by Emery, Lynn
Lyrissa dropped the brochure. “A reporter? She mentioned a reporter?”
“Aside from having Georgina St. Denis angry with me, this could be a very good thing, Lyrissa. Nothing like a touch of notoriety to make a collection valuable. Not to
mention people will flock to my gallery.” Mr. Taylor wore a calculating smile.
“What exactly did she say? Mr. Taylor!” Lyrissa raised her voice to get his attention.
“Hmm, oh just that this reporter called from the New Orleans Chronicle to get her comments on this story.” Mr. Taylor stood straight and crossed his arms. “This is too good to be true.” He beamed at Lyrissa.
“Dionne,” Lyrissa groaned. “Damn!”
“Dionne Jackson? That’s one tough investigative re-porter. She loves to burn folks.” Mr. Taylor waved his hands excitedly. “Could it get any better?”
“I’m going to nm out and get a copy of that damn pa-per.” Lyrissa sprang from her chair.
“Excellent idea.” Mr. Taylor pulled out his wallet. He removed several bills and shoved them at her. “Here, get as many copies as you can. I’ll keep them here in the gallery for customers to see!”
Lyrissa grabbed the money without looking at it. She headed for the door. “I’ve got to see what’s in the article,” she said, more to herself than to Mr. Taylor.
“By the way, what about this brochure?” He picked it up. “Typos. It has to be done over. Call the printer. Chew him out,” Lyrissa called over her shoulder as she raced across the lobby.
“No problem.” Mr. Taylor did not lose his smile. “I’ll deal with him. I’m sure he’ll put his staff to work and get it done in time.”
She barely heard him as she pushed out the door and onto the sidewalk. She strode quickly to the comer convenience store. A blue metal newspaper dispenser sat out-side. The Chronicle took pride in “printing hard-hitting stories” as they called them. They specialized in going after prominent people. She got change from the cashier and fed the machine. As she reached in for a stack, the bold headline made her stomach lurch.
“Famous Collection Stained By Scandal,” she read aloud. “Damn! I’ve got to call Noel fast.”
Lyrissa whirled around and headed for the gallery. On the way back she’d stop, read a few sentences, curse, and start walking again. People gave her a wide berth, no doubt convinced she’d gone insane. She didn’t notice. The only thing she could think of was Noel’s reaction to the story.
Lyrissa got back to the gallery.
“Give me, give me!” Mr. Taylor bubbled. “Louis from Chartres Art Emporium just called. He’s s-o-o-o jealous. Says they mentioned us three times.”
Lyrissa literally tossed him all of the copies except one. She went into her office and paced in a circle as she read the rest of the article. Kevin stuck his head in.
“Lyrissa, Tameka has a call for you. But I’ll have her take a message if you’re busy.”
Lyrissa heard his voice, but couldn’t stop reading. “The St. Denis family collection was seemingly acquired with the same single-minded ruthlessness as they’ve shown in business for decades.”
“Tameka is going on her break again. She’s part-time and takes more breaks than I do,” Kevin complained. “Anyway, you’re busy. I’ll just take the message from Mr. St. Denis.”
“No, don’t do that!” she yelled, causing him to jump back. “Sorry, I’ll take the call.”
“Okay.”
Kevin gazed at her with a curious expression as he backed out of her office. Moments later her phone rang. Lyrissa took a deep breath and let it out to steady her nerves. No good. She picked up the receiver with dread.
“Noel, I can explain,” she began.
“Good. Come to my office.”
“Now?” Lyrissa’s voice wavered.
“I’ll expect to see you in fifteen minutes, Lyrissa.” He hung up the phone.
Lyrissa groaned and hung up. She grabbed her purse as she headed back out. Mr. Taylor emerged from his office waving the newspaper.
“Listen, about the show next month—”
“Later. I’ve got to go.” Lyrissa didn’t break her stride.
“Lyrissa, you can’t leave now. We’ve got to talk about—”
“I can’t right now, Mr. Taylor,” Lyrissa shouted.
