Love Be Mine (The Louisiana Ladies Series, Book 3) (28 page)

John nodded. His face reflecting the same affectionate expression on Hugh's, he said quietly, "I missed you, too, my boy—more than I thought possible. I decided that it was foolish to let an old vow keep me from being with the one person who means the most to me in the world." A smile lit his features. "And so here I am, in a place I swore over twenty years ago that I would never set foot in again!"

"Is that why you never came back to New Orleans? Because you swore not to?" Hugh asked with a frown.

"Indeed, yes. I left this place, swearing never to return, with what I thought was a broken heart and my pride in tatters. But that was in the past and does not matter now. All that matters is that you are here—and married! Now tell me about this bride of yours. All that ridiculously brief note of yours stated was that by the time I read your words you would be a married man. Who is she? The Summerfield chit? You never even mentioned a name." John grinned at him. "You really must improve on your writing skills, my boy. I have been in a fever of impatience to learn more about this paragon who swept you so willy-nilly to the altar. Who is she?"

Hugh made a rueful face. "Not Alice Summerfield. She is a young lady from a prominent Creole family."

John looked astounded. "A Creole? Good God! How did that come about?"

It was on the tip of Hugh's tongue to tell his stepfather the true circumstances surrounding his marriage, but discretion held him back. He did not like lying to John—they had few secrets between them. But there seemed no point in telling him how Micaela had trapped him into marriage. For some reason, and it eluded him, he wanted his stepfather to think well of his bride. He wanted John to like Micaela.

So instead of a recital of the unpleasant facts, Hugh smiled and muttered, "She is very beautiful, Papa. I took one look at her and..." His voice thickened. "And I fell in love with her." With all the power and speed of a thunderbolt, Hugh realized that it was true. He
did
love Micaela! And she hated him.

He took a deep breath, his thoughts spinning. Forcing himself to act casually, despite the turmoil in his brain, he continued, "There did not seem any reason to wait, although if it could have been arranged, I would have wanted you there beside me the day I married."

"Ah, you young bucks, you are always so impatient," John said with a roguish smile. "And as I was young once and thought myself wildly in love, I understand. I am just surprised that one of those proud-as-sin Creole families was willing to let one of their daughters marry an American!" With a bitter cast to his face, he added, "Believe me, it was not always so!"

Hugh shot him a keen look, his own troubles forgotten for the moment. "Is that why you swore never to set foot in New Orleans again?"

John shrugged. "It may have had something to do with it. But it no longer matters. Let us not talk about me. It is you and your bride who are the more interesting topic."

"There is not much more to tell. I saw her and I had to have her. The family was not averse to the suit, and so you see before you a married man."

"I find it hard to believe that there were no objections to your suit. My memory of the Creoles is that they would sooner have a slave married into the family than an American!"

"There were, uh, good reasons why the family accepted me so readily," Hugh said carefully. "You might say it was as much a merger of interests as a marriage."

John's arrogant black brows met in a frown above his eyes. "A merger of interests? Who
is
this girl?"

"Micaela Dupree. Old Christophe Galland's granddaughter. It consolidated some of the shares in the business. In addition," Hugh added hastily, "to giving me a most charming wife."

John stiffened. "Christophe's granddaughter?" At Hugh's nod, he asked grimly, "And her parents?"

"Lisette and Renault Dupree—although as you know, Renault has been dead for a number of years. His widow,
Madame
Dupree, was Galland's only daughter. I believe you may have met her when you were here setting up the business. She has been extremely welcoming to me. In fact, if it had not been for her warmth and charm, I would have gotten a very cold reception from the remainder of the business partners." Hugh grinned. "With the exception of Jasper, of course. But then you know Jasper."

"Yes, I know Jasper. I seem to remember several harrowing visits from him when the two of you attempted in various hair-raising manners to get yourselves killed," John replied easily, seeming to lose interest in Hugh's bride and her family. "As a matter of fact," he went on, "I had my bags sent to his house, since I did not have your direction."

Hugh stood up again. "I was on the point of leaving when you arrived. Shall we go find your baggage and get you settled in at my house?"

Smiling and nodding, John rose to his feet, and the two men departed a few minutes later, after Hugh had introduced him to several of the employees in the office. It did not take long to get John's baggage sorted out. Luckily Jasper was still in residence, and, finding that he was leaving for his country estate on the morrow and would be out of the city for several weeks, Hugh pressed him to join them for dinner and renew his acquaintance with John. Jasper accepted.

As Hugh and John walked the short distance between Jasper's house and Hugh's, Hugh mentioned that Micaela was not, at the moment, in New Orleans. If John was disappointed or surprised to discover that Hugh's wife of barely six weeks was living in the country apart from her new husband, he kept his reactions to himself.

Instead, he exclaimed with pleasure at the house and stated that he was looking forward to the evening and reacquainting himself with Jasper.

Jasper arrived early, and the three gentlemen enjoyed a long, leisurely meal, reminiscing and discussing the latest events at Galland, Lancaster and Dupree. After dinner, they moved into Hugh's study, enjoying a snifter of brandy as they continued their conversation.

