Mardi Gras Masquerade

by L A Morgan

  “Maria, sweet, little butterfly, he crooned in a low voice. “Everything is going to be all right.”

  With a pained expression she asked, “What about your brother?”

  “He won’t be back until tomorrow morning. The weddin’ isn’t scheduled until two, so he’ll have plenty of time to get ready.”

  “Oh, Steve. I can’t . . .”

  “No, no, no. We will not talk about that right now. I intend to make you so happy that you won’t have time for any last minute jitters. You may consider the ball to be your bachelorette party, little bride-to-be.”

  He suddenly released her and held her at arms length, saying, “Now, get ready. I have some dressin’ up to do myself, and I can’t wait to see you in that gown.”

  Steve leaned down to give Maria a peck on the nose, and then left the room. She stood there, staring down at the floor and remembering the way he felt in her arms. A moment later, she was startled out of her reverie by a 1ight tap at the open doorway. It was the maid who had assisted her earlier.

  “Mr. DuPont asked me to help you dress, Miss,” she said with a smile.

  “I would appreciate that,” Maria replied am she led the woman to the bathroom.

  A bit more than half an hour later, she came out arrayed in the golden gown and its accessories. The maid threw open the closet door for her to view herself, but it was a different woman who stared into the mirror this time. That phone call from Marla had taken away the last remnants of her dream. All that was left were the unhappy prospects of reality.

  When Maria felt two hands on her shoulders, she looked up to see Steve’s reflection beside that of her own in the mirror. He was wearing a black tuxedo. The cape he had worn at their first meeting was now draped over his shoulders. At this point, the maid slipped quietly out of the room.

  Against her ear, the man whispered, “I thought you were a butterfly before, but I see that you have the unique capability of emerging from one cocoon after another. Turn around so I can see you face-to-face.”

  Maria smiled slightly and did as he asked. Steve stood back to view her more fully. There could be no mistaking the look of pleasure on his face.

  “Dear Maria, you’re more breathtakin’ than the first blush of spring.”

  “Thank you, Steve,” the woman replied, as she fulfilled his imagery by blushing.

  “I’m glad to see that the gown fits you so well, yet, there is still something missin’.”

  “My mask?”

  “It’s in the car already, but that was not what I had in mind. Come here.”

  When Maria stepped forward, the man smiled at her, and then walked around behind her. He reached into an inner pocket of his jacket to extract a long, narrow box.

  As she started to turn toward him, he said in teasing voice, “No peekin’ yet.”

  Maria could not keep a small grin from touching her lips as she wondered what he was going to do. Without a sound, Steve opened the box. He removed the glittering item and returned the box to his pocket.

  Maria let out a tiny gasp when he fastened the necklace about her neck.

  “All right,” he said, as he turned her back to face the mirror.

  Her eyes widened as she stared at the sparkling diamonds interwoven with bands of Italian gold in a serpentine design. She had never worn such a lovely and expensive piece of jewelry before.

  “It’s magnificent,” she breathed in an emotion-laden voice.

  “Not half as magnificent as its new owner,” Steve replied, looking over her shoulder.

  “Oh, Steve, I can’t accept this.”

  “But, you shall anyway. It’s my weddin’ gift to you.”

  “It must have cost you a fortune.”

  “Not a penny. That necklace was given to my great-grandmother by my great-grandfather on the night before their wedding. I never got to meet her, but somehow, I know she would be happy if she could see you wearin’ it now.”

  “This isn’t right,” Maria replied, shaking her head.

  “Don’t you like it?”

  “I love it. It’s only that . . .”

  Steve placed his fingertips over Maria’s lips to silence her.

  “You can take it off after the ball and never wear it again if you like,” he said, “but for tonight, you’ll wear the necklace to please me. Understand?”

  “Understood,” Maria was forced to concede.

