Moontide Embrace (Historical Romance) (14 page)

Father and daughter stood together, silently surveying
the land they both loved. "I will probably never marry,
Papa. You will never have grandchildren, except through
Bandera."

He laughed softly. "You will marry,
ma chere.
Soon
your beauty will bloom, and you will have your choice of young gentlemen to select from. Choose well, and do not
allow blind pride to rob you of love."

Liberty glanced up at her father, but his thoughts
seemed far away. She got the impression he was remem
bering some lady out of his past, and she did not think it
was her mother.

Glancing down at her upturned face, he smiled. "I
understand you have met Judah Slaughter."

"Oui,
Papa."

"What do you think of him?"

"I ... he is wonderful."

His eyes twinkled beneath arched brows. "Is he?"

"I think so."

"I knew his mother many years ago. I thought she was
wonderful." Louis Boudreaux placed a soft kiss on his
daughter's cheek and walked her to the door. "Go to bed,
Liberty, and allow nothing to trouble your dreams. Weave
dreams of love and happiness."

She paused with her hand on the door. "Papa, about the bust-"

"It is all but forgotten."

She turned away and slowly walked up the stairs. When
she reached her room, she undressed and climbed into
bed. Tonight her father had taught her a valuable lesson
about love. Liberty swore that she would never disappoint
anyone in her family again—especially not her father,
hopefully not her mother.

7

Liberty moved along the garden path which sloped
toward the Mississippi River. From her vantage point she
could see the opulent farmlands, the soil in hues of gray,
black, and red. The rich land was suited to a multitude of different crops, but it was a constant fight to keep the
ever-moving undergrowth from reclaiming it.

Liberty had kept the promise she made to herself. Each day she tried to improve her manners and her appearance. But no matter how she tried, she decided she could never
turn herself into a beauty. No matter how much she
brushed her hair, the damp climate made the unruly curls
spiral around her face and down her back, and she could do nothing about the straw color of her hair. When she
looked into the mirror, she saw the face of a child staring back at her. She had tried applying color from Bandera's
rouge pot, but that merely made her look like a little girl
playing at being a grownup. If her mother and sister
noticed a change in Liberty's appearance, neither of them
commented on it. Liberty would like to have talked to her
mother about the unsettling feelings she was experiencing.
But her mother neither solicitated Liberty's confidence,
nor gave any indication she was interested in her troubles.
Indeed, Ursula took no notice that Liberty had problems;
only Zippora held out a helping hand to the lonely, confused girl who was on the brink of womanhood.

Deeply breathing in the magnolia-scented air, Liberty
moved toward the house, hoping to have breakfast with her father. When she entered the small family dining room, she was surprised to find not only her father, but her mother and sister as well. After a hasty good morning, Liberty slipped into her chair.

She gasped in surprise when she saw the white rose
beside her plate. Catching her father's eye, she watched a
smile spread over his face. "Thank you, Papa," she said,
raising the delicate blossom to her nose.

Bandera slammed her fork against her plate, venting
her displeasure, until her mother's hand closed over hers, stilling any angry outburst she might have made. Louis
looked down the table, studying each face carefully. He still felt guilty because he had waited so long to do
anything about Liberty's plight. Today he would take the
first steps to help her find her way.

"I am leaving at the end of the week," he said, dipping
his spoon into thick cream and fishing out a plump blueberry.

"Must you go?" Liberty asked, already feeling alone and isolated due to his impending absence.

"Yes, I fear I must. I am going to Natchez for three weeks. I have to see about a loan, and I want to learn more about growing sugar cane."

"I am going with your father," Ursula announced to the
surprise of both girls. "While we are away, Oralee will see
to your needs."

"What about the ball at Bend of the River next week?"
Bandera wanted to know. "Who will make certain I am
properly clothed?"

Louis stared at Bandera for a moment. "You must
assume that your mother knows where her priorities lie. When we return, many things around here are going to
change."

"That's right," his wife agreed. "Your father and I have
been talking, and we have decided that we are going to
become a closer family. Each of us must put forth more
effort."

Louis turned to his youngest daughter and gave her his
brightest smile. How alone and vulnerable she looked at
the moment. "I have a surprise that I believe you will like,
Liberty," he said, hoping to make her smile.

Before she could answer, Bandera spoke up. "You always have a surprise for Liberty. You never seem to know I am alive, Papa."

Louis gave Bandera a hard glance. "I believe we are all
aware that you are alive, Bandera. I have given you a home as well as my name. I have loved you like a
daughter, and in so doing, I sometimes neglected Liberty.
It is my intention to right any mistakes I may have made
in the past. Besides, you would be bored this afternoon. I
am taking Liberty to meet an old friend of mine at Bend of the River."

Liberty did not notice the jealousy that gleamed in her
mother's eyes. "You haven't asked me to go along with you, Louis."

"No, not this time, Ursula. This is just for Liberty."

"You are taking her to meet Gabrielle Slaughter," Ur
sula said, a pout on her lips. "Don't try to deny it. I know
you are."

"I do not deny it. I believe Liberty and Gabrielle are very much of a kind, and will take an instant liking to one another." His eyes narrowed. "I believe knowing Gabrielle will be good for Liberty."

Liberty stared from her mother to her father. There had
been very little love between them for years. She could
not remember the two of them ever going away together.
Her heart ached as her mother lowered her head in
defeat. Liberty did not know what the trouble was. She
realized that her parents were making this trip together to
try to recapture some of the love they had lost. Her father
must have insisted on it.

