The Fur Trader's Daughter: Rendezvous (Destiny's Daughters Book 3)

by Colleen French

"Yes, we're glad to be here, Gabrielle and I both." He leaned forward, trying to peer into the hall. Clarice's townhouse was not overly large, but it was new and furnished lavishly. "Alexis is coming down, isn't she?"

  "Why, yes, yes of course. I just thought you might like to chat before I had her sent down. Children can be such a nuisance amidst adult conversation."

  "How is she? Growing?"

  "Like a weed in my rose garden. She must constantly have new frocks bought for her, and it's impossible to keep her in proper shoes. The expense is enormous." Clarice's voice lacked the distinctive southern drawl that Gabrielle found so evident in everyone else's speech here in Richmond.

  Alex stiffened. "Yes, well, I'm sorry that I haven't been able to send more money, but now that I've returned, I'll take full responsibility for her. I'll repay you for whatever you've spent to care for her."

  Clarice clicked her tongue. "Now, little brother, are you certain you should be tossing your money about like that?" Her curiosity getting the best of her, she leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Just how much gold did you bring out of that wilderness?"

  Gabrielle sipped from her tea cup, listening irritably to the conversation between Alex and Clarice. Clarice's husband, Edward, sat across the room, reading a newspaper and puffing on a long, tapered cigar. He seemed pleasant enough, speaking to Gabrielle when they'd been introduced. But once she and Alex had been escorted to the parlor, he had immediately retreated to his corner, absorbing himself in his reading. He had not lifted his head or spoken a word since his earlier greeting.

  Shifting uncomfortably, Gabrielle gave a sigh as the sister droned on. She wished desperately that Margaret had accompanied them, then at least she would have had someone to speak to. Gabrielle realized she wasn't the most mannerly person on earth, but she was certain it was rude to ignore a guest in your home. If there was one thing Rouge LeBeau had taught her, it was hospitality. When someone came into his cabin, it was the best chair, the finest whiskey and the last of the stew for that guest.

  "Clarice, it's getting late," Alex said. "I'd like to see my daughter now."

  Gabrielle glanced up at Clarice as the middle-aged woman lifted herself out of her chair. "Very well, but I'm warning you. She can be rather difficult so near to her bedtime."

  "Clarice, she's my daughter." Alex stood up, handing Gabrielle his hat. "I just want to see her."

  The moment Clarice was out of the room, Gabrielle dropped her tea cup on the side table with a rattle and a bang. Glancing over at Edward, she forced a smile. "I really don't think we should stay long, Alex. I'm tired, and Clarice said it's Alexis's bedtime," she said, her voice obviously strained. "Maybe we could just come see her tomorrow. Take her somewhere, for a ride or something."

  "I just want to see her." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, pacing the thick woven carpet.

  "I know you do, it's just that—"

  Clarice came through the door. "The nursemaid is bringing the child." She glanced over at Gabrielle as if just noticing her for the first time. "More tea?" She smiled artificially.

  "No. No thank you, Clarice. I was just telling Alex I thought we should only visit a moment or two and then we should go."

  "Trying to keep him from his daughter are you?"

  "No, it's not that." Gabrielle was so startled by Clarice's accusation that she was at a loss as to what to say. She glanced over at Alex; his back was to her. Why was he offering her no help? Gabrielle looked back at Clarice. "I just thought—" At the sound of footsteps in the hallway, Gabrielle cut off her useless explanation. Clarice had already turned away.

  A woman appeared, dressed in billowing white skirts, leading a small child in a nightgown by the hand. Gabrielle couldn't resist a smile. Alexis was a beautiful child, just as Alex had said, with large, round blue eyes and a head of honey-yellow hair.

  Alex's eyes grew misty as he watched his daughter from across the room. Although he wanted nothing more than to cross the room and sweep her into his arms, he resisted the impulse. After all, his daughter hadn't seen him in over a year. She probably didn't even recognize him.

  "Alexis," Clarice said starkly, "this is your father."

  Gabrielle remained seated on the settee, watching Alex as he moved slowly toward his daughter. Getting down on one knee, he spoke in a low voice. "Good evening, Alexis."

  The child twisted her hands in her white nightgown. "Evening, sir," a small voice replied.

