Miss?
Alice frowned at how Uncas addressed her then presumed he probably did not wish for Aunt Maura to know they were more than...in-laws? Distant acquaintances? Alice wagered he didn't want to address her by name either. How did one define their relationship? Ex-lovers who enjoyed a one-night of passion in a cave under a waterfall. A snide little voice in her head mocked. If she told Aunt Maura that... a horrified giggle escaped Alice's lips. Plus, she hadn't informed her aunt that she was staying with a man unchaperoned in the same quarters.
Most importantly, Alice had not shared with Maura what happened between Uncas and her all those years ago - the elder woman only knew that Uncas was Cora's brother-in-law, nothing else. Alice had sworn Cora to secrecy too.
"Uncas. Nathaniel's brother." Uncas introduced politely with a brief nod. Maura stared hard at the stoic man in front of her and the wheels started turning furiously in her head. It can't be... She reasoned. Yet...everything seem to click and fall into place.
After embracing her aunt again, Alice slipped her pack over her shoulders. "Let's go." she quipped lightly to Uncas. "Take good care of my precious niece, young man." Aunt Maura hollered after the pair. Uncas cast the elderly English woman a bemused glance over his shoulder in reply. Maura noticed how the Mohican warrior immediately took a protective stance slightly behind Alice, his hand loosely resting on his knife at his waist, his eyes alertly sweeping the surroundings. Maura's throat unwittingly constricted at the sight. My Alice being protected by a man. For an indescribable reason, Maura instinctively knew Alice was safe with Uncas. For an even more incredulous reason, she felt like crying.
They navigated through the forest at a leisurely pace - Uncas didn't seem to be in a haste, which was astounding indeed. "Why it is you and not Kuruk?" Alice inquired curiously. Uncas didn't stop moving, "Told you. I came for you." Alice didn't understand how his answer answered her question so she tried to wrangle a more elaborate explanation from him, "You...wished to escort me?" "Yes." came his maddeningly cool reply that gave nothing away but Alice's silly heart skipped a beat still.
"Why?" she pressed on, halting in her tracks and affixing him with a searching stare. God help her. She wanted to know. He held her gaze for a beat longer and Alice discovered that he looked a little baffled. At himself - not her. It was as if he couldn't quite figure out why he was doing what he did. "Because you are the safest with me." He delivered the statement without an ounce of arrogance but with unshakeable, albeit reluctant, conviction. Alice had to take a deep breath to control the riotous emotions swelling in her chest. At the moment, she didn't give a whit what prompted him to trek to Albany to escort her back. He cared enough to come for her. That was all that mattered.
After walking the entire day, they stopped to make camp overnight. Alice was exhausted but not overly so since they maintained an endurable pace throughout. After a simple supper of bread and jerky, she had unrolled a blanket on the ground and was out like a light in seconds. Uncas sat across her, a fire burning in between them. Why? He had asked himself the same question countless times as he tore through the trees the night before just so he could get to Albany in time. He asked himself again as he looked up Kuruk to inform him that he was going to escort Alice back. The question reverberated in his mind as he gazed in bleak resignation at the sleeping woman across him.
Because the animalistic instinct to protect her had been wired in his system ever since he had rescued three years ago on George Road. It didn't matter how he felt about her at an emotional level - her haunted, petrified expression at that fateful day at the cliffs was something he never wanted to see again. He never wanted her to experience such gutted fear and hopelessness ever again. The thought of Alice getting physically hurt in any way, even a small scratch, sickened him.
He didn't want anything from her. He wanted nothing to do with her. He didn't know what to do with her.
The whispering got louder. Alice gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep walking with her head high. Beside her, Aunt Maura clutched her arm firmly and deftly led her out of the tea soiree held by one of Aunt Maura's closest friends. Alice unconsciously soothed her gown over her belly - she wasn't showing much yet but no one cared since everyone knew that she was pregnant and unmarried. Disgraced.
Maura sat Alice down on the sofa in the sitting room once they were home. The older lady had been stunned to find out about Alice's pregnancy and like Melissa, she asked Alice who the sire of the baby was. Alice had given the same answer. Maura assumed it was some officer from the British army whom Alice fell in love with in America. It had to be. It was the most logical conclusion.
