Lowering the newspaper, Lowell Augustine looked at his sister as she walked in and sat down heavily across from him at the breakfast table. He studied her carefully, then grinned. “You look terrible,” he commented. “You stay up all night?”
Zara glared at Lowell and snapped indignantly, “That’s none of your business!”
“Everything you do is my business, sister. Where would you be if it weren’t for me?”
Zara ignored Lowell and turned to Nora, the maid. “Hurry up with my breakfast, Nora,” she said, irritability flavoring her tone.
“My, you are in a foul mood,” Lowell remarked.
“I’m not feeling well. That’s all.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re healthy as a horse.” He picked up his coffee cup, drained it, then put it down with a wrinkle in his brow. “Our aunt isn’t feeling well.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s got a slight fever. I’ve tried to get her to call for the doctor, but you know how she is—stubborn as a mule. Want some free advice?”
“From you? No.”
“Come on, sister of mine. Let me straighten you out here. When Auntie grew ill yesterday morning, Leonie began taking care of her. She sat up with her half the night while you were out doing depraved things with Julian.”
“We weren’t doing depraved things. We simply went to the Creole Ball.”
“That’s what I said. You know how those things are.”
“Lowell, I wish you would hush.”
“Those balls are nothing but a marketplace for men to find beautiful Creole mistresses.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“People usually don’t want to talk about depraved things, but anyway, don’t change the subject. Leonie has been caring for Maria, and you should be doing it.”
“I’m not a nurse.”
Lowell leaned back in his chair. He was very rarely serious. For him, life, as long as he had plenty of fine food, feminine companionship, and expensive clothing, was happy. Now, however, he grew concerned, and he leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I don’t think you appreciate what’s going on here, Zara.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we could be out on our ear, and you don’t seem to be aware of it.”
Zara glared upward as if she could see through to the second floor. “You mean that girl?”
“I mean that young woman who is probably Maria’s granddaughter.”
“I won’t believe it—not ever!”
“Unfortunately that’s not the test. The question is, will Maria believe it? If she does, we’re sunk. I’d have to go to work,” he said, shrugging his shoulders, “and you’d have to marry somebody with money.”
“Lowell, you can’t be serious,” Zara said. “Our aunt’s got more sense than that. She’ll never make that impostor the heiress.”
“She might, Zara. You’ve got to remember. She loved Ives better than anyone, and once she makes up her mind for sure that Leonie is her flesh and blood, the daughter of her precious Ives, she’ll deed this place and all that goes with it over to her quicker than you can blink.”
Zara put her hand suddenly on her breast, and a look of fright came into her eyes. “We’ve got to do something, Lowell.”
Lowell nodded. “That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you. Be sweeter to Tante Maria.”
“You mean wait on her? She has servants for that.”
“The servants aren’t trying to get into her will, Zara. You’d better think about this, and by the way, if I were you, I’d be a little more pleasant to Leonie. If she inherits, we’ll be totally dependent on her. Watch me. I intend to be as appealing and as charming to her as I possibly can, and I suggest that you do the same.”
“Couldn’t you eat just a little bit more, Lady Maria? I made it the way you like it.”
“I can’t eat anything else, Leonie. Take it away.” Outside, October winds blew, whipping around the house.
Leonie had made a bowl of oatmeal spiced with cinnamon. She had found out from Opal, the cook, that Maria Augustine loved this. Now, however, she sighed and shook her head. “You really should eat something.”
“I can’t keep it down,” Maria said. Her face was pale, and new lines crossed her forehead. “I don’t know what’s the matter with me.”
“You need to see the doctor.”
“Oh, I’ll be all right. Don’t fuss over me, Leonie.” She threw the cover back and said, “I’m burning up.”
“You have fever. Let me get some cool water.”
“Oh, don’t bother. I don’t like to be fussed over.”
“It will be good for you,” Leonie said. She went to the nightstand and poured water from the pitcher into the basin. She saturated the cloth, wrung it out, and then went and sat down on the edge of Maria’s bed. “Let me just bathe your face.”
Maria lay still and finally sighed, “That does feel good.”
“If your fever gets any higher, we’ll have to do something.”
Maria Augustine lay still while the girl tried to relieve her fever pains. She studied the young woman’s features and not for the first time tried to decide if the resemblance to her dead son was accidental or a matter of genes. She looks so much like Ives, she thought. She asked, “Are you happy here, Leonie?”
“Why, yes, Lady Augustine.”
“Call me Lady Maria.”
“If you wish. Yes, I’m fine here.”
“Are you as happy here as you were at the convent?”
“That’s hard to say. They were very kind to me there.”
“And we haven’t been kind here.”
“Oh, I didn’t say that. Everybody has been very nice.”
“That’s the first wrong thing I’ve heard you say,” Maria said. “Zara hasn’t been very hospitable.”
Leonie could not answer that, for indeed, Zara had been snappy and even cruel to her. “She just doesn’t like strangers, I suppose,” she commented.
Maria began to cough and toss, and Leonie said, “You must see a doctor!”
“There is only one doctor that I have any confidence in, and that’s Dr. Duvall.”
“Then I’ll go get him at once.”
