Cinderella's Secret Witch Diaries Box Set: Lost, Stolen, Found

Chapter 5-1

Chapter 5

My arm still hurt and I glanced down at the bandage and saw that no blood seeped through. The wound had begun to heal. The wagon that I rode in rocked up and down, with an occasional harder bump that would shake me out of my reverie. We had been on the road for a few days and Mrs. Radley sat next to me with Ruth, her youngest child, asleep beside her. Her willingness to leave her home without much of an argument spoke much to her strength.

She saw me awake and said, “Soon I will need to change the dressing on your wound. How do you feel?”

“Better.” I reached out my arm to her and took her hand. “You have been too kind to my daughter and me. I’m sorry for all the trouble that has befallen you.”

Mrs. Radley patted my hand. “You are welcome.” She held on to the side of the wagon as it hit a larger dip in the trail and put her other arm over Ruth to stabilize her. “Though, between you and me, I have wanted to visit a large city for months. Now we have a reason.” She smiled at her wit and I along with her.

“Do you think the girls are okay?”

“I would not worry about them.” Mrs. Radley looked out the front of the wagon and pointed. I could see Bebe laughing with the other girls in the wagon in front of us. They were enjoying their time together, playing a game and holding hands.

“The last few years have been difficult as we have traveled west. I had hoped we would eventually arrive in the Northwest Territory and see the Pacific Ocean.” I imagined the water and wondered what the beach would look like. “For many years, I have been unsettled, moving from place to place and I have regretted that as of late. When I see your children playing together, I realize how much Bebe is missing.”

Mrs. Radley put her hands in her lap and remained still. When I said no more, she chanced to speak up. “I did not know what my life would be like once I married Charles. The road has been long, but our family has grown and we have been blessed.” She glanced down at Ruth and then asked, “Would you like to settle in one place now?”

I thought a moment before answering. “If I could find the right town.” But I knew that Mrs. Radley had meant something deeper than what she had asked. “I fear settling. I’m afraid that if I stay too long in one place that I’d be captured like a bird. So I keep moving, but the cage is simply larger now.”

Mrs. Radley nodded. “Charles and I have periods of time in which we both need to surrender to the other and to give in. Both of us are proud and often stubborn. When we were young, we often tried to fight each other until we realized that we needed to work together. His wanting to move to Ohio was a compromise by me. I wanted to remain east and be near my family.”

The girls laughed loudly in the wagon in front of us and they all fell over playing a game. I watched them with my heart filled with joy that Bebe could be with them. “I have been alone too long and now have refused to compromise. I keep moving instead.”

“If I might ask, what do you run from?”

“The past.” I picked a loose piece of cloth that Mrs. Radley had been using to fix one of her daughters’ dresses and twirled it in my hand. “I have run so far that I do not know if the reasons why I started are still valid.”

“Each day is a new one and now that your husband’s family has come to help you, perhaps you can find rest now.”

“Perhaps, but the truth is that I had not been married and this is not my husband’s relative.” I glanced at Mrs. Radley and she waited for me to continue. “It is true that I lived in England and was a princess married to the king’s son. We are no longer married and Bebe’s father was of the French court. I think I still run from him and the decisions I have made.”

“My husband and I know that. Jeremiah spoke to us while you were unconscious after the attack. He told us that the queen wishes an audience with you back in England.”

I went to speak in my defense, surprised to learn of Jeremiah’s honesty, but she said, “Listen to me. You are brave to be on your own with a child in this country, but if I might speak, you are also foolish. There is much danger here and a woman on her own with a young child is easy prey for unscrupulous types.”

“I do not fear that, but my daughter and I have only recently been alone. My friend chose to head back east to England. She might be on a ship already.”

“Is your friend a witch as well?” Mrs. Radley asked.

“Yes, she is. She taught me my abilities and has been a great mentor to me.” I wondered where Renée might be, but knew I could not use my powers of sight now that I needed rest and to heal. “She believed I should go back and confront my past. But I disagreed and ran. When I had changed my mind, it was already too late. My friend decided to leave on her own and did not want us with her.”

“Running is tiring and, in the end, the past catches up to you. It always will. I am happy to see that you have decided to go back on your own with Jeremiah.” Mrs. Radley anticipated the next bump on the trail and remained steady and I fell to the side. She helped steady me and then said, “I need to ask of you a question.”

“Yes?” The children still played and laughed, unaware that we were watching them.

“Are you using dark magic of the devil?” I could see her tense up and she could not make eye contact with me.

“No, the magic I use is not of the dark one.” I waited to see how she would respond.

“When the Indians came at you, I ran the children inside and saw your hand glowing like the sun. I had never seen the likes of that before. And your face, so determined and strong, frightened me.” Mrs. Radley turned fully to me and met my gaze. “Who are you really? Hold back naught because my family’s fate is now tied up in yours. I must know.”

