heighten and satisfy their sexual pleasures.
With the mistress of the house and her servants gone, the couple made love in the library first, then moved to start again in every room.
Chapter 6
Lenni Lenape Village
Pennsylvania Colony
June 1727
Joanna was startled awake by the sound of rhythmic, almost musical, thumping. She sat up and listened.
“What’s that?” Cara’s shaky voice came out of the darkness next to her.
“Lenape drums.”
“War drums?” the frightened maid asked.
Joanna frowned and rose from her sleeping pallet. “I don’t know.” It was possible, she thought. Why else would they be playing their drums in the dead of night?
“Miss Neville?” Harry inquired from the other side of the curtain.
“Yes, Harry, we’re awake.” She’d been sleeping in her muslin shift. She reached for a plain calico gown and slipped it over her head.
“Miss?”
“Stay inside, Cara,” Joanna told her. “I’ll go and see what is happening.”
“Would you like me to come with you?” Harry offered.
Joanna raised the door flap. “No, Harry, you stay here with Cara.” She could sense his relief in his agreement. “I’ll be back as soon as I learn something.”
“Are we in danger?” she heard Cara ask Harry as she left the wigwam.
“No, surely not, dearest” was Harry’s soft response.
With the sound of Harry’s tender words for the maid in her ears, Joanna stepped into the night. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the gathering around a fire in the center yard. She headed in that direction.
She spied her cousin’s husband first. Rising Bird stood on the fringe of the circle of men.
He turned in time to see her approach. “Autumn Wind,” he greeted her.
“What’s wrong?”
His expression was solemn. “Our brothers to the north have been attacked by the Cayuga.”
Her stomach tightened. “Iroquois here?” The Iroquois were the enemy of the Lenape. They raided and tried to take over Lenape land. It had been a problem for years, and apparently it continued to be a problem.
He nodded.
“What are you going to do?”
“Fireheart is deciding that now.”
“Fireheart?”
“Our chief has asked him to take care of this matter.”
Her gaze sought and found Fireheart. He looked serious, concerned, as he spoke with the Lenape men. He glanced her way, and she stiffened. Moving away from the group, she spied a gathering and headed toward the women.
“Joanna!” Mary hurried to her side.
“Are they going to war?” she asked, a ball of fear lodging high in her stomach.
Mary sighed. “I don’t know. Something must be done if it’s true that the Cayuga have attacked Bear Paw’s village.”
Joanna nodded. “Bear Paw’s village . . . Isn’t that the village where Red Dress, the matron who owns our lodge, is visiting?”
“Kihiila, it’s the same one.”
“Have you heard of any injuries?”
“The Cayuga don’t usually leave any injured behind. Whomever they don’t kill, they kidnap and take as slaves.”
“No,” Joanna whispered. She didn’t know any of Bear Paw’s villagers, but it was as if they were her own kind. How could she not feel for them when she had lived among the Lenape for nine years? In many ways, these Indians were more her people than the English were.
“Is that what they’ve done?” she asked Mary.
“I wish I knew. Word about the raid arrived only a short time ago. Fireheart is organizing a party of men to go to the village.”
Joanna heard a tremor in her cousin’s voice and wondered if she feared that Rising Bird would be among them. “Do you think the Iroquois will still be there?”
Mary sighed and hugged herself with her arms. “I wish I knew.”
Moved by Mary’s worry, Joanna slipped her arm about her cousin’s shoulders. Mary smiled at her and, for the first time, all tension faded between them.
The drums suddenly ceased, and the sound of Fireheart’s voice filled the ensuing silence. Joanna listened with rapt
With the mistress of the house and her servants gone, the couple made love in the library first, then moved to start again in every room.
Chapter 6
Lenni Lenape Village
Pennsylvania Colony
June 1727
Joanna was startled awake by the sound of rhythmic, almost musical, thumping. She sat up and listened.
“What’s that?” Cara’s shaky voice came out of the darkness next to her.
“Lenape drums.”
“War drums?” the frightened maid asked.
Joanna frowned and rose from her sleeping pallet. “I don’t know.” It was possible, she thought. Why else would they be playing their drums in the dead of night?
“Miss Neville?” Harry inquired from the other side of the curtain.
“Yes, Harry, we’re awake.” She’d been sleeping in her muslin shift. She reached for a plain calico gown and slipped it over her head.
“Miss?”
“Stay inside, Cara,” Joanna told her. “I’ll go and see what is happening.”
“Would you like me to come with you?” Harry offered.
Joanna raised the door flap. “No, Harry, you stay here with Cara.” She could sense his relief in his agreement. “I’ll be back as soon as I learn something.”
“Are we in danger?” she heard Cara ask Harry as she left the wigwam.
“No, surely not, dearest” was Harry’s soft response.
With the sound of Harry’s tender words for the maid in her ears, Joanna stepped into the night. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the gathering around a fire in the center yard. She headed in that direction.
She spied her cousin’s husband first. Rising Bird stood on the fringe of the circle of men.
He turned in time to see her approach. “Autumn Wind,” he greeted her.
“What’s wrong?”
His expression was solemn. “Our brothers to the north have been attacked by the Cayuga.”
Her stomach tightened. “Iroquois here?” The Iroquois were the enemy of the Lenape. They raided and tried to take over Lenape land. It had been a problem for years, and apparently it continued to be a problem.
He nodded.
“What are you going to do?”
“Fireheart is deciding that now.”
“Fireheart?”
“Our chief has asked him to take care of this matter.”
Her gaze sought and found Fireheart. He looked serious, concerned, as he spoke with the Lenape men. He glanced her way, and she stiffened. Moving away from the group, she spied a gathering and headed toward the women.
“Joanna!” Mary hurried to her side.
“Are they going to war?” she asked, a ball of fear lodging high in her stomach.
Mary sighed. “I don’t know. Something must be done if it’s true that the Cayuga have attacked Bear Paw’s village.”
Joanna nodded. “Bear Paw’s village . . . Isn’t that the village where Red Dress, the matron who owns our lodge, is visiting?”
“Kihiila, it’s the same one.”
“Have you heard of any injuries?”
“The Cayuga don’t usually leave any injured behind. Whomever they don’t kill, they kidnap and take as slaves.”
“No,” Joanna whispered. She didn’t know any of Bear Paw’s villagers, but it was as if they were her own kind. How could she not feel for them when she had lived among the Lenape for nine years? In many ways, these Indians were more her people than the English were.
“Is that what they’ve done?” she asked Mary.
“I wish I knew. Word about the raid arrived only a short time ago. Fireheart is organizing a party of men to go to the village.”
Joanna heard a tremor in her cousin’s voice and wondered if she feared that Rising Bird would be among them. “Do you think the Iroquois will still be there?”
Mary sighed and hugged herself with her arms. “I wish I knew.”
Moved by Mary’s worry, Joanna slipped her arm about her cousin’s shoulders. Mary smiled at her and, for the first time, all tension faded between them.
The drums suddenly ceased, and the sound of Fireheart’s voice filled the ensuing silence. Joanna listened with rapt
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