Read Online The Bride Wore Feathers by Sharon Ihle - Free Book Online
Authors: Sharon Ihle
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it was, how long could he hope for it to remain so?
In spite of his reservations, Jacob took the sanest course and returned the knife to its leather holster. "I am sorry, sir. I did not think of the ladies."
"You will before this night's over," Custer promised with a chuckle. Turning to Dominique, he brought her forward. "This is Private Jacob Stoltz, Nikki. He's one of the soldiers who escaped from the Sioux yesterday. I thought you two might have a few things in common."
Again he laughed, then completed the introduction. "Jacob, this young lady is the daughter of my oldest sister Julia, who has since departed. Her name is Dominique DuBois. She lives with her father in Michigan."
Jacob's newfound manners deserted him. He struggled to hide a gasp of surprise, then cleared his throat and collected himself. "She is of your blood?"
Custer raised a brow and said, "An interesting way to put it—but, yes, Dominique is my niece."
Jacob quickly extended his hand, his fingers board-stiff, and dropped his voice to an unnaturally low tone. "A pleasure."
Dominique cocked her head as she acknowledged his greeting. Why did he seem so familiar? she wondered, the fine down on her arm rising with foreboding. Had they met somewhere before? Dominique made the mistake of looking up into those riveting blue eyes for the answer, and suddenly she felt naked all over again. Stripped as bare as a winter landscape. But this time she felt no chill. This time her flesh burned with the heat of an August sun.
The stranger accepted her outstretched hand, but instead of lifting it to his lips as the other soldiers had done, he began pumping it in an awkward greeting. Dominique recoiled, stunned as the sensations increased twofold. She knew that touch somehow, felt the warm tingles of another time course through her body and down to her toes. What was happening to her? Were the effects of the Sioux medicine still wreaking havoc on her mind? Or was it something else?
"Nikki?" Custer said, his brow rumpled. "Are you feeling all right?"
The general's words gave her the strength she needed to look away. "I'm sorry, Uncle Armstrong. I was just feeling a little... woozy, I guess, but I'm all right now."
Custer glanced from Dominique to Jacob. "I'm afraid poor Nikki here was drugged by her captors. She's been quite disoriented since her arrival at the fort. Perhaps if you two talk, you can help her sort out the experience. Would you mind, Private?"
Jacob sighed, but realizing he had no choice, he said, "I will do what I can."
"Good. If either of you come up with anything that may be of value in hunting these dogs down," Custer said as he excused himself, "be sure to let me know. For now I had best join Libbie before she comes after me with a buggy whip. Take care of my niece, Private," he added, his expression stern, the warning unmistakable. Then he clicked his heels and took his leave.
An awkward silence settled over the pair as Dominique waited for Jacob to help her sort through her experience. She blinked up at him with her most appealing smile, but still he remained silent. He just stood there staring, looking this way and that, then staring again. His gaze bored into her, but it was unlike any she'd endured since her arrival at the fort. The other cavalrymen openly gawked at her, told her how beautiful she was, made her feel like a queen. This one, apparently shy to the point of embarrassment, was no less open in his appraisal, but his opinion of her wasn't so easily read. His thoughts, whatever they were, seemed dark, obscure... feral somehow.
Her earlier feelings of unrest returned then, growing ever greater. Dominique chanced another look in his eyes and said, "My uncle mentioned you were also a captive of the Sioux. Was it a dreadful experience for you?"
"Yes," he answered in that same flat tone.
"The brute who held me punched me in the face as if I were a man." She lifted her chin and pointed. "See? I still have a bruise. Were you
In spite of his reservations, Jacob took the sanest course and returned the knife to its leather holster. "I am sorry, sir. I did not think of the ladies."
"You will before this night's over," Custer promised with a chuckle. Turning to Dominique, he brought her forward. "This is Private Jacob Stoltz, Nikki. He's one of the soldiers who escaped from the Sioux yesterday. I thought you two might have a few things in common."
Again he laughed, then completed the introduction. "Jacob, this young lady is the daughter of my oldest sister Julia, who has since departed. Her name is Dominique DuBois. She lives with her father in Michigan."
Jacob's newfound manners deserted him. He struggled to hide a gasp of surprise, then cleared his throat and collected himself. "She is of your blood?"
Custer raised a brow and said, "An interesting way to put it—but, yes, Dominique is my niece."
Jacob quickly extended his hand, his fingers board-stiff, and dropped his voice to an unnaturally low tone. "A pleasure."
Dominique cocked her head as she acknowledged his greeting. Why did he seem so familiar? she wondered, the fine down on her arm rising with foreboding. Had they met somewhere before? Dominique made the mistake of looking up into those riveting blue eyes for the answer, and suddenly she felt naked all over again. Stripped as bare as a winter landscape. But this time she felt no chill. This time her flesh burned with the heat of an August sun.
The stranger accepted her outstretched hand, but instead of lifting it to his lips as the other soldiers had done, he began pumping it in an awkward greeting. Dominique recoiled, stunned as the sensations increased twofold. She knew that touch somehow, felt the warm tingles of another time course through her body and down to her toes. What was happening to her? Were the effects of the Sioux medicine still wreaking havoc on her mind? Or was it something else?
"Nikki?" Custer said, his brow rumpled. "Are you feeling all right?"
The general's words gave her the strength she needed to look away. "I'm sorry, Uncle Armstrong. I was just feeling a little... woozy, I guess, but I'm all right now."
Custer glanced from Dominique to Jacob. "I'm afraid poor Nikki here was drugged by her captors. She's been quite disoriented since her arrival at the fort. Perhaps if you two talk, you can help her sort out the experience. Would you mind, Private?"
Jacob sighed, but realizing he had no choice, he said, "I will do what I can."
"Good. If either of you come up with anything that may be of value in hunting these dogs down," Custer said as he excused himself, "be sure to let me know. For now I had best join Libbie before she comes after me with a buggy whip. Take care of my niece, Private," he added, his expression stern, the warning unmistakable. Then he clicked his heels and took his leave.
An awkward silence settled over the pair as Dominique waited for Jacob to help her sort through her experience. She blinked up at him with her most appealing smile, but still he remained silent. He just stood there staring, looking this way and that, then staring again. His gaze bored into her, but it was unlike any she'd endured since her arrival at the fort. The other cavalrymen openly gawked at her, told her how beautiful she was, made her feel like a queen. This one, apparently shy to the point of embarrassment, was no less open in his appraisal, but his opinion of her wasn't so easily read. His thoughts, whatever they were, seemed dark, obscure... feral somehow.
Her earlier feelings of unrest returned then, growing ever greater. Dominique chanced another look in his eyes and said, "My uncle mentioned you were also a captive of the Sioux. Was it a dreadful experience for you?"
"Yes," he answered in that same flat tone.
"The brute who held me punched me in the face as if I were a man." She lifted her chin and pointed. "See? I still have a bruise. Were you
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