Jesse’s eyes narrowed. “And how long will that take?”
“One, maybe two days,” the constable replied nervously.
Dulac knew she wanted to throw a fit but was glad she didn’t. Her eyes darkened, and he kept a firm grip on her hand. They had to at least present a unified front before Bonny.
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. The constable broke it. “Awright, sir. Where do you want her? She’ll have two guards around the clock.”
For the first time, Dulac met the woman’s eyes, and he couldn’t resist smiling. “I’ve a room prepared for her in my stables. There’s only one way in and out and only a slit of a window.”
The woman maintained her composure, but Dulac could see the indignity in her eyes. She had never expected to be treated the way she had treated him. He was immeasurably pleased with himself.
“My butler will show your men where it is. My lovely wife and I have plans for the afternoon.” Dulac turned on his heel and escorted Jesse out of the house.
When they were on the sidewalk, Jesse stopped. She took her handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his brow. Then she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a compassionate, loving kiss. He allowed himself to drown in her taste and felt better composed when it ended. He sighed. “My lovely, lovely wife. I’ll never tire of saying that.”
“My darling husband,” she said and smiled with a twinkle in her eye. “I’m curious to know what our plans for the afternoon are.”
He smiled sheepishly. “I could think of nothing else but getting out of her presence.”
Jesse slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, and they started walking leisurely down the driveway. Or rather, Dulac walked, and Jesse waddled.
“I can’t go far, but I think I can make it a few blocks. Mayhap the fresh air will do some good and help me sleep.”
* * * *
After dinner that evening, Jesse joined Dulac in the study. He poured himself a brandy while she flopped onto the settee. She toyed with the pages of a book, and he could tell she had something on her mind.
“Spit it out, Jesse.”
“Well,” she began. “Seeing as how that woman is out of sight in the stables, I see no reason why we should make your mother suffer her.”
He swirled the liquor in his glass. “Why the change of heart?”
She chewed on her nail. “Well, it just seems fitting that she spend the rest of her days in our stable.”
She hesitated. “In fact, t’would be even more fitting if she spent the rest of her life shoveling horse manure for us instead of swinging from a rope. ’Twould be more useful.”
Dulac smiled. “Well, I don’t think I could stomach the thought of her being here that long. Besides, I think the thought of not seeing her baby grow might give Bonny pause for thought.”
Jesse sighed heavily. “Yes, I suppose. I would hate for that to happen to me.”
She rubbed her protruding belly, and he loved the glow that covered her cheeks as she thought of the baby. “I’ve hired a nanny to help you care for both babes.”
“Thank you.” A shadow crossed her face. “At least we won’t have to worry about LeBlanc showing up out of the blue.”
He snarled. “I wish you’d quit thinking about him.”
“Kind of hard to do,” she snapped.
He fought his annoyance with her. She had been moody for the past few months. He remembered how testy his mother used to get when she was pregnant with his sisters. He lived for her sunny days and prayed that once the babe was born she’d go back to being his Jesse. Only time would tell.
“Is it warm enough for her out there?”
Dulac nodded. “I assure you that she is quite comfortable, my dear. There is a stove, and as a guard is with her night and day, they keep it lit all the time. Why, I have even seen to it she is walked every day.”
Jesse lapsed into silence, and for awhile, it appeared she’d become engrossed in the book. He bent his head over the newspaper and jumped when she spoke.
“What do you think about Rebecca?”
“Rebecca who?”
“Rebecca Dulac.”
He wrinkled his face as he tried to remember that particular family member. “I don’t recall a Rebecca Dulac. When did you meet her?”
Jesse gave a short, husky laugh. “I haven’t yet, but it won’t be too much longer.”
He stared curiously at her before it dawned on him what she was talking about. “What if we have a boy?”
“I like Jackson. Jack.”
“Hmmm, we’ll see. I was thinking of naming him after myself. It’s only right that we call him Junior.”
“Well, maybe not junior, but how about Robert?”
He smiled. “I can live with that, but it’s pronounced Rober’. The t is silent.”
