She and Uncas had a future together.
Alice gazed down fondly at the sleeping warrior in her arms. Never in their eight years apart would she have dared to believe she and Uncas would be given a second chance to be partners in this lifetime. She recalled Mikayla speaking earlier in the day and her eyes grew wet. She fingered the locket around her neck.
Carefully not to wake Uncas, Alice reluctantly released him from her embrace and stood up. The floor was icy under her feet. She poured a cup of water and sat down on the bench. Popping open the locket, she stared at Bryan's portrait, which was drawn just a couple of months before he passed on. The artist had captured his trademark devilish grin and twinkling blue eyes perfectly. Bryan…
Two years earlier
"What did my little princess do today?" Bryan inquired indulgently as he swaggered into the nursery just before supper. Mikayla dropped the toy she was playing with and ran to her father, hugging his legs tightly. "Your princess painted everything but the picture during her art lesson," Alice informed with a laugh as Bryan hefted Mikayla into his arms and kissed her downy cheek. Bryan arched one blond brow, noticing the paint splattered on the curtains, floor and wall for the first time. "My princess is going to be the next Picasso, is she not?" He concurred dryly, setting his daughter down on her feet. The girl began hopping around the room.
"The physician recommended by Lord Hastings visited this afternoon," Alice said quietly, turning to look at her husband. Bryan flicked a hopeful glance at his wife, "Did he offer any helpful advice?" When Alice shook her head forlornly, Bryan drew her close protectively, "Do not fret too much. If all the physicians in England cannot detect any ailment in our daughter, she must be fine. She will speak when she is ready."
Alice sighed, "I cannot wait to hear her voice." Bryan replied confidently, "I already know how she would sound." Alice tilted her head to look at him, her expression sceptical, "Do you?" Bryan grinned and pecked Alice's lips, "She would sound like an angel. Our little princess would have the voice of an angel."
Present
Tears trickled down Alice's cheeks at the memory, excruciating pain stabbing through her entire being as she clutched Bryan's portrait to her heart. You were right, Bryan. Our little princess has the voice of an angel. You should have been here to hear her speak her first word. You should have been here to hear your daughter… Alice began rocking on the bench, covering her mouth to muffle her sobs that wracked her body.
Suddenly, she felt strong arms encircle her waist from behind. Uncas. "He heard her. I'm sure he heard her from where he is," Uncas stated with unwavering certainty. He removed her hands from her mouth, "Cry as much, as loud, as you want. The children aren't here. And you don't have to hide anything from me. You don't ever need to hold back with me. " Alice twisted around and collapsed in Uncas' arms, sobbing unreservedly.
Later that night, Alice and Uncas faced each other, stretched out on the hides, the fire burning brightly in the hearth, casting a warm, cosy glow in the moonlit cabin. Uncas twirled an errant lock of Alice's hair, "Stay here with me and Ichante. Mika, too." Alice threaded her fingers through his and kissed his callused palm, "I would love to. But would you mind if we split our time between Albany and the cabin? Seeing Cora run a boarding house, I would like to do something useful with my time, too." Uncas' eyes crinkled into a smile as he shifted closer to Alice, "You can do anything you want. I would never get in your way unless…" Alice cocked her head curiously, "Unless?" He twined his arm around her nape and murmured silkily, "Unless you were leaving me." Alice rolled her eyes, "If my memory serves me well, I believe it was you who sent me away eight years ago." Uncas chuckled at her sass, "I was the biggest mistake of your life." Alice's eyes darkened, "No. You were never a mistake. Not then, not now."
Uncas abruptly rolled to his feet and padded to his room. "Where are you going?" Alice asked sleepily. She wanted to fall asleep and wake up in his arms. Today. Everyday.
Uncas returned a few minutes later and instead of laying down the hides, he sat cross-legged in front of Alice. He raised her to a sitting position, too, causing Alice to squint at him drowsily, "Is something amiss?" A fleeting smile flitted across his chiselled features and he handed a rolled-up parchment to Alice, who unfurled it immediately. She bit her bottom lip hard to stop it from trembling when she saw the sketch of both of them, together with Mikayla and Ichante – a family portrait.
Uncas grasped her hands firmly in his. Locking his gaze on hers, he enunciated clearly, "Be my wife, Alice. Be my love. Be my family. Be my life."
It was the most unusual, most blunt proposal Alice had ever heard, fitting of the man who uttered the words.
As she struggled to say "yes" through the thick tears clogging her throat, he resumed, his fathomless eyes full of soul-searing tenderness and promise, "I want to spend every season with you for the rest of our lives. In winter, we'll keep each other warm in the icy frostiness of the wind at midnight. In fall, we'll watch the falling leaves at sunset. In spring, we'll smell the blooming of flowers in the morning. In summer, we'll stand together in the storm and watch lightning race across the sky."
