by Reid, Terri
Paul grinned and reached back into the bathroom for a t-shirt. He pulled it over his head and down his body. The shirt seemed to cling to each of his tautly defined muscles. “Ready for bed?”
Eloise swallowed, then nodded and climbed into her narrow bed, moving as close to the wall as she could. She turned, so her back was towards the outside of the bed. Paul flipped off the light and she felt the bed dip as he climbed in. He molded his body to hers and wrapped his arms securely around her waist.
Eloise tensed and froze; she could feel his warm breath against her cheek. She could feel his heartbeat against her back. She could breathe in his distinctive male scent.
“Eloise,” he whispered in her ear, making her shiver, “This isn’t about sex, this is about protection. Relax and trust me, I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
Eloise took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. She snuggled closer into his embrace and closed her eyes. He tightened his arms around her. She did feel safe.
“That’s my girl,” he whispered, “Sweet dreams, Eloise.”
The soft sound of his breathing and the rhythmic movement of his chest soon lulled Eloise to sleep.
She was going to be late, but she couldn’t resist another peek in the looking glass. Mama had told her that vanity would be her undoing, but tonight she felt that even Mama would forgive her, she felt like a princess. The light green tulle fell in soft drapes over the hoop skirt, making her tiny waist seem even smaller. The bodice of satin and tulle was even more daring than she realized when she had been fitted for the dress, but her soft white shoulders showed to perfection. Her auburn hair had been fussed over and curled into dozens of ringlets, all caught up in a matching satin band. The diamond earrings Papa had given her sparkled at each turn of her head. She had never felt like this before, tonight was going to be magic.
“Louisa!” her mother’s voice rang up the stairs. “If you don’t come down right now, we will take the carriage and you will be forced to walk.”
Louisa giggled, Mama’s threats were empty, but now she was ready for the gala. She picked up her fan and her evening bag and dashed out of the room.
Sophie, her mother’s personal slave, stood at the top of the stairs waiting. “You dash down the stairs like that, you gonna break your nose,” she stated baldly, “Ain’t no way for a princess to make an entrance to society.”
Louisa threw her arms around Sophie’s neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you, Sophie,” she said, “I will practice more decorum, I promise.”
“I don’t like you going to that Lalaurie place. That whole family’s bad,” Sophie said.
Louisa shook her head. “No, that was her sister-in-law from New Orleans, this family is fine,” she said, “They’re good people.”
“Bad blood travels in families,” she said firmly, “You make sure you take care.”
Louisa nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I promise.”
“You got that amulet I gave you?”
Louisa loosened the strings of her evening bag and pulled out the small packet of cloth that was attached to a satin ribbon.
“Things get bad, you put that around your neck,” Sophie warned, “It will protect you.”
Louisa dropped it back into her bag and tightened the strings. “Yes, ma’am, I certainly will,” she replied with a quick curtsey, “Can I go now?”
Sophie’s solemn mouth turned up slightly. “You ain’t nothing but a tease,” she said with love in her eyes. “You go and be a good girl, hear?”
Louisa grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
She hurried down the stairs, out the door and onto the wide pillared porch of the plantation home. She collected her skirts and climbed into the comfort of her father’s traveling carriage.
“So, what words of warning did Sophie give you?” her mother asked.
Louisa smiled. “She really is worried about the Lalaurie family. Mother what happened in New Orleans?”
Louisa’s mother tightened her lips and shook her head. “It is not something we discuss; it is enough to say that it was cruel beyond words and horrible beyond imagination.”
Louisa shivered in the warm summer air.
“Should we be going tonight?” she whispered.
Her mother smiled and laid her hand over her daughter’s. “Of course, we’ll be fine,” she said, “Besides, I understand that there is a young man attending who would protect my daughter from any kind of trouble.”
Louisa blushed at the thought of Lieutenant Jean-Paul Gruyere. He was a Marine Officer stationed at Port Orleans. He was sought after by many of the match-making mothers in New Orleans’ society. Not only was he handsome and intelligent, he came from a good family and would make an excellent match.
Louisa cared nothing for society’s view of the handsome lieutenant; she had seen how he treated the poor and unfortunate, how he had protected those who could not protect themselves. He had honor and nobility and she had simply fallen in love with him.
“Louisa,” her mother’s kindly voice interrupted her thoughts, “Wipe that dreamy look off your face. We are about to make our entrance and you would not want the whole world to know how you feel about young Gruyere.”
Louisa blushed and then grinned. “Thank you, mama,’ she teased, “I will put on my society face now.”
The carriage turned toward the majestic mansion. Large willow trees bordered the drive, creating a cascading curtain of green. A marble fountain stood in the center of the drive and lanterns had been placed everywhere to illuminate the summer night. At the entrance of the grand house, the carriage stopped and Louisa and her mother alighted.
They walked up the steps and across the porch. The oak double doors had been thrown open and music and laughter spilled out. The house was furnished elegantly; marble statues, highly polished mahogany furniture, and the latest fixtures in the newly developed gas lighting. Louisa knew that no expense had been spared to turn this home into a showcase.
