Wronged (The Cuvier Widows Book 1)

by Sylvia McDaniel

  “No. I didn’t expect what he said to me this morning. I don’t know. In some ways, I’m more confused than ever before,” Marian acknowledged.

  “Did you at least get the answers you were looking for?” Claire asked.

  Marian paused in her pacing of the floor and smiled wryly at her sister. “Yes. And I’ve spent the morning cleaning out Jean’s bedroom. It’s time to put that man out of my life. He’s dead and I must go on.”

  A sigh escaped from Claire as she brushed a speck of lint from her skirt “That sounds very good. Do you consider last night a success?”

  Marian stopped her pacing and frowned. “I enjoyed being with Louis. The dinner party was fun and he is a fantastic lover. But...”

  She could feel the tears coming, pricking her eyelids. She shook herself and turned back to Claire, regaining control. “Anyway, last night was great but this morning everything came apart.”

  “I see. But as long as you’re all right and you don’t regret what you’ve done ...” Claire said, her voice sympathetic.

  “No, I don’t. Louis helped me realize a lot of things about myself. Jean never spoke to me about why he was unhappy or why he didn’t want to share our bed. Last night proved to me that I’m attractive and I can have normal relations with a man. So my marital problems weren’t all my fault.”

  “Good,” Claire said, studying Marian closely. “Are you going to see Louis again?”

  Marian bit her lip in consternation. She glanced at her sister reclining on the settee, her skirts spread about her. She’d asked herself this same question several times this morning, and at first her response had been an emphatic no. But later, the voice of doubt kept rising up asking, What if his proposal had been sincere? What if she were wrong about his ulterior motive? What if she’d accused him falsely?

  No! He acknowledged he’d lain awake all night making plans. She suspected he’d been plotting how to get complete control of Cuvier Shipping and came to the conclusion that marriage seemed the easiest answer. No she didn’t have any real proof. How do you get proof that a man was lying? But her instincts told her his motives were less than honest. She didn’t know what but something wasn’t right.

  “I’ll see him at work each day,” she finally responded.

  “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

  Marian gave a half smile. “I know. I just don’t know if I can answer your question just yet. It’s doubtful I’ll ever do anything with him again, but just the same, I’m not ready to say never.”

  Claire smiled. “Then don’t”

  “I’m not ready to say never, but then, I’m not ready to agree to be his wife or anyone else’s, for that matter.”

  “His wife?”

  “Yes, he asked me to marry him.”

  “Oh my!” Claire said surprised. “This is quite a shock. No wonder you’re upset I certainly didn’t expect Louis to propose.”

  “Me neither,” Marian said with a sigh. “But it would be a nice and tidy way for him to gain control of Cuvier Shipping.”

  ***

  Louis didn’t like the way he’d left Marian’s house but he didn’t know how to change her mind. He’d underestimated her and should have realized she would recognize his reasons for marrying her were false. His thoughts had centered on his desires, not love, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t eventually come. People married for business reasons all the time. She’d made him seem evil for considering the idea of marrying her. Eventually she’d tire of being involved with the business and miss spending time with her children. What would she do then?

  Most of the time he could charm what he wanted from a woman, with little or no consideration for her feelings, until this morning.

  But Marian was not as easily persuaded. She recognized he wasn’t sincere and yet somehow leaving her upset and angry this morning troubled him. Confusion seemed to fill his mind, not knowing what he really wanted the most, Marian, Cuvier Shipping, or that damn mill he was so intent on acquiring.

  He’d never been good at honesty, but last night she’d been warm and sincere and this morning he’d lied to her, though it wasn’t a total lie. He wouldn’t mind being married to Marian.

  And why would she marry him if he were honest with her about his reasons for the proposal? Not a single reason came to mind. So he lied and tried to somehow convince her that he wanted to marry her because he loved her.

  Coming from his lips the words rang false even to his own ears. He had shuddered at the sound of the lie clanging like a gong between them. He should never have attempted to persuade Marian to marry him for love. Yet most women would have jumped at his proposal without a declaration from the heart.

  Marian had to be unique.

  A knock interrupted his thoughts and he went to the door of the rooms he rented in the French Quarter.

  He opened the door to see a messenger standing there and signed for the note. Breaking the seal he quickly scanned the message.

  Dear Mr. Fournet,

  I have a party interested in Cuvier Shipping. Please

  contact me at your earliest convenience.

  Sincerely,

  Stephen Hudson, Attorney

  Louis stared at the missive, feeling more pressure than ever before. Someone wanted to buy the business. He could finally obtain his goal once he sold Cuvier Shipping! But first he had to convince Marian that he really desired to marry her.

  How did you convince a woman she should marry you, when she recognized you for the obsessed, business- oriented bastard that you were?

  A man serious about marriage found a woman he wanted for a mate and courted her until he expressed his undying devotion. Louis considered himself an amateur at courting, a professional at seduction.

