Val said, “May I speak with you for a moment before you go up?”
“Certainly.”
Henri kissed his wife’s cheek. “I’ll see you upstairs. Good night, Valinda.”
“Good night, sir.”
Julianna took a seat. “Did something happen while I was away?”
“Yes, I’m going to be a temporary daughter-in-law.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Temporary?”
Val explained, adding, “I hurt his feelings with my lack of enthusiasm.” Guilt grabbed her, again. “I feel awful.”
“Drake may be the biggest and strongest of my sons, but he’s also the most tenderhearted. He keeps it hidden because his brothers often teased him about that when they were growing up.” She paused for a moment as if thinking back. “When Drake was maybe five or six, he got very attached to the ducklings and piglets we had. He fed them. Played with them. I of course was raising them for Christmas dinner. Christmas Day comes. We’re having dinner, and Archer, I believe, made a comment about how delicious Drake’s duck friends were. Drake looked down at his plate, looked over at me, and his little face crumbled. He left the table crying. To this day, he won’t eat duck.”
“Aw.”
“His brothers of course howled with laughter.”
Val felt so sorry for him.
Julianna added, “He’d named the ducks Josephine and Napoleon.” She went silent again before continuing quietly, “When I received word that my Francois’s ship had gone down and all hands were lost, I had to tell the boys their Papa wasn’t coming home. They took it hard, but Drake refused to believe it. Told me, he was going outside to wait because Papa always came home. He sat out by the road and refused to come in. Sat there for days. All day. All night. He didn’t care that it was winter or that it was raining or cold. He knew his Papa was coming home.
“It snowed one of those days. I looked outside and saw him covered and shivering. I made Rai and Gerrold bring him inside. He fought them, kicking and screaming the entire way.”
Val saw the sorrow in her eyes. “How old was he?”
“Eight.”
Val now had more pieces of Drake to add to the ones that had already woven their way into her heart. “I wish I’d had time to think about his question before answering, but he caught me so off guard. I tried to make amends, but he walked away.”
“When his feelings are hurt, he can close himself off, but that big heart of his always reopens. You two will work things out, and for what it’s worth, I think your plan to sidestep your father is a good one. What happens after is up to you and my son.”
“Would you want me for a daughter-in-law?”
Julianna smiled and stood. “Until death do us part.” She gave Val’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “Good night, Valinda.”
“Good night.”
Lying in bed, Valinda thought about his question again. Would she remain married to him if it were left up to her? Being around Sable and Julianna showed her that not all marriages had a detrimental effect on a woman’s spirit. Julianna had her business interests. Sable did remarkable charity work. Both women seemed fulfilled in both life and love. Could she have that with Drake? Instinctively she knew she could. He was fun, caring, and passionate. He was a man of conviction and honor. He’d supported her aspirations and built her a school. She didn’t see him suddenly forbidding her to use it once she took his name. Again, she wished she’d had time to think about his question, so she could’ve given him an honest, measured response. As it stood, things had gone off the rails and she didn’t know if they’d be able to go back to the way they were. She wasn’t sure if he’d gone to his room when he left her, but she was tempted to go see, so she could apologize again. However, she wasn’t sure of her reception, so she turned over and hoped she could sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Now that the boxcars were done, Drake spent the morning riding around the area letting contractors and builders know he was available for hire. They all knew him and his reputation for excellence, so he received a few solid offers. Pleased, he and Havana headed back to his mother’s house. On the way, he saw a sign advertising a buggy for sale, so he stopped. The seller, an elderly White woman, answered his knock on the door with a smile. She was a widow and the buggy belonged to her. She’d only driven it to church, she said, and was selling it because she was moving to Biloxi to go live with her son and his wife. As Drake eyed it up close, he liked that it was compact, sported a cushioned leather seat, and that the four spoked wheels were in good condition. Although the leather awning was a bit worn, there were no holes or tears, and it could be lowered or raised depending on the weather. The price she quoted was reasonable. A sturdy even-tempered mare named Penelope came with the vehicle and that pleased him as well, so he paid her what she asked.
With Havana tied to the back on a lead, Drake climbed into the buggy, waved farewell to the widow, and continued the journey home. Between Valinda’s teaching and charity work she needed a vehicle. He knew she’d be grateful even if she had frozen like a deer suddenly running up on a gator in response to his question last night. Admittedly, his pride still stung. The talk with Raimond, though pointed, had made him feel somewhat better, but Drake was a LeVeq and the men in his line had outsized personalities most women were dazzled by—except the women who captured their hearts. According to legend, their great-grandmother Clare had cursed Dominic in three languages when he kidnapped her from the British ship, and Sable had given Rai such a run for his money, Drake and the other Brats placed bets on how soon he would lose his mind. Rai claimed Val loved him. Drake wasn’t sure whether to put any stock in that or not. If she did, she didn’t love him enough to remain his wife and with that in mind, he’d guard his heart.
Drake hadn’t joined them for breakfast, and although Valinda had been disappointed, she had too much to do to get her school up and running to mope about it.
