The Fur Trader’s Lady (Ladies of the Wilderness #1)

9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

T he next morning, Reid sent a letter off with the Upper Red River men who took their leave from Grand Portage in great fanfare. As he watched them leave, he knew that if Stephen was alive, he’d receive the letter in about eight weeks’ time. How would Stephen respond, knowing Lady Charlotte had come all this way to marry him? No doubt, he’d be honored and overwhelmed—and thoroughly besotted.

Just as Reid would be if Charlotte had come all this way for him.

Stephen wasn’t a handsome or powerful man. He was a simple, kind, and steadfast sort. He was respectable and trustworthy and would put his own life in jeopardy to save another, like he’d saved Reid. Stephen had qualities any woman would seek in a mate. Charlotte had chosen wisely and would be fortunate to marry him.

But it still didn’t set well with Reid. He struggled to imagine Charlotte married to gentle, unassuming Stephen. To share a life and a home—and a bed—with him.

Yet they had pledged their troth to marry. Stephen had written his proposal, and she had come across the ocean to accept. It was as strong a promise as any Reid had ever known.

And Reid would be loath to try and prevent it for any reason.

After the Upper Red River men were gone, Reid took Charlotte to the warehouse where their cargo was stored until their departure. Several of the north men assigned to their journey were already there, organizing the trade items into ninety-pound bales. The packages would be hauled with the north canoes, which were much smaller than the Montreal canoes and designed to navigate the narrower lakes and rivers of the interior.

Another beautiful day greeted them on the shores of Lake Superior, but the weather did not match Reid’s mood. He’d not slept well the night before after his encounter with Charlotte, and he’d been irritated when she’d stood over his shoulder while he penned his letter to Stephen early that morning.

All around them, voyageurs and officers reveled in their summer break. Competitions of strength and agility were being held in the stockade yard, a feast was being prepared in the kitchen behind the Great Hall, and several men were laughing and singing on the front porch.

All of it grated on Reid’s mood.

“Do you think someone will read your letter before they give it to Stephen?” Charlotte asked quietly, walking beside Reid as he inspected the supplies that had been prepared for them.

Reid stopped and pointed to several bales being tied by his north men. “I want the ropes tied tighter.” He couldn’t hide his frustration. “We canna afford for them to unravel along the way.”

The men nodded and began to retie the packages.

“Could he come sooner than four months?” she asked, stepping around a barrel of rum.

“Here’s the list of inventory.” He handed her several pages that had been prepared by one of the company clerks before Reid’s arrival. It was meticulous and there was no need to go over it again, but he couldn’t abide Charlotte’s questions. Not today. “I want you to ensure that everything on this list is here and accounted for.”

She took the papers but didn’t protest.

“I will see to our canoes.” He walked away from her without further discussion, needing his space. He had sent for Calum, but the man had not come yet. He was probably still sleeping off the alcohol from the night before.

Several warehouses spread out before Reid, and hundreds of voyageurs moved back and forth between them, all packaging and preparing for the winter season. Over a hundred thousand tons of cargo were brought inland from Montreal each year. Every item was inventoried, divided, and painstakingly packaged into ninety-pound square bales. Fabric, blankets, knives, beads, fishhooks, alcohol, tobacco, axes, muskets, trade silver, tin goods, lead shot, traps, and gunpowder were sent to the posts to trade with the Indians for furs. Added to the trade items were the food stores, which included brown and white biscuits, beef, bacon, English and Irish pork, salt pork, Scotch barley, oatmeal, flour, sugar, split peas, corn, rice, and pemmican made from dried buffalo meat and cranberries.

Charlotte moved through the bales, the inventory list in hand, making notes with a pencil, glancing up at him from time to time in question.

Reid had not spoken to her about their embrace the night before, and he’d tried hard to forget it. He had lain in bed for hours, unable to sleep, thinking about how good she had felt in his arms. If they hadn’t been interrupted, he was afraid of what might have happened. The desire to pull her closer had overwhelmed him.

But it wasn’t just a physical desire he felt for her—and that was why he was angrier than a badger this morning. He enjoyed her company more than he ought to. If it was simply a matter of physical attraction, he could deny himself like he’d done these past fifteen years. But it wasn’t that simple.

It would have been best for all of them if Stephen had been at the Rendezvous, ready to marry her and be done with it.

