Wronged (The Cuvier Widows Book 1) (25 page)

“No, I don’t. Louis helped me realize a lot
of things about myself. Jean never spoke to me about why he was
unhappy or why he didn’t want to share our bed. Last night proved
to me that I’m attractive and I can have normal relations with a
man. So my marital problems weren’t all my fault.”

“Good,” Claire said, studying Marian closely.
“Are you going to see Louis again?”

Marian bit her lip in consternation. She
glanced at her sister reclining on the settee, her skirts spread
about her. She’d asked herself this same question several times
this morning, and at first her response had been an emphatic no.
But later, the voice of doubt kept rising up asking, What if his
proposal had been sincere? What if she were wrong about his
ulterior motive? What if she’d accused him falsely?

No! He acknowledged he’d lain awake all night
making plans. She suspected he’d been plotting how to get complete
control of Cuvier Shipping and came to the conclusion that marriage
seemed the easiest answer. No she didn’t have any real proof. How
do you get proof that a man was lying? But her instincts told her
his motives were less than honest. She didn’t know what but
something wasn’t right.

“I’ll see him at work each day,” she finally
responded.

“That’s not what I meant and you know
it.”

Marian gave a half smile. “I know. I just
don’t know if I can answer your question just yet. It’s doubtful
I’ll ever do anything with him again, but just the same, I’m not
ready to say never.”

Claire smiled. “Then don’t”

“I’m not ready to say never, but then, I’m
not ready to agree to be his wife or anyone else’s, for that
matter.”

“His wife?”

“Yes, he asked me to marry him.”

“Oh my!” Claire said surprised. “This is
quite a shock. No wonder you’re upset I certainly didn’t expect
Louis to propose.”

“Me neither,” Marian said with a sigh. “But
it would be a nice and tidy way for him to gain control of Cuvier
Shipping.”

***

Louis didn’t like the way he’d left Marian’s
house but he didn’t know how to change her mind. He’d
underestimated her and should have realized she would recognize his
reasons for marrying her were false. His thoughts had centered on
his desires, not love, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t eventually
come. People married for business reasons all the time. She’d made
him seem evil for considering the idea of marrying her. Eventually
she’d tire of being involved with the business and miss spending
time with her children. What would she do then?

Most of the time he could charm what he
wanted from a woman, with little or no consideration for her
feelings, until this morning.

But Marian was not as easily persuaded. She
recognized he wasn’t sincere and yet somehow leaving her upset and
angry this morning troubled him. Confusion seemed to fill his mind,
not knowing what he really wanted the most, Marian, Cuvier
Shipping, or that damn mill he was so intent on acquiring.

He’d never been good at honesty, but last
night she’d been warm and sincere and this morning he’d lied to
her, though it wasn’t a total lie. He wouldn’t mind being married
to Marian.

And why would she marry him if he
were
honest with her about his reasons for the proposal? Not a single
reason came to mind. So he lied and tried to somehow convince her
that he wanted to marry her because he loved her.

Coming from his lips the words rang false
even to his own ears. He had shuddered at the sound of the lie
clanging like a gong between them. He should never have attempted
to persuade Marian to marry him for love. Yet most women would have
jumped at his proposal without a declaration from the heart.

Marian had to be unique.

A knock interrupted his thoughts and he went
to the door of the rooms he rented in the French Quarter.

He opened the door to see a messenger
standing there and signed for the note. Breaking the seal he
quickly scanned the message.

Dear Mr. Fournet,

I have a party interested in Cuvier Shipping.
Please

contact me at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Stephen Hudson, Attorney

Louis stared at the missive, feeling more
pressure than ever before. Someone wanted to buy the business. He
could finally obtain his goal once he sold Cuvier Shipping! But
first he had to convince Marian that he really desired to marry
her.

How did you convince a woman she should marry
you, when she recognized you for the obsessed, business- oriented
bastard that you were?

