Wronged (The Cuvier Widows Book 1)

by Sylvia McDaniel

  Philip glanced away, unable to meet her gaze. “I’m not going to let them say those things.”

  She dabbed tenderly at his swollen eye with the wet towel. “Sometimes people do things that hurt their families. But that doesn’t mean that they love their children any less.”

  “Did you love Daddy?” he questioned, taking her completely by surprise.

  The query touched her. She gazed at her son, her heart overflowing with love. He was growing up and she wanted to protect him from the ugly truth about his father, but the world was not going to let her.

  “I loved your father very much at one time. I would never have married Jean, if I had not been in love with him,” she answered truthfully.

  “Did you love him when he died?” he asked.

  The question tore at her heart and she wanted to lie, but couldn’t.

  “I cared for your father, but somehow we lost our love for one another. But that does not mean that we didn’t love you and your sister. Your father loved you. And I love you and Renee, with all my heart.”

  Her son’s lower lip trembled.

  “The kids at school called papa a bigamist. They said that means he married other women. That he didn’t love you or me. They lied!” he declared vehemently.

  Marian brushed the hair away from her son’s face and smoothed his brow with the damp towel. “I wish I could protect you and your sister and keep the truth away from you, but I can’t. Your father did indeed marry two other women.”

  With his hands he thrust her away from him. “No!” he yelled. “You’re lying! My father would never do that.”

  Marian resisted the urge to take her son in her arms and rock him like she had when he was a small child. She wanted to comfort him, to take away the pain she knew he felt, but she could only be there for him.

  She pulled up a chair and sat down beside him. She tried to take his hand in her hand, but he pulled away.

  “Philip, you loved your father. Regardless of what anyone says about him, you love him and you miss him. He made mistakes in his life, but his love for you was always constant. Remember him for the man he was to you and the way he loved you. Don’t let anyone’s opinion tarnish your love for your father.”

  “Why did he have to leave us? He should have stayed,” he said trying not to cry, the tears hovering near the surface.

  “If he could have stayed here with you and me and Renee, he would have. He didn’t have a choice, Philip, so don’t blame him for leaving.” She sighed. “I know you are hurting right now, but try not to blame your father.”

  He glanced up at her, his tears momentarily gone. “Are you mad at me?”

  All mention of his father’s other wives vanished from his talk. For a moment, Marian thought of explaining more to the boy, but then decided to let it alone. If he had questions, she would answer them, but why not let him get used to some of the truth, rather than giving him more than he was ready for?

  She should reprove him for fighting, but her heart wasn’t in it So much had been thrust upon the boy all at once, not to mention the fact that he grieved for his father.

  “Fighting solves nothing. I won't punish you this time, but don’t do it again. If your friends start to taunt you about your father, just walk away. They really aren’t your friends.”

  A noise drew her attention and she glanced up from her son. There in the frame of the doorway stood Louis, watching her with Philip. His face held an odd expression, his eyes filled with sympathy. For a moment she wondered, how long he'd been standing there in the doorway? How much had he heard?

  ***

  Louis’s heart wrenched at the sight of Philip, dusty, beaten, with scraped knees and an eye that was rapidly swelling. He remembered those days of his own bygone youth, when he’d tangled with someone in the schoolyard.

  His own boy would have been about the same age as this boy by now. Quickly he pushed the thought from his mind. There was no sense in dwelling on the past, especially when it hurt.

  Marian was staring at him, her look questioning.

  “They told me Philip came in hurt and I wanted to make sure he was all right,” Louis said meeting Marian’s gaze.

  She glanced at her son, whose head was bowed. “I think he’s going to be fine.”

  The boy looked dejected and angry at the world. Louis had heard just enough to realize what happened. The boy had gotten into a fight at school because of his father. Louis felt the urge to take him and give him some fighting lessons that would cure the other boys from picking on him. But instinctively he knew that Marian would not appreciate his efforts.

