His Dark Desires
Authors: Jennifer St Giles
| His Dark Desires |
| Trevelyan [2] |
| Jennifer St Giles |
| Pocket (2011) |
You are in danger. Trust no one.
The terrifying words from a mysterious letter echo in Juliet Bucheron's mind. Destitute ever since her husband disappeared in the Civil War, Juliet has turned her New Orleans ancestral home into a boarding house -- despite the rumors of ghosts, the whispers of scandal, and the stain of murder. But even more unsettling is Juliet's new tenant, a handsome stranger named Stephen Trevelyan. Wealthy, educated, and seductively compelling, Stephen fills Juliet's heart with uncontrollable longing -- and her head with suspicion.
Something,
she senses, is lurking beneath the surface. And someone is stalking the hallways after midnight. As the danger draws nearer, Juliet wonders if she can really trust Stephen. But as he pulls her closer, she knows she cannot resist him...no matter what the price.You are in danger. Trust no one. The terrifying words from a mysterious letter echo in Juliet Bucheron's mind. Destitute ever since her husband disappeared in the Civil War, Juliet has turned her New Orleans ancestral home into a boarding house -- despite the rumors of ghosts, the whispers of scandal, and the stain of murder. But even more unsettling is Juliet's new tenant, a handsome stranger named Stephen Trevelyan. Wealthy, educated, and seductively compelling, Stephen fills Juliet's heart with uncontrollable longing -- and her head with suspicion. Something, she senses, is lurking beneath the surface. And someone is stalking the hallways after midnight. As the danger draws nearer, Juliet wonders if she can really trust Stephen. But as he pulls her closer, she knows she cannot resist him...no matter what the price.
HIS DARK DESIRES
USA Today Bestselling Author
J
ENNIFER
S
T.
G
ILES
Copyright Information
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
Copyright © 2011 by Jenni Leigh Grizzle
First published 2005 by Jenni Leigh Grizzle
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
ISBN: 978-0-9824863-4-4
More Titles by Jennifer St. Giles
Trevelyan Series Writing as Jennifer St. Giles
Mistress of Trevelyan
His Dark Desires
Killdaren Series Writing as Jennifer St. Giles
Midnight Secrets
Darkest Dreams
Silken Shadows
Shadowmen Series Writing as Jennifer St. Giles
Touch A Dark Wolf
Lure of the Wolf
Kiss of Darkness
Bride of the Wolf
Bewitching the Wolf (Coming soon)
Silent Warrior Series Writing as JL Saint
Collateral Damage
Tactical Deception (Coming February 2012)
Weldon Series Writing as Jennifer Saints
Wild Irish
Smooth Irish
Hard Irish (Coming Soon)
Tales From the Dark Domain
Writing as Jennifer St. Giles
Aerick The Eternal: Point of No Return
(Coming Soon)
Find Jennifer Online:
http://twitter.com/jenniferstgiles
https://www.facebook.com/jenniferstgiles
Table of Contents
More Titles by Jennifer St. Giles
Praise for THE MISTRESS OF TREVELYAN
Excerpt from TALES FROM THE DARK DOMAIN: AERIK – POINT OF NO RETURN
Praise for THE MISTRESS OF TREVELYAN by Jennifer St. Giles
Winner of the Daphne Du Maurier Award
"Full of spooky suspense [St. Giles's] story ripples with tension. This tension and the author's skill at creating the book's brooding atmosphere make this an engrossing read."
—Publishers Weekly
"[An] intriguing, well-crafted romance."
—Library Journal
"[An] excellent debut novel. St. Giles does a masterful job of evoking a Gothic atmosphere, and updates it nicely with smoldering sexual tension. The story is compellingly told."
—Affaire de Coeur
"Jennifer St. Giles must definitely be a descendant of the famous Bronte sisters. The story is enthralling, and the characters are captivating. The Mistress of Trevelyan is destined to become a classic romance novel, one readers will reach for again and again."
"This is an engaging gothic romance with all the classic elements. The story line will touch readers."
—Harriet Klausner
Dedication
I dedicate this book to The Music of the Night
and to all those who fill my life
with love, laughter, and inspiration.
My soul is full of whispered song;
My blindness is my sight;
The shadows that I feared so long
Are all alive with light.
