Captured by Love (Michigan Brides #3)(86)

He wasn’t being fair to her. He would have rescued her from Ebenezer no matter what the outcome was for himself. He didn’t want Angelique to suffer, forced into marriage with just any man. He wanted her to be happy. And if he coerced her into marrying him and staying in the wilderness, wouldn’t he be relegating her to the kind of life she’d always dreaded?

“I want you to know I’m grateful you rescued me,” she whispered. “I wish I could just forget about Jean and my promise to him, but I can’t. I have to be a woman of honor.”

“What do you want me to do? Do you want me to take you back so that you can be with him?”

He willed her to contradict him, to tell him she wanted to stay with him, that she loved him more than Jean, but she just hung her head instead.

“So just like that you’re giving up on us and shoving my love back in my face?” He hated that his voice was harsh. He didn’t want to lash out at her, but he couldn’t stop himself.

“I don’t want to give up on us,” she said, lifting her face. In the firelight the tears on her cheeks glistened. “I don’t want to think that this is the end, but don’t you see that even if Jean didn’t stand between us, I could never ask you to give up your fur trading for me?”

He couldn’t find the words to respond to the discussion they’d already had too often. He knew that she was right. And he hated it. All he could do was growl and spin away. He stood stiff and unmoving with his back facing her.

“And I can’t leave Miriam alone for the winter,” she added. “You won’t be able to return to the island without risking your life again. Jean won’t be there. Who will take care of her if I’m not there?”

He closed his eyes against the impossibility of their situation. Why had he ever thought they could make things work? Why had he believed their love could overcome such odds? That maybe she’d want to stay in the wilderness with him?

“I want to offer you my love,” she said behind him. “But love without honor is worthless.”

He didn’t turn.

“I have to do the right thing.” Her words were broken and filled with pain. “Maybe someday, if we do what’s right, we’ll find a way to be together.”

“I’m not waiting for someday, Angelique.” He spun on her with all the anguish pumping through his blood. “You’ve made your choice. So let’s not make this any worse than it already is with false hopes and dreams.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

And before he fell to his knees before her, begging her not to leave him and making an even bigger fool of himself, he forced his feet to move away from her. He strode into the darkness of the forest and let himself mourn silently where no one could see him.



At the barest hint of dawn, Red Fox touched Pierre’s shoulder. “You must go now.”

Pierre sat against the tree at the edge of the camp, where he’d positioned himself for the night. He’d closed his eyes for only a moment, knowing he had to rest, that he would need all the energy he could muster in the days to come.

“Menominee warriors will be here at first light. They will kill my brother.”

Pierre nodded and rose, adrenaline surging through him.

Red Fox shoved a bag into his arms. From the contents within the bag, Pierre could tell his friend had packed everything he would need to survive the coming days of running.

“I will pray to the Great Spirit to give you the swiftness of the hare, that your feet will fly and carry you to my people. They will keep you safe.”

That was if he made it across the miles to the Chippewa winter camp without being caught by the Menominee, but neither of them spoke the words. Pierre stared at the shore, to the fire where Angelique lay sleeping under a thick blanket.

“I will keep her safe,” Red Fox said.

Pierre swallowed the bitter lump in his throat. He wanted to go to her and kiss her good-bye and tell her he was sorry for the argument they’d had. He didn’t want to part with her like this. But what more could he say? She’d chosen Jean and the island.

“Take her back to Michilimackinac, to my maman.” He gripped Red Fox’s arm. “Please.”

Pierre didn’t want to think about what Ebenezer would do with her once she was back on the island. He had to believe the money he’d paid would prevent the corrupt man from trying to hurt her again. He attempted to block out the warning that Jean’s payment of the bride price hadn’t stopped Ebenezer from giving her away to him.

“I will ask Yellow Beaver to stay with her,” Red Fox said as if reading his mind.

“Would he do that?”

Red Fox nodded. “She is kind to him, like a daughter.”

Relief weakened Pierre’s legs. “I’d be indebted to him and will pay him handsomely.”

“You will not need to pay. He will sacrifice for my family.”

The breeze rattled the branches overhead and sent a chill up Pierre’s back. He glanced to the dark shadows moving in the woods behind him. He needed to go now before the shapes became the warriors the British had sent to kill him.

He didn’t know how he’d outrun them or how far he’d make it, not without a canoe. But somehow he had to distract the warriors from attacking his brigade and hurting Angelique.

“Please, take Angelique away from here.”