woman, Elspeth realized with surprise. She was hardly more than a child, fifteen or sixteen at most, but a very odd- looking child. Her dark straight hair fell to the middle of her back from a beaded turquoise band encircling her head. Her face was thin, her skin dusky, her fine features dominated by those flashing gray eyes. Her slight body was strangely garbed in a full red calico skirt and a cream-colored tunic fashioned from the tanned skins of animals. Soft beaded leather moccasins shod her slender feet and calves, ending just below her knee. Was she a savage? Her clothing resembled that of the Indians who had been pointed out to Elspeth when she first arrived in the West. She tried to remember what Patrick and Silver Dove had said since she had opened her eyes, but she could recapture only disjointed phrases.
“You were closer than Rising Star,” Patrick said bluntly. “Do you think Dom and I wouldn’t have rather had someone who didn’t threaten to cut our hearts out when we happened to get in your way?”
“You brought me here. You know me. You shouldn’t have expected anything else.”
Elspeth’s head ached. “Are you…” She trailed off. It was hardly polite to ask someone who had evidently been nursing her for some time if she was a savage.
Silver Dove glared down at her. “Apache. Squaw. Injun. Are you afraid, white woman? I carry a little knife always and I have used it three times.”
Patrick sighed and placed his hand on the Indian girl’s shoulder. “This is my cousin Silver, and she’s not as fierce as she pretends.”
“I am
Elspeth couldn’t let her go without at least trying to express her appreciation to this fierce child. “Silver.”
The Indian girl whirled at the door to look at her.
“Thank you,” Elspeth whispered. “I didn’t mean to be a bother to anyone.”
Something flickered in Silver’s face and then was gone. She opened her lips to speak, then closed them again and turned and strode out of the cabin.
Patrick dropped to his knees beside the mat on which Elspeth lay. “Waking up to Silver has to be something of a surprise, but she’s actually been very good to you. She’s nursed you day and night for the last week, and she may have saved your life. Dom couldn’t get you to eat anything and he was afraid you’d grow too weak to survive.” He grinned. “Silver managed. She pinched your nostrils shut and when you opened your mouth to breathe, she popped in a spoonful of broth and stroked your throat until you swallowed it. Dom was sure she was going to cause you to choke and started yelling at her. She told him he had a choice of finding a gentler way of pouring the broth down you or to get out of the cabin and let her do her job. He let her have her way.”
Dominic. There was something she should remember about Dominic and the night she had fallen down the slope into the gorge, but her memory kept shying away from both the man and the events of that night. She would have to think about it soon, but she was too weary to make the effort now. She was so terribly weak it seemed impossible she would ever fully recover her strength. “Am I going to be… entirely well?”
Patrick nodded. “Silver says it will probably take a few weeks, but you should be right as rain. You’ve been out of your head a bit, and we’ve been more worried about that than anything else.”
She smiled faintly. “You thought I was daft?”
He smiled. “Dom was afraid of everything under the sun. Chills, inflammation of the lungs, madness. I could almost sympathize with Silver when she threw him out of the cabin.” He frowned with sudden indignation. “But I was being quite reasonable, and there certainly was no reason for her to boot me out.”
She was trying desperately to think. He had said it would be a few weeks before she was well, but that would be too long. She had only a little money and she must set out for Kantalan before it was gone entirely. “I cannot wait.” There was a thread of anxiety in her voice. “I have to go to Kantalan.”
Patrick’s fingers gently smoothed away the frown lines creasing her forehead. “Stop worrying, it will only set you back. Just think about getting well. Dom will be back from Hell’s Bluff in the morning and you can talk to him then.” He tucked a strand of pale brown hair behind her ear. “He rode into town to get supplies and to see if he can fetch some medicine from Doc Bellings. He’ll be very happy you’re back with us.”
“Will he?” She wished Patrick wouldn’t keep talking about his uncle. She was having difficulty enough blanking him out of her consciousness. She kept seeing those translucent eyes that were both soft and hard; she kept hearing his deep, gentle voice soothing… No, there was something wrong. Dominic was not a man who was either gentle or soothing, certainly not in regard to her. “Should you be away from Killara this long? Won’t your grandfather worry?”
“He’s probably sent one of my uncles into town to ferret me out of Rina’s. Someone will have told him I left to hunt for Dom.”
Dominic again. She closed her eyes, shutting out both the name and the image it recalled. “I think I’ll sleep now. I’m very tired.”
“You do that.” She heard a rustle as Patrick rose to his feet. “I’ll be here when you wake up, and, if you need anything, just call and I’ll fetch it.”
“Go Patrick, can’t you see you’ve worn her out.” It was Silver Dove’s voice.
Elspeth’s eyes opened to see the Indian girl standing in the doorway.
An amused smile touched Patrick’s lips. “You came back. Now, I wonder why you decided to do that, Silver?”
Silver gave him a disdainful look. “I’ve spent valuable time healing this woman. Why should I let your white man’s blindness destroy what I’ve created? You would have her dead or crazed within a week.”
“You’re probably right.” Patrick’s expression was solemn. “So I guess you’d better stay around and protect her from Dom and me. Right, Cousin?”
Silver started to frown, then a faint reluctant smile touched her lips. “That is my intention… Cousin.” She glided forward and dropped to her knees beside Elspeth. “Leave us, I will care for her until she is able to defend herself.”
Defend herself. What a curious phrase, Elspeth thought. Is that how Silver looked upon life, as a battle in which one must always be on guard? How terrible for a mere child to have learned so harsh a lesson. She smiled gently. “I’m glad you came back.”
“It had nothing to do with you,” Silver said. “I told you why I turned around and rode back.” She avoided Elspeth’s gaze. “Close your eyes and go to sleep. Do you wish to undo all my work?”
“No.” Elspeth obediently closed her eyes. “I wouldn’t want to do that. It’s very important I recover quickly.”
Elspeth felt Silver’s hand on her hair, smoothing it with a tenderness that amazed her. “Then sleep, I will do the rest.”
7
“She’s awake!” A broad grin creased Patrick’s cheeks as he began to untie the rawhide thongs of the saddlebags on Dominic’s stallion. “Came around late last night.”
Dominic went still. “And?”
“She’s going to be fine.” Patrick lifted off the heavy leather bag and dropped it to the ground. “Kind of hazy, but what can you expect?”
A dizzying stream of relief poured through Dominic. “You’re sure?”
“One of the first things she said was that she didn’t have time to be sick, she had to get to Kantalan. I think our little owl is definitely on the mend.”
“It sounds like it.” Oh, God, she was going to be all right! “Is she awake now?”
Patrick shook his head. “Silver gave her a bath, washed her hair, and fed her a little broth. She was pretty tired
