“Where did you get the new suit?” she asked as they climbed the curving staircase to the main floor of the mansion. Light streamed through the open windows, the sounds of a waltz drifted on the breeze.

  “I borrowed it,” he said.

  “Who do you know that would let you borrow such a suit?” she asked, staring at him as they reached the top of the stairs.

  “You remember James, from the crawfish festival?” Max asked. “I've been visiting him about once a week in town. He helped me find it.”

  “Why have you been visiting this man every week?” she questioned, feeling uneasy about why he would become friends with a man in town. Why would he make bonds with people when he would not be staying after the harvest?

  “We have a lot in common and we've become friends. He's given me some good tips on how to burn the cane fields when it comes time to harvest them.”

  Why would a drifter become friends with a planter who had been in this area for many years?

  Before Nicole had time to question Max further, they were greeted by their hosts and pointed in the direction of the ballroom, which was actually two parlors joined to become one room. In each room, a large glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, and a white fireplace decorated the main wall. In the largest room, above the fireplace, hung the picture of the lady of the manor, her portrait in a golden frame. Between the rooms, curved arches separated by white columns outlined in plaster frieze joined the two parlors into a ballroom.

  “Pretty fancy,” Max said as he gazed about the room.

  Floor to ceiling windows faced the river and they were open to let in the cool fall breeze. In the corner, a small band played as couples waltzed.

  Nicole gazed about the room at the ladies dressed in gorgeous gowns and the men in their dandiest suit or tuxedos. She felt out of place and she held on tightly to Max's arm as they walked about the room, saying hello to people they had met at the crawfish festival.

  She held her head high, determined not to run in cowardice from this evening, but to greet the people as if she deserved to be here in this room. As lady of Rosewood Plantation, this was her rightful place.

  “Are you all right5” Max asked, gazing at her oddly.

  “A little nervous,” she admitted. Then smiled at him and lifted her chin. “I'll be fine as soon as I have a chance to dance.”

  “Then by all means, let me be the first to dance with my wife,” he said, his voice a husky whisper that sent shivers down her spine. The way he said those two little words made her hesitate, yet she wanted so badly to feel his arms around her once again. Those words were only for tonight, for this moment in time, and soon they would mean nothing. For once the crop came in, Max would be gone.

  He held her in his arms, his hand on her waist as they waltzed in time to the music. He dipped and twirled her as they circled the floor and she couldn't help but stare into the intensity of his green eyes, unable to tear her gaze away. His eyes darkened until a ring of emerald surrounded the darkened pupils, leaving her dazed by the heat she felt in his gaze.

  The scent of Max, a tempting blend of soap and aftershave, seemed to envelop her as they waltzed. Never had she felt such intense warmth that seemed to curl and spread through her as they moved to the music of the Viennese waltz. People who stood on the edges of the floor seemed to fade away, and only the two of them existed at this moment, in this room, and she'd never been more aware of Max as a man.

  And then abruptly the music ended and Nicole swallowed, trying to calm her erratic heartbeat and break the spell that Max seemed to have woven around her.

  He took her hand, brought it to his mouth, and kissed her gloved palm. “That dance, mon chere, I will always treasure,” he said, his husky voice settling over her, sending tremors through her like small prickles of fire dancing over her skin. “Thank you.”

  “You're quite welcome, monsieur. Shall we join the others?” she asked, knowing there was safety in numbers and feeling the need to mingle and keep these dangerous emotions she felt at bay.

  “Of course,” he said, and led her off the dance floor. As a waiter passed with glasses of wine, Max handed her a crystal goblet and took one for himself.

  He lifted his drink to her, clinked the rims of their glasses together, and said softly, “To the most beautiful woman in the room tonight.”

  “Thank you.” Nicole smiled and tried to make light of his vocal caress, her palms sweating nervously. “I never knew you were such a flirt. I'm going to have to remember this about you.”

