Wronged (The Cuvier Widows Book 1)

by Sylvia McDaniel

  The man frowned. “Mr. Fournet told you that I’m the attorney handling the sale? Right?”

  She knit her brow in confusion. “Sale? What sale are you referring to, Mr. Hudson?”

  He took a deep breath his eyes widening. “Why the sale of Cuvier Shipping, of course.”

  “Cuvier Shipping?” Marian asked, in stunned disbelief.

  “Yes, Mr. Fournet came to me and asked that I arrange to sell the business for you and him. I’m here to talk with you regarding signing the final papers.” Marian felt as if the world was suddenly ripped away from her and for a moment she sat there staring at the gentleman, her heart crumbling. She cleared her throat and reached for the glass of water sitting on her desk, anything to bring her back to the present and not the devastating black void his words had sent her spiraling into.

  All Louis’s words of trust and marriage and happily ever after seemed to rise in her throat, choking her.

  That lying bastard had arranged to sell the business without her knowledge. His words of caring and affection rang empty and hollow in her heart, and she wanted to cry, but refused to let the tears come, knowing once they started, it would be hard to stop. There would be plenty of time for that later, but right now she must deal with his deceit.

  “Mr. Hudson, Cuvier Shipping is not for sale.”

  “Are you certain?” he asked staring at her, his expression full of doubt and confusion. “Mr. Fournet said there was another business he wanted to invest in and he needed the money from the sale of the shipping company to start that business. He asked me to rush the sale.”

  Unspeakable rage filled Marian as she remembered his talk of wanting to start a business involving his father’s plantation. Suddenly everything seemed to fall into place and she realized her earlier fears were correct. He only wanted to marry her for her signature and the subsequent sale of Cuvier Shipping. That tiny niggling doubt she’d felt concerning Louis had been right.

  “Mr. Fournet owns only half of the business and I own the other half. I’m not interested in selling.”

  “He told me you wanted to sell your half, but he asked me not to bother you, since you were in mourning for your husband.”

  The bastard had whispered words of trust and affection and then intended to ask for her signature. “How considerate,” she said sarcastically.

  “So what do I tell the buyers?” he asked, perplexed. “You tell them there’s been a huge mistake and that Cuvier Shipping is not for sale. It never has been for sale.”

  The man stared, his mouth open in shock. “I don’t know what to say, Mrs. Cuvier. I’m sorry you had to find this out from me. Are you certain you don’t want to sell? I have an excellent buyer who will pay well.”

  “I’m certain,” she said feeling her strength slowly draining from her.

  He sighed. “All right, I will go back to the buyer and tell them that there will be no sale.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Hudson,” she said standing so he would get the message that their meeting was over. She could feel her composure beginning to crumble and she didn’t want to break down in front of the man.

  He stood and gathered his hat and briefcase. “Good day, Mrs. Cuvier.”

  “Good day,” she said, and watched him walk out the door. She sank back into her chair, and her carefully constructed self-control disintegrated. She lay her head down on her arms and sobbed. Damn Louis for hurting her this way. Damn him for his deceitfulness and damn him for wooing her heart only to break it!

  ***

  Louis opened the door to Cuvier Shipping and couldn’t imagine feeling any better than he did right at this moment. Since Marian had agreed to be his wife, he’d made the decision not to sell Cuvier Shipping. He couldn’t do that to his soon-to-be-wife. With the sale canceled, he would forfeit any chance of owning the mill for the time being, but he was willing to put his dream on hold for Marian and hope for some other opportunity later.

  He walked into the office and greeted Jon with a smile. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning,” the man said, not looking him directly in the face.

  Louis passed Henry in the hallway and the man ducked his head and kept walking, refusing to meet his gaze. He passed one of the clerks and the man turned his face away from him and Louis felt like he had suddenly developed leprosy.

  What was wrong with everyone this morning?

  He walked into his office and set his bag down, his intention being to stroll over and say good morning to his soon-to-be wife. But before he could settle in, he looked up and saw her standing in his doorway.

  “Good morning,” he said, his voice trailing off. Her eyes were dull and swollen as if she’d been crying, her expression appeared almost hostile. “I ... I was just coming over to say hello. What’s wrong, honey? You look like someone died.”

  “Not someone, but something,” she said, her voice even and cold. She shut the door to his office, the click seemed loud and fear trickled through him. Distraught didn’t begin to describe the way she looked and an eerie feeling of apprehension crept through him. He wanted to run from the office, alarmed at what she would say filling him.

  “I had a visit from a Mr. Hudson this morning,” she said, her voice shaky. “He came to see you and instead met with me.”

  “Oh, God,” he said putting his hand to his head. His fears were being realized.

  She ignored him. “He spoke with me about the buyers for our business that I didn’t know was for sale.”

  “Let me explain,” he pleaded, hoping she would listen. “I’ve been going to tell you for the last week and I just hadn’t found the right moment. And then last night I decided not to go through with the sale.”

  She took a deep breath, her chin quivered, but she quickly recovered. “Well you don’t have to tell me anymore. I know.”