They walked from the parlor into the large ballroom. As soon as she stepped into the room, she could sense Jean-Paul’s presence. Her heart seemed to beat faster and she felt a warmth flow through her body.
“Madame Rousseau, Louisa, good evening,” Jean-Paul smiled as he greeted them.
Louisa turned to return his greeting and felt, once again, the power of his presence. He was dressed in his uniform, a white double-breasted cutaway jacket with tails, a red silk cummerbund and narrow white pants. The buttons, epaulets and cuff stripes were gold. Louisa thought that he looked like a fairy tale prince.
He paused to say a few words to her mother and then turned his attention to her. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, holding it just a little longer than appropriate. He caught her eyes with his and she saw the same heat and desire she knew must show in her own.
“Will you…,” he began, his voice hesitant, his body tense. “Can I show you the garden?”
She knew that her mother would frown upon such behavior. She had not even greeted her hostess, but she could not deny him. She longed to steal some secreted moments with Jean-Paul.
“Yes, please,” she whispered.
His face relaxed and he took her arm and guided her through the crowds and outside through the terrace doors. They moved quickly across the terrace and down a flagstone path to a gazebo set in the midst of a grove of stately willows.
Jean-Paul led her up the steps of the gazebo. She looked around her in awe, the willows concealed the gazebo from the prying eyes of the party-goers and the glow of moon illuminated the gazebo like candlelight. Jean-Paul caught her hands in his.
“Did I mention that you look delectable?” he asked, lowering his lips to hers and stealing a sweet kiss.
She smiled and stepped back from his embrace. “And what would you do if prying eyes caught you kissing me?” she teased.
He reached out and caught her chin in his hand and gently lifted it so she had to look into his eyes. “I would immediately claim your hand in ma
rriage, carry you away to a solitary place and have you all to myself,” he whispered huskily.
Louisa trembled in response. “Then my greatest desire in all the world is that someone will come upon us,” she whispered in response.
“Louisa,” he breathed, as he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her with a hunger that echoed his words.
“Jean-Paul,” she moaned, once he freed her lips and held her tightly in his arms.
A stifled scream from beyond the grove caught their attention immediately. Jean-Paul released Louisa and jumped down the gazebo steps, before he turned back to Louisa. “Stay here, you’ll be safe, I’ll come for you,” he promised.
Louisa lowered herself to the narrow bench in the gazebo and clasped her hands together. She listened carefully, trying to discern where the sound had come from and if she could hear Jean-Paul moving through the night.
She fingered her evening bag nervously and then remembered the amulet. With unsteady fingers, she opened the bag and removed the amulet and tied the satin ribbon around her neck in a tight, secure knot.
She stood and walked to the entrance of the gazebo. She leaned forward trying to catch the sound of something. Suddenly, the quiet of the night was once again disturbed by a scream. Louisa heard Jean-Paul cry out in pain.
Before she consciously was aware of her decision, Louisa was running across the lawn, through the curtain of willow branches toward the sounds. She stumbled as she came out of the grove and the lawn disappeared, giving way to rough ground and unmanicured woods. Louisa spotted a narrow path which seemed to cut its way through the woods. She stayed close to one side in order to hide herself if need be.
The path led to a small open area. In the midst was a carriage house that, by its outside appearance, looked abandoned, but Louisa could see light escaping through the cracks in the walls.
She walked alongside the woods, keeping close to the brush for cover until she was facing the back of the house. She darted across the open area and then pressed herself against the rough planking of the building. Slowly she made her way to a dust covered window. She wiped away a small area and peered inside.
At first all she could see was the bright light coming from the lanterns that were hanging from the rough beams that ran along the ceiling. Then her eyes adjusted and she could see a number of tables lined up against one wall. She also thought she could see several large objects hanging from the walls. She scanned the room to see if anyone was moving, she stood on her tiptoes to get a better view of the room.
A cold rough hand came down on her shoulder. “Why peek in from the outside when I would be more than happy to give you a tour from the comfort of the inside of my laboratory.”
Louisa turned and gasped in shock.
The woman’s face was twisted and grotesque. Her hair was white and disheveled. Her hands, though strong, were also gnarled and bent. But it was the look in her eyes that made Louisa’s blood run cold. She had never seen such evil, but she recognized it immediately.
Louisa moved to break away from the woman’s grasp and the woman released her and laughed.
“Oui, you should run and leave this place and also leave the fate of your beau in my hands,” she snarled.
“Jean-Paul?” Louisa cried, turning back to face the woman, “What have you done with him?”
The woman shrugged and grinned. “Nothing, yet, I merely made sure that he cannot interfere. But he is indeed a very, shall we say, interesting subject.”
“Bring me to him immediately,” Louisa demanded.
“But my dear,” said the woman, “That is what I intended to do in the first place.”
She led Louisa through a small wooden planked door and into the former carriage house. Immediately upon entering, Louisa was sickened by the smell. She remembered once coming across a rat that had died in one of the barns and had not been discovered for many days, the smell inside the carriage house was similar.
“I’m sure an intelligent young lady as yourself will appreciate the scientific work I have been involved in,” the woman, waved her hand in the direction of one wall.