The children had begun to play a different type of game, singing together a little ditty. I had been in America for more than ten years and never could I answer such a question with ease. I opened my hand and, palm up, rested it on my lap and kept eye contact with Mrs. Radley. She deserved the truth. “All I told you about my being a princess is true, but that is not the whole story. My mother and father lived in a small town outside London. My mother died when I was young and my father raised me the best he could but remarried and that woman and her three daughters despised me. A magical fairy helped me find love with the prince and for a long time I tried to be happy living as his princess.

“But I left him and loved another. On my journey, I met Renée and she taught me all I know about magic and the powers I have. Would you like for me to show you my power?”

Mrs. Radley pulled away from me. “I would rather that you did not. The children did not see your powers and the strength that you have and I would ask that you not use your magic in front of them unless to save us again.”

“I do not know if I can promise that.” I thought of Bebe and of her life. “My daughter will become a witch as well when she becomes a young woman. I cannot hide who we are from her. I have come too far to remain hidden. But I understand your concern and why you ask this of me.”

Mrs. Radley crossed herself and mumbled a brief prayer. “I am frightened and do not wish to see my family in danger. Please, keep your powers to yourself. I do not want my children to be at risk. We have lost too much already and I fear for them.”

“I understand and promise to do my best.” I closed my left hand and then hid my hands from sight. “I have no intention to harm you or your family. And I am sorry for the problems we have imposed on you. I truly am.”

Mrs. Radley looked to her children in the wagon in front of us. “Thank you.”

She kept quiet and said no more. I needed time to reflect. I tired of being an outcast when I presented my powers. But life in America could be no other way. People were cautious here and had not been raised with the legends of faeries and magic. Times were changing here with the steamboat and other modern inventions that we had heard tales of on our travels over the years.

A whistle from up ahead at the front wagon signaled a sudden stop along the trail and the other two wagons followed suit. Jeremiah turned back from driving our wagon and said, “Natives have blocked the path up ahead. Stay low and tell the children to do the same.”

Mrs. Radley gathered Ruth in her arms and went back into the covered portion of the wagon. In the wagon in front of us, I saw Mr. Radley standing up to look ahead. He used his hat to shield the sun from his eyes and I saw a look of fear slowly come upon him. He sat down quickly to make himself less of a target and reached for his rifle. I jumped down and then ran ahead to be with the children. Bebe hugged me and I did my best to keep the children calm. Bebe kept close to me and asked in a whisper, “How many Indians are out there?”

I covered her mouth and then shushed her with my hand. I tried to listen to the discussion outside, but I could not discern any words. I kissed Bebe on the forehead and settled her low to the floor of the wagon. “Be still.” I looked at the children. “All of you.”

Before Bebe could respond, I climbed out of the wagon and stood by the horses, calming them. I saw Jeremiah walking up ahead unafraid. I had not seen any of the natives yet, but I knew they could be surrounding us on the trail and would not allow themselves to be seen until they were ready. If they had wanted to attack, they would have done so by now. From my new vantage point, I could see the driver of the first wagon, I could not remember his name, but knew he was a member of the local militia. He stood at ease talking to three natives. They were dressed partially in European clothing and that of their tribe. Jeremiah headed toward them to join the conversation. He did not have his rifle at the ready, but walked with purpose and no fear toward the natives.

Mr. Radley had climbed into the covered portion of the wagon I stood by and worked on calming the children. His rifle protruded from the front, but the weapon was not pointed at the natives.

Having given Ruth to Mary in the second wagon, Mrs. Radley came up beside me, staying close to the horses. “What do you see?” she asked in a hushed tone.

“Jeremiah is talking with the natives. I cannot see much more.”

As he talked, I could see that he kept turning back to us, but he did not have a look of worry on his face. After a few minutes, he and the militia man walked back to us and Jeremiah said, “They want to talk with you.”

“Me?” I stared up ahead and saw that they looked directly at me. The one native, taller than the others, pointed at me and then beckoned me to him. “How do they know me?”

Jeremiah offered to help me down. “They are scouts from the Miami tribe.”

I accepted their offer and walked with Jeremiah to meet with the three natives. All three were young men and wore their European garb with great pride. As I approached, the leader of the three came forward and bowed low before me. He spoke in a deep voice. “White Hand Witch, greetings. I bring you a message from the great Peshewa.”

I withheld comment and waited for him to rise.

He did so and put his arms out to me in peace. “My brothers and I have searched long for you. We have come to give you a message from our chief. Will you hear it?”

I nodded that I would and saw Jeremiah moved closer to protect me.

“Peshewa wishes to meet you. He has learned that the Shawnee look for you because they believe that a great witch will come and bring destruction to all our people. He wishes you to come to him so he can speak with you to learn if you can help us.”

Jeremiah turned to me and spoke in my stead. “The great Peshewa is well known in these parts as a fair and good fur trader and his wisdom is beyond compare. I have been charged to take the White Hand Witch back to England and away from here. She is wanted by a great spirit who wishes harm to the people of Europe.”