"Alice, I know this sounds cruel but this baby will grow up without a father..." Maura appealed. "I am keeping the baby." Alice stated quietly. "The child will suffer, my dear. He or she will be called awful names..." "I'll move to somewhere where no one knows me and start a new life. I'll tell everyone that the father died in battle." "Who is the father, Alice? At least give me a name, for heaven's sake!" Maura exclaimed. When Alice remained silent, Maura sighed in defeat.
After a long silence, Maura took her niece's hand, "Let's move to the country then. I have a house there. Let's stay there until the baby is born." Alice gripped her aunt's hand gratefully, "Thank you." Maura smiled weakly, " Well, he must be quite somebody for you to want to keep his child so desperately." Her niece's eyes misted with unshed tears. "What was he like?" Maura prodded gently. Alice slid one hand down to her stomach, "Wonderful." She turned to Maura and smiled wistfully, her eyes filled with bittersweet regret, "He was wonderful."
Uncas heard choking sounds coming from Alice and quickly crossed over to her side. Her face was hidden in the blanket so he shook her shoulder urgently, "Wake up." He couldn't bring himself to say her name. It stuck in his throat. She rolled over and her eyes flew open. Twin streaks of tears marked her face and her eyes were damp with more tears. She sat up and dashed her tears away. "Bad dream?" he inquired in a neutral tone that belied his irrational worry over the fact that she had cried in her sleep.
Alice looked into Uncas' fathomless eyes, the firelight turning them a molten brown. She didn't know why she dreamt about that conversation with Aunt Maura after so many seasons. It made Alice feel off-kilter in the present, especially when she was facing Uncas in the flesh. "It's nothing." she dismissed nonchalantly and drew her knees to her chin. Uncas settled down beside her, though he was at least an arm's length away. "Is it so difficult?" she pondered out loud. "What?" "To call me by my name." she finished sadly. He didn't reply her. They sat together, yet not together, staring at the fire, each tormented by their past memories.
"I'm going to Uncas' cabin for a bit to give it a good dust before they get back!" Cora called out to Nathaniel as she hustled out of their home. She had been glad at Uncas' abrupt decision to escort Alice home - it was the first time since her arrival that Uncas had voluntarily offered to spend time with her alone. Cora wasn't delusional enough to think the journey would rekindle their buried feelings for each other. Rather, she wanted the couple to face up to and accept their past and move on from there.
It was clear Alice still harboured residual affection for Uncas - but Uncas was a different matter altogether. He had been so badly hurt by her sister three years ago that he had shut down on the inside and had shut out everyone after that. Even Aponi. The sweet Delaware girl had tried her best to no avail. Nathaniel was afraid Uncas was scarred for life and Cora began to suspect the same. Her brother-in-law was so shuttered and emotionless sometimes that Cora actually felt guilty on Alice's behalf. She knew Uncas was very fond of her sister those years ago but it dawned on her, after these years of living with him as a family, that the Mohican had deeply loved Alice in their short span together.
It was obvious Uncas hadn't been lazing around while Alice was away since the cabin was impressively tidy. Cora was sweeping the floor when she recalled there were a couple of dresses of Alice that needed mending. Clothes tend to fray and tear a lot easier in the wilderness. Alice's clothes were in the set of drawers by the tub and there were some in her trunk. Cora decided to check the trunk first. Rummaging through the clothes, she was yanking a few blouses out when an envelope fell on the floor, its contents spilling out. They were documents.
Cora scooped the papers up and was about to put them back when she caught sight of what was written at the top of both. Her eyes widened in utmost shock and her lips drew into a thin, angry line. Her sister had some explaining to do.
When Cora's cabin came into view, Alice exhaled in relief, "We made it." Uncas inclined his head in agreement, "We did." Alice flicked him an uncertain sideways glance - they had come to some sort of a truce over the journey. He was still cold and distant, but had become a little more communicative. She had made up her mind to tread carefully around him as not to destroy that fragile truce.
"We are back." Alice announced, stepping through the doorway, with Uncas behind her. It was quite late, just a couple of hours before midnight. Chingachcook sat near the hearth, Byron sleeping on his lap. He nodded in welcome as he got to his feet, carrying his grandson to the bedroom. Alice was puzzled - Byron usually slept in the living room. Nathaniel was perched on the dining table, tension written all over his face, looking like he wished to be anywhere except where he was. He looked at Alice and bobbed his head warningly in the direction of Cora, who was curled up on the rocking chair, her arms crossed tightly on her chest.
