His Defiant Wife, the Adventures of Linnett Wainwright, Book 2 (13 page)

There was a
shout from outside and the Indian spun round lifting the flap at
the entrance to admit another person. Linnett gasped in shock when
the second man straightened facing her and she recognized him!

“Will! Oh my
God, Will, it is you
– you are alive
!” she cried out, both
amazed and delighted that amidst her terror there was someone she
knew! Someone who could help her, someone she could talk to and
find out what on earth was happening!

Linnett was
completely shocked since she had assumed that Will was dead -
killed by a bear. Will and his partner Nat had found Linnett when
she had so stupidly run away from the Lammers farm and got herself
hopelessly lost. The two men had split up and while poor Will was
being chased by a bear, Nat had tried to force himself on Linnett.
If John had not arrived and dealt with Nat at that precise moment,
Linnett would have surely been raped by the fur trapper.

“Yup, ‘tis me,
girl!”

Will came over
and sat down next to Linnett, and she swung round to face him,
astonished. “B-but I saw the bear pick you up and attack you! How
on earth did you get away?”

Will grinned.
“It attacked me all right, tore my left arm clean off!”

He turned to
show his armless shoulder. The skin had grown over the wound and
was pink and puckered. “Yon native, Yaogah, saved me. He still
wears the claws of that mean old bear strung about his neck.”

Linnett peeked
sideways at the enormous native man. He certainly looked savage
enough to kill a bear. “Yaogah -- is that his name?” she asked.

“Aye ‘tis. That
child that you hold in your arms is his son, Aweont.”

Linnett nodded,
“I thought that this might be his son. Aweont...what does the name
mean?”

Will pondered
for a moment before saying, “The nearest translation I can think of
is Growing Plant or Growing Flower. The meaning is a little
different, though; it means strong, healthy, a thriving growing
being.”

“I
see......Aweont” Linnett rolled the name around, trying to get used
to it.

The small boy
sat up, appearing pleased that Linnett used his name, and nodded,
saying his name himself. Linnett smiled down at him and stroked his
cheek with her finger. Then she pointed to her own chest and said,
“Linnett.”

She noticed
that they were closely observed by the child’s father, his features
seeming to soften at the obvious rapport between her and his son.
Linnett turned to look at Will; there was so much she needed to ask
him. “Will, why has
he
,” she nodded at Yaogah, “brought me
here? My husband will be frantic with worry by now. I have to get
back to my home.”

Will looked her
full in the eye and put his hand over hers, giving it a firm
squeeze of reassurance.

“Now then,
lass, you aren’t going to like what I’m about to tell you, but just
be calm and hear me out. Yaogah lost his wife when the child was
born. Some fourteen months later, he was out hunting. He had taken
his son with him on the trip but the child wandered off and got
hisself lost. You found the child and by all accounts cared for
him.”

Linnett nodded
but didn’t interrupt as Will continued, “The child has missed you.
He cried for you for many days after they returned with him to the
village. All the time it was, ‘Mi he wi! Mi he wi! Mi he wi!’ That
means Sun Woman in their language, and that is what the child named
you.” Will reached out and touched Linnet’s hair with a finger.
“Your sun-yellow hair.”

Linnett smiled
down at the child she held. The little boy grinned back and said
her name firmly, “Mi he wi.”

Will coughed.
“Well now,” he said, “the long and the short of it is that you have
been chosen to be his new mother. Yaogah means to take you as his
squaw...his wife.”

Linnett shook
her head violently. “No! He cannot do that! I am already married!
Tell him!
Tell him now
!”

Will shook his
head sympathetically, saying, “White man’s law means nothing here.
Do you have any children yet?” he asked her.

Linnett
narrowed her eyes suspiciously and said, “N-no...why?”

“You would have
stood a chance of convincing the council that you had to go back if
there were children from your marriage.”

“Thank
goodness! It will be alright then. You can tell them that I have
children, Will.”

Will shuffled
uncomfortably. “Noo....I cannot do that, I’m sorry lass. You see,
Yaogah not only saved my life, he made me a blood brother, which
makes me a member of his family. I owe him my life, and I pledged
an oath of loyalty to him. I’m sorry, but I’ll not lie to him.”

