"Robert Stew-art. He lives?"
"Yes," I said, my breath returning. "He lives." Strength which had fled away from me at her appearance now returned. I felt a fierce surge of protective passion rise in me.
Robbie was mine. Mine. I was his wife, and this woman had no claim on him. "What do you want?" I said, my voice shaking.
Old Creek Woman spoke, and I now saw that she stood at the bottom of the steps.
"She wants to tell you a story," she said.
"A story?" I said.
"She will tell you; I will speak," said Old Creek Woman, climbing up to the porch.
I hesitated; then indicated to her to sit. She lowered herself into a rocker; but Eco continued to stand, so I did also. I looked into her face again, and she began to speak.
"I was the Creek wife of Robert Stewart," said Old Creek Woman. "He lived with me at the Creek Village; and he sometimes returned to his kingdom in the lowcountry. I waited for him to come to me; I gave birth to his son in the Rabbit moon.
"Then, in the Flower moon, Robert Stewart came to me and told me that he would take another wife. He told me that he would be my husband no longer. My heart was grieved; but I gave him my permission to go and to take the new wife. I released him from my heart and blessed him. He was grieved, too; but told me that the new wife was his true love. He loved my son, too; but he knew the Creek ways.
"Then in the Thunder moon Robert Stewart came back to the village. His new wife did not keep his white son; she let it slip from her womb and was near death. He sought the medicine of Old Creek Woman. Old Creek Woman came to the house of McDonald to work her medicine on the new wife. I waited to see if the new wife would live. The Great Spirit decided that it should be so. The true wife of Robert Stewart would be the new wife, Robbie-Jessie. "
Eco stopped. My heart was pounding so faintly that I could hardly feel it; I could not feel my own body. She looked steadily into my eyes and when she spoke again, I was uncomprehending, even though Old Creek Woman's English words were as clear to me as any I had ever heard.
"Robert Stewart loves Robbie-Jessie," she said. "His heart was broken when he thought that Robbie-Jessie would die. I held him in my arms while he wept for her; I comforted his grief. He told me of his heart's true desire to be a good husband to RobbieJessie. He told me that without her as his wife, he would wish to die."