by Jody Hedlund
But no one had spotted even the slightest trace of the American forces. After nearly a month of preparing and laying up stores for a siege, both the British and the islanders had started to relax. As the hot days of July came to a close, some of the islanders had even begun to put aside the idea of an attack altogether. The summer would be ending all too soon on Michilimackinac. Why would the Americans attempt to take over the island and then leave themselves so little time to prepare for the long northern winter?
In fact, the mood at the fort that whole day had been festive, as if the British were already celebrating a victory. And Lavinia had been a flutter of excitement, declaring the dance to be the first civilized event of the summer. Even Ebenezer had been invited and had allowed Angelique to leave her duties early so she could ready herself for the dance at the fort with Lavinia.
Angelique lifted her hand to the curls next to her ears. Her head was bare of a cap, and Lavinia had piled Angelique’s hair on top of her head, leaving a few loose curls dangling. “To tease the men,” she’d said.
What would Ebenezer say when she showed up at the government house looking like a loose woman? Would he force her to return to the inn? Or would he bide his time and punish her later, when Lavinia left at the summer’s end, when he no longer had the pressure of trying to keep her from complaining to her father?
Pierre had followed through on his promise to talk with Ebenezer and had warned him that neither he, Lavinia, nor the colonel would tolerate any more cruelty. But what would happen when they were all gone? Who would protect her from Ebenezer’s anger then?
Angelique expelled a pent-up breath.
Why hadn’t she just married Pierre when he’d asked? She had mentally slapped herself a thousand times since the day she’d turned down his proposal. Maybe he’d been right not to worry about the details of the future. If they were married, surely they’d figure out a way to work things out so that both of them would be happy.
But he hadn’t brought up marriage again. Instead he seemed to be going out of his way to treat her like a friend. And she’d done her best to resume their friendly way of relating, especially since he’d obviously put thoughts of marrying her out of his mind. The ease with which he could do that startled her, even hurt just a little.
A soft rap on the door made Angelique jump. She reached for the gloves Lavinia had left for her on the bed and pushed a hand through the tight satin, wrestling the glove upward until it reached her elbow. With the short puffy sleeves of the gown, there was still too much skin on her arms showing. But what could she do about that now?
“Miss McDouall is waiting in the sitting room” came the voice of the girl who had been assisting them with their preparations. “She’d like you to join her so that you can walk over to the dance.”
“Thank you. Please let Miss McDouall know I’ll be right there.” Angelique’s fingers trembled as she worked the other glove over the stickiness of her palm.
She took in several deep breaths of the sugary-sweet perfume in the air and recalled the words Miriam had spoken many times over the past couple of years whenever her circumstances had grown unbearable. “‘He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.’”
Angelique wanted to believe God was as solid as a rock, as reliable as the limestone bluffs that hedged the island, and that He was a fortress as safe and secure as Fort George up on the highest hill. But after she’d been forsaken so many times in her life, how could she trust that He wouldn’t leave her eventually too?
With a final tug on each glove, she spun to face the door, opened it before she could change her mind, and stepped into the hallway.
Voices and laughter came from one of the rooms down the long hallway that ran through the center of the officers’ building.
Her heart quavered, but she forced one foot in front of the other until finally she reached the open doorway of the sitting room.
Lavinia, in all her golden glory, was perched on the edge of the settee. She smiled at Lieutenant Steele, who sat on one of the wing chairs next to her. He was dressed in his best uniform, his white pantaloons spotless, the buttons on his red jacket gleaming, the felt of his black hat brushed until it shone.
Another man stood on the other side of the settee with his back to the door. A navy tailcoat stretched taut across his wide shoulders, its long tails falling over gray pantaloons. His dark wavy hair had been combed into submission, although a curl here and there had revolted.
Pierre?
As if she’d spoken his name aloud, he turned. His ebony eyes rounded with first surprise, then wonder.
She smiled at him shyly.