Calum appeared around the side of the Great Hall, walking sluggishly.

Finally. Reid impatiently strode toward the other man, anxious to accomplish one more task before it grew too late.

“You sent for me?” Calum squinted against the sun, as if it hurt. His clothes were mussed, and his red-rimmed eyes were lined with fatigue. He hadn’t come back to their room until the early morning hours, and when he had, he’d smelled of stale rum.

“I have a favor to ask.” Reid glanced around to make sure they were alone, and then he leaned in closer to Calum. “I need to leave the stockade for a few hours this afternoon, and I’d appreciate it if you kept an eye on Charlie. I dinna want to leave her alone.”

“Leave the stockade?” Calum frowned. “Where might you be going?”

Reid had no desire to share all the details with Calum. The less he knew, the better. “I just need you to watch out for Charlie. Will you do it?”

Calum ran his hands through his dark hair and nodded. “I will.”

“Thank you. I might not be back for several hours. I’ll join you for supper this evening.”

Reid clasped Calum on the shoulder and left him to do what he’d set out to accomplish.

He was going to the XY fort to find Rutherford.

Less than two miles away from the North West Company fort at Grand Portage, the XY Company had built their largest inland depot. It wasn’t as large as the Nor’ Westers’ fort, but it served the same purposes. Reid had no wish to enter the stockade, knowing he’d be run out, but he had found an XY voyageur who had willingly agreed to find Rutherford for a price.

The sun beat down on Reid’s back as he waited outside the gates for Rutherford to appear. It had been close to an hour since he’d sent the voyageur to look for him, and Reid was beginning to think the man had taken his money and had no plans on summoning Charlotte’s guardian.

As the minutes passed, he felt for the butt of his pistol, which he wore at his side. He had no doubt that Rutherford was capable of anything. And with some of the stories Charlotte had told, Reid was determined to be prepared.

The gate finally opened again, and this time Rutherford appeared. He wore a suit similar to Reid’s, with tight-fitting trousers, a white shirt, and a long-tailed coat. A top hat sat upon his head, distinguishing him as a gentleman in this place so far removed from civilization.

“I thought it might be you.” Rutherford approached Reid cautiously, his eyes shadowed by the rim of his hat. Long side whiskers extended from his hair to his jaw line, and his mouth was firm. “What do you want with me?”

Reid did not have practice deceiving people, but he’d prepared himself on the two-mile walk with what he planned to say to Rutherford. “I couldna forget your visit in Montreal and thought I might be of service to you now.”

Rutherford moved close enough for Reid to see his eyes. They were shrewd and calculating. “Do you have Charlotte?”

“No.” It was the first of many lies he planned to tell Rutherford. “But I saw someone who fit her description.”

Rutherford crossed his arms and stared at Reid. “Go on.”

“Yesterday, when my brigade first arrived, I saw a young lad I’d not seen before. He was small and fair, with delicate features and auburn hair. It made me pause, so I drew closer to him and engaged him in conversation.” Reid shook his head, as if he was stunned. “I’m convinced it was the cousin you are seeking.”

Rutherford seemed to consider Reid’s words for a minute. “How did you know I was here?”

“I saw you at the wharf the day we left, and then my spies told me there was an English gentleman traveling with the XY brigade that camped across the river from us the first night.”

Rutherford’s jaw was tight as he took a deep breath in and out. “What happened after you determined this person was Charlotte?”

“I spoke to the bourgeois in charge of his brigade and asked where the lad had come from and what he knew of him. He told me he’d just come from England and had signed on at the Montreal office under the name of Thomas Fairfax.”

“That is the name of Charlotte’s late father.”

Charlotte had told Reid as much.

“Was she with Stephen?” Rutherford asked.

“After I suspected the lad was Lady Charlotte, I asked about Stephen Corning but discovered he’d been very ill and unable to travel to the Rendezvous. He was forced to stay at his post in the Upper Red River.”

“So he isn’t in Grand Portage.” Rutherford’s face filled with triumph. “Charlotte is probably devastated. I must go and find her.”

“The lad asked to be transferred to the Upper Red River,” Reid said quickly—and then forced himself to calm his nerves. “He left with their brigade this morning.”

“She left this morning?” Rutherford frowned. “Are you certain?”

