Chapter Eleven
On Friday of the following week, Louis knocked on the door of Marian’s home to drive her to Evette’s dinner party. Anxiety twisted his insides at the thought of the coming party. More than once, Evette had expressed the opinion that Louis seemed more than just attracted to Marian. And while he admitted he admired the widow, his infatuation was merely a physical thing that he experienced with many women. Why should Marian be any different?
Intelligent, beautiful, witty, and strong, she’d attracted him like no other. Yet lately, he couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind.
The last time he’d been to the house on Josephine Street had been to tell her of Layla’s arrest for Jean’s murder, but the police had already informed Marian.
The door swung open and he gazed in at Marian, looking radiant in a low-cut gray silk dress that reflected the color of her eyes, showing her enticing cleavage. He couldn’t help but stare at her, openmouthed.
“Do I know you?” he asked.
She smiled. “Of course you do, silly.”
“I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m here to pick up Marian Cuvier. You must be her younger sister.”
Marian laughed and then spun around for him. “Claire and I did a little shopping for tonight.”
“I see that.” He reached over and kissed her cheek, the sweet seductive smell of magnolias tempting him. “You look beautiful.”
She blushed. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t expect to see you answering the door. Where are your servants?”
She smiled. “I gave them all the night off.”
“Who’s watching the children?” He glanced down at his hand. “I brought Philip a new baseball. I thought I might get a couple of pitches in with him before we left.”
“Sorry. Claire took Renee and Philip to stay at her house overnight. I’m the only one here.” She opened the door wider. “We’re still early if you’d like to come in and have a drink.”
“Thanks, but no. But let me leave this baseball here. I don’t think Evette would be pleased if I started to pitch the ball at her party.”
“Good idea,” Marian said stepping back to let him in.
He stepped inside and laid the baseball on the hall stand in the entry way, as Marian moved close to his side. He gazed down at her, noting her hair was gathered loosely in a clasp, the dark curls cascading past her shoulders. Tonight was the first time he’d seen her hair loose and her face looked younger, softer, and more feminine than he’d recalled.
She walked past him into the den and turned out the gas lamps. When she came back into the entry hall, she picked up a gray silk shawl that matched her dress. He helped her place the silk folds around her shoulders, a sudden rush of protectiveness toward her catching him off guard.
“If you’re ready, I think I am,” she said.
With no lights burning in the house, a dark quietness penetrated the atmosphere. He cast a worried glance around the shadowed hallway. “Maybe you should leave a light on?”
“I considered it, but I just hate to leave a lamp on when there’s no one at home. If you don’t mind, I thought that when you brought me back, you could come in while I lit the gas lamps.”
“All right,” he said. He could understand why she would not want to come into a darkened house alone, but it seemed strange that she’d let the servants off for the night.
They walked out the door and Marian turned the key in the lock and slipped it into her handbag.
“You know Evette only lives three blocks away. There’s a cool breeze tonight, if you’d like we could walk instead of riding in the buggy.”
“I didn’t know she lived so close. That sounds lovely.” Louis took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm and they set off at a leisurely pace, strolling down the street, taking care to stay away from any puddles left from an early afternoon shower.
“Who does Mrs. Simone invite to these dinners?”
“All kinds of people. Her parties are usually entertaining and the people interesting.”
They crossed Josephine Street and turned on Magnolia. “I’ve missed going to parties. When I was a girl, Claire and I went all the time. But once the children were born, I never attended many parties.”
“But Jean liked parties,” Louis said.
She turned her big gray eyes on him and smiled, her rosy lips full and inviting. “Let’s not talk about Jean tonight I want to have fun and when I think of him, pleasure is not what usually comes to mind.”
He chuckled. “All right, I won’t mention his name again this evening. Let’s have a good time.”
Louis didn’t blame her. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to spend the evening with her. They didn’t have to go to Evette’s party, he just wanted to be with Marian.
Again, he felt physical attraction to Marian that he didn’t know what to do with. Well, that wasn’t exactly true, there was one thing he wanted to do, but he was desperately trying to keep the thoughts and images of Marian, his business partner, in check. Tonight he was her escort for the evening, and tomorrow he would return to trying to sell the business she clung to. Being with Marian would only complicate a difficult situation. For just a moment he felt a sense of guilt tinged with sorrow, but he quickly pushed the feeling away.
Strolling down the street, they came upon a puddle that stretched several feet in front of them. It was deep and muddy enough to ruin the hem of Marian’s dress and too wide to jump. They stood there a moment staring at the pool of water.
“My dress. What do we do now?” Marian asked.
Louis glanced around trying to find a way around and saw mud in all directions. “There’s only one thing we can do.”
He bent down and scooped her up into his arms.
“Louis,” she exclaimed and then started to laugh, her voice bubbly in the evening air. “Put me down.”
Her dress fluttered in the breeze exposing her lacy drawers and he wished the breeze would blow the hem of her dress higher. Just enough to give him a glimpse of her long graceful limbs. Quickly, she pushed the skirt down, covering her feminine undergarments.
The evening shadows loomed as he stepped across the puddle and stood her gingerly on the ground again, his arms feeling particularly empty as he released her. What was it about this woman that kept him in a constant state of awareness? Still, she wore pretty pantaloons and he had caught a glimpse of a trim ankle.
“I had no coat to throw across the water,” he said grinning at her as if he’d just rescued the princess.
She shook her head and laughed again. “I’ve never been carried across a puddle before. Thank you, Mr. Fournet, for being such a gentleman.”
“My pleasure, ma’am.” Feeling her in his arms, the sweet smell of magnolias, and her satiny skin against his more than rewarded his efforts.
They weren’t far from Evette’s, yet he wished they could avoid the dinner party. So seldom were they alone and he enjoyed the times when it was just the two of them.
