The Price of Honor (Canadiana Series Book 1)

by Susanne Matthews

  “Don’t leave me,” she begged. “Please, don’t leave me.”

  * * *

  Guy opened the door and carried Isabelle into the crew quarters. Sophie followed closely behind him and shut the door, blocking out some of the noise.

  “All of the men are needed to ride out the storm and repair the mast. You’ll be safe in here.”

  He tried to place Isabelle on a stool in front of the small table across from where Sophie had sat, but she wouldn’t relax her grip on him. Instead, he sat down and held her in his arms, rocking her gently, murmuring soothing words to her, holding her to him as tightly as he could, allowing her to absorb his body heat from his bare chest, feeling her tremble as she fought to hold back her tears.

  The only light in the cabin came from the incessant flashes of lightning. Thunder growled, and as the worst of the storm attacked them, the ship was tossed around on the river like a child’s kite across the sky in a strong wind. Slowly, the storm moved away until it was a distant growl. Now, they could hear the sound of orders shouted on deck and scrambling feet. The rain continued to pour, but the wind eased, and the ship’s roll lessened.

  “Is it over?” Izzy asked, her voice muffled by his chest, as she maintained her death grip on his shoulders.

  “Probably,” he answered. “It’s possible we’re in its center, and it’ll start again, but I doubt it. Do you remember how the storm we had at sea did that?” He felt the movement of her head as she nodded. “Sophie tells me you’re afraid of thunderstorms, mon amour. You never have to be afraid of anything when I’m near.”

  She nodded against him. His soft voice calmed her, and he felt her relax.

  “You probably don’t want to hear this now, but summer storms, like this one, are quite common. They come up quickly, but go away just as fast. In the house or the barn, with their thick stone walls, you’ll hardly hear them and will be quite safe. If such a storm strikes while we’re in the canoes, we paddle to shore and take cover under the overturned craft.”

  He wouldn’t tell her about the fires caused by lightning strikes, or the damage the wind could inflict. There would be time enough for that later when she was calm and could understand the precautions she’d need to take. For now, he would just hold her.

  “I believe the storm’s passed,” he said, tipping her chin up to look into her eyes. Thunder could barely be heard in the distance, and the lightning had ended. “You can’t return to your cabin until the mast has been repaired. Let me put you into one of the hammocks.” He indicated two string beds without blankets hanging from the ceiling. “This is where the sailors sleep. You’ll find it quite comfortable. It’s like sleeping in a mother’s arms.”

  “Please, don’t leave me,” Isabelle begged again, as he lowered her into the string cradle.

  “Just let me help Sophie into bed,” he said, “I’ll be right back.”

  Reluctantly, she released him.

  “I won’t go until you are asleep,” he promised. “But the captain will need my help on deck.”

  Guy moved to lift Sophie into the other hammock, and then returned to stand beside Isabelle, holding her hand, and gently swinging the string bed. The distress caused by the storm slowly passed, and she fell into a peaceful sleep. He bent down, kissed her, and then left the forecastle to help the men tend to the injured ship.

  His heart had stopped when he’d heard the crack of breaking wood, and he’d never forget the terror engulfing him when he’d seen the mast start to fall, knowing her cabin lay directly in its path. He’d forever be grateful to God for the thick ropes of the rigging that had interrupted its fall, keeping it just above the stern deck which formed the roof of their cabin. This was the second time he’d almost lost her.

  Memories of those harrowing moments mere days ago when she’d hung from the ship’s ladder filled him and he shuddered, thanking God once more for her safety.

  He sighed. The storm damage would delay their arrival in Ville-Marie. He would take the governor-general’s message to the acting governor of the settlement and the Sulpician fathers who oversaw it as quickly as he could. The visit to his estate might have to wait.

  Assuming there was no other damage to the vessel, they could probably get back underway by early afternoon. He headed up to the main deck to speak to the captain.

  * * *

  Isabelle awoke from a pleasant dream of being rocked in Guy’s arms to find herself swaying in a string cradle hanging from the ceiling. As soon as her eyes opened, the events of the past night and the vicious storm replayed themselves in her mind. She turned her head to see Sophie struggling to get out of her own hammock. Watching her cousin’s contortions made her laugh.

