Page 9 of The Lady of Red River Valley (Ladies of the Wilderness #2)

Duncan did not look worried. Instead, he wore a mixture of curiosity and boredom. “What brings you to my post?” he asked as he leaned against the doorframe.

Arran stood at the front of his men, conscious that he was not only representing Assiniboia, but the entire Hudson’s Bay Company—one of the wealthiest and most powerful companies in the world.

“We’ve come in the name of Governor Robert Semple to arrest you for the crimes committed against the Red River Colony and the Hudson’s Bay Company post at Fort Douglas. ”

Duncan lifted a blond eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“We’ll take you by force,” Robertson warned, “if you try to resist us.”

Several seconds passed as Duncan worked his jaw muscles. “I’ll come with you.”

“I also want you to tell our men where you’ve put the fieldpieces belonging to the colony.”

“They’re in the barn.” Duncan nodded to a building in the corner. “You’ll find the ammunition there, as well.”

Arran indicated that the men should retrieve the weapons and then he and Robertson followed Duncan into his store.

Duncan didn’t speak as he took his jacket and hat off a nearby hook. He slipped them on, watching Arran and Robertson with unveiled arrogance.

“You think this will be the end of it?” Duncan asked as he approached his captors. His lips curled in a half-smile. “’Tis just the beginning. The North West Company will not let this colony survive, and well you ken it.”

Arran would not allow the man to intimidate him. “The governor and the crown will have something to say about your threats.”

“The crown?” Duncan scoffed. “The Royal Charter is so old it doesn’t bear acknowledging.

You ken as well as I that the Hudson’s Bay Company no longer has a monopoly on the fur trade.

The North West Company far surpasses the HBC’s profits each year.

We’re stronger and more powerful. We will take this land and keep it for our use, and the HBC will be unable to stop us. ”

What Duncan said was true. The North West Company had quickly grown and was now a real threat to the Hudson’s Bay Company—but the Hudson’s Bay Company was not dead, nor was it as weak as the man suggested.

It had been in business for a hundred years before the North West Company was created and would still be standing long after the North West Company folded.

Arran had no wish to parlay with Duncan, so he simply turned and left the store, indicating that Duncan should follow him.

They left Fort Gibraltar without a fight, for which Arran was thankful.

The handful of voyageurs who were there seemed as compliant as Duncan, which was a little alarming.

But Arran had seen enough warfare and bloodshed to last him a lifetime.

Duncan came alone, leaving his post in the hands of his men.

Half an hour later, as Arran’s men reinstalled their fieldpieces in Fort Douglas, Arran and Robertson walked Duncan into the governor’s house.

Eleanor was sitting near the fireplace, a sewing project in hand. Nicolette and the baby were nowhere to be seen. Eleanor stood when they entered and set the fabric on the chair she had vacated.

Duncan stopped at the sight of her. He seemed speechless, which was something Arran had never witnessed.

The older man turned to Arran. “Are you going to introduce me?”

Everything about Eleanor bespoke a lady, from the elegant gown she wore, to the way she carried herself, to the words she spoke. There was not another woman like her in the whole Northwestern Wilderness. No doubt Duncan was just as mesmerized as all the other fur traders upon seeing her.

Arran remembered that Eleanor did not wish to use her title, so he simply said, “This is Miss Eleanor Brooke. The new school teacher of Assiniboia.” He nodded at Eleanor. “Miss Brooke, this is Duncan Cameron, the bourgeois of Fort Gibraltar.”

“Mr. Cameron?” Eleanor’s lips parted as she stared at the man. No doubt she’d heard stories about his ruthless treatment of the colony. Mayhap Arran should have warned her that the man would be coming.

Duncan bowed deeply—almost theatrically. “You sound like a real lady, Miss Brooke.” He approached her and reached for her hand.

She did not give it freely, but did not pull away when he captured it and lifted it to his lips.

“’Tis an honor to meet you,” he said. “I’ve never seen a bonnier creature in all my life.”

Eleanor met Arran’s gaze over Duncan, a question in her eyes.

Arran shook his head, giving her a silent warning. Duncan could be charming—he had convinced over a hundred and fifty settlers to leave the colony, after all—but he was never to be trusted.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Eleanor said as she pulled her hand back to her side.

