Authors: Constance O'Banyon
Maleaha smiled, feeling pleased that Mangas should remember her. She pushed her memories aside and returned to more important matters.
"I wish you would take Colonel Johnson to the Jojoba village, Father. Please reconsider."
Jonas stood up abruptly. "No, and that's my final word on the subject. I have some important business in Albuquerque. I am leaving in the morning and will be gone for two weeks. If, by the time I return, there have been more incidents, I will ride to the Jojoba village and talk to Mangas, but I go alone."
Maleaha knew better than to argue with her father, but she feared that anything could happen in two weeks. She shuddered when she thought about a war between her mother's people and her father's race. Either way it turned out she would lose. She stared at the brightly patterned rug, while a plan formed in her mind.
The patrol was mounted and waiting as Kanen Benedict strolled toward Colonel Johnson's office. He nodded to the soldier who was holding the reins of his horse.
"Prepare to move out as soon as I report to the colonel," he said, working his fingers into his leather gloves.
He saw the men staring at something and turned to see what had attracted their attention. He swore under his breath as he saw an Indian girl walking in the direction of the colonel's office. He would find out later who had allowed her access to the fort, but right now, he would personally escort her to the gate. There were two old Indian men walking on either side of her. Stepping up his pace, Kane tried to intercept her before she reached the colonel's office.
She was dressed in soft buckskin that came to just below her knees and high-topped moccasins that disappeared beneath the fringe at the bottom of her dress. Black hair hung down her back to her waist and was encircled with a turquoise and silver-beaded headband. She was slender and moved with a grace that surprised Kane. He could not see her face, but instinct told him that she would be no different from the many other Indian maidens he had seen, with their dark eyes and high cheekbones. His eyes traveled over her hips, which seemed to be moving enticingly, and Kane felt a flicker of desire. He had never been drawn to an Indian before, and he thought one look at her face would discourage him. He had never been partial to midnight-black eyes.
Kane knew he would never overtake her before she reached the colonel. He watched her climb the steps, while the two old Indian men stationed themselves on either side of the door. Who in the hell did she think she was, going into the colonel's office uninvited?
As Kane reached the steps, the two Indians eyed him for an instant, then dismissed him as unimportant. Kane suspected one of them would be the girl's father.
"My dear, what a pleasant surprise. You are looking very lovely. I had heard you were back home. What brings you to the fort?" Colonel Johnson said, smiling brightly. Kane heard the friendly greeting to the Indian girl, so he did not show her the door as he had intended. He didn't have time to fool with her anyway; his men were waiting in the heat for him to join them.
"Excuse the interruption, sir, but I am ready to leave," Kane said, snapping to attention.
"Proceed carefully, major. Mangas is not to be underestimated," the colonel said.
"Wait!" the Indian girl said, turning to face Kane.
His eyes widened and he was speechless as he saw her beautiful face. He stared openly at her lovely green eyes, trying to remember where he had seen eyes that color before.
The moment Maleaha turned to face Kane she was struck by his handsome good looks. She was startled by the color of his eyes. Never before had she seen silver-colored eyes. She noticed he was assessing her, and for some reason she took an immediate dislike to him, though she could not have said why. She knew he was the kind of man that most women were drawn to, but she did not trust him. His eyes were insolent as they moved from her face to the swell of her breasts and then down her body. She could tell he expected her to join the other women who worshipped him on first sight. It seemed to be something he expected, and she doubted he had ever failed but for this time. She found to her dismay that she was trembling.
Kane flashed a smile that showed his white teeth. How was it possible to find such beauty in such an unexpected place? He realized he was staring, and he knew he was making her feel uncomfortable. Who was she, and what was she doing here?
"My dear, I would like to introduce you to Major Kanen Benedict. Major, Miss Deveraux. You met her father yesterday," the colonel said, breaking the spell that seemed to hold both Kane and Maleaha.
So this was Jonas Deveraux's daughter. A half-breed, Kane thought. That explained her green eyes.
