Page 65 of The Enchanted Land

Along the Gila River, the trail was so narrow that the horses were frightened and skittish. The nerves of the four captives were even further strained.

After the river, they came to a wooded area. Jacques told them to take advantage of the water, because it would be the last they’d see for a long time. In another couple of days they’d start the long trek across the desert.

“May we take a bath then, before we start?”

Jacques touched her cheek with a large, coarse hand. Morgan bravely met his eyes. She didn’t even move away, as much as she wanted to. “You are a temptation,ma petite. Of course, you may bathe. All of you may splash and play in the water all night.” He smiled at her, and his eyes swept down over her buckskin-clad body. His hand dropped from her cheek to her shoulder to her arm, his thumb caressing the soft curve of her breast. Her eyes held his, and she controlled the inner revulsion she felt.

Jacques turned and left her, and she could hear his deep, throaty laughter as he walked away.

“I’d like to have a knife at his throat for a while,” Mary hissed.

“Never mind him. Get Jessy and Alice. We’re going to take a bath!” She hurried to the wickiup. “A real bath. Clean hair and skin. I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to anything quite so much.” She paused inside the cool, dark, empty wickiup. “Except you, Seth,” she whispered. “You were the only thing that really made me happy. Now I look forward to such silly things. Oh, Seth.Whydid all this have to happen? Why do I have to go on living? Why can’t I die and be with you again?” She fell to the dirt of the floor and cried.

“Morgan, is it true what…” Jessy paused as she saw Morgan. She knelt by her and took her in her arms. “Ah, Morgan, you’re the strong one among us. Don’t you give way. If you give up, we won’t have anything to hold onto.”

“Seth is on my mind constantly, every second. Everywhere I look I see things that remind me of Seth. Even trees, Jessy! Even trees remind me of Seth. He was huge, the biggest man I ever saw. Not awfully tall, but big. His arms were as big around as my waist. And he was so handsome.” Morgan smiled and the tears began to clear. “I had to fight women off him constantly.”

“What’s wrong with you two?” Mary’s querulous voice sounded through the wall.

Morgan wiped her eyes. “I’m all right now. Let’s go take a bath.” She turned to smile at Jessy. “Thanks for listening to me.”

“Morgan, I’ve decided this Seth of yours never existed.” Her face was serious. “No man could be both kind and good-lookin’.”

Morgan flashed her a brilliant smile. “Seth is special.” Happily she raced toward the water, leaving Jessy to notice that she had said “is,” as if her husband were still alive.

Jessy was the last one to the water and was surprised to see all of the Indian men, Jacques, and some of the Indian women standing there with the three white women.

Jacques’s deep laughter came to her. “My Indians do not take baths, and they are very much interested in someone who does. They want only to watch.”

“Well, I ain’t takin’ my clothes off in front of no Indians.” Mary turned back toward the camp.

Jessy laughed. “What about you, Morgan? I think bugs have nested under my skin, it’s been so long since I took a bath. I’m not gonna let a few staring Indians keep me from getting clean.” She sat on the ground and began to pull off the tall moccasins. Seconds after she stood up, she was completely naked and ran happily into the cool water.

The other three women had watched speechlessly. The Indians and Jacques began to laugh as Jessy happily dived under the water, her smooth round buttocks coming to the surface.

“It feels great,” she called.

“She’s a fool besides being a slut,” Mary muttered. “These animals need no more temptation. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them attacked her.”

Alice clung to Mary, her face fearful.

“You sure you won’t join me, Morgan? I can feel two months’ worth of dirt and bugs floating away. Toss me my buckskins, will you? Might as well get them clean.”

Morgan picked up Jessy’s clothing and started to throw them to her.

“You know … if they wanted to, they could tear our clothes off at any time. What difference does this bath make?”

“You’re right, Jessy.” Quickly, Morgan undressed and walked into the water.

“Lord, Morgan! I think you’ve started a fight.” Jessy gestured toward Jacques, who was smiling at one of the Indians. The Indian made an obscene gesture that even Morgan understood, and she turned away.

Jacques laughed and called to her. “Did you hear that, Golden One? Running Bear offers me six horses and four blankets to let you be his third wife. Would you like that? It is a good price, and he is a brave warrior.”

Morgan looked at the Indian, his hair heavy with grease and his face stained with remnants of paint and food. Involuntarily, she shuddered. Recovering herself, she met Jacques’s eye. “Do you think Madame Nicole will offer only six horses and four blankets, or do you think I am worth more?”

Jacques looked at her full breasts rounding above the surface of the water, her small chin and flashing eyes, and the great mass of golden hair cascading about her. He threw back his head and laughed. “You will bring a great deal more from Madame Nicole—I will make sure of that.”

“Morgan, you have more guts than any three people put together.”

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