  "I'm very glad to see you. Your papa's missed you very much."

  The little girl puckered her lips. "I haven't a papa. Aunt Clarice says he's run off chasin' gold rainbows. He'll not be back."

  Alex heard nervous laughter coming from Clarice behind him, but he ignored her. "I did go looking for gold, love, and I found it. I've come home to be with you. Would you like to come with me and live in the big house with Grandma Margaret?"

  Alexis slipped her small hand into her nursemaid's. "No thank you. I have a home, here with Nurse." She tugged on her nurse's hand, obviously dismissing her father. "I've been nice to 'im like you said. Might I have that hot chocolate now?"

  "Take her, Louisa." Clarice gave a wave of her hand, and the child was bustled away.

  Alex got stiffly to his feet. "She's beautiful," he said, trying to cover his disappointment. He realized his daughter would be shy with him, but he had hoped he could at least speak with her. "I'd like to come get her tomorrow. Gabrielle and I want to take her on a picnic."

  "She has lessons, you realize. We run on a schedule here. It's the only way to raise a child." Clarice rested her hands on her ample hips.

  Alex took Gabrielle's hand, raising her to her feet. "Surely she must get time to eat. I won't keep her that long."

  Clarice showed them to the door. Edward remained in the parlor, reading his newspaper. "I suppose we can make the exception this one time." She brushed an imaginary speck of dust from her shirt waist.

  Alex stuffed his bowler hat on his head. "Good, because we'll be by at eleven-thirty." He rested his hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. "Ready, Gabrielle?"

  Gabrielle gave a nod, not daring to say a word, because if she spoke, she knew she wouldn't be able to contain herself. Fancy folk or not, she'd like to tell Clarice how rude she and her husband were and that she had no right to tell Alex's child that he'd abandoned her.

  The moment Alex urged the carriage forward, Gabrielle swept off her bonnet. "God sakes, Alex. The woman's got nerve hasn't she, tellin' Alexis you had run off on her!"

  "Well, maybe that's not what Clarice actually said." Alex spoke softly. He was hurt by his daughter's words, but he still wanted to give Clarice the benefit of the doubt. He wanted to believe his sister had looked out for Alexis's best interest.

  Gabrielle pushed back in the leather seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "Those words were too big to have ever come out of that child's mouth, and you know it." She paused, sighing when Alex said nothing. Linking her arm through his, she leaned against him. "I'm sorry; I just don't like to see your daughter turned away from you, that's all. I think the sooner we bring her home to live with us, the easier things will be. You're her papa; you've come home to her now, and you don't need those snooty folks' help anymore."

  "I told Clarice we wouldn't move her right away. I thought I'd let her get used to the idea for a while. We could go get her, take her places, see her at Clarice's and let the idea sink in a little."

  "Do what you want." Gabrielle ran her fingers through her hair, letting the wind loosen the pins that held it up. "She's your daughter, but if it was up to me, I'd have brought her home tonight. Damnation, can't you see, she thinks that nursemaid of hers is her mama!"

  "I'm going to start on the house right away. I have workmen coming in the morning." He glanced over at Gabrielle. "I thought we'd bring her home when the place was in better shape. She's used to living very comfortably."

  Gabrielle studied the passing scenery. "Seems to me, what she needs most is a little love."

  The picnic out
ing the following day was an abysmal failure. Clarice didn't have Alexis ready when Alex and Gabrielle arrived to pick her up, then once they reached the place Alex had chosen on the bank of the James River, the child refused to eat. Not only did she refuse to eat, but she wouldn't even get out of the carriage. She told Alex, with a rather sarcastic bite to her tongue, that young ladies did not sit on the grass and soil their frocks. Besides, she had explained, Aunt Clarice would make her go without her supper if she mussed her new outfit.

  No matter how hard Alex tried to coax her out of the carriage, she refused him. Then when he climbed back into the carriage to try and talk with her, she pointedly ignored him. She said he wasn't her father, and she wasn't moving anywhere. She liked Nurse just fine.

  Leaping out of the carriage, a discouraged look on his face, Alex came to sit in the grass on a blanket next to Gabrielle. She had pulled off her hat, stripped off her shoes and stockings and unbuttoned several buttons of her new ivory-colored shirt waist.