Liberty sat beside her father, watching the scenery fly
by. It was a lovely clear day, and she was excited about
going to Bend of the River to meet Judah's mother. However, she couldn't help but hope that Judah would not be there. Liberty had not seen Judah since the day
she had made a fool of herself, and she was still too
embarrassed to face him. She knew that Bandera was
frequently in Judah's company. It was obvious that her sister had begun playing Judah against Sebastian; that
way, no mater who inherited Bend of the River, Bandera
would have the heir in the palm of her hand.

Several times a week, Liberty had visited Zippora, and
the old woman had instructed her on how a properly
brought-up young lady would act. Always in the back of
Liberty's mind was the vision of Judah Slaughter. Some
day he would look at her and think she was pretty—he had to.

The one thing that bothered Liberty was the fear that
Judah would leave Bend of the River and sail back to Boston. She knew that he had not already departed
because Bandera kept him dangling. Even if Liberty could
not have him, she hoped he would not fall in love with her sister. He deserved so much better than Bandera.

Gabrielle Slaughter was in deep thought as she walked
in the garden. How wonderful it was to be home. She had not realized how much she had missed Bend of the River
until she had returned. The only thing that marred her
happiness was knowing that her son was restless, eager to
leave. Since that first day, her father had ignored Judah.
Each day she feared a summons would come from her
father, and the two stubborn men, so much alike, would lock horns, and Judah would be driven away forever. '

Gabrielle was often left in the company of Sebastian's
mother, Alicia. She did not care much for her aunt,
because the woman was always so sullen and complain
ing. Apparently Alicia was lazy and spent her days lying
abed or lounging in the morning room, eating chocolates.
Gabrielle had very little patience with anyone who con
stantly bemoaned their lot in life as Alicia did. Gabrielle
had always been the eternal optimist, and she expected no
less from others. But Sebastian was always pleasant, and
Gabrielle found him charming, even though Judah did
not like him overmuch and was suspicious of his motives.

Stopping beneath a flowering dogwood tree, Gabrielle
was overcome with a feeling of nostalgia. So much of her
life had been spent here at Bend of the River. She
remembered a scene that had been played out beneath this
very tree —a scene that had broken her heart when she'd
been a young girl.

Her mind was spinning backward to the year of her
eighteenth birthday. Bittersweet memories now wrapped
her in dreams of days gone by. How well she remembered the feeling of devastation when the young man she loved stood in the spot where she was now standing and told her
he was going away. She still had the image of him in her
mind, of his pain-filled blue eyes, begging her to under
stand why he had to leave.

"Why, Louis?" she had begged to know that day. "Why
are you turning your back on me? I thought you loved me?"

"Try to understand, Gabrielle. I cannot marry you until
I have the money. I will not have people saying I married
you for your fortune. Briar Oaks has fallen on hard times, and my father has borrowed heavily against it."

"Louis, do not do this to us. Everyone knows we have
loved each other since childhood. No one will believe that
you are marrying me for any reason except love. My father approves of the match, why cannot you?"

"If I loved you less, I would take you for my wife, and the world be damned. But my pride will not allow me to
live on your father's money."

"We will not take money from my father, if you do not
want to. I will live anywhere with you. We can get a small
place in New Orleans."

"My father has ordered me to leave Briar Oaks, Ga
brielle. There is no way I can support you at this time,
and I cannot ask you to wait for me. I will not ask you to
give up everything you are accustomed to and live in poverty with me."

Gabrielle knew that Louis's father had married a
woman twenty years younger than he. Louis had told her
how his stepmother, Anna, had tried to entice him into
her bedroom when his father was away. She had been
horrified by the woman's wanton behavior. Gabrielle knew that Anna was at the bottom of Louis's troubles.
Anna had spent money lavishly, and now Briar Oaks was
in financial trouble.

"Anna caused the rift between you and your father, didn't she, Louis?"

"Yes. She has told my father that . . . that I made
advances toward her, which we both know is not true. I
could not tell him the real truth about her. He would never believe his beloved Anna is nothing but a . . . that is the one who ... I have to go away, do you not see that? I could never hurt my father by telling him the truth."

Gabrielle had grabbed Louis's shirtfront, trying to hold on to him. "You do not mind hurting me, Louis. You are
tearing my heart out."

His eyes had misted with tears. "My dearest and only
love, no one will ever care for you as deeply as I. But I
have nothing to offer you. I will not drag you down with
me."

She had clasped his hand tightly, knowing he was
slipping away from her. "I ask no more than to be your
wife."

"No matter what happens, Gabrielle, you will always be
my only true love —will you remember that?"

Gabrielle could feel the pain of that day as if it had been yesterday. She had called after Louis as he turned
and walked out of her life, but he did not heed her call.
Shortly thereafter, she had left on a tour of France and
had met Judah's father. She had loved him deeply, but a
woman never quite gets over her first love. The past was
as dead as Louis's father and Anna. But Gabrielle had
heard that Louis was still paying off debts incurred by his
stepmother. She wondered if he ever thought of her. He was married, and she hoped he had found happiness.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she heard footsteps and
spun around. Blinded by the sun, she stared at the man
walking toward her. Her heart pounded like a young girl's as he reached her side. Softly, his eyes caressed her face,
and she reached out to clasp his hand.

"I see tears in your eyes, Gabrielle. The last time I saw you, you were standing here, and there were tears in your
eyes then also."

"Yes, I remember, Louis," she answered, feeling his hand tighten about hers.

"Time has been kind to you, and has only enhanced your beauty, Gabby."

She smiled. "You always knew how to make me feel
good about myself, Louis."

"I have not yet met your son, Gabrielle."

"He is a fine young man."