Chapter 4

The next day passed slowly. Our father could not spend any time with us, it was clear that we had come at the completely wrong time. I went in search of Cora, as she had disappeared for much of the day, and found her in the surgery. My father had taken her along on previous military trips in Europe where she had acquired the skill of a surgeon's assistant. Her skills in fact surpassed those of an assistant. I heard her voice before I saw her, amidst other newly familiar voices.

Shyly I stood at the door while I watched her chat with Nathaniel as she was stitching up the wounds of someone. It took a few seconds for me to realize that it was Uncas she was working on. Uncas had been hurt? Had he been injured while saving us and was in pain the entire way? At the same time my blood boiled with jealousy. Why was I not included? Why was I treated like a child?

Uncas turned slightly and smiled the slightest smile at me (or was I only dreaming?) causing Nathaniel to notice me at well, and call me to join them. I came closer, unsure how to act or what to say, when Cora stepped to the side and I sucked in my breath. Uncas had lifted his tunic. An angry red mark ran along the left side of his abdomen, but what was more breathtaking was the realization that his leather trousers were not actually trousers, but more like stockings held in place with strings tied to a sort of belt, the same belt that held in place a loincloth. Beneath this was nothing but skin that was now exposed uninterrupted from his torso to his thighs. His…private area…was just barely concealed…

Something inside me twitched at the sight. His upper body was stunning, truly. It was muscular and tanned like the rest of him, but in addition it was covered in all kinds of mysterious tattoos which were highly intriguing to me. Cora had finished cleaning the wound and started to stitch it up. Uncas lifted his eyes to the ceiling and never flinched. Nathaniel and my sister carried on in their conversation while she worked, ignoring Uncas almost as much as they were ignoring me. In fact, they were flirting with each other! I felt useless, sitting there watching the scene unfold, yet I was glad to be there, if only to be close to Uncas and feast my eyes on him. When he was bandaged up and good to go, I conveniently got up at the same time as him to leave these two lovebirds alone. I dared myself to smile at him and say "You were very brave" and he flashed a smile in return. My heart jumped into my throat. We went our separate ways, but I was happy.

That night Cora did not come to our room. Nobody noticed but me. Left alone to my thoughts, I tossed and turned, for the night was very humid, although that was not all. Inside of me there was a fire burning as well. I replayed the incidents two nights ago in my head over and over again. Was it just a dream? Did Uncas really hold me close to his body? Did I really hear him whispering into my ear? Every time I went back there in my thoughts, it felt like an explosion deep in my belly. And when I thought of what I had seen at the surgery something else happened too: An uncomfortable moistness in that secret place. That sensation was so new to me that I simply did not know what to do with it; I clamped my legs together and hugged a pillow to my chest, desperate for something which I could not understand or even name.

I must have fallen asleep although my dreams continued in much the same way, a soft opening and closing of the door woke me from it. "Where have you been?" I whispered accusingly. Cora stood by the door silently for a few moments, and then she sat down at my bed. "Alice, you must know, we are no longer little girls. Sometimes we must make our own decisions…"There was a long silence then for I had no idea what she was talking about "Tonight, Nathaniel kissed me." I gasped."Would father approve?" I whispered. "No, he would not, Alice. I'm afraid there is a side to our father that I have only just today discovered…"At this Cora's voice trailed off, then she spoke again. "Nathaniel and Uncas were beseeching our father to sent troops to protect the nearby settlements. They told him about the cabin we'd discovered. I heard them, I was there. Father just refused. Just like that. He said it was not his problem. Can you believe it?" "I'm sure he had a reason?" I said uncertainly, not wanting to believe anything bad about my beloved Papa. Cora raised her voice. "No Alice, you don't understand. It was Nathaniel. Father didn't believe him, didn't take him seriously!"

She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm going to leave with Nathaniel. I'm not returning to England, or even to Albany. But you have to keep this a secret Alice. I want you to know when it happens, so you know why. You owe it to me as a sister, tell no one. When the time comes I will need your help." "But what will become of me?" I nearly sobbed. "Alice, you are all that Father will have. You are free to do whatever you want, but you will be fine without me. "I violently choked back my tears in disbelief as Cora arose and went to her bed. Just when I though she was asleep I thought of one more thing to ask her, although I did not expect an answer. "What was it like, the kiss?" I whispered into the dark. No reply came until my own eyes grew heavy again. Then I heard her whisper back "It was so wonderful, there simply are no words for it. Like falling and falling, but you want to fall. You don't want to stop falling…"

Cora's plan did not materialize, at least not in the way she had hoped. The very next day Nathaniel was arrested. Cora uncharacteristically sobbed hysterically when she stormed into our room to tell me this. "They are going to hang him, Alice, oh God, why is this happening?" My mouth gaped open."What for, what did he do?" "Supposedly he encouraged some of the militia to abandon the fort and return to their families. But that can't be all. Father must know about us!"

Her expression changed then, and so did her tone. "Alice, you did not tell anyone about our plan, did you? Tell me you didn't!" "No, I would never!" I exclaimed, hurt that she would even suspect such a thing. "Then somebody must have seen us when we were kissing…" Cora had slumped down on her bed by now. Her hysteria was spent, but the tears continued to run unchecked. Mine were close to spilling over as well. If father disapproved of Nathaniel to such an extent that he would take these measures, then what would he do if he knew about my feelings for…"Cora, was only Nathaniel arrested, or the others too?" Cora cast me a long look. "Only Nathaniel."

I dared not try to find Uncas anymore after this, or hope that anything would ever materialize between us. He must hate our family by now anyways, after what my father did to his brother. Several times during the day and night Cora snuck down to the cell where they kept Nathaniel. I knew they must be trying to devise some sort of escape plan although I doubted it would get them anywhere.

The attacks on the fort had continued to escalate. On this day however, they suddenly stopped. I heard talk that my father had gone to meet with the commander of the French army to negotiate. Never did I expect my father to surrender, though that is exactly what happened. Upon his return the entire population of the fort was ordered to pack and be ready to march out the following morning. Madness erupted as families were hurrying to throw together everything they owned in a single night. I did not matter very much to Cora and myself as this was only a visit us for and we would have left one way or another sooner or later and had no belongings there either, having arrived with nothing but the clothes on our backs. Especially Cora seemed very detached. All she must be thinking about was that Nathaniel may have a chance to escape during the exodus.