  “They may be comfortable enough,” Sophie said, “but I believe that the adventure lies in getting in and out of them.” She joined in Isabelle’s laughter.

  “If I could just reach the floor, I think I could manage it.”

  Someone knocked on the door and opened it at the same time.

  “Bonjour, mes petites.” Aline chuckled. “Look at you. You’re strung up like vegetables in the storeroom.” She turned to speak to Henri behind her.

  “You were right, my dear. They appear to be well and truly caught.”

  Henri entered the forecastle, his head bent.

  “I apologize for invading your privacy, ladies, but I suspected getting out of the hammocks, especially those strung as high off the floor as these, would pose a problem.” He walked over to the hammocks swinging above his waist level despite the fact they were both occupied and lifted Sophie out and then Isabelle. “The sailors hoist them up during the day to give more walking room in the cabin, and then lower them at night. I see Guy forgot to lower them when he put you in them last night. He must have settled you in like babies.” He laughed. “That would have been quite the sight to see. Never mind, tonight, you’ll sleep in your own cabin again. The crew have safely raised the mizzen mast off the stern deck, and are at work repairing it. It’ll have to be completely replaced when we reach Ville-Marie, but the repairs will be enough to get us there.”

  “Guy’s asked me to escort you back to your cabin to dress. We’re going ashore until the repairs are complete,” Aline said.

  Now safely on her feet, the storm a distant memory, Isabelle left the forecastle following Aline with Sophie and Henri tagging along behind them. Much to her relief, the gangway was empty.

  As soon as they were dressed, she and Sophie went up to the main deck where the others stood. A boat had been lowered and waited for them. Henri went down first followed by Gerard, Aline, Sophie, and Isabelle, skirt hoisted and shoe ribbons retied by Guy, were the last ones to leave the ship. Once they were all seated, Guy and Gerard took the oars and rowed them towards the shore.

  Isabelle admired the muscles straining under Guy’s shirt as he plied the oars, and tingled at the thought of running her hands across his naked back. Today was Tuesday; they’d be married in six days. She could hardly wait.

  It took less than twenty minutes for the boat to reach the dock. As they debarked, Isabelle could see that Trois Rivières was about the same size as Quebec, but flat, without an escarpment at its back.

  “Why is it called Trois Rivières?” asked Henri.

  “Look behind you. There are two islands. The Saint Maurice River empties into the Saint Lawrence here, but its delta splits into three streams,” Guy explained. “We must find a tavern and something to eat.” He turned to Isabelle and smiled. “In case you haven’t noticed, my angel, you slept in quite late. It’s almost noon, and I don’t fancy another meal of hardtack and salted meat. I had enough of that at sea.”

  Once the boat was secured, they climbed onto the pier and walked away from the mooring. The aroma of freshly baked bread and roasting meat drew them swiftly along the street. Guy negotiated with a tavern owner, and soon they were seated in a private dining room enjoying a delicious rabbit stew, bread still warm from the oven, homemade wine, and herbal tea.

  �
�I make the wine from dandelions,” the man said. “They’re plentiful here in the spring. This batch was made last year.”

  Aline begged his wife for the recipe for the stew, and she was quick to oblige.

  “The game is plentiful, and you’ll have no trouble adapting your chicken, beef, and pork recipes to venison, moose, rabbit, or even turkey,” she told her. “The game has a stronger flavor than the domestic meat you’re used to, but it’s very tasty.”

  Replete, the small group returned to the ship. Gerard and Sophie appeared to have had an argument. Isabelle would ask Sophie about it as soon as she could.

  By the time they boarded the ship, all signs of the previous night’s damage had disappeared and the goods and furniture being delivered here for some of the newlyweds had been unloaded. As soon as the boat was stowed, the captain ordered the ship to make sail. As they had the day before, they soon outdistanced the Huron canoes travelling along the shore.

