by C. J. Corbin
Brigitte immediately pouted. “But Ma Mére, I want to go with everyone!”
“Hush Brigitte,” Simone scolded sternly. “It isn’t possible.”
Michael stepped forward. “Miss Simone, why don’t you and Brigitte go ahead with everyone. Elizabeth and I will stay behind and wait.”
I almost did a Nancy, but I stopped the roll of my eyes before it was noticeable. What was it with Michael giving in to Brigitte?
Brigitte grinned widely. “Oh, that’s perfect Michael. Ma Mére, you go with everyone. I will wait with Michael.”
My smile dimmed very quickly. I did not like the way things were beginning to go. No one was speaking. Why was everyone being silent? Why wasn’t Michael saying anything? It was almost as if everyone was in a trance watching Brigitte.
Finally, Michael spoke up. “Elizabeth and I would be happy to wait with Brigitte if that’s what you’d like.”
Simone followed quickly, “No, Michael. Absolutely not.” I breathed a sigh of relief as she continued, “You and Elizabeth will go with the others. Brigitte will wait here with me.” Brigitte opened her mouth to speak but Simone continued, “I will hear no more!”
Marcus quickly opened the front door before Frederick could reach it. “I believe Russell is waiting for us out front.”
I rolled my eyes when I learned the restaurant was located only five blocks from the house. Remarking very low under my breath, I said, “We could have walked and saved everyone the drama.”
It was my luck that Michael overheard my comment and he squeezed my hand. When I looked up at him, he winked and continued his conversation with Tommy, who also had probably heard me as well because he was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
The limousine pulled up in front of the famous blue and white Commander’s Palace restaurant and, once inside, we were escorted to a private dining room. While we waited for Simone and Brigitte to arrive, we sipped on cocktails and nibbled on appetizers. Dinner was a grand affair starting with turtle soup and ending with their bread pudding soufflé. I was full to capacity and wondered how much weight I had already gained in only twenty-four hours. If I continued to eat this way, I was sure none of my clothes would fit me by the time we arrived back home.
Since the weather was fair and the wind had died down, we all decided to walk to the nearby mansion on Coliseum Street. I had never been to a ball and certainly not one during Mardi Gras in New Orleans so I didn’t know quite what to expect. I was glad when Michael held tightly to my arm as I walked next to him. With the long ball gown, high heels, uneven pavement, and my penchant for tripping over my own feet, I felt less likely to fall. It was fun to walk down the street, waving to people passing by in their cars. Surprisingly, too, we were not the only revelers out on the street, but I guessed for a Saturday night during Mardi Gras this was the norm.
We turned to enter the walkway of a stately mansion. Outside the white lights in all the trees and the lawn lights in purple, gold, and green, reflected against the house, giving it a festive party atmosphere. A formally dressed attendant greeted us as we entered, ticking our names off the guest list and we joined the party. People milled around on the lawn and up on the balconies in small groups. Music was coming out of the interior and it invited dancing.
Quickly torn from us as we entered the house were Marcus, Simone, and Brigitte because they seemed to know everyone we encountered. Dancing couples filled the large ballroom and we soon joined them. After several fast-paced songs, the music turned slow and Michael pulled me against him.
“So, what do you think of your first Mardi Gras ball?” he asked as he moved me around the floor in a waltz.
“It’s fun!” I smiled. “It’s a lot more than I expected, but not as wild.”
“Oh, it can get very wild. This one is tame since it’s in a private home. Some of the public balls that sell tickets are crazy. Most of the balls are social events to introduce debutantes into society.”
“Really? That sort of thing still exists?”
Michael laughed. “Honey, this is the south. Take one look at Simone and Brigitte and ask me again.”
When the song ended, we spotted Tommy and Marie standing in a corner of the room and joined them. While Michael went to find the punch bowl for me, a new band came onto the stage and started playing Zydeco music.
Tommy grinned and grabbed my hand. “This is more like it! Com’on Cher, you owe me a dance.”