“Here’s the list of items I’ll need right away,” she said, handing the paper over to Julianna seated behind the desk in her office. She hoped the older woman didn’t find the final sum too costly.
Julianna said, “The ink pens and pencils we can get in the Quarter as well as the slates and chalk. The readers we may have to order.”
“I know. I can handprint some of the exercises the students can share until the readers arrive.”
“May I keep this?” Julianna asked.
“Yes.”
Julianna set it aside. “Thanks so much for organizing my office. I can actually find things now.”
“Just be sure to put everything back in the proper place so it doesn’t get out of hand again.”
“Easier said than done, but I’ll try. In the next three or four days, we’ll shop for your wedding dress.”
Val stilled. “Wedding dress?”
“And shoes.”
Val looked down at her mud-caked brogans. “I don’t—”
“Yes, you do. There will be more than a few wealthy Creole women and their simpering daughters attending the reception and I want them to envy you not only for taking another LeVeq son off the market, but for being the most beautifully gowned woman there as well. I’ll get a kick out of seeing their crestfallen faces, so indulge me.”
“You’re very bad, Julianna.”
“I know. It’s the pirate blood.”
Val laughed. “Then who am I to deny you your fun?”
Her dark eyes glittered with amusement. “I have two of the best daughters-in-law in all of Louisiana.”
“Temporary.”
Julianna waved her off. “If you say so.”
Before Val could respond to that, Drake appeared in the doorway. “Val. Mama,” he said in greeting.
Val saw the distance in his face which let her know he was still wounded from last night. She inwardly sighed, wondering what it might take to salve his hurt.
“Valinda, I got you a buggy.”
She eyed him, confused.
“Come look. It’s out
side.” And he exited.
Julianna smiled and shooed her out, so Val followed him.
Sure enough, there was a small black buggy parked outside with a dun-brown horse attached.
“This is Penelope,” he said, indicating the horse. “Her former owner says she enjoys apples and likes children.”
Val walked over and stroked the mare’s soft-skinned neck. “How are you, girl?”
“Catch,” Drake called.
The tossed apple caught her by surprise, but she snagged it deftly, and shot him a look that earned her a ghost of a smile. Ignoring him for the moment, she fed the mare the fruit, while offering gentle words of welcome and praise. “How long may I use the buggy?”
“It’s yours, so until the wheels fall off, I suppose.”
She studied him. He was the most generous person she knew, but after last night, a gift like this was the last thing she’d expected. “Drake, I’m sorry about yesterday. I—”
“No apologies needed. It was a trick question. I was wrong to put pressure on you that way. We’ll marry and when your father leaves, we’ll dissolve it. Henri has a nephew who’s a justice of the peace. I’ll ask if he can handle the ceremony, unless you prefer a church?”
She shook her head. “A justice is fine.”
“When would you like it done?”
“Sometime in the next week to ten days?”
“I suggest sooner as opposed to later. If your father has suspicions and asks around, you want him told that the marriage is real and that it’s a love match. No one jumps willy-nilly into an arranged marriage.”
Her eyes shot to his.
“Do you think you can pretend we have a love match?”
She cleared her throat. “Yes.”
“The reception I’m sure Mama and Reba are already planning will help with the legitimacy, and we’ll move all your belongings into my room, since I no longer have a house we can occupy.”
She froze.
“LeVeq wives share bedrooms with their husbands.”
She was a bit overwhelmed. On the one hand, she was glad he’d thought so far ahead, but on the other hand, she realized, she hadn’t thought this through at all.
“I’ll add your name to my accounts, so you can draw money when needed.”
“That isn’t necessary.”
“Do you have funds of your own?”
She paused and admitted, “A small amount.”
“Then it’s necessary.”
“Drake—”
“Valinda, if you need to purchase chalk or hairpins or a pair of shoes, you shouldn’t have to ask for the money to do so. I trust you not to spend me into the poorhouse, so allow me to help you in this way.”
Having no true counter, she let it go. “Okay.” She wondered what her parents would think of him and his family. Would they be impressed? Would the ruse of a love match convince her father to return home and allow her to live her life in peace? And what about after? If she had to go to New York for some reason after she and Drake had dissolved the ruse, could she convince him to accompany her? Suppose he married someone else in the interim? How would that sit with whoever he married, and why did the idea of him marrying someone else not sit well, at all? Deciding to stop thinking about the clashing moving parts of her harebrained plan before she lost her mind, she glanced up at his distant bearded face. “Is there anything else?”
“Not that I can think of at the moment.”
“I want to open the school the day after tomorrow. Will you help me spread the word?”
“I will. Do you need me for anything else right now?”
She thought to herself, yes, she needed him to accept her apology, so they could go forward, but she refused to beg. She had her pride as well. “No. I’m scheduled to teach Sable’s orphans today. Now that I have a buggy, I’ll go to the Quarter later and let Eb and Dina know about the school.” She had no idea how many students she might eventually be teaching. It could be two—it could be fifty. The freedmen were hungry for education, especially for their children.
