Savage Autumn (33 page)

The next morning a light snow began to fall. Tag was excited when he was invited to go sledding with several young boys from the fort.

Kate came bustling into Joanna’s bedroom carrying a tray. She placed it across Joanna’s lap and then fluffed up her pillows.

“Kate, I feel so bad because you have to wait on me. I am not the ideal guest, am I?”

Kate brushed a long lock of Joanna’s hair from her face, and then handed her a fork. “Nonsense. I love having you and Tag here. An army post can become a lonely place when you don’t have any family. You and Tag have become our family.”

“You said that you had a daughter. Do you not get to see her often?” Joanna asked.

“No, Mary lives in Virginia, and I haven’t been to see her in three years. I just don’t like to leave Richard alone.”

Joanna took a bite of ham, which was seasoned with raisin sauce, and declared how delicious it was. “You are going to spoil me, Kate. I wish you would allow me to get up so I can help you with the housework.”

“When the doctor says you can get up then you can help me if you like, but until then, you will just have to be content with me waiting on you.” Kate smiled at Joanna, whom she had come to love dearly in such a short time.

Joanna sighed, knowing Kate wouldn’t give in. She intended to get up the next day with or without the doctor’s permission. She felt wonderful and didn’t want to stay in bed, forcing Kate to wait on her.

Kate drew a chair alongside Joanna’s bed. She had known that Joanna was troubled about more than her sight. She thought perhaps the young girl was dwelling on something that
had happened to her while she had been with the Indians. Kate was so kind-hearted she wanted to help, but it was not in her nature to meddle. This time, however, she thought if Joanna talked about what was bothering her it would help.

“Joanna, I’m not one to interfere, but would you like to talk to me about anything? I am a good listener and never repeat what is told to me in confidence.”

Kate had a way of drawing people out, and Joanna thought it would be good to have a woman to talk to. “You may be shocked by some of the things I will tell you, Kate.”

“No, Joanna. I already suspect that you were badly treated by the Indians. But don’t tell me anything you don’t wish to.”

“I wasn’t badly treated. I know everyone believes that I was attacked, but it just isn’t so.”

“The Indians left you untouched?” Kate asked in surprise.

“Perhaps I should start from the beginning so you will understand, Kate. Have you ever heard about a Blackfoot chief called Windhawk?”

Kate was thoughtful for a moment. “Yes, they say he doesn’t really exist but is some kind of Indian legend.”

“He is not a legend, Kate. I can assure you he is a real person.”

Joanna began telling Kate about her and Windhawk. She started with when they first met, and ended with when he left her at Fort Union.

Joanna was not aware that Kate was crying as she listened to her speak of her love for the chief of the Bloods.

“You and many others will not understand my feelings for Windhawk, Kate. But I love him and I always will.”

“Joanna, I can see that you do, but perhaps things ended for the best. Do you think a young lady with your upbringing would have been happy living in some Indian village for the rest of her life?”

“Yes. I was extremely happy with Windhawk. He was kind and gentle, and possibly the most intelligent man I have ever known. He is nothing like the stories you hear about Indians. I grew to love the people of the Blackfoot tribe. They are
warm and loving, and live by a code of honor that we could all benefit from. If Windhawk would come for me right now, I would go with him without hesitation.”

Joanna felt Kate’s hand on hers and she squeezed it tightly.

“I feel like I am lost and adrift, Kate. I will never forget Windhawk, and no one can make me feel ashamed of loving him. I will always feel that I am his wife, even if he no longer wishes it so.”

Kate could feel the pain in Joanna’s voice. The love she had described between her and Windhawk was beautiful, but she was glad for Joanna’s sake that he had brought her back. Perhaps he was intelligent enough to know Joanna needed to be with her own people.

“It will take time, Joanna, but someday you will realize it was for the best.”

“No, you don’t understand, Kate. He brought me back because he no longer cared for me. I would have been happy to remain with him for the rest of my life.”

Kate doubted that was the case. She had never heard of an Indian returning his captives. “Perhaps there will always be a part of your heart that will belong to Windhawk, Joanna. That doesn’t mean that you won’t find love again.”

