Mardi Gras Masquerade (27 page)

“Don’t think; just act.
 
Be impetuous!
 
Isn’t that your philosophy?”

“I can’t always be impetuous.”

“What’s put you in such a thoughtful mood?”

He gently rubbed the palms of her hands with his thumbs.

“Are your parents home yet?”

“If that’s what has been
botherin
’ you, you can relax.
 
They’re home.
 
I spoke to them a little while ago.
 
While they can’t wait to meet you, my mother is
sufferin
’ from a bit of jet lag.
 
I suggested that they should put off the momentous occasion until tomorrow and get some rest.
 
I told them that you wouldn’t mind.
 
You don’t; do you?”

“I don’t want to insult you, Steve, but I’m really glad they’re going to wait.”

“Ah, I can see right through your motive,” the man replied with a wicked grin.
  
“You’re as eager to be alone with me as I am to have you all to myself.
 
Now, get up and put on your gown.
 
It’s almost time for us to leave.”

Saying this, Steve arose and pulled Maria to her feet.
 
He held onto her hands to place them behind his waist, forcing her into a hug.
 
Maria stared up into his deep blue eyes, and she felt like crying when she realized how little time they had left together.
 
He looked back at her curiously, as he wove his arms around her.

“What’s this?” he asked with a frown.
 
“We’ll have no sadness to spoil our
evenin
’ tonight, my girl, and that’s an order!”

Maria smiled though the pain in her heart grew deeper.
 
She rested her head on Steve’s chest and clung to him.

“Maria, sweet, little butterfly, he crooned in a low voice.
 
“Everything is going to be all right.”

With a pained expression she asked, “What about your brother?”

“He won’t be back until tomorrow morning.
 
The
weddin
’ isn’t scheduled until two, so he’ll have plenty of time to get ready.”

“Oh, Steve.
 
I can’t . . .”

“No, no, no.
 
We will not talk about that right now.
 
I intend to make you so happy that you won’t have time for any last minute jitters.
 
You may consider the ball to be your bachelorette party, little bride-to-be.”

He suddenly released her and held her at arms length, saying, “Now, get ready.
 
I have some
dressin
’ up to do myself, and I can’t wait to see you in that gown.”

Steve leaned down to give Maria a peck on the nose, and then left the room.
 
She stood there, staring down at the floor and remembering the way he felt in her arms.
 
A moment later, she was startled out of her reverie by a 1ight tap at the open doorway.
 
It was the maid who had assisted her earlier.

“Mr. DuPont asked me to help you dress, Miss,” she said with a smile.

“I would appreciate that,” Maria replied am she led the woman to the bathroom.

A bit more than half an hour later, she came out arrayed in the golden gown and its accessories.
 
The maid threw open the closet door for her to view herself, but it was a different woman who stared into the mirror this time.
 
That phone call from Marla had taken away the last remnants of her dream.
 
All that was left were the unhappy prospects of reality.

When Maria felt two hands on her shoulders, she looked up to see Steve’s reflection beside that of her own in the mirror.
 
He was wearing a black tuxedo.
 
The cape he had worn at their first meeting was now draped over his shoulders.
 
At this point, the maid slipped quietly out of the room.

Against her ear, the man whispered, “I thought you were a butterfly before, but I see that you have the unique capability of emerging from one cocoon after another.
 
Turn around so I can see you face-to-face.”

Maria smiled slightly and did as he asked.
 
Steve stood back to view her more fully.
 
There could be no mistaking the look of pleasure on his face.

“Dear Maria, you’re more
breathtakin
’ than the first blush of spring.”

“Thank you, Steve,” the woman replied, as she fulfilled his imagery by blushing.

“I’m glad to see that the gown fits you so well, yet, there is still something
missin
’.”

“My mask?”

“It’s in the car already, but that was not what I had in mind.
 
Come here.”

When Maria stepped forward, the man smiled at her, and then walked around behind her.
 
He reached into an inner pocket of his jacket to extract a long, narrow box.

As she started to turn toward him, he said in teasing voice, “No
peekin
’ yet.”

Maria could not keep a small grin from touching her lips as she wondered what he was going to do.
 
Without a sound, Steve opened the box.
 
He removed the glittering item and returned the box to his pocket.

Maria let out a tiny gasp when he fastened the necklace about her neck.

“All right,” he said, as he turned her back to face the mirror.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the sparkling diamonds interwoven with bands of Italian gold in a serpentine design.
 
She had never worn such a lovely and expensive piece of jewelry before.