  “There are a lot of things you've yet to learn about me,” he said, the deep timbre of his voice soft and musical, playing along her spine.

  She sighed, luxuriating in the moment as she sipped from the crystal glass. Max made her feel like a cosseted woman and no man had ever made her feel so special before.

  Nicole glanced up to see Mr. Francisco, a short Italian man, hurrying toward them. “There you two are. I've been looking everywhere for you and you're over in the corner acting like a couple of newlyweds. There's plenty of time for that later; come along, I want to introduce you to some people I know,” he said as he took Nicole by the arm. “You're looking lovely, Mrs. Viel.”

  “Thank you,” she replied as she glanced back to see Max following, a smile on his face.

  The man hurried them over to a group of men and women standing in a circle talking.

  “Hello everyone. If you haven't met the Viels, let me introduce them. This is Maxim Viel and his lovely wife Nicole,” he said, releasing Nicole's arm.

  The group included Anna DeChoskey, one of the women from the mercantile. She sneered at Nicole, who merely returned the woman's smile, thinking that tonight no one could upset her.

  An older man in the group frowned at Max. “You know, there used to be a family who owned one of the local plantations and the daughter married a man named Charles Viel. Are you any relation to them?”

  “I don't know, I'll have to ask my parents the next time I see them,” he said.

  “The young girl's parents owned the house, but the mother was dead, so just her father lived there with the daughter. The father probably would have been your grandfather's age,” the old man said.

  “Max, do you know about your grandfather?” Nicole asked.

  “Very little. He passed away when I was quite young,” he said. “Besides, there are so few Viels in this country. Most of them reside in France.”

  She glanced at Max. Could he have had family in this area before and never known? Nicole turned toward the man, curious about this tale. This was the second time someone had mentioned the Viel name being in this community before. “What happened to these Viels?”

  “I think they were forced to sell. Seems they never recovered after the war and when sugar prices dropped they had no choice but to auction off their plantation.”

  “How sad,” Nicole said. “Max, dear, this is the second person who has mentioned the name Viel. Maybe you should check into this further.”

  “You're right, honey. I'll ask my parents the next time I visit them and see what they can tell me,” he said, looking at the older man and not at Nicole. “I guess it wasn't uncommon back in those days for people to lose their homes.”

  “No, not many of the original owners survived the war, and then we had several years where the price of sugar became so low, you could make more money raising earthworms. And then in 1881 winter arrived before we'd harvested the cane and most of us lost over half of our crops,” the older gentleman continued on, obviously enjoying reminiscing.

  Nicole caught Anna staring at her waist and smiled at the woman.

  “You look like you've lost a little weight,” the woman said, her look more condescending than friendly.

  “Yes, I have,” Nicole said with a smile she hoped convinced the woman of her sincerity. She glanced briefly at Max and then returned her gaze to Mrs. DeChoskey. “With my husband home all the time, I stay busy.”

  Before Anna could respond, Nicole heard her name being called.

  “Mrs. Viel,” one of the older women called.

  Nicole turned around at the sound of her name and noticed Mrs. Francisco approaching her with an older, fashionably dressed lady. The woman wore a tailored dress trimmed with ecru lace that also lined the high neckline that covered her throat. She carried an antique pearl fan in her right hand that she flicked open as she halted beside Nicole.

  “Yes?” Nicole said.

  “I'd like you to meet Mrs. Reuss. She is in charge of the Women's Society Club here in town, which raises money for the Willowbend Orphanage in New Orleans,” Mrs. Francisco said.

  “How nice to meet you,” Nicole said.

  “We're having a tea next Friday at my home and we're going to be discussing this year's fund-raising activities. We'd love for you to join us, Mrs. Viel,” the older woman said. “Usually we plan a fund-raiser at each one of the homes along the river. I don't think we've ever held one at Rosewood, and if you and Mr. Viel are interested, we would love to add your home to our schedule.”