I looked at Marie, she laughed and shouted, “Laissez les bon temps roulette!” Let the good times roll, indeed.
When the slow dance came next, Tommy didn’t let me go, and we flowed right into the next song. “Thank you, Cher,” he stated with his usual bemused face.
I merely looked at him, confused. “What are you thanking me for?”
“You’re making Michael very happy.” He grinned that silly smile of his but I knew he was being sincere.
“I love him,” I replied. “And, I was glad he was happy about the baby, too.”
Tommy stopped dancing and looked directly at me. “Elizabeth, you made Michael happy before you were pregnant. When he was down here visiting last fall, he couldn’t stop talking about you. All we heard about morning, noon, and night was the incredible woman he had met. As long as I have known him, I have never heard him talking about any woman the way he talked about you.”
“Really?” I asked, feeling elated.
“Yes really.”
As we continued to dance, I saw Michael dancing with Brigitte. At that moment, my heart fell into my shoes. They were close together and Brigitte whispered something in his ear. Michael tilted his head back laughing and kissed her forehead. I don’t know if Tommy could feel a perceptible change in my body but he stopped dancing and looked at me.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern in his voice.
“Ahh, yeah,” I lied. “I guess I’m a little tired.” More like a little jealous. The insecurities I had with Michael were driving me crazy. I trusted him and believed him but seeing him with someone else, brought back all the terrible times with Kevin, who had cheated on me at every opportunity.
A soft tap on my shoulder brought me out of my self-reflection. It was Marcus requesting we change partners.
“You’ve had Miss Elizabeth long enough, it’s my turn now.”
Tommy ignored him. “No. She’s mine now. Go find someone else.”
“Now fellas,” I batted my eyelashes at both of them, “you’re going to make all this go to my head.”
Tommy reluctantly handed me over to Marcus who then pulled me close to him. “There, that’s better isn’t it, Miss Elizabeth? Tommy doesn’t really know how to move a lady around the floor.”
Tommy, still close and now dancing with Marie, growled, “Hey! Watch it!”
We both laughed and I said to Marcus, “You don’t have to call me Miss. Elizabeth is just fine.”
He smiled broadly and his dimples made deep crevices in his face. “Elizabeth, sorry. Old habits die hard, especially down here in the south. From the moment I could speak, manners were drilled into me. It’s a sign of the deep respect I have for you.”
“Do you?” I asked, grinning. “Michael told me you were a big chauvinist.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Did he now? Well, if that means I put my ladies on a platinum pedestal, then I guess he’s correct,” he hurriedly added when he saw my lips press together, “Don’t you worry about Nancy. I will take very good care of her.”
“You know she likes her independence,” I remarked.
He grinned wickedly. “I know what she likes even more than that.”
“I can definitely see what she sees in you.”
“Oh, does that mean you like me more than Tommy and Michael?” he teased.
“You guys are very competitive, aren’t you?”
“We sure are,” he answered, “but better friends I could never find. I’m pleased to see Michael with you.”
We both stopped dancing when I asked, “Why?�
�
He looked straight at me, face unusually serious. “Michael is an awesome and caring guy. You captivated him right off the bat.”
I giggled at the baseball reference because we had first met on the baseball field. “I did?”
“He called me the night you met. Woke me up out of a sound sleep, damn him. He told me he had just met the most stunning woman he ever had seen.”
“Really?”
“And that you had vomited all over him too,” he added, chuckling heartily.
I flushed, remembering when Michael had driven me home from dinner after the game and I had gotten sick in the car. “He told you that?”
He winked at me. “Michael thought it was cute and endearing of you. He likes to take care of you. Apparently you let him see your vulnerable side.”
“Gee, you guys sure do a lot of talking about us girls.”
“No more than you girls talk about us,” he retorted with a wink.
I spotted Michael walking over to us. “I think you’re going to have to give me up.”
“So you’re the one who has been monopolizing Elizabeth,” Michael said, reaching us quickly.
