Scott: Triplets (Members From Money Book 13)

by Katie Dowe

  Margaretta too had felt that tangible thread of attraction when she saw Mathew, but quickly pushed it aside. She was no fool, a slave did not fall in love with her master and this man was her master. She had no idea that Mathew was not the normal slave holder of the time.

  Mathew was opposed to slavery, he had grown up with the practice, giving it little thought. However, over the last few years his father had been introducing him to the management of the plantation, including the slaves. He discovered that he found the practice of slavery distasteful.

  Like most plantations, the white children played with the slave children until the slaves took their places in the fields or house. Mathew found that many of the children he had played with as a young child had been working the fields for years. He hadn’t really noticed their move to the fields because at that same time he had gone to boarding school.

  Now they were beat down, tired, and over worked. Many of the girls were already mothers once or twice over. He was shocked at the way they lived and even more shocked to learn that his father treated his slaves better than most. With the typical passion of youth, he had promised right then and there to free all the slaves when he became master of the plantation.

  Mathew managed to spend a great deal of time with his sister, who loved him and was willing to overlook his odd beliefs about the slaves. Thus it was not uncommon to find the three of them locked up in his sister’s sitting room, reading books and discussing current events. It was unheard of to include a slave in these discussions but Margaretta offered a unique point of view and Mathew was always willing to listen to what she had to say.

  His sister was either unwilling or unexperienced enough to recognize the budding relationship between her ladies’ maid and her brother so it was easy for them to spend time together without anyone being the wiser. Eventually, the relationship progressed to the point that Margaretta and Mathew began sneaking off together.

  When the inevitable happened and they got caught, Mathew was horrified to realize that his father was not even upset, and in fact was proud of his son’s prowess. Mathew declared his love for Margaretta, his father only laughed and told him to keep it out of the main house. He even offered to build a small house for Margaretta so when he married they would have a place to meet.

  Mathew had been so wrapped up in his new found love that he hadn’t given any thought to the future. They would never be able to be together in America, not even in the North. They must go somewhere that was more open and accepting of their union.

  He finally found the perfect solution when he attended a secret meeting of abolitionists in the city during one of his visits. It was said that in Europe the stigma of mixed race marriages was nothing like in America, and if you were wealthy, these marriages were even embraced.

  From that day forward it became Mathew’s goal to take Margaretta and move to Paris where they could be openly married and live together and raise a family. He found it fitting that his family had come from Paris via the Caribbean several generations ago.

  Sadly, his opportunity would only come a few years later when his father passed away. Becoming the heir to the plantation gave him the money he needed to make the move but he would miss his father. Finding a buyer for the plantation had proven easy, his older sister’s husband was willing to pay a fair price for the property, more than enough for a fresh start in France.

  He took what he wanted from the house, packed it up along with a few slaves, including Margaretta and sailed for France, he never looked back. When they reached France, the slaves he had brought became free and some of his best employees. Margaretta too became free once they reached France. They were married in a simple ceremony in the first church they could find and the rest was history.

  Remy’s father finished the story with a two handed gesture intended to encompass the house, grounds, and family. Kendra was speechless, the reason there were so many dark faces in the crowd was due to the mixed race marriage that had founded this entire empire. It was no wonder that Barbra had been so accepting of her, the bones of this family were based on open-mindedness and tolerance.

  “I know that gesture anywhere, he’s telling the story of his ancestor who founded all this, isn’t he?” Barbra asked, approaching the table with a plate of sweets in each hand.

  “Mother have you eaten anything yet?” Remy asked.

  “Yes dear, I ate with Auntie Fran and Uncle George. But I thought I might join you all for dessert.” She said taking a seat next to her husband.

  They spent the next hour, talking about nothing of great importance, just enjoying each other’s company. As night fell, Remy and his father left to go fill in the barbeque pit, leaving Kendra alone with Remy’s mother once again.

  “Thank you for inviting me. I had a wonderful time, it’s nice to spend time with family. I miss mine a lot.” Kendra said.

  “I honestly didn’t know what to expect when Remy said he was bringing you today. He’s been different since he got back, and I can see his taste in women has improved dramatically.” Barbra said, giving Kendra a broad smile.

  “Thank you.”

  “Will you be able to go back and see your family soon?” Barbra asked.

  “Well, I work a lot but my mother and brother might be able to make a visit this winter. My brother is still in college, since he’s had to work to help pay for it, but he’s got a break for the holidays, so they are going to try to come then.” Kendra explained.

  “We would love to have them stay with us when they are here. This huge house has so many rooms and they are always empty. The cost of running the place used to make sense when we had guests all the time but more and more it’s just Remy’s father and myself rattling around the place. It would be nice to put all that space to good use.” Barbra said, looking a little sad.

  “Oh, that so generous, I’m sure they would love it.” Kendra said, meaning the words.