  “Of course I'll be at tea,” Nicole said, her heart pounding with excitement. They were asking her to tea. Her stomach did a flip-flop and she tried not to appear overly excited. Maybe Max's being friends with Mr. Francisco wasn't such a bad idea after all. “And I know my husband and I would love to host one of the annual fund-raisers.”

  “Wonderful! It's good to see you and Mr. Viel becoming involved with the community,” she said as she walked away.

  A sense of elation spiraled through Nicole, making her almost giddy. Max said he'd become friends with Mr. Francisco, and apparently whatever he and this man did during their visits seemed to be working. They were definitely being accepted. But as soon as the cane was harvested and Max received his share of the proceeds from the crop, he would be leaving and then she'd be alone once more.

  “Could I interest you in another dance?” Max asked, slipping up behind her and putting his hand on her waist, his breath whispery-soft against her hair.

  She turned to face him and couldn't help but feel her heart begin to accelerate at the sight of those green eyes darkening, becoming heavy-lidded behind his jet-black lashes.

  “Yes, that would be nice,” she said, placing her hand in his.

  “I saw you speaking with Mrs. Reuss. Do you know who she is?” Max asked, his voice husky and low as he glided her across the room to the strains of the “Bird Waltz.”

  “I'm not sure, but she invited me to tea and asked us to host one of the annual fund-raisers for the Women's Society Club here in town,” Nicole said excitedly.

  Max smiled.

  “How did you do it?” she asked. “I know you talked about being involved in the community, but how did we suddenly start receiving all these invitations?”

  He shrugged. “Making friends with some of the men seems to have been worthwhile.”

  “Max, thank you. You've done so much while you're here. I can't thank you enough,” she said.

  He didn't say anything, but a frown appeared between his brows. “Come on, everyone's gathering in the main room. I think they're about to announce their daughter's engagement and offer champagne. We could both use a taste of that champagne.”

  “I don't know if I need much more wine or champagne.”

  Max twirled her off the dance floor and she giggled, feeling light-headed. She didn't know if the feelings rushing through her were from the alcohol, Max, or a little bit of both. But she was having a marvelous time.

  ***

  “Good-bye,” Nicole called to their hosts as Max helped her into the carriage and then climbed in behind her.

  “Goodness, that was the most wonderful evening,” she said, leaning against Max in the carriage.

  “I'm glad you enjoyed it,” he said, wondering if they should have indulged in that last glass of champagne.

  “Are you feeling all right5” he asked.

  “I feel fabulous,” she said. “You know, I think we were quite the toast of the party. I think people actually enjoyed speaking with us and want us to come to their parties,” she said, leaning against the back of the seat.

  “You were the most beautiful woman there,” he said, turning his face until his mouth was next to her ear. He breathed deeply, the scent of Nicole filling him.

  “No, I think your becoming friends with the Franciscos helped get us noticed. Especially when you made that toast to the newly engaged couple. I didn't know you had such a way with words.”

  He laughed. “I've had lots of practice, watching my friends marry.”

  She turned her head to look at him. Their faces were mere inches from each other in the darkened carriage. “You've hardly lived the kind of life that I expect from a man who wanders from town to town.”

  Max tensed, realizing his actions were so unlike any drifter he'd ever known. Nicole had picked up on little idiosyncrasies of his tale and one day she would put them all together and realize he'd lied to her. “I make friends easily.”

  They rode along in silence for a few moments. She shivered in the carriage. “Fall is almost here, the night air has become cooler.”

  “Are you cold?” he asked, unable to resist thinking of how he could warm her.

  “Just a little,” she said with a deep sigh. “Max, when the fund-raiser is at our house, we could hold it outside under the oak trees and put torches around the verandah for the people who don't want to dance, but sit on the porch.”

  He wrapped his arm around her and she looked at him in question. “I'm trying to warm you up, you're trembling.”

  “Oh, yes, that does feel good,” she said, her voice suddenly becoming lower. She leaned her head back away from him and gazed at him in the darkness. “But if it's after the harvest, you won't be here. How can I do this party without you?”

