She smiled and discreetly pulled her hand away from George, picking up her champagne glass. “It’s not that I distrust Louis. By being involved, I know that my interests in the company are protected.”
She grinned at Louis as if to say, I had you worried for a moment, didn’t I? Her gray eyes were clear and luminous and twinkled at his obvious discomfiture.
He breathed a sigh of relief. She’d responded brilliantly without saying she distrusted him, but she hadn’t said she trusted him, either.
George laughed. “Very smart of you. Louis is a good manager, but looking after your own interests is indeed the best. You strike me as a very intelligent woman, Mrs. Cuvier.”
“Why thank you, Mr. Morgan.” She set her glass down, and he picked up her hand again.
Intelligent wasn’t a word most women wanted to be associated with, but Marian responded favorably.
He bowed over her hand and pressed his lips to her fingers, which he held in his large hand. “Mrs. Cuvier, you’re a bright woman and I’m honored you’re handling my account.”
Louis felt ill watching the older man fawn over Marian, though she didn’t appear to discourage his attention. She must realize that George’s attempt at charm would conclude with an attempt to seduce her! Hell, Louis had used the same tactics often enough himself. A lot of women enjoyed the flirtatious compliments and hand stroking. The next step would be to get her on the dance floor with him, then into a carriage with him, and from there wherever or whatever the woman was willing for.
“Would you care to dance?” George asked.
Louis cursed to himself. He intended to ask her to dance and while they were on the floor, he would enlighten her as to George’s maneuvers. After all, she’d been married to Jean for over twelve years and he doubted that during that time she’d even considered another man. She may be susceptible to someone like George, who would soon have her in a nice little lover’s cottage, meeting her twice a week because his wife didn’t understand him.
“I would love to,” Marian exclaimed.
George jumped up out of his chair faster than most twenty-year olds. He moved Marian’s chair back and Louis watched with dismay as George took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Louis stared at them waltzing around the floor, George’s lusty gaze focused on Marian’s cleavage. He held her closer than Louis liked and when his hand slid below her waist, Louis stood. One more inch and George would find himself dancing on his butt. Just then, Marian pulled back, forcing George’s hand back around her waist.
Louis eased back down in his chair still ready to jump to her rescue. This was the reason women were not in business. They tainted a man’s thought processes and created problems of jealousy and possessiveness that didn’t belong in the workplace. If Louis had met George for dinner alone, none of this would be taking place and he wouldn’t be ready to tell his largest account their last shipment with Cuvier Shipping just left the harbor. Marian was not a permissive woman for George to maneuver into his bed and Louis wasn’t going to sit back and watch him try.
At the end of the dance, the couple strolled back, laughing, to the table, where Louis sat scowling at the two of them.
“More champagne?” George asked Marian.
“Oh no, thank you, I can’t. One glass is more than enough,” Marian said breathlessly.
“How about you, Louis? You look like you could use some more refreshment,” he said.
Louis raised his brows and returned the man’s gaze. George had noticed his displeasure. “Thank you, I think I will. So George, tell me how your sugar mill is doing. I hear that most plantations are closing their mills and moving toward centralized mill operation.”
This was Louis’s dream: owning a mill where all the plantations in the area brought their sugar cane to refine and sell. He would buy their crop, mill it, and ship it down river.
“We’ve been considering it, but so far we’re still operating our own. It could be that I close it down in the next few years. It’s expensive to run, and letting someone else have that part of the business seems to work for a lot of plantations,” he said to Louis.
Instead of George focusing his attention on Marian, maybe now they could discuss their business interests. The waiters brought their food, placing the steaming platters before them.
“How are your children doing since their father passed away?” George asked turning his attention once again to Marian as he speared a bite of his steak.
Marian glanced down at her hands and then up at George, her eyes big and shining luminous gray in the glow from the lone candle on the table.
“Philip, my son, has had some problems, but he’s doing better. For the first time, he got into a fight at school.” She shook her head. “Mothers don’t quite know how to handle fighting.”
“He’s a boy, Marian.”
“Fighting never solves a disagreement, but he let his temper get the best of him. I hope that next time he’ll think before he jumps into a situation with his fists.”
“Never stopped my sons,” George acknowledged.
“I want my son to use his brains to solve his problems, rather than his fists.”
George laughed. “Spoken like a woman.”
Louis didn’t know how much longer he could sit here and listen to George’s honeyed phrases and watch the philanderer pursue Marian. He wasn’t jealous; he simply had too much pride to watch her be treated like a prize worth taking.
And she was a prize. Intelligent, beautiful, kind, and caring, Marian would be a man’s full partner in many ways. As her business partner, he could barely stomach the old man gawking at her bosom, trying to charm his way into her bed.
“How about your children, George? Are your sons still living at home?” Louis asked, once again hoping the subject of his family would help the man see reason, though George’s family had never slowed him down before.
“No, my boys are all grown and have moved away, except for the oldest one who is helping me with the plantation. I’ll have to bring him in to meet you, Marian.”
