Mardi Gras Masquerade (6 page)

“Are you
lookin
’ for a vacation romance, Maria?”

“I’m not that kind of person.”

“Then, what is your ultimate goal?
 
Marriage?”

“Only if I find the right man.”

“How would you describe this person?”

“You’re very inquisitive, Steve.”

“If it offends you, I’ll ask you no more questions.”

“No, it’s all right.
 
I just wondered why you had so much interest in me.”

“I could give you an answer that would be trite, but instead I’ll say this; you intrigue me, too.”

They were silent for a moment as Maria considered his words.

Then Steve went on, “Are you goin’ to answer my question about
Mr. Right
?”

Maria placed her fork on her plate and delicately wiped her mouth with her napkin.
 
The man waited patiently.

“You mentioned something that might be trite a moment ago,” Maria finally answered, “and maybe that’s how you might describe my answer.
 
I’m not really looking for a husband.
 
I’m hoping we will find each other.
 
The man I imagine does not have to be handsome, but I would like him to be honest and giving.
 
By that, I mean giving of
himself
.
 
Open.
 
Communicative.
 
I don’t need to be showered with expensive gifts; in fact, I don’t want any gifts at all unless they’re given from the heart.
 
I want a man who will love me for myself, and not try to change me.
 
I want his respect and I want his fidelity.
 
Most important of all, I want his love, totally and forever.”

“Good Lord, you are a determined person!”

“Why do you say it like that?
 
Do you think I’m asking for too much?”

“Too little and too much at the same time.
 
I can’t believe that anyone could be as noble as that.”

“Have you been hurt by a woman, Steve?”

“Yes,” the man bitterly replied.
 
“You might say that.”

“Recently?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Was she your wife?”

“I told you I’m not married.”

“That says nothing about divorce.”

“I thought you said you weren’t goin’ to pry.”

“I’m sorry,” Maria immediately relented.
 
“You made me curious.”

“Do you want to see me again, Maria?”

“I’d like to, but as I said, I might have to go home.”

“I would pay for you to stay here for a while if money is the problem.”

“That is the problem, but I couldn’t let you do that.”

“I know.
 
We discussed this before, but I wanted to add there would be no strings attached.”

“It’s more than that, Steve.
 
If I stayed here as your guest, I’d feel that I was taking advantage of your generosity.”

“Isn’t there any way that you could be convinced to take advantage of a man’s generosity, as you put it?”

This question hit too close to home for Maria.
 
It was humiliating for her to think that she was doing just that right now by accepting Tienne DuPont’s hospitality under false pretences.

“I wouldn’t like to do that,” she finally answered in an unsteady voice.

“But, you would if there were
extenuatin
’ circumstances?” Steve persisted.

“I’m not going to discuss this any further,” Maria flatly replied.
 
“If
I can see you again, I will.”

“It sounds like you’re a person who never lies.”

“I’m no saint, Steve.
 
I’ve lied at times.”

“To me?”

Maria sighed and her face took on a sad expression.

“If you want to know the truth . . .” she began.

Steve interrupted her in a forceful voice, saying, “I’ve gone too far with this.
 
We’ve both admitted that we like to have that element of mystery about us, and I should have left it at that.
 
It’s all part of the masquerade of Mardi
Gras
.
 
Let’s not lose that
enticin
’ element in our relationship just now.
 
You’ll have your secrets, and I’ll have mine.
 
Okay?”

“If that’s the way you want it.”

Steve stood up and Maria picked up her purse and camera to join him.
 
They walked back to the waterfront in thoughtful silence.
 
A calliope on a paddleboat that was docked near them began to play.
 
Maria looked at it longingly.

“I’d hoped that I could have taken a ride on one of those before I left,” she said musingly, more to herself than to Steve.

“We could take a sunset dinner cruise on that one, if you like,” the man replied.

“Oh, I didn’t want you to think I was hinting around for an invitation.”

“I already gave you an invitation.
 
You just saved me the trouble of
findin
’ out what you wanted to do.”

“It would be lovely, but I think I already have another engagement this evening.”

“Business?”

“Personal.”

“With a man?”

