Wronged (The Cuvier Widows Book 1) (26 page)

This was his ploy. He was a master at
seduction. He was a talented lover, a shrewd businessman. But what
if she
had
been wrong about him? What if he’d been serious
that morning when he’d asked her to marry him? After all, most
women would have wanted a marriage proposal. They would have gladly
said yes.

No, she couldn’t have made that big a
mistake. Louis wanted the business. She had to be on guard at all
times. “Thank you, they’re lovely, though...”

“Don’t say it I know, you’re still mad at
me.”

She smiled and laughed. “No, I have no vase
to put them in.”

Louis perked up. “Oh. Well, we’ll find
something.” He jumped up and found the water pitcher to put the
flowers in, then hurriedly finished setting everything up. When the
food was all set out the champagne on ice, pillows for her to sit
on, and the dishes all arranged, he took her by the hand and helped
her to the oasis he had created.

“My, this is really nice,” she said, and
glanced up at him with suspicion. What was he up to besides trying
to convince her to marry him?

Definitely knew the way to make a woman feel
cherished. “Thank you.”

He poured her a glass of champagne and handed
the glass to her. He tore off a piece of fresh

bread and put it between her lips, feeding
the soft warm bread to her. It all but melted in her mouth, so
fresh and moist that she almost moaned.

Next he fed her some fruit, followed by
cheese. She sat there and let him feed her bites of food as she
gazed deeply into his eyes. There was something about being fed by
another person who cared about you, that left you feeling special.
And Marian at this moment felt very treasured.

Finally they ate the sandwiches he’d included
in the basket.

“This is really good. Where did you get all
this food?”

Louis shrugged. “I ran all over town this
morning, finding it. I’ve also arranged for us to take the children
for a boat ride on Saturday.”

She turned and stared at him, doubts causing
her suspicions to raise their ugly heads again. “Why?”

“Because your son told me the day I bought
him the Italian ice that he wanted to go and it’s also part of your
training, my dear. Captain Paul is available and I thought it would
be a good time to go.” He frowned. “If you’d like to think of this
as a business trip that would be fine.”

She stared at him, not knowing how to
respond, but feeling more confused than ever. She recalled Philip’s
request to ride in one of his father’s boats and her heart warmed
at Louis’s thoughtfulness toward her son.

He is a shrewd businessman. A master at
seduction. The words echoed through her head.

“Why are you doing this? Why not just let us
remain as partners?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you still trying to seduce me?”

His mouth was so close and she tried not to
stare at his full lips, so moist, so tempting, and so delightful
before her.

“Seduction is not the word I would use. I
want to marry you and I intend to show you just how serious I
am.”

His lips covered hers and though she’d
threatened to break his arm, she could not resist the touch of him
any more than she could deny her thirst. How could one man be so
tempting and maddening, all at the same time? His kiss felt
wonderful and the lunch he’d gone to so much trouble over was a
treat. No one else in her life had ever arranged something like
this.

Louis was a shrewd businessman. A master at
manipulation, the voice inside her head taunted. A skillful lover
who could make her melt, who could make her forget that she’d ever
been angry.

She broke off the kiss and gazed at him, her
stomach all fluttery. The velvety softness of his eyes made her
want to throw herself in his arms and forget about the business and
all the suspicions that clouded her thinking. But she couldn’t.

“This doesn’t mean that I’m no longer mad at
you,” she finally said, her breath coming in short little
gasps.

“As long as you kiss me like that when you’re
mad at me, then everything will be all right.”

She frowned. “I’m serious, Louis. I’m not
going to marry you for any reason, so you can quite trying so hard
to convince me that you want me.”

“Well, I had thought of us just living
together, but I don’t think that would set a good example for the
children. And I don’t particularly want my children to be referred
to as bastards.” He paused for a moment “You aren’t against having
more children are you?”

“No,” she said without thinking and then
shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

“Good, because though I promise always to
treat your children as my own, I still would like to have a few
more.”