“It wouldn’t do any good,” Maria said faintly. “He doesn’t make calls any longer. He’s too old.”
“Let me go to him, please.”
Maria hesitated, but she felt terrible. “All right. Have Julius take you. He knows where the doctor’s office is. It’s all foolishness.”
“No, it’s not. I’ll go down right away.”
“Ask Zara if she will come in.”
“Yes, I’ll do that. I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”
Leaving the room, Leonie went downstairs and found Zara and Lowell still at the breakfast table. “Lady Maria would like to see you, Miss Zara,” she said.
“Is she all right?” Lowell asked with something like alarm.
“I don’t think she is. I’m going to get Dr. Duvall.”
“Dr. Duvall? He’s older than dirt,” Lowell said. “He won’t make a house call.”
“Maybe he’ll make an exception. I’ve got to try.” She left the room at once, and Lowell said, “There’s your chance, Zara. Go up and pamper Maria.”
“All right. I will.”
Leonie was leaving, bundled up in two coats, when Mrs. Danvers appeared. “Oh, Mrs. Danvers,” she said, “I’m going into town to get the doctor.”
“She’s worse, isn’t she?”
“I don’t think she’s any better. She wants Dr. Duvall.”
“He won’t come. I can tell you that now.”
“Well, I have to try. If he can’t come, I’ll find another one.”
Mrs. Danvers stared at the young woman. “Do you know any doctors?”
“No, but Reverend Mother at the convent will. I’ll ask her.”
Mrs. Danvers brushed her hand across her face in a futile gesture. “She has an affection for Dr. Duvall. He saved Master Ives’s life when he was just a boy.”
Although Leonie was in a hurry, she stopped. Anything about her father was fascinating to her. “What was he like as a boy— Mr. Ives?”
“A good boy and a good man.” Something seemed to change in Mrs. Danvers. The sternness of her face broke, and she touched her cheek and said, “I—I haven’t been too kind to you, Leonie, but there are some who try to take advantage of Lady Maria. I thought you might be one of those.”
“Oh, certainly not.”
“No. I can see you wouldn’t.” Mrs. Danvers looked upstairs and whispered, “She’s very lonely now. If you can bring her any cheer, I’ll say amen.”
Lowell watched her go from the window. Julius drove up in a buggy. The black man got out and handed Leonie in, then took his seat again and drove off at a fast clip. I’d give anything to know what Aunt’s will says now, but Maria won’t tell anybody. He thought for a moment about his future, which seemed particularly bleak. I’d hate to have to go to work for a living or marry an ugly, rich woman for her money. He had no illusions about himself. He was a wastrel and lived totally for his own gratification. He thought about Leonie for a moment, and smiled. I may have to court Leonie if she’s going to hold the purse strings. Shouldn’t be too hard. She couldn’t have had too many handsome fellows such as myself chasing after her. She wouldn’t be hard to handle, either.
He began to whistle and then walked out to the stables and mounted his favorite horse. A few minutes later he was riding out over the fields of Belle Fleur, wondering what it would be like to actually own all of it.
“Right there’s Dr. Duvall’s home, and his office is over there in that section built on,” Julius observed. He pulled up in front of the office section of the home and said, “Let me go find out if the doctor’s here.”
Leonie watched as the tall, black man went to the office door and knocked. Nobody came, but the door to the house opened, and a black woman came out. Leonie watched as the two spoke briefly.
Julius came back, got up in the buggy, and said, “Dr. Duvall is able to see nobody. He’s a pretty sick man himself. What’ll I do now, Miss?”
“Go to the convent, Julius.”
“I’m so glad to see you, Leonie, and you look so well.” The mother superior embraced the young woman. “You’re happy there at Belle Fleur?”
“Well, I guess I am.”
“You don’t sound quite sure.”
“I don’t suppose I’ll be sure until it’s settled.”
The older woman studied Leonie’s face. “How do you feel about it?”
“I feel as if that’s my place. All of the pictures of my father, that is, of Ives Augustine, look like me—or should I say, I look like him. I don’t know, it just feels right to me. I’ve talked to so many people there who actually knew my father, and some knew my mother too. It’s been so strange.”
“And how does Lady Augustine feel?”
“She doesn’t say much. She’s very ill right now, and that’s why I came to town.”
“Not serious, I hope.”
“I think it might be. I went to see Dr. Duvall, but he couldn’t go.”
“Oh no. He hasn’t seen any patients now for six months.”
“I thought that perhaps you could recommend someone.”
“It’s a bad time, Leonie. The scarlet fever is everywhere, it seems. It would be very difficult to get a doctor to make a call that far away.”
“Don’t you know anyone?”
The mother superior thought for a moment. “One of our girls grew very ill recently. We had to do something, so I called on a young physician who had just gone into practice in New Orleans. His name is Shef field. He came, and it’s a good thing he did. He had to operate on the young woman, and he saved her life.”
“I’ll go to him at once,” Leonie said firmly.
The older woman took a piece of paper and wrote on it, saying, “Here’s his address. Remember, I don’t know much about him except that he helped us out a great deal.”
“Thank you, Reverend Mother. I’ll go at once.”