“I am.” He didn’t want to give Rutherford the truth about where Stephen was stationed, but he suspected Rutherford already knew, and if Reid’s information wasn’t close enough to the truth, Rutherford would not believe him.

Rutherford’s gaze narrowed on Reid. “Why are you telling me these things?”

“You told me the lass was in danger, and I thought I’d help you find her. The wilderness is no place for a lady.” He had to choke out the next words. “The sooner you find her, the better.”

“I must find a brigade going to the Upper Red River immediately. Charlotte cannot marry a commoner and ruin her life.” Rutherford’s countenance changed, and he turned on the charm Charlotte had warned Reid about. “I said I’d compensate you for your help—I’m sure that’s the real reason you’ve come.”

Reid didn’t want Rutherford’s money, but he must continue this charade if he wanted Charlotte to be safe. Feigning embarrassment, Reid dropped his gaze and shrugged. “If you see fit to offer a little reward, I willna deny you.”

Rutherford reached into his inner pocket and withdrew a wallet. He pulled out some currency and handed it to Reid. “I’m in your debt, Mr. McCoy.”

Taking the money, Reid shoved it into his pocket. He’d give it away to the women who served their evening meals.

“If you’ll excuse me?” Rutherford bowed. “I have much to accomplish if I’m to retrieve my cousin.”

Reid matched his bow and then turned away from Rutherford, keeping his head high.

Everything about his encounter with the man made him angry, but he could think of no better way to keep Charlotte safe until Stephen could come for her.

He just hoped his letter would get to Stephen before Rutherford did.

The day had been warm, and Charlotte’s head hurt from the glare of the sun. On top of the tedious inventory work, Reid had disappeared without telling her where he’d gone, and Calum had spent the afternoon hanging around the warehouse, teasing her like he used to. When she asked him if he knew where Reid had gone, he’d said no and offered no possible explanation.

She tucked the inventory list in her cassette and lifted it to bring it back to her room. All she wanted was a nap before the evening festivities. She’d been told by more than one person that there would be a feast, followed by a dance in the Great Hall, and everyone was expected to attend. It was the pinnacle of the Rendezvous, and the following day many brigades were expected to depart. Already, the Upper Red River men had left, as did another that had a longer journey to make.

“Where are you going?” Calum asked, stepping up beside her.

“To take a nap.” She squinted as she surveyed the stockade, looking for Reid. “Have you seen Reid yet?”

“He said he willna be back until supper.”

Where could anyone go in Grand Portage? Was he still in the stockade, seeing to business? Had he been called to a meeting? Or was he in the voyageurs’ camps? But what would he do there? His disappearance baffled her.

Calum stayed close beside Charlotte as she followed the path to the clerks’ dormitory. The closer she drew to the building, the more uncomfortable she became. Would he follow her to their room? It was one thing to share a room with several men when Reid was present—but an entirely different thing when she was alone with other men.

“Do you have plans for this afternoon?” she asked Calum as she stopped outside the building.

He opened the door and waited for her to walk in ahead of him. “No.”

She didn’t move. “Surely you have somewhere you need to be.”

“Reid asked me to keep my eye on you.”

He had?

“I’m planning to nap and won’t leave the room until supper. You’re free to leave.”

He continued to hold the door open. “I have nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Not knowing what else to do, she entered the building and walked down the hall to their room.

When they arrived at their door, Calum opened it and smiled.

She entered the room and set her cassette on the table. “You really don’t need to stay. I’ll be fine here on my own.”

He closed the door and walked across the room to sit at the table. Their fourth bunkmate, a man Charlotte had not been formally introduced to since he’d stumbled in after she’d gone to bed and was snoring when she and Reid had left that morning, was not in the room.

“Have a seat.” He pulled a chair out beside him with the toe of his boot.

What she really wanted was to sleep—but the thought of lying in her bed while he sat in the room was disquieting.

She sat down and folded her hands in her lap.

“Did Reid tell you why he is being sent to Crow Wing?”

“To restore trade with the chief in that region.”

“And how might he do that?”

Charlotte shrugged. She had no idea how a person went about such business.

Calum’s smile was callous. “He’s planning to marry the chief’s daughter.”

Her breath caught. Reid planned to marry the chief’s daughter when they arrived?

“I see he dinna tell you.”

Swallowing, Charlotte tried to still the emotions flooding her chest. Why hadn’t he told her?

