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VIVIAN HURRIED UP THE stairs toward Alex’s office. She had come seeking answers about what he would do with that woman. Vivian had half hoped she would die from her wounds, but unfortunately, the girl awoke early in the morning.
She knocked once and entered before Alex had time to answer. Alex sat behind his desk, reviewing several documents. He looked up when she came in and smiled as she sat in the empty chair in front of his desk.
“What are you going to do with her?” Vivian asked. Under different circumstances she would have been more tactful in her delivery, but this was too important. Even the hard set of his jaw and stiff posture didn’t sway her.
“Soleil and her daughter will be staying with us until she had made other arrangements or is ready to return home. She wishes to repay my hospitality by doing a little housework. I will not allow her to lift a finger in my home, so if she asks you to help, send her to find me.”
Vivian couldn’t fight the gasp that erupted from her lips. He was daring to allow her to stay. She wanted to fan herself against the heat and flush consuming her body, thinking of the scandal of it all. “What?! She can’t... You can’t... This cannot happen! She must leave at once.”
“This is not negotiable,” Alex said, slamming his hand on his desk. “This is how the situation will be handled.”
“You would ruin your reputation? Throw away the business your father built from nothing—for her? You cannot throw away everything for that Negro woman!”
“My father is dead now, and this is my business. I will worry about what happens, and you will mind what you say about her. I will not tolerate you tearing her down, and you would be wise to remember that. Do I make myself clear?”
Unable to speak over her indignation at being scolded, Vivian nodded once. Without another word, she rose and walked out of the room. But this was far from over.
~*~
“YOU THERE,” VIVIAN called to the little boy walking toward the stable. “What is your name?”
“Joseph, ma’am,” he answered with his eyes cast to the ground.
“I have a task for you, Joseph. You are to deliver this note to the address on the envelope. You are to tell no one what you are about, is that clear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied shaking his head vigorously.
“If anyone finds out about this letter, Joseph, there will be hell to pay. For you and your family. Mr. Cummings may own this plantation, but I rule it. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The boy cowered.
“Good. Now off with you. The walk will take you several hours, and I want it delivered tonight.”
Without another word, the boy took off running. Vivian watched as he dashed down the road, not even stopping to reply to the few greetings offered by those he passed.
Satisfied, Vivian walked back toward the house.
~*~
SOLEIL SAT ON HER BED, braiding Hope’s silky black hair into a single plait down her back.
Miss Eliza stood in the doorway, waiting for her to finish so she could take Hope to play. Apparently, while Soleil recovered, Hope had become fast friends with Miss Eliza and her grandchildren. Soleil could understand why. She had smooth, dark skin like a starless night that made her eyes seem brighter and happier. Her joyful face held a smile as sweet as the cookies she was known to give out. Her ample girth gave children a warm, soft cushion to curl up on and feel protected by.
“Are you sure it isn’t an imposition for Hope to join you today?”
“Not at all, miss. My grandbabies love her. They can’t wait to play.”
A bittersweet smile spread across Soleil’s lips. She couldn’t remember a time when Hope was out of her sight for an extended period of time. It tore her heart in two to let Hope play without her supervision. She didn’t doubt the woman would do her best to keep Hope safe, but it was still so hard. “Thank you again for taking such good care of her while I slept.”
“Of course, ma’am. But it was a joint effort. Mr. Cummings lent a helping hand as well.”
“Yes he did, Maman. He gave me cookies!” Hope added to the conversation. She nearly poked Soleil in the eye as she thrust three wiggling fingers in her face. “He gave me this many.”
“Well that was nice of him,” Soleil said with a chuckle.
“He is very nice.”
“I can vouch for that,” Miss Eliza said with her chest puffed out like a proud mother boasting about her son.
“That is wonderful to hear. Then he is a, um...” Soleil hesitated, fidgeting with the end of Hope’s braid. “He’s a gentleman, I presume.”
Miss Eliza’s eyes softened with knowing sadness. “You and your daughter are safe, love. No harm will come to you under Mr. Cummings’ watch. I came to live here after you disappeared, but I’ve heard the stories. The little brown French girl with a fiery spirit that captivated young Mr. Cummings’ heart. You are like a legend to some of the people here,” she said with a chuckle. “You know, even after slavery ended and we could choose for ourselves, we still stayed.”
“Yes, as did I.”
“But we stayed because we wanted to. If you put in a hard day’s work, you get a fair day’s wage and everything you need to take care of your family. Did you have that with your old master?”