  “I know your carriage isn’t due until five o’clock. If you’d like, I can take you and the boy home now, in my buggy,” he said, wanting to do something to help Marian and the child.

  Marian contemplated him for several moments and then glanced at her son. “Thanks, I think that is a good idea,” she said. “I’ll spend the rest of the day at home with my children.”

  He nodded his head. “I’ll meet you at the front door.”

  Less than five minutes later, Louis helped her and young Philip into his buggy. He climbed in and picked up the reins. He called to the horses and they were soon on their way.

  Passing the river docks, a bird flew overhead squawking a lonesome cry that was barely heard over the cries of the men yelling to each other as they loaded the boats. The boy sat between them, quiet and withdrawn. Louis felt sorry for the kid and wanted to cheer him up.

  “Philip, is this your first black eye?” Louis asked, trying to make light of the subject.

  “Yes, sir,” he replied, sullenly.

  “Most boys remember who gave them their first shiner. My brother gave me mine. Of course my father thought we shouldn’t have been fighting in the first place, and made us clean the animal bam as punishment”

  “Nasty!” the boy said, with some interest.

  “Yeah, we hated it” Louis told him.

  “How many brothers and sisters do you have?” asked Marian.

  “I have an older brother,” he replied. “He runs my family’s plantation.”

  “Why didn’t you stay on the plantation instead of deciding to go into the shipping business with my husband?” Marian asked.

  Louis shrugged. “My father and my brother were doing just fine running the plantation together. There was no challenge, except in getting along with them. I didn’t want to do their dirty work. So I took my inheritance and came to New Orleans to make my fortune. That’s where I met Jean.”

  “You knew my father?” the boy asked.

  “Yes, I was his business partner,” Louis replied. “Maybe your mother could bring you to the shipping office sometime and I’ll give you a tour of the place. We could even go out on one of the boats and see a shipment start off for some far-off destination. Would you like that?”

  “Yes!” the boy said loudly, his eyes growing large in anticipation, a tentative smile on his face.

  It was the first smile Louis had seen on the boy’s face and it pleased him that he’d managed to draw it out of the kid.

  Marian turned and stared at Louis, frowning slightly, yet her gray eyes were surprised. He smiled and watched as the wind teased wisps of her hair about her lovely face.

  He swallowed and glanced away. It would not do for Philip to see Louis’s desire for Marian. Philip wouldn’t recognize Louis’s longing for his mother as the simple flirtation Louis knew his lust to be.

  “Hey look, we’re right here at Tony’s,” said Louis. “How about we stop for an Italian ice? It would cool us all off.”

  “Would you like that, Philip?” Marian asked.

  The boy glanced with longing at the outdoor cafe and then at Louis, his eyes so much like Jean’s. “All right.”

  Leaving the buggy at the curb, Louis helped Philip out then he reached up to help Marian alight His hands encircled her waist and he lifted her out. When he placed her on the ground, her eyes met his.

  “Thank you,” she whi
spered.

  “My pleasure,” he said indulging his gaze in the depths of her gray eyes.

  He took them into the courtyard where a water fountain babbled from a cherubic angel, the water splashing down over rocks into a pool. Lantana bloomed in pots in the courtyard, with crepe myrtle growing along the sides.

  Louis seated them at a table and ordered the ices.

  They sat there awkwardly staring at one another, the boy watching him with interest.

  “I remember you,” he said finally. “You were at my father’s funeral.”

  “Yes, I was,” Louis replied, as the waitress served the Italian ices.

  “My mom is working with you now,” the boy said.

  “Yes, she is.”

  “Do you like her?” he questioned.

  “Philip! What a question to ask the gentleman! You don’t ask that kind of question,” Marian scolded.

  “It’s okay, Marian. Of course I do, Philip. She’s a nice lady. Awfully smart, too.” Louis glanced over at Marian and noticed her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright in the afternoon sunshine. She spooned the ice between her full lips, while he tried not to notice that her mouth was more tempting than any chilled dessert.

