Tender Betrayal

by Rosanne Bittner

  “I have business with Mr. Brennan,” he had lied. “My father owns a clothing factory. We supply a wholesaler in New Orleans, and I just came from there. We need more raw material, namely cotton, and a gentleman in New Orleans told me Mr. Brennan is the man to talk to.”

  “Well, I’m surprised you didn’t run into him down there. Him and some others are down there right now—some big political doin’s. Could be they’re on their way home by now. I just hope all this trouble with you Yankees don’t ruin the cotton business. Mr. Brennan and other big cotton growers in the South are lookin’ at markets overseas, you know, seein’ as how some of you Yankee industrialists up North are threatenin’ to boycott us if we keep talkin’ about secedin’ from the Union.”

  Again Lee avoided a political debate, which was beginning to be an almost impossible effort wherever he went, North or South. He was just glad to know he might catch Audra alone before having to confront her father. He had obtained directions to Brennan Manor, which was nearly a day’s ride north of Baton Rouge, and he had brought a leather bag along with a change of clothes in case he could not get back to his hotel before it was too dark. He was glad he had thought of it. It was already late afternoon. He would never make it back tonight, but from the looks of the house ahead of him, there were plenty of spare bedrooms, but if Joseph Brennan was home, he would probably kick him out, and he’d be sleeping in slave quarters.

  He studied the magnificent Brennan home as the horse carried him closer. Now he knew what Audra had meant when she said that Maple Shadows was “almost” as pretty as Brennan Manor. The house was white, three stories high, with huge, fluted marble pillars supporting a wide veranda and second- and third-floor balconies that encircled all four sides. The balconies and veranda were trimmed with a black wrought-iron railing, and all the windows were graced with black shutters. He noticed a Negro man washing the third-floor windows, and a Negro woman sweeping the veranda.

  It was obvious that the house and grounds were beautiful and immaculate only because Negro slaves kept it that way. He wondered if Joseph Brennan would have people running around doing so much if he had to pay them all by the hour. He spotted a Negro woman coming out of the front door then. She carried a drink, and he watched her hand it to someone who sat at a table on the wide veranda. Was it Audra? He couldn’t see her clearly enough yet.

  Would this visit hurt both of them all over again? If he could just see her once more, look into those green eyes, and see that there was no longer anything there for him, he could start sleeping better at night, maybe quit drinking so much. Besides, he had written Audra that letter, fool that he was, and now he had to go through with this. He had said he was coming, so Audra and her father should not be totally surprised.

  He felt as though he were riding into a lion’s den, a Yankee man come to talk to one of the most powerful plantation owners in Louisiana, expecting to take the man’s daughter away from him, expecting to keep her from marrying a man even more powerful than Joseph Brennan! Hell, they could hang him, and no one would ever know the difference. He had done his homework, and he knew that plantations like Brennan Manor were a world unto themselves, like little cities removed from reality, where they set their own laws, the owners ruling like kings. Whatever Joseph Brennan or Richard Potter wanted to do to him, they could probably do it and get away with it. It was men like that who were making trouble for the whole Union, proud, stubborn, southern men who didn’t like anyone else telling them what to do, who were determined to set their own laws and to hell with the rest of the world, including the Federal government. He shook his head, realizing he was already arguing with the man, and he hadn’t even met him yet!

  Well, he was here now, and he might as well get this over with. When he saw Audra, he would know what he wanted to do; but, then, it was quite possible that if he never left this place, it would not be by choice; it would be because Joseph Brennan would make sure he was buried here!

  He could see the person sitting at the table more clearly now. It was a woman, and she had auburn hair…

  Audra took a drink of lemonade, keeping an eye on the approaching rider. He didn’t look like anyone she had seen from Cypress Hollow or the neighboring farms, and with her father and Richard both gone, she couldn’t imagine what man would come visiting alone, anyway. He was apparently a stranger, and she started to call out to Lena to get the overseer or one of the Negro men; but before she could say a word, the man rode closer, and her voice caught in her throat. She quickly set down the glass, staring in disbelief. “My God,” she whispered.

  She felt suddenly dizzy, and she clung to the table as she slowly rose. A young Negro girl came out onto the veranda with a large feathered fan to cool her with, but Audra quickly sent her away with a sharp command. The girl scurried off, and Audra stood transfixed, staring at the intruder.

  Lee? What in God’s name was he doing here? How could this be? She saw a look of recognition in his own eyes as he guided his horse to a hitching post and dismounted, tying the animal before walking to the steps of the veranda. Never had he looked handsomer! Because of the hot weather, he wore no jacket, vest, or tie. His shirt was unbuttoned partway, and the sight of dark hair on his chest stirred memories better left resting. His black cotton pants fit him snugly, and he wore shiny black riding boots that came to his knees. He had removed his hat when he dismounted, and his dark hair looked damp from the heat.