Soleil squirmed in her seat. Clearing her throat, she said, “Yes well, thank you for telling me that. It does give me a bit of peace.”
“Of course.”
Soleil finished Hope’s braid, then tied a ribbon to the end before kissing her cheek. “Done. You be good today. Listen to everything Miss Eliza tells you.”
Hope slid off the bed before Soleil could even finish the sentence. “Yes, Maman.”
She ran to Miss Eliza, grabbing the woman’s hand and pulling her toward the door. “Maybe Alex will come and play with me again today.”
“His name is Mr. Cummings. And maybe he will.”
“No, Maman. He said his name is Alex.”
“Mr. Cummings. C’est claire?”
“Oui, Maman.”
“Good. Now go have fun.”
Hope didn’t need to be told twice. Without another glance in her mother’s direction, Hope dragged Miss Eliza out the door.
Alone, Soleil took a moment to reflect on her situation. She still found it hard to believe everything that was happening. This morning a bath had been drawn for her, and she had marveled at the luxury. When Mrs. Williams was alive she had only allowed Soleil the occasional basin of cold water to stay clean, and even then it was only so she wouldn’t make the older woman ill.
Washed and wearing a new dress, Soleil felt the best she had in a long time. The doctor had returned earlier that morning and given her a clean bill of health. She was instructed not to do anything strenuous so as not to irritate her stitches. Alex had come in after the doctor left to inform her that, if she needed anything, he would be making his rounds around the plantation. After an awkward exchange of goodbyes, he left her to spend the day as she pleased.
She had a lot to thank Alex for. No matter what his intentions, she knew he could never be as horrible as the man she had escaped. In a moment of honesty, she allowed herself to admit it would be nice to be desired by a man like him. She wondered what it would feel like to have his lips kiss hers. Would they be as soft and gentle as they looked? Had she been kissed by those lips in her youth?
Despite her fantasies, she knew no meaningful relationship could exist for the two of them. With James, she knew what he was and what he was capable of so that she was always able to protect herself. Alex was a different story. She had a feeling that if he made it past her defenses, she might be left broken in the end.
~*~
WITH HOPE TAKEN CARE of, Soleil left her room to search out Miss Vivian. Alex had mentioned she had been his governess in his youth and stayed on with the family as their housekeeper. Soleil wanted to find out how she could help around the house. She could sense that Alex had avoided allowing her to do anything, but she wanted to contribute in some manner.
A spiral staircase brought her to the main level’s foyer. To her right lay a sitting room, ornately decorated with the trappings of wealth. Sheer white curtains covered the floor-to-ceiling windows. Floor-length, heavy velvet draperies with tasseled tiebacks rested on top. A sofa, love seat, and armchair surrounded a tea-table made of rich, dark wood with intricately carved leaf patterns. To the left was a formal dining room. She marveled at the intricate design of the crystal chandelier hanging over the long mahogany table.
Behind the staircase was a long hallway. Soleil continued her exploration down the hallway and was pleasantly surprised to find the walls lined with portraits. She stopped to examine each one. The people depicted must have been Alex’s ancestors. Each peered out from their frames, looking every bit the aristocrats they probably were. Some held expressions of joy, while others looked as if they would rather be doing anything other than standing to have their features immortalized.
The echo of footsteps alerted Soleil that someone drew near. She stood in the middle of the hall, eyes trained in that direction. When Alex rounded the corner and saw her, a charming grin spread across his face.
At the sight of him, Soleil’s lips parted with a slight intake of breath. His sculpted face possessed just enough masculinity to make it handsome instead of beautiful. His clear, sky blue eyes crinkled at the corners like a man who often indulged in laughter. His ebony hair still hung a little too long in the front.
Soleil fought the urge to reach out and brush the offending hairs into place. It seemed like a natural reaction, as if she had done it many times before.
His shirt sleeves were rolled to his elbows, showing off his strong forearms. The top three buttons were undone, revealing a hint of the curly black hair beneath. It was as if his current appearance was meant specifically for her. Alarm bells rang in her head as the war between what she knew and what she felt raged within her.
“What a delightful surprise meeting you here,” he said. “Please excuse my disheveled appearance. I was helping mend a fence on the northern side of the property.”
Soleil allowed her eyes to sweep over him one last time. “I was just on my way to find Ms. Vivian. I wanted to ask what my chores would be. I stopped to look at the paintings.”
