Mardi Gras Masquerade

by L A Morgan

  “Such maidenly modesty,” he said with a grin.

  “I’m not accustomed to having men come into my bedroom unannounced.”

  “Tell me about the ones who have come in . . . announced.”

  “Oh, Steve! You know what I meant!”

  “Happily, I do. Now, I’ll turn my back for five seconds to give you a chance to make yourself decent.”

  “Five seconds?”

  Steve stood up and turned away, counting, “Four . . . three . . .”

  “Slower!” Maria cried out with a laugh, as she scrambled out of the bed to get her robe.

  “Two . . . one.”

  The man turned back with a sly smile just as Maria slipped her second arm into a sleeve. She quickly pulled the robe closed.

  “You’re a speedy one,” he commented.

  “I have to be to keep up with you. Now, what did you want to show me?”

  “I was busy while you laid there, lost in your dreams. Let’s go into the bathroom.”

  Maria shook her head at her lack of comprehension, but followed him anyway. Once they were in the commodious room, Steve closed the door by reaching over Maria’s shoulder. He stood there, smiling at her.

  “Well?” she said with expectation.

  “Look around.”

  Maria looked at him strangely, expecting him to pounce on her as soon as she turned away.

  The man laughed and said, “Go on!”

  With a distrusting expression on her face, Maria did as he asked. Her skepticism was replaced by incredulity. Hanging on the back of the bathroom door was a formal satin ball gown. The golden material shimmered in the light. Sparkles were strewn over the two lacy flounces that were attached to the sides of the full skirt. Maria gasped in ecstasy.

  “Where did it come from?” she cried.

  “I got it at the same shop where I bought your weddin’ gown. Fortunately, the designer already had your measurements, so she was able to alter it for you as a surprise.”

  “But, why, Steve?”

  “For the ball tonight, naturally. I’ve been plannin’ to take you there for several days.”

  “You’re incredible!” Maria exclaimed as she threw herself into his arms to hug him in delight. “I’ve never seen such a gorgeous gown!”

  “What about your weddin’ dress?” Steve reminded her, as he looked down into her beaming face.

  “Except for that.” Maria gladly conceded. “I feel like Cinderella!”

  “You’re makin’ me feel like Prince Charmin’.”

  “Wasn’t it the fairy godmother who gave Cinderella the gown?”

  “I don’t feel comfortable with that analogy.”

  “Oh, Steve! You know you’ll always be Prince Charming to me.”

  The man caught her hands in his and gave each one a kiss in turn.

  “I’m glad you like it,” he said with a sparkle in his eyes. “The matchin’ shoes, gloves, and purse are on the counter.”

  Maria spotted them instantly and said, “You think of everything.”

  “I’d be happy to take the credit, but you have your famous designer to thank for the details.”

  “I’ll have to give her a call.”

  “You do that. I think she was almost as excited about this surprise as you are.”

  Maria stood on tiptoe to give Steve a light kiss on the cheek.

  He looked down at her longingly, and then said, “I wish I could stay here to see how you look in the gown, but I’m running late already.”

  Maria’s smile faded.

  “Do you really have to go?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry to say I do. There are some arrangements I have to take care of.”

  “When will you be back?”

  “Around three. We’ll be leavin’ for the ball at four. If you need any alterations on the dress, Mrs. Grey will give you the designer’s number. I’m sure she’ll be happy to come over.”

  “Thank you no much, Steve. I really meant what I said last night when I told you that you make me feel like a queen.”

  “And tonight, you’ll be the belle of the ball.”

  He leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

  “A tout à l’heure, mon ange,” he said in a seductive voice. “I’ll see you later.”

  Maria sighed after he walked out the door. This was like a fantasy that she never wanted to end.

  She could not wait until after breakfast to try on the gown. She had to call in a maid to help her with the small buttons in back. The woman clapped her hands, sharing in Maria’s enthusiasm as she whirled about the room with an imaginary dance partner.

  But tonight, there would be no need to look for a partner. Steve would be there, and they would dance until dawn if she had her way. He would look devastatingly handsome in his black tuxedo. She could imagine how every woman in the room would envy her.

  After viewing the dress from every conceivable angle in the full-length mirror, Maria reluctantly let the maid help her to take it off. If it would not have looked absurd in front of the staff, she would have been happy to wear the golden gown all day.

  With all of this excitement, Maria could barely manage to eat her breakfast. All she could think about was Steve and the wonderful time they would be having that night. As she was about to leave, it came as a surprise when Mrs. Grey entered the dining room it to tell her that she had a telephone call.

  “From Mr. DuPont?” Maria asked with a smile.

  “No, from a woman who identified herself as your roommate.”

  “Who did she ask for?”

  “She used only a first name . . . Maria. Could there be some mistake, Miss?”

  “No,” Maria replied, relieved that her friend had not given her away. “I’ll take the call in the study.”

  “Very good, Miss.”

  Maria walked anxiously to the study. She felt uncertain about how her roommate would react to what she had to tell her.

  After picking up the receiver, she said, “Hello, Marla?”

  “Maria? Is that you?”

  The model’s voice was garbled by a bad connection.