“I’d love to meet your son and your wife too,” she said, eating the last of her fried shrimp.
“How about dessert, and then we’ll take another spin on the dance floor,” George said, pouring more champagne into everyone’s glasses, not asking this time.
“Dessert? No, thank you,” Marian said and Louis felt a sense of relief.
George glanced at her. “Now don’t tell me you’re watching your figure. From what I can see, it looks just fine.”
Louis bristled at the man’s remark.
“George, how was your steak?” Marian asked, obviously trying to divert the old man’s attention.
“I get the hint, Mrs. Cuvier. But I have to tell you, I may be sixty years old, but I’m not dead. And I’d have to be dead not to notice what a fine looking woman you are,” he said as Louis ached to wipe the man’s smile away with his fist.
“Thank you, Mr. Morgan. You food will get cold if you don’t eat,” Marian said pointing to his almost untouched plate.
Louis breathed in and slowly released the cleansing air from his lungs, hoping it would clear the rage he felt while trying his best to let Marian handle this situation. One more crack like that and Louis feared he would be defending Marian’s honor with his fists.
“Would you care to dance, Marian?” Louis asked needing to speak with her alone.
“Yes, I’d love to,” she said, throwing down her napkin.
He pushed back his chair and offered her his hand. She rose slowly from her chair and took his proffered arm. They walked to the dance floor and began to waltz.
“You know he’s trying to seduce you, don’t you?” Louis questioned, not wasting any time or holding back any punches. He had one waltz to convince Marian to conclude her first business dinner.
“Louis, don’t be ridiculous. He’s being friendly, maybe a little too friendly, but actually I blame that on the champagne.” She shook her head. “I may have had a wee drop too
much champagne myself.”
“Don’t Marian,” Louis said, stronger than he intended. “George has turned his charm on you and he will probably offer to take you home and then in the carriage he will make his move to get you into his bed.”
Marian stared at him with surprise, and then began to laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not,” he said his voice rising.
She gazed at him a moment, her face showing surprise. “I think you’re jealous, Louis.”
“Now who’s being ridiculous?” he said, with a chuckle that felt forced. He wasn’t jealous, was he?
“George Morgan is our customer. I’m being nice to him because he’s our client. I’m having a great time tonight and for the first time in a long time, I feel well ... pretty.”
“Damn, Marian. What do you mean, you feel pretty? You’re gorgeous. You’re beautiful. You deserve someone a lot better than George Morgan.”
“I’m not looking for a man.” She smiled at him. “You are full of surprises tonight. I bought this dress especially for this dinner and I think you didn’t even notice.”
“Oh, I think every man in here noticed,” he replied. She giggled, closed her eyes, and moved with the music.
“I don’t want George Morgan, but I’m having such a lovely time tonight. There’s really no need for you to worry about George seducing me. Remember I’m the woman whose husband married two other women, just so he wouldn’t have to ...”
The music ended and she opened her eyes. “Oh my, no more champagne for me.”
What had she meant to say? Why did she think Jean had married other women? Just when things were getting interesting, the music ended and she realized what she’d been about to reveal. He watched her orienting herself on the dance floor, the spell obviously broken.
“Come on, let’s finish our dinner and then I’ll take you home,” he said reluctant to let her go, enjoying her in his arms.
She stepped out of his embrace and glanced at him as they walked off the dance floor. “Why are you so worried about me?”
“I’m not. I just don’t want George to—”
She smiled, reached up and patted the side of his cheek, her humor restored. Her hand felt warm and silky against his skin and the sudden contact had him taking a sharp breath to hide his reaction.
Suddenly he didn’t want to return to the table.
“Don’t worry, Louis. Nothing will happen. You’re taking me home,” she said her gaze sparkling with amusement.
He shook his head realizing he’d been unable to convince her, while trying to break the spell she’d cast upon him. “This is why women are not involved with business. If this had been just a dinner for two men, it would be over by now. I wouldn’t be worrying about how to protect you.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet Louis. I never would have thought you would want to protect me.” She laid her hand on his arm. “Don’t worry. As for your nasty comment about women in business, I’m going to let it slide tonight because I don’t want to spoil my good time. But I’m warning you, don’t say it again during working hours. Now try to enjoy the rest of the evening without worrying about Mr. Morgan.”
Louis stared at her, stunned. Didn’t she understand?
They arrived back at the table and Louis pulled out Marian’s chair, but before she could sit down, George took her by the hand.
“Come on, let’s dance,” he said, and whirled her out on the floor.
Marian laughed at the older man’s antics and Louis realized she seemed more carefree than he’d ever seen her. In the last two months he had watched her go from being completely shocked at the death of her husband to fighting mad trying to protect her place in the business. Tonight for the first time he had seen her actually enjoy herself and have fun. Tonight for the first time he’d seen her in clothes other than that dowdy black and she looked more beautiful than he thought possible.
Tonight he’d found her irresistible and though he knew any attraction between them was doomed, he realized he wanted her for himself, at least for one night.