  Was this real? Had Lee Jeffreys really come to Brennan Manor? Why? And why had he waited until now, when she could not touch him; when she could not allow buried feelings to be resurrected? Didn’t he know she was married by now? She watched his eyes, those blue, blue eyes she had so dearly loved once, had missed all these months. In return, those eyes studied her intently, and she saw there something she did not want to see—love. She had imagined that if she ever saw him again, everything would be different. The love and passion would be gone, and there would be only a casual friendship left behind. How could it suddenly seem that absolutely no time had passed at all since she saw him last? And after what she had been through with Richard, how could she hold that memory of being with Lee with such reverence and joy? Richard had made it all so ugly, yet here stood a man who made her forget the ugliness by the mere act of standing here in front of her.

  “Hello, Audra,” he spoke up, hesitating before coming a little closer.

  In a few brief seconds Audra went from shock, to memories of love, to feelings of hate. Not now! He should not have come now! It was too cruel of him. She had managed to bury the memory, and it had to stay buried forever.

  “Lee.” She swallowed, still keeping her hand on the table for balance. “What…what are you doing here?”

  Lee studied her eyes, saw something there he didn’t like. Yes, she was angry, and God knew she had good reason to be. He had asked her to forget him, and now here he was; but there was something more there than anger and surprise. He saw tragedy behind those green eyes that had haunted him for a year. Had her father died? She looked ill, much too thin. “I…I needed to see you once more,” he spoke up, feeling like more of a fool with each passing second. “I thought both of us needed to see each other once more…to be sure. I went to Maple Shadows not long ago, and I found something that seemed like some kind of sign I should come.” He closed his eyes and sighed, closing his hands into fists from nervousness.

  You’re even more beautiful than I remembered, he wanted to tell her. But maybe he had no business. What had he done, coming here like this? And what had he walked into? She stood there as beautiful as ever, but her white linen dress hung on her loosely, and her hair was drawn into a plain bun. There were circles under her eyes, and the look in them was certainly not the look of the innocent girl he had fallen in love with last summer. Something was very different, and it was more than the fact that he had taken her to his bed all those months ago. He felt like an ass at the shock in her eyes, combined with something akin to a terrible remorse. “Audra, didn’t you get my le
tter?”

  She put a hand to her throat. “Letter?”

  Lee frowned, coming even closer. “Audra, I wrote your brother twice. Didn’t he tell you? And I sent you a letter, too, last January. I wanted to be sure you got it in plenty of time to give it some thought. When I didn’t hear anything back, I wrote again. I got a little angry that you didn’t bother to write back, and there are things we need to talk about, so I—”

  “We never got any letters,” she said, still staring at him as though he were a ghost. “Neither Joey nor I.”

  “But I—” No letters? Had her father kept them from her and Joey? A fierce anger began to brew deep in his soul. He could understand that perhaps the man wouldn’t want Audra to see a letter from him, but his letters to Joey had been perfectly harmless, and he had felt it was so important for the boy to know he’d been thinking of him. “Audra, I did write. I wanted you to know that I had been rethinking some of the things that stood in our way. I had much more to tell, but I was afraid your father would get the wrong idea, so I left out the important things. I figured we could talk about them when I got here and had a chance to have a talk with your father. I just believed we needed to see each other once more, now that some time has passed.”

  She let out a little groan and turned away. Lee watched her grasp her stomach as though in pain.

  “Audra, I’m sorry to shock you like this. I wrote you first so you wouldn’t be so surprised, so you’d have time to think about things yourself before seeing me again. I don’t understand why you never saw the letter.”

  Oh, how she needed him, but it was too late. Too late! The irony of his visit almost sickened her. “I never saw any letter,” she said quietly. “And I thought I would never see you again.” Her head was spinning. Was it just the heat, or was it the fact that her beautiful Lee was standing right there on her veranda, looking wonderful? She should turn and tell him to get off her property, scream at him for doing this to her; but if he had written first, this was not all his fault. If she had known, she would have written back and told him never to come; or would she? Maybe she would have begged him to hurry. Maybe she would have had the courage not to marry Richard, even though it would have broken her father’s heart. Thank God neither Richard nor her father was here. There was time to send him on his way before either of them knew he had come.

  Lee let out a sigh of disgust with himself. “It’s obvious someone kept the letters from you. Audra, did you really think I would forget you that easily? That I had just dismissed you from my heart and never even bothered to write to Joey at least and see how you both were doing?”

  She swallowed, walking even farther away to grasp the wrought-iron railing. “Yes,” she answered. “You said once it was best we forget each other, Lee, and after all these months…” She squeezed her eyes shut. “You should not have come. You have no idea—”

  “Audra—”

  “Lee, just go home.”

  “What has happened, Audra?”

  The front screen door opened, and Lee turned to see an older but exotic-looking Negro woman step out. Just as with Toosie, he was struck by this woman’s unusually beautiful features. She wore a plain brown dress and an apron, and her hair was knotted on top of her head; but in spite of her unadorned appearance, she had an elegance about her. He nodded to her, feeling more embarrassed and confused with each passing second. “Hello, ma’am. My name is Lee Jeffreys. I’ve come here to visit Miss Brennan.” He looked around. “Is Joseph Brennan here? I would like to speak to him.”