He liked the way she laughed and the way her eyes twinkled when she teased him. For more than a week, he’d found himself watching for her, waiting, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, and have her glance at him from across the hall. Sometimes he felt as if they were dancing, mirroring each other’s moves, circling one another, waiting for that moment when they would move into each other’s arms..
They arrived at Evette’s home and a servant ushered them through the entry hall into a room where a large wooden staircase spiraled to the next floor. A crystal chandelier hung suspended from the ceiling, the lighting soft, and music played under the sound of talk. They were led into the main room of the house, where a small crowd of people gathered, listening to a man playing a piano.
“Mrs. Cuvier, I’m so glad that you came,” Evette said, coming forward to greet them. She turned her attention to Louis, grabbing both of his hands and reached up and kissed his cheeks. “As always, a pleasure, cheri. “ She stepped back and released his hands. “Please hel
p yourselves to a drink and join the others. We’re still waiting for a few guests, but we should eat soon.”
A servant approached them with a tray of drinks and Louis handed Marian a glass of champagne.
“Thank you. Do you know many of these people?” Marian asked Louis, as she gazed about the room filled with men and women dressed in the latest fashions. He nodded to someone he knew.
“Yes, most of them have been to other dinner parties Evette has held,” Louis said watching her.
Marian sipped her champagne and gazed up at him. The light shimmered from her smoky eyes with a glint that hinted at mischief. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question? If you wish, you can tell me it’s none of my business.”
He watched her expression, wishing he could kiss the upturned comers of her mouth. “All right.”
“Are you and Evette just friends or something more that’s none of my business?”
Comforted he could answer her question without offending her, he took Marian by the arm and led her toward a loveseat in the corner. “We’re just good friends, nothing more.”
“Friends are nice to have,” Marian said, a relieved expression on her face, though why he didn’t understand. She had nothing to fear from Evette. They sat down on the loveseat and sipped their champagne.
“You know, we really should mingle.”
“Later,” he said not wanting to share her for some reason. He picked up one of her loose curls and ran the soft dark lock of hair between his fingers. “I don’t think I’ve seen you with your hair down before.”
“No. This is the first time in years I’ve worn it loose.”
“So you decided to let your hair down tonight?” he asked. “Is there something you’re not telling me? A particular gentleman you wish to pursue?”
She smiled up at him her eyes twinkling. “I’m not the pursuing type. That’s you. Though I’ve recently decided that I need to change. I need to become bolder, go after more of what I really want.”
“Oh really,” Louis said surprised, noticing the flirtatious air that suddenly surrounded her. “I thought you were already doing that with the shipping company.”
“Yes, I guess I am,” Marian acknowledged. “But there are other areas of my life that I’ve neglected. Areas that are just as important”
“Like what?” he asked curiously.
She leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, her soft breath tickling him. “I’ve decided to take a lover.”
Louis gasped just as he took a sip of champagne. He started to choke.
“After all, I am a widow, I can do that now.”
Louis sat coughing, trying to catch his breath, unable to speak, only stare at Marian. My God, was she serious?
Marian pounded him on the back. “Are you all right? I guess I should have waited until you weren’t drinking to let you know my plans.”
“You are joking, right?” Louis said, as he gasped for air, the image of her naked with another man causing him sudden discomfort.
Oh, God, he had to save her from herself. He was going to have to protect her from a lecherous man who would only use and abandon her.
“No,” she said, her face an innocent mask. “I’m serious.”
Before Louis could recover from the shocking news Marian had just delivered, Evette found them, her gown rustling as she bustled about. “Darlings, there you are. Everyone is here now, so we’re going to the dining room. Louis, I’ve seated Marian next to you. Take good care of her.”
She hurried off to hustle more people toward the dining room.
Louis, who could finally breathe again, stood and helped Marian to her feet. Who could she intend to seduce?
Jean had been dead for almost three months and already she was searching for someone to take his place. Yet she hadn’t said remarry. She specifically said she sought a lover. So why was Marian suddenly interested in a man’s touch? Could Evette’s theory be true, that she’d never experienced passion?
He took her by the arm and they walked into the dining room. He seated her at the table, his mind cataloging all the men who worked at Cuvier Shipping, their customers, and the men he met at Jean’s funeral. None of the candidates were worthy and the thought of her with another man left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.
He leaned close to her ear and whispered. “So just who are you planning to seduce?”
She smiled at him, her gray eyes sparkling in the candlelight from the table. “Now that, dear sir, is something a lady does not disclose.”
Louis stared at her stunned for the second time that evening. For a moment he couldn’t move. Could her refusal to answer him mean that she intended to seduce him?
The blood seemed to drain from his limbs into one area of his body, the area that didn’t need to be reminded of the beautiful woman sitting at his side.
Who was he kidding? He’d wanted Marian for months now and suddenly it seemed as if he might be going to get his opportunity. Tonight.
The reasons for her dismissal of the servants and the children’s overnight stay at Claire’s suddenly became clear. Everyone was conveniently gone so they could have a night of passion. If he went back to the house on Josephine Street, he could probably make love to Marian. Hadn’t he been considering this for weeks? Suddenly he knew he wanted this more than anything. He wanted Marian.
The thought tantalized him, and left him hungry with desire. Part of him wanted to run out the door and take Marian now, while another part of him warned of the complications this could create. He pushed the thought aside, he wanted Marian.
He swallowed, his gaze returning to the woman who’d just given him something to contemplate during dinner. She sat there smiling coyly at him and suddenly he knew without a doubt Yes, she’d decided to take a lover, but it wasn’t anyone he didn’t know.
She meant to seduce him.
“Eat quickly, Marian,” he whispered. “Eat quickly, so we can leave.”
Wronged (Book 1) Page 31