  Tomorrow they would reach Ville-Marie and her new home. It would be months before she would sleep in a bed in her very own house, but tomorrow night, she would rest her head in the house Pierre had built for her. She smiled at Guy and went up onto the stern deck to watch the sunset, hoping there wouldn’t be a storm tonight.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The next morning, Isabelle stood on the stern deck watching all of the activity going on below her. As Guy had promised, she awoke to find the ship had reached its journey’s end. The captain had sailed until full dark and then had set sail again at dawn. The seamen were presently unloading the animals and placing them onto specially constructed barges.

  It amazed her to see how large the piglets and lambs had grown during their voyage. Guy stood beside his horses calming them as the sailors placed the canvas slings beneath them that would hold the animals aloft as they were swung by ropes off the ship. Perhaps she would prefer leaving the vessel that way rather than using the rope ladder. How had they gotten the sick girls off the bride ship?

  In the distance, two barges piled high with trunks and furniture made their way to the landing. Once on shore, the cargo would be transferred to the wagons waiting for it. Their goods would go in large carts pulled by oxen. Most of the furniture would be taken to Pierre’s house on Rue Saint Gabriel. The rest would be taken to the estate on the mainland west of the island.

  Once the second horse was safely aboard the barge, Guy came up to stand beside Isabelle.

  “Bonjour, ma belle,” he said, his smile a grin from ear to ear, crinkling his eyes in the bright sun. “Welcome to Ville-Marie. I have to go ashore with the animals to see to our baggage, but I’ll be on the pier waiting for you when you arrive. Are your shoe ribbons tied tightly?”

  Isabelle giggled. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you? Yes, my shoe ribbons are secure. Go, they’re waiting for you.”

  He lifted her hand and kissed it. “Adieu. I’ll see you shortly.”

  Isabelle returned to her cabin and repacked her satchel. Sophie was sitting quietly on the bed.

  “Aren’t you excited? We’ve arrived.” When the girl didn’t answer, Isabelle walked over to her. “What’s wrong, Sophie?”

  “It’s Gerard,” she wailed, bursting into tears. “He’s married.”

  Isabelle’s mouth gaped open. In all the weeks they’d been together, the man had never once mentioned a wife.

  “Married? Are you sure?”

  The girl nodded, tears running down her cheeks.

  “When did you find out?”

  “Yesterday, when we were walking back from our meal. I mentioned it would be strange not seeing him every day and invited him to come and visit whenever he liked,” she said, her words choked with tears. “That’s when he added his wife would love to meet a woman of quality like me, and said he’d planned to bring her around as soon as we were settled. He told me he’d actually met Pierre last year but hadn’t wanted to upset me by mentioning it.”

  “Oh, Sophie, what did you do?” Isabelle asked, holding the sobbing girl in her arms.

  “I said I would be pleased to meet Madame Giroux as would you. Oh, Izzy, I’m such a fool,” she blubbered.

  “Sophie, it wasn’t your fault. That scoundrel misled us all. I thought he was coming to New France for the first time like us. I didn’t realize he’d been here before. I’m sure Guy doesn’t know it either. He mentioned there was an itinerant gunsmith in Ville-Marie. He thought Gerard would be a welcome addition. The man even lied to Talon. He said the matter had been taken care of, not that he had a wife. Did he mention children?”

  Sophie nodded.

  “That cad. I know you said he behaved like a gentleman, but were you telling the truth?”

  “Yes.” Sophie answered trying to stifle her tears. “That’s the only good thing about this mess. He was polite, but we talked a lot, and I thought he liked me. I assumed he was being respectful because I was in mourning. I’ve been such a fool. He never said or did anything to imply we’d have a future. I imagined it all, I see that now, but it hurts. It really hurts.”

  “I’m so sorry, Sophie.” Isabelle held her until the tears eased. “I know the last thing you want to do is face anyone, but they’re probably ready for us on deck. You may not think Gerard led you on, but I do. The scoundrel isn’t worth your tears.”

  As soon as Sophie wiped her face with witch hazel and pronounced herself ready, they left the cabin and went up on deck where Aline waited. If she noticed Sophie’s still slightly swollen eyes, the kindly woman was wise enough not to comment on them, and soon the sights and sounds of the town captured everyone’s attention including Sophie’s.