"Cora?" Alice ventured tentatively, noting her sister's grim expression and rigid posture. Her older sister stood up, and waved an envelope at her. Alice recognised the envelope instantly and gulped, " I was going to tell you..." Cora marched right up to Alice and held the two documents up in her face, " Tell me what, sister? That you got married? And got divorced in less than a year?" Alice muttered defensively, " I was going to explain..." "Who is this man you married? Evan Michael Jonathan Westlane? How is it that you got married three years ago and you never once mentioned this in your letters? Or for the past few weeks? Did you swear Aunt Maura to secrecy too?" Cora had worked herself in a fine fury by now, her cheeks were flushed and Alice could see smoke practically coming out of her sister's ears.
Cora stood nose-to-nose with Alice and hissed furiously, "What else have you not told me, Alice? What else?" "Give her a chance to explain, Cora." Nathaniel suggested unfazedly from his position on the table. Alice grabbed the documents from Cora and let them flutter to the floor. " I was going to tell you when I was ready." Alice said calmly. With that she turned on her heel and exited the cabin.
Uncas gazed down at the documents on the floor - they were marriage and divorce certificates. He looked at Cora, who was struggling to keep her temper in check. Uncas understood that Cora was more hurt than angry that Alice had kept such significant secrets from her. He also guessed that Alice was probably more upset than Cora right now. He glanced at Nathaniel, who was slowly walking over to his wife. He swivelled around to stare at the open doorway and the forbidding darkness outside.
For the second time in days, Uncas went after Alice.
He jogged to his cabin at a moderate speed - he wasn't that worried about Alice's safety since he was confident she wouldn't do anything silly. If she wasn't at the cabin, she was probably at the stream. The cabin was empty when he arrived. He spotted the open trunk and deduced easily how Cora had discovered the documents. Grabbing a blanket, he headed for the stream.
Uncas was right, though just partially so. Alice wasn't at the stream - she was in the stream. He paused by the banks, studying her bent head, her shivering form waist-deep in the icy water. The stream water was never not icy, even during the warm seasons. His natural instinct was to pull her out immediately but he restrained himself - this was her way of coping with what happened with Cora at the cabin. The fact that Alice had married wasn't a surprise to him - he was more disconcerted by the divorce and why she had kept such important events from her only sister.
Minutes ticked by and when Uncas realised Alice had no intention of coming out, he threw the blanket on the ground and waded into the water. When he got to her, he took her arm and tugged assertively, "Water's freezing." She didn't respond but didn't protest either as he ushered her out of the water. When they reach the shore, Uncas hunkered down to wring her skirts dry. When he was done, he flung the blanket over her shoulders. She wasn't crying - her expression was faraway...unreachable.
Alice stood wrapped in the blanket, her teeth chattering, her body shaking from head to toe, since the water had long seeped into her skin. What else have you not told me, Alice? She vaguely registered Uncas' presence though she could sense him behind her. I have more secrets and sins to confess, Cora. Her shivering intensified. Not only to you, but to Uncas, too.
Uncas edged closer until he was almost in contact with Alice's back. He was at a loss at how to deal with her, let alone comfort her. He also figured he was the last person she would want to seek for comfort. He could neither bring himself to embrace her around the waist from behind nor turn her around and take her in his arms. Then a thought struck him. In helpless times like this in England, who had Alice turned to for comfort?
Cora was an ocean away in America... and the women had no other family except their aunt. The elder woman could only support her niece that much since she must have disapproved of Alice's divorce. Maybe a couple of friends but Uncas knew that divorce wasn't received well in society and she would be shunned. Alice probably had no one else...she had been virtually alone in England.
Uncas thought of the previous night where she had cried in her sleep. Alone... and lonely. His heart thudded painfully but he still couldn't bring himself to embrace her. Instead, he gingerly slid his arms over and past her shoulders, which were shrouded by the blanket, locking them a few inches below her collarbone. He touched her as little as possible, his forearms resting lightly on her shoulder blades, his chest just grazing her back.
Alice jumped at Uncas' touch - and warmth. He was barely touching her but she felt his unbearable warmth surround her. It was too much - she didn't wish to be overwhelmed by him. She struggled and was going to pull away when he whispered hoarsely, "Alice."
She froze. A lone tear bubbled and trailed down her cheek, splashing on his arms which were knotted somewhere below her chin.
He had called her by name.