At the sight of her, Lavinia stopped speaking mid-sentence and smiled. “There you are, Miss MacKenzie. I was beginning to think I would have to come after you myself.”
Lieutenant Steele rose but gave her only the briefest of glances before he held out a hand to Lavinia.
“Does she not look wonderful?” Lavinia asked as she accepted the quartermaster’s assistance to her feet.
“No one can compare with you tonight,” Lieutenant Steele replied. “I don’t believe I’ll be able to take my eyes off you to look at anyone else.”
Lavinia’s laughter tinkled through the elegant room, her delight in his compliment bringing a flush to her cheeks.
“You must at least look at Miss MacKenzie,” she insisted. “Especially after all my hard work and the weeks of grueling effort to transform her into a lady.”
The lieutenant glanced at Angelique and made a show of perusing her before turning his attention back to Lavinia. “You’ve outdone yourself, Miss McDouall. I do believe you’ve effectively erased all trace of the fish lass, even the smell.”
Lavinia gave another laugh. “Pierre, what do you think of all my hard work in transforming Miss MacKenzie?”
Pierre’s attention hadn’t budged from Angelique. A silky white cravat tied about his neck couldn’t hide the motion of his hard swallow. “She’s stunning.”
Angelique’s lips trembled into what she hoped was a semblance of a grateful smile.
“I knew it.” Lavinia clapped her hands together and stared at Angelique as if she were a masterpiece she’d finished painting. “I just knew I could do it.”
“She’s as beautiful as always,” Pierre said, finally seeming to find his voice. “I don’t think you’ve transformed her, Lavinia. You’ve only helped to uncover the beauty that’s been there all along.”
Lavinia’s lips turned into a playful pout. “Why, Pierre, you are always the charmer, aren’t you?”
The sourness in Angelique’s stomach welled up. She’d known she was only a summer project for Lavinia, one of her many charity efforts. Is this what she was to face all evening? Would everyone see her only as Lavinia’s project and offer compliments on Lavinia’s behalf while secretly harboring pity?
She started to back into the hallway. How could she endure the dance? It was all wrong. She was all wrong. She didn’t belong in the gown, in the gloves, with her hair sitting atop her head like a jeweled crown. It was all just one step down the hill to becoming too much like her mother.
At her movement Pierre started toward her with quick steps. “You’re right, Lavinia. I can be a charmer when I want to be. But I’m always honest. I never say anything I don’t mean.”
His eyes beckoned Angelique to stay. In his gentleman’s attire he was more dashing than she’d ever seen him. And yet, even though he was clean-shaven and wearing the latest fashion, an air of ruggedness hovered about him that he couldn’t shed. It was the same dark wildness that she’d always loved about him.
Her footsteps faltered.
“The truth is I’ve never met anyone as beautiful as Angelique.” He continued toward her. “And she’s even lovelier on the inside.”
His words were as powerful as the adoration brimming from his eyes. They reached across the distance and soothed her. The sweetness of them overpowered the uncertainty roiling i
nside. He was a good and loyal friend, and she was grateful for him.
Lavinia glanced between her and Pierre. “You are rather savage and uncivilized yourself, Pierre,” she said with a forced laugh. “With your breeding and background, we certainly cannot rely on you to be the expert in beauty.”
Pierre came to a stop only inches away from Angelique. “I know real beauty when I see it.”
“Thank you, Pierre,” she whispered, drawing hope from his kindness. Even if he was a charmer and had said the same thing to a hundred other young women, at least he was doing his best to ease her discomfort. And she loved him for it.
She loved him.
The truth sank deep inside like a precious gemstone.
Yes, she truly loved Pierre. And not just for his kindness at that moment, but for everything. She loved everything about him.
Her chest swelled with the knowledge, and it brought a smile to her lips. The love rolled around, warming her insides. She’d let herself fall in love with him that summer even though she’d warned herself to guard her heart.