Maleaha studied the handsome man. His eyes seemed to probe to the very depths of her soul. She held her breath, thinking that their meeting was predestined, that it was fated to happen, and wondered why she should feel that way.
Kane had never been introduced to an Indian maiden before, and he did not know how to acknowledge her. Would she be insulted if he took her hand as he would if he had just been introduced to a white girl?
Seeing indecision in his face, Maleaha nodded her beautiful head slightly and turned back to Colonel Johnson.
"My father told me of the talk you had yesterday."
Kane noted that her voice was lovely, deep and throaty, and her command of English was perfect. She seemed well educated.
"Did Jonas tell you he refused to lead us to the Jojoba village?" The colonel asked her.
"Yes, but if you will allow me to, I shall go in his stead."
The colonel looked at her in surprise. "You would be willing to help us find Mangas?"
Maleaha laughed. "Mangas is not lost, colonel. I know where he is."
"Of course, you would know where Mangas is!" He looked at her thoughtfully. "If you go along, it may work out better than if Jonas had agreed to go."
Kane circled around the desk so he could have a better view of the Indian girl. His eyes swept over her beautiful face, taking in her delicate features.
Maleaha looked briefly at the major, then spoke to the colonel. "I have known Mangas for most of my life, so I will ask you to trust me to know the best way to approach him. It would be reckless and very foolish to ride into his camp with a group of soldiers. I will take you to Mangas, but you must come alone. Otherwise, I must refuse to go with you, as did my father."
Colonel Johnson nodded in quick agreement. He knew her well enough to tell she meant just what she said.
"Does your father know you are here?" The colonel asked, knowing the answer before he asked. Jonas would never allow Maleaha to go to the Jojoba village without him.
Her eyes flashed mischievously, "No. He will be in Albuquerque for the next two weeks. By the time he returns it will be too late for him to prevent me from going."
"He will be angry, you know," the colonel said softly. "Why are you doing this, my dear?"
She took a deep breath. "I know Mangas, and I cannot believe he is the one responsible for the raids, and I do not want to see needless bloodshed. Tell me, colonel, do you accept my terms and agree to come alone?"
"Yes, I gladly accept your terms, but it will be Major Benedict who will accompany you, and not me."
Maleaha's eyes flew to the major, who was staring at her boldly. She felt instant anger at the way his eyes were moving over her body. She had never felt so disturbed by a man's attention before.
"I would prefer that you go, colonel. Mangas is a chief; he may feel insulted if you send a mere major to talk to him," she said, giving Kane her haughtiest look. She saw anger flash in his silver eyes and smiled smugly to herself, knowing she had struck a nerve.
"I am sorry, my dear. I cannot get away at the moment. I am afraid Major Benedict will have to be my representative."
Maleaha placed her hands palms down on the desk and leaned forward. "Colonel, if you are playing me false, I shall not be responsible for the consequences. Mangas is not a man to trifle with."
"I would not try and trick you, my dear. Tell me," he said, changing the subject abruptly, "what is Mangas like? As far as I know, very few white men have ever seen him. With the exception of your father, I know of no one who has talked to him."
"My assessment of Mangas might surprise you. I know him to be a gentle, kind man. As to no white men ever having seen him, chances are you have seen him many times without even knowing it. He often comes into Santa Fe dressed inconspicuously. You may have been as close to him as you are to me right now and never suspected who he was."
The colonel laughed. "Maybe you are going to be more useful to us than I thought, if you think Mangas is a gentle man. Perhaps you have seen a side of him which has not been revealed to others."
Maleaha stood up proudly and faced Major Benedict. "I will be waiting outside the gates. Good-bye, colonel. I do not know how long it will take, but. give us two weeks."
Kane stared at Maleaha and then turned to the colonel. "You do not expect me to ride out with a . . ." His voice trailed off.
"A squaw, major?" Maleaha finished for him. "I will wait for you for ten minutes! If by that time you have not come, I will ride for home." She spoke softly, but there was anger in her voice.