“Yes, but it isn’t what you must be thinking.
 
I don’t even know him.”

“That statement invites a question, but I hesitate to pry after all that’s been said.”

“I wish I could tell you about it, Steve, but I shouldn’t.
 
Ask me anything else.”

The man turned to his right to look at the large bridge that spanned the waters of the
Mississippi River
.

In a faraway voice, he said, “Against my finer instincts, I find myself
likin
’ you, Maria.”

“Why do you say it like that?” the woman replied in perplexity.
 
“Have you been hurt so badly that you hate all women?”

“I don’t hate them, but I can’t trust them.”

“You can trust me, Steve, leaving the desired amount of mystery aside.
 
I won’t hurt you.”

“Sweet Maria,” the man said wistfully.
 
“What is your last name?”

Maria hesitated, and then decided to play the charade to its fullest since this was all a game anyway.

“My last name,” she said, preserving her image as a model. “I’m Maria Fontaine.”

Steve looked at her in disbelief, and Maria wondered what had brought on this reaction.
 
She did not have long to wait.

“Wouldn’t you like to know what my last name is?” her companion asked.
 
“It’s DuPont.
 
Steve DuPont.”

“You’re not related to . . .” Maria began, but could not finish.

Steve finished for her, “I presume you’re here to see Tienne DuPont.
 
He’s my brother.”

Maria was too floored to immediately reply.

CHAPTER 3

“Your brother!”
Maria finally cried out, not daring to believe what she had heard.

“It seems to be a small town after all.”

“Then you know about . . . your brother and me?” Maria hesitated to say.

“At this point, I’m sorry to say I do.
 
I thought it might be a bizarre coincidence, the first name and all, but I now know that I was only
deceivin
’ myself.”

Maria was tempted to tell the man the whole truth, but she had memorized those words that were meant only for the ears of Tienne DuPont.
 
It would be unfair if they were relayed to him through any other source.
 
Besides, all of her credibility would be lost if she confessed the truth to Steve now.

“Yes,” she said, “I must speak to Tienne about . . . our engagement.”

“I still can’t believe that you’re engaged to my brother, not after all those things you said about
hopin
’ to find the right man.”

“What makes you think that Tienne doesn’t fit those qualifications?” Maria quickly improvised.

“It was the way you said it, like you hadn’t found anyone yet, or was all of that your way of
flirtin
’ with a stranger to pass the time until my brother is ready to see you?” Steve angrily asked.

“No!” Maria cried out in frustration.
 
As yet she was unsure how to continue.
 
“I . . . I only wanted to tell you something about myself, and since we hardly know each other, I didn’t think I needed to explain the whole situation.”

Steve shook his head and looked away.

“You’ve really confirmed my belief about women,” he said in a bitter voice.
 
“You led me to believe that you had no
boyfriend, that
I could trust you, and it all turned out to be an
uncarin
’ lie.”

“But you agreed we should keep our secrets to preserve the mystery between us.”

The man turned back to face Maria, and his face was set in lines of cold displeasure.

“You’re a great deal too mysterious for my taste, Miss Fontaine,” he frigidly stated.

Maria felt confused and hurt by all that had happened.
 
She had begun to feel a genuine regard for Steve DuPont, and she believed he had shared her sentiment.
 
Now, whatever might have developed between them was ruined by her impetuous charade.
 
It would be impossible to set things straight without exposing the whole scheme.

“If I could just speak to your brother,” she said, “I think you’ll understand why I acted as I did.”

“I’m not really interested in any more of your explanations.
 
This is all between you and Tienne.”

“But, I want you to understand!” Maria cried out, feeling frustratingly tangled in her web of deceit.

“Understand what?
 
That this was all some big joke on your part?
 
I’m sure Tienne will get a good laugh when he hears how you snagged me with your innocent act.”

Maria could not face the fury in the man’s eyes.
 
She clutched her purse and camera tightly against her for a sense of security and bit her lower lip.

“I’m sorry for everything I did,” she whispered.
 
“I’m sorry I hurt you, and I want you to know that I won’t tell Tienne about anything that passed between us.
 
There would be no reason for me to do that.”