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Page 149
Mariah changed the subject. "I hear you've been giving René a hard time."
"Silly Frenchie wants to convince me that the English are what's wrong with this wilderness. We know, though, that it's the French who's egging on them Indians." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, and Mariah noticed she was now in a man's long-sleeved shirt that made her appear almost elfin, despite her buxom figure.
She wondered if it was René's shirt, and whether he had helped her into it.
Mariah saw to Holly's comfort, then said she'd bring her more to eat. But when she returned to the inn, the Raffertys were preparing for bed.
"Need to get up before sunrise," old Rafferty said, rubbing his scruffy beard. His words were slurred; he must have belted down quite a bit of whiskey in the short time Mariah had been gone.
Thorn and René showed the men to their room, while Mariah took Little Elk to hers. She prepared the bed in which the Indian woman was to sleep. "I am not used to being idle," Little Elk told her.
"Enjoy the moment," Mariah said with a smile.
As Mariah finished, Little Elk said, "We will leave in the morning before breaking our fast. I wish to thank you, Miss Walker. For everything."
"No big deal," Mariah responded.
"To me, it was a 'big deal.'" The Indian woman savored the last two words, as though using them for the first time. "A very big deal. I will try to deliver your message to that Mr. Pierce. And I will never forget you."

Mariah hadn't considered where she would sleep that night, but when she returned to the stable with her candle, Holly was still in her bed, sound asleep. She didn't want to bother Little Elk, but instead decided to find a spot in one of the other rooms in the stable.
She heard a noise in the first one as she touched its doorknob. Oh, great! Was Thorn's tame squirrel camped out thereor something worse?

 
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