seven days. They are gathering to attack as soon as tomorrow."
No. No. No. Gareth swiped at his skull. "I haven't had enough time. The chief has vanished."
"That's not good. But time has run out for Port Elizabeth and that sweet lipped Jewell of yours. She's the reason I've come for you."
Sweet lipped? Gareth balled his fist. He took a breath and relaxed his muscles. He wasn't going to take the man's bate. Blasted. Maybe he should encourage Mzwamadoda to pursue her if the warrior could handle someone as aggravating and loving as Precious. But Gareth wasn't that big of a man. He was selfish. Precious was his, even if he still had to convince her of that fact.
He pointed his mount back to Port Elizabeth and urged him forward. "Then I better see what she wants."
Mzwamadoda caught up to him, squinting at him. "So you are not going to ask anything? Nothing of our kiss?"
As long as he'd known Mzwamadoda, the man never lied. He just embellished the truth. It must be so. Gareth's heart sank. He should've told Precious how he felt, not fallen into false pride. Swallowing contempt, he shook his head. "She'll tell me."
A frown covered the man's face. "Then it must be as she said. You are a lucky man."
Gareth tucked hope back into his heart and clicked his foot into his horse's side.
Mzwamadoda's Arabian matched Gareth's gelding stride for stride. I'll ride with you to the town's edge. It will be too light for a Xhosa to venture into Port Elizabeth. The English are trigger happy. I'll let them save their bullets for the battle ahead."
Riding a little faster, Gareth waved him forward. "You're under my protection. No one would dare harm you."
"You might think that. I don't believe the colonists think that." He thumbed his chest. "My dark life doesn't matter to them. They'd rather we were enslaved or dead."
It did matter. Just as Mzwamadoda saved Gareth's life minutes earlier, his was worth saving as well. Xhosa lives mattered. "Anyone helping to save or build Port Elizabeth matters. Go back to Bezile. See if there is another way. A ransom payment. A public flogging. There must be a way to avoid an attack."
"We'll see, Welling. Once you are back to Port Elizabeth, I will go find my cousin and hope he can see reason. But for now, I will make you ride faster. Perhaps, you could still wheedle out of me the details of my visit to your Precious Jewell."
Smirking on the inside, Gareth turned his gaze solely to the dirt trail. Though he wanted to know more than anything what had transpired betwixt the two, he wouldn't give his friend the advantage. Five more hours of hard riding, Gareth would know all. Then maybe, he would say all.
The rue started working a few hours after Mzwamadoda left. Precious watched her friend sleep and the occasional movement of her tummy. It gave her a moment of peace. She took a deep breath, maybe the first filling one of the day. The night Eliza died felt too close. So much so, Precious dared not shut her eyes.
For like that day, everything had been overcast. And Gareth wasn't there. Not that he could've saved Eliza but surely he could've made peace with her. Then Jonas wouldn't have been nearly abandoned for two years. Maybe the guilt Precious had for liking Gareth wouldn't be so strong.
Why did she like that man? Why did he go away when she needed him? Well maybe if she had told him, things could've been different. She folded her hands and almost started to pout. She and Eliza had a lot more in common than Marsdale blood.
"Precious." The rue made Clara's voice sound distant, as if she talked in a dream. "Get some sleep. I am fine."
"I'm not leaving you. I've nowhere else to be. Jonas has been fed and went down easily to sleep." Being awakened by the storm and a late night visitor seemed to have tuckered him out all day.
"I've made it through the night and most of the day without another large contraction." She wiggled a little on the pillow Precious had put under hips to get the baby
No. No. No. Gareth swiped at his skull. "I haven't had enough time. The chief has vanished."
"That's not good. But time has run out for Port Elizabeth and that sweet lipped Jewell of yours. She's the reason I've come for you."
Sweet lipped? Gareth balled his fist. He took a breath and relaxed his muscles. He wasn't going to take the man's bate. Blasted. Maybe he should encourage Mzwamadoda to pursue her if the warrior could handle someone as aggravating and loving as Precious. But Gareth wasn't that big of a man. He was selfish. Precious was his, even if he still had to convince her of that fact.
He pointed his mount back to Port Elizabeth and urged him forward. "Then I better see what she wants."
Mzwamadoda caught up to him, squinting at him. "So you are not going to ask anything? Nothing of our kiss?"
As long as he'd known Mzwamadoda, the man never lied. He just embellished the truth. It must be so. Gareth's heart sank. He should've told Precious how he felt, not fallen into false pride. Swallowing contempt, he shook his head. "She'll tell me."
A frown covered the man's face. "Then it must be as she said. You are a lucky man."
Gareth tucked hope back into his heart and clicked his foot into his horse's side.
Mzwamadoda's Arabian matched Gareth's gelding stride for stride. I'll ride with you to the town's edge. It will be too light for a Xhosa to venture into Port Elizabeth. The English are trigger happy. I'll let them save their bullets for the battle ahead."
Riding a little faster, Gareth waved him forward. "You're under my protection. No one would dare harm you."
"You might think that. I don't believe the colonists think that." He thumbed his chest. "My dark life doesn't matter to them. They'd rather we were enslaved or dead."
It did matter. Just as Mzwamadoda saved Gareth's life minutes earlier, his was worth saving as well. Xhosa lives mattered. "Anyone helping to save or build Port Elizabeth matters. Go back to Bezile. See if there is another way. A ransom payment. A public flogging. There must be a way to avoid an attack."
"We'll see, Welling. Once you are back to Port Elizabeth, I will go find my cousin and hope he can see reason. But for now, I will make you ride faster. Perhaps, you could still wheedle out of me the details of my visit to your Precious Jewell."
Smirking on the inside, Gareth turned his gaze solely to the dirt trail. Though he wanted to know more than anything what had transpired betwixt the two, he wouldn't give his friend the advantage. Five more hours of hard riding, Gareth would know all. Then maybe, he would say all.
The rue started working a few hours after Mzwamadoda left. Precious watched her friend sleep and the occasional movement of her tummy. It gave her a moment of peace. She took a deep breath, maybe the first filling one of the day. The night Eliza died felt too close. So much so, Precious dared not shut her eyes.
For like that day, everything had been overcast. And Gareth wasn't there. Not that he could've saved Eliza but surely he could've made peace with her. Then Jonas wouldn't have been nearly abandoned for two years. Maybe the guilt Precious had for liking Gareth wouldn't be so strong.
Why did she like that man? Why did he go away when she needed him? Well maybe if she had told him, things could've been different. She folded her hands and almost started to pout. She and Eliza had a lot more in common than Marsdale blood.
"Precious." The rue made Clara's voice sound distant, as if she talked in a dream. "Get some sleep. I am fine."
"I'm not leaving you. I've nowhere else to be. Jonas has been fed and went down easily to sleep." Being awakened by the storm and a late night visitor seemed to have tuckered him out all day.
"I've made it through the night and most of the day without another large contraction." She wiggled a little on the pillow Precious had put under hips to get the baby
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