  Lena studied the man, almost gaping at him, for he was surely the handsomest white man she had ever set eyes on. So this was Lee Jeffreys! No wonder Audra had fallen in love with him. No one had told her so, but it had been easy to figure out; and now that she saw the look of devastation on Audra’s face, she knew she was right in her thinking. She moved her eyes from Lee to Audra and back to Lee. The moment was terribly awkward. She wasn’t sure what Audra wanted her to say, or what had been said so far between the two of them. What on earth was this man doing here? He could not have picked a worse time.

  “Lena,” Audra finally spoke up. “Did you ever see any letters from Mr. Jeffreys to me or Joey?”

  Lena shook her head, already getting the picture. Lee Jeffreys must have written to tell Audra he was coming, but Audra, by the look on her face, had never seen the letters. Had Joseph intercepted them? It would be just like him to do that, but it was not her place to suggest that was what had happened. “No, ma’am.”

  Before any of them could say another word, Joey came bounding through the door. “Lee!” He put out his hand. “I d-don’t believe it! You came to see us!”

  Lee brightened and took his hand and shook it hard. This was the first warm greeting he had received since arriving in Louisiana. In the next moment he and Joey were embracing and laughing. “You’ve grown, Joey! By God, if you don’t look like a full-fledged man!” Lee pulled away and looked him over. “I thought maybe you’d write. Hell, I wrote you twice!”

  “You d-did?” Joey sobered, glancing at Audra.

  “I told him we never received the letters,” Audra said.

  Joey turned to Lee. “Th-that’s right, Lee. I never g-got any letters.” He was too embarrassed to tell Lee that his father had ordered him never to write him. “I f-figured you got b-busy and maybe forgot all about me. I’ve b-been busy with more schooling, and Father and Richard have b-been letting me help run things some. I just never g-got around to writing. I’m sorry, Lee.”

  “That’s all right. I’m glad you’re being given a chance to learn to run the place.” Richard? Richard Potter? So the man was still a part of the picture. Audra was probably already formally engaged and planning a wedding. What the hell was he here for after all? He would have to fake it now, pretend he had just come to see Joey. He’d stay a couple of days and get the hell out of here.

  “Joey has talked about you often, Mr. Jeffreys,” Lena said then, stepping closer. “I feel as though I know you. Even my daughter, Toosie, talked about you. How kind of you to come visiting. Master Brennan is not here.” How sad, she thought, that Audra could not have been with this fine man, Yankee or not. Audra had not told her anything about what had gone wrong between her and her husband, but the sight of the bruises she had seen on Audra’s body left no explanation necessary. For some reason Richard Potter had wanted to break her spirit, and he had done a good job of it. Did it have something to do with this Yankee man? She had always suspected Richard could be cruel when he wanted to be, and the thought of his hurting Audra broke her heart. “He has gone to New Orleans with Master Potter,” she continued aloud. “But since it is getting late, and you look very hot and tired, perhaps you would like to sit down and have some lemonade, then take supper with us. I am sure that Miss Audra, who is in charge while her father and her husband are away, will invite you to take a spare room for the night. Are you are staying in Baton Rouge?”

  Husband? Her husband? The woman had emphasized the word, as though to make sure he knew Audra was married now. Lee felt as though the blood were draining from his head. “I…yes.”

  “Well, it’s much too late in the day to think about going all the way back yet tonight. You sit down and have a nice visit.” She put her hands on Joey’s shoulders. “Joey, you can talk with Mr. Jeffreys all you want at the supper table. I believe he might want a few words alone with your sister.”

  “But—” Joey looked from Lee to Audra, noticed the stricken looks on their faces. They were watching each other as though both had just lost someone dear to them. He realized then the real reason Lee must have come. It was too bad he had not come sooner. Audra had not seemed very happy since coming home from her honeymoon at Cypress Hollow. He had wanted to ask her about it, but was too embarrassed to broach the subject.

  “Come into the house, Joey,” Lena urged. She looked back at Lee, but he was still staring at Audra. “I’ll have more lemonade brought out,” she said.

  The woman hurried Jo
ey inside, and Lee didn’t even answer her. A sick feeling engulfed him. He was too late! “I’m sorry, Audra. You told me you wouldn’t be marrying Richard Potter until at least August.” Rage began to move through his blood. “Your father must have deliberately kept my letter from you so you wouldn’t know I was coming.”

  “Father? He wouldn’t do such a thing.”

  “Wouldn’t he?” God, she looked so pale. How had her father and this Richard Potter talked her into marrying sooner?

  Audra put a hand to her face, trying to weigh all that had been said in the last few minutes. “Your letters must never have reached us,” she insisted.

  Lee sighed in resignation. What difference did any of it make now that she was married, except that the thought of her already having been in another man’s bed tore at his gut like a razor. How could it bother him this much? After all, he knew when he came here that it would probably all be for nothing. He just hadn’t expected to feel this way when he saw her again. Maybe if she looked radiantly happy, it wouldn’t be so bad, but there was a haunting sorrow in those green eyes that had not been there when she left Maple Shadows.

  “What the hell is going on here?” he asked. “You look terrible. If you decided to marry Richard Potter, you must have loved him, at least a little. You look more like you lost a husband than just married one!”