~Alice Cary
C
HAPTER
O
NE
New Orleans, Louisiana June 1874
As a child, whenever winter came to our grand home,
La Belle du Temps
, I'd slip away to the attic and stare at the black water of the Mississippi, just visible through the ghostly Spanish moss and live oaks. I'd huddle in the cold, watching the river rise, sure its greedy swells would some day steal all that I held dear. It was a childish fear, but one that set a precedent for shadows in my life.
Shadows that would never recede, I thought as I curled my hand around the warning telegram in my pocket, sent to me by Mr. Goodson, the investigator from Baton Rouge I'd secretly hired. "Mrs. Boucheron, You are in danger. Trust no one."
Though the river had never touched my family home, other ills had flooded my life, and
La Belle
had stood strong through them all. She gave breath to my fondest memories and held my deepest sorrows with gentle arms. She'd been the one constant in my life, stalwart during the occupation of Federal troops, solid throughout the war; and now she was the means by which I, my son, Andre, and my sisters Ginette and Mignon survived.
I could not lose her and I would never sell her— something Mr. Latour had yet to understand.
"Ahem. I don't know how much clearer I can be, Mrs. Boucheron," Mr. Latour said for the third time. "With the tax increase this year and maintenance costs on the rise, I do not think you realize how difficult things will be. Your hardships will be greatly reduced with a smaller property, and by moving closer into town, you would have a steadier income from boarders year round."
The man's pompous manner had a way of making
La Belle's
double parlor, with its high ceilings and wide windows, seem as small as a hatbox. Though he was a former friend of my husband, I could listen no more. I'd been polite beyond the point of duty these past two months.
"I don't know how I can be much clearer, Monsieur Latour.
La Belle du Temps
is not for sale."
He glanced at my sisters for support.
"Juliet speaks for all of us," Ginette assured him firmly.
"
Pardon
, monsieur, but we cannot sell our home. It would not be right." Mignon's expression implored the man to understand; she hated to disappoint anyone.
"You're making a mistake, Mrs. Boucheron." Mr. Latour's spectacles magnified his displeasure. "This is the last offer Packert Investment Company will make. And I must say this new offer is very generous."
"Exceedingly generous, which makes me wonder why."
"Concern for your family. The company does not wish to take advantage of your reduced circumstances."
The bald lie irritated me even more than his persistence. His family, along with the Hayeses, had led New Orleans's beau monde in shunning me and my sisters after my husband's supposed crime. Their social and financial reprisals had been crushing. And since the war's end, most businesses had had little regard for any family's hardship. They'd been vultures circling a battlefield, raking the South with greedy talons.
My patience was at an end. "Whatever Packert Investment's reasoning, it is of no consequence to us. Our answer is final, Monsieur Latour. Now, if you don't mind—"
"What about Jean Claude?"
My spine stiffened. "What did you say?"
"Ahem. You give me no choice but to bring up this delicate matter. I'm sure you have heard the rumors that he is in Europe."
"Those are old rumors. No one has ever seen him, and they won't, because he is dead. He wouldn't have abandoned his family."
"A desperate man will do anything, and he was desperate. I am sure he took the gold and escaped. You need to realize that nothing can stop him from taking control of your boarding house enterprise, should he return." He lowered his voice to a conspiring tone. "I can change that. Sell to me, and I'll help you and your sisters buy a property to which Jean Claude has no legal claim."
I dug my nails into the velvet upholstery and fought to keep a calm mask on my face. My husband, Mr. Latour, and the Hayeses had played a dangerous game during the war. Though New Orleans was occupied by Federal troops, they'd pooled gold and bought supplies for the Confederate Army. No one knew what had happened on their last venture, and the mystery haunted me. Officially I considered myself a widow, and in nine years no one in New Orleans had intimated otherwise. So why did Mr. Latour now insist that Jean Claude was alive? From Mignon and Ginette's expressions, I could tell they were equally upset. "What exactly do you mean, monsieur?"
"Surely your father's attorney explained this to you?"
"I can't say that Monsieur Maison did. Why don't you tell me what you mean?" Grief over my father's death had blurred any business matters at that time.
"I suggest you see your attorney. Louisiana's inheritance laws permit women to own property, but a husband has the right to oversee his wife's property. She can only manage it if he allows it"
"The courts could not be so unkind." Mignon's voice shook. She and Ginette sat on the rose brocade settee, their faces as pale as their faded damask gowns.
I squared my shoulders. "Even if what you say is true, Monsieur Latour, and Jean Claude should return alive after all this time, I am sure there are other options available besides selling
La Belle
." I stood, and moved decisively to open the doors. "Monsieur, our answer is final."