“How did Selkirk convince such a fine lass as yourself to come across the world to teach his settlers?” Duncan smiled at Eleanor, offering his undivided attention. “If I had a teacher as fine as you, I would have been a much better student.”

“It wasn’t Selkirk who did the convincing,” Eleanor said, her melodic and refined voice far more charming than the brute in front of her. “It was Mr. MacLean who spoke so highly of the Red River Valley. I had to come and see it for myself.”

Duncan shot an incredulous look in Arran’s direction. “Are you two previously acquainted ?” He stressed the final word, lacing it with meaning.

“You’re under arrest.” Arran took Duncan by the arm and pulled him toward Semple’s office. “You’ll not be asking the questions today.”

A slow smile slithered onto Duncan’s face as understanding lit his eyes.

The last thing Arran needed was for his enemy to know where his armor was the weakest—and yet, he had just figured it out.

He’d met Eleanor Brooke.

It was a loud and boisterous group that gathered in Fort Douglas’s main hall the night before leaving for Pembina. Eleanor sat at one of the long tables, Fiona and Angus Ferguson nearby, smiling at the antics of one of the children.

Miriam had been left at the governor’s house with Nicolette, offering Eleanor a rare opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of her fellow Assiniboins.

Laughter filled the air as men and women visited and told tales of life in the Highlands.

Their culture was far different from the one Eleanor had known growing up, but she thoroughly enjoyed listening to them, even when they slipped into Gaelic and she struggled to follow their stories.

Though she sat with them, she was clearly an outsider.

No one spoke to her or invited her to share her own stories.

She simply listened, feeling more alone than she had in a long time.

A soft glow fell over the occupants of the hall as the candles and lanterns flickered with light.

A fire had been lit in the large fireplace and a picture of King George III hung above it.

The ladies had prepared a communal meal, which had been enjoyed and then set aside as the ale and conversation had begun to flow.

Governor Semple sat at a table in the corner of the room with Arran and other leaders of the colony.

Eleanor and William had dined with them, but when the discussion had turned to business and political matters, Eleanor had excused herself to join Fiona.

Her new friend was loud and animated, sharing story after story with her husband.

Each tale Fiona told was bigger and better than the one Angus shared before, creating gales of laughter from their audience.

The prisoner, Duncan Cameron, had been locked in a room in the row house since his arrest. The voyageurs had kept him in shackles and Eleanor had not seen him again, for which she was thankful.

Something about him had sent a shiver up her spine, and when he had reached for her hand, she had wanted to recoil from his touch.

The men had spent the past three days discussing what they should do with him, but they could not come to a consensus.

Arran and Mr. Robertson wanted to transport him to England to face charges against the colony and the Hudson’s Bay Company, but Governor Semple was of a mind to release him, claiming that since Mr. Cameron had come without a fight and been properly warned, he would now comply.

From the stories Eleanor had heard, she doubted Mr. Cameron could behave himself.

Arran looked across the room and met Eleanor’s gaze.

As always, her heart beat a little faster when she saw him.

They had not had a moment to speak in private since the night she had arrived, and she was beginning to think it was intentional on his part.

Every time she sought him out, he pulled away, as if the very sight of her displeased him.

William rose from the table and caught Eleanor’s eye. He crossed the room and stood before her. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“Of course not.” She moved to the side to allow him a space to sit, and then she turned from Fiona and her husband to give her full attention to the minister. It felt good to have someone who wanted to speak to her.

“Do you have everything you need for Miriam?” he asked, just as he did every day, his kind eyes resting on her face. “For the journey and the winter at Pembina?”

“Yes. She is quite content with the new clothing I sewed from the material you acquired at the company store.” He had surprised her by bringing the cloth home after visiting the row house.

In addition to cotton for Miriam’s gowns and nappies, he had included a thick Hudson’s Bay Company coat for Eleanor.

The capote, as it was called, was long and warm, reaching down her thighs, and made from the popular Hudson’s Bay Company wool blanket.

It was white, with colorful stripes near the bottom.

It had a large hood and long sleeves, which she would appreciate during the coming winter.

She had tried to refuse the generous and expensive gift, but he had insisted, saying he wanted to repay her for all her help with Miriam.

“Have you had a chance to try on the capote?” he asked.