Or maybe she had always loved him but had just been too afraid to admit it.
But she couldn’t deny it any longer. She could only stare up at him, sure that he could see the glow of her love. How could she hide it? Did she even want to?
“Well, gentlemen,” Lavinia said, starting across the plush rug at the center of the sitting room, “shall we depart?”
“I’m ready.” Pierre’s eyes warmed to the color of coffee, and his attention shifted to Angelique’s lips.
“Lieutenant Steele, you may escort me to the dance.” Lavinia’s voice contained a petulance that Angelique hadn’t heard there before. “I am apparently not beautiful enough for Pierre.”
Pierre tossed a grin over his shoulder at the young woman. “Since I’m such an uncivilized savage, Lieutenant Steele is the better choice anyway.”
Lavinia gave him a coy sideways look as she slipped her hand into the crook of Lieutenant Steele’s arm.
The lieutenant’s brows had furrowed together in a dark line, and he glanced at Pierre as if he were a pesky fly he’d like to squash.
Pierre bowed with an exaggerated flourish and waved for the couple to precede him into the hallway. Then he offered his arm to Angelique.
She slipped her gloved hand into the curve of his muscles. His solidness seeped into her and gave her fresh courage. With him at her side, maybe she could find the strength to survive the night.
Their clipped footsteps echoed in the empty hallway. The normally busy house was silent of the usual commotion, as most of the servants and officers were already at the dance. As they stepped out of the officers’ quarters and into the warm summer evening, the peacefulness of the fort made Angelique almost forget they were at war.
There were still plenty of soldiers lounging around the soldiers’ barracks, the unlucky men who hadn’t been invited to the dance. Several groups were playing cards and stopped to stare as Lieutenant Steele escorted Lavinia past the center green toward the South Sally Port.
Angelique followed behind the couple with Pierre, who tucked her closer so that her arm brushed against his. He leaned in to her. “You’re so beautiful you take my breath away.”
His voice was husky near her ear. It unleashed a flutter in her stomach like waves lapping against a beach. “Lavinia’s right. I’m sure you say that to all the women.”
He pulled her to a stop, heedless of Lavinia and Lieutenant Steele strolling ahead.
The warmth left over from the summer day chased away the chill on her bare skin. Overhead, only the wisps of a few clouds tinged the clear blue sky. It was a perfect summer evening, and whether she was at the dance or not, she knew she needed to savor the all-too-fleeting beauty.
“I don’t say that to all the women, ma cherie,” he said softly, earnestness tightening the strong lines in his face.
“Well, maybe not all,” she said.
“The way I feel with you . . .” he started, leaning even closer. “I’ve tried to deny my feelings over the past few weeks, tried to just be friends with you, but I can’t. I’ve never felt this way about anyone else.”
Her breath caught in her throat. His confession was everything she’d secretly wanted to hear but never thought possible. “I think you just like seeing me half unclothed.”
His gaze dropped to the exposed skin above the neckline of her bodice, then to her neck and down to one of her arms. “I admit. I like seeing you in something other than the bag-like apparel Ebenezer forces on you. But it doesn’t matter to me what you wear. You’re always beautiful.”
She couldn’t keep from thinking back to that day he’d proposed to her, how sincere he’d been. Like now . . .
And once again she wanted to cry out at herself for turning him down. If he really cared about her, if his feelings for her were growing like hers, then why couldn’t they make a marriage work?
Intense longing wrestled with reality, just as it had over the past weeks whenever she’d thought about him. Standing with him now, dressed in their finest, with his dark eyes glimmering with something she didn’t understand but that sent shivers to her belly, she wanted to throw caution away. She wanted to turn back the time and pretend they were in Miriam’s kitchen again, with him down on one knee in front of her.
“Pierre . . . I . . .” She couldn’t just blurt out that she’d changed her mind about marrying him. What if he hadn’t really meant it? Or what if he’d decided it was a stupid idea after all?