Traffic was still heavy. Lyrissa’s mind raced as she tried to think of what she would say. Unlike her morning commute, the trip seemed too short. She needed more time. Yet there could never be enough hours in the day to help her prepare to face Noel. Eddie was at her desk when Lyrissa arrived outside Noel’s office.
“Hi. He said you should go right in.” Eddie’s expression was grave. “Uh, Julie’s already in there, and so is Carlton,” she added.
“How bad is it?” Lyrissa fingered her copy of the Chronicle.
“I’ve never seen him this upset, and Carlton has a talent for getting on his nerves.”
“Notify my next of kin,” Lyrissa mumbled. She squared her shoulders and opened the door.
Julie, Carlton, and Noel stood holding copies of the newspaper. Conversation stopped when they saw her. Julie wore a smirk. Noel gazed at her with a severe expression like chiseled stone.
“Let’s sit down,” Noel said and waved a hand at the seating area. The others followed him. They’d barely settled when he spoke again. “My grandmother is upset, and rightly so, Lyrissa.”
“Upset is an understatement,” Carlton put in. “She’s in a rage. You know how she feels about the family name. She certainly doesn’t like family business talked about publicly.”
Three sets of eyes stared at her. “The stories all came from historical record,” Lyrissa said carefully.
“The reporter seems to have been reading family documents from our archives,” Carlton shot back.
“Or talking to someone who had,” Julie added. “The documents you had access to for weeks.”
“The Louisiana State Museum has documents, too. The reporter could have gotten information from there,” Noel said quietly.
“How would she know what to look for, or even where to look? No, Noel, obviously this information was fed to her.” Julie looked at Lyrissa again.
“Lyrissa has done publicity for the art show. She talked to reporters and art reviewers about the family history.” Noel rubbed his jaw.
“Then she’s done her job too damn well,” Carlton snapped.
Julie’s eyes narrowed. “This was part of your scheme, wasn’t it, Ms. Rideau?” She looked like a large cat about to pounce on a bird.
“That’s enough, Julie,” Noel said.
“She saw you coming. All she did was wiggle her butt and your common sense flew out the window. She used you.”
“You’re going too far, Julie.” Noel’s eyes flashed a warning at her.
“Am I?” Julie stared at Lyrissa.
Noel glanced at the two women. His dark brows came together. “Lyrissa, what is she talking about?”
“No, I want the pleasure of telling you,” Julie cut in before Lyrissa could speak. “She had a secret agenda. ‘Sun-day Stroll on the Faubourg Trem飒 is an extremely valuable painting that was done by her ancestor. Her family had claimed for years that a St. Denis stole it. They’ve been plotting to get it back. Seducing you was part of the plan.” She smiled with satisfaction.
“I’m afraid she played you, Noel,” Carlton said in a dry tone.
Noel sat silent for several minutes. “I want to talk to Lyrissa alone,” he said in a low voice.
“The board will want answers. We need to address this vicious attack on our reputation.” Carlton held up the newspaper to emphasize his point.
“Later, Carlton,” Noel replied without looking at him.
Lyrissa tried to gaze back at Noel, but the hurt in his eyes was too much to bear. She glanced away. No one spoke for several seconds more. Carlton huffed at being dismissed. Yet he merely glared at Noel.
“I’ll check back with you later, Noel,” Julie said smugly. “Come on
, Carlton.” He followed her out after frowning at Lyrissa once more.
Noel continued to stare at her. “Are they right? Did you use me?”
“Of course not. I didn’t use sex to pry information out of you.” Lyrissa went to the window and stared down at the street. “I already knew enough by the time we ...”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I couldn’t be sure how you’d react at first. I needed to check family records.”
“I see. So you did use me.” Noel’s jaw muscles stretched tight.
“Noel, I—”
“You came here and searched for evidence. You stalled for more time until you found what you needed,” he said in a cold, harsh voice.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Come on! You strung me along so you could stay longer.” Noel stood and walked to her.
“The painting really does belong to my family. You even admitted that your ancestors were unscrupulous.” “Now I get it. We had long talks about my family history. No wonder you were so interested. I was stupid enough to think you enjoyed being with me.” Noel looked into her eyes.