“I don’t want to love anyone else.”

“Then you won’t until you let Windhawk go in your mind. You are a lovely young girl; it would be a waste if you didn’t allow yourself to feel love for a man again. I would hate to see you live such a lonely life.”

“I doubt that anyone would want a woman who was blind. Windhawk didn’t.”

“You are wrong, Joanna. I can already tell that Harland likes you a great deal. If you were to give him the least bit of encouragement, you would know that for yourself.”

“I don’t want Harland to be interested in me other than as a friend.” Joanna put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, no, I forgot! Harland and I were planning to go riding today.”

Kate stood up and took the tray. “He came by this morning and I told him that the doctor ordered you to stay in bed. He
seemed very concerned and asked me to tell you he hoped you were up and about very soon.”

Harland entered his quarters and removed his greatcoat, then hung it over a chair. Someone moved out of the shadows, and he recognized Claudia.

“What are you doing here, Miss Maxwell?” he asked, removing his gloves and tucking then into his belt.

“I had to see you, Captain. I know it is not considered ladylike to come to a gentleman’s quarters, but I must talk to you.”

Harland’s eyes narrowed. “You could have left word and I would have gotten in touch with you.”

“I did that, but you ignored my request,” she said with a pout on her mouth.

“All right, since you are here, I suppose the harm has been done. What can I do for you?”

“It’s just that I care for you so much and you always seem to ignore me,” she said, moving closer to him.

“I am very busy, Miss Maxwell. As you know, I have very little time for socializing.”

Claudia frowned. “You had time to be with Joanna last night at the dance, but you didn’t pay the slightest attention to me.”

Harland looked at Claudia’s face which was pretty enough. She was petite and had a nice form, but there was something about her that had repelled him right from the start. She somehow reminded him of a leech who would grab onto a man and never let him go. She was jealous and petty, and he found it was distasteful to him when she touched him.

“Miss Maxwell, I am surprised that you would even seek me out after the cruel way you behaved toward Joanna last night.”

Claudia’s face became distorted and there was nothing pretty about her bulging eyes nor her lips that curled into a snarl. “It’s always Joanna! Since the first day you saw her, you have been lusting after her. Well, I’ll tell you something about her that you may not know.”

“I will not stand here while you malign Joanna’s character!” Harland said, becoming angry.

“Oh, I think you will want to hear what I have to say. I overheard Farley and Tag talking about Joanna and some Indian. Do you know what they said?”

Harland was of half a mind to shove Claudia out the door, but he paused, undecided. He had been wondering what had happened to Joanna while she was a captive. The night at Fort Union when he had questioned Joanna and Tag, they had only answered his direct questions. Of course, he hadn’t inquired into anything of a personal nature.

Claudia’s eyes gleamed, seeing that she had caught Harland’s interest. “Farley and Tag didn’t know I was listening, and let me tell you, you won’t think dear little Joanna is so pure anymore.”

“What are you implying?” Harland asked, hating the fact that he was listening to malicious gossip.

“I overheard them saying that one of the Indians had taken Joanna as his wife. She allowed a savage to take what she probably denied you.”

Harland’s hands tightened into a fist. “If what you say is true, I doubt that Joanna gave her consent.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I heard Tag saying that she loved this Indian…Windhawk is what he called him,” Claudia said with a satisfied smile on her lips. “You remember him, he’s the one who rescued Tag from the river.”

Harland raised his eyebrow. “I don’t believe you, Miss Maxwell. If you came here to smear Joanna’s name, you have failed.”

Claudia pulled her shawl about her shoulders. “Oh, don’t take my word for it. Ask her brother or the old man. Ask Joanna herself.”

“Get out of here, Miss Maxwell,” Harland said in a quiet voice.

Again she smiled and walked leisurely across the room. When she reached the door she paused and turned back. “Good day, Captain.”

Harland nodded without looking at her. He had been sure that Joanna had been attacked by the Indians, but she couldn’t love one of them: She was white! He knew Claudia for the trouble-maker she was. But suppose there was some truth to her accusations?