A man serious about marriage found a woman he
wanted for a mate and courted her until he expressed his undying
devotion. Louis considered himself an amateur at courting, a
professional at seduction.

Even Anne, his first wife, he never really
courted. Good friends all their life, they married young, very much
in love, or so he believed. Now he wasn’t sure he believed in love
anymore. He tried to remember how he felt about Anne, but it seemed
like one day they were happy, decorating the nursery, and then she
was gone. He remembered feeling lost, like everything important had
departed, leaving him alone.

No, he couldn’t remember what love felt like.
He just remembered the loss, the empty feeling of Anne’s death, the
guilt he felt that their marriage cost her life.

With a sigh, he walked over to the window and
stared down into the street He still wanted to buy the mill but he
needed Marian to sell Cuvier Shipping. Getting past Marian’s
barriers to gain control of the business seemed impossible. There
could only be one solution.

Courting. How hard could it be to convince a
woman he wanted to marry her? Seduction or courting, they were both
the same game, though with different results.

Marian Cuvier was about to be swept off her
feet and he intended to begin right after he spoke with the
attorney.

M
onday morning and
Louis had not shown up for work. No one knew where he was and
though Marian didn’t want to admit it, she was beginning to worry.
And that made her angry with herself for worrying about him.

How could she forget that he wanted to marry
her just to gain control of Cuvier Shipping?

The clock in her office struck twelve and she
glanced again across the hall at the empty office. Never known for
his promptness, Louis had never blatantly not shown up for work.
Could he be hidden away plotting his next attempt at taking over
the business? Or could he be hurt, lying in a ditch somewhere?

Oh, where was he! She couldn’t help but
worry.

Outside in the hallway, a creaking noise drew
her attention and she cocked her head to listen. There it was
again, that same squeaky noise getting closer.

Marian stood and walked around her desk,
going to the door. Tentatively, she poked her head out and glanced
down the hall. The sight shocked her and made her want to laugh,
yet a sense of relief filled her. With a grin on his face, Louis
strolled down the hall, pulling a little wagon filled with
packages.

“Hello,” he called cheerfully, making her
want to wring his neck for causing her to worry needlessly.

She frowned, not ready to let him forget she
was still angry and suspicious of him. She moved to go back into
her office.

“Marian, wait,” he called. “I brought us
lunch.”

She stuck her head back out the door,
wondering where he’d been all morning, still not ready to put their
conversation from her mind. “Whatever for?”

A cocky grin appeared on his face as he
shrugged his shoulders. “I hoped you would give me a second chance.
I knew you would refuse an invitation to lunch, so I brought the
party to you.”

Not ready to be alone with him, she shook her
head. “You’re wasting your time. I’m not having lunch with you. I
have plans.”

He glanced at her sheepishly. “If you’re
referring to your lunch with Drew, he had to cancel.”

Her eyes widened. “What? You cancelled my
lunch?”

“No. Something came up with Layla. Don’t be
mad at him. Layla’s life is on the line,” he said, a serious look
on his face. Then he smiled and she felt the ice around her heart
begin to melt. “In an effort to reconcile with you, I promise I’ve
brought a very special lunch.”

She raised her brows. “What, you’re going to
propose yet again?” she asked. “Have you forgotten I’m angry at
you?”

He stared at her, his gaze unwavering. “If I
thought your answer would be yes, then I would propose. But that
last time, you pretty much crushed my pride and I’m not ready for a
second go just yet”

She tossed him a dubious stare. “Your pride
could survive being flattened by a train, so don’t try to make me
feel bad.”

“Perhaps, but I hoped we could at least
return to the way things were between us.”

“That’s doubtful.”

“Well, I’m at least willing to give it a
try.” He grinned at her. “So will you have lunch with me?”

“You think you can just come in here and say
a few charming words, bring me lunch, and everything will be all
right?” She took a deep breath, though her fury seemed to be dying.
“Well, you’re wrong. I’m still mad that you thought you could try
to marry me to gain control of the business. Do you think I’m
stupid?”

