CHAPTER THREE
The sun was rising behind the steamboat, announcing its arrival in the east with a pink-and-reddish glow cast upon the greenish-brown land, as The Wanderer eased through the water toward Fort Benton's dock.
With the fort's cannons saluting the ship, the ship's bells ringing from every deck and shouts of welcome from the hundreds of people lining the shore, it was difficult to hear what was being said by a person standing directly by one's side.
It was uplifting, yes. It was also noisy.
Every passenger aboard the steamship was lining the starboard side of the boat as it slowly eased toward its landing. Some passengers were waving, and many of the men who were standing along the shoreline of the river waved back. But, Briella's only thought was:
Where is he?
As Briella glanced out toward the crowd of spectators, she saw many a Pikuni man, including her sister's husband, Stands Strong, and her former nanny's husband, First Rider. But…where was Red Fox?
She knew he was a close friend of Stands Strong and First Rider, and she had expected to see him standing alongside his friends and their wives. Perhaps he was with her brother, George?
But, no. She could see her parents, of course, and there was her brother George, and, standing alongside of him was his Pikuni wife, Sweetgrass Woman.
But, of Red Fox, there was no trace. She couldn't help it: a tear stung her eye.
"How could you do this, Red Fox?" She asked the question of him, although to herself. "You promised to be here."
"And, so I am," came his silent response. "But, I will not stand with the others. You will soon learn why."
"Do you honestly think the silly opinions of the white men, whatever they are, would matter to me? Well, listen to me; it is not important to me what others think or say."
"I know. But, it is not because of the considerations of others that has changed my view of the world we now live in."
"But, I wish to see you, to talk to you with my voice and not in the mind-speak. Please, won't you let me? Where are you?"
"I am here," he answered, sharing a picture of his location with her.
"I do not know where this is, could you—"
"Well, m'dear," interrupted Maximillian. "It seems the entire countryside has gathered here to greet me, not to mention the welcome salutations of setting off their cannons in my honor. Why, there must be hundreds and hundreds of people who have come here to greet me. Capital. Capital, I say."
"Yes, indeed. It does appear they are honoring you," said Briella agreeably, though she doubted anyone within a few square miles of the fort even knew of the great tribute they were bestowing upon Maximillian.
The Indians were here to trade. The whites were here to discover how they might take financial advantage of the new crew arriving at the fort.
Little did they know they would meet their match in Maximillian.
But, she wasn't about to tell him any of these little details, nor be the one to shoot down the image her fiancé held of himself.
"It is a welcome greeting, is it not, indeed?" commented Sheila Neuerman, the fake lady's maid.
Behind Sheila stood Briella's actual lady's maid and friend, Parisa Long.
Glancing at Parisa, Briella shared a knowing glance with her.
At that very moment, Briella's brother and his wife, Marsha, along with their daughter, Maria, joined Briella and her fiancé, there where they stood at the railing of the ship.
"Oh, there they are! I see our parents!" cried Briella. "Do you see them, too, Frederic and Marsha? There's Mother and Father! Also, there's George and Sipat-simo-aki! Let us all wave at them!"
Amazingly, no one thought to question her suggestion, and they, one and all, shared in waving their hands, though Briella noted Maximillian did little more than raise his right hand, as did his mistress, Sheila.
But, what did it matter?
Speaking to Parisa, Briella confessed, "I have a powerful feeling coming over me simply because I am home again."
If only Red Fox were here to share my enthusiasm.
But, later, after all the "hellos" were said and done, she would seek him out and discover why this man was so reticent to join her family at the dock of Fort Benton.
At last, the crew swung the gangway into place upon the dock, and Briella and her companions crowded forward in preparation for disembarking.
Frederic and his family took the lead; followed by Maximillian, of course; and lastly by Briella; Sheila; and Briella's actual lady's maid, Parisa.
They were closely trailed by the gamblers and the gold-hawks—the name given to them by the Indians when they were not using other not-so-praiseworthy names.
"Mother!" shouted Briella as she stepped forward and ran straight into the arms of her mother, Mária Fehér. Then, a little less enthusiastically, she gazed at her father and forced a smile before she said, "Hello, Father."
