The rain beat against the buffalo hides stretched over poles to make up Brant’s lodge roof. She wiped the tears from her face and sat up in the darkness. A sob hiccupped out and she brushed away more tears. She had her chemise back in place and loosely tied, but keeping her blouse closed was impossible without the missing buttons. Brushing back her hair, she looked at the door flap bouncing in the opening. The low howl of wind worried her. She thought of Charlie. Brant wouldn’t do anything to her just for checking on him, she decided. She crawled toward the flap and glanced out. The rain made her hesitant, the thunder and the flash of lightning pushed her back inside. She reassured herself that Charlie was safe with his grandmother. She didn’t need to check on him. “It is tough to form a plan of escape in a storm.” Brant startled her from his place in the shadows on the opposite side of the lodge. “I wanted… I needed… I wasn’t thinking about leaving.” She stumbled over the right thing to say.