  “Please Marian, believe me, I was going to back out of the deal. I did this months ago. Right after Jean died.”

  “You’ve used that excuse once too often, Louis. It doesn’t work anymore,” she said.

  Louis remembered their conversation after the strike when she had asked him if there was anything else he’d forgotten to tell her. But at the time, he hadn’t realized he cared for her. He’d still been intent on deceiving her.

  “I’ve already told Mr. Hudson that I will not sign any papers that sell Cuvier Shipping. Not now, not ever.”

  He shook his head. The fear that everything was lost almost choked him. She would never understand what had driven him to this point.

  “Listen to me, Marian. I wanted to tell you so many times, but...”

  She sobbed, but quickly gained control. “You knew how I felt regarding this company.” She took a deep breath. “If you want out, then I’ll do what I can to buy you out, but you are not going to sell this company without my knowledge,” she said, her voice rising and gaining strength. “How dare you even try!”

  He felt awful. All his fears slammed into him like a punch to his belly and he sagged, knowing she couldn’t forgive him. “I understand. I didn’t think anyone would buy just part of the business. I was wrong for wanting to sell all of it.”

  She took two steps toward him, her eyes flashing with fury. She slammed her hand down on his desk, causing him to jump with shock at her response. “How can you sleep at night for your lies? How could you do this to me, Louis? You lied and were willing to sell the business out from under me? What kind of person are you?”

  “I’m a louse, okay? After you agreed to marry me, I decided I would back out of the deal, but I just hadn’t done it yet. I hoped you would never find out.” But inside he knew he hadn’t backed out of the deal before now because part of him wished he could convince her to sell the business. Now his lack of action was going to rob him of the one thing worth keeping in his life: Marian.

  “I don’t want to hear any more of your lies,” she said, her voice rising. “Everything you’ve said has been a lie and I believed you.”

  “No, Marian. You’re wrong.
”

  A tear slid down her cheek. “How can I believe you? How can I ever trust you again?”

  “Marian, I promise you, that the only thing I’ve lied to you about is the sale of the business.”

  “You’ve never told me any untruths regarding the business before now? You’ve been completely honest?” she asked.

  He paused for a moment thinking over the previous months and knew he’d never been completely honest with her. “I ...”

  “That’s what I thought. You know, Louis, it hurt badly enough when Jean betrayed my trust. I thought I would never get over him. But now I see that your disloyalty is even worse.” She wiped away a tear. “You’ve betrayed my love and that’s something that Jean never had.”

  God, she’d said she loved him, but then she turned and walked out the office door, leaving Louis feeling as if someone had dropped a load of bricks on him. He lay in the dust hurt and bleeding, wishing for the end. He watched her leave and knew she’d just taken his heart with her and he might never get it back.

  ***

  Marian cleared off her desk and then promptly left, not telling anyone where she was going. She needed some time away from the business, away from Louis, everything. She needed some time to resolve the questions that fogged her brain and made her feel crazy. She needed someone to surgically remove Louis and everything about him from her mind and her heart.

  How do you replace someone who is constantly in your thoughts and repair the hole their love has left in your soul?

  Marian sat in her carriage looking out at the city she loved, not really seeing the people or the places, her mind still reeling with the implications of what had happened this morning. When the carriage pulled up in front of the house on Josephine Street, she wondered if she should sell the home that Jean and she had shared.

  Since his death three months ago, had she taken any time to really reflect on her life and decide where she was going? In the past, she’d always taken the children to Virginia to visit her family, but this summer she’d spent her time at Cuvier Shipping, trying to make sure she’d saved the business for her son. But now she even wondered if saving the business for Philip was really worth her effort.

  Climbing out of the carriage, Marian walked up the sidewalk to the front door and entered the house. She leaned against the wooden portal, wanting to cry now that she was home.

  Claire rounded the comer. “What are you doing home at this hour?” Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Marian. “What’s happened?”

  Marian shook her head, the tears starting to fall and she knew she could no longer hold them at bay. “Louis ... he’s such a bastard.”

  Claire took her sister by the arm and led her into the parlor and shut the door. She sat her gently down on the settee and handed her a handkerchief. “What has he done now?”

  For a few moments, Marian just sat and cried letting all the anguish she’d held inside her flow out through her tears. Finally after several moments her tears began to subside, and she wiped her face.

  “I’m sorry. It’s just that he asked me to marry him and we’ve been waiting to announce it to everyone.”

  “I would say congratulations, but somehow I don’t think you’ve told me everything. And I get the feeling there will be no wedding.”

  “Today, he was late coming into the office and Mr. Hudson, an attorney, came to the office to meet with Louis. Since Louis was not there he asked to speak with me.”

  She began to tear up again as she recalled the man’s visit and the horrible look of surprise on his face when he realized she knew nothing about the sale of the business.

  “He told me the buyers for Cuvier Shipping were awaiting my signature on the final papers and the sale would be complete.”

  “Dear God!” Claire gasped, her voice filled with shock.

  “Louis has been trying to sell the shipping company,” she said, her voice quivering.

  “Did you confront him?”