  “Don't worry about the party now, Nicole,” he said, and he kissed her on her neck, causing her to shudder.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice quivering.

  “What does it feel like? I'm kissing your neck,” he said. She lay her head over to the side, giving him more access to the tender area around her ear.

  “Um, why?” she asked, her voice becoming breathy as he continued his path along her neck. Her eyes were closed and a soft smile curved her full lips.

  “Because I love the way you taste and I like to hear the little sighs of pleasure that escape your lips,” he said, and his mouth suddenly reached hers. He stopped and glanced at her wide-open eyes in the darkness. Her mouth seemed to be trembling with anticipation. “And unless you stop me, I'm going to kiss you.”

  He waited for just an instant and when there were no signs of protest, he placed his lips upon hers and felt a hot, melting sensation seize him. He cupped her face with his hands, molding her lips against his until he thought he would expire from the sheer pleasure. He moved his hands up her face to cradle her head and then he laid her back against the corner of the carriage, until he lay on top of her.

  She felt so good beneath him, her breasts crushed against his chest, her mouth soft and pliant as he greedily plundered her lips. She moaned a sound deep and urgent as his tongue stroked the inside of her mouth, igniting all the emotions he'd tried to resist.

  Nicole depended on Max, leaving her vulnerable and free to him, and he loved this part of her that needed him. Yet she had a will of iron and would fight for what she believed in and stand up to anyone who got in her way.

  She pulled away from his lips, her breathing heavy. “What are we doing?”

  “Kissing,” he said, his mouth barely above hers, his voice rough and thick. “And it feels so nice.”

  “I don't think we should be doing this,” she said as her hands brushed back a lock of his hair. Her fingers caressed his face tenderly. He could see the desire so clearly in her eyes and hear it in her voice.

  “There is something between us. Something that I think is worth exploring,” he said against her mouth. “Tell me no and I will not pursue this any further. But if you feel as hungry for me as I am for you, then let me kiss you.”

  “Oh, Max,” she said and pulled his mouth down to hers, her lips parting willingly, their breaths mating as he reveled in the feel of her so soft and pliant in his arms, the delicate little cooing noises coming from deep in her throat.

  The need for this woman, in his arms, trusting him, suddenly seemed more important than any piece of land or family needs. Only Nicole mattered and he needed her desperately as he succumbed to the hot, melting sensation that overpowered him as he tasted the honey sweetness of her lips.

  The carriage suddenly came to a halt, and he wanted to curse as he heard their driver call out, “Mr. Viel, we're back at Rosewood, sir.”

  He broke the kiss and sat up, fearful that the driver would open the door. “Thanks, Moses.”

  She sat up and suddenly started to giggle and he knew the champagne must still be affecting her. “I feel so young,” she said with a laugh. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

  Max wanted to curse as she jumped up, her skirts in hand, and swung open the door to the carriage. She leaped out like a fairy in flight, laughing as she went, and disappeared in the darkness. The soft tinkling of her mirth haunting him.

  “Oh, hell,” he said as he jumped up and ran after her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nicole couldn't remember a time when she'd felt so carefree, so happy. She ran along the path she knew from memory, through the trees, the moonlight shining brightly to show her the way.

  She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Max hurrying to catch up with her. She giggled and lifted her skirts higher to run like a young girl through the moonlit shadows. Moss snagged at her hair from the low-hanging branches. Then suddenly the trail widened and she came out into the garden area she'd found hidden away one day. She crossed the Roman bridge made of stone to a small island surrounded by a reflecting pond. On the island, she hurried into the gazebo, laughing softly.

  “Nicole?” Max called in the moonlight She didn't answer him as she waited quietly inside, looking out at the overgrown gardens, the remnants of a Chinese pagoda toppled in a flower bed. Max stepped into the lattice building, his entry soundless, though she felt his presence.

 

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