Love Be Mine (The Louisiana Ladies Series, Book 3) (7 page)

She hoped she wasn't that disobliging, but she had to admit that she had no good reason for refusing to accept an offer from Alain. He and Francis were close friends, although Alain was nearly a decade older than her brother. They had all grown up together—the Husson plantation was not far from the Duprees'. The Hussons were respectable and wealthy. There was even an indirect tie of blood—
Tante
Marie. It would be an eminently suitable match, so why was she dithering?

Unaccountably her gaze slid to the tall
Américain
near the fire. He was laughing at something her mother had said, his handsome face full of amusement. Across the room Hugh's eyes suddenly met hers, and Micaela felt her heart leap in her breast. Blushing furiously at the gleam which sprang into his gaze, she glanced hastily away.

Merci! Merci!
What was wrong with her? Pasting a smile on her lips, she forced herself to concentrate on what Alain was saying, determined not to spare one more glance at the
Américain
for the rest of the evening. She managed to do just that until Hugh and Jasper were taking their leave. The Husson family had departed a few minutes previously, and the remaining members of the party were gathered in the entryway bidding each other good night.

Micaela was standing next to her mother, François and Jean nearby. Jasper had already said his good-byes and was waiting at the door. Hugh bent over Lisette's hand and warmly thanked her for the evening.

A smile on his lips, he added, "Perhaps you will allow me to return the favor? I would very much like to have you and your family as my guests at one of the hotels for dinner. Will you allow me to arrange it?"

To her dismay, Micaela's pulse quickened at his words. François and Jean were quick to offer polite protests, but Lisette, paying them no heed, beamed at Hugh. "Why,
monsieur,
that would be most famous. I am sure that we should enjoy it."

The door had barely closed behind Hugh and Jasper before François burst out, "
Maman!
How could you? Tonight was bad enough, but must you encourage the man? He is our enemy. And he has treated Jean and me most cavalierly. Let me tell you what he has done to us."

As François proceeded vociferously to lay out Hugh's many crimes to his mother, Micaela drifted away, eager for the solace of her bedchamber. Jean's touch on her arm stopped her, and she looked inquiringly at him.

"A word with you,
petite?"'

Mystified, Micaela followed him into one of the smaller rooms. "What is it?"

Jean took a turn around the room, then, his hands behind his back, he said, "I wondered if you had made a decision about Alain Husson. He spoke to me earlier this evening before the others arrived. He indicated again how very much he wants to marry you."

Micaela bit her lip, her eyes on the floor in front of her. "I-I-I h-h-had not thought about it very much."

"Not thought about it very much!" Jean repeated, dismayed. "How can you
not
have thought about it? Alain Husson is a very suitable match. He is young, handsome, and comes from a good family. What more do you want in a husband?"

Micaela couldn't answer that question, but realizing that she also could not expect Alain to wait endlessly for her answer, she took a deep breath. Meeting Jean's gaze, she said softly, "I have been most unfair—I should have told you weeks ago that I do not wish to marry him."

"Perhaps you should consider someone else besides yourself before you make a final decision. I know that you are aware that our business affairs have not gone so well of late, but are you aware of the fact that Alain holds a rather large vowel signed by your brother? A debt that is difficult for François to pay?" Jean looked uncomfortable. "Alain has, in the most discreet fashion imaginable, made it clear that the day your betrothal is announced, he will happily destroy the note—as a sign of good faith toward his soon-to-be-brother-in-law."

Dismay filled Micaela. "A gambling debt?"

Jean nodded unhappily. "François is young—he has not yet learned not to be foolish with his money. It is fortunate for us that it is Alain who holds the note."

When Micaela remained silent, Jean crossed to her. Taking one of her hands in his, he said earnestly, "I do not like to put this burden on your shoulders,
ma chère,
but it is important that you understand that this is a troubling time for all of us right now. Alain is most desperate to marry you—he has even mentioned that a great dowry is not important to him." Steadily holding her gaze, he added softly, "Besides saving your brother from an embarrassing situation, there is much to recommend this match,
petite.
In fact I cannot think of one reason against it. Do not forget, too, that if you marry Alain Husson, you will, in effect, be keeping the shares of the business in the family. With this
Américain
underfoot, it is important that as a family we all stick together."

Her eyes searching his, Micaela said miserably, "You have given me much to think about,
oncle
... but I must be truthful with you and tell you that I do not want to marry Alain Husson."

"Not even to save your family?" he demanded.

"I do not know," she admitted huskily. "I shall have to think on it. You ask a great deal of me."

Her heart heavy in her breast, Micaela bade her uncle good night and swiftly left the room.

After Micaela had departed, Jean wandered about, his thoughts unpleasant. He had been so certain that she would accept Husson's offer. Something must be done to make her see sense.

François entered, a question in his eyes. Jean shook his head. "She does not want to marry him."

François's face fell. "I do not understand her. Why is she being so stubborn? Does she want to die a spinster? There are dozens of girls who would swoon with delight if Alain wanted to marry them."

"Unfortunately, your sister is not one of them," Jean replied dryly.

"What are we to do? Alain is pressing me for the money—or Micaela's hand."

Jean took a deep breath. "I think that we shall have to make up her mind for her."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that we shall have to arrange a... situation. A situation which will make it impossible for her to refuse to marry Alain."

François's eyes widened. "You mean...?"

Jean slowly nodded. "
Oui
," he said heavily. "I find this situation distasteful, but I see no other way out. If your father were alive, he would no doubt simply order her to marry the man of his choice, but we cannot. And so we must stoop to an unpleasant subterfuge." Uncomfortably, Jean continued, "With Alain's help, and I do not doubt that he will be most willing to play his part, we must see to it that your sister is thoroughly compromised and that she has no choice but to accept marriage to Alain Husson."

