Beau thought a moment. 'Maybe he was just drunk,' he said. 'Confused.'
'It put a chill through me,' I said, embracing myself. 'What have we done? Beau, what have we done?'
'Stop it,' Beau cried, springing up from his seat. He took my shoulders into his hands, his fingers feeling like steel through the thin fabric of my blouse. 'Just stop this now, Ruby. You're going to get yourself all worked up for nothing. He's upset that you're with me now and he's not taking that well. He'll get used to it and this will all end as we expected it would. Gisselle's condition isn't our fault. It happened and we just took advantage of the opportunity. Paul agreed to it, helped make it possible. Now he's feeling sorry for himself. Well, I'm sorry about that, but it's too late to turn back, and he's going to have to realize it and get hold of himself. Just as you must,' he added sternly.
I pulled back my tears and nodded. 'Yes, Beau. I'm sure you're right. I'm sorry I got a little hysterical.'
'Hey. You've been doing fantastically. I understand the pressure you've been under and I appreciate it, but you can't lose it now.'
I nodded again. 'Okay, Beau. I'm all right.'
'Sure?'
'Yes.'
He kissed me on the forehead and held me to him tightly, kissing my cheeks and stroking my hair. When he looked at me, his soft eyes caressed me.
'I won't let anything happen and I certainly won't ever lose you again, Ruby. I love you more than anything.' We kissed and then he put his arm around my shoulders and walked me out. We kissed again at the foot of the stairway. I started up, pausing to look down at him. He gave me a big smile. I took a deep breath and told myself he was right. Tomorrow we would go see Paul and we would calm him down, too.
It's all meant to be, I chanted, as I continued up the stairs. It's all meant to be.
13
Almost Caught
Late the following morning after Beau had returned from the office, we set out for Cypress Woods. I was in deep thought and silent for most of the journey. Beau tried to distract me by discussing some of the Dumas business enterprises, and then just before we arrived, he revealed that Bruce Bristow had been calling and making new threats concerning what he would reveal about Daphne's past shady deals if he didn't receive a better settlement.
'What did you tell him?' I asked.
'I told him to do whatever he wanted, called his bluff. The word on the street is he's not doing so well. He's been gambling and lost most of what he had managed to get from the estate. Now the bank is threatening to foreclose on his apartment building,' Beau said.
'He'll be trouble, Beau, like a pebble in your shoe. You think you shook it out, but after you start walking again, it's still there.'
Beau laughed. 'Don't worry. I’ll shake him out,' he replied. 'He's not much of a challenge.'
I was a little surprised at Beau's arrogance. I feared he had been around Gisselle too long.
The sky had turned completed gray and overcast by the time we pulled into Cypress Woods. The dreary feeling it imposed on me was thickened by the lack of activity around the great house. Where were the gardeners, the grounds staff? Cypress Woods always looked like a bee-hive to anyone, buzzing with bustle and hustle. Paul was so proud of our property, he wouldn't tolerate a weed in the garden. Both Beau and I noticed that some of the oil wells were not being worked as efficiently. The pall that had fallen over the bayou mansion and its spectacular surroundings was as heavy as the humidity and almost as oppressive.
'Looks deserted,' Beau mumbled. My heart tripped and then began to pound as we stopped in front of the house. Pearl had fallen asleep in her seat. 'I'll get her,' Beau said.
The fear I had had about returning to Cypress Woods as Gisselle proved valid. Suddenly I was a stranger in what had been my own precious home. I would have to ring the doorbell and wait, and those who greeted me would greet me as an outsider. My heart would burst with the desire to cry out the truth. Beau sensed my anxiety and, with Pearl asleep on his shoulder, squeezed my hand and smiled reassuringly.
'Take it easy. You'll do just fine,' he said, but uneasiness pervaded my entire being.
We walked up to the front door and rang. Moments later, James greeted us.
I could see from the expression on his face, the way his eyes had darkened and the lines had deepened, that he was very distraught and cheerless. Our servants were always so involved with us and so close that our moods affected them.
'Hello, James,' I said, unable to effect the condescending tone Gisselle usually had when she addressed servants, whether they be her servants or someone else's. James gazed at me with dull, empty eyes. He didn't appear to hear my true self in my voice, having no reason to think I was other than my sister, Gisselle, whom I knew he didn't particularly care for anyway.
'Good afternoon, madame. Monsieur,' he said, bowing his head slightly. Then he saw Pearl and his eyes brightened some. 'And how is the little one?'
'Fine,' I said.
'Is Monsieur Tate at home?' Beau asked.
'He returned from the hospital just a short while ago,' James said, stepping back. 'Mademoiselle Tate and Madame Pitot are with him in the study,' he added. I glanced at Beau. It would be the first time Paul's sisters would see me as Gisselle.