  If the boy hadn’t been there, he would have considered trying to kiss her again. Just to experience the velvet and sweetness, with a hint of orange Italian ice.

  “If you like her, then why don’t you want her in the office?” young Philip asked.

  Louis was taken aback. While he sat thinking lustful thoughts about the boy’s mother, Philip surprised him and he didn’t quite know how to answer him.

  “Philip! What’s gotten into you?” said Marian.

  “Its okay, Marian.” He paused.

  “Where did you hear that?” Marian asked Philip.

  “You told Aunt Claire he didn’t want you there.”

  Marian looked at Louis with an apologetic smile. “I did.”

  “Philip, the business your father and I ran has no women in it. It’s not that I don’t want your mother there, it just isn’t a place for a woman. One day you’ll understand. I’m trying to look out for her.”

  “Oh,” the boy said, and once again delved the spoon into his Italian ice, somehow satisfied with Louis’s response.

  Marian glanced at her son and then at Louis. She raised her brows with a questioning look. “And Philip, I’m trying to look out for our family’s interest, since someday you will take over. Until then, I’m going to take your place.”

  The child glanced at the adults like he knew something wasn’t quite right, but didn’t understand exactly what.

  Louis pushed away the niggling feeling of guilt that suddenly appeared. He had to have the business. Marian Cuvier would many a wealthy man to take care of her and then he would have his new business. He would not give up until he won this battle. He needed the capital from Cuvier Shipping to achieve his dreams.

  Chapter Five

  Exhausted, Marian reclined, putting her feet up on the footstool in her sitting room. The afternoon had been spent with both of her children, playing games, catching up on their schoolwork, and just being with them. The problems of Cuvier Shipping had been left behind and for a little while, she’d been just a mother.

  She hoped the time together would help Philip come to terms with his father’s death. She worried about her son, but didn’t quite know how to help him. One moment he seemed a little boy and in the next moment he tried to act a man. Since Jean’s death, he’d fluctuated between sad and angry, lashing out at anyone in his path, including his mother.

  Marian closed her eyes, reveling in the silence. It seemed like forever since she’d just laid back with her feet up. Cuvier Shipping consumed her time and for the first time she understood some of Jean’s moods. At night she came home exhausted, with her mind reeling from the information she gained researching the files. The clientele was large, money matters complex, and the volume of work staggering for such a small company. As the female partner, she received very little respect.

  Yet for the first time in years, she felt invigorated and challenged, and more determined than ever before to show Louis Fournet and the men she worked with that she could lead this company. Just until her son was old enough, then she would gladly relinquish the control to Philip and Louis.

  Her mind conjured up images of Louis sitting across from her laughing and talking to Philip, smiling at her, making her feel warmer than the afternoon sun. He’d treated her son well today, going out of his way to cheer Philip’s spirits and offering to show him his father’s company.

  Today for the first time she’d even felt like there was progress between the two of them. Though part of her wondered if it was because of Philip, the other part just wanted to accept Louis’s behavior at face value. Maybe he was softening toward the idea of her working in the business? Or maybe he thought Philip needed a man’s influence. Whatever the reason, he certainly seemed congenial and she’d enjoyed the time they spent together.

  “There you are,” Claire said, coming into the room. “I wondered where you’d gone to.”

  “After I said good night to the children, I decided to sit down and relax a bit,” Marian said opening her eyes to look at Claire.

  “Hard day working with the men of Cuvier Shipping?” her sister asked, smoothing her skirt as she sat on the fainting couch in Marian’s sitting room.

  Marian chuckled. “Actually, today went rather well and that surprised me.”

  “What was different about today?” she asked.

  “Louis was nice to me and to Philip.”

  Claire raised her brows at Marian. “Not our Mr. Fournet? The one determined to rid Cuvier Shipping of you?”

