Captured by Love (Michigan Brides #3)(97)

“I tried so hard to hold on to her,” Jean said. “I wanted to cling to the hope that she would still have me, that maybe you’d realize she’d be happier with me here on the island.”

“And I have realized that. I want her to be with you, here, the place she loves most in the world.”

“She won’t be happy. You know that, brother.”

“But she loves it here,” Pierre said.

“No. She won’t be happy anywhere unless it’s by your side.”

Tears pricked Angelique’s eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she knew it was the truth, the truth that God had been wanting her to know all along. She shouldn’t look to a place or circumstances for her happiness. If God was her rock, then she could be content anywhere.

“I wanted her to marry me anyway,” Jean admitted, “even though I knew how much she loved you. I tried to justify to myself that I’d make her happy eventually. That I’d do everything I could to make her forget about you, and that she’d come to love me someday.” His voice cracked. “Then when I saw you both at the swimming hole, having fun and laughing together, I realized I’ve never made her laugh. I can rarely get her to smile.”

He grew silent for a few moments, then added, “I realized that if I force her to marry me, I’ll only make her miserable. I’ll never see her smiles or hear her laughter, no matter how hard I try.”

The tears in Angelique’s eyes brimmed over. She knew she shouldn’t eavesdrop any longer, and yet she couldn’t make herself walk away.

“Don’t you see?” Jean went on. “I’ve been selfish too. I wanted her for myself, and I didn’t care about what was best for her.”

“No one is as selfish as me,” Pierre said. “I’m the worst.”

“And the most boastful,” Jean said dryly. “Even when it comes to the negative.”

Angelique couldn’t keep from smiling. She could picture the two men exchanging grins. Her tears spilled over once again, this time in gratefulness that she hadn’t destroyed their brotherly love for each other.

“Does this mean you forgive me?” Pierre asked.

“If you forgive me.”

“Deal.”

“And if you promise you’ll marry Angelique and make her happy every day of your life.”

Pierre hesitated.

Angelique stiffened.

“I don’t know if she’ll have me now. She was determined to marry you.”

“You’ll marry him,” Jean called down toward her. “Won’t you, Angelique?”

She gasped and stepped backward. How long had they known she was standing there listening?

Within seconds Jean appeared on the branch above her as he made an awkward descent, favoring his injured leg. When he hopped to the ground, he landed on his good leg but still gave a grunt of pain.

She wanted to rush to help him, but when he straightened, the sadness etching his face stopped her. He took halting steps toward her, holding the cane Pierre had brought to him, dragging his injured leg. He reached for her hand, brought it to his lips, and placed a tender kiss on the back of it.

“I’m sorry for breaking our commitment, Jean,” she began. “I was wrong to give way to my affection for Pierre when I was bound to you.”

He shook his head. “You were never mine to begin with. And now I release you to be with the one you’ve belonged to all along.”

She fought back tears. “You’re a good man, Jean. You deserve a woman who will love you with all her heart.”

“I don’t think there are too many women who will want me now, not like this.” He cocked his head toward his leg.

“I have no doubt God will bring the right woman into your life, a woman who will see the wonderful, godly man you’ve become and love you exactly the way you are.” She thought of the woman who’d come ashore earlier, the surgeon’s daughter. “In fact, maybe you’ve met her already.”

He smiled sadly. “Whatever happens, you’ll always have a special place in my heart, Angelique.” He kissed her hand again. After giving a nod upward toward Pierre, Jean squared his shoulders and limped away.

She watched him go, fighting the urge to run after him. But the proud way he held his head told her that to chase after him would only wound him further. She needed to let him go with a measure of his pride still intact.

She watched him silently until he disappeared, and afterward she turned and stared up at the cedar tree. She wanted to wait for Pierre to climb down to her, but something told her that this time she needed to be the one to go to him.

With a shaky breath she bunched her skirt into one hand and ducked under the canopy of branches. She placed her bare foot on the lowest branch, the bark scratchy against her tender sole. Then she looked up.

Pierre was leaning back against the trunk and peering down at her. “It’s about time.”

Heat flamed into her cheeks. “You knew I was listening?”

He grinned. “In that gown I think I’d be able to notice you even if you were a mile away.”

Gingerly she started to climb, her feet not yet having developed the calluses that would come after a summer of going barefoot. “I suppose that’s why you noticed me when you were talking with Red Fox and Yellow Beaver by the barn?”