“It’s magnificent,” she breathed in an emotion-laden voice.

“Not half as magnificent as its new owner,” Steve replied, looking over her shoulder.

“Oh, Steve, I can’t accept this.”

“But, you shall anyway.
 
It’s my
weddin
’ gift to you.”

“It must have cost you a fortune.”

“Not a penny.
 
That necklace was given to my great-grandmother by my great-grandfather on the night before their wedding.
 
I never got to meet her, but somehow, I know she would be happy if she could see you
wearin
’ it now.”

“This isn’t right,” Maria replied, shaking her head.

“Don’t you like it?”

“I love it.
 
It’s only that . . .”

Steve placed his fingertips over Maria’s lips to silence her.

“You
can take it off after the ball and never wear it again if you like,” he said, “but for tonight, you’ll wear the necklace to please me.
 
Understand?”

“Understood,” Maria was forced to concede.

It hurt her to think of the charade, but if destiny compelled her to continue, she would have this one last night of fantasy.
 
Since it would be her final evening of happiness, she decided to enjoy it as fully as she could.

The two people walked lightly down the stairs and on out to the waiting limousine.
 
The fragrant night air was full of magic as they were carried away to the ball.

The noisy gaiety of the French Quarter was neglected to move on to the more modern part of the city.
 
The dazzling heights of the skyscrapers stood boldly forth against the sky.
 
Maria looked out at the cosmopolitan clamor of traffic and felt that she had been transported into another world.

When the limousine pulled over to the curb in front of a grand hotel, she asked, “Aren’t we early?”

“At this time of year, the party goes on endlessly,” Steve replied as he escorted her out of the car.

A doorman smiled at them as they walked into the enormous lobby.
 
An imposing, crystal chandelier dominated the upper part of the room.
 
People passed them with hushed murmurs of conversation.

“You can put on your mask now, “Steve suggested.

As he placed his mask over his eyes, Maria lifted the golden stick to which her own mask was attached.
 
It was made up of the same material as her gown and glistened with sparkles.
 
There were no elastic bands to hold it in place, only the wand-like stick.

Steve led her on until they reached the open door of the ballroom.
 
There, he presented their tickets to a man at the door.
  
Then the couple, entered a scene of enchantment.

The ceiling was festooned with garlands of flowers and sparkling nets filled with colorful balloons.
 
These did not block the view of the room’s crystal chandeliers.
 
As couples glided across the enormous dance floor, a full orchestra filled the room with the strains of a romantic melody.
 
The tables were appointed with sparkling crystal dinnerware.
 
Everyone was in costume, each, more spectacular than the next.
 
Maria felt as thought she had entered the palace of the Sun King of France.

“I’ve never seen anything so wonderful,” she whispered to Steve.

“Wait until you see the buffet,” he replied.

With a wave of his hand, he indicated the banquet tables on the side of the room, heaped with delicacies from around the world.
 
It was a feast worthy of an emperor.

Before Maria could comment, Steve directed her to an unoccupied table.
 
The linen and crystal were impeccable.
 
As he held her chair for her and she sat down, Maria felt almost breathless with delight.
 
A waiter immediately served them champagne.

Steve raised his glass and said, “May the joy of this night live in your heart forever.”

Maria clinked her glass against his with a radiant smile.
 
She knew that his toast would be true no matter what happened.

She had barely taken a sip of the bubbling wine when the man said, “Let’s dance.
 
I’ve waited all day for this.”

Maria gladly put down her glass to accompany him to the dance floor.
 
With a strong arm at her waist, Steve swept her away among the others in a waltz.
 
For the first time, Maria was glad she had taken those ballroom dancing lessons her mother had insisted upon.
 
She glided along in Steve’s arms, and his prophecy had been true.
 
Nothing else mattered to her in the ecstasy of the moment.

The hours flew by on golden wings.
 
They danced most of the time, but they also enjoyed the incredible buffet and never-ending music.
 
Time seemed to stand still as the dream gathered Maria tighter and tighter into its gossamer folds.

Steve was the perfect escort as he tenderly saw to Maria’s every comfort.
 
She had never before felt so protected and pampered.
 
They had long since discarded their masks so they could look directly into each other’s eyes.

When the clock struck
midnight
, all of the balloons were released from their sparkling nets on the ceiling.
 
Maria grabbed at one with a merry laugh as Steve pushed it in her direction.
 
Her face fell as it popped when it came into contact with her engagement ring.
 
Before she had time to despair, the man presented her with another, a gold one that matched her gown.