After she had left Colonel Johnson turned to Kane. "You will treat Jonas Deveraux's daughter with the utmost respect, major. Do I make myself clear? She is the only thing that stands between you and hell. If she were so inclined, she could ride home this minute and where would that leave us? You have less than ten minutes, I suggest you get a move on." The colonel's voice was angry and Kane knew there was no use telling him he had not intended to call the Indian girl a squaw, he had merely meant to call attention to the fact that she was female.
When Kane mounted his horse and rode through the gates, he found the Indian girl and her two companions waiting for him. He wondered what his father would think of him if he could see him now, riding to meet a potentially dangerous enemy, with a beautiful Indian girl and two white-haired Indian men as his guides.
As he rode to the side of the girl, she did not look at him but nudged her horse in the flanks and moved forward.
Maleaha had resisted the urge to ride away and leave the man who apparently had no respect for her. He thought her little better than a savage. Her Indian blood had been offended. She had no wish to tell him she was probably as "civilized" as he was. Let him think what he would, it didn't matter to her. If only this mission were not so important, she would leave him in the desert somewhere, she thought angrily.
Lamas and Salador rode just behind her, and Maleaha felt comforted by their presence. The two brothers were from the Jojoba tribe. They had lived at the Deveraux ranch since her mother had come there as a bride. They usually worked with the cowhands, but Maleaha knew they were also there to look after her. Whenever she rode away from the ranch, one or both of them would mysteriously appear at her side. Long ago they had both been accepted by the people of Santa Fe as her protectors. Maleaha knew they were always watchful for trouble of any kind. She suspected they had been ordered by her grandfather to look after her after what had happened to her mother. Maleaha never felt like she needed guarding. She had never been treated with anything but the greatest respect. Until today. Major Benedict had treated her as if she were a lowly piece of humanity. For the first time in her life, Maleaha could feel some of the pain her mother had experienced.
Kane could sense the Indian girl's anger as he rode along beside her. Every once in awhile he glanced at her, but she kept her eyes straight ahead, never acknowledging his presence. No woman had ever ignored him as she was doing. She was rude and infuriating, he thought.
They skirted the town of Santa Fe and rode to the south into open country. The two old men did not attempt to draw even with Kane and Maleaha, but rode just behind them.
After they had ridden hard for about two hours, Maleaha pulled up her mount. "We walk now, major. The horses need to rest," she said, dismounting.
Kane clamped his teeth tightly together in anger, knowing it should have been he who gave the order to dismount. Who did she think she was, telling him what to do? He was in charge. He bit back his angry words and dismounted. He had never liked aggressive women, and he liked this one less than most.
He removed his canteen from his saddle horn and offered the Indian girl a drink. She shook her head, then continued to ignore him. Kane took a long drink, wiped his mouth on his sleeve, and squinted at the sun, which seem to be beating down on him unmercifully. Glancing at the Indian girl, he saw she was watching him.
"How long have you been in New Mexico, major?"
"Six months."
"The sun burns hot here. It is not wise to drink too much when you have been out in the heat for any length of time."
His eyes glinted. Did she think he was a complete fool? He started to reply, when the girl turned to one of the old Indian men and spoke to him in words Kane did not understand. The man nodded and mounted his horse, riding back the way they had just traveled.
Kane looked at the Indian girl questioningly.
"We are being followed, major. Whoever it is is keeping well behind us, but I have known about them for the last hour. I warn you, if it turns out to be your soldiers who are following us, I will not take you to Mangas."
"I gave no order for my men to follow us. Whoever it is, it's not soldiers."
Maleaha looked at him doubtfully, but said nothing. Lamas would find out who was trailing them.
Lamas soon rejoined them, and spoke rapidly to Maleaha. She gave Kane a scorching look and bounded onto the back of her horse with fluid grace. Kane quickly remounted his horse and rode hard to try and catch up with her. Just as he drew even with her she swerved her mount off to the side and pulled up behind some bushes. As she slid from the back of her horse, she motioned for Kane to follow her.
