Page 44 of The Lady of Red River Valley (Ladies of the Wilderness #2)

Chapter Nineteen

F og rolled over Little Playgreen Lake, hovering above the waters like a soft blanket.

The sun had not yet crested the horizon, but there was a pale purple hue to the sky, with ever-brightening shades of pink on the rim of the earth.

Eleanor liked this quiet part of the day best of all.

Few of the fort’s occupants were awake, allowing her to sit for a bit on her favorite log, facing the lake, praying.

If she had her journal, she would have used this time to write about the past six weeks since arriving at Jack River House.

She mourned the loss of her books almost as much as she mourned everything else that had been taken from her.

The words she’d written could never be recaptured.

They were a part of her heart and soul. An extension of her deepest thoughts and most precious memories.

To know that strangers were reading them felt like the worst sort of intrusion, as if she had been stripped bare for all to see.

A sigh deflated her chest as she let her eyes linger on the horizon, forcing herself to find a reason to be thankful for this oncoming day.

She had started the school again, to keep the children occupied and provide weekly entertainment as they had done over the winter in Pembina.

Mr. Barlas lent her the use of his books and the main room of his fur post. It had given her a sense of purpose and kept her mind occupied.

For the most part.

Jack River House was a modest fort, residing on Little Playgreen Lake at the head of the Nelson River, which ran from Lake Winnipeg to Hudson Bay.

They had passed this way on their journey to the colony the year before, when Miriam was only two months old.

It had been difficult for the fort to take over a hundred refugees, with no supplies and few necessities among them.

But the voyageurs and Indians who summered there had given what they had, and everyone had learned to make do.

Thankfully, there had been a large garden planted by the half-blood women who resided at the fort year-round, and it had started to produce vegetables.

Fish had been their mainstay, as well as small game.

They still had their tents and blankets, and a few cooking utensils, for which Eleanor was grateful.

Her thoughts turned to Miriam and how the baby had grown, having passed her first birthday the month before.

Though, she could hardly be called a baby any longer.

She toddled around the fort as if she’d been walking her whole life, and made friends with several company men, including the chief factor, Dugan Barlas, who doted on the child as if he was her long-lost grandfather.

A heavy footfall sounded behind Eleanor and she turned to find Fiona Ferguson approaching.

“Mind if I join ye?” Fiona asked.

“Of course not.” Eleanor moved to the side to allow her friend to sit beside her. The two women had grown closer over the past few weeks as they had endured the hardships of grief and uncertainty together. “How is Catriona feeling this morning?”

Fiona nodded. “Her fever broke in the night. She is sleeping peacefully now.”

Catriona, the youngest of the Ferguson children, often had ear complaints, and would cry for hours on end. The doctor at Jack River House had given her oils to use and it had done a great deal to help the baby.

“I’ve come to a decision,” Fiona said quietly as they both looked out at the calm lake.

Indian wigwams were spread out along the shoreline and dozens of overturned canoes dotted the landscape beyond the stockade.

“I will marry Mr. Kelly, in the custom of the country, until we can make it legal. He will start sharing my tent tonight.”

Eleanor closed her eyes briefly and took a few breaths before she responded, her voice tight. “He is old and prone to drink.”

“Not all of us have the luxury of waiting for a knight in shining armor to come and rescue us.” Fiona’s back went rigid. “I have four babies who need a faither, and Mr. Kelly is the only one who has offered.”

Eleanor had known this conversation was coming.

Mr. Kelly had been relentless in his pursuit of Fiona from the moment they had reached Jack River House.

“It’s only because he has not allowed anyone else the opportunity.

He monopolizes your time and threatens anyone who might approach you.

” There were dozens of eligible bachelors among the settlers.

Eleanor was well-aware. Ever since Arran had been taken away, several had made advances.

“Who would approach me?” Fiona asked. “I’m ugly and large—”

“You are beautiful.” Eleanor turned to face her friend. “You are perfect the way you are.”

Tears filled Fiona’s eyes as she played with a stray thread on her worn skirt. They were the first Eleanor had seen her shed since Angus’s death. Fiona dipped her chin and impatiently wiped at her cheeks.

“I want you to be happy, Fiona.”

“How will I ever be happy again? My Angus is gone.”

Eleanor gently took Fiona’s work-roughened hand into her own.