“You would
betray your own people for these
savages
?” Linnett asked
furiously.

Will gave a
sigh and said, “Not savages! When you know these people, you see
they are an honourable people. I’d stake my life on which nation is
savage and I tell you, it wouldn’t be the Abenaki.”

“Honourable!
Snatching married women from their homes to take as their slaves!”
Linnett spluttered.

“Now be
reasonable, girl, you would not be a slave! I can promise you that.
You are miles from your home, and your husband will never find you
here and anyway, the man should have taken better care of you! On
both the occasions I have met you, the man was miles away from your
side!”

Linnett hung
her head, close to tears. “But that was
my
fault not his, if
only I hadn’t been so stupidly headstrong!”

“I best warn
you now, that here, a headstrong girl suffers. You would have more
freedom and respect in the tribe if you marry Yaogah, more than any
other squaw. He is the strongest and richest warrior in the village
and much sought after by the other women. He is also a good and
fair man, but I warn you that if you hurt his pride with bad
behaviour you will be
severely
punished. The worse thing for
an Abenaki is to lose face in front of his companions.”

“What about my
rights!” Linnett said indignantly.

“Women here
have no rights, they are squaws. You have no pride; in fact, you
don’t count at all.” Will told her.

Linnett leant
forward and slapped him hard across the face. Will didn’t move a
muscle but he lifted his hand in a gesture to stop the large
Indian, who had immediately taken a step forward, from interfering.
The child sat up, startled and looked across wide-eyed at his
father but when his father didn’t move again, the child settled
back down.

There was
silence, and then Will smiled. “It’s been a long time since a
beautiful woman slapped my face, girl. No woman would dare to try
that here, their hide would be beaten right off them! The only way
for women to have a voice is to be elected onto the council but
that only happens when women are old and wise, like Small Speech.
She will be the council spokesman.”

A tear slid
down Linnett’s cheek.

Will let out
another sigh and said, “Woman, I do understand why you are upset...
I only tell you these things to make your life here easier.”

Linnett put out
her hand towards Will. “Sorry, this is not your fault, I know that
but I am so frightened, Will! This is just too ridiculous and
impossible! I am
English
, I cannot marry a heathen! I am
married...and happily! I love my husband and he loves me. This is
insane,
none of it makes any sense! This cannot be happening
to
me
!!”

Will frowned,
shaking his head. “Well I have done my best for you, girl; now the
rest is up to you. The council will see you shortly, and if you
wish, I’ll translate for you.” Will stood up.

“Yes, translate
for me! Tell them to let me go, Will, please, please tell them to
let me go!”

“I have a
pretty young wife called Iniabi. Her name means ‘homemaker’ and we
have a babe on the way. I tell you this to show you where my
loyalties are. These people are
my
family now
.”

“I understand.”
Linnett was downhearted by Will’s statement because she realised he
was telling her that he would only help her if it didn’t interfere
with his relationship with the tribe.

“Be careful
what you say to the council and show them respect. I will tell you
this, though: one of the old men on the council has a daughter,
Running Deer. She is a pretty little thing and before you showed
up, Yaogah was to take her to wife. I have no doubt that the old
man will support you in your wish to leave!”

“Thank you.”
Linnett at last felt there was some hope for her. “Is there
anything else I should know, Will?”

“Just one
thing: I want you to tell me what happened to my partner Ned.”

“I am so sorry,
Will, he is dead ..... he...he tried to
rape
me. Luckily my
husband came upon us just in time... and saved me. It was my
husband, John, who killed Ned.... I cannot say that I am sorry he
is dead, not after he attacked me like that.”

Will gave a
brief nod and pursed his lips before turning towards the door. Just
before he stepped outside, he turned back and said, “Tarnation! I
understand about Ned.... he just wouldn’t listen to me. I knew he’d
end up dead one of these days. I don’t rightly blame your man for
killing him. Don’t you go counting on your man saving you this
time, though, ‘cause he won’t!”