  They sat in comfortable silence for a while, each lost in her own thoughts. Then Barbra asked Kendra if she had other dreams besides being a chef. Although it was a question, Kendra sensed that Barbra wasn’t really looking for an answer.

  “When I was young like you, my life was full, between my family and my career I was fulfilled. But now I find myself with too much time on my hands. There’s little housework to be done, as big as this place is we still have to pay staff to care for it. I love my job but I know my limits, my hands are tied in so many ways at the agency.” She said.

  Kendra could sense that Barbra was speaking of dreams and plans and just made encouraging noises to keep her talking.

  “There is so much space in that old house that we just can’t use. It’s expensive to heat all those rooms not to mention keeping them clean. Normally, we only keep one wing open, the rest just sits there closed up. The days when a single family can afford to keep a house this size are quickly fading, besides people want more modern conveniences than a house like this can provide.” Barbra explained.

  “I would be happy to help you any way I can. What about turning it into a bed and breakfast?” Kendra said.

  “Martin is still hoping we can find a way to hold on, but I know the time is coming that something will have to be done.” She said with a sigh. “I’m working on a way to use the property to help some of those kids I see each day, you know, the ones that just need a little help to succeed.”

  “I know only too well, how much difference a little help can make.” Kendra said, putting her hand over Barbra’s. “If I hadn’t won that cooking contest when I was a kid, there would never had been enough money for me to go to culinary school.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know about that, but you understand don’t you. Well, it’s just a dream of mine. The house is such a part of the family that it’s just not possible now, but I don’t know how we’re going to continue to pay for the upkeep, it’s getting really expensive.” She said, looking toward the house, which was ablaze with lights.

  “I can imagine.” Kendra said, thinking about
what must go into maintaining a house this size. All the breath left her lungs when she realized that if she married Remy this would eventually be her problem as well. She promised herself that she would learn as much as she could from Remy’s mother so that when the time came she could show this house the respect it deserved.

  As these thoughts were circling in her head she heard the first boom, signaling the beginning of the fireworks that had become the traditional end of the families’ week long celebration. As the first colors burst into the sky, casting colorful light across the lawn and grounds, Kendra wondered where Remy was.

  Just then he materialized out of the dark, approached her chair and took her by the hand. “If we hurry I know the best spot to watch the show. The first one is just a warning, we have a few minutes.”

  They ran through the woods, Kendra following blindly, up a slope and onto an outcropping of rocks. From their perch they could not only see the fireworks but the lights of Paris off in the distance. Remy spread a blanket out on the rock and Kendra snuggled into Remy’s arms, Kendra felt more content than she had in a long time.

  They watched the fireworks in silence, just enjoying being with one another. It had been a good day for both of them. Kendra was happy, she loved his family and many of her reservations about their relationship had started to fade. Remy was happy because he realized that he was in love with Kendra.

  It had happened quickly, but he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He thought that she might feel the same way but wasn’t sure. He was more than willing to give her more time to adjust to all that their being together meant. At some point in the future his life would change when he became head of the family and Kendra would have a major role in that life.

  When the fireworks were over, they both agreed that they should go back to the house but neither wanted to move. Remy had brought a thick blanket for them to sit on and the rock was still warm from the day’s heat. Laying back, Remy pulled Kendra with him, then propped himself up on one elbow.

  Stroking his finger gently over her lips, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Have you ever made love in the woods?”

  Slightly breathless with the thought of being naked out in the open with Remy, she said, “I’m afraid I’ve never been much for sex in the woods, there aren’t many woods in the city.”

  “Well, it’s never too late to learn to appreciate a new experience.” He said, reaching down and running his hand up her thigh to the waist band of her panties and giving them a gentle tug.

  Kendra started to protest but as his finger found her most sensitive spot, all thought left her head, as Remy created fireworks of his own.

  Chapter 6

  The next day at work, Kendra couldn’t concentrate, last night making love in the wilderness of Remy’s land, had changed everything for Kendra. Remy had been incredible, he seemed only to care about her pleasure. She blushed just thinking about the things he had done to her, the things she had let him do, even now she wanted him to do them again.

  She had been falling in love with him, but last night had pushed her over the edge. Meeting his family, had finally allowed her to put aside her fears about their differences and embrace what was good about them together. At some point during their lovemaking, Kendra had felt their connection deepen, felt their souls connect.

  All she could think about was getting off work and seeing Remy. They would have a late dinner on the balcony, then make love until the early morning hours. She felt like she was floating on a cloud of love and desire. Nothing mattered but Remy.

  Remy too, only wanted to spend time with Kendra. She was his first thought in the morning and the last thought at night. Every minute he spent away from her was pure agony. They were completely wrapped up in one another, oblivious to the world around them.

