Page 19 of To Ride the Wind

Tomorrow she would have new reserves. And surely a whole night would give her enough time to come up with a strategy—some way she could resist her sisters’ blandishments without turning her life into a misery.

It turned out one night was not enough. Despite many sleepless hours, lying still beneath her blanket and listening to the wind, Charlotte could come up with nothing of use. That her sisters would try to convince her to accept the bear, she was certain. What she didn’t know was how to hold firm in her refusal without stoking her sisters’ enmity toward her.

Given how late it was before she fell asleep, it was no surprise that she woke late yet again. But this time she was greeted with bright smiles of welcome and two cheery greetings.

“We have breakfast laid out for you when you’re ready,” Elizabeth said in the warmest tone Charlotte had heard her use in months. “You must be exhausted after the terrible night we had. The wind was so loud! And that rain! I’m sure none of us slept a wink.”

Charlotte managed a forced smile, remembering the gentle snores of both sisters, just audible above the storm.

Odelia nodded vigorously. “And of course you must not think of going out gathering today. Everything will be mud! We’ll stay inside and have a comfortable time together. Perhaps you can advise me on the new dress I’ve been making?”

Charlotte struggled to come up with a response. She had expected some sort of campaign from them, but this was excessive. Did they really think she would find it sincere?

In the end, she remained silent, merely joining them at the table. At least she felt up to eating in company with her family which was an improvement on the night before.

The rest of the day progressed in much the same way. Her sisters were sickeningly kind to her, and every instance of their consideration felt like the twist of a knife blade in her gut. Even her mother’s effusive kindness was hard to take, although in her mother’s case it didn’t feel entirely false. But it still made her feel tired, small, and sad. Her mother might love her, but her love hadn’t been enough to make her stand up for Charlotte in the past, and it wasn’t stopping her thinking of a new life in Arcadia now.

When she managed to escape outside with her father on the second day after the storm, she felt nothing but relief. Stretching, she sucked in a long breath, lifting her face toward the clear sky.

Her father chuckled. “Relieved to escape, hey?”

Charlotte threw him a grateful look. At least one of her family members understood her. Her father had always sensed when Charlotte had reached her limits, responding by inviting her to spend the day with him in the forest. And in the past, a day away from her sisters, with her father for company in their stead, had always set her right again. He was her solid foundation. He would never turn against her, and that knowledge enabled her to endure her sisters’ pressure.

“Do I dare ask what you’re thinking, Charli-bear?” her father asked with another chuckle.

She winced. It seemed the old nickname was ruined forever now. The thought dulled her enjoyment of being outside. Ever since their cousin’s wedding, life had been growing increasingly insupportable, but how much worse was it going to get in five days’ time when she stood firm and refused to sell her future for her sisters’ enrichment?

But she didn’t want to ruin the day with her father before it had even begun.

“I’m hoping there’s still some edible greenery left after that storm,” she said, forcing herself to respond lightly. “We’ve already eaten what we gathered from before, and I’m loathe to go back to a diet of only preserved food.”

His smile grew. “If anyone can find something, it’s you. You’re almost as attuned to these forests as I am.”

Her father was trying to compliment her, to buoy her up, but his words hurt. Did he really not know that it was a desire for escape that drove her from the house as much as a love for the forests themselves? In the face of her sisters’ childhood dislike, she had aligned herself with her father from the beginning, always seeking his validation and approval. Had she taken it too far, leading him to believe she possessed the same love of the unclaimed wilderness as he did?

Charlotte did like the natural beauty and space of the valley—it was almost the sole positive in their second home—but it didn’t light her up the same way it did her father. She explored because it was better than sitting at home with no break from her tense relationship with her sisters.

A cold, uncomfortable feeling swept over her. Did her one true ally in the family not actually understand her at all?

She shook the thought away violently. Her father loved her. Her father was loyal to her. He was the only one she had, and she wasn’t going to undermine their relationship by focusing on hurtful imaginings.

She pinned a bright smile to her face. “I’ll do my best.”

They separated not long after, each off to pursue their own tasks for the day, and Charlotte tried to push all other thoughts out of her head. She really did want to find something edible to forage, and given the damage to the fledgling plants, it would take some concentration to achieve.

By the time the sun was seeking the horizon, she had succeeded better than expected. At the height of spring, she’d be able to fill the basket to overflowing, but given it was still the tail end of winter, half a basket was doing well.

Distracted by her success, she nearly missed the white among the brown trunks. By the time she noticed the bear, he was already nearly close enough to touch.

Startled, she leaped back, only to freeze, staring at him. He remained carefully motionless, gazing back at her.

“I’m sorry,” he said in his rumbling voice. “I didn’t intend to startle you, but I wanted to speak with you directly.” He shook his head. “Clearly I should have spoken to you from the beginning. I apologize for that as well. I thought it would reassure you if I went about everything in the proper, formal way, but I can see now that…”

He let out a great whuff of breath. “I am aware it’s not a small thing that I’m asking. But I wanted to assure you of my sincerity, both toward you and with regard to the promises I have made. If you will agree to bind yourself to me, I will never harm you. Once we reach our destination, you need never even see me unless you wish it. And your family will live lives of comfort.”

She bit her lip, the thought slipping through her mind that perhaps the bear had come to carry her off by force. But looking into his eyes, she couldn’t believe it. Now that she was once again in his presence, she felt the same certainty as she had at their first meeting—he would not hurt her.

She felt something else too. The pull she felt toward him, the one that had made her consider running from her family to seek a grand adventure and the one that had made her sad at the thought of disappointing him, was even stronger than before.

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