“Oh,” she said staring at him as his words
sank in surprising her. “Damn it, Louis!” she said jumping to her
feet. “I’m not going to marry you, now or in the future. So quit
this farce of trying to convince me you’re serious.”

This man was just trying to trick her into
believing that he wanted to marry her. She pushed him away and rose
to her feet. “It’s after one, lunch is over and so is the
picnic.”

He reclined on the blanket, his head resting
on one elbow, one knee propped up, watching her as she flitted
around the room loading the picnic things into the wagon.

“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

“No,” she said putting their plates into the
picnic basket. “You’ve said everything just right. Every calculated
word has been said at just the correct moment and I almost fell for
it a second time.”

“What do you mean a second time? I haven’t
proposed yet”

She looked up from putting away the dishes
and glared at him. “And you’re not going to either.”

“No, I wasn’t, not today.”

“Good.” She closed the picnic hamper put it
in the wagon, picked up the pillows and would have folded the
blanket if she could have gotten Louis to move. But he just sat
there watching her.

“I guess you’d like me to leave now.”

“Yes, that would be nice.” She stood gazing
down at him, feeling so nervous. She’d almost succumbed to him a
second time. Was she crazy? “Thank you for the lovely lunch. The
flowers are beautiful and I enjoyed the picnic.”

Louis gave her a lazy smile and she knew he
recognized her nervousness. “You’re welcome. But we didn’t get to
spend any time with your head in my lap, talking about our
future.”

“Our future should be discussed not under a
tree, but in the office with our banker and our ships’ captains.”
Louis rolled to his knees and then to his feet. She watched as he
dusted off his fine trousers and then glanced at her.

“Thanks for having lunch with me. If you’re
free for dinner...?”

“No!” she said with an emphatic shout and
then lowered her voice. “I promised the children we’d play games
tonight.”

“All right I’ll be right across the
hall.”

“If I need you, I’m sure I can find you.”

“You want me. It’s only a matter of time.” He
smiled and walked out, pulling the little wagon behind him. Though
she fought the impulse, the sight tickled her, to see a big strong
man pulling a child’s toy.

Marian sank down into her chair and picked up
her pencil. She tried to concentrate on the journal spread before
her. Her hands began to shake badly.

God, yes, she wanted him. His touch was more
potent than the strongest liquor, more intoxicating than the finest
wine and somehow she had to resist the temptation he presented.

***

Marian glanced across the steamboat deck and
watched Louis with her son.

Louis was a shrewd man. She’d dropped the
businessman part, because though it fit him, she was quickly
discovering the word shrewd described him.

She felt a pang of emotion seize her. Philip
glanced at Louis so trusting that her heart ached for the child. He
missed his father so much and though he appeared to be feeling
better, there was a conspicuous absence of his friends around their
house. At least he hadn’t spoken of any more trouble, but then
school had been out for the last month. The only time he saw his
friends was for baseball games in the park.

She tried to remember when she’d last seen
him play ball with his friends in their yard and couldn’t recall.
She'd question him later.

“Momma, look over there at that island. Can
we stop there?” Renee asked. She had been timid coming on board and
even now she hadn’t left Marian’s side since the boat departed. The
boat quickly slicing through the water, heading upstream had made
the child wary, though Marian felt exhilarated.

“No, dear, we’re going up river to some place
Mr. Fournet knows.”

“Will it be fun?” the child asked.

“I don’t know. You’ll have to wait and
see.”

“Renee,” Philip called. “Come see this.”

The child glanced at her brother and then at
her mother, her reluctance to move obvious.

“It’s okay,” Marian reassured her. “Just be
careful.” The little girl took one last look at Marian and then
slowly ambled off toward her brother. Marian turned her attention
once again back to the river and gazed at the shoreline.

Occasionally they passed large houses
surrounded with fields of sugarcane, the green blades tall in the
hot sun. Sometimes a field hand would glance up from his labor and
wave at the boat. She stood watching the changing shoreline, her
mind on the man who had picked her up this morning.