“That’s not true and you know it.”
“Do I?” Noel gave a short, bitter laugh. “I don’t know much at all. I sure didn’t have sense enough to see through you.”
“It’s just one painting. Your family has an entire collection of valuable art and a major business.” Lyrissa shook her head. “You didn’t even know what you had.”
“Which makes what you did okay, I guess. We’re rich, so anything goes.”
“To you that painting is just another asset, a dollar figure to add to your balance sheet. My grandmother sees that painting as the last hope she has to save our family’s legacy. ‘Sunday Stroll’ is just about all we have left.” Lyrissa put a hand on his arm. “She’s seen too much slip from her hands”
“In other words, the painting represents a chance to re-store your family status. And you accuse us of being snobs.” Noel shook her hand from his arm and walked to his desk.
Lyrissa sighed. “Mama Grace feels it’s her responsibility to hold onto our heritage. She’s a proud woman. I’m sure you understand.”
Noel shook the newspaper. “According to this story, my grandfather, his father, and his father were thieves. I feel a responsibility to them.”
“But they knew the truth, Noel. They knew the circumstances of how that painting was acquired,” Lyrissa said forcefully.
“Your truth, Lyrissa. There are two sides to every story, or history, in this case.” He threw the newspaper onto his desk.
“I was going to tell you, Noel. This article caught me by surprise, too. I know how it looks, but I’m not lying to you.” Lyrissa tried to get close to him. His rigid stance stopped her.
Noel’s eyes narrowed. “You realized you didn’t have to settle for one painting. You would romance me and win the whole prize. Hell, why stop there? Go for stock options, a house, and my trust fund. Louisiana is a community property state.”
Lyrissa flinched at the way he looked at her. “You don’t believe what you’re saying.”
“I’ve been in this game before, baby. At least those debutantes were honest. I knew what they wanted. But you...” Noel clenched a fist.
“I didn’t plan what happened between us. You wanted to be with me, too, Noel.” Lyrissa wanted to remind him of the tenderness they’d shared. Instead, her words only hardened his expression.
“So it was my fault. Okay, I’ll give you that one. I let your charm blind me.” Noel wore a brutal smile. “But I’m seeing you pretty clearly today.”
“The painting is ours. But—”
“Our attorneys will deal with your claim,” he broke in. “Fine. Let’s talk about us,” Lyrissa said softly.
“For some reason I’m not feeling particularly roman-tic.” Noel punched a button on his phone. “Eddie, get my lawyer on the phone. Have the archives brought to my office. I’ll need to review that stack of contracts we talked about. I can’t let our business grind to a halt.”
Noel issued a string of instructions as he sorted through papers on his desk. He seemed determined to block out Lyrissa’s existence. He succeeded. She felt invisible. A cold hollowness gripped her. She fully realized in one awful moment the precious thing she’d lost. Despite his heated words there had been no mistaking the anguish reflected in his eyes. Lyrissa ached to explain but couldn’t. No words could go far enough to help him understand her betrayal of his trust. His anger masked the pain and he would use work to numb it. All she had left was the pain.
Lyrissa picked up her purse from the table where she’d left it and walked out his door.
Chapter 22
After a week with no word from Noel, Lyrissa couldn’t stand it anymore. The two families fought each other with dueling press releases and news articles. Mrs. St. Denis had enlisted the aid of another prominent local magazine edited by a longtime friend. The result was a series of articles in praise of the St. Denis family and a companion piece on the life of Jules Joubert. The stories revealed that Jules had a less than sterling reputation himself. Mama Grace was livid. She demanded that Ebony issue ultimatums that barely stopped short of threatening physical violence. Lyrissa spent fifty percent of her emotional energy trying to reason with the fiery matron. The other half was tied up with thinking of Noel. He finally called, but she took no comfort from the tone of his voice. She called Mr. Taylor to let him know she’d be in after meeting with Noel and headed for Tremé£ Corporation.
“Hi, Eddie. Let Noel know I’m here.” Lyrissa nodded toward the dosed door.
