadow said, flinching when his older brother cast him a heavy frown.

“Little brother, we are going to steal away the white girl that we have seen traveling alone in her canoe,” Running Bear said.
“We have carefully prepared a place for her to be taken to. In time she will realize that we do not mean to harm her, but
only to enjoy being with her for a while, so that she can tell us of her customs. Will that not be exciting, little brother?”

“I do not believe she will be excited, but instead very, very afraid,” Deer Shadow whined. “And then…angry.”

“Little brother, we will show her that there is nothing to be afraid of,” Running Bear said. “And, yes, she will be angry,
but surely she will find the experience an adventure. We will tell her that we only want to talk with her for a while and
then we will set her free.”

“When we set her free she will go and tell her parents what we did to her. They will want to punish our people,” Deer Shadow
still argued.

“You are spoiling this,” Running Bear spat. “Be quiet if all you can do is cast doubt upon our plan. You were just as excited
about it as I…until now, when we are so close to succeeding.”

Deer Shadow cast down his eyes, then went quiet and resumed paddling through the marshy water, his eyes now fixed straight
ahead, watching for the girl.

He silently prayed to the Great Spirit, the Seminole’s Master of Breath, that she would understand why they were doing this
to her!