Now, he was trying not only to court her, but
it seemed he also appeared to be working his charm on her children,
which she didn’t appreciate.

She felt his presence and turned to see him
step to the railing beside her.

“So what do you think of one of your boats,
Mrs. Cuvier?”

She gazed at him, noting the way the breeze
ruffled his hair. “I think it’s a typical steamboat.”

“True, but they’re a dying breed. If you’d
like to, Capitan Paul said you could steer once we get past the
sandbars on this part of the river.”

“No, thank you. I’ll leave that to the
professionals,” she said. “Where are you taking us today? Are we
just out for an excursion on the river?”

“Yes and no. We’re only an hour from Belle
Fournet, my family’s plantation, and Capitan Paul has a load for
the White Castle plantation, which is just up the river. I thought
that we could stop and spend the afternoon with my family.”

“Your family?” Marian asked, surprised.

“Yes. The kids could ride horses and I could
show you around Belle Fournet.”

Marian took a deep breath and released it
slowly. “Mr. Fournet, while I understand you’re trying to charm me
and somehow find a way to get me to marry you, I don’t appreciate
your enticing my children. If you harm them in any way, I promise
you, I will retaliate in a most unladylike manner.”

Louis frowned, his eyes flashing. “I would
never do anything to hurt your children, Marian. That would be the
worst thing anyone could do and I take offense at your even
suggesting it.”

“I’m just warning you,” she said.

“Your worries are unfounded. I like Philip
and Renee and would never use them to get to you,” he said. “I
will, however, do things I think they will enjoy.”

“I can’t argue with you for that. In fact, I
appreciate everything you’ve done for them so far.” She paused. “I
guess I worry about how Jean’s death has affected them and I’m very
protective of my children.”

“I understand.”

They stood at the railing for several
moments, neither one saying anything. The silence seemed peaceful
and Marian enjoyed the feel of the breeze on her face.

“When we come around this bend, you can see
Belle Fournet’s landing. That’s where we’re getting off.”

“Is your family expecting us?” she
questioned.

“Yes, I sent word several days ago, after you
agreed at the picnic.”

As the boat docked, Marian gazed at the big
house that sat at least half a mile from the river. The raised
Creole plantation house stood off in the distance, the French doors
on the second floor opened for the cooling river breeze.

“You never told me your family lived so
well.”

“Would it have made a difference?”

“No, though I would certainly hate to offend
them in any way. Are you certain they will want me to visit
them?”

“Marian, you don’t understand the way of life
along the river road. Everyone is welcome at Belle Fournet.”

“I hope you’re right.”

A wagon pulled up to the dock, driven by a
servant “Mr. Louis, welcome home. Your mother said to tell you
she’s expecting you.”

“Thank you, Leon.”

“Mr. Fournet I’ll blow my whistle as I come
around the bend to let you know it’s time to go. We should be back
to pick you up in four hours.”

“Thank you, Captain Paul,” Louis said, and
then turned to Marian. “Shall we?”

Marian gathered her children and they
disembarked, stepping onto the dock and then crossing to the
waiting wagon.

Louis helped Philip into the wagon and then
lifted Renee up to sit beside her brother. He turned to Marian and
helped her into the wagon, before climbing in beside her.

“How you been, Leon?” he asked the
servant.

“Good, Mr. Louis. Your brother, he’s been
making some changes in the fields and they seem to be working. The
sugarcane is looking even better than last year’s crop.”

“Good. How’s the family?”

“Thanks for asking, sir. My son is going to
be leaving for New Orleans to attend school.”

“Tell him to look me up when he gets into
town and I’ll try to find some part-time work for him.”

“Thanks kindly, sir.”

They pulled up at the front of the big house
and Marian heard the tinkle of wind chimes, soft and melodic in the
breeze. Two huge oak trees shaded the front of the house, two
matching staircases wound in a graceful curve toward the second
story.