“Hi. You okay?” Eddie wore a sympathetic expression. Lyrissa became tearful at the genuine concern in Eddie’s voice. She hadn’t realized her emotions were so close to the surface. Lyrissa took a deep breath before answering. “Sure. I’m doing okay.”
“Good. He’s on a long distance conference call, but he should be through soon. I’ll bring you a cup of coffee.” Eddie started toward the kitchen.
“Don’t stop working because of me.” Lyrissa twisted the strap of her purse. She considered bolting while she still had the chance.
“Any excuse will do.” Eddie grinned at her. “I’ll be right back”
Lyrissa sat down on the sofa. She tapped a foot nervously and became lost in thought. Noel was angry, and she could understand why. Yet they needed to clear the air. Or maybe Lyrissa just needed her conscience soothed. His office door swung open and she steeled herself to face him. Instead Julie walked out.
“I’m surprised you have the nerve to come here.” Julie stared down at her. When Lyrissa didn’t reply, her mouth lifted in a scornful smile. “Your ‘assets’ won’t get you out of trouble this time, honey.”
Eddie came back carrying a tray that held a carafe and cups. “I poured a fresh pot. I’m sure the one in Noel’s office is empty by now, and—”
“You shouldn’t have bothered. They won’t be meeting long enough for Miss Thang to even sit down.” Julie crossed her arms.
“Ahem, I’ll tell him you’re here.” Eddie ignored Julie and went into Noel’s office.
“Great,” Lyrissa muttered, convinced she’d made a huge mistake in coming.
She braced herself for more condemnation. Noel came out of the office. Tall, and gorgeous as ever, he was dressed in tan slacks and a white shirt. She stared at the full lips that had left their mark on her body, the strong arms that had held her close. There was no denying how much she missed his touch.
He stood gazing at her for a few moments. Lyrissa felt exposed and guilty. Maybe he wanted to throw her out personally. His anger would be better than nothing at all. She’d use it as a starting point, at least Silence was a more deadly weapon.
“Hello, Lyrissa. Come on in.” His tone was mild, almost without inflection.
“I’m glad we can talk.” Lyrissa stood.
Julie snorted. “You’ve got to be kidding. After what you pulled? Don’t worry, Noel. I’ll show her the exit.”
“No more scenes, Julie,” Noel said tersely. “I asked her to come here.”
“You shouldn’t talk to her without your attorney, Noel! Don’t be her fool again,” Julie snapped.
“Goodbye, Julie.” He stared at her until she stomped off.
Lyrissa barely noticed her departure. She gazed at Noel. How she wanted to caress the smooth vanilla caramel skin. Even now she could not stop thinking about their night together. His cold gaze sent a shock through her. He nodded for her to walk ahead of him. Lyrissa lifted her chin and went into his office. Eddie was at his desk gathering papers. The young woman sent Lyrissa a silent message of support with her dark eyes then left. Once the door closed gently, Noel nodded to her again to take a seat.
“I haven’t heard from your attorney.” He sat across from her.
“She’ll send a letter soon.” Lyrissa fought hard not to shrink from his relentless gaze.
“Here, for services rendered.” Noel handed her an envelope.
Lyrissa opened it and found a check. “Let’s talk.”
“About what?”
“You know the answer to that question, Noel.”
He studied her for a while longer. “And you must know there’s nothing left to talk about. You got what you came for, Lyrissa.”
Lyrissa lost the staring battle and looked away. “Being with you wasn’t part of the plan.”
“Being with me,” he echoed. “Nice way of saying it.”
“I care about you so much. I really do,” she protested when his jaw tightened into a cynical expression. The scornful glint in his eyes stung her already bleeding heart. “God, I wanted our relationship to work. Inside I still do, but I’m realistic. There is such a gulf between us, Noel.”
“Right. So you don’t feel so bad lying to me, is that what you’re saying?” Noel’s voice sounded strained with controlled anger.
“No, I feel terrible about everything that has happened. Why else would I come?” Lyrissa felt tears pushing at her eyelids again. “I’m sorry about this whole crazy mess.”
“So am I, Lyrissa. But I’m not going to roll over.” Noel glanced away from her for the first time. His jaw muscles