my man,” she said to the girl. “I’m not married. I’m going upriver to Mr. Merrick’s homestead to take care of his sister-in-law and her two small children.”
“Ah . . .” The sound came softly from Maggie and her thick brush of lashes lowered. Her lips tilted in a smile and her arched brows raised slightly. Annie Lash wasn’t sure what the sound meant, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. The girl’s mother was introducing the other woman.
“This here’s another Mrs. Gentry. We wed up with brothers.”
“Howdy, ma’am.”
Annie Lash nodded. “Where are you from?”
“Kaintuck.” Maggie’s mother answered with a yearning in her voice. “We left us a snug cabin with a good stand a fruit trees, good huntin’, a garden—”
“Our men’s been hankerin’ to try new land,” the other Mrs. Gentry said with a deep sigh. “Hit’s certain they got wanderin’ feet.”
“It wasn’t that a’tall.” Maggie turned flashing green eyes on her mother and her aunt. “It was ’cause them loony ol’ hill folk thought I was a witch, and Pa was feared they’d get a notion to burn me!”
Annie Lash looked from one woman to the other, expecting one of them to deny what the girl had said. To her surprise both women nodded their heads in agreement.
“Folks is funny,” Maggie’s mother said sadly. “My girl’s a good girl fer all her queer ways. Nobody’d pay her no never mind if’n she didn’t have the face of an angel. Menfolk say she puts a spell on ’em an’ they trail ’er like she were a bitch in heat. Times is when she takes to the woods to get away from the pesterin’. The womenfolk back thar in Kaintuck were talkin’ witchcraft, so we up and moved on.”
Annie Lash thought surely Mrs. Gentry was exaggerating. The girl was beautiful, but—Maggie stood silently watching to see what effect her mother’s words had on Annie Lash. Annie Lash smiled at her, but the girl’s expression was defensive, as if she expected her to dislike her. Suddenly, she whirled and darted into the woods, disappearing among the trees like a shadow. Mrs. Gentry gave her attention to the baby that had awakened and was pawing at the bodice of her dress.
“Don’t you think we should wait?” Annie Lash asked when the women started to leave the clearing.
“Don’t give no worry ’bout Maggie. She’ll come when she’s aready.”
Mrs. Gentry seemed unconcerned about her daughter’s disappearance. A feeling of uneasiness about the girl settled on Annie Lash. She had seemed taut, like a bird ready for flight, and had moved away from them so swiftly and silently Annie Lash had hardly been aware of it until she was gone. She’s like a wild, shy, forest creature, and quite the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Annie Lash thought. At the riverbank, she looked behind her, but there was no sign of the girl.
Overhead, the rustling wings of migrating, northbound birds caught her attention. Ahead of her the Missouri, so often hostile, repellent, lay shimmering in the late afternoon sunlight. The channel where they had entered and tied the rafts was smooth, sheltered from the main current by a string of little islands. The islands seemed to be floating in the river, idyllic ships of green carpet. The northern riverbank was splendid with the masses of darkly growing redbud set against the snow-white blooms of wild pear and plum.
Annie Lash drew in a long, satisfied breath, consciously permitting herself to enjoy the view. She was in new country and from now on every hour, every bend of the river, would reveal new and interesting views. She went to stand beside Zan. The old mountain man was her family now, and she had the feeling of belonging when she was near him. She felt every bit as close to him as she had to her pa. Zan cut a chew of tobacco, stuffed it in his jaw, and listened closely to what Jeff was saying.
“We’ll not make Saint Charles by nightfall, so we might as well make camp,” Jeff
“Ah . . .” The sound came softly from Maggie and her thick brush of lashes lowered. Her lips tilted in a smile and her arched brows raised slightly. Annie Lash wasn’t sure what the sound meant, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. The girl’s mother was introducing the other woman.
“This here’s another Mrs. Gentry. We wed up with brothers.”
“Howdy, ma’am.”
Annie Lash nodded. “Where are you from?”
“Kaintuck.” Maggie’s mother answered with a yearning in her voice. “We left us a snug cabin with a good stand a fruit trees, good huntin’, a garden—”
“Our men’s been hankerin’ to try new land,” the other Mrs. Gentry said with a deep sigh. “Hit’s certain they got wanderin’ feet.”
“It wasn’t that a’tall.” Maggie turned flashing green eyes on her mother and her aunt. “It was ’cause them loony ol’ hill folk thought I was a witch, and Pa was feared they’d get a notion to burn me!”
Annie Lash looked from one woman to the other, expecting one of them to deny what the girl had said. To her surprise both women nodded their heads in agreement.
“Folks is funny,” Maggie’s mother said sadly. “My girl’s a good girl fer all her queer ways. Nobody’d pay her no never mind if’n she didn’t have the face of an angel. Menfolk say she puts a spell on ’em an’ they trail ’er like she were a bitch in heat. Times is when she takes to the woods to get away from the pesterin’. The womenfolk back thar in Kaintuck were talkin’ witchcraft, so we up and moved on.”
Annie Lash thought surely Mrs. Gentry was exaggerating. The girl was beautiful, but—Maggie stood silently watching to see what effect her mother’s words had on Annie Lash. Annie Lash smiled at her, but the girl’s expression was defensive, as if she expected her to dislike her. Suddenly, she whirled and darted into the woods, disappearing among the trees like a shadow. Mrs. Gentry gave her attention to the baby that had awakened and was pawing at the bodice of her dress.
“Don’t you think we should wait?” Annie Lash asked when the women started to leave the clearing.
“Don’t give no worry ’bout Maggie. She’ll come when she’s aready.”
Mrs. Gentry seemed unconcerned about her daughter’s disappearance. A feeling of uneasiness about the girl settled on Annie Lash. She had seemed taut, like a bird ready for flight, and had moved away from them so swiftly and silently Annie Lash had hardly been aware of it until she was gone. She’s like a wild, shy, forest creature, and quite the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Annie Lash thought. At the riverbank, she looked behind her, but there was no sign of the girl.
Overhead, the rustling wings of migrating, northbound birds caught her attention. Ahead of her the Missouri, so often hostile, repellent, lay shimmering in the late afternoon sunlight. The channel where they had entered and tied the rafts was smooth, sheltered from the main current by a string of little islands. The islands seemed to be floating in the river, idyllic ships of green carpet. The northern riverbank was splendid with the masses of darkly growing redbud set against the snow-white blooms of wild pear and plum.
Annie Lash drew in a long, satisfied breath, consciously permitting herself to enjoy the view. She was in new country and from now on every hour, every bend of the river, would reveal new and interesting views. She went to stand beside Zan. The old mountain man was her family now, and she had the feeling of belonging when she was near him. She felt every bit as close to him as she had to her pa. Zan cut a chew of tobacco, stuffed it in his jaw, and listened closely to what Jeff was saying.
“We’ll not make Saint Charles by nightfall, so we might as well make camp,” Jeff
Similar Books