  It hurt her to think of the charade, but if destiny compelled her to continue, she would have this one last night of fantasy. Since it would be her final evening of happiness, she decided to enjoy it as fully as she could.

  The two people walked lightly down the stairs and on out to the waiting limousine. The fragrant night air was full of magic as they were carried away to the ball.

  The noisy gaiety of the French Quarter was neglected to move on to the more modern part of the city. The dazzling heights of the skyscrapers stood boldly forth against the sky. Maria looked out at the cosmopolitan clamor of traffic and felt that she had been transported into another world.

  When the limousine pulled over to the curb in front of a grand hotel, she asked, “Aren’t we early?”

  “At this time of year, the party goes on endlessly,” Steve replied as he escorted her out of the car.

  A doorman smiled at them as they walked into the enormous lobby. An imposing, crystal chandelier dominated the upper part of the room. People passed them with hushed murmurs of conversation.

  “You can put on your mask now, “Steve suggested.

  As he placed his mask over his eyes, Maria lifted the golden stick to which her own mask was attached. It was made up of the same material as her gown and glistened with sparkles. There were no elastic bands to hold it in place, only the wand-like stick.

  Steve led her on until they reached the open door of the ballroom. There, he presented their tickets to a man at the door. Then the couple, entered a scene of enchantment.

  The ceiling was festooned with garlands of flowers and sparkling nets filled with colorful balloons. These did not block the view of the room’s crystal chandeliers. As couples glided across the enormous dance floor, a full orchestra filled the room with the strains of a romantic melody. The tables were appointed with sparkling crystal dinnerware. Everyone was in costume, each, more spectacular than the next. Maria felt as thought she had entered the palace of the Sun King of France.

  “I’ve never seen anything so wonderful,” she whispered to Steve.

  “Wait until you see the buffet,” he replied.

  With a wave of his hand, he indicated the banquet tables on the side of the room, heaped with delicacies from around the world. It was a feast worthy of an emperor.

  Before Maria could comment, Steve directed her to an unoccupied table. The linen and crystal were impeccable. As he held her chair for her and she sat down, Maria felt almost breathless with delight. A waiter immediately served them champagne.

  Steve raised his glass and said, “May the joy of this night live in your heart forever.”

  Maria clinked her glass against his with a radiant smile. She knew that his toast would be true no matter what happened.

  She had barely taken a sip of the bubbling wine when the man said, “Let’s dance. I’ve waited all day for this.”

  Maria gladly put down her glass to accompany him to the dance floor. With a strong arm at her waist, Steve swept her away among the others in a waltz. For the first time, Maria was glad she had taken those ballroom dancing lessons her mother had insisted upon. She glided along in Steve’s arms, and his prophecy had been true. Nothing else mattered to her in the ecstasy of the moment.

  The hours flew by on golden wings. They danced most of the time, but they also enjoyed the incredible buffet and never-ending music. Time seemed to stand still as the dream gathered Maria tighter and tighter into its gossamer folds.

  Steve was the perfect escort as he tenderly saw to Maria’s every comfort. She had never before felt so protected and pampered. They had long s
ince discarded their masks so they could look directly into each other’s eyes.

  When the clock struck midnight, all of the balloons were released from their sparkling nets on the ceiling. Maria grabbed at one with a merry laugh as Steve pushed it in her direction. Her face fell as it popped when it came into contact with her engagement ring. Before she had time to despair, the man presented her with another, a gold one that matched her gown.

  Some time later, in spite of the gaiety, Maria was unable to stifle a yawn. She was not accustomed to keeping late hours.

  “Would you like to go?” Steve quickly asked.

  “Not yet. It’s all so . . .”

  Maria could not hold back another yawn that prevented her from finishing the sentence.

  “A little night air might wake you up,” suggested her escort.

  “Perhaps it would,” Maria was forced to agree.

  Steve stood up and led her out to the lobby. Their chauffeur was waiting there for them. Steve instructed him to follow them in the limousine, and they left the hotel.