  Even Anne, his first wife, he never really courted. Good friends all their life, they married young, very much in love, or so he believed. Now he wasn’t sure he believed in love anymore. He tried to remember how he felt about Anne, but it seemed like one day they were happy, decorating the nursery, and then she was gone. He remembered feeling lost, like everything important had departed, leaving him alone.

  No, he couldn’t remember what love felt like. He just remembered the loss, the empty feeling of Anne’s death, the guilt he felt that their marriage cost her life.

  With a sigh, he walked over to the window and stared down into the street He still wanted to buy the mill but he needed Marian to sell Cuvier Shipping. Getting past Marian’s barriers to gain control of the business seemed impossible. There could only be one solution.

  Courting. How hard could it be to convince a woman he wanted to marry her? Seduction or courting, they were both the same game, though with different results.

  Marian Cuvier was about to be swept off her feet and he intended to begin right after he spoke with the attorney.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Monday morning and Louis had not shown up for work. No one knew where he was and though Marian didn’t want to admit it, she was beginning to worry. And that made her angry with herself for worrying about him.

  How could she forget that he wanted to marry her just to gain control of Cuvier Shipping?

  The clock in her office struck twelve and she glanced again across the hall at the empty office. Never known for his promptness, Louis had never blatantly not shown up for work. Could he be hidden away plotting his next attempt at taking over the business? Or could he be hurt, lying in a ditch somewhere?

  Oh, where was he! She couldn’t help but worry.

  Outside in the hallway, a creaking noise drew her attention and she cocked her head to listen. There it was again, that same squeaky noise getting closer.

  Marian stood and walked around her desk, going to the door. Tentatively, she poked her head out and glanced down the hall. The sight shocked her and made her want to laugh, yet a sense of relief filled her. With a grin on his face, Louis strolled down the hall, pulling a little wagon filled with packages.

  “Hello,” he called cheerfully, m
aking her want to wring his neck for causing her to worry needlessly.

  She frowned, not ready to let him forget she was still angry and suspicious of him. She moved to go back into her office.

  “Marian, wait,” he called. “I brought us lunch.”

  She stuck her head back out the door, wondering where he’d been all morning, still not ready to put their conversation from her mind. “Whatever for?”

  A cocky grin appeared on his face as he shrugged his shoulders. “I hoped you would give me a second chance. I knew you would refuse an invitation to lunch, so I brought the party to you.”

  Not ready to be alone with him, she shook her head. “You’re wasting your time. I’m not having lunch with you. I have plans.”

  He glanced at her sheepishly. “If you’re referring to your lunch with Drew, he had to cancel.”

  Her eyes widened. “What? You cancelled my lunch?”

  “No. Something came up with Layla. Don’t be mad at him. Layla’s life is on the line,” he said, a serious look on his face. Then he smiled and she felt the ice around her heart begin to melt. “In an effort to reconcile with you, I promise I’ve brought a very special lunch.”

  She raised her brows. “What, you’re going to propose yet again?” she asked. “Have you forgotten I’m angry at you?”

  He stared at her, his gaze unwavering. “If I thought your answer would be yes, then I would propose. But that last time, you pretty much crushed my pride and I’m not ready for a second go just yet”

  She tossed him a dubious stare. “Your pride could survive being flattened by a train, so don’t try to make me feel bad.”

  “Perhaps, but I hoped we could at least return to the way things were between us.”

  “That’s doubtful.”

  “Well, I’m at least willing to give it a try.” He grinned at her. “So will you have lunch with me?”

  “You think you can just come in here and say a few charming words, bring me lunch, and everything will be all right?” She took a deep breath, though her fury seemed to be dying. “Well, you’re wrong. I’m still mad that you thought you could try to marry me to gain control of the business. Do you think I’m stupid?”

  “I have never considered you less than intelligent,” he said standing in the hallway holding the wagon handle, not denying her accusations, which intrigued her. “Forget the proposal, forget about the business. Just have lunch with me.”

  “So you admit you were trying to marry me to gain control of the business?” she asked.

  “I’m admitting nothing. I just want to have lunch with you and forget this damn business for a while.”

  The smell of hot fresh bread wafted through her office, tempting Marian. Her stomach growled, the sound loud in the silent room.

  “You’ve got to eat,” he insisted.

  “I am hungry,” she admitted. She looked at him to see his reaction. He smiled and she felt a moment of intense longing, followed by anguish. She wanted him even more today than before their night together. His smile was so disarming she needed to remember that what lurked behind those curled lips was a great deal of fun, not to mention emotional danger.

  He waited, not saying anything, his face an innocent mask, his eyes giving her that promising gaze again that seemed to make her body come alive. Their liaison had been for one night only, she reminded herself. Not a lifetime, not even two or three nights. One night only and now that was over.

  “I...” she hesitated. “All right. But it has to be quick. I have a lot of work to accomplish today. And I’m still upset with you.”

  He nodded, his eyes warm and understanding. “You can be mad at me as long as you eventually get over it.”

  Marian raised her brow. “That could take until the Mississippi runs dry.”

  “Yes, it could,” he acknowledged, and pulled the little wagon into her office and shut the door behind him. “But I hope not”

  She felt a moment of unease at the sight of that closed door, with just the two of them all alone together. She ignored him, determined not to let her guard down in his presence again.