When Linnett
was finally alone with just the child for company, she stared down
at his glossy black head in disbelief. Who would have thought that
an act of human kindness would cause so much grief and trouble?
Still, even had she known the outcome, she couldn’t have just left
the child to die.

But what on
earth could she do now?

She wouldn’t
marry this Ya-whatever-his-name-was, that was certain. Will had
said that he would represent her at this council, but could she
trust him? He had also said that he was now a relative of this man,
Ya-something. Bear Man -- she would call him that, since his name
meant bear and she could see why, the man was enormous! Linnett
shuddered. He wanted her for his wife but it couldn’t happen,
surely? She was married to John under God’s holy law, and God would
not allow this thing to happen, she reassured herself.

There was a
commotion outside the lodge and an elderly woman entered the
dwelling. She held out a soft suede native dress to Linnett, who
accepted the gift with a nod of her head. The woman then spoke to
the child, holding out her arms to him. He clung to Linnett,
burying his face in her neck. Linnett smiled despite the situation
and eased him upright. She smoothed back his hair and kissed him on
the forehead. “Now come along, it is time for you to go, but I will
see you before I leave here.”

Linnett placed
him on his feet and gently pushed him away from her. The small boy
turned and wrapped his arms around her neck, giving her a swift
hug, before he walked to the old woman and took her hand. The woman
smiled a toothless grin at Linnett and left, taking the child with
her.

The entrance
darkened and Will entered. He coughed, saying, “Put on the dress,
Linnett, it will honour the Council.”

Will turned his
back, and Linnett did as he bid, stripping quickly out of her torn
and muddy clothing and pulling the soft beaded garment over her
head. It was beautiful, a very soft, pale buttery colour with a
fringed hem. It was shorter than any dress Linnett had ever worn
before, ending at mid-calf and showing off her ankles. It fitted
her body like a glove, so much so that Linnett’s pantalets bulged
out at her hips. Quickly, before she thought better of it, she
whipped off her pantalets. It felt strangely liberating and free to
be bare, with no petticoats or underclothes to hamper her
movements.

“Time to go,”
Will said and folded back the hide flap for Linnett to step
through. She took a couple of deep breaths and walked slowly behind
Will. They passed through the pressing crowd of interested Abenaki
people. Will directed Linnett towards a long wooden cabin. When
they reached the steps, Will walked up and cried out in a sing-song
voice at the entrance to the building, and a voice from within sang
a similar reply. Will entered and again held the hide back for
Linnett.

Inside, a group
of mainly elderly women sat in a semi-circle around a fire.
Opposite them sat Bear Man and the child. Linnett noticed that the
elderly woman who had collected the child minutes before sat in the
centre of the women. Will bowed his head to the council before
sitting cross-legged beside Bear Man. Linnett also bowed her head
in greeting but remained standing.

Bear Man’s dark
eyes raked over Linnett’s body and then he began to speak, his
voice deep and guttural. Linnett looked down at his back, bulging
with muscles. His veins stood out like small snakes on the surface
of his thick, muscular arms and his skin was the colour of tea.

He stopped
speaking, and the elderly woman she had seen earlier smiled at
Linnett. Her face was creased and weathered with age and she looked
wise. Linnett began to feel hopeful. The old woman spoke and she
gestured that Linnet should sit but Linnett remained standing until
Will pulled her to the floor beside him. Only once she was seated
did the woman begin to speak to her again and Will translated for
her.

“Ever since the
child was found, he has longed for his chosen mother Sun Woman. You
are to be honoured by Bear Man, who wishes to take you for his
woman.”

Linnett nodded
and forced herself to listen and not interrupt. When it was obvious
the old woman had finished speaking, Linnett spoke. “My name is
Linnett. That is the name of a bird that lives in the land far away
across the sea where I come from. Please can I ask your name wise
lady?”

Will looked at
Linnett in some surprise and smiled, giving her a brief nod of
approval as he translated her words. The wise woman glanced
sideways nodding approvingly to other council members and then she
spoke smiling at Linnett. “You are right, introductions should come
first. I am Soaewaah, Small Speech. I am elected representative of
the Supreme Council and I sit among the famous League of Nations.
We the council, enforce law in our villages. You are welcome
Linnett-bird.”