“So you see”—Calum leaned forward and put his finger on Charlotte’s hand, running it along the length of her small finger up to her wrist—“he’s only using you, lass.”

Charlotte pulled her hand back, repulsed by his accusation and touch. “Reid has been a gentleman.”

“Gentleman or not, he’s still using you.”

“I think you misunderstand my relationship with Reid.”

He put his hand on her shoulder and slid it down the contour of her chest. “Do I?”

She slapped his face, her heart pounding.

His eyes grew wide, and he grabbed her wrist, but he did not retaliate. Instead, he let her go and leaned back, smiling like it was all a big joke. “No one at this post kens you’re a woman.”

She stared at him, unsure how to respond.

“And you dinna want them to find out, do you?”

Charlotte stood. Why was he speaking about this?

He also stood and approached her. “So even if I had my way with you, you couldna tell anyone, could you? If you did, you’d have to admit you’re a woman.”

Panic seized her, and she stepped backward, bumping into the end of the bunk.

He came closer. “Now why not share some of that attention you’ve been giving to Reid?” He pressed against her. “I admit, it’ll feel strange, making love to someone wearing men’s clothing, but I imagine you’re all woman underneath.”

She pushed him away and ran toward the door, but he grabbed her wrist again.

“You dinna need to pretend with me any longer, lass. I ken who and what you are. Reid told me.”

What had Reid said about her that would lead Calum to believe she was an immoral woman?

“Let me go, Calum.” She tried to wrench her wrist free. “I’m not the kind of woman you think I am.”

He pulled her tight against his chest, one hand holding her wrists together behind her back. When she tried to scream, he put his free hand over her mouth. “If you scream, someone will come, and you’ll have to explain who you are. What’ll happen to you then? They’ll hand you over to your guardian.”

Another jolt of panic raced up her limbs making her feel weak. He was right. Her only hope would be getting free on her own.

She tried, in vain, to pull away from him, but he was much stronger than she was. She began to pray, as she had during her years of imprisonment at Blissfield Manor, that God would find a way to free her from a man who meant her harm. She didn’t know if God was listening then—or if He was listening now—but it was her only hope.

“All the good lasses are supposed to say no.” He grinned and pinned her against the wall. She could not kick or punch or fight. He kissed her mouth, but she turned her head away.

“Dinna fight me, Charlie.” He continued to smile, as if he truly believed she was putting up a fight as some sort of game. “If you’ll let me, I’ll show you what a real man is made of.” He grabbed her chin and pressed his lips against hers.

She twisted her head out of his hands. “Don’t.” Tears gathered in her eyes. “Please don’t do this.”

“Do you think Reid was the only one who should enjoy your company? All the while he was turning his nose up at me for taking pleasure with the Indians, he had you to warm his bed.”

She struggled to get free of him, but his grasp was relentless.

“I’ve been wondering what you’re hiding under these clothes for weeks now.” He yanked at her shirt. The buttons tore off and flew across the room. “Binding? I should have known.”

The door opened and suddenly Reid was there. Charlotte glimpsed his horrified face a moment before he crossed the room and pulled Calum away from her.

Charlotte sagged with relief against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

“Are you mad?” Reid roared, shoving Calum against the opposite wall. His face was red as he grasped Calum’s lapels and pushed him up the wall until Calum’s feet were no longer touching the ground. “What are you doing?”

Calum put his hands on Reid’s, but didn’t try to get free. “Just having my turn.”

Reid slammed Calum against the wall again, cracking his head against the hard plaster.

Calum winced.

Charlotte pulled her shirt together, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Get your things and find another place to sleep.” Reid shoved Calum away, causing the other man to stumble and fall. “If you so much as look at the lass again, I will make you regret that you have eyes.”

Calum was a coward, Charlotte could see it immediately. He grabbed his bag and cassette and tripped out of the room.

Reid slammed the door behind him, breathing hard, fear making his eyes look wild. “Did he hurt you, lass?”

She could taste blood, and her bottom lip felt swollen, but that was the worst of it. Her muscles would probably be sore in the morning, and she might have a mark on her wrists where he’d held her, but she wiped away her tears. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.” Reid swallowed, his chest rising and falling as he took deep gulps of air. There was pain and anger in his gaze as he studied her. “Was I too late?”

“No.” She shook her head quickly. “No. You were not too late.”