"What's this all about?" he demanded as he dismounted.
"Hush, major. I told you we were being followed. You played me false. Did you really think I would not detect your men? I have no intentions of allowing your soldiers to find out where Mangas's village is located."
"If we are being followed, it's not by the cavalry," he ground out between clenched teeth.
She placed her hands on her hips and leveled a green gaze at him. "Lamas may be old, but his eyesight is impeccable. He tells me no less then six of your men are following at a discreet distance, major. This is where you and I part company!"
In one graceful motion she mounted her horse, but she was prevented from leaving by Kane's hand on her reins.
"Wait! I know nothing about this. I swear to you this is not my doing.
Maleaha hesitated for a moment. He seemed so sincere, she could almost believe him. It was imperative that the army talk with Mangas to avoid bloodshed. If he was telling the truth . . . ? "Show your good faith then, major. We ride hard to lose your men." She jerked her reins free from his grasp, and kicked her horse in the flanks, leaving Kane no choice but to remount and ride after her. They rode in the direction of the distant mountains. Riding through mesas and winding through gullies, they finally reached the foothills. There they dismounted and led their horses up the steep incline. When they reached the other side, one of the old men gathered up the reins and led the horses away to hide them.
Lying on her stomach, Maleaha looked toward the north. Kane lay down beside her and watched for riders. He hoped she had been mistaken. He didn't want to think that the colonel had gone behind his back and sent men to follow him.
"Major, I am constantly amazed by the white man's stupidity."
Kane felt the sting of her words, but said nothing. What could he say if she proved to be correct?
"Your men go blundering around, thinking they could go undetected. If I knew they were behind us, what chance do you think they would have had when we neared the Jojoba village? Mangas would have known about them before they were within twenty miles of his camp."
"How did you know we were being followed? I was unaware of it."
"Don't feel too bad, major. I am an Indian, remember?" She turned back to her vigil, then smiled as six blue-clad soldiers emerged over the distant mesa. They were riding about in confusion, trying to pick up the trail that had been lost on the rocky ground.
Kane expected the Indian girl to feel smug because she had been right. He waited for her to give him that I-told-you-so look, but she didn't. Turning over on her back she rested her head on her arms and closed her eyes.
"We will give them an hour or so, major, to discover they have lost our trail. By then they will have no other option but to return to the fort."
Turning over to his side, Kane propped his head on his hand and studied her beautiful features one by one. Her eyes were closed and she seemed completely relaxed. "Do you believe that I had nothing to do with those men following us?"
She smiled slightly without opening her eyes. "It doesn't much matter if you are telling the truth or not. Your men will be unable to trail us, thus you will have to go alone with me to Mangas's camp."
"For what it's worth, I was telling the truth."
"For what it's worth, I believe you. I know Colonel Johnson, and I expected him to have me followed."
She seemed to drift off to sleep. Kane noticed the rise and fall of her chest. She had to be the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was mysterious and provocative. He found himself wanting to know more about her. Her command of the English language was perfect. Did she live with her father, or with her mother's people? Where had she received her education? She seemed highly intelligent, and her manner of speech was very refined. He watched as a strand of black hair blew across her face, and he had the strongest urge to reach out and touch it to see if it was as soft as it appeared.
Maleaha was very much aware of the man who lay beside her. He was extremely handsome, and she could feel the raw strength that was confined behind his tall frame. He had a magnetism that seemed to draw her to him. She loved the way his silver eyes flamed when he was angry. She could feel his eyes on her now, and she felt a tightening in her throat. She knew if she opened her eyes at that moment she would gaze into those fiery silver eyes. She wondered why she had not ridden away and left him when she discovered they were being followed. Something about his sincerity had made her believe him when he said he said he knew nothing about it.