Claudia pulled her shawl over her head, feeling that, at last she had struck Joanna a blow that she would never recover from. She had no doubt that Harland would find out she was speaking the truth. Joanna would be shunned by everyone.

Claudia now knew that she would never have Captain Thatcher, but neither would Joanna. Harland was from a very prominent family. They would never accept a woman into their family who had been an Indian squaw! Her eyes gleamed with delight. At last her need for revenge had been satisfied. Before she was through, no one would even speak to Joanna.

Joanna was tense as Doctor Morehead removed the outer bandages from her eyes. The room was dark and as before, he cautioned her to keep her eyes closed.

All day Joanna had tried not to think about the doctor’s visit tonight. When he had come by this morning he had merely checked the bump on her forehead, telling her he would examine her eyes tonight.

She heard the doctor in the outer room and waited tensely for him to enter her bedroom.

When Doctor Morehead had removed the bandages from Joanna’s eyes, she thought she detected a far-off light but she couldn’t be sure. Kate held the lamp waiting for the doctor’s signal to turn up the wick.

“Do you see anything, Miss James?” the doctor asked.

“I’m not sure.”

He motioned for Kate to hand him the lamp. “Open your eyes slowly, Miss James,” he cautioned.

When the doctor moved the lamp in front of Joanna’s face, it was as if an explosion of colors flashed before her eyes.

Joanna gasped and raised a trembling hand to her face.
Slowly, the colors diminished and she saw Kate and Doctor Morehead clearly.

“Kate, I…I can see!” Joanna cried. “I can see!”

The doctor smiled and Kate rushed forward to hug Joanna, while crying tears of joy.

“It would seem that you are completely recovered from your blindness, Miss James,” the doctor told her.

“How can I ever thank you, Doctor Morehead? It’s so wonderful!”

“It’s not me you should thank. You had the proper care when this first happened to you. The retina of your eye was damaged by the sun reflecting on the snow. The medicine woman you told me about did the right thing when she had you wear the protective covering on your eyes so they would heal. I would be interested to know what kind of salve she put on your eyes.”

“I don’t know, Doctor, I have no idea. All I can tell you is that it smelled awful.”

“Be that as it may, it helped return your sight to you. I would like to exchange ideas with this woman.”

Joanna laughed. “She Who Heals would never talk to you. She has no love for the white race.”

“Apparently she liked you well enough, Miss James.”

“Yes,” Joanna said, remembering the woman who had tended her so tenderly. “I loved her, too.”

The doctor picked up his black bag. “You have no more use for me. I would caution you to take it easy when you go out in the bright sunlight for a few weeks. We don’t want to take a chance on damaging your eyes again.”

Joanna sat up on her knees. “Doctor, may I have a strip of bandage?”

“Yes, I was going to leave you some anyway. I would like you to wear it for a while when you are in the bright sunlight.”

“I would like to put a thin strip on now so I can surprise my brother, Tag.”

Kate laughed. “That young man has been so wonderful. He is going to be overjoyed to know you can see again, Joanna.”

The doctor smiled and left the room.

Kate tied a thin strip of gauze about Joanna’s eyes which still enabled her to see.

Joanna took her hand. “It’s wonderful to see the face of the woman who has been so kind to me and my brother.”

“I’m afraid it’s an old face that has seen younger days,” Kate replied.

Joanna touched Kate’s face. “It is a lovely face, etched with kindness.”

Kate looked for a moment as if her eyes misted with tears. “I’ll just go out and tell Tag that you want to see him,” she said softly.

Joanna sat back against the pillow looking about the room. She admired the whitewashed walls, the pretty checked curtains at the window, and the braided rug on the floor. How wonderful it was to be able to see the world she lived in!

Tag entered the room, and Joanna saw his eyes searching her face. “Kate said you wanted to see me, Joanna. What did the doctor say?”

She saw his dear face crease into a worried frown. “He said I am fine. Sit and talk to me for a moment.” Joanna noticed that Tag had grown taller and he was not as thin as he had once been. It was surprising how much he had changed in such a short time.

Tag sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand. “Will you be allowed to get out of bed tomorrow?”

“Yes, I could get up now except Kate would never allow it.”