Wronged (The Cuvier Widows Book 1) (17 page)

“No, he said nothing about you, Marian, to
me. The worst part is he’s dead and we can never ask him why he did
this. I’d simply like to know why he lied.”

“We’ll never know his reasons for betraying
all of us. I long to put all this behind me, but it’s hard when you
don’t understand the reasons why. When your husband doesn’t love or
want you, it does things to your confidence as a woman,” Marian
said, her hands tightly clasped.

Nicole raised her head her eyes searching
Marian’s. “Oh Marian, you can’t know what Jean’s reasons were.
You’re a beautiful woman.”

Marian shrugged. “I don’t feel beautiful or
desirable. I feel like a matron past her prime, while Jean married
two much younger women.” She paused. “Sometimes I hate the two of
you for what you’ve done to my life. But then I realize it’s not
your fault, but Jean’s. And then I hate him.”

“You’re not past your prime. As for hating
Jean and us, I can’t say I haven’t felt many of the same feelings.
And once I loved him so much.”

“I came here with the hope that maybe
together we could finally understand Jean, but you’re just as
confused as I am.” Marian said.

Nicole shook her head. “Nothing makes sense
anymore. I don’t understand how Jean could be the man I loved and
yet betray all of us.” Nicole turned her tear- filled eyes to
Marian. “For over four years I’ve been trying to get pregnant.
Every time he came home, we talked about what our son or daughter
would do with their life.”

A tear trailed down her pale cheek. “The day
he died, I came into town so happy and excited to tell him— I’m
pregnant, Marian. I’m pregnant, unmarried, and Jean is dead. What
do I do now?”

***

“Thanks for meeting with me,” Louis said to
the attorney, Stephen Hudson, who sat across the table from him in
his tiny office located two blocks from the wharf. “I need to know
how the sale of Cuvier Shipping is coming along.”

“I’m sorry, but with all the bad press
lately, I haven’t had many people express an interest,” the
attorney said. “A year ago, I could have gotten you a good price
for this business, but today with all the news surrounding Jean’s
death, I don’t know. It may take some time.”

“I have another business interest that I’m
pursuing; I don’t have a lot of time. Three months at the most.
Have you checked with one of the larger shipping companies?”

“No, I always start with my contacts and then
progress from there. I didn’t realize there was an urgency,” Mr.
Hudson said.

“Well there is,” Louis said pushing away the
guilt he felt at arranging the sale behind Marian’s back.

“Are you willing to take less than what the
business is worth, just to sell it?”

“I might,” Louis acknowledged thinking about
how Daniel Comeaux planned to retire soon. He didn’t want that mill
to slip away from him. He needed the mill to turn it into the
large-scale operation he had planned.

“Give me a week. I’ll speak with several
people I know in the business and see what happens. I’ll send word
to you, if I should hear anything.”

Louis started to rise from his chair. “All
right, but I’m willing to make a really good deal on this company
if I can get it sold.” He paused just before he left the office.
“There is one other thing. Mrs. Cuvier is in mourning for the death
of her husband. Please don’t disturb her with the details. Direct
all inquiries to me.”

“Of course, Mr. Fournet. Women aren’t very
logical when it comes to business decisions anyway. I will contact
you as soon as I know something.”

“Thank you,” Louis said and walked out of the
office.

After Louis found a buyer, he would convince
Marian that selling was in her best interest. She could find
another business for her son someday.

***

Marian and Claire strolled down the street,
their parasols shading them from the late afternoon sun. Marian’s
thoughts kept returning to Nicole. She was expecting Jean’s baby
and Marian felt sorry for the young woman and her unborn child.
Marian had sought Nicole out to see if she could tell Marian
anything that would help her learn why Jean married Nicole and
Layla. Also to help her understand why Jean had sought other women,
but the answers to Marian’s questions seemed to have been buried
with Jean. Nicole was just as hurt and betrayed as Marian, if not
more.

“You’re certainly quiet today,” Claire said
as they walked away from the last dress shop they’d visited.