He remembered.
He remembered everything they had done, everything she had said. Eight years had passed but he remembered still.
Alice could barely make out Uncas through the blur of her tears, stuttering, "You remember…"
He kissed the side of her mouth and lingered there sweetly, "I remember. I remember everything. Do you?"
Alice drew him in for a deep kiss, "Yes."
Uncas knew she was answering both his proposal and his question.
A few weeks later
Alice heard grunts and creaking sounds from the living area of the cabin. She had been cleaning the study and wondering how to decorate the space that was going to be Mikayla's bedroom. Uncas and Alice had finally told their families the news of their reconciliation, and they were delighted. Even Chingachcook cracked a rare smile and had hugged Alice warmly. The couple decided not to hold any formal ceremony, wanting to do away with pomp and fuss.
Nathaniel suggested building an extension to Uncas' cabin so that Mikayla could have her room and Uncas could keep his study. There was still a couple of months until winter and the men were confident they could complete the extension by then.
She heard those grunts again and they sounded like they were coming from Nathaniel. The brothers were back from a trading trip after being away for a week. They had taken Ichante and Honon with them so that the boys could learn negotiation skills.
Hustling out to the living area, she was stunned to see the men carrying a harp into the cabin. Nathaniel flashed Alice a sunny grin though his forehead was beaded with sweat, "Thought you might like to play some music here. Reverend Wheelock generously donated this – it was in his church for years but no one really played it."
Alice ran her fingers across the strings, "I have not played for years." Ichante sidled up next to her and quipped, "Father said you can play the harp very well." Alice noticed the ambitious gleam in the boy's eyes and offered, "I can teach you if you are interested." Ichante nodded quickly, "I am." She tugged his ear in amusement, "You are quite the cultured gentleman, are you not?" Uncas felt his heart tumble and twist inside him as Alice's laughter reverberated around the cabin as Ichante beamed up at her. Alice had returned to him. She had finally come home to him.
Four years later
Alice stood in front of Bryan's tombstone near the lake within the grounds of the country manor. She had finally made a trip to England after four years of residing in America. She lay a bouquet of flowers down and lovingly traced his name etched on the marble.
"Hello, my dear. Have you been well? We are finally here to see you," she murmured, choking on her words. Tears formed in her eyes as eight-year-old Mikayla and twelve-year-old Ichante flanked her on both sides, both their heads bowed in silent respect. Uncas had not made the trip – he promised he would visit England one day but he wanted the children's first trip back to be without him so that they could properly honour Bryan. Alice had wept at his thoughtfulness – it was just like the stoic warrior to be so astute and wise.
Mikayla crouched down, placed a single rose at the tombstone and greeted solemnly, "Hello, Papa. I have missed you." Alice stuffed her fist into her mouth to prevent herself from crying aloud.
Bryan, can you hear our little princess speaking to you? She sounds like an angel, does she not?
Alice watched as Ichante hunkered down next to his sister, his expression grave as he put another rose on the marble. He uttered succinctly, "Hello, Papa. It's Callum. I'm sorry we took so long to visit you." Alice heaved with soft sobs, her cheeks sodden with tears of bittersweet joy. Bryan would be delighted to see his two children. Alice was sure her first husband was smiling cheekily from above, glad and proud to see his son and daughter healthy and well. He had loved them so.
Ichante reached into his satchel and extracted two items, "I brought presents from Father and Grandfather." Alice peered at the items curiously – she had not known about the gifts. Her son unrolled a parchment and pressed it against the tombstone. Alice's breath caught when she saw that Uncas had sketched a family portrait of Alice, Bryan, Mikayla and Ichante. He had seen Alice's portrait of Bryan several times over the years and had drawn the Englishman with eerie likeness.
The Mohican was absent from the picture, tacit acknowledgment that the earl had been a legitimate father, husband and family first to Alice and her children. The gesture was so meaningful and moving that Alice had to mentally gird herself not to collapse in a heap.
She sent a silent prayer to God, "Thank you for blessing me with two wonderful men."
Ichante arranged the second item from Chingachcook next to the parchment – it was a gold bangle identical to those worn by all the males in the family. Chingachcook had one, so did Nathaniel and his son, and Uncas and Ichante. Ichante explained, "Grandfather wants you to have one, too, Papa. He said you would always be part of our family." Alice began to tremble with uncontrollable emotion – her father-in-law was indeed a breed apart and bled noble integrity from every pore. She could not imagine a more beautiful gift to Bryan.
Mikayla stood up and cleared her throat, "Father said you would love to hear me sing, Papa." With that, Mikayla started to sing a hymn she learnt from Reverend Wheelock, her crystal clear voice echoing around the lake and the field, where her father, the first father figure Ichante knew, had played and spent time with them. Alice raised her teary gaze to the brilliantly blue sky.
