Then she could see the house up ahead and her nerves went on edge. She was about to meet Jeffrey’s sister and his grandfather. What if they didn’t like her?
At least she had a decent dress to wear—the blue organdy dress Jeffrey had bought for her was only a little big at the waist—not even really noticeable.
As they got closer to the house, Claire’s eyes widened.
Jeffrey slowed down to ride alongside her, his expression full of pride. “That’s it,” he said. “That’s Chene Ruelle.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“Yes,” he said, his focus on the house.
“Jeffrey,” she said.
He didn’t seem to hear her.
“Jeffrey,” she called again.
“I’m sorry, my love,” he said, turning to her.
“Go ahead. Grandpa and I will catch up.”
He hesitated.
“Go.”
He nudged his horse and raced toward the house.
Watching Jeffrey race down the oak-lined lane leading up to the white-columned southern mansion, she considered turning around with Grandpa and going the other way. She could disappear into New Orleans and Jeffrey would be none the wiser.
Claire had grown up in a simple world. A world where her days were spent doing chores and her evenings were spent reading. Jeffrey, obviously, came from a different world. He’d grown up spending his days with a tutor and learning to ride horses and fight with swords. He’d attended balls and BBQs. He’d never had to worry about where the next meal was coming from.
Was war truly the great equalizer?
They’d spent the last few weeks in the same world. Fighting for their lives.
But now they would be in his world. Would there be different expectations? Would she be expected to dress differently? To dance? To speak differently even?
Already, Jeffrey had bought her the blue dress she wore. He’d wanted her to be presentable to his family. Was he worried that she would be an embarrassment?
She stopped the horse. And Romeo stopped too. Waiting for Grandpa to catch up.
As she waited, she could see a woman come about and, as Jeffrey dismounted, run into his arms.
Grandpa stopped his horse next to hers. She felt him looking at her.
“Not what you expected,” he said.
She shook her head. “I don’t know what I expected.” When he didn’t answer, she continued. “But it certainly wasn’t this.”
Grandpa didn’t answer.
“I don’t know how to… be… here.”
“Nonsense,” he said. “Just be yourself.”
“But this…” She swept an arm forward to encompass the massive house and ground—the largest house she had ever even seen. “This is a different world.”
“Your grandmother and I did the best we could with what we had.”
“Oh, no.” She turned to face her grandfather. “I’m not criticizing.”
“I know. We did the best. You’re educated. Not formally, but you read every night. You know right from wrong. You’re kind and thoughtful. No one can ask for anything more in anyone.”
“I just don’t want him to be disappointed.”
“He knows who you are, Kitten. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He loves you for you. Don’t doubt yourself.”
“We could go into New Orleans. Find work.”
He scoffed. “We could do a lot of things. Claire.” He waited until her gaze met his. “Tell me you don’t love Jeffrey and we’ll turn around this instant. You never have to see him again.”
Claire’s eyes filled with unshed tears. “I do love him,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’ve loved him since the moment you shot him,” she said, laughing and crying at the same time.
Grandpa laughed with her. “That’s your answer then. You haven’t married him yet. Go see what it’s all about. If you change your mind, we’ll go. How about that?”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
Though the distance was great, she could see that Jeffrey was watching them. Waiting.
“I guess we’ll go meet Jeffrey’s family,” she said.
They nudged their horses forward and continued down the lane lined with oaks. Oaks with moss hanging from their limbs. Limbs so big and heavy, some of them swept down to the ground. It was as though the war hadn’t touched their door.
So much different from Claire’s home. Burned to the ground by the enemy. Jeffrey was fortunate. He still had his home. Glancing at Grandpa, Claire reminded herself that she, too, was fortunate. She had her grandfather. And her dog.
As they neared the house, Jeffrey and his sister came into focus. As they stood side by side, she could see that they were indeed twins.
He came forward to meet her. To help her from the horse. “Are you alright?” he asked, with his lips next to her ear.
And in that moment, she knew that as long as she was with Jeffrey, she could survive. She nodded.
He kissed her lightly on the lips. “Are you ready to meet my sister?”
Claire took a deep breath. “Yes. I’m ready.”
Grandpa came and stood next to them.
Jeffrey took her hand and together they approached the front steps of the house.
Before she knew what was happening, Jeffrey’s sister was hugging her.
Then, Alexandra stepped back, keeping Claire’s hands in hers. “Welcome to Chene Ruelle,” she said. “Both of you,” she said to Grandpa. “I’m so happy to meet you. Jeffrey says you’re to be married. Welcome to the family.”
Her smile was contagious. Claire felt truly welcome. Alexandra was fair-skinned with dark hair. A true southern beauty. Her features were delicate. It was her smile that lit up her face. She appeared genuinely happy.
Only minutes later, Claire was introduced to Alexandra’s grandfather, whom she referred to as Grand-père and both she and Jeffrey met Alexandra’s fiancé, Thomas.