A short time later Maleaha opened her eyes and noticed that the major had closed his. Her eyes fell on his hands, which were brown from the sun. What would it feel like to be touched by those hands, she wondered, blushing at her daring thoughts. She closed her eyes, trying to think of something else, but soon her eyes opened to once again rest on his face. How many women had fallen in love with the handsome Kanen Benedict, she wondered? She noticed the way his dark sideburns framed his face. Her eyes flickered over his sensitive mouth, and she felt an ache deep inside as she wondered what it would feel like to be kissed by him. She sat up quickly, feeling guilty for the way her mind was beginning to work. She had never had these thoughts about a man before. She had never even been kissed, other than on the cheek. She had been well protected all her life. First by her father, and later at the finishing school in Boston. There had been any number of young men in Santa Fe who had paid marked attention to Maleaha, but she had never been drawn to any of them as she was to the man who now lay beside her. Maleaha was very disturbed by her feelings for this man. She stood up and dusted off her dress, then went in search of Lamas and Salador.
Kane sensed rather than heard someone standing over him. Opening his eyes, he saw one of the old Indians holding the reins of his horse. Kane stood up and stretched, trying to relieve his cramped muscles. Mounting his horse, he followed the Indian to the bottom of the hill. Kane had no idea if the man spoke English, and there was no time for him to ask the question that was plaguing him. Had the Indian girl ridden off and left him? Had she decided that he had been the one that had ordered the men to follow them?
As they topped a hill, he saw her waiting for him and was overcome with relief. As he drew even with her, she urged her horse forward.
After they had ridden for about an hour, Kane began to feel hunger pangs. He had eaten nothing since before sunrise, and he could tell from the position of the sun that it was now late afternoon.
Maleaha slowed her horse to a walk and Kane slowed his mount to keep pace with her. His jaw tightened in anger. The Indian girl was still in command, and there was nothing he could say to her for fear she would refuse to lead him to Mangas.
Maleaha reached into the leather bag that was strapped across the back of her saddle, removed something, and offered it to Kane.
"We ate while you were asleep, major. We did not disturb you, thinking you needed the rest more than the food." It was said without accusation, but Kane still felt the sting of her words. She as much as implied he could not keep pace with her. Kane took the food she offered him, looking at it suspiciously, wondering what it was. He was hungry, but still he hesitated, having heard all kind of stories about what the Indians ate. It appeared to be some kind of meat between two slices of bread, but what kind of meat?
"What is this?" he asked. He noticed the way she smiled at him as if she had read his thoughts and was amused by them.
"In the language of my mother's people it is called
macha haja
.'"
He raised the food to his mouth but again hesitated to bite into it. "What does that translate to?" he asked.
Her laughter bubbled out as she enjoyed his discomfort. "It translates to roast beef and homemade bread, major," she told him as she kicked her horse in the flanks and shot forward, leaving him feeling foolish once more.
Kane stared after her angrily. Ever since he had met her this morning, she had been making him appear a blundering fool, and he was beginning to resent her for it. He had half decided to throw the food away, but his good sense won over his anger. He had no doubt that if he did not eat the food it would only serve to amuse her further.
They stopped just before sundown and made camp beside a small stream. Once again the Indian girl had taken charge by deciding where they would camp for the night. Apparently she was not going to consult him about anything, he thought angrily. As he unsaddled his horse he noticed she was taking care of her own horse. His first instinct was to help her. After all, even if she was an Indian, she was still a female, and females were supposed to be pampered, or so he had always been taught. He observed how easily she lifted the saddle and placed it on the ground. No, he would not help her. She did not deserve any consideration from him. If she wanted any help from him she could ask for it, or better still, let the two Indians help her.
He unfastened his cinch as he spoke to her. "Apparently an Indian girl can take care of herself, not needing the help of a man, while the women of my acquaintance bring out the protective instincts in a man." His words sounded harsh, and Maleaha blinked, knowing he was trying to insult her. Why was he deliberately trying to hurt her?