  “Yes. He brought Philip and me home when he realized that Philip had come from school. Then he took us to Tony’s for an Italian ice. He even offered to take Philip on a tour of Cuvier Shipping, which excited the boy.”

  “What’s the man after now?” Claire asked, a frown wrinkling her forehead. “Maybe he’s decided if ignoring you doesn’t work, that he’ll go through Philip to convince you to stay away.”

  “No, I don’t think so, he was quite different when Philip was there,” Marian said, remembering the way Louis had reacted to her son.

  “I’d be very careful letting him get near the boy. Philip is much too vulnerable right now.”

  Marian didn’t pay her sister any mind. “I caught Louis standing in the doorway, watching me doctor Philip. He looked almost sad as he gazed at the boy. Maybe I imagined the look, but he seemed different today. He went out of his way to treat Philip and myself nicely. He seemed genuine. Almost a different person.”

  “You must be careful, Marian. He’s going to try a new tactic to get to you. If you’re not careful he’ll use his charm to try and persuade you to stay home where ‘women belong.’ “

  Marian laughed. “Oh Claire, you’re such a cynic. I realize I need to be careful of Mr. Fournet. He’s already tried several different tactics. Why, just this week, he kissed me, in an effort to frighten me away!”

  “What?” Claire asked, her eyes growing wide.

  “Don’t worry, I handled him and his penchant for creating trouble. I don’t think he’ll try that one again.” Pity, she thought. His kiss had been intriguing and Marian couldn’t help but wonder if she might enjoy a second chance at a taste of his lips. Just one more time to see if the first kiss was a fluke or if there was something about a man’s kiss she’d never noticed before. Certainly she couldn’t remember reacting so pleasantly before.

  “You’re going to bring even more scandal down on this house, if you don’t give up this foolish notion of working alongside those men,” Claire admonished.

  Marian gazed at her sister, peeved at Claire’s attitude. She was so concerned with what society thought “I’m accustomed to scandal. It’s poverty that frightens me.” Marian paused. “Unless you want me to start taking in sewing or become some man’s kept woman?”

  “Hardly.
I’m not against what you’re doing, I’m just worried about the effects on the children.”

  “I worry about them too. But food and shelter are a priority,” Marian said realizing that since Jean’s death, they all depended on her to take care of them, even her sister in some ways.

  For a few moments only the sound of the mantel clock ticking its soothing rhythm could be heard as Marian sat, her mind returning to Louis’s kiss.

  Marian sighed and leaned her head back, gazing up at the patterns on the ceiling. “Do you remember when we were little girls and we dreamed of the day we would many?”

  “Yes,” Claire replied, wistfully.

  “Do you think marriage ever turns out for anyone the way little girl’s dream of weddings and husbands?”

  Claire stared off into space a moment “Can’t think of anyone I know who has one of those storybook kind of marriages. I don’t think I took into account a man’s need for nights at the club or their sweaty feet. Not to mention the fact that love seems to last for only twenty minutes a week for most men.”

  “Where did we get such idealistic dreams of marriage?” Marian asked, with a laugh.

  “For the answer to that question, I think you’d have to go all the way back to Eve.” Claire gazed over at her sister. “Why so pensive suddenly? Did Louis’s kiss make you long for marriage?”

  Marian laughed. “Hardly. Though I must admit to being quite shocked. It’s been years since any man has kissed me like that. It was naughty, but oh, so nice.”

  “Marian! You sound as if you need to reconsider marriage.”

  “Why? What’s the purpose of me marrying at this stage in life? I can have all the benefits of living alone and if I should desire a man—I’m a widow. Old enough to know the consequences, young enough to still take chances.”

  “You wouldn’t!” her sister said, shocked.

  “Depends on if the right man came along,” she proclaimed, sitting up and gazing at her sister. “With all the poems and love songs that have been written, don’t you wonder if there is something to love that we may have missed?”