Savage Flames

“But, Mama, I truly believe he is planning to marry you,” Dorey said. She took a quick step backward when Lavinia swept the blanket away from herself and left the bed.

In her bare feet Lavinia began pacing the floor. “I have a plan that, for a while at least, might keep Hiram at arm’s length,” she said tightly. “I will see to your father’s burial; then I will find safety and solace here in my room. After your father’s burial, I will let Hiram think that I am too distraught to leave my bed. For as long as I must, until he forgets this lunacy of thinking I will marry him, I will hideaway in my room. He will think I am in my bed, day and night.”

“Mama, I’ll help you,” Dorey said. “I’ll spend my time here with you, reading books and embroidering. When Uncle Hiram inquires about why I am spending so much time with you, and why you won’t leave the room, I’ll tell him I am reading to you to comfort you because you are still so distraught over the loss of Papa.”

Suddenly Dorey covered her eyes and broke down in hard sobs. “Twila now has no mama or papa,” she cried. “While you were asleep, Hiram killed Twila’s mama in a fit of rage, and her papa’s body will surely never be found.”

“Joshua…and…Lorna are both dead?” Lavinia gasped. “Joshua was killed by an arrow, too? And Lorna? Why did Hiram kill Lorna? She…was…such a gentle soul, and so sweet.”

“She didn’t do what he ordered as quickly as he wanted,” Dorey said, her voice breaking. “It happened right after Uncle Hiram carried you to your bed. He…he…went out to yell at the slaves for not working hard enough. It was then that he told Lorna about her husband’s death. When she broke into tears and just kept on sobbing instead of returning to work in the fields he…he…pulled his pistol on her. He…killed…her.”

“The maniac,” Lavinia said, pale at hearing the horrible news.

Lavinia placed her hands on Dorey’s shoulders as she gazed down into her daughter’s eyes. “Dorey, I will leave my room long enough to instruct Hiramto assign Twila house duties so that you can keep an eye on her while I am hiding away in my room,” she said. “I don’t trust him any farther than I can throw him. Since Twila no longer has parents to watch out for her, Hiram might take liberties with her. I will not allow that to happen.”

“Mama, I don’t trust Uncle Hiram at all,” Dorey said, her voice drawn. “The way he looks at me with his one eye sometimes makes me want to vomit.”

“Daughter,” Lavinia said, bending to her knees so that she could be at eye level with Dorey. She framed Dorey’s face between her hands. “While I have breath left in my lungs, I assure you that Hiram won’t touch either you or Twila. Go now. Tell Twila to come to the house. I’ll make things right for her with Hiram. When I get done with him, he’ll know to keep his hands to himself as far as you and Twila…and myself…are concerned.”

“Oh, thank you, Mama,” Dorey cried as she flung herself into her mother’s arms. “Thank you for both me and Twila. I’ll go now and get her.”

Lavinia rose slowly to her feet as Dorey ran from the room.

But before leaving her room, Lavinia went to one of the windows and swept the curtain aside so that she could look at the huge old oak tree where she had first seen the green-eyed white panther, and then…moments later…a green-eyed Indian!

Had she truly seen them?

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Had she truly seen one and then the other, or neither?

She was known to have a very vivid imagination. Had her imagination played tricks on her when she had gazed at that old oak tree?

Surely she would never, ever know!

Chapter Four

Ah, love! Could you and

I with him conspire

To grasp this sorry scheme of things entire?

—Edward Fitzgerald

When Wolf Dancer arrived at Mystic Island, he quickly beached his canoe and lifted Joshua from it.

He made his way through the thick vegetation that protected the village from the view of outsiders. This island in the midst of the Everglades was his people’s sanctuary, a place of safety and serenity, where the undergrowth had been cleared away to make room for a hundred huts.

Each home was built of flexible poles that were bent over and tied together at the center to form the round shape.

Once the basic structure was in place, the owner would cover the poles with rushes, bark or animal skins.

Also hidden from view from the river stood the Wind Clan’s garden where corn, squash, green beans, and melons of all sorts had been planted.

His people depended on these crops to supplement the meat and fish they hunted. Fortunately the vegetables and fruit were growing well this yearand there was plenty to eat for all.

Now the growing season was at its end, and most of the crops had been picked and prepared for storage.