Chapter 14

Josie stood looking out the front window of her rented home. The narrow three-story brick house looked identical to the other homes standing next to it. An ornate wrought-iron fence encircled her small front yard, and just beyond it, Lafayette Boulevard teemed with fancy buggies as evening set in. People were driving about socializing, but she had no desire to join them.

The savory scent of gumbo filled the cozy rooms as she looked at the grandfather clock once again.

Alexandre was late.

The table was set, the meal prepared, and she was waiting to greet him in her pink gown.

Tonight had to be perfect—it was Alexandre’s last night in St. Louis. After two weeks of helping her organize LeBlanc Shipping, he would be leaving before the sun rose in the morning.

Having him close gave her an edge of confidence she had never felt on her own. He made her believe she could do what she set her mind to.

The sun sat low in the sky when the carriage finally pulled up to the house.

Josie opened the heavy front door as Alexandre walked slowly up the sidewalk, his brow crinkled and his gaze on the ground. He looked as if he carried a great burden on his shoulders.

If only she could rub the cares away.

Gone were the days when she thought she might convince him to stay. She knew, deep in her heart, that he didn’t belong in St. Louis. He belonged in Belle Prairie.

He lifted his head and she was rewarded with his smile, which erased all the cares from his face. “Josette, you look lovely—and what is that heavenly smell?”

She took his hat and gloves and closed the door behind him. “It’s gumbo, your favorite.”

He hadn’t taken his gaze off her, and she felt her cheeks warming under his appraisal. “For as long as I live, I’ll always remember the first moment I saw you in that gown.”

They faced each other for a long time, her arms aching to wrap around his waist. But she refrained, not wanting to make this parting harder than it should be.

“Are you ready to eat?” she asked.

“I’m famished.”

He followed her into the dark-paneled dining room. The table was set with fine china, crystal, and silver. Two tall candelabras were filled with white candles, flickering on either side of a fresh-cut bouquet of flowers.

They took their places and Alexandre offered grace. The cook, Mrs. Anderson, entered the room and quietly placed fresh bread and steaming bowls of gumbo in front of both of them.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I thought we’d keep the meal simple tonight,” Josie said.

“Mind? I wish I could eat like this every night. It reminds me of home.”

Warm pleasure filled Josie’s stomach as she dipped her spoon into the creole stew—but a thought soon made her grow sober. “Will you make your own meals when you return to Belle Prairie?”

“I’m sure the mission workers will provide my meals until I find my own place.” He stared at his bowl and then finally lifted his somber gaze. “After that, I’ll have to fend for myself.”

Josie tasted the gumbo, but the flavors fell flat on her tongue.

They sat in silence for a moment, and then Josie took a deep breath. She didn’t know how to broach the topic that had been niggling at her conscience. Maybe it was best to just say what needed to be said. “What happens if you meet someone else?”

He lifted his brown eyes slowly, until his gaze settled firmly on her face—but he didn’t say a word.

Josie set down her spoon, suddenly unable to eat. “What happens if you want to marry someone else? Will you ask me for an annulment?”

Alexandre studied her for a moment and then slowly rose from his chair. He stepped over to her and took her hand in his, gently pulling her to her feet.

She looked up at him, her knees trembling.

Alexandre put his hands on either side of her face and placed his lips on hers. The kiss was tender, yet bold, and it took her breath away.

When he pulled back, his eyes were as serious as she’d ever seen them. “I want you to know, Josette Dugas, that as long as my body draws breath, I will never love another woman the way I love you. Even if I cannot be with you, I will honor our marriage vows every day of my life.”

Josie couldn’t move as she stared back at him. No one had ever looked at her the way he looked at her now.

He pulled her into an embrace and whispered into her ear, “Come with me, ma chérie. Let me love you the way I was born to love you.”

She clung to him. “Oh, Alexandre—if it were only that simple.”

“What is simpler than a man loving a woman?”

“But my father’s legacy …”

She could hear the frustration in his voice. “And what of your mother’s legacy?” He took a deep breath and pulled back, his eyes no longer frustrated, but probing into the recesses of her soul. “And what of our legacy, Josette?”

Josie clutched the back of his coat, never wanting to let go. But then she thought of Stephen and Celeste, and how they would destroy everything if she left.

She couldn’t let them win. Josie finally had the control she’d always wanted. It might mean she would have to sacrifice her own happiness to protect her father’s business—but she was the only one willing to do it.

She stepped away from Alexandre, putting space between them. She held on to the back of her chair and couldn’t look him in the eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t give up on my father. He was a miserable man, and the only thing that brought him happiness was his business. If I hand that over to Celeste, it will be the final nail in his coffin.”

Alexandre took several deep breaths before he spoke. “Then I will not ask you again. I’ll leave the house in the morning—but please don’t see me off. I don’t think I’ll have the power to say good-bye.”

And with that, Alexandre left Josie alone in the dining room.