New Orleans by Sara Orwig

Author:Sara Orwig
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION/Romance/Historical
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2013-08-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

October 21, 1859

“You look beautiful, ma’am,” Loretta said, in a voice filled with awe and pleasure. Chantal studied her reflection in the pier glass.

“Thank you, Loretta,” she answered, pleased with her reflection and wondering about Lazare’s reaction, which seemed the same every time he saw her: always pleased, yet nothing more. What did she expect, a reaction like Rafferty O’Brien’s? She pushed the thought aside. She dreaded her talk with Papa, yet she was determined to have one.

Always, when they had a party to attend, Papa was ready a full hour before the rest of the family. The house servants had packed the carriages in the morning. The party was to last all weekend, from Friday afternoon until Sunday night, and trunks were packed with fancy petticoats and gowns and gifts for the Pirious.

With a swirl of petticoats and her emerald silk dress, Chantal went to find Papa.

The house was silent as she descended the curving stairs. “William, where’s Papa?”

“He’s in his office, Miss Chantal.”

She moved down the hall, her slippers a whisper against the polished cypress floor. She rapped lightly on the open door and entered the room. “Papa?”

Her breath caught as Rafferty O’Brien turned and looked into her eyes. His gaze lowered in one of those languorous appraisals, and she saw pleasure light his face. She warmed beneath the look he gave her, and it was an effort to shift her gaze to Papa.

“Papa, I didn’t know you weren’t alone.”

“That’s all right, Chantal,” he said, looking down at something on his desk, and she was thankful he hadn’t noticed Rafferty’s perusal. When her gaze slid back to Rafferty’s, her heart made another skip at his unfathomable look. His expression was solemn, almost angry, and it startled her.

“I’ll go now, sir,” Rafferty said, his voice quiet, as unreadable as his expression. “You and your family will be away all weekend,” he added, looking into her eyes. Was that why he looked impassive, perhaps angry? “Do you know how I feel when I see you in his arms or leaving with him?” She remembered his question; was that why he was solemn? She felt hot and flustered as she watched him.

He held her gaze as he moved toward her, and her heart thudded. Then he passed her and was gone, his boots scraping the boards in the hall as he left. She felt drained, and he had done nothing except greet her and look at her. Nothing! All the more reason to talk to Papa. She closed the door and faced him.

“Is Mr. O’Brien doing a good job?”

“The best. We’ve never had an overseer as capable as he is, and we’re going to have bumper crops this year, cotton and corn. I was afraid that with his inexperience we might have a poor yield, but he gets work out of my hands like no one else has been able to do. And his younger brother is a good farrier. I hired the best overseer this plantation will ever have.” Papa glanced at her.

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