Melissa had sent him frequent smiles during dinner, and later as she had entertained them with music. Amused by her interest in him, the brave broke into a sly grin. Perhaps it did not matter that Alanna planned to avoid him, when her charming cousin obviously had no such intention. He laughed to himself as he walked back toward the house. It was a shame Alanna was so frightened of him, but far more intriguing that Melissa had not realized just how dangerous he truly was.
Chapter 2
Hunter awoke with the dawn. He had tried to sleep on the four-poster bed, but the feather mattress was too soft for his tastes, and he had abandoned it for the floor. He sat up, for a moment disoriented by the strange surroundings, but he swiftly recalled where he was. He stood, and then stretched lazily. The house was quiet, and he thought it might be several hours before Byron and Elliott awakened. He used the pitcher of water on the washstand to clean up, donned his buckskins, carefully refolded the blanket he had used, and placed it on the bed. With his moccasins cushioning his steps, he left the house with the same stealth with which he moved silently through the forest.
Possessed of a curious nature, he began to investigate the purpose of the buildings located nearby. From their number, it appeared there was work aplenty on the Barclay plantation. Byron had mentioned they employed free men rather than slaves, which was one of the reasons Hunter had mistakenly gathered the impression that they owned a farm rather than a vast plantation. The kitchen staff had yet to report, but Hunter was growing hungry and hoped whoever was responsible for cooking breakfast would soon appear.
Not wishing to be found lurking outside the kitchen like a ravenous cat, he peered into the scullery next door. A stack of pewter plates sat on the table, along with numerous serving pieces. There were more dishes in the cupboards and large cooking utensils dangled from hooks on the walls. The scullery was as neatly kept as the kitchen, and Hunter wondered if the cook would be a large man who liberally sampled each dish he prepared, or perhaps a tiny woman who was too busy cooking for the Barclays to ever stop and eat. Whoever the cook might be, it was plain they demanded cleanliness and order.
Hunter went on to the smokehouse, but a quick look at the hams and bacon hanging just inside the door satisfied his curiosity there. He recognized the dairy by the churn standing outside, and long clotheslines decorated the yard by the laundry. A fully equipped blacksmith's forge stood between the carriage house and stable. A cooper's shed where barrels were made to pack tobacco for shipping was the last building to come into view.
The Indian was impressed to find the plantation a complete miniature city, and continued to explore. Convinced the Barclays would own fine mounts, he entered the stable by the rear door and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim interior. Before that had occurred, someone threw open the tall double doors at the opposite end of the long barn and, fearing he might not be able to explain his presence to a stranger, Hunter shrank back into the shadows and hoped they would soon leave.
When he heard a sweet, feminine voice calling out greetings to the horses, his initial thought was that it was Melissa. Relaxing slightly, he peered out of his hiding place, but silhouetted against the bright sunlight, the young woman was impossible to recognize. Fearing she might be one of the Barclays' many employees rather than his friends' sister, he dared not call out to her. Instead, he waited quietly as she made her way through the stable.
Unlike Hunter, the horses recognized their visitor's voice and stretched their necks over the doors of their stalls to nuzzle her apron pockets. For their impertinent antics, they received a gentle scolding delivered between bursts of lilting laughter. None was deprived of the expected treat, however, and each was given an apple before the young woman moved on to the next.
Framed by the glistening specks of dust dancing in the early morning light, from where Hunter stood she was surrounded by a mist of shimmering gold. It was an enchanted scene, and he held his breath when she reached his end of the barn for fear a sudden glimpse of him would frighten her away. She paused and peered into the darkness, for an instant looked right at him. Perhaps she sensed his presence, but unable to distinguish his features from the deep shadows in which he stood, she moved on.
She had been close en
ough for Hunter to recognize her though, and since he had not even considered the possibility that the cheerful lass might be Alanna, he was doubly shocked. Unaware that she was being observed, Alanna continued to lavish her affection on the horses, for each was an adored pet. With her tragic background, Hunter wasn't surprised that she would prefer the company of a horse to him, but that rationalization did not ease the lingering humiliation of her rebuff.
Horribly uncomfortable, Hunter darted out of the stable the instant Alanna exited from the opposite end. Unfortunately, he had no time to savor the relief of having avoided another potentially disastrous confrontation with her before a bearded man in a leather apron called out to him.
"Hey, you there!" the blacksmith shouted. "Get away from the barn. You've no business being in there. Go on back where you belong, or I'll set the dogs on you. Now go on, git!"
Hunter hadn't seen any dogs, but knowing many men kept half a dozen or more for hunting, was enough to convince him the blacksmith wasn't making idle threats. He might be an invited guest, but doubted that fact would be believed without confirmation from one of the Barclays. Besides, even if he were a guest, he supposed he ought not to have been in the barn. Undecided about what to say, he remained silent as the blacksmith approached carrying a long pair of iron tongs.
"Dogs don't scare you?" the hostile man asked in a challenging hiss.
Alanna rounded the corner of the barn in time to see the blacksmith raise his tongs in a menacing gesture, while Hunter made no move to protect himself. She had no idea what the Indian had done, but knew her cousins wouldn't want him to be mistreated in any way. Hoping to see someone else close enough to intervene, she looked around with an anxious glance, but quickly discovered that if anyone were going to come to the Indian's rescue, it would have to be her. That was the very last thing she wished to do on that day or any other, but since she had no choice, she gathered her courage and called out to the blacksmith.
"Jacob, leave him alone. He's a scout Byron and Elliott hired."
For several seconds the blacksmith seemed not to have heard Alanna's command, but then he lowered the tongs, frowned darkly, and ambled over to her. "I should have been told, Miss Alanna," he began without bothering with a polite greeting. "None of us expects to find Indians creeping around here."
"Is that what he was doing, 'creeping around'?"
Jacob shrugged. "He left the barn like he was up to no good. Maybe we ought to go check on the horses."
Having just come from the barn, Alanna was understandably shocked by Jacob's comment. Hunter hadn't moved, but was watching them closely, and came forward when she motioned for him to do so. "Jacob says you were in the barn just now. Why didn't I see you?"
"Are all of Byron and Elliott's friends treated like thieves?"
"Please just answer my question," Alanna replied in a softer tone.
Hunter nodded toward Jacob. "It's no business of his what I do."
Insulted, Jacob widened his stance, and Alanna quickly dismissed him rather than allow the two men to come to blows. Clearly disgruntled, the blacksmith started toward his forge, but before reaching it he turned back and shot Hunter a disgusted glance, deliberately taunting him to follow. Alanna gasped, thinking the Indian might do just that, but his gaze had never left her face and he had failed to note the provocative gesture. That realization was even more alarming than how quickly he had made an enemy of Jacob McBride.
"Why didn't I see you in the barn?" she repeated.
"You were the one who suggested we avoid each other," Hunter reminded her.
"So you were merely avoiding me, rather than hiding?"
"I was hiding to avoid you!"