  “It’s not that far to the levee,” he told Maria. “If you get too tired to walk on, let me know.”

  “I’ll never get that tired, Steve,” the woman replied with a smile. “I want this night to go on forever.”

  Steve smiled back and drew her hand around his arm. They walked off along the brightly lit street, as though it was the middle or the day. Mardi Gras certainly seemed to attract ardent partygoers. All of the costumes and excitement enthralled Maria’s imagination. It was so different from anything she had ever known.

  The brisk night air awakened her, but her happiness made her feel warm. After several blocks of leisurely walking, they came to the spot where the road ended near the river. Steve gave some directions to the chauffeur, and he drove off to the left.

  He told Maria “We’ll go out to the Riverwalk, and head back toward Jackson Square. Is that all right with you?”

  “Anything you say,” Maria murmured back.

  The moon had already set, but the bright lights along the path and dimmer lights of the stars reflected in undulating ripples on the water of the Mississippi. When Maria moved closer to Steve, she was disturbed when he pulled away.

  “I don’t want you to get a chill,” he said as he took off his jacket to wrap it around her shoulders.

  “I don’t want you to be cold,” she replied, looking seriously concerned.

  “That couldn’t happen while I have you here beside me,” he smilingly responded.

  They moved dreamily along until Steve suggested that they should sit down on an unoccupied bench. Much to Maria’s amazement, it was the same bench they had sat on that first night she had come to New Orleans. Their bench. She could not believe that they had walked so far.

  Once they were settled, Steve put his arm around her. She nestled closely against him.

  “It seems like a long time has passed since we first sat here,” she commented.

  “Then, you remember.”

  “I remember everything.”

  “In your life?”

  Maria let out a low laugh. “Since I met you,” she explained.

  “Shall we talk about that?”

  “Not now.”

  “Why not?” Steve asked.

  “Everything is too special now. I don’t want to spoil it.”

  “Are you suggestin’ that your memories of the time we shared would spoil your evening?”

  “Don’t be silly. I was thinking about other things.”

  “Things you don’t want to discuss.”

  “Basically. I might be a romantic fool, but I want this dream to go on forever.”

  “Eventually, dreams have to give way to reality, Maria.”

  “I know that, but not tonight.”

  “Time is growing short.”

  Maria lifted her head to look at Steve, and then said, “That’s why I don’t want to talk about anything painful now.”

  After a moment, Steve replied, “All right.”

  Maria leaned her head back onto his shoulder, and they stayed there, speaking of less important subjects until the dawn began to break over the Mississippi. When they finally went back to the car, Steve had to awaken the chauffeur. Minutes after Maria climbed into the back seat and resumed her position beneath Steve’s arm, she fell asleep.

  CHAPTER 12

  The aroma of food slowly slipped into Maria’s consciousness. She rolled on to her back and opened her eyes. A breakfast tray had been set beside her on the bed.

  “Good mornin’,” said Steve, sitting there next to the tray.

  In a sleepy voice, Maria replied, “I don’t remember going to bed.”

  “You fell asleep in the car. I didn’t want to wake you, so I carried you upstairs.”

  The girl quickly peaked under the covers. She was wearing her nightgown.

  She immediately exclaimed, “Don’t tell you---”

  “No, I didn’t undress you,” Steve interrupted. “You woke up just enough to tell you’d take care of that yourself.”

  “I don’t remember that.”

  “You were exhausted, Maria. In fact, I’m surprised you’re not still wearing your gown.”

  “I must have sleep-dressed.”

  They both laughed lightly

  The man looked at her tenderly and said, “I would have let you sleep all afternoon if this wasn’t such a special day.”

  The memory of what made that day so special made Maria sit up in bed.

  “Is Tienne here?” she asked with a worried frown.

  “Yes, he is. It’s nice to see that you’re so eager to see your groom.”