The tables Louisa had viewed through the window held the naked bodies of slaves; men, women and children. At first she thought they were dead, but as she moved closer to them she saw that they had been bound and their mouths had been sewn shut. She turned in horror to the woman who walked alongside her, the woman who acted as if she was doing nothing more than pointing out pictures in a gallery.
“What have you done…” Louisa began.
The woman shrugged and then interrupted her. “I can’t begin to tell you all of the experiments I performed, but like any true scientist, I have them all recorded in my journal.”
She continued walking toward the other side of the room. The large objects that Louisa had seen, she now realized in horror, were men and women shackled to the wall. They too were obviously a part of the woman’s mad experimentation. Their eyes were filled with pain and terror, but they also had their mouths sewn shut.
Louisa was going to be sick. She took a deep breath and turned back to the woman.
“You said you would bring me to Jean-Paul,” she demanded, “Where is he?”
“Oh, my dear,” the woman cooed, “I saved him a place of honor.”
She guided Louisa through an open door at the end of the room to a small chamber. The walls were whitewashed and cleaned. The room smelled of chemicals. Steel knives and metal implements lay on several shelves. In the center of the room was a wooden table, where the unconscious Jean-Paul lay. Louisa ran to him. His wrists and ankles were bound with leather to the edges of the table.
“Release him immediately,” Louisa demanded.
The woman’s laughter filled the room as she walked to the door, closed them all inside and turned the key in the lock.
“I have never had an opportunity to work on such superior subjects,” she said, “And since you two have discovered my secret, I cannot allow you to leave.”
“This will not work,” Louisa cried, “People will note that we have disappeared. My parents will search for me.”
“For the two lovers who decided to run away together?” the woman asked, “Obviously your parents will be heartbroken when they receive your letter, but even they will understand that when people are in love they often don’t see reason.”
Louisa shook her head. “They will never believe that.”
The woman shrugged. “What do I care what they believe? When I am done they will never find you.”
Louisa shook her head and stepped back toward the wall, looking for something to use to incapacitate her captor. “No, I won’t let you do this to us.”
The woman laughed again. “Now my dear, don’t raise such a fuss, we all must die sometime,” she cajoled, “Besides, I was going to give you the great privilege to watch what I do with your handsome Jean-Paul before I work on you.”
She trailed a gnarled hand across Jean-Paul’s chest and licked her lips. “Oh, yes, such a wonderful specimen.”
Louisa spied a large metal bar laying across one of the tables, she jumped for it and swung with all of her might at the woman. The sickening thud told her that she had made contact. The woman crumpled to the floor. Louisa grabbed one of the knives from the table and sawed through the leather bands holding Jean- Paul to the table. She leaned over his face and patted it gently.
“Jean-Paul, please, Jean-Paul, you must wake up,” she pleaded.
Relief coursed through her veins when she saw his eyelids flutter and finally open. He tried to sit and then grasped his head and groaned.
“Where…” he started to focus and his memory flooded back.
“Louisa, did she hurt you?” he asked, slowly sitting up and moving off the table.
Louisa hurried to help him. “No, she wanted to…” she shook her head, “I don’t know how long she is going to be unconscious. We must hurry and help the others.”
Louisa put her arm around Jean-Paul’s waist and helped him ac
ross the room. They unlocked the door and stepped out into the large room. She helped Jean-Paul to a chair and, with the knife she still held in her hand, started sawing through the bands that held many to the tables. She realized that her efforts were fruitless, most were too weak to move and many of the men and women in shackles had broken limbs and couldn’t walk.
“What are we going to do,” she cried in desperation, “We can’t carry them.”
Jean-Paul slowly raised himself up and walked to her. Blood trickled from the cut on his forehead.
“You’re going to have to run for help, Louisa,” he said, “It’s the only way.”
“I won’t leave you,” she said.
He placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her to him. “Louisa, the only way we can win is if you go and get help.”
“No, the only way we can win is if we stay together,” she argued.
Jean-Paul pushed her away from him. “Louisa, you have to go. Now.”
Louisa stumbled away from him, tears filling her eyes. “Jean-Paul.”
“Go, Louisa, go, so we can all be saved.”
Louisa half-ran, half-stumbled out of the building and across the open area. She found the narrow path and, hitching up her skirts in her arms, ran as fast as she could. She could see the grove a little ways ahead. Once she reached the grove, she could scream and people would hear her.
Suddenly she was thrust forward as an explosion rocked the ground. She grabbed a tree trunk and swung herself around. A huge fireball careened into the sky from the area behind her.
“Noooo,” she screamed and turned and ran back toward the carriage house. “Jean-Paul, no!”
She ran back, nearly blinded by her tears. Branches and brush tore at her face as she ran. She entered the clearing and saw the carriage house, now a charred remnant of what stood only minutes before. She knew no one could have survived that inferno. She fell to her knees, gasping and sobbing.
“Too bad, he would have made such an interesting specimen.”
Louisa, still on her knees in the dirt, looked up and faced the woman from the carriage house. The voice was only thing that was familiar. This woman who stood before her was young and beautiful, black hair curling around ivory skin. But as Louisa looked further she could see evil still filled her eyes.