She made a face at him before propping her feet on the settee. She waved her hand in front of her face. “Whew. It’s too hot in here.”
He looked at the fireplace. The log had burnt to red ashes. While there wasn’t a blazing fire going, it was moderately warm but not hot. He raised his left eyebrow. “I find it quite cozy.”
The instant the words left his mouth, he regretted them. They stirred up the hornets buzzing in her bonnet, but instead of starting a verbal argument, she simply huffed and struggled to her feet. Once that was accomplished, she waddled to the French doors and pushed them open. The room was instantly blasted with icy air.
“For Heaven’s sake, Jess. Close the doors, or we’ll both catch colds.”
She breathed in deeply. “Just one more minute. I swear this girl’s gonna be like my mother. She loved cold weather.”
After a few minutes, Dulac slipped up behind her and placed his arms around her belly. He nuzzled his nose in her hair, and his lips found the smoothness of her neck. He pressed his hips against her and his need grew.
“I think, my love, that we should retire for the evening,” he whispered between neck nibbles.
She shuddered in his arms. “I’m huge as a house. How can you still want me?”
“Was your mother plump?”
She shrugged. “She wasn’t heavy set, but she was by no means thin.”
“Good,” he breathed. “I like a bit of meat on a woman’s bones. Now, if we don’t go up stairs now, I’ll ravage you here.”
Chapter 28
December 27, 1900
“She keeps asking for you, Mr. Dulac,” said one of Bonny’s guards. “Says she’s scared. Thinks something’s wrong with the baby.”
Dulac sat at his desk going over the books for his new ship building company. He groaned in annoyance and tapped his pen against his thumb rapidly. “For Pete’s sake, she’s been here three and a half weeks, and she’s done nothing but complain. Send for the doctor. I don’t have time for her.”
The guard shifted uncomfortably. “Mrs. Dulac already sent for the doc. He’s come and gone, but the prisoner will not stop asking for you.”
“Well I don’t want to see her...ever. Call the doctor back and have him prescribe something to calm her down. Something that won’t hurt the baby, of course.”
“But—”
“I’m not talking to her,” he yelled and threw his pen down. It bounced off the desk and landed at the guard’s feet. “And you can tell her to quit asking, because I don’t plan on seeing her. She doesn’t have any power over me anymore.”
His voice boomed around the room, and the guard actually took a step back. Dulac’s left eye throbbed painfully, and he couldn’t believe how quickly he had lost his temper. He was wound up tighter than rigging on a ship. The guard mumbled an apology and backed out of the room. Dulac rubbed his temples in an effort to ease his sudden headache.
Five minutes later, the guard burst into the room. His face was pale. “She’s threatening to kill herself if you don’t go talk to her.”
Exasperated, Dulac sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “And how is she going to do that?”
The guard hung his head. “A
fork.”
Dulac lifted the left corner of his mouth and wrinkled his face in confusion. “How the hell—”
“She’s holding it against her throat.”
“That’s preposterous.”
Dulac stared at the guard. After a second of thinking, he supposed that all she had to do was puncture the main artery. The tines of the fork were sharp, after all. Blood would flow fast and furious, and they wouldn’t be able to stop it.
Reluctantly, he jumped to his feet and followed the guard out to the stables. He stood at the door, and his stomach knotted up. Summoning his strength, he walked in to the room. True to the guard’s word, Bonny held a fork to her throat. At the sight of Dulac, however, she held it out to him. He snatched it out of her hand.
“What do you want?” he snarled.
Her wicked smile faded, and tears brimmed the corners of her eyes. “Please don’t take my baby. Please, Dulac, let me escape. I can’t bear the thought of hanging.”
He rolled his eyes and turned his back on her. He took two steps toward the door, but she grabbed his arm. He froze, closed his eyes, and balled up his fists. His skin crawled at her touch, and he yanked his arm away from her.
“Don’t touch me,” he growled through clenched teeth.
“But you don’t understand. I can’t give up my baby.”
“I’m not letting you escape. I’m not that crazy.” He stuck his index finger in her face. “Mark my words, Bonny. You won’t even get to hold it.”