Jeffrey had no idea his sister was engaged.
Both siblings, it seemed, had found love while war waged all around them. They had so very many stories to tell each other.
“You,” Alexandra said to her brother, “have a lot of explaining to do.”
“It might be a while,” Jeffrey said, glancing at Claire.
“We’ll have plenty of time,” Alexandra said.
The two grandfathers went in search of cigars and a whiskey.
Alexandra and Thomas went inside to prepare the guest room.
Claire and Jeffrey were left alone on the front porch of the grand estate.
He pulled her against him, her back to his chest, and nestled his chin over the top of her head. Together they watched the sunset over the Mississippi.
“It’s good to be home,” he said.
“It’s beautiful here,” Claire said.
He nodded. “It is.”
They stood in silence for a few minutes, watching a tugboat make its way up the river. “Is it strange?” Claire asked. “Being back here after what you went through?”
“I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to come home again.”
“Will the war never end?”
“It will end. But for me it’s already over. And I’ll be forever grateful for the war.”
Claire twisted to look up at him. Frowned. “Grateful?”
“Because of the war, I have you.”
The End.
Epilogue
One Month Later
There had never been a more beautiful day for a wedding. Somewhere out there, the war raged. Men died and fought for a cause they believed in.
But today, the only thing Jeffrey believed in was love. The backyard of Chene Ruelle was abloom in pink and white flowers.
Thomas and Jeffrey stood together on the porch, with whiskey glasses in hand. There were no guests. Just the priest. Grandpa, and Grand-père.
Jeffrey was content. None of them felt up to entertaining. They had all been through enough trials that they wanted nothing more than peace and co
ntentment.
And each other.
Alexandra came through the door first, wearing a blue gown with hoops so wide she could barely make it through the door. It was her favorite dress from before the war. When she saw Thomas, her face lit up and he set down his glass to take her in his arms.
“I don’t think I’m supposed to kiss you yet,” he said.
“Then let’s get this thing done. I haven’t kissed you all day,” Alexandra said.
Hand in hand, they went down the back steps to stand and wait with the preacher, Grandpa, and Grand-père.
Jeffrey shifted from one foot to the other. Where was Claire? She’d confided in him that she had considered running away when she saw that Jeffrey lived in a mansion. Had she done so?
Jeffrey shook his head. She was going nowhere without her grandfather. And he stood calmly waiting with the rest of the group.
Then she stood in the door, her face bright. “Look what I found on the chair next to my bed this morning,” she said, coming onto the porch and twirling around for him to see that red dress he’d bought for her in Natchitoches.
He’d left the dress for her with a note. For my bride-to-be on our wedding day. Love Jeffrey
“It’s beautiful,” he said. “But only because you’re wearing it.”
“How did you know it would fit me?”
“I got lucky,” he said, distracted by the way the red created a lovely glow on her face.
“Come on, you two,” Thomas called.
“I think they’re waiting for you,” he said. “Are you ready?”
She nodded.
“Are you happy?”
“I am the happiest woman in the entire world.”
“Then it’s a good thing your grandfather shot me.”
Laughing together at their own private joke, they joined the others and, enveloped by the scent of the pink and white camellias, Jeffrey watched as his twin sister married the man she loved, then he was forever trothed to the love of his life.
Another Epilogue
Married the same day, Claire and Alexandra had become fast friends. Especially when they went through their pregnancies together.
But what were the odds that today, they would both be blessed with twin babies? Twins. In one day, one very special day, four babies were brought into the world at Chene Ruelle.
It was a happy day indeed.
The war had ended and life was back to a new normal.
A new normal that now included four babies.
Claire was too exhausted to worry about it. But Jeffrey. Jeffrey stood next to her bed, picking up one baby girl, then a baby boy. Cradling them gently in his arms.
He was, indeed, in heaven.
“Look at this,” he said, as Claire’s eyes grew heavy with sleep. “Have you ever seen such a perfect pair of babies?”
“I’ve never even seen twin babies,” she muttered.
“But, my love, we not only have one baby, we have two. They’ll be just as close as me and Alexandra. And,” he held up a hand. “They have twin cousins. They’ll all four be close. Two boys and two girls,” he decided.
“We’ll be overwhelmed,” she said.
“No, it will be wonderful,”
Claire yawned.
“I’m sorry, my love, you need to sleep.”
The midwife who had been there through the deliveries was exhausted. She’d had to move from room to room, until she had finally put both women in the same room in order to save herself some steps. She’d even gone against tradition and enlisted the help of the husbands.
They were back in their respective rooms now, to rest, and spend time with their husbands.
The midwife came into the room and confirmed Jeffrey’s observation. “Bring the babies,” she said. “Whoever heard of such a thing? Four babies in one day in the same house? It’s unheard of.”
