Gisselle would find out I was calling, however, and I decided against it. I would wait for him to call me. I shut my eyes, but despite my fatigue, I tossed and turned, fretting in and out of nightmares, some of which had terrible things happening to Paul and some had terrible things happening to Beau. How fragile our lives were, I thought. In seconds, everything we had, everything we learned, everything we built, could become dust. It made me question what were really the most important things and what were not.
I knew Paul must have driven fast despite his promises, because he was at Cypress Woods very early in the afternoon the next day. When I accused him of it, he swore he had been able to end his meetings earlier than anticipated. I was just finishing my lunch and having coffee on the patio. Pearl was beside me in her playpen, sitting comfortably and coloring with her crayons. She couldn't stay within the lines, but she was content smearing the colors over the faces and figures, pretending she was doing what Mommy did. Occasionally she would stop and raise her eyes to see if I was watching and admiring her work.
'Another artist in the family,' Paul declared when he sat down.
'She thinks she is. Did your meetings go well, then?'
'I signed a new contract. I don't want to tell you the numbers. You'll tell me they're obscene, just like you did the last time.'
'They are. I can't help feeling guilty about making so much money when there are so many people in need of the simple, basic things.'
'True, but our industrious work and clever arrangements will create hundreds of new jobs and provide employment, opportunities, and money for many people, Ruby.'
'You're beginning to sound like a big businessman, all right,' I said, and he laughed.
'I suppose in my heart I always was. Remember when I was only ten and I had my roadside stand, selling my Cajun peanuts, the dried shrimp, from my father's cannery?'
'Yes. You were very cute, dressing yourself neatly in your shirt and little tie, having your cigar box of change.'
He smiled at his memories. 'I never wanted to charge you and your Grandmere Catherine when you walked by and stopped, but she wouldn't take it for nothing. 'You can't stay in business that way,' she told me.'
I nodded, remembering.
Paul gazed at Pearl for a moment and then turned back to me. There was a deep dark look in his blue eyes. I could see the hesitation, too.
'What is it, Paul?'
'I don't want you to think I was checking up on you. I just called to see how you were.'
'Called? When? Where?'
'The night before last, when you were at the hotel in New Orleans,' he said.
My heart throbbed in triple time as I held my breath. 'What time?' I asked softly.
'After eleven. I didn't want to call too late for fear I might wake you, but . . .'
I turned away.
'As I said,' he continued, 'don't think I was checking up on you. You don't owe me any explanations, Ruby,' he added quickly.
Over the cypress trees that walled the swamps, I saw a marsh hawk lift itself and float downward, probably to pluck some unwary prey. It caused a half dozen rice birds to scatter. Beyond the trees, a ceiling of bruised clouds made its slow but determined journey in our direction, promising torrents of rain before the day ended. I felt a cloud burst within me, releasing drops of ice over my heart. They streamed down into my stomach and into my legs, filling me with a cold numbness.
'I wasn't in the hotel, Paul,' I said slowly. 'I was with Beau.'
I turned quickly to catch the confirmation in his face. He was caught in a tug-of-war of emotions. He had known, but I knew he didn't want to know; and yet he did. He wanted to face reality, but he was hoping it wasn't the reality he dreaded. Pain flashed in his eyes. I shrank into a tighter ball.
'How could you do that? How could you be with that man after the way he deserted you?'
'Paul . . .'
'No, I'd like to know. Don't you have any self-respect? He left you to have his baby while he went off and enjoyed Paris and who knows how many Frenchwomen. Then he married your sister and inherited half your wealth. Now you go running back to him, sneaking in the night.'
'Paul, I didn't mean to be deceitful. Really . . .'
He turned quickly to me. 'That was your real purpose for going to New Orleans, wasn't it? It wasn't the paintings, your art career. It was to run to his arms again. Have you planned other sneaky rendezvous?'
'I was going to tell you,' I said. 'Eventually.'
'Sure,' he said. He sat back and pulled up his shoulders. 'What have you two decided to do?'
'Decided to do?'
'Is he going to divorce Gisselle?'
'No such proposal was discussed,' I said. 'Except we both know what our religious beliefs are and how divorce is not an acceptable option, especially to his family. Besides, I can't imagine Gisselle being cooperative, can you?'
'Hardly,' Paul said.
'Just the opposite would happen. She would feed on the scandal. She would help write the headline: One Twin