He waited, watching her face.
What if it was still a bad idea like it had been before?
“Miss Mackenzie and Mr. Durant,” Lavinia called from near the arched entrance of the fort. “You mustn’t lag. Everyone will be waiting for our arrival.”
“Are you sure you want to go to the dance?” Pierre asked without moving forward.
From the fort’s position on the bluffs, the lake stretched out as far as the eye could see. She drew in a breath of air that hinted at the cooler days that would soon be upon them. “Where would we go instead?”
“Fishing?” The beginning of a grin played at his lips. “We still haven’t had that contest to see who is really the master fisher.”
“Fishing? Dressed like this?”
“True. You’d probably have an unfair advantage. When the fish see how pretty you look, they’ll jump into your net just to be with you.”
She laughed. “You can’t admit I’d beat you fair and square, can you?”
His grin broke free.
“Miss MacKenzie,” Lavinia said again more sharply, next to the sentinel on duty. “I really must insist that you stop dawdling.”
Angelique wavered. Part of her longed to run off with Pierre. The very thought of being alone with him sent tingles all over her skin. But another part of her warned her against such rashness. Lavinia had gone to a great deal of trouble to prepare her for the event. She didn’t want to think about the problems she might bring upon herself and Pierre if she defied the young woman.
Pierre cocked an eyebrow.
“I have to go to the dance,” she said. “Besides, after spending the past two weeks learning how to waltz, I’d like to dance with you since you look so dashing.”
“I do look dashing tonight, don’t I?”
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Too late for that,” he said, starting forward down the dirt path with more spring to his step.
She wouldn’t tell him she thought he was handsome all the time, or that the real reason she wanted to dance with him wasn’t because of how he looked. The real reason was because she wanted him to pull her close. She wanted to be in his arms, to feel his tender touch, and to hear the soft rasp of his breath near her ear. Such thoughts shamed her, yet she couldn’t deny them.
They exited the fort through the front gate and made their way down the steep path cut into the side of the bluff until they reached the bottom, where the government building was located. The big
brick house sat on the edge of town, surrounded by the vegetable gardens the British Army had planted with hopes of providing fresh food to the troops.
The double doors stood wide open, the numerous windows as well. The spacious first-floor room was already crowded. All the furniture had been removed, except for a few chairs along the side and a long table laden with refreshments. A group of soldiers with a variety of instruments had formed a makeshift orchestra at one end of the room.
Angelique wanted to hide in a corner, especially when she saw Ebenezer filling a cup with spiced cider. Of course he hadn’t allowed Betty to participate in “the lewdness,” his description of the dance. He never let the girl go anywhere, especially now that she needed to take care of the son she’d borne him.
Lavinia pulled her away from Pierre and circled around the room with Angelique in tow, apparently determined to show her off to everyone. Angelique tried to ignore the openmouthed astonishment of many of the islanders who’d always scoffed at her. And she forced herself not to shiver when Lavinia paraded her in front of the officers, including the colonel.
The interest and lust that flared in the eyes of some of the men reminded her too much of the way men had looked at her mother. Her mother, however, had flaunted her beauty, enjoyed the attention of the men, and hadn’t been able to resist the flattery. Surely Angelique would never sink so low. At least that was what she told herself as she tried to ignore the warning bells that sounded in the back of her mind.
Angelique was grateful when Pierre came over to her, linked his hand with hers, and glared at any man who stared at her too long.
She began to despair that Lavinia would never tire of the praise for her charitable efforts. Then when the orchestra started to play, Lavinia finally left her in peace. Angelique stumbled through the first waltz with Pierre, feeling exposed and awkward, aware of all the attention upon her. It came as no surprise to discover that Pierre was a graceful dancer, and he was good about smoothing over her mistakes.
Ebenezer stood next to the refreshment table talking with the island doctor. Although he kept himself busy tasting the delicacies on the table, she could sense his disapproval.