“I’ve had some things on my mind today is
all,” Marian replied, not about to reveal Nicole’s confidence to
her sister. “I went to see Nicole today.”

“Whatever for?” Claire asked.

Marian shrugged. “I needed to understand why
Jean married her and Layla. I knew he didn’t love me, but still I
needed to know if Nicole knew of a specific reason why he no longer
found me attractive.”

Claire turned toward Marian, her brows drawn
together in a frown. “You’re being ridiculous. It had nothing to do
with you personally. Jean only thought of himself. What did she
tell you?”

Marian shook her head. “You’re my sister,
you’re prejudiced. My life with Jean left me feeling unattractive,
unappealing, and matronly. I know I’m not as thin as I once was. I
did put on some weight when I had the children, and I’m not a girl
of eighteen anymore, but I don’t think I’m so ugly that a man would
be frightened of me.”

“Dear sister, you are being ridiculous. Think
of the man you married. He was a bastard.”

“Yes, even Nicole I believe is beginning to
realize that Jean wasn’t the nicest of fellows. She feels more
betrayed than I do. And I believe she has reason to feel that way.
After all, if the man you thought you were happily married to died
and you found out that you weren’t even his legal wife, but wife
number two out of three! I can understand her feelings.”

Claire shook her head. “I don’t think it’s
good for you to become friends with his other wives.”

“We’re not friends. But she and Layla are the
only ones who understand even a fraction of how I feel regarding
Jean.”

“You hadn’t loved Jean in years, it’s not
your fault he found two other women,” Claire reassured.

“It’s odd, Claire, I just want to understand
how this happened and why. If I know why then it can never happen
to me again.”

“Oh tosh! You’re being silly. Jean made his
choices in life. Good riddance, I say.”

“I wish it were that simple,” Marian said
thinking of Nicole and her unborn child and her own fear that she
was so unattractive that her dead husband sought other women to
slake his desire. Jean’s only legacy was of pain and heartache.

The two women continued down the street on
their way to a favorite restaurant. The face of the maitre d’hotel
brightened at the sight of them and he hurried over to greet the
two sisters.

“Mrs. Cuvier and Mrs. Bienvenu, how nice to
see you again.” He smiled. “Your favorite table is available. Would
you care for it?”

“Thank you,” Marian nodded and followed him
to the little table situated close to the fountain in the
courtyard. Water splashed down the stone statue, the gurgling noise
peaceful and soothing.

After they ordered, Claire glanced at Marian.
“You haven’t mentioned Mr. Fournet in days. I miss your tales of
his attempts to rid the office of a woman.”

Marian sighed and wished her sister weren’t
quite so perceptive sometimes. She hadn’t spoken to Louis since the
night he’d come to the house at her bidding and they’d gotten into
that terrible row.

“I haven’t spoken to him in several days. I
didn’t go into the office today.”

“Why not?”

“I wanted to see Nicole and then ... I don’t
know. I wasn’t quite ready to face him. We had an argument the
other night when he came to the house.”

Claire put her menu down, her eyes
questioning as she gazed at Marian.

“It was partly my fault.”

“I don’t think you’d say anything vile to the
man. So what new trick is he up to?”

“Actually he’s been rather nice to me of
late. You remember how Jean never included me in any of the
decision-making for our family?”

“Yes, as his wife your place was to be seen
and not heard.”

“Yes, well, Louis made some business
decisions and forgot to tell me about them. I became upset even
though he had made most of these resolutions before he accepted our
partnership. I just kept thinking that his actions were exactly
like Jean’s. And then I mentioned the fact that he’d known about
Jean’s other women and never told me about that either.”

“Did you really expect him to?” Claire asked.
“I mean men take up and cover for one another just like women do.
So don’t you think your expectations were unrealistic? Did he even
know you then, Marian?”

“I know. You’re right. Louis didn’t know me
and he said that Jean’s affairs were none of his business. I
thought it through later and realized I had overreacted, but I
didn’t want to go back and tell him,” she admitted.