“Then be careful on the roads. I’ll see you later.”
“You, too, and thank you again for the buggy.”
As he rode away, she wondered if chucking rocks at the maddening man she intended to marry could be considered an act of love. Blowing out a frustrated breath, she returned to the house for the items needed for her day. After giving Julianna her goodbye, she and Penelope set out for Sable’s place.
The eager smiles and confident voices of the orphans as they read lifted her mood, and after sharing lunchtime with them and one of the staff members, her day with them ended.
Sable walked her out to the buggy. “How’s Drake? Rai told me what happened between you two.”
“Still stone-faced. I’ve apologized but it hasn’t made much of a difference.”
“Give him time. We all act like children sometimes when our feelings are hurt.”
“I suppose.”
“He loves you. You love him. Once this mess with your father is settled, you can work on the problem between you. Do you really believe he’s going to come to New Orleans?”
“I do.” And the thought continued to nag her like an oncoming headache. “Julianna wants to take me shopping for a wedding dress and is planning a big to-do reception.”
“You’ll need a dress, and Julianna isn’t content if she’s not celebrating something or other, and a wedding is special. It’ll be fun.”
“Not with a glaring groom.”
Sable laughed softly. “He won’t be glaring, trust me. Rai and I were ready to strangle each other the day before we said our vows, but by the end of the reception—let’s just say, we had a very memorable wedding night. You will, too.”
Embarrassment burned her cheeks. She’d never talked about the marriage bed with anyone but her mother. That discussion had been quick and apparently quite wrong, considering the way Drake laughed upon hearing about her mother and the recitation of the alphabet.
Sable said, “Didn’t mean to embarrass you, sorry.”
“No, you’re fine. I need to go.”
“Okay, but if you have questions, let me know.”
Val gave her a tight nod, but then gathered her courage. “Will it hurt?”
Sable seemed to consider her words before replying, “I’m sure it’s different with every woman, but I did have some discomfort. Rai took the time to prepare me though, so it wasn’t awful or excruciating. He seemed to know more about my body than I and that helped a great deal.”
Val thought back on her experiences with Drake. He, too, apparently knew more than she. “I think it’s shameful the way society keeps us in the dark about things like this.”
“I agree.”
Val eyed the woman soon to be her sister-in-law. “Thank you for being so frank with me.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome. Everything will work out between you and Drake.”
“I hope you’re right.”
That said, she climbed into her buggy and struck out for the Quarter.
Eb wasn’t at work, but the woman who answered the back door said he was due in later that evening and promised to pass along Val’s message about the school.
At the cigar shop, Mr. Bascom didn’t appear pleased to see her. Val ignored his tight face and asked after Dina.
“She’s not here.”
“When will she be?”
His anger was reflected in the tone of his reply. “I don’t know. She and my son are gone.”
Val was confused by that. “Gone where?”
“North. The note Quentin left me yesterday said they were going to get married.”
Surprise rendered her speechless. She’d been correct in thinking the two had feelings for each other, but to marry? As far as she knew, miscegenation was illegal most everywhere in the United States. Were they bound for Canada? she wondered.
Mr. Bascom continued, “I hired a Pinkerton to track them down and bring him back. I don’t care what happen
s to her.”
Val was saddened by that. Bascom, like her father, was determined to dictate the life choices of his adult offspring, but she kept that to herself and said instead, “Thank you for your time, Mr. Bascom,” and left his shop.
Drake looked up when Val entered the parlor. He was pleased to see her but because he was guarding his heart, he kept his feelings hidden. Going back to the mechanical drawings he was working on, he asked, “Things go okay with the carriage?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need me to unhitch the mare?”
“No. I took care of it. She’s been watered and is in a stall.”
He was surprised.
As if sensing that, she explained, “Cole showed me how when he taught me to drive because I asked him if he would.”
“I can always do it for you.”
“Thanks, but it isn’t necessary. Is your mother here?”
Her steadfast determination to be self-sufficient was one of the many facets he found admirable about this woman so reluctant to link their lives. Her independent nature was one of the many aspects that endeared her to him. “Mama’s gone to visit her friend, Aunt Vi. I believe that’s her name. My brothers and I’ve never met her, but we assume she’s one of Julianna’s longtime friends. Did you talk with Eb?”
“No, but I left a message with one of the workers. She said he’d be at the hotel this evening. I also stopped in to see Dina. Apparently, she and Quentin have eloped.”
Drake was floored. “How long have they been gone?”
“Bascom found a letter from Quentin last night, so less than a day, I’m guessing. He’s hired Pinkertons to bring his son back to New Orleans. Said he didn’t care what happened to Dina. Reminded me of my father.”
The mention of her father brought Drake back to their disagreement.
“What are you working on?” she asked.
“A pump station for a large landowner. He and a group of men are looking to build one in an effort to drain a swamp so they can reclaim the land.”
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