“What do you think of them?”
Soleil glanced at the nearest painting, noting that Alex had ignored her comment about chores just as she had ignored his comment about his appearance.
“They are well done. Some are very lovely.”
“Thank you.”
Soleil watched as Alex crossed his arms over his strong chest, and couldn’t keep her eyes from following. She fought the blush she felt creeping up her neck, quickly averting her eyes to a nearby picture.
“The gallery is my favorite part of the house. Something about being surrounded by those who came before gives me peace and the strength to carry on each day. I guess I want to be a part of the legacy that makes them proud.”
“I understand. Hope gives me strength. I wake up each morning for her. One day I want to be someone she can be proud of.”
“You already are. All she talked about while you were asleep was how great of a mother you are.”
As wonderful as his words were, receiving such high praise was foreign to her. Soleil didn’t know what to do with it. “Thank you. For everything. You truly saved our lives. I could never repay you for that.”
Alex’s eyes softened. “Your thanks are gladly accepted.”
“Which is your favorite?” Soleil asked with a smile.
Alex’s eyes flickered down to her lips, then back to her eyes. “Pardon?”
“The paintings. Which is your favorite?”
He focused his attention on the pictures hanging on the wall, then back at her. “The one of my father.” Alex pointed to a man seated in a chair, looking out an open window. He held a look which could have been concentration or concern. The light from the open window illuminated his silvery hair.
“It is a well-crafted piece.”
“Would you like to know what he is looking at?”
Soleil could hear the hint of teasing in his voice. “Yes, do tell.”
“He was watching me raise cane as a boy. I think I almost burnt down the entire cotton crop the year that picture was done. He told me he had a head of hair as black as mine until I was born. I placed every gray hair upon his head.”
Soleil couldn’t help but giggle imagining him as a little boy terrorizing his father. At the thought, something tickled the back of her mind. Flashes filtered in: a young man with black hair chasing a girl with caramel skin through the woods. Was it a memory? A dull ache started behind her eyes. To stunt the pain, she pressed her thumb and ring finger into her eyebrows at the edge of her eye sockets.
Concern shown in Alex’s eyes as he watched the sudden souring of her mood. Soleil opened her mouth to reassure him she was fine, but he beat her to it. “Quelle est celui que tu aimes le plus?”
Soleil looked at Alex, stunned. “You can speak French?” Soleil’s eyes lit up; another person with whom she could share such a connection! “How did you learn?”
“You taught me. Well, what little I know I learned from you.”
Soleil thought about what that meant. They must have spent a significant amount of time together at some point. Were they really such good friends as he claimed?
“Il est agréable d’entendre quelqu’un d’autre parler ma langue,” Soleil replied.
The look of confusion on Alex’s face told Soleil he didn’t understand. Maybe she had been a little overzealous in her joy and spoken too fast.
She repeated her sentence in English. “It is nice to hear someone else speaking my language. I have not shared the ability with anyone except Hope for several years. I taught her so we could communication without Mrs. Williams knowing what we said. Having this connection with someone else will be nice.”
“I am pleased you feel that way, but I warn you my French is very limited. I have not used it in quite some time. However, if you are willing to help me again, I will be glad to be your pupil.” Alex smiled at her. It was a small gesture, but Soleil admitted that it meant a lot to her. To have someone think she was worthy to teach them anything was new and exhilarating. It might even be fun to teach him.
“How old is Hope?” he asked.
“Five years of age.”
“Who is her father?”
All amusement vanished from Soleil’s body. Her eyes narrowed, and she gazed at him suspiciously. “Why do you wish to know?”
“Is it James?”
Soleil swallowed hard as the color drained from her face. Back rigid, she lifted her chin in the air as she tucked her heart behind its carefully erected wall. “Does it matter? The man took what he wanted without consent, and cared not for the destroyed lives he left behind. That is the way of you men here, is it not? You do as you please without...” Soleil reined in her emotions and cut off the rest of her rant. Her sharp tongue had been the cause of many of the punishments she’d received in the past.
To her surprise, he said nothing in reply. No shouting back, no cursing or threats about what was to be her fate. In fact, he looked hurt.
Not wishing to see if that would change, Soleil backed away. “If you will excuse me, I need get some air.”
She was glad when he made no attempt to stop her as she rushed past him. He was too much. The emotions he invoked in her were too much. She needed a plan for her and Hope’s future. And soon.