A quick question about Marie

Was the teacher suppose to be her dad?? Near the end (spoiler) when everyone it seems like anyways, is running up to the Cliff where Fergus and Jeronome (i can't spell his name) are trying to climb in order to run away, Marie and the teacher are holding hands, and the teacher also give Fergus a letter from Marie at the end.
There's things in these woods that defy imagination