  When she glanced up, she gave him her best hostile look. “Why the closed door?”

  “We need privacy for lunch,” he said, with a shrug. “We could be discussing serious business issues or I might try to steal a kiss.”

  “And come back with a broken arm.”

  He laughed. “I’ll keep that thought in mind.”

  “You do that,” she said.

  “Where do you want me to set up our picnic?” he questioned.

  “Picnic?”

  “Yes, we’re having a picnic without the bugs.”

  “What did you bring?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

  “I brought a feast” He smiled at her and then turned to the wagon and pulled out a blanket, which he spread on the floor in her office. Next, he took out a large picnic hamper. He lifted the lid and pulled out napkins, silverware, dishes, and champagne glasses.

  “Champagne?”

  “Yes, champagne,” he said.

  “But we’re working,” she protested. “Alcohol is not going to take away my anger.”

  “We’re having a picnic,” he reminded her.

  “Which is in an office,” she replied.

  He took a deep breath. “No, we’re no longer in this office. We’re out under a shade tree somewhere along the river, just the two of us. There’s a warm breeze blowing and the heat makes us feel lazy. You put your head in my lap and we lay there talking all afternoon. Sometimes kissing, sometimes just holding one another.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes, we’re under a shade tree somewhere along the river all right, but you’re on one side of the blanket and I’m on the other. I’m still furious with you and you’re asking for my forgiveness. I tell you, not until the sun rises in the west.”

  “I think I like my scenario better.”

  “You would.”

  He reached into another box that lay in the bottom of the wagon, covered until just this moment. He pulled the ribbon on the box, yanked off the lid and the smell of carnations permeated the air.

  Stepping within inches of her, he handed her the flowers. “While we’re gazing out at the river, I surprise you with flowers, hoping they will ease your disappointment in me and show you my intentions are sincere.”

  She glanced briefly at the bunch of flowers, struck by their beauty. He was definitely making it harder for her to stay angry with him. She gazed at the spread laid out on the floor before her. He’d gone to so much work just to make her happy. Never before had any man done so much for her and she could feel the ice slowly melting from around her heart. No wonder the man had women flocking around him.

  This was his ploy. He was a master at seduction. He was a talented lover, a shrewd businessman. But what if she had been wrong about him? What if he’d been serious that morning when he’d asked her to marry him? After all, most women would have wanted a marriage proposal. They would have gladly said yes.

  No, she couldn’t have made that big a mistake. Louis wanted the business. She had to be on guard at all times. “Thank you, they’re lovely, though...”

  “Don’t say it I know, you’re still mad at me.”

  She smiled and laughed. “No, I have no vase to put them in.”

  Louis perked up. “Oh. Well, we’ll find something.” He jumped up and found the water pitcher to put the flowers in, then hurriedly finished setting everything up. When the food was all set out the champagne on ice, pillows for her to sit on, and the dishes all arranged, he took her by the hand and helped her to the oasis he had created.

  “My, this is really nice,” she said, and glanced up at him with suspicion. What was he up to besides trying to convince her to marry him?

  Definitely knew the way to make a woman feel cherished. “Thank you.”

  He poured her a glass of champagne and handed the glass to her. He tore off a piece of fresh

  bread and put it betw
een her lips, feeding the soft warm bread to her. It all but melted in her mouth, so fresh and moist that she almost moaned.

  Next he fed her some fruit, followed by cheese. She sat there and let him feed her bites of food as she gazed deeply into his eyes. There was something about being fed by another person who cared about you, that left you feeling special. And Marian at this moment felt very treasured.

  Finally they ate the sandwiches he’d included in the basket.

  “This is really good. Where did you get all this food?”

  Louis shrugged. “I ran all over town this morning, finding it. I’ve also arranged for us to take the children for a boat ride on Saturday.”

  She turned and stared at him, doubts causing her suspicions to raise their ugly heads again. “Why?”

  “Because your son told me the day I bought him the Italian ice that he wanted to go and it’s also part of your training, my dear. Captain Paul is available and I thought it would be a good time to go.” He frowned. “If you’d like to think of this as a business trip that would be fine.”

  She stared at him, not knowing how to respond, but feeling more confused than ever. She recalled Philip’s request to ride in one of his father’s boats and her heart warmed at Louis’s thoughtfulness toward her son.

  He is a shrewd businessman. A master at seduction. The words echoed through her head.

  “Why are you doing this? Why not just let us remain as partners?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why are you still trying to seduce me?”

  His mouth was so close and she tried not to stare at his full lips, so moist, so tempting, and so delightful before her.

  “Seduction is not the word I would use. I want to marry you and I intend to show you just how serious I am.”

  His lips covered hers and though she’d threatened to break his arm, she could not resist the touch of him any more than she could deny her thirst. How could one man be so tempting and maddening, all at the same time? His kiss felt wonderful and the lunch he’d gone to so much trouble over was a treat. No one else in her life had ever arranged something like this.