“Please,” she begged. “Do not settle for Mr. Kelly. I know Mr. Aiken and Mr. McGlynn have both spoken about you, and I see them watch you as you go about the fort. They are strong, able-bodied men who both love God and have impeccable reputations. I will even speak to them on your behalf.”

“Ach, ye couldna!” She shook her head. “I’d be mortified.”

“You’d be miserable if you marry Mr. Kelly.” Just the thought brought nausea to Eleanor’s stomach. All three men were colonists from Assiniboia, but Mr. Aiken and Mr. McGlynn had proven their courage in the face of danger, unlike Mr. Kelly who had cowered.

“To be honest,” Fiona said, “I’ve not cared one way or the other about who I marry. It doesna matter if it’s Mr. Kelly or anyone else. If it isna Angus, then why does it matter?”

“It matters because it’s a lifelong commitme—”

“Nay.” Her voice was bitter. “I thought marrying Angus was for life. Marriage, like everything else, isna forever. Nothing lasts.”

Eleanor could not debate her friend after what they had endured, but she could encourage her.

“You may be right. We don’t know how much time we have.

But you might have another fifty years to live.

Wouldn’t you rather spend those years with a man who is kind and good, rather than one who is controlling and manipulative? ”

Fiona crossed her arms and studied Eleanor closely. “Do ye really think Mr. Aiken or Mr. McGlynn might be willing to marry an ugly old widow?”

“You are neither ugly nor old. You’ve not yet had your thirtieth year.”

“I feel old.”

“You are a wonderful woman and any man in this fort would be blessed to have you.” She grew very serious. “Promise me you’ll turn Mr. Kelly down. I could not watch you and your babies suffer even more than you already have.”

Fiona sighed. “Mayhap ye’re right, though I dinna think he will be happy. I’ve already told him yes.”

“Then tell him you changed your mind, and if he gives you trouble, I will speak to him.”

“Ach.” Fiona laughed. “Ye’re a wee bit of a thing, Eleanor. Ye’re the last person I’d send him to.”

Eleanor smiled. “As long as you come to me, that’s all that matters.”

A loon called across the lake, its warble echoing on the water’s surface. It sounded close, though Eleanor could not see where it was sitting in the fog.

Fiona took a tentative breath, as if she would speak again, but then paused.

“What?” Eleanor asked.

“There’s talk of leaving here for America.”

“Who’s talking?”

“Many of the settlers.”

“But what of the rumors that Lord Selkirk is on his way?”

“To what end? Will he restore us to Assiniboia?” Fiona shook her head. “I dinna think I can ever go back there, not after what happened to my Angus.”

“Perhaps Lord Selkirk has a different plan. He is an honorable man. If he cannot restore us to Assiniboia, he will find a home for us somewhere else. We need only wait.” Eleanor had promised Arran she would remain at Jack River House. If the others left, she would be on her own.

“Ye saw the force and authority the North West Company possesses. How will Lord Selkirk prevent them from removing us again?”

“I don’t know—but I do know he is passionate about colonizing Rupert’s Land. He will find a way.”

“And do ye plan to return there?” Fiona asked. “What will happen to ye?”

Eleanor wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly taking a chill.

“I don’t know.” She had not yet heard from Arran—and could not even contemplate what the future might hold if he was found guilty on all the charges McLeod had claimed.

Would she ever see Arran again? If not, where would she go?

She would not give up Miriam. The little girl was now hers.

Would she be forced to marry a man she did not love, as Fiona planned?

“All I know is that we must keep up the faith,” Eleanor said. “If not for ourselves, then for our children.”

“If I dinna have my bairns, I would have given up long before now.” Fiona put her hands on her knees and then pushed herself off the log.

“The day awaits. I canna sit here and be idle.” She had not gone more than four steps when she stopped and smiled at Eleanor.

“Thank ye for yer words and understanding.”

Eleanor nodded. “I do not have much, but what I have, I’m willing to share.”

After a few moments, the fort began to stir and Eleanor soon returned to her tent. She would need to eat and then call the children to their classes.

Nicolette was making breakfast near the campfire outside their tent and Miriam sat close to her on a mat, gnawing on a sea biscuit, which proved to be soothing to the child’s teething gums.

“Has Isla not come out yet?” Eleanor asked. Isla was usually the first one up.

“Old John not well,” Nicolette told her, trouble in her eyes. “Isla see to him.”