***
A week passed and since the dinner with Louis and George Marian had received flowers with a note from George, telling her what a wonderful time he’d had that night. The sight of that bouquet of flowers still bothered Louis and he’d resisted the urge to jump up and throw them out.
Just as Louis predicted that night, George did indeed offer to take Marian home. But Marian had had the good sense to refuse George’s offer, saying Louis and she had come together, which wasn’t a lie.
Somehow she’d fallen asleep in the carriage on the ride home and leaned her head against his shoulder as she slept. The sight of her nestled so trustingly against his shoulder had stayed with him all week and left him feeling oddly warm and protective at the same time.
His imagination had taken the widow home and peeled the clothes from her luscious body and taken her to bed, though his mind knew the fantasy was impossible. Work and pleasure should remain separate if at all possible, he kept reminding himself.
A rapid knock drew Louis’s attention to the doorway of his office. He glanced up to see his father standing there gazing at him with an affectionate expression on his face.
“Father?” Louis said jumping up from his desk to come around and give his father a handshake and a partial hug. “What brings you to town? Everyone all right at home?”
“They’re all fine. I had to come up here to meet with the banker regarding building a new barn for the plantation. I thought I’d drop in and see how you are.”
“I'm well. Have a seat,” Louis said directing his father to a chair on the other side of his desk. “How long are you going to be in town?”
“I’m returning home tomorrow. Just a quick trip. Tonight, I’m having dinner with Daniel Comeaux and thought that you might join us.”
“I think that’s possible.”
“Heard about that nasty business with your partner Jean Cuvier. You’re still involved with the business, I see. Is it all yours now, boy?”
Louis shook his head. “No, Mrs. Cuvier still owns her husband’s part of the business, though I doubt she’ll be involved much longer. Right now she still thinks she can help the business, I hope she comes to her senses soon.”
“Mrs. Cuvier?”
“Yes,” Louis said. “I have to give her credit, she’s not just any woman, Father. She’s learning the business and seems eager to do her part. But I’m hoping she’ll give up this foolish notion soon.”
Louis felt a moment of shock at the realization that he had not only defended Marian, but also spoken highly of her. And his words were true, Marian never shirked her duties and spent hours combing through volumes to learn the answer to a problem she encountered.
His father snorted with disapproval. “Seems to me if she’d paid more attention to her husband, he wouldn’t have married two other women.”
Louis shook his head. “No, it wasn’t that way at all. Jean didn’t know the meaning of the word fidelity.” There he went again, defending Marian to his father. The image of her in the carriage dressed in all her finery came to mind and he’d remembered thinking on the way home, he understood why George Morgan had pursued Marian. Her unique beauty enticed him more than that a girl of eighteen and though he’d thought her beautiful before that night, she’d outshone all the women he’d ever known.
“Speaking of marriage, remember Emily Fratenburg?”
His father’s question jerked Louis back from his thoughts of the way Marian had looked that night.
“Yes, we were in the same class at school.”
“She’s just come home from Europe. She’s here to stay. And she’s unmarried. Lovely too, from what I hear.”
“That’s nice,” he said uninterested.
“You should come home and maybe we could invite her to dinner,” his father suggested.
“Maybe.”
A moment of silence filled the office and Louis watched his father’s face turn seri
ous. “Louis, Anne has been gone for ten years. It’s time you found yourself another wife and moved back to the plantation.”
For the first time, Louis noticed how his father’s once dark hair had turned silver, making his sixty-five years apparent.
“We’ve talked about this before. It’s not that I don’t want to get married. I just haven’t found anyone that I want to spend the rest of my life with,” he acknowledged.
“You married Anne.”
“Yes, but she died. Since then there’s been no one else whom I want to marry.”
It was true. He would like to get remarried, settle down, and have a few kids. But so far he’d not met any woman who really intrigued him or made him feel compelled to marry.
The image of Marian dancing in his arms, laughing and teasing him came to mind. He felt a stir in his heart at the memory and quickly pushed it away.
His Father took a deep breath and sighed. “I didn’t come here to argue with you. I mainly wanted to make sure that you were well, that this scandal of your partner’s hadn’t hurt your business.”
Louis shrugged, hating to admit this to anyone, including his father, “Business is down some.”
“Did you see the article in this morning’s paper?” his father asked.
“No, I haven’t had time to read the morning paper yet. What did it say?”
“The writer certainly made Jean out to be less than a gentleman. I’d say they all but made him into some kind of miscreant.”
Louis frowned, thinking every piece of bad press him his chances for selling the business. “Jean is gone. The business will recover and we’ll make enough to keep it going.”
“Shame,” his father said with a sigh. “I know it’s selfish, but I kind of hoped you would tell me you were coming home to work the plantation with your brother and me. You know your brother wants you to be his partner.”
Louis shook his head. “Neither scandal or marriage is going to bring me back home. I’m thirty-five years old and I want my own business.”
Wronged (The Cuvier Widows Book 1) Page 11