  Gabrielle glanced over at Alex, noting his dejected grimace. "It's not gonna happen over night, you know. If Alexis thinks her father abandoned her, you just can't show up one day and say, 'Here I am, your papa, love me,' and expect her to come running into your arms." She looked away. "I just think it's going to take time."

  Alex drew up his feet, resting his hands on his knees. "I can understand her being shy but she . . . she's—"

  "She's a brat," Gabrielle interrupted.

  Alex's brow furrowed angrily. "What did you say?"

  "You heard me right. I said that little angel you were expecting to come home to is a brat."

  "I can't believe you're saying this."

  "I'm not saying it's her fault; I'm just saying the child's got no manners."

  "I can't believe you'd say such a thing about my daughter," he repeated. "I love Alexis."

  "I'm saying it because it's the truth. All right, so she didn't want the lemonade, did she have to throw it all over you? Did she have to bite your hand when you tried to help her into the carriage?" When Alex looked away, Gabrielle gave a nod, daring a slight smile. "Just 'cause she's a brat don't mean you can't love her. It doesn't mean I can't love her."

  "So what do you propose I do about this brat of mine?" Alex demanded tersely.

  "I told you." Gabrielle could feel the anger rising to color her cheeks. "Get her out of Clarice's house and into yours, leaky roof and all."

  "I can't do that. I promised my sister I'd give Alexis some time and that the improvements on the house would be made first."

  Gabrielle snatched up her bonnet and got to her feet. "Then I don't guess there's anything that can be done," she snapped, walking away.

  Gabrielle followed the shoreline of the pond, muttering to herself as she stalked through the tall grass. It was so damned hot here in Virginia that she thought she'd cook, and it was September for God's sake! Nothing seemed to have gone right since they arrived. The house was a wreck, Clarice didn't like her, Alexis was obviously going to be a problem, and now she and Alex were squabbling.

  Dropping into the grass, Gabrielle hung her head between her knees. "Oh, Papa," she murmured aloud. "Why did I leave the Tanana? What am I going to do here? Who am I going to be?" She plucked at the material of her skirt dejectedly. Since they had arrived yesterday, she and Alex hadn't had time to exchange two words. She missed her dogs and her friends, she was uneasy in her new surroundings and she couldn't even get Alex's attention long enough to tell him. He was suddenly so preoccupied! Gabrielle's throat tightened. Is it always going to be like this? she wondered.

  When Alex came for Gabrielle a few minutes later, she was still sitting there in the grass, her bare feet dangling in the water.

  "There you are," Alex said.

  "Here I am."

  "You shouldn't have gone off; I didn't know where you were. It's not safe." He offered her his hand to help her to her feet.

  "You telling me I can't go where I please?" She pushed aside his hand, getting up herself.

  "No. It's just that women don't wander around unescorted."

  "Who escorted me when I lived on the Tanana, answer me that." She studied his stormy blue eyes.

  "That's different."

  "Why? I took care of myself just fine before you came along. Sometimes my father was gone for weeks at a time. I caught my own meals; I cared for my dogs; I did my own trapping and cured the hides."

  Alex exhaled slowly. "You're not on the Tanana any more, and there are certain rules . . . society's rules." He grasped her arm. "Gabrielle, you could be attacked."

  She was silent for a minute, looking away, then she turned back to him. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I said I would try, but this is all so new to me."

  "I know," Alex answered, taking her into his arms. "It's all right. I didn't mean to get angry with you back there; it's just that I didn't expect Alexis to dislike me like this."

  She brushed her lips against his. "It's not just you," she teased. "Alexis doesn't like anyone, except maybe Nurse."

  He grinned. "Come on. Let's get the brat back to her aunt. I've got an appointment with the carpenters this afternoon." He took her hat from her hand and placed it on her head. "Now give me a kiss."

  She leaned slowly into him, resting her hands on his chest. She kissed him slowly, deliberately, pressing her hips against his. Then she withdrew, spinning around. "Race you," she cried over her shoulder as she bounded through the grass.