“We’re blessed,” Jeffrey said, following her, his arms full of his babies.
Claire watched them leave. She hadn’t told anyone, but she’d been terrified. Her own mother had died in childbirth, so the weeks leading up to today had been especially stressful for her.
Jeffrey was the only thing that had made it bearable. And, of course, it helped that Alexandra had been going through the same things at the same time.
Four babies indeed. It seemed the Couvion family was fertile, to say the least.
Grandpa knocked on the door and stuck his head in.
Claire beckoned him in.
“How are you, Kitten?” he asked. He, too, looked exhausted.
“I’m well. I’m glad you’re here.”
He took her hand. “You did a great thing today.”
She would have laughed if she’d had the strength. “I’m just glad it’s over.”
One year later, Claire and Alexandra sat in the back yard watching their four children laughing and playing together on the ground. They all had pale skin and dark hair. They could have passed for siblings, one and all. Romeo lay stretched out, allowing the children to climb over him and pull his ears and his tail.
Jeffrey and Thomas had been gone into the city for two days, and Claire had spent much of that time watching the road for them to return.
She was rewarded as she glanced up this time. She recognized the two riders the minute they turned down the road.
Jeffrey found her around back and sat next to her on the bench.
“I know that today is their birthday,” he said, indicating the children, “but I wanted to give you something.”
He opened a cloth bag and took out a diamond ring which he slipped onto her finger.
Claire stared at the ring. She’d never seen anything so beautiful. “You got this for me?”
He nodded.
“I don’t know what to say. It’s beautiful.”
“When I saw it, I thought of you. Now when you look at it, you’ll think of me.”
“I think of you all the time.”
He smiled and, placing a finger beneath her chin, pressed his lips against hers. “I love you,” he said, against her lips.
“And I love you, Jeffrey Couvion.”
If you loved Hearts Under Fire, I think you’ll also enjoy Twist of Fate. Please continue reading for a sneak peek at it - it’s currently available on Amazon!
Twist of Fate Excerpt
Twist of Fate
Once Upon a Time Series
Book 1
Prologue
Twist of Fate
Along the banks of the Mississippi
1714
"If you're going to kill me, do it now."
Lightning flashed and thunder shook the earth. Vaughn Dupre squinted through the blinding rivulets of rain washing over her and cowered among prickly brambles beneath the branches of a hickory tree.
An ancient white-bearded Indian dropped to his knees in front of her and stared into her eyes. His breath brushed her skin.
Vaughn clenched the valise holding her carefully folded wedding dress. She had been on her way to Fort Rosalie to meet the stranger she was to marry when the Indians attacked.
She had watched in horror as the Indians killed those in her traveling party, one by one. Only her best friend and companion had survived nearly as long as she had. Now she could see Mary's brutalized body several yards away.
"Please," she pleaded, "do it quickly."
The old man shook his head and spoke slowly - deliberately. "There is only one way you can possibly survive. You must travel.”
He placed a roughened finger beneath her chin and waited a heartbeat for her eyes to focus on his. “You must travel,” he repeated, “through time. I must send you to a different time."
Vaughn took a deep breath, fear searing her throat. He spoke in French, but she understood him. He was trying to help her. Though he was dressed like the other Indians, his skin tone was lighter and his kindly features were more like those of the French familiar to her.
"I can run," Vaughn whispered, her throat closing as she spoke.<
br />
"It would do no good. The Natchee will seek you out and slice your throat as they did the others."
An image of her childhood home in the countryside of France flashed through her mind. It was followed by a memory of the orphanage where she had spent the last ten years of her life. She had nothing to leave behind and no one to miss her. The man awaiting her would find another wife easily enough. There were plenty of desperate girls on their way who could take her place. She could only pray to God that they would fare better than she and Mary had.
Though it was incomprehensible that she could be sent to another time by this man, or anyone else, the alternatives were bleak, at best.
She knew only one thing - she did not want to die.
"I beg you… do whatever you can to help me."
Now that he had her permission, the old man hesitated. "There is no guarantee. I know not where you will go or for how long. You may not even live through it."
Looking back at the carnage of her friend and former traveling companions, she grasped his sleeve, ready now, to take the risk. "If you don't try, I am certain to die."
"I have seen strange things since I've lived with the Natchee." He spoke slowly, as though his native language suddenly fell unfamiliar on his tongue. "Very well. I can help you, but I must warn you.
"Once the rip in time is made, it may take centuries for it to heal itself. Not only you, but those of your blood may pass through it. It will happen without warning. I warn you to be prepared."
Her ragged breath scratched her throat. "How will I know?"
"You won't."
Suddenly the French Indian lifted his arms and stretched toward the Heavens. He chanted words she couldn't understand and didn't want to. The wind whipped around them in a fury. He held his arms high and yelled to the sky.
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