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

29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

L arge snowflakes drifted down from the light gray sky in a lazy cadence. They covered the tall pine trees, weighing down the branches, until some of them touched the ground. Three weeks after his wedding, Reid enjoyed the stillness of the woods as he and Charlotte trekked across the snowdrifts, wearing intricately woven snowshoes strapped to their feet. A guide he’d hired at Grand Portage led the way through the dense forests, claiming the walk to Sean McCoy’s cabin was only a day’s journey from the fur post.

It was just the three of them making this frozen pilgrimage. Just ahead of him, Charlotte kept up the pace like a seasoned voyageur, though she’d never worn a pair of snowshoes before in her life.

She glanced over her shoulder and offered a steady smile, though it did little to boost his confidence in this trip. He’d almost decided against coming when they’d reached Grand Portage, but Charlotte had insisted, and he hated disappointing her so soon after they were married.

Instead of thinking about the reception they might receive when they reached his father’s cabin, he thought, instead, about all that he’d enjoyed as Charlotte’s husband. They had spent two days in their room after their wedding, reveling in the newness of their union, before Reid had declared the weather safe enough for travel. It had taken them two and a half weeks to navigate Lake Superior to reach Grand Portage. They’d been fortunate not to contend with November storms upon the water, though it had still been a frigid journey.

But in the evenings, when they had pitched their tent and were curled up beside one another under all the blankets and furs, talking long into the early morning hours, Reid knew there was no better place to spend the honeymoon period with his bride. He marveled that he and she were in a tent once again, and he didn’t need to deny his feelings.

In those two and a half weeks of travel, with nothing hindering them, he’d come to know Charlotte even better than before, and his love for her grew stronger with each passing day. There was no doubt that he’d made the right decision to leave the fur trade—yet, he had some unfinished business he needed to attend to before he left for good.

“There,” the guide said in Chippewa.

A cabin was barely discernible among the thick trees. It blended with its surroundings in such a way he would have missed it had the guide not spoken.

They continued to walk, but this time, Reid kept his head up, watching the cabin as it came into view. It wasn’t a fancy home, but it was snug and permanent. There was only one floor, but it had real glass windows and two chimneys, which belched out smoke.

When they came into the clearing, the door in the center of the building opened. A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped into the opening. His dark hair was worn long, with a thick beard covering half of his face.

Though Reid had not seen him for almost twenty years, he knew for certain it was his father, Sean McCoy.

Cold sweat gathered under Reid’s shirt, and his pulse began to thrum. All the pain and anger he’d harbored over the years threatened to push their way to the front of his emotions, but he forced himself to stay calm.

The words Charlotte had asked him one night while he held her close beneath the covers in their tent returned.

“What do you wish to say to your father?”

“For a long time,” Reid had said, “I wished to tell him I hated him and did not need him in my life.”

“And now?” she’d asked.

He was married to a woman who made him want to be the best version of himself—and if that meant forgiving Sean McCoy and moving on with his life, then that was what he would do. “I want to tell him I did need him but found a way on my own.”

“And will you tell him you hate him?”

“No.” He had pulled her closer. “I will tell him I love him—and forgive him—despite the heartache.”

Charlotte had kissed him, and he had become lost in her embrace.

But now, looking at Sean McCoy in the flesh, would he have the courage to forgive him like he had promised his wife?

“Welcome,” Father called to them with a wave. “Come, warm yourselves by my fire.”

As they drew closer to the cabin, his father continued to watch them. Reid did not take his eyes off him—and because of that, he knew the moment Sean McCoy recognized him.

Shock rippled across his features, soon replaced with disbelief. A heartbeat afterward, remorse weighed down the lines of his face.

“Reid?” His father trudged through the snow to meet him.

“Aye.”

Charlotte stopped, and Reid walked up beside her.

Father’s disbelieving gaze moved from Reid to Charlotte.

“I’d like you to meet my wife, Lady Charlotte.”

“A lady? In the wilderness?” Father stared in bewilderment.

“Aye.” Reid’s knees felt weak, but he was thankful his voice was strong.

“Come in.” Father seemed to return to his senses. He motioned toward the cabin door—where a woman now stood.

She was a mixed-blood woman with long black hair, as straight as the horizon on Lake Superior. Soft, almost sad eyes watched them with curiosity, and age lines marred her once beautiful face.

Reid reached down and unfastened his snowshoes while Charlotte did the same. When they were off, the guide took them and hung them on nails secured to the side of the cabin.

Father led them into the warm home. The main room was spacious with a fireplace, a table, several chairs, a thick bearskin rug, and an ornate cupboard. Two young women stood from the table when they entered, the sewing projects in their hands all but forgotten.

“Let me take your coats,” Father said. “So you can warm yourselves by the fire.”

Reid helped Charlotte remove her coat, while everyone in the room stared at her. She wore a wool dress, given to her by Nicolette. It was more serviceable and warmer than the green one she’d worn at their wedding. This one was a beautiful burgundy color, and she wore warm leggings hidden underneath.

