Daughter of the Fox by J. A. Ferguson

Author:J. A. Ferguson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BelleBooks
Published: 2014-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

HANNAH DUMPED the bucket onto the ground behind the weeto. Although the day was half over and the sun was inching toward the west, Maugin had not returned from the meeting of the sagamores that had begun yesterday. She wanted to talk to him about what had happened within the chepi’s realm. Maybe he could help her understand it... and that choosing between the obligations of her heart and the desires of her heart was not easy.

“Seaki!” Ousamequin crooked his finger in her direction. What was he doing here? He should be still in the council of men.

Her lip curled into a cold smile. Maybe the chief sachem Unkompion considered Ousamequin as useless as Quiapen seemed to. Neither of Ousamequin’s wives was in front of his weeto, and she wondered if they were anxious to avoid him. Not her. She wanted answers.

“Sit,” he ordered as she went to where he was lounging by his weeto, “and speak as you wished to earlier.”

Knowing she must not underestimate him, she picked a spot more than an arm’s length from him. His eyes flared at her obvious distrust, but he said nothing.

“I want to know what you did with Brenda Hubbard,” Hannah said.

“The child?”

“Yes. Tell me what you did with my friend Brenda.”

“You give orders easily.” He laughed. “Does Maugin accede to your wishes so readily that you think you can tell all the warriors of the clan of Mishquashin what to do?”

“I am treating you with the familiarity of family.”

He scowled, then picked up a clay pipe and sucked on it. “Then you must be happy with the adoption I arranged for you.”

“What of Brenda?”

“Your English neighbors would be outraged to know you share a Wampanoag warrior’s bed.”

She refused to let him change the subject. “What did you do with Brenda?”

“Or does Maugin keep the marriage as only a pretense?”

Hannah faltered on her next words. Had she and Maugin betrayed themselves in some way? She must not let him guess how close he was to the truth. Raising her chin, she asked, “Is your insult to me or to your brother?”

He laughed. “Not my brother. Maugin would do anything for his clan, even sleeping with an Englishwoman.”

“Ousamequin, I wish to speak of Brenda.”

“Will you give him a half-blooded son to become sagamore of the clan of Mishquashin?” He lunged forward and ran his hand along her stomach. “Have you quickened?”

She slapped away his hand and started to stand. Grabbing her arm, he brought her back to the ground. Every bone in her body jarred. “Release me!”

“If I do not, will you scream for Maugin?” He spat on the ground by her moccasins. “Does he defend you even though you refuse him a husband’s pleasures, so Saconoco has arranged for a second wife for him?”

Hannah took a deep breath. Every suspicion Maugin had had was true. Ousamequin had brought her here to humiliate his brother. “Maugin is an excellent husband,” she replied coldly. “In every way.”

“That is a surprise.”

“Why? He was a good husband to the one who was here before me.

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