  Gabrielle glanced at the clock on the mantel in her bedchamber. It was nearly ten o'clock and Alex still hadn't come to bed. Typical, she thought. In the two weeks that had passed since their arrival in Richmond, she'd seen little of her husband. He was always busy with the carpenters or masons who were renovating the house, or he had an appointment with his banker. Gabrielle and Alex spoke in the hall and at the dinner table but saw little else of each other. At night, when he finally came to bed long after she had retired, he fell into an exhausted sleep.

  Gabrielle gave a long sigh, getting up off the bed to go to the window. Pushing open the window, she leaned out, letting the cool breeze blow into the room. It still seemed hot to her, though Alex's mother was already talking about crisp fall mornings. Gabrielle chuckled. It had never been this warm on the Tanana in the heat of summer!

  Leaning against the window, she stared absentmindedly at the grass far below. She studied the long fingers of light that fell on the lawn, cast from the lantern-lit window. Hearing laughter, she leaned to catch a glimpse of two young black servants dashing across the lawn arm in arm.

  There were so many things that confused her here in Alex's Virginia, but the attitude toward servants was the most difficult thing for Gabrielle to accept. Soon after she'd arrived, she'd been chastised by Clarice and laughed at by Alex's mother for getting up to help clear the supper table after the family had finished eating. Here, the servants, all black men and women, cooked meals and did the cleaning. Not only was it improper for Gabrielle to pick up her own dirty dish, but in Clarice's eyes, it was criminal!

  It just didn't seem right to Gabrielle, someone else scraping her dish or washing her underdrawers. It was such a belittling custom that she felt uncomfortable at every meal. She had attempted to express her reservations to Alex, but his only reply had been that that was the way it was in Richmond. All of the old families retained servants, and she would just have to get used to the idea. He'd adapted on the Tanana, and now she would have to adapt to Virginia.

  Leaving the window, Gabrielle went to the wash bowl on a table and began to strip off her white shirt waist. No sense waiting up for Alex, she told herself, dropping the shirt to the floor. She peered at herself in the cracked mirror that leaned against the wall on the table. She barely recognized herself with her hair so long. Picking up the glass pitcher, she poured a healthy portion of water into the wash bowl, then picked up a sponge from the table, dipping it into the water. Washing her face, she let the cool water run down her neck and dampen the bodice of her soft muslin che
mise. At the sound of the lifting latch on the bedroom door, she turned with surprise. "Alex?"

  Alex came through the door, closing it behind him. "You were expecting someone else?" He sat in a chair and pulled off his shined black-button shoes.

  "No, just not expecting you." She went back to her washing.

  He loosened his neck cloth and removed it, throwing it over the chair. "I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I know I haven't had much time to spend with you, but there are so many things to do." He ran his hand through his auburn hair. "So many responsibilities."

  "I don't mind that you're busy, but I mind that I'm not What am I supposed to do?" She stepped out of her skirt, letting it drift to the floor.

  "Do?" Alex slipped off his coat.

  "Yes, do."

  "Well, you're not supposed to do anything. You're my wife, a wealthy woman. Mother never did anything."

  "Alex." She turned to face him. "I'm bored stiff. I don't have anything to take up my time but take Alexis out for her walks or shopping or have tea with your sisters. And I can tell you now, Loretta and Sue Anne don't like me any better than Clarice does. If I have to drink another cup of tea or buy another hat, I'm going to lose my mind!"

  Alex got up from his chair and came to her, stripping off his shirt. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

  "I did. You just didn't hear me!"

  "Ah, Gabrielle, I'm sorry." He took the sponge from her hand and began to stroke her chest, washing away the heat of the day. "It's just that I've been so busy."

  "Too busy to listen to your wife?" She tried to retain the anger in her voice, but she couldn't resist a sigh as he slipped the strap of her chemise down. Cool water trickled between her breasts, and she laughed deep in her throat.

  Alex kissed the soft flesh of her shoulder, dipping the sponge back in the wash bowl. His lips met hers for a brief moment, and then he lowered his head to the valley between her breasts, his tongue darting out to catch a trickle of water. "I've missed you," he murmured.

  "Missed you, too. You ought to come to bed earlier." Gabrielle threaded her fingers through his thick auburn hair, inhaling his heavenly scent.