  “Yes and he said that he started the process of selling the company before I was involved, but that’s his excuse for everything. He said that he decided to cancel the sale, but just hadn’t gotten around to doing it,” she said, her heart breaking as she realized the extent of his betrayal.

  “Or he was waiting until you said ‘I do’ and then he could do what he wanted,” Claire said quietly.

  Marian started to cry again. “Of course he’s been telling me how much he cares for me. And now I find out the truth. He didn’t want me. He just wanted Cuvier Shipping.”

  “Oh, Marian, I’m so sorry,” Claire said patting Marian’s back. “What are you going to do?”

  Marian wiped her eyes with the handkerchief in her hand. “I’ve not taken any time off since Jean died. I need some time with my children. I need some time away from everything to think. So, I’m going to go to Virginia for a few weeks.”

  Claire nodded her head. “That is a good idea. It would give you time to decide how you’re going to work closely with Louis after everything that’s happened.” The thought of going back into the office and sitting across the hall from the man who had lied his way into her bed was impossible. “I can’t see him right now. I can’t see him until I’ve gotten over falling in love with him.”

  Claire frowned. “That may be impossible.”

  “I can’t work with him, knowing that I love him and that he’s deceived me. I have to get over Louis before I can go back to work.”

  But how could she forget the man who had finally won her heart and healed her broken spirit? How could she forget the man who’d made her realize she was a desirable woman once again? How could she ever forget Louis?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Two days passed, and Louis begin to wonder if Marian would ever return to Cuvier Shipping. Funny how at one time, he would have been overjoyed by her lack of attendance. But now he missed her. Despondent and miserable, he stared across the hall at the empty office, blaming himself. Everything had blown up in his face and it was all his fault.

  He walked across the hall and stood staring into her office. Breathing deeply he thought he could smell the scent of her perfume lingering in the air. An ivy plant grew in the windowsill, a small bowl and pitcher of water stood in the comer with a dainty hand towel for washing. The feminine touches and tidiness made the room look more like a powder room than an office, but they were remembrances of Marian. And he feared he would never see her again.

  With fierceness he’d never known, he could feel his heart aching, missing her desperately.

  How could he have handled things so badly? How could he have imagined that she would agree to sell Cuvier Shipping? And why hadn’t he been honest with her once he realized he wanted to marry her and spend the rest of his life with her?

  Was he so blind that he couldn’t see that he loved her? That he’d probably been in love with her for months now? When had he become the type of man who couldn’t recognize love and was so selfish that he hurt other people just to get what he wanted?

  How could being a mill owner be so important to him that he would sell out someone he loved? Guilt at his egotistical actions ate at him like a cancer. He was a fool to give up a woman like Marian for a mill, but the lure of owning his own business had driven rational thought from his head.

  With a sigh he started to turn away when Henry came to the door.

  “It’s been awfully quiet around here without Mrs. Cuvier,” he said, a sad tone in his voice.

  “Yes,” Louis said tiredly.

  “Is she coming back?” Henry asked glancing at him uneasily.

  “I don’t know.”

  “We tried so hard to get rid of her at first and now since she’s gone, we all want her back,” Henry said, with a sigh. “Everyone misses her.”

  Something in the way Henry said the words irritated Louis. “Why does everyone think she’s not coming back?”

  Henry laughed nervously. “You. Closed doors keep people out, but sometimes voices raised in anger can be heard throu
gh doors.”

  “Damn!” Louis said running his hand through his hair. “So everyone knows how much of an idiot I am.”

  Henry gazed at him, his expression no longer friendly. “You said it, not me. Most of the men are pretty unhappy that you would try to sell us all out without so much as a word.”

  “It wasn’t personal,” Louis said.

  “Tell that to the man who comes to work here every day to support his wife and kids,” Henry said. “It’s real personal to him, Louis.”

  Louis ran his hand through his hair. “I didn’t think of the workers, Henry.”

  “That’s obvious. Who were you thinking of besides yourself?”

  Louis sighed and hung his head. “I certainly botched things badly. I love Marian and wanted to marry her, but now I don’t think she’ll have anything to do with me. She wouldn’t even listen to my explanations the other day.”

  “You might try looking at it from her perspective, Louis. First Jean betrays her by marrying two other women and now you come along and lie to her about the business. I feel sorry for the next man who comes into her life, because she’ll be looking to castrate him.” He shrugged. “And I can’t say that I blame her.”

  “I know I did her wrong, but I was going to try to fix everything. If only Mr. Hudson hadn’t come and told her about the sale. I was going to back out, really.”

  “You’re not getting the point, Louis. You never should have done this to begin with. You were partners with her and you’ve never acted like a partner in good faith. And I’m ashamed to say I helped you. Makes us both out to be bastards of the worst sort.”

  Louis didn’t say anything. He just stood there absorbing Henry’s words. Somehow he knew they were true and they made him feel contrite.

  “You’re right, Henry. I haven’t been a good partner to Marian since the day Jean died. I’ve acted way out of line.” He sighed. “I think it’s time I took a little time off to reflect on what I’m going to do with the rest of my life and discover just what kind of man I am.”

  Henry raised his brows at him. “And just where are you going to do this?”