  Unable to think of anything else, Maria pushed aside the covers on the opposite side of the bed from Steve and stood up. She hastily put on her robe to turn and face his approving stare. Unfortunately, there was no time for banter.”

  “Is he coming up here?” she asked as she tied her belt.

  “Isn’t it supposed to be unlucky for the groom to see the bride before the weddin’?”

  “But, I haven’t seen him at all!”

  “There’s no need to get so upset, Maria. You’ll see him soon enough. Now, eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”

  When Steve stood up and acted as though he was going to leave the room, Maria ran over to grab his arm.

  “You can’t go yet!” she stated in anxiety. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

  “I’d like to stay and chat, but I have to see my parents. I haven’t gotten to tell them the plans, and they want to hear all about them before the guests arrive.”

  “They’re having guests?”

  “The weddin’ guests, my girl. Did you think we wouldn’t invite anyone to share in the celebration?”

  “It slipped my mind,” Maria replied, feeling foolish.

  “That all right. You wanted Tienne to take care of everything, and he did. After our late night, I didn’t think you’d want to entertain the guests here, so my parents are playin’ host and hostess at their townhouse.”

  “What about Tienne?”

  “He’ll be there, too. Don’t worry about anything, Maria. You’ll have the whole house to yourself, except for the staff. I’ll be back to pick you up for the ceremony.”

  “This has gone far enough!” Maria almost shouted. “I can’t marry your brother!”

  “And why not?” asked the man, and his eyes glittered dangerously.

  “Because he never asked---”

  “Oh,” Steve once again interrupted, “All of a sudden, his proposal wasn’t good enough for you? Or are you still annoyed that he couldn’t get back here to entertain you before this?”

  “That’s not it at all! I don’t even know the man!”

  “Most couples don’t really know each other until after they get married. It’s natural.”

  Maria heaved out a long sigh of frustration. She wished that she had taken the time to plan what she would say when this time finally arrived. Steve’s face grew
sterner as he waited for her to speak.

  “You don’t understand!” Maria cried. “I’m not who you think I am.”

  Steve pulled his arm out of her grasp to face her fully. There was no compromise in his expression.

  “You’re certainly not what I expected you to be,” he commented, “and it’s been obvious all along that you’ve had second thoughts about this marriage. I told you then and I’ll tell you again now, you’re going through with this marriage. Everything has been arranged. You’re not goin’ to back out now!”

  “You’re twisting all of my words! Just listen to me, Steve!” Maria firmly demanded, even though she found it difficult to meet the menace in the man’s eyes. “I am not Maria Fontaine.”

  Steve scowled and crossed his arms.

  In a patronizing voice, he said, “And who would you have me believe you are?”

  “Her roommate. She sent me here in her place to break her engagement to Tienne.”

  “So, you’re tellin’ me that your name is not Maria,” Steve stated disbelievingly.

  “That part was true. We’re both named Maria.”

  “Two Marias, roomin’ together. I suppose that your last name is also Fontaine. Come on, Maria. This is the flimsiest story you could possibly make up.”

  “But it’s true!” Maria wailed.

  “I’ve heard enough of this nonsense!” Steve thundered. “Tienne DuPont is waiting to marry his fiancée, Maria, and you’re here, and by God, you’re goin’ to marry him!”

  He grabbed the woman’s shoulders roughly and shook her, saying, “I told you that you weren’t goin’ to get out of this! It’s too late to make up excuses! Now, are you going to get into that weddin’ gown by yourself or do I have to force you into it?”

  Maria cringed beneath the punishing grasp of his fingers. He was too strong for her to fight, either physically or psychologically. All of her arguments gave way before the threatening expression on Steve’s face. Her failure to finally convince him of the truth was the final straw that destroyed all of her remaining confidence.

  Looking at the floor, she whispered, “I’ll do it myself.”

  “Don’t try to run away again because I’ve informed the staff that you are not to leave the house without me under any circumstances. They’ll be watchin’!”