"Hello," returned her father. "It is, indeed, good to see you, my daughter."
Briella returned her father's smile, but she feared her eyes did not mirror any happiness when she gazed at this man who was her parent.
After all, both he and Frederic had stolen her away from here two years ago.
What does one say to a father who accomplished this without giving a thought to his daughter's wishes?
Yes, she had made her peace with Frederic. But, this was the first time she was to look upon her father since the deed had been accomplished. And, the awful feeling of being betrayed by this man had not yet been reconciled, if, indeed, it ever would be.
After the necessary introductions were concluded, József Fehér said to them, one and all, "I have a buggy waiting to take our entire party to the ranch.
If you will all step this way"—he gestured with his hand—"we will go to my ranch at once, where I have endeavored to greet you all properly with refreshment and drink.
We must hurry, since the journey there will take most of the day. "
Go to the ranch? Now? So soon? When she hadn't yet seen nor spoken to Red Fox?
"Father," asked Briella, "may I please stay behind?"
"Behind? Why, I—"
"Please, Father! I wish to go inside the fort where I lived for a time, and especially I'd like to visit the trading room to see what new items of trade they have. It has been so long since I have seen the pretty beaded necklaces and earrings. Please, let me have a look inside the trading room."
"Well, certainly, but we will wait for you—"
"Oh no, Father! I wish to take my time and get reacquainted with my home and this land again. Please, you all should go on ahead. I do not wish to disturb your plans. I shall find a good horse to buy, and I shall ride the animal to the ranch after I have had a chance to look around."
"There is no need to purchase a mount, Briella," said her father. "I had thought you might like to see your beautiful buffalo pony, and perhaps even to ride him again. Come this way; your buffalo pony is tied up next to the buggy."
"You have brought Mr. Dandy here so I can ride him? Oh Father, how kind it is of you to have considered this. Where is your buggy? I would so like to see my beautiful Appaloosa again."
"Good. Good. Come this way, m'dear."
Briella was more than willing to do so…perhaps even excited; she would be reunited with her beloved pony…
one given to her by Red Fox. Their entire group followed her and her parent, parading toward the spot where the buggy was parked near the fort, the elder Fehér and his wife leading the way.
Certainly, they made a colorful line as they all traipsed over the prairie's summer-green grassland.
As they came into sight of her father's buggy, Briella recognized José, a former clerk at Fort Benton who had become one of her father's hired hands.
She smiled at José and waved, he returning the greeting even though he held the reins of the buggy's two horses in his other hand.
Spotting her buffalo pony at once, Briella scooted away from the parade, and, picking up her skirt, ran to Mr. Dandy, a grand name for one of the best buffalo ponies in all this land.
There he was, her beautiful brown-spotted white stallion with a white mane, black front legs and striped hooves.
Red Fox had gifted the pony to her years ago after she and George had helped him to capture many of his horse herd, which had been stolen from him by the Assiniboine.
"Mr. Dandy! Have you missed me?" Taking her pony's head into her hands, she leaned over to place a kiss upon his muzzle.
The stallion's soft whinny, accompanied by his ears rising up and pressing forward, showed his happiness at seeing his mistress again.
"Oh, Mr. Dandy, I have missed you, too," she cooed to the horse as she petted his head. "But, I'm home now. Come, let us go for a ride. I see my father has already placed my saddle upon your back."
Glancing over her shoulder, she grinned at her father and said, "Thank you, Father. I think, though, that I will skip going to the fort today. Instead, would y'all mind if I take a ride on my wonderful friend, Mr. Dandy?"
"I thought you might like to do exactly this, Briella. It is why you find your stallion all saddled up and ready to ride."
Briella laughed.
"I am happy to hear your laughter, my daughter. Happy, indeed."
Grinning at her father, Briella climbed up onto Mr. Dandy's back, and,despite the small hat upon her head, the painful boots covering her feet, her white gloves with five buttons, the bustle poking out at her backside, as well as the ridiculously tight corset that pulled her waist in to a measurement of twenty-and-one inches, Briella straddled the saddle in what might have been seen in the parlors of New York to be an unladylike position; there was no riding sidesaddle for her.