That evening as she had stood there staring
at him in his tuxedo, she’d realized just how much she was
attracted to this handsome man she shared a business with and she
could think of nothing worse in this world at that moment.

“So what are you going to do?” Claire
asked.

Their food arrived and spared Marian from
having to answer right away. Claire waited for their waiter to walk
away and then repeated the question, not giving up on obtaining
Marian’s response.

“I’ll go back to the office tomorrow. I just
took today off.” She sighed, her memory of his apology still
amazing her. “And I guess I now owe him an apology. Do you know he
actually told me he was sorry about what Jean had done to me and
the other women? God, I was so mad at him and I didn’t want to like
him, but he apologized and it—few men have ever done that to
me.”

Claire smiled. “Are you certain you don’t
like Louis a little more than you’re letting on?” She laughed. “I
haven’t seen you this animated about a man since grade school.”

“Oh please, Claire! Don’t start this. I can
honestly tell you that my intentions are to remain unmarried and
focus on this business and my children. I am not going to be
involved with a man again.”

“You know it’s really all right if you wanted
to. You married Jean so young. If you found the right man and
married for love this time, it could be different.”

“How can you say that? Haven’t you been
listening? I don’t want another man in my life again. And besides I
couldn’t keep Jean interested in me, how would I keep a man like
Mr. Fournet attracted?”

Claire looked at her. “You know Marian, I
don’t think the problem was with you, but rather Jean. You could
have danced naked around Jean’s bed and he would have found some
excuse to go to another woman. You are a beautiful woman. You could
have more children!”

Marian felt her face flame with
embarrassment. “Claire watch your language. We are in a public
restaurant and I would appreciate your not talking about me dancing
around any man’s bed naked.”

“Oh all right, but it’s true.”

“Finish your lunch, I need to get home.”

“I will, but I still think there is more
going on inside that devious mind of yours regarding Louis Fournet.
I just don’t think you’re ready to admit to it, even to
yourself.”

Marian glanced away from the table and
ignored her sister’s comment. She would not admit or deny anything
else Claire said about Louis Fournet. No matter how much she
ignored her attraction to the handsome man, she knew she was losing
the battle. Even though they argued the other night, his apology
had stunned her...

For the first time in more years than she
cared to admit, she found a man attractive. She wanted him and that
both infuriated and tantalized her. But she wasn’t willing to marry
any man again. Especially not the handsome Mr. Fournet, no matter
how much he apologized.

L
ouis looked up at
the house on Josephine Street and gazed at the mansion with its
white columns and iron grillwork, which reminded him of Europe. He
wondered again why Jean would give up Marian and all of this to
live a lie with two other women? Marian was beautiful and witty and
more strong-willed than any woman he’d ever met. Their verbal
sparring both challenged and excited him. Even when things were
tense, there was something about her that beckoned him like a siren
to a sailor.

Marian hadn’t shown up to the office today
and after the way he’d left her the other night, he worried about
her most of the day. Though he’d apologized that night, he felt as
if she’d withdrawn to some unreachable place. On impulse today he’d
bought her and the children beignets and brought her the latest
financial figures. Anything to keep her trust and not arouse her
suspicions during this time, while he worked to sell the
business.

The sound of a child’s laugh drifted on the
breeze from the back of the big house. He walked down a flagstone
path that led to a gate. A large crepe myrtle shaded him from the
sun as he gazed over the top of the gate at Marian.

The sun glimmered off her white shirtwaist as
he watched her pitch a baseball to her son. The boy swung awkwardly
and missed the slow pitch. The daughter he’d seen at Jean’s funeral
chased after the ball, her braids swinging down her back. She
scooped up the ball and threw it back to her mother.

Marian ducked her head to keep from getting
hit from the child’s throw.

“Momma, you’re supposed to catch the ball not
dodge it,” the little girl said, laughing.

“Thank you, Renee, I’ll try to remember
that,” Marian said picking up the ball. Then she gazed at her son.
“Concentrate on how your coach told you to hold the bat,
Philip.”

The boy wrapped his hands around the bat and
lifted it over his shoulder. “I am, but it feels funny.”