She would need to give William an answer concerning his proposal by tomorrow. Governor Semple had spoken to them that evening about his plans to leave in just two days. Eleanor would need to make a decision by the morning so she would have time to prepare for the journey—if she decided to go. But what other choices did she have? If Arran did not want her, then she would need to leave.
There were so many unanswered questions stirring in her heart. She finally set her pen down and placed everything back into her writing desk. She would not know what to write until she’d spoken to Arran. But what if she didn’t see Arran before morning? How could she give William a final answer without giving Arran one more chance to open his heart to her again?
Eleanor stood and went to the window. The sky was dark and overcast, with flashes of lightning jumping between the clouds. The wind had picked up and was blowing the tops of the trees near the riverbank. The only place Arran might be at this hour was in the southwest watchtower. Would it be wise to go to him? Would he be alone and able to speak?
Without giving it another thought, Eleanor lifted the shawl over her head and slipped out the front door, closing it softly behind her. She had to take the risk.
The wind pushed at her gown, whipping the hem around her feet. She had to walk carefully so she did not trip over the uneven ground. No one was in the fort yard this late at night, offering her some privacy as she rushed across the hard-packed dirt. If anyone saw her moving about in the darkness, her reputation would be in question—but with only one night to make the most important decision of her life, she cared little about what other people thought. She had lived through two scandals in her lifetime—a third would be of minor consequence.
Up ahead, the watchtower loomed under the swirling storm. Eleanor reached the ladder and climbed it on stiff legs. Her heart was pounding so hard, she feared she might become lightheaded and tumble to the bottom. But there was no other choice. She could not leave Assiniboia without speaking to Arran one last time.
She just hoped he was there, alone.
The watchtower was not large. A man could not lie down in it, and not more than two or three could stand comfortably in thespace. When Eleanor finally reached the top, Arran stood in the opposite corner, leaning against a post, staring out at the dark prairie.
He was alone, thankfully, and there was not another person around to see them together.
She finished climbing the ladder, but before she could pull herself fully into the tower, he turned, his entire body alert as he lifted his musket into his arms and swung it in her direction—stopping a split-second before aiming it at her.
“Eleanor!” He quickly leaned the musket against the half-wall and came to her.
It was not easy to climb a ladder in a gown, and even less so to pull herself into the tower.
He offered her his hand. “What are you doing here?” He did not sound pleased to see her. On the contrary, there was accusation and anger in his voice.
“I need to speak to you.” She finally stood on her feet and smoothed out the skirt of her gown. “I waited all day, but you did not return home.”
It was difficult to see in the darkness, but the occasional flicker of lightning allowed her to get glimpses of the hard lines in his face. He returned to where he’d been standing in the corner of the lookout tower and turned his back to her. “I have a job to do.”
“There are over a hundred other voyageurs and company men in the fort. Could one of them take a turn in the lookout tower?”
“James is in the northeastern tower.”
Eleanor had not considered that someone might have seen her from the other tower, but would James tell anyone?
“You shouldna be here,” Arran said, his voice devoid of emotion. “You should return to the house.”
The tower was open on all four sides, with a half-wall coming up to Arran’s waist and a roof overhead. Wind pushed throughthe openings and cooled Eleanor’s skin. She pulled her shawl closer to her body. “I will not leave until you speak to me.”
“We have nothing to say to one another.”
Frustration warred with the pain in her heart. She crossed the small space and stood beside Arran, though she did not look out at the prairie. Instead, she looked up at him. She stood so close, he could not ignore her.
“What do you want from me?” he asked.
“I want to speak to you. That is all.”
He clenched his jaw and crossed his arms. “Then speak and be quick. You should be back at the governor’s house. If someone found us together—”
“Why are you ignoring me? You’ve avoided being alone with me since the buffalo feast.”
The first smattering of rain hit the roof of the tower as Arran finally looked at Eleanor.
“You ken why I’ve ignored you.”
She shook her head. “I know you want me to leave, but does that mean you must treat me as if I’m already gone?”
He closed his eyes for a moment and then looked back at the prairie. “I thought it would be easier.”