Her shirt hung awkwardly from her clasped hand. She tried to gather it better, but part of her binding was visible. Calum’s earlier comments returned to her. “What did you tell him about me?” Tears stung the back of her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall again.

A crease wrinkled his brow. “Nothing.”

“He thought—” She swallowed the shame, the tears falling despite her best effort. “He thought you and I—” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Och, lass.” He drew closer to her. “I dinna tell him anything except that you were hiding from your guardian. Anything else he believed was of his own making.”

She tried to tighten the gap in her shirt.

Reid looked away and wiped aimlessly at his mouth. “I shouldna left you in his care.”

“You didn’t know.” She sniffed and wiped at her tears, hating that she couldn’t stop crying.

“I canna bear to see you cry, lass.” He lifted his hand and wiped a tear with his thumb. “Or to think about what you just experienced.”

She pulled away from his touch, suddenly wanting to make light of the ordeal. She hated to see pity in his eyes. “I’ll need to find a needle and thread if I want to be presentable at the dance tonight.” A sob caught in her throat. How preposterous her words sounded. Two years ago, she’d been allowed to attend the ball her mother hosted, and she’d been dressed in the most elegant gown she’d ever seen. Now, she was worried about a few missing buttons on her suit? “These are my nicest clothes, after all.”

Walking away, she kept her back to him and surveyed the damage Calum had done. Three of the buttons were gone, and two hung by threads. “I suppose it doesn’t matter what I look like.” The tears refused to stop, so she wiped at them impatiently. “In England, I would care a great deal more.”

“In England, you’d be clothed in the finest silks.”

Her chin quivered as she thought about the gowns she’d left behind. Oh, how she longed to feel feminine again.

“You’d be the bonniest lass at the dance.”

A button lay on the floor near one of the chairs. She bent to pick it up and saw another under the bunk. “My favorite color is purple.” She was trying to make this moment less awkward, but she couldn’t stop rambling. She got on her knees and reached under the bunk to retrieve the second button. “I never had a season in London, but if I did, I would have had at least one dress made of lavender.”

Reid bent to pick up the third button, which was under the other bunk. “You would have turned every head in the room.”

She was already on the floor, so she sat with her back against one bunk. She continued to clutch the front of her shirt and pulled her legs up to her chest. She rested her forehead against her knees, the tears falling as she thought about all she had lost—and what could have happened if Reid had not entered when he did.

Had God been watching—listening to her cries of help? Had He sent Reid to save her?

Reid sat on the floor across from her, his left leg drawn up. He draped his arm across his knee. “You dinna need all that finery for me to see you’re bonnie, on the inside and outside.”

She wiped at the tears again and licked her bleeding lip. Even though her hair was short, she wore men’s clothes, and she was a blubbering mess, somehow he found it possible to tell her she was beautiful? The tears finally stopped. “I’m concerned you might be going blind, Mr. McCoy. You should see the fort doctor before we leave.”

He reached out and handed her the button. Their hands grazed for only a moment, but it was enough to send a shiver up her arm.

“My eyesight is perfect.”

“Then you are a liar—a far worse condition.”

Reid smiled, but his brown eyes were serious. “I would never lie to you, lass. I have far too much respect for you.”

If he would not lie to her, then maybe he would tell her where he had gone. “Why did you ask Calum to stay with me today?”

The smile left his face. “I went to see Rutherford.”

Charlotte went still. “Did you find him?”

“Aye.” His gaze didn’t waver.

“Why?”

“I do not respect him.”

She frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means I lied to him. I told him I was there as a service to him and that I saw you here, dressed as a man.” It was evident to Charlotte that it pained him to lie. “I also told him that I saw you leave Grand Portage this morning with the men going to the Upper Red River.”

“Why did you do that?”

“So he will not follow you to the Mississippi River. When I left, he was already trying to find the next brigade going north.”

Charlotte clutched the three buttons in her hand. “What happens when he learns I am not with Stephen? What if he hurts Stephen?”

“I hope Stephen gets my letter before Rutherford arrives. I warned him that someone might show up to claim his debt at the Upper Red River post. He will be prepared for Rutherford, and when Rutherford sees you are not with Stephen, Rutherford will leave there to find me again. It might take him months to learn my location.” His voice grew quieter. “By then”—he paused, as if it was hard to say the words—“I hope Stephen has come for you.”

She hoped so too.