  “Yes,” Maria replied. “I’ve been trying to call you all week.”

  “What the hell is going on there?” her friend demanded in an angry voice. “Why are you staying at Tienne’s house?”

  “Things got a little complicated . . .”

  “A little complicated? I just called the hotel and asked for Maria Jones in the DuPont suite, and the clerk tells me that Miss Maria Fontaine moved out to stay with the DuPonts several days ago. I had to tell him that there was an emergency to get this number. What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I tried to call you and explain, but I could never get a hold you at the apartment, and the receptionist at the agency me you were on vacation.”

  “That’s true. After you left for New Orleans, my friend, Chuck, invited me to go with him to Rio for Carnival. That’s only fair since you got to go to Mardi Gras.”

  “You’re in Rio de Janeiro? In Brazil?” Maria asked in disbelief.

  “Yes, I’m calling from our hotel. Now you tell me why you’ve been going around using my name!”

  “It was all a mistake, at first. The clerk in the hotel assumed that I was you.”

  “But, surely, Tienne could tell the difference. Why are you still there?”

  “It’s very complicated, Marla. When the people in the hotel thought I was you, I didn’t want them to tell your fiancé that you weren’t here before I had a chance to talk with him. And then, it felt so good pretending that I was a successful model that I kept on with the pretense.”

  “You have a lot of nerve! Tell me what Tienne said.”

  “Well, I met this man on the levee, and he believed me when I told him that I was Maria Fontaine, a model. He turned out to be Tienne’s brother.”

  “And where was Tienne all this time?” Marla asked in a stern voice.

  “He got tied up with business and had to fly to Japan. He isn’
t back yet.”

  “You must have spoken to him before he left!”

  “There was no time. I’ve haven’t seen him yet.”

  “Then he doesn’t know?”

  “No. You told me not to tell anyone but him.”

  “He never even called you?”

  “No.”

  “The arrogance of that man! I knew it! He thinks that I’m waiting for him there and he made no attempt to even talk to me!”

  “Calm down, Marla. I haven’t even told you the worst part yet.”

  “It gets worse?”

  “You won’t believe it. All of the arrangements have been made for you to marry him tomorrow, after he gets back.”

  “What??? Why didn’t you stop him?”

  “I couldn’t without explaining everything to his brother. He’s in charge here.”

  “Then, you should have told him, you little fool! I knew I never should have let you take care or this for me!”

  “You know I didn’t want to do it,” Maria cried out in frustration.

  “So, you got even with me by botching everything up! Thank you very much.”’

  “I would never do anything to hurt you, Marla. You know that. If you’ll just call Tienne’s brother, you could explain it all to him, or maybe, he’ll give you Tienne’s number in Japan.”

  “I don’t want to speak to Tienne!” Marla shouted, enunciating every word. “That was the reason I sent you there in the first place!”

  “I could give you his brother’s number.”

  “Who is this man, anyway? I don’t remember Tienne ever telling me that he had a brother.”

  “From what I understand, he runs the business and shares this house with Tienne. You should see how lovely it is here. I’ve been treated so nicely.”

  “You go speak to the brother.”

  “You don’t understand, Marla. He’s a very forceful man. He won’t let me go until I . . .”

  Maria broke off her sentence because she knew how her friend would react.

  “Until you what?”

  When Maria did not answer right away, her roommate went on, “Good Lord, Maria! Don’t tell me this has gone so far that he expects you to marry Tienne when he gets home!”

  “I’m sorry, Marla. I realize I should have told him now,” Maria paused for a moment, and then went on, “There’s another complication.”

  “If you say anything else to upset me, I’m going hang up this phone and never come back from Rio!”

  “It’s not something that would be bad for you. It’s just that I’ve . . . fallen in love with him.”

  “With Tienne’s brother? Why would he even look at you? Don’t tell me he’s in love with you, too?”

  “I don’t know. He’s been very nice to me, taking me out and showing me the sights and everything, but he hasn’t actually told me that he loves me.”

  “And, believe me, he doesn’t. Right now, he just sees you as Tienne’s plaything, and while the cat’s away, the mice will play. He must think you’re some kind of slut anyway if you’ve been playing house with him while his brother’s away. What a family!”

  “It wasn’t like that,” Maria quickly assured her friend, feeling close to tears. “You know I wouldn’t do anything to ruin either of our reputations.”

  “Always the goody-goody,” the model sarcastically replied. “My advice to you, girlfriend, is to catch the next plane back to Illinois. When I left, I thought you would be home in a couple days. Our bills must be piling up in the mailbox, and someone has to pay them.”

  “But, I love this man, Marla! I can’t just walk out on him.”

  “You won’t have to walk when he finds out about your little game. He’ll kick your lying butt right out the door.”

  Finally, the tears ran silently down Maria’s cheeks.

  “I guess he has a right to do that,” she said in a weak voice, “but I still have to explain everything to him, just in case he’s willing to forgive me.”

  “You can write him a letter. I’m sure you don’t want to hear him screaming in your face. You get out of there right now and go home before I really get mad at you for what you’ve done! There’s a pile of wash in the bathroom and on my bed. I’ll need to have that cleaned before I get home on Wednesday. Oh, by the way, I tore out the hem of my yellow dress. You’ll have to sew that up for me.”

