After positioning his pack on himself, then taking on hers as well, he wound the cord around the tree he planned to use as a lever. He studied Miss Durand once more. “Ready?” A bit of that determination from before had slipped back into her eyes, making her look less like she would bolt any moment.
A tiny nod was all she offered.
He made quick work of the journey down, talking through each handhold and foothold but doing his best to make the descent sound as simple as it really was.
When he was secure at the edge of the cave, had lit a candle, and held a firm grip on the rope, he shifted his focus to the woman tied to the other end. “Lie on your belly first and let your legs hang down.” He tried to soften his voice to the tone he’d always used to coax Michelle. “It’ll be easier if you come before snow builds up on the footholds again. Once you lie on your belly, you don’t have to look down. And I have hold of you. I’ll make sure you get here safely.”
She glanced at him, then squeezed her eyes shut, turned around, and dropped to her knees.
Good thing the woman wore full fur-lined pants and a thick coat, for he’d not thought about what it would be like watching from below as she descended. He did his best to focus on telling her where to place her hands and feet, not staring at any other body parts, covered though they were. He couldn’t tell much through the winter clothing, but he had a feeling beneath all that fur and buckskin was a fine-looking woman.
He tightened his grip on the rope. That was the last thing he should be thinking of. And not only because the two of them were so alone out here. He needed to keep his mind on the important things.
“That’s it, now you can bring your right foot all the way down to the cave floor.” He kept enough tension on the rope to make her feel safe, then reached out so he could grab her if she lost balance. She’d maneuvered the climb with grace, despite all her worries.
“All right. We’ll have to crawl into the cave for a ways until the ceiling gets higher.” He pulled the rope down from the tree to coil it and give her freedom to move. “We’ll untie you once we get in the cavern.”
Crawling through this first stretch was slow, but with Miss Durand’s smaller form, she was able to rise to her feet long before he could.
At last they reached the end of the passage into the wide cavern. He held the candle up, but the small light didn’t allow them to see far. He motioned toward the faint rustle. “There’s a little stream by that back wall, and to the right of it is where the bats leave their ... droppings. You might want to avoid that area.”
“There are bats in here?” Was it his imagination or had she edged closer to him?
“They flew out earlier when I first entered the cave. They won’t hurt you. They’d rather stay far away from us.” Silence filled the empty space around them. Best to get started on the fire. “Hold these, and I’ll get a blaze going.” He handed her the coil of rope and candle, then dropped the packs on the floor and set to work placing kindling and logs.
By the time he had the fire started, she’d untied the rope from around her and moved toward the middle of the cave to take in the room. He brushed the dirt from his hands. “Do you have food for a few days?”
She glanced back and nodded. He’d never met a woman who talked so little. Maybe all the new surroundings were what held her tongue.
She seemed to hesitate, as though she wanted to say something, so he waited. “You can camp here, too, if you think your mule won’t need you nearby.”
He nearly chuckled, but his face wouldn’t quite form a smile. It had been too long. “Gulliver will be fine, but I don’t mean to push you. If you’d be more comfortable with me out there, I have no problem camping with him.”
She shook her head, the action more certain this time. “Not out in the weather.”
He nodded. “Thanks.”
As he turned to finish setting up camp, his mind wandered through the last year. This might be the first time someone had actually asked for his company since Michelle. Of course, this was only sympathy from Miss Durand. And once she learned more about him, she may well send him packing, even in the snowstorm.
5
Charlotte prayed she wouldn’t regret her decision.
Monsieur Levette seemed honorable, even willing to give up this dry shelter for her. Sending him back out into a snowstorm at night would have been cruel on her part. He’d offered separate fires, but that would be a waste of firewood. Though she would only be here til morning, he’d carried enough logs into this cavern that he must be planning to stay a while.
She had her knife, and she’d sleep lightly. She could protect herself if he tried to make an advance in the night. For now, her first order of business should be to cook a warm meal for them. She had no pot, but she’d brought a metal plate that could be used in the coals near the fire.
While Monsieur Levette packed away his rope, she pulled out some bear meat she’d seasoned and roasted the day before, from the same bear she’d used to make the ragoût for the returning traders. Had that only been a few days ago? It seemed years.
What were Papa and the others doing now? Did he worry about her being away from home during this first snow?Hopefully he rested peacefully in the belief that she was safe in the Dinee village. The fact she couldn’t feel her toes now made her almost wish that was where she was.
Perhaps she should have studied the weather a bit more before choosing when to leave, but she couldn’t have waited around, knowing the chalice sat on the mantel in its damaged state.
As she positioned the meat on the plate to warm beside the fire, her companion rose and moved to the woodpile. “Is it all right with you if I build the other fire over there?” He motioned across the entrance to the chamber.
She shook her head. “No need. As long as you keep your sleeping pallet across the fire from mine—and stay on your side.” She allowed herself a quick glance to catch the surprise in his look before turning back to the food.
“You’re sure?”