  The world allowed them to spin in their world of desire uninterrupted for weeks on end, but finally they couldn’t ignore it any longer. Remy’s dad had been pushing him to spend more time learning the business, he wanted to send him to one of their branch offices down the coast. Remy was reluctant to leave Kendra and convinced her to take time off of work to join him.

  She readily agreed, she hadn’t seen much of the county and thought she deserved a vacation. She didn’t have any paid vacation but Remy paid her bills, so she could go. They spent a wonderful week on the coast, eating wonderful food, drinking some of best wine she had ever had, and making love in the deluxe suite they had rented for the week.

  When they returned from their trip, Kendra found that she had lost the passion for cooking she used to feel. She started showing up late, leaving early, or just not coming in at all. She only wanted to spend time with Remy. As summer turned to fall, his father sent him on numerous business trips and Kendra just couldn’t stand to be left at home.

  She trusted Remy but she still didn’t want to be left behind. The truth was the only time she felt complete was when she was with him. He made her feel alive in a way that no other man had. She knew that it was just the first blush of love but even that knowledge couldn’t stop her from behaving like a school girl with her first crush.

  Remy was just as badly infatuated as she was. He had never truly given his heart to a women before. Bridget, he now realized, had only been a crush. His love for Kendra was beyond anything he had every felt. He wanted her with him always, perfectly happy to pay her bills when she missed work for him.

  They took frequent trips to ports where his family had offices, overseeing the preparations of their fleet of ships for the winter. While Remy worked, Kendra created delicious meals from whatever she could find in the local market. It was almost as if they were on a grand tour for their honey moon.

  *****

  As September turned to October, Kendra found herself growing tired of her leisurely lifestyle. It had been fun to live in the lap of luxury for a while, but she was getting bored. She was also aware that things at the restaurant were going badly. Her constant absences had been remarked upon several times the last time she had worked. The restaurant was suffering with her prolonged absences.

  Plus, Michelin ratings would be coming out after the New Year and her continued employment depended upon her keeping the rating. She was no fool, the restaurant was not what it had once been. While it was still difficult to get a table, the wait was no longer what it once was.

  Her feelings for Remy hadn’t changed, she was still deeply in love with him. Maybe more now than ever, but she also knew that the life they had been living was too empty for her. She needed to use her skills, her body was craving that high you get after completing a difficult dinner service.

  If she and Remy were going to spend their lives together, she had to find a balance between the Kendra she was with him and the Kendra she needed to be for herself. A phone call from her mother drove that point home as clearly as anything else could.

  Naturally, she had kept her mother informed of all her travels and experiences. She was anxious to meet Remy, the man who was making her daughter so happy. But being a mother, she had decided it was time to bring her daughter back down to Earth. During their next phone call she broached the subject.

  “So I’ve been hearing so much about Remy and his family, but nothing about the restaurant. How are things going there?” She asked.

  “Oh, things are fine.” Kendra said, not wanting to tell her mother the truth.

  “Well, it just seemed to me that you’ve been spending a lot of time away. I’ve never known you to leave your cooking for so long. You must really be in love.” Her mom said.

  “Oh, mom, he’s just the best, but you’re right. I need to get my focus back where it should be.” Kendra said, never able to hide anything from her mother.

  “Oh, young love, I still remember what that was like. When I met your father, I was in a fog for months. I almost lost my job because I couldn’t keep my mind on my work, so don’t worry it’s happened to all of us.” She said.

  “Well, that does make me feel
better. I’ve been so consumed with him that I haven’t been doing a good job at the restaurant. Too much time away has caused some problems, I’m going to have to deal with them soon or my ratings are going to go down.” Kendra said, with worry in her voice.

  After a motherly pep talk that left Kendra feeling much better. Kendra was able to put some perspective on her relationship with Remy and her professional life. Her mother had explained that this need to be with Remy constantly would pass, and some sense of normalcy would return.

  Kendra told her that she was in fact beginning to miss some of the parts of her life that didn’t include Remy. Her passion for cooking had been satisfied for a while with the sporadic shifts at the restaurant plus the experimentation she had been doing as they had toured the coast. But now she was itching to get back in the kitchen and use her new knowledge.

  “I know I’m going to have to tell Remy how I’m feeling but I don’t know how he’s going to react.” Kendra said.

  “Well, you know what I’m going to say. If he loves you he’ll understand that you need your career to be happy. It’s who you are. A chef with your passion is going to always have to be creating food for other people. Right or wrong, you crave that feeling you get when people love your food.” Her mom said.

  “I know and I’ll talk to him. I’ve just got to spend more time at the restaurant. Our last trip is scheduled for next week, then it’s back to full time at work for me. No more trips, days off, or coming in late.” Kendra said, trying to convince herself as much as her mother.

  It had become way too easy to let Remy take care of her. It was time to take care of herself again and the first step was getting back to the restaurant. She hung up from the call feeling both better and worse.