Marcus raised his hands. “Not me! Talk to Tommy - I had to pull her away from him.”
“Well, now she’s mine.”
Michael slipped his arms around me and held me close. I rested my head on his shoulder.
“You guys are playing tag team tonight aren’t you?”
He began to step me around the floor as the music changed to a slow song again. “This is the way I want it the rest of the night.”
I sighed. “Me too. I love your friends, but I love this the best.”
As it turned out, Michael and I didn’t dance together much. There were no lack of partners however, both Marcus and Tommy introduced me to plenty of their friends who wanted to dance with me. As was the southern custom, it would have been rude for me to turn them down, and by the end of the night, my feet were complaining about the abuse.
Since we were only a couple blocks away from the house, at the end of the party we walked home together. It was clear everyone was tired. As soon as we arrived back, all of our good nights were said quickly and the bedroom doors rapidly closed.
My shoes were the first to go and I sat quietly in a chair rubbing my feet. My stomach began to roll in protest from the late night food I had eaten at the party.
“Are you okay, babe?” Michael asked as he loosened his bow tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.
Wrinkling my nose I said, “I’m feeling a little barfy actually.”
He immediately knelt in front of me. “Let me get you some 7-Up - that might help. I wondered about you eating those deep fried alligator bites.”
“Oh god, is that what those were? I thought it was chicken. The sauce was really good.”
“Yeah and really spicy I would imagine.”
A small burp escaped. “Could you hurry, honey?”
Smiling, he kissed my forehead. “Yeah, I’ll be right back.”
When he was gone for about ten minutes, I decided I couldn’t wait any longer. Looking at my swollen feet, I knew they would not be happy if I squeezed them into my shoes. Barefoot it would be. Heading off toward the kitchen, there was a light under the library door. The voices within were quiet but both Michael and Brigitte’s were discernible.
Pausing at the door, ready to knock, I heard him saying, “Brigitte, we’ll figure this out somehow. You know I’ll always take care of you, I promise.”
“Oh, Michael!” Brigitte’s voice proclaimed, “I still love you so much. I hate being away from you!”
What had I heard? My breath caught in my throat. I felt faint and unsteady on my feet. My mind couldn’t take everything in. I wanted to run away and hide. The nausea that had been building was quickly overtaking me. Turning away from the door, I ran up the stairs and barely made it into the bathroom before I spilled the contents of my stomach. I sat on the floor next to the toilet, sobbing.
CHAPTER TEN
Moments later, I heard Michael come into the bedroom. When he saw me sitting on the floor, he quickly put the soda can and glass on the bathroom counter, and knelt down next to me.
“Elizabeth! Are you okay? Babe, what’s wrong. Did you hurt yourself?”
“Oh Michael,” I cried, “please don’t…” I couldn’t finish the sentence because I was sobbing so hard.
“Don’t what? Elizabeth, please tell me what’s wrong.” He put his arms around me.
“Don’t leave me! I love you too much. Please Michael don’t leave me,” I wept, burying my face into his shoulder.
He cupped my face in his hands, the concern showing in his eyes. “What are you saying? I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“No. You’re going to leave me.” The tears moved faster down my cheeks.
“Babe, can you stand up? Let me get you into the bedroom. You can tell me what this is all about,” Michael said as he helped me to my feet and practically carried me to the bed. He sat me down and bent down in front of me. Taking my hands in his, he brought them to his lips and kissed them. “Now, tell me what’s going on.”
The tears continued to stream down my face. “Please don’t leave me. I can't do this by myself.” My words were becoming frantic and my hands twisted in his. “Our baby needs…”
“I’m not leaving you…” His words trailed off as my words sunk in and he began to understand. “Elizabeth, did you hear Brigitte and me?”
I nodded, “I heard you tell her you loved her. And I know she loves you.”
He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “Babe, look, this is a big misunderstanding. Brigitte is like my little sister. Yes, I love her, but like a brother. Honey, look at me.” He tilted my head up. “I love you more than I can ever describe. I want to marry you.”
