Desire and Deception by Nicole Jordan

Author:Nicole Jordan [Jordan, Nicole]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-01-25T03:38:04+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Lauren made her way along the gallery of the Beauvais plantation house slowly, reluctantly, as if she were being drawn by an invisible, magnetic source. It was odd the way she could sense Jason's presence. She had heard a horseman arriving at Bellefleur, and although she hadn't seen the visitor, she had known it would be Jason there in the study with Jean- Paul.

She should keep away from him, she knew. He was far too dangerous, for he seemed to be able to bend her to his will. But actually, she very much wanted to see him. Tucking a stray curl behind her ear, she nervously smoothed the skirts of her apple-green muslin, one of the new dresses that had arrived during the time Jason had been away from New Orleans.

His trip had taken her by surprise. He hadn't told her where he was going or the reason for his absence, merely that he was leaving town for a few days. She still remembered his parting words, when he had teasingly asked if she would miss him. Her tart denial had made him laugh.

But to be truthful, Lauren had missed him. That brief interlude in the Vieux Carre, when Jason had squired her about the shops and then taken her to dine at the fashionable cafe, stood out in her mind as one of the most enjoyable days in her memory. After finishing the delicious meal, they had gone to the bank where Monsieur Sauvinet, the bank's owner, had treated Lauren like visiting royalty. Curiously, Sauvinet had taken Jason aside for a few minutes to hand him a note. Jason had read the missive, glanced once at Lauren, and then nodded. They had left shortly thereafter, with Lauren's reticule heavier by a hundred dollars.

"And what do you intend to do with such a sum?" Jason asked casually as he took her arm and directed her toward the square.

"I have to repay Veronique's loan."

"Ah, yes. The loan which financed your escape."

Lauren gave him her coolest frown. Returning a bland smile, Jason steered her in the direction of the levee, saying he needed to visit the Siren.

On the way, they detoured through the French Market, an arcaded structure of stucco brick. As usual, it was extremely noisy and crowded with every conceivable kind of person: tradesmen, greengrocers, fishermen, ragged children, well- dressed customers, Negresses dressed in bright colors wearing turbans wrapped around their heads, and Choctaw and Chitimacha Indian women draped in handwoven blankets who sold reed baskets and other handmade goods.

At a stall where jewelry was sold, a string of blue beads caught Lauren's attention. Fingering the smooth bits of glass, she found herself comparing their brilliant color to the fathomless depths of Jason's eyes. When she looked up to discover Jason watching her, she saw he was regarding her with that same odd expression that so often disturbed her. "Is something amiss?" she asked self-consciously.

"No," Jason said softly. "I was just picturing you with a necklace of sapphires about your throat.

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