Thank you, Bryan, for giving our two children life with your love, kindness and generosity.
And above all - thank you, darling, for loving me.
One day later
"I feel like I'm wearing a porcupine, "Mikayla complained as she wriggled on her chair, tugging impatiently at the collar of her lace dress. "The dressmaker would be most insulted that you think her finest French lace similar to an animal with spikes, "Alice answered unperturbedly. Alice and her children were having afternoon tea at an elegant hotel in London. To Alice's surprise, people actually recognised her on sight and immediately started whispering among themselves about Mikayla and Ichante.
Many had heard rumours of the late earl's "dark-skinned" son who had been sent away as a baby and now that they could see him in the flesh, they did not know quite what to make of him. The tall, strapping boy had a bronzed tan, his eyes were a startling silver, his ebony hair streaked with golden brown highlights was pulled neatly from his exceedingly handsome face. He wore his expensive clothes well and exuded an air of assuredness. The patrons also noticed he possessed flawless manners and spoke to his mother in perfect English.
The girl was a spitting image of her father and obviously was going to blossom into a fine beauty. Though she seemed a little restless, she showcased faultless table etiquette as well. The countess was as regal as the ton remembered, blond and austere. It was reported she had set up schools and was running a lucrative inn business in America.
Alice frowned as Ichante mumbled something to his sister in Mohican, shooting her a warning glare at the same time. Mikayla retorted back in the same language and Alice swore she spied movement under the table. Despite weekly lessons with Chingachcook over the years, Alice still could not quite grasp Mohican though she understood more than she could speak. On the other hand, Mikayla was as fluent in her adopted language as she was with English.
"What is it, my dears?" Alice queried, her mild tone belied her growing suspicion about the under-table activity in question. Ichante gave a forced smile, "Nothing, Mama." Mikayla nodded innocently in agreement as she stabbed a scone with her fork with relish.
A few minutes went by and again Alice spotted a flurry of movement beneath the table – or rather she "felt" the movement against her leg. Ichante glowered at his sister, issuing another a reprimand in an undertone that only the girl could hear. Before her daughter could answer, Alice clipped, "Lady Mikayla Nicholson, please put on your shoes. Well-bred ladies do not go barefoot while enjoying the serenity of afternoon tea."
A few months later
Alice stood at the door of her family cabin and inhaled a lungful of brisk, cool air. They were finally home. The fresh air of the forest was what she had missed dearly during her trip to England. But what she missed most for the past few months was currently coming up behind her and smelled hundred times better than the forest. Uncas slipped his arms around his wife and kissed the nape of her neck, "Missed you." Alice leaned back against her husband's strong chest and covered his hands with hers, "I missed you, too. Terribly."
Uncas tenderly bit down on her ear and Alice shivered at the sensual gesture. But his voice was laced with restrained laughter when he commented, "I heard Mika had scones without her shoes at the grandest hotel in London." Alice groaned exasperatedly, "Do not get me started on our daughter's misadventures. Nathaniel called her 'Princess Shoeless' at supper and she loved it!" "She's an adventurous angel," Uncas countered smoothly, grinning widely.
Alice snorted derisively at his response, then turned around to face him. She kissed his cheek, "Thank you for looking after Aylen while I was away." Aylen was their two-year-old son whose name simply meant "happiness". Alice dreaded to leave him behind but did not think the toddler would be able to manage the long journey. Uncas grunted, dismissing her gratitude.
Thunder rumbled in a distance and the air steadily grew muggy. Alice extended her palm in front of her, sighing in contentment, "It is going to rain." "Going to storm," Uncas corrected even as he gently shoved Alice forward past the door and shut it behind him.
"We are going to get drenched," Alice warned, but her eyes were already sparkling with anticipation as Uncas took off into a dead run, tugging her along with him.
Uncas whipped around to gaze at Alice, his heart in his eyes, "We won't feel the rain. We won't feel cold."
Alice smiled at the words that meant the world to her – and to him.
Uncas gripped Alice's hand tighter, "Because we are shelter to each other."
Laughing, the couple dashed into the storm together.
- The End -
Author's Note
Wow. Yet another Alice-Uncas story all wrapped up! I hope all of you enjoyed this version as much as you did the others. Many thanks for your unwavering support and precious reviews even when I was MIA in between chapters due to real-life commitments. As usual, I immensely enjoyed the journey - Alice and Uncas never fail to move and touch me each time I think of them, write of them. It's strange how inspired I am to write my stories in trilogy format, thus, I will be writing a third story to conclude the current series. It will be a modern one this time (yes, again!) and while I already have in mind the general narrative, the complexity is in the details. You'll understand what I mean when I post the first chapter! Look forward to having you guys onboard for the next journey, too!
XXXOOO