  “But, what should I do about the situation here?”

  “Nothing. You’ve done too much already. It will serve Tienne DuPont right when I leave him waiting at the altar.”

  “I have to talk to his brother. That’s the least I can do to make this right.”

  “Get real, Maria. He only wants you for your body. I need you back in Illinois: You’re my best friend!”

  The model’s tone was wheedling. Before Maria could think of a reply, the line crackled and went dead.

  “Marla? Marla?” she spoke into the receiver, but there was no answer.

  Maria hung up and waited in the study for her friend to call her back. She wasn’t really surprised when no call came. Maria didn’t even get the chance to ask for Marla’s number in Brazil. Now, there would be no opportunity to convince her to explain everything to Steve.

  If she did not go home right away, there was a strong possibility that her roommate would never forgive her for disobeying her orders. If she did leave, there would be no possibility of seeing Steve again. She had no doubt that he would not forgive her. Maria had to make a difficult choice. There was a chance that she could lose the man she loved and her girlfriend.

  For a while, she sat there in the study and cried over the desk. Marla’s words about Steve had stung her deeply, especially the thought that he must consider her to be a slut. It was true that she had allowed him to hold and kiss her while he believed her to be his brother’s fiancée. What kind of woman would do that?

  In spite of everything her roommate had said, Maria knew that she could not walk out on Steve without a word. This was not just because he kept her guarded there or because she had given him her word that she would not run away. Maria’s reason for staying, at least for now, was that she was not the kind of person to run away from her problems any more.

  She had to see Steve face-to-face when she told him the truth. Then, she would have to accept whatever happened. This was not a situation you could leave at loose ends. Everything had to be firmly established so she would know exactly where she stood. That resolution had been easy for her to make. She wondered if it would be as easy to keep.

  With a feeling of great weariness, Maria got up and left the study. Even her plan to confess everything to Steve’s parents when they got back was gone. The man would hear the truth from no one except herself. She owed him that.

  All of the excitement about the ball was over. Maria’s desire to share her enthusiasm with the dress designer had faded away along with the last wisps of the dream. Thee earlier comparison to Cinderella was going to turn out to be all too true. When tomorrow came, she would be sitting back in the ashes, Maria mused.

  All of the tension had given her a headache. She laid down on her bed with a damp cloth over her eyes until it was time for lunch. Even then, she still felt listless and had no appetite.

  All afternoon, she expected to hear from Steve’s parents since they were due to arrive home that day. Worse yet, Tienne DuPont could walk in the door at any moment. This was going to be a disaster.

  The headache continued to linger slightly in spite of Maria’s ministrations. She applied a light coat of makeup to disguise the ravages the day had left on her face. It would not be wise to let Steve see her discomfort, she thought. That would lead to too many questions that she did not feel prepared to answer just yet.

  A few minutes before three, there was a light knock at her door. After Mara called out for whoever was there to come in, Steve opened the door and stepped inside.

  “Where’s that big smile you had for me this mornin’?” he asked cheerfully.

  Maria tried t
o smile brightly, but most of her ardor was gone. Steve walked to the chair in which she was sitting and squatted in front of her.

  “How was your day?” Maria asked to make conversation.

  “Too long to be away from you,” the man replied, as he took hands in his. “Are you ready to dance the night away with me?”

  Maria only nodded.

  “What’s the matter, butterfly?”

  “I suppose I’m just a little nervous.”

  “There’s no need for that. I’ll be by your side to guard you with my life all evenin’.”

  “Steve,” Maria said in a gentle voice. “I’m not worthy of that kind of sacrifice.”

  “Are we fishin’ for compliments, my dear?”

  “No, it’s just that I’ve been thinking about a lot of things.”

  “Don’t think; just act. Be impetuous! Isn’t that your philosophy?”

  “I can’t always be impetuous.”

  “What’s put you in such a thoughtful mood?”

  He gently rubbed the palms of her hands with his thumbs.

  “Are your parents home yet?”

  “If that’s what has been botherin’ you, you can relax. They’re home. I spoke to them a little while ago. While they can’t wait to meet you, my mother is sufferin’ from a bit of jet lag. I suggested that they should put off the momentous occasion until tomorrow and get some rest. I told them that you wouldn’t mind. You don’t; do you?”

  “I don’t want to insult you, Steve, but I’m really glad they’re going to wait.”

  “Ah, I can see right through your motive,” the man replied with a wicked grin. “You’re as eager to be alone with me as I am to have you all to myself. Now, get up and put on your gown. It’s almost time for us to leave.”

  Saying this, Steve arose and pulled Maria to her feet. He held onto her hands to place them behind his waist, forcing her into a hug. Maria stared up into his deep blue eyes, and she felt like crying when she realized how little time they had left together. He looked back at her curiously, as he wove his arms around her.

  “What’s this?” he asked with a frown. “We’ll have no sadness to spoil our evenin’ tonight, my girl, and that’s an order!”

  Maria smiled though the pain in her heart grew deeper. She rested her head on Steve’s chest and clung to him.