The Bairn of Brianag

He did not look at me, but cut a piece of meat, forked it into his mouth, and chewed it. "We are going fishing after supper. You like the perch fried for your breakfast, do you not?"

"Yes, I do like it, very much, thank you," I said. "But Robbie, I really must speak to you. It is important."

His lips tightened. "As you wish, madam."

When supper was finished, we went out onto the porch together, and said good night to the clan. The evening was hot; sweat trickled down my neck and I could smell the sourness in Robbie's clothes as we went down the path.

"Has Pete not provided you with clean linen?" I asked.

"Pete has been working in the field with the rest of us," he said. "Clean linen is not of particular concern."

At the cabin I climbed the steps then turned to see Robbie still on the ground, looking up at me; I said before I could think, "I saw you today with that Indian woman."

He came up the steps slowly.

"I saw you with her and her child," I said, choking on tears.

He stood looking down at me, his eyes dark in the twilight; when he spoke, my breath left me.

"Her name is Eco, and she was my Creek wife," he said. "I am her child's father."

I found my breath. "Was your wife?" I whispered, as the porch tilted away from me. I held onto the rail. "Was your wife? What is she to you now? Your whore?"

I was stunned when he laughed. "You little hypocrite!" he said.

My breath was now heaving in my chest. "How dare you!" I hissed at him. "I am your wife! The law makes it so! There can be no marriage between Christians and heathens!"

He laughed again, but it was not a sound of mirth. "Ach, yes! The law made you my wife-after you tempted me to make you my whore!" he said, his eyes boring into mine.

"You, my insatiable little wanton! You would have remained my whore indefinitely, had I not married you, would you not?"

The truth in his words made me so angry I wanted to strike him. "I have been your wife in my heart since I was thirteen years old and fell in love with you," I said, my voice ragged with rage. "How could you, Robbie? Have you no respect for me, your true wife?