A tap on the door broke the relaxed mood. Sampson, one of Hugh's servants, announced that there were visitors who had come to call on John Lancaster. After he had sent Sampson to bring the guests to the study, Hugh turned to his stepfather and murmured, "One of the Duprees must have gone to the office this afternoon and learned of your arrival. It seems Jean and François have come to call... as well as Alain Husson."

John frowned. "Husson? I do not recall that name."

"Like me, he won his shares from Christophe shortly before the old man's death," Jasper said. "The Husson family is well-known and respected in the city, although your stepson and I have had our disagreements with Alain."

"Disagreements?" John asked with a raised brow:

"We do not know if he is behind the troubles at the firm, but we suspect he may have a hand in it," Hugh said. "And of course, there is the fact that I fought a duel with him several weeks ago." Hugh grinned at his stepfather. "I won."

There was no time for further conversation. Sampson opened the door, and the three guests entered the room. Everyone was on his most polite behavior, but there was tension in the air. Hugh and Alain had not met privately since the duel, and, of course, John had not spoken with Jean Dupree for over twenty years. Everyone was standing as introductions were made and greetings exchanged.

Jasper's presence helped to smooth over any awkward moments and Francis was impressed at meeting the legendary John Lancaster.

In the French manner, François kissed John on both cheeks and declared, "
Monsieur
Lancaster! I am most delighted to finally meet you. I have heard of you all my life, and it is a pleasure to see you face-to-face. Welcome to New Orleans!"

John smiled at François's enthusiasm, but his eyes were on Jean's face, as he said dryly, "I wonder if all you have heard of me is good."

Jean grimaced. Standing in front of John, he muttered, "The past is the past, John. Shall we start anew?" And astonishing everyone, he stuck out his hand in the American manner.

John hesitated only a second before he clasped Jean's outstretched hand and shook it vigorously. "I will not say that it is good to see you again," John murmured, a sardonic smile curving his long mouth, "but I will say that the years have treated you kindly."

Jean bowed. "And you. You have not changed a great deal, except, perhaps, for the silver at your temples."

Aware of Alain Husson standing quietly in the background, observing the meeting, John turned to him and gave him an encouraging smile. "I understand that you, like Jasper here, also owe your membership in the family business to Christophe's penchant for deep gambling."

Alain bowed. "Indeed that is true,
monsieur.
I trust you do not object?"

John shook his head. "No, of course not."

Hugh indicated several chairs. "Please," he said, "be seated." Once everyone had been settled and had been served brandy, Hugh looked across at Jean and asked, "How did you know that my stepfather had arrived in the city?"

"Oh, that was because of me," Francis said. "I went by the office this afternoon to see you, and everyone was full of the news of
Monsieur
Lancaster's visit. I told Jean and Alain, and we decided to come to call this evening, since there was every chance that tomorrow you would be taking your step
-papa
to your new home in the country."

"You wanted to see me?" Hugh asked with a frown. "Why?"

Francis looked embarrassed. "I wanted," he said with a winning smile, "to convince you to let me come and visit with Micaela and
Maman.
They have hardly been gone for forty-eight hours, but I find that I miss them." He grinned at Hugh and admitted with charming candor, "And of course, I am quite curious about your new property. Will you mind if I stay with them for several weeks?"

Hugh shrugged. "Why not? We are, after all," he said dryly, "family." He glanced at Jean. "Of course that extends to you also."

Jean nodded. "Perhaps I will take you up on that," he declared. "It might prove interesting."

The conversation became general, all six gentlemen conversing, as if there were no undercurrents, no hidden rifts to mar the polite discourse among them. Alain was still wearing his sling, but it was obvious his wound was almost healed. No reference to the duel was made, nor was any other unpleasant subject introduced. On the surface, everything was most proper and polite. Just six gentlemen sitting around, enjoying a snifter or two of fine brandy with congenial acquaintances.

When Sampson tapped on the door again sometime later and announced that there was another visitor, Hugh looked surprised. The hour was late, after midnight. His stepfather's arrival today, as well as the visit from the Duprees and Husson, had pushed other thoughts from his mind.

"Who is it?" he asked with a frown.

"The gentleman would not give his name," replied Sampson. "He did say that it was a business matter—one you had discussed with him previously."

"Ah," Hugh murmured, suddenly knowing that it could be only one person—Etienne Gras! "Show him into the front salon and offer him some refreshments, will you? Tell him I shall be with him shortly."

"Business at this hour?" Jean drawled, his eyes full of speculation.

Hugh shrugged. "A minor affair."

"It does not sound so minor to me," Alain murmured, "if it must be conducted at this time of night."

Hugh hesitated. The last thing he wanted was to reveal Etienne's name. Yet if he kept silent, it would only further arouse the suspicions of the others and give his unexplained visitor more importance. Hoping he sounded indifferent, he said, "It is no doubt just Etienne Gras—I asked him today to look over some papers and deliver them to me tonight." Hugh smiled. "I think the young man attached more importance to my request than it needed. Tomorrow would have been just fine to give me the information, but, as you probably already know, Etienne is extremely conscientious."

An icy stillness entered the room, but Hugh was unable to place its source amongst the men seated around him.

The unpleasant sensation lasted only a second, before someone laughed and conversation began again, but Hugh had a premonition that he had just put Etienne Gras in danger.

Chapter 13

John glanced across at Hugh. "Go ahead and see this young man. No one will mind if you desert us for a few minutes."