  As there had been in Quebec, there were a number of trappers and natives on the dock emptying canoes and refilling them with goods. Most were similar to those she had seen, but this time, Isabelle saw women among them, dressed in buckskin dresses that fell to just below their knees, and knee-high moccasins. The clothing looked far more comfortable than what she wore. Guy stood talking to one of the men—a Huron, based on the style of his hair and dress.

  When he saw her boat arrive, Guy went to help her out of the craft, and immediately put a proprietorial arm around her, the glower in his eyes a warning to all those who might have shown an interest. The Huron made a comment that made him laugh, and he responded in the same language.

  When Gerard didn’t offer to help Sophie out of the boat, Guy released Isabelle to do so. Then, with one lady on each arm, he walked towards the town end of the pier attracting the attention of a number of single men in the area.

  “Gerard!”

  A woman cried out and forced her way through the crowd down to the water. With her were two small children. The third she carried in her arms. Isabelle watched Gerard as the woman approached. From the look on his face, he wasn’t eager to meet them, but he quickly hid his frown. There was some kissing and hugging before he turned to them. The look on Guy and Aline’s face made her want to laugh, but the misery on Sophie’s kept her humor in check.

  “Lucille, allow me to present my traveling companions: Monsieur and Madame Rigaud, Sieur Guy Poirier, his fiancée, Isidore Leroux, and Madame Sophie Gaudier whose husband died not too long ago. Mes amis, you made my trip much more enjoyable than it might have been. This is my wife, Lucille, and our children René, Daniel, and Louis who was born just before I had to return to France. I hadn’t expected to see them here.” He turned to his wife. “I thought you’d gone to see your sister.” There was an undercurrent of vexation barely noticeable in his tone, but it made Isabelle uncomfortable, and she saw her emotions mirrored on Guy’s face.

  “There’s been trouble with the savages. We were ordered back to the settlement. Céline and André are staying at Les Trois Moines with Huguette and Charles. He’s worried about his property. We’ve missed you and wanted to be here when you arrived,” she said quietly.

  Guy’s frown deepened.

  Gerard turned away from his wife and addressed Guy.

  “I’ll s
ay adieu. You may call upon me tomorrow for that musket you requested. I believe I have one in stock that’ll suit Mademoiselle Leroux quite nicely.”

  Since he’d organized his cargo before his wife had arrived, he loaded it onto the wagon she’d brought with her and urged the horse away from the port.

  “Did you know he was married?” Guy whispered to Isabelle

  “Not until just before we left the ship. He mentioned it to Sophie yesterday. Apparently, he’s the itinerant gunsmith you mentioned. He didn’t seem overjoyed to see his wife and family. Strange not to have said something. He had ample opportunity to do so.” Isabelle pursed her lips and tried to hide her annoyance.

  Guy shook his head.

  “I’ve had mixed feelings about the man from the beginning. I thought I’d seen him before, and this explains it. It bothers me he didn’t mention he lived here with his wife and family, almost as much as his wife’s words concern me. Of course, he did know about Brûlé. Maybe he did say something or assumed we knew. He looked familiar. It annoys me I didn’t recognize him.”

  “He mentioned to Sophie that he’d done business with Pierre.”

  Guy harrumphed. “I’m not fond of men who aren’t forthright. It’s a good thing we kept him in the dark about everything.”

  Isabelle nodded, but her gut nagged at her as she recalled the man’s furtive glances.

  * * *

  Guy smiled broadly at the sight of several men and wagons making their way through the curious throng crowding the dock. He turned Isabelle toward the group. “Here come my men.” He pointed to the wagons approaching the dock. “Judging by the number of them, the messages I sent from Quebec got here well ahead of us.”

  Even with all the help, it took more than an hour before the baggage and animals were sorted. Two wagons loaded with trunks, other baggage, and the furniture would go to the house. Another bearing some and leading the other animals who would stay in the city followed them. The rest of Guy’s cargo and livestock including his Percherons would travel to the seigneurie. He would follow as soon as he could.