"Nothing of the kind," Frank said gruffly.
How unfair, Nicole thought. Frank had written only that if the 1804 land agreement had been obtained through fraud, it would be better to negotiate a new treaty with the Sauk and Fox rather than meet them with armed force.
Raoul's tanned face reddened and his nostrils flared. "Give back Illinois," he persisted, "just like you wanted to give Victoire to Pierre's mongrel bastard."
Nicole saw not a trace of guilt on that broad, hard face over what he had done to Auguste. She clenched her fists. She must try to contain her anger.
Frank spoke. "Don't bring up Auguste now, Raoul. He's what divides us, and we oughtn't to be divided now. We want to talk to you about protecting Victor."
Heat lightning flickered in Raoul's eyes, shifting quickly to a derisive gleam. "Well, that should be easy, Frank, with your attitude. You can make a white flag out of any bedsheet."
Nicole thought, He's just using our coming here as an opportunity to rub our faces in the dirt.
"Don't make this so hard for us, Raoul," she said. "We need each other."
"Really? What do I need you for?" His eyes were cold.
Many answers crowded Nicole's mind, but she thought for a moment before speaking.