When she took off her hat, her curls were unbound and lay against her shoulders. She smiled at each person but offered Reid the best smile of all.

“Come,” Father told Charlotte and took her by the arm and led her to the fire.

Reid’s body went rigid at the sight of his father touching his wife—but he forced himself to remain calm. His father meant her no harm, nor did he act out of unkindness.

Taking off his coat, Reid handed it to his father’s country wife, who gave him a nod.

“Come by the fire, son,” his father said. “We have much to say.”

Father’s face glowed with happiness, though Reid could not imagine why. How could he be happy after so many years of absence?

The two young ladies at the table watched Reid closely, as did their mother.

Reid took a seat beside Charlotte, and she captured his hand. Her fingers were cold, so he rubbed them gently.

Father sat across from them, looking Reid over, shaking his head in disbelief. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

Charlotte smiled up at Reid, nodding her encouragement.

“I dinna think I’d ever come,” Reid said honestly. “Charlotte suggested we stop here on our way to England.”

“England?” Father leaned forward and clasped his hands. “There is much catching up to do. How did you meet? Where are you coming from?”

Reid did not answer but turned questioning eyes to his father’s wife.

Father’s mood sobered as he held out his hand to the woman who had shared most of his life in the interior. “Reid, I’d like you to meet Esme, my wife.” He motioned the young ladies to come over from the table. “And my daughters—your sisters.”

With a steadying breath, Reid rose to meet his father’s family.

Father smiled at the women, the pride in his face warming the whole room. “This is Catriona and Isobel.” His chest puffed out, just a bit. “My other children, Lachlan, Gavin, Jamie, and Moira, are either married or serving in the fur trade.”

At the mention of Lachlan, Reid stiffened.

Catriona and Isobel curtsied, but neither one said a thing. After Esme nodded her greeting, she excused herself and went to the cupboard to prepare some tea.

“It does me good to see you, Reid.” Father settled back into his chair, his face growing sober. “How is your mither?”

Reid also sat and clasped his hands as Charlotte wrapped her arm through his. “She is—” He didn’t want to lie, neither did he want his father to know how pitiful she had become because of his betrayal. He wanted his father to know exactly what he’d done to them. “She is doing as good as can be expected.” He met his father’s gaze. “You hurt both of us deeply when you dinna return.”

Father dropped his chin and stared at his hands for a moment. “Aye. And I’m sorry for that.” He finally looked up again. “If I could go back, I’d do everything differently.”

“Why?” Reid asked quietly. “Why did you leave us?” He felt like the fifteen-year-old boy all over again, waiting for months for his father to return, only to receive a short letter telling him he would never come back.

Father glanced over his shoulder at Esme, and then he sighed. “I was pressured to take a country wife, and I folded under that pressure.”

Before now, Reid would not have understood that pressure as keenly as he did.

“And then,” Father continued, “I found myself with a country wife and a son—Lachlan—and I felt such shame that I struggled to face your mither.” He stood and walked to the fireplace, where he put another log on the flames. “When I returned to Montreal, I couldna find the courage to tell your mither the truth. And when I came back to the interior, I couldna abandon Esme and Lachlan, so I returned to my life with them, and then Esme had another child and another.” He turned and faced Reid and Charlotte. “I’m not excusing my behavior, simply explaining it.”

Charlotte squeezed Reid’s arm, reminding him she was there for him.

“The second time I visited your mither, I told her about Esme, and she told me I had to make a choice, I could no longer be married to both.” He put his hands behind his back and paced across the front of the fireplace. “By that time, I had four children with Esme, and I loved her and the children just as much as I loved you and your mither.”

Reid hated to hear his father share these details, but he couldn’t deny that he’d also made a fair share of mistakes. Who was he to blame his father for falling short?

“I couldna leave Esme any more than I could leave your mither—but I ken your mither and you were being taken care of. I could send money to you and you had your home in Montreal, but if I abandoned Esme and the children, they would be destitute.” He stopped pacing and met Reid’s gaze. “So I made the hardest decision of my life—not because I dinna love you, but because I thought it was best at the time.”

Reid had nothing to say, so he simply stared down at his clasped hands.

“When I heard you were in the fur trade, I sent word to you. Did you receive my letters?”

“Aye.”

“Yet you dinna come?”

“I couldna.”

Father nodded. “I understand.”

Did he? Reid wanted to tell his father how hard those years had been, but he suspected his father already knew. He hadn’t made the decision because Reid wasn’t good enough, he’d made it out of obligation to a family fully dependent on him. How was that any different than Reid making the decisions he had made when he knew the success of the Crow Wing post was his obligation? How much more so for a family?

Reid would need to tell his father about Lachlan, though it would come as a shock. “I met Lachlan.”

“Oh?” Father took his seat again. “Did he ken who you were?”

“Aye.” He knew exactly who Reid was and had hated him because of it. “Our posts were only a couple miles from one another in the Folle Avoine District.”

“He’s in Crow Wing.” Father scooted forward on the chair. “You were there too?”