“I have never considered you less than
intelligent,” he said standing in the hallway holding the wagon
handle, not denying her accusations, which intrigued her. “Forget
the proposal, forget about the business. Just have lunch with
me.”

“So you admit you were trying to marry me to
gain control of the business?” she asked.

“I’m admitting nothing. I just want to have
lunch with you and forget this damn business for a while.”

The smell of hot fresh bread wafted through
her office, tempting Marian. Her stomach growled, the sound loud in
the silent room.

“You’ve got to eat,” he insisted.

“I am hungry,” she admitted. She looked at
him to see his reaction. He smiled and she felt a moment of intense
longing, followed by anguish. She wanted him even more today than
before their night together. His smile was so disarming she needed
to remember that what lurked behind those curled lips was a great
deal of fun, not to mention emotional danger.

He waited, not saying anything, his face an
innocent mask, his eyes giving her that promising gaze again that
seemed to make her body come alive. Their liaison had been for one
night only, she reminded herself. Not a lifetime, not even two or
three nights. One night only and now that was over.

“I...” she hesitated. “All right. But it has
to be quick. I have a lot of work to accomplish today. And I’m
still upset with you.”

He nodded, his eyes warm and understanding.
“You can be mad at me as long as you eventually get over it.”

Marian raised her brow. “That could take
until the Mississippi runs dry.”

“Yes, it could,” he acknowledged, and pulled
the little wagon into her office and shut the door behind him. “But
I hope not”

She felt a moment of unease at the sight of
that closed door, with just the two of them all alone together. She
ignored him, determined not to let her guard down in his presence
again.

When she glanced up, she gave him her best
hostile look. “Why the closed door?”

“We need privacy for lunch,” he said, with a
shrug. “We could be discussing serious business issues or I might
try to steal a kiss.”

“And come back with a broken arm.”

He laughed. “I’ll keep that thought in
mind.”

“You do that,” she said.

“Where do you want me to set up our picnic?”
he questioned.

“Picnic?”

“Yes, we’re having a picnic without the
bugs.”

“What did you bring?” she asked, her
curiosity getting the better of her.

“I brought a feast” He smiled at her and then
turned to the wagon and pulled out a blanket, which he spread on
the floor in her office. Next, he took out a large picnic hamper.
He lifted the lid and pulled out napkins, silverware, dishes, and
champagne glasses.

“Champagne?”

“Yes, champagne,” he said.

“But we’re working,” she protested. “Alcohol
is not going to take away my anger.”

“We’re having a picnic,” he reminded her.

“Which is in an office,” she replied.

He took a deep breath. “No, we’re no longer
in this office. We’re out under a shade tree somewhere along the
river, just the two of us. There’s a warm breeze blowing and the
heat makes us feel lazy. You put your head in my lap and we lay
there talking all afternoon. Sometimes kissing, sometimes just
holding one another.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, we’re under a
shade tree somewhere along the river all right, but you’re on one
side of the blanket and I’m on the other. I’m still furious with
you and you’re asking for my forgiveness. I tell you, not until the
sun rises in the west.”

“I think I like my scenario better.”

“You would.”

He reached into another box that lay in the
bottom of the wagon, covered until just this moment. He pulled the
ribbon on the box, yanked off the lid and the smell of carnations
permeated the air.

Stepping within inches of her, he handed her
the flowers. “While we’re gazing out at the river, I surprise you
with flowers, hoping they will ease your disappointment in me and
show you my intentions are sincere.”

She glanced briefly at the bunch of flowers,
struck by their beauty. He was definitely making it harder for her
to stay angry with him. She gazed at the spread laid out on the
floor before her. He’d gone to so much work just to make her happy.
Never before had any man done so much for her and she could feel
the ice slowly melting from around her heart. No wonder the man had
women flocking around him.