Chapter 4

The next weeks passed swiftly as Hugh settled into life in New Orleans. He spent long hours at the firm's offices, and by the end of March he was thoroughly familiar with all aspects of the workings of Galland, Lancaster and Dupree. Jean and François remained touchy about the situation, but he had to give them credit for not interfering any more than they did. He also had to admit that Jean had assembled a competent and hardworking staff. Jean Dupree, he conceded, was not a complete fool. In fact, the man had a good business head—when he used it.

His dinner party at the hotel for the Duprees had not yet come about, primarily because the week following his invitation, the ladies and Jean had departed New Orleans for Riverbend. It was sugar-cane planting time, and Jean needed to be there to oversee the setting out of the young crop. François had remained in the city, and Jean had made periodic trips into New Orleans to keep a no-doubt-jealous eye on events at Galland, Lancaster and Dupree.

Hugh had been surprised at the wave of disappointment which had swept through him when he had learned that the Dupree ladies had left the city for the country. He told himself that it was because he would miss Lisette Dupree's leavening presence in dealing with François and Jean, but there was a part of him that knew he was lying to himself. To prove to himself that it
really
was Lisette's presence he missed, he spent time in the company of Alice Summerfield and her family—much to Jasper's obvious disapproval.

Meeting Hugh as he was on his way out the door to dine at the Summerfield home that evening, Jasper made a face. "The icy Miss Summerfield again,
mon ami?"
When Hugh nodded, he waved an admonishing finger under Hugh's nose. "I would be careful, if I were you—you may find yourself leg-shackled before you realize what has happened. You have been seen much in her company of late and tongues are beginning to wag—even amongst the Creoles."

Hugh smiled. "I told you I was looking for a wife."

"But amongst the wrong females! What about the so-sweet Cecile Husson? She appeared to be quite taken with you. You could not find a better-connected or wealthier match in the city."

"Too young for my taste," Hugh muttered, and hastily departed. He had hoped that Jasper's promotion of a Creole bride had been an aberration, but such had not been the case. At every opportunity, Jasper shamelessly touted the charms of every eligible Creole female within a twenty-mile radius of New Orleans. One name, Hugh had been irritatingly aware, had been noticeably absent. Which, of course, meant nothing to him. It was Alice Summerfield who currently held his attention, he told himself firmly.

Hugh was startled to find François among the guests at the Summerfields' home, but then he shrugged. It was perhaps a sign of things to come—Creole and American conversing amiably together. Dismissing François's presence, Hugh enjoyed himself that evening at the elegant house of Alice's parents. Alice's father was a genial man who had been a friend of John Lancaster's in Natchez, and his wife was a lavish hostess. Hugh was acquainted with several of the other American guests, and he discovered that he was relieved that it was not to be an intimate family dinner. Aware of several arch looks when he went up and engaged Alice in conversation after dinner, he wondered if perhaps Jasper wasn't right. Mayhap he should be a bit more circumspect for the time being.

Noticing the frown which marred his handsome face, Alice asked, "Is something amiss? You look very fierce."

Hugh's features softened as he gazed down at her appreciatively. She was a sight to gladden any man's heart, in a blue-satin gown which matched her lovely eyes and displayed to advantage her tall, slim, elegant figure. Her blond hair was arranged in ringlets around her chiseled features; her blue eyes were large and limpid, but even as he looked with sincere admiration at Alice, he was conscious that her cool beauty left him unmoved... even bored.

Rousing himself, he smiled at her. "Do I? I assure you that I do not mean to—not with such a charming sight as yourself before me."

"That was a very pretty compliment," she replied sedately, her gaze moving serenely over the other guests. She was confident that it was only a matter of time before Hugh asked her father for permission to solicit her hand in marriage. She would, she had decided calmly, say yes when Hugh asked her to marry him.

Fixing her lovely blue eyes on Hugh's, she said, "Father mentioned that you have bought a new pair of horses, matched chestnuts, I believe he said."

"Indeed I have—as sweet a pair of goers it has been my pleasure ever to drive." He smiled ruefully. "Though until the ground dries out, I doubt I will be able to drive them very much."

Alice gave a delicate shudder. "I know—aren't the roads simply terrible? More like quagmires."

"Well, the rainy season will not last much longer, and then we shall all be complaining about the dust," Hugh replied cheerfully.

Catching sight of François talking with a fellow Creole, Bernard Marigny, who was a member of General Wilkinson's staff, Hugh nodded in that direction. "I was surprised to see François Dupree here tonight. I did not know that your father was acquainted with him."

"I believe that Mr. Marigny introduced us to him." She glanced at Hugh. "He has come several times to call, and my mother is quite taken with his Gallic charms... I must confess that I, too, have found his company delightful. His command of English is very good—it is my understanding that his grandfather insisted that he and his sister learn not only English but Spanish as well."

François's fluency in English and Spanish came as no surprise to Hugh—old Christophe Galland had been no fool, and it made sense for anyone living in New Orleans to have at least a working vocabulary of the three languages heard most often. It was François's visits to the Summerfield home that surprised him. Why, Hugh wondered, is François making himself so agreeable to the Summerfield family? His gaze slid consideringly to the young woman at his side. Alice? François had no doubt heard the same gossip as Jasper. Was the younger man seeing for himself the woman whose name had been linked to his, or was François putting himself forward as a rival? It was an interesting thought.