I sniffled, “Do you?”
“Of course I do,” he soothed. “Come on, let me get you out of your dress and make you comfortable. I’ll tell you the whole story.”
“Okay,” I said quietly. He pulled me to my feet and unzipped the zipper. “I didn’t get it dirty did I?”
“No honey. The dress is fine.” He slipped the dress down and laid it on a chair. “How does your stomach feel?”
“Okay. I was sick but I feel better now.”
He led me into the bathroom and waited while I brushed my teeth and rinsed my mouth. My face was streaked with makeup but I didn’t have the energy to wash it. Taking a warm wet washcloth, he tenderly wiped my face free of the cosmetics and gently removed the pins from my hair. Our reflection in the mirror showed my hair cascading down my shoulders in long waves.
“I’m sorry for listening to your conversation with Brigitte. It was an accident,” I said softly. Our eyes met in the mirror; both of us looked tired. “I didn’t mean to. I came downstairs looking for you and heard your voices.”
“I should have told you. It looks like I did it again. Come on let me get you into bed. It’s so late.”
I followed him back into the bedroom and slipped out of my bra while he removed his shirt and pants. His T-shirt landed in a heap next to his socks on the floor and he pulled back the covers on the bed. I sat back on the bed while Michael leaned over to remove my thigh-high stockings. I moved over so he could lie down next to me and pressed the light switch off.
The light of the moon streaming in through the French doors offset the room’s darkness. I put my head on his chest and stretched out against him.
“So what were you two talking about? What is going on?”
Michael laced his fingers with mine as he began. “Brigitte has asked me to loan her money. Simone keeps her on a tight leash and doesn’t give her much. She doesn’t work, so she doesn’t have cash.”
“Didn’t she say she was a photographer? What does she do with that money?”
He pressed his lips together and hesitated, “Well, she isn’t very good, and doesn’t sell much. She could be good, if she worked at it.
”
“But she said her work was in a bunch of stores,” I countered.
“She’s in the stores mainly because of her family name. The DuBois family carries a lot of influence here and the store owners do it because they think it will buy favor from Simone.”
“Does it?”
“Yeah, probably, but Brigitte wants some independence from Simone.”
I frowned and lifted my head to look at him. “And she’ll get that independence by borrowing money from you?”
“She wants to open up a shop in Quebec and has asked me to invest in it. Simone rejected her request.”
“So you’re risking the wrath of Simone and putting up the money for Brigitte?” I asked.
He let out a deep breath. “Yeah that sounds about right.”
“So the two of you are not having an affair?”
Chuckling softly, he replied, “No babe. I promise I’m absolutely faithful to you and always will be.”
“Is there more story to this?”
Michael nodded, “Yes, there is more, but I’m tired. Can we get some sleep and I’ll tell you the rest tomorrow?”
I nodded, though he couldn’t see it. “Okay. Michael?”
“Yes, babe?”
“I’m sorry I’m such an emotional basket case right now. I guess my hormones are going wacky,” I paused and then asked, “Will you hold me tonight?”
“I was planning on it.”
Michael wrapped his arms around me and held me securely against his body. My cheek rubbed against the hard muscles of his chest and I closed my eyes.
How were we going to move beyond this? Would I be continually suspicious of every woman who paid attention to him and doubt his love for me? I knew that he had to let me into his life and not keep so much hidden, even if it was a coping mechanism for him. My jealousy and his mistrust were proving to be huge hurdles for us.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I awoke still in Michael’s arms. Spooned against me with his leg draped over my thigh and his arms securely wrapped around me, he was snoring lightly in my ear. The sunlight had replaced the moon and the light was streaming through the windows, making the entire room bright. Voices from the hallway outside the bedroom were easy to hear. A soft breeze was rustling the curtains, and I laid there watching them dancing around the windows. The noise from the hallway died down and everything became quiet again.