Reid nodded and glanced at Charlotte. The love in her brown eyes reassured him. After Joseph learned that Reid would not return to Crow Wing, he’d sent one of his senior clerks back with Jean-Paul and Daanis to oversee the post. With Lachlan’s arrest, Reid was certain the North West Company would win the trade war in the Folle Avione District.

“Lachlan framed me for murder,” Reid said without preamble. “But it was discovered that he was the one who committed the crime, and he’s now in custody, facing charges.”

Father stared at Reid for several heartbeats, and the women became still.

“Murder?” Father asked.

“Aye. One of his own men.”

Father stood and clasped his hand behind his neck. He faced away from Reid and Charlotte.

No one said anything for a long moment.

Reid finally stood, his heart heavy. “I’m sorry I was the one who had to tell you.”

“I would have heard eventually.” Father turned back to face Reid. “I’m sorry he tried to blame you. He was always an angry child, and I tried to show him how to control that rage—but I couldna reach him. I sent him to school in Montreal, hoping he’d find a different path, but he only came back angrier. He was lonely there, without a single friend.” Sean sighed. “And when he saw you with your mither, he was so overcome with jealousy and bitterness, he was asked to leave his school. He came back here in shame.”

Then the story Lachlan had told him about his friends laughing at Reid was not true.

“I’m happy you came, Reid.” Father walked the short distance across the room. “I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me and stay with us for as long as you can.”

Reid had expected his father’s anger after telling him about Lachlan—but instead, his father had asked for forgiveness.

When Reid looked to Charlotte to see what she wanted, he found her nodding.

“Aye,” Reid said. “We’d like to stay.”

Sean smiled and reached out to pull his son into his arms.

At first, Reid stiffened in his hold—but then he wrapped his arms around his father and accepted his embrace, as if he were fifteen again.

Brilliant stars sparkled in the cold night air as Charlotte stood watching her breath fog out in front of her face.

They had been staying with Sean and Esme for over two weeks, and though the visit had been pleasant, the cabin had become overly warm after supper, so she’d stepped outside to take a deep breath.

She’d enjoyed getting to know Reid’s father and enjoyed watching her husband let go of the bitterness that had held him captive for so many years. Though Reid was kind to Esme, he had not warmed to the woman, and Charlotte didn’t blame him. It was one thing to forgive his father and another to embrace the woman who had come between his parents.

“Charlotte?” Reid slipped on his coat as he stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

She was snuggled warmly in her fur-lined coat and smiled at him when he came close to her.

“Are you ill, lass?” Concern lined his eyes. “You hardly touched your supper.”

“I’m fine.” She put her arms around him and loved when he put his around her.

Behind them, the cabin was warm and bright, but before them, the deep northwestern wilderness spread out for what felt like an eternity.

“Why do the stars look more brilliant in the winter?” she asked.

He was watching her closely, but after her question, he looked up into the heavens. “I suppose the air is clearer and the—”

Across the wide expanse of sky, brilliant green lights reached up and over their heads. The lights danced, waving back and forth, shimmering in the clear night air.

“Aurora borealis,” Reid breathed in amazement.

Awe filled Charlotte’s chest. “I’ve heard of them,” she said quietly, as if speaking loudly might scare them away. “But I had no idea how dazzling they were.”

The lights shifted, sending purple spiking up into the green.

“What a wonder this world is,” Reid said. “And what a gift from our heavenly Father.”

“Will you miss the wilderness?”

“I suppose I will.” He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. “But I willna mind. I’m thankful for the years I had here, but I’m more excited about the ones to come.”

Her own heart skipped a beat as the future beckoned, with more than one surprise on the horizon.

“Reid,” she whispered.

“Aye?”

“I think.” She paused, wondering if she should wait until she had spoken to a doctor.

“You think what, love?”

In her heart of hearts, she knew her secret was true and she didn’t need to have a doctor confirm it. She looked up at her husband’s face, warmth and love and excitement filling her chest. “I think we might be expecting a baby.”

The wonder on his face was even more intense than when he’d looked at the aurora borealis. “A wee bairn?”

Tears filled her eyes, and she nodded. “I’m not completely certain—but I-I’ve had several symptoms.”

A smile spread across Reid’s face that would rival any sunrise or sunset she’d ever seen. “I couldna think of anything that would make me happier, lass.”

The tears in her eyes slipped down her cheeks as wonder filled her heart.

A wolf howled in the distance and the cold air nipped at her nose, but she had never been so happy or felt so safe in her life. Despite the pain and uncertainty of her journey, God had brought her to a place of peace and contentment.

“Are you ready to go back inside?” Reid asked.

She looked up at him and smiled. “Let’s stay out here a little longer. I like being alone with you.”

He grinned and pulled her closer.

Charlotte nuzzled into her husband’s chest, marveling that she had become a fur trader’s wife. She wondered what might happen once they returned to England, but she chose not to worry about the things yet to come. God had proven that no matter what they faced, He would be by their side, guiding them, protecting them, and teaching them how to love and trust Him.

And through it all, He would bless them, just as He always had.