“No.” Her face crumbled. “You are a cruel bastard.”
He sneered. “I know, and I have you to thank for it.”
She attacked him, catching him off guard. Her fists pummeled him, and his cheek stung from her slaps. He grabbed her upper arms, and she dug her nails into him. He refrained from shoving her back and ignored the fingernails stuck in his flesh. He shook her angrily.
“Get yourself together, woman. Or do I have to tie you up like you did to me?”
The two guards pushed around him and pulled her away. She didn’t struggle for long but sagged wearily onto the soft bed in the corner. He had at least seen to it she had a regular bed to sleep in, but that had been the only nice gesture. Her meals were nutritious but not as fancy as she had been accustomed to. He pointed at the guards.
“No forks, no knives, no spoons. She eats with her fingers.”
Her mouth fell open. “How barbaric. I am not a slave like—”
“Like me?”
His face boiled red with hate and anger. He took a step toward her, intent on throttling her. The guards intervened.
A firm hand latched onto his arm from behind, and he turned to see Jesse at his elbow. While she didn’t shrink from his rage, she did acknowledge it was there. She pulled him gently toward the door. “Let’s go get something sweet to eat.”
Like a blind bat, he focused on her and let her lead him away. Her presence calmed him, and once they were back at the porch, he sank to the steps. “Well, I handled that badly. What the blazes is wrong with me?”
She crooked a left eyebrow. “I’m not even going to answer that.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t dump a bucket of ice on me.”
She crossed her arms. “I should have.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“I’m not going to brow-beat my husband in front of the likes o’ her.”
He slowly tossed his head back in understanding. “Ah, so I see. All right, lay it on me. Tell me how wrong I was to get so mad.”
“I never said you were wrong. I’m just glad we were all there to stop you from doing something rash.”
“I wasn’t going to hurt her.”
“You don’t know your own strength,” Jesse said sternly. “You might not have intended to hurt her, but your rage was doing your thinking for you.”
His leg shook in aggravation. He put his hand on his knee to stop it. “Shall we go get some candy?”
She glanced at the afternoon sky. It was blue and white. “Are we walking?”
“Do you feel up to walking to the French Quarter?”
She shook her head. “Perhaps we can take the automobile.”
Dulac smiled like a schoolboy. “I was hoping you would say that.”
Jesse hesitated briefly, then grinned wickedly. “I think that would be fun. Let’s keep the top down. I want to see the faces of the old biddies that we pass. Surely a pregnant woman riding in such a contraption will set them off. Don’t you suppose?”
He jumped to his feet, feeling like a little boy with a brand new toy. “Have the auto brought to the front while I get my things.”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Your cap and goggles.”
He smiled wider and bounded into the house and up to their room.
* * * *
April 2, 1901
Three months had passed, and the babies were both near to being born. Dulac was a nervous wreck. After tossing and turning for several hours, he sighed and sat up, intent on sneaking downstairs for a midnight snack.
“Where are you going?” Jesse’s voice was heavy with sleep.
“Just for a glass of water. Go back to sleep.”
“Would you bring me some?”
Frustration surged through him, but he managed to keep a gentlemanly air. “All right.”
He trudged down to the kitchen to get a glass of water he didn’t really want. His original intention had been to check on Bonny. He looked at the door that led outside. All he had to do was walk out. Maybe Jesse would have fallen back asleep. He jumped at the sound of her voice.
“I’m hungry. Where are those pralines?”
He pushed aside the disappointment and faced up to the fact that he wasn’t going anywhere. Grabbing the box of pralines, he joined her at the table. He lit the gas lamp and blew out the candle. He had been thinking about having electricity put in the house, but it was still a relatively new concept. The streets of New Orleans had been lit that way for almost nine years now. Still, he was worried about it starting a fire.
“Oh.” Jesse’s eyes widened in sudden surprise. “Ouch.”
She dropped the praline on the table and sat back in the chair. She rubbed her belly and made a pained face. “Well, that hurts.”
Dulac’s hand froze with a praline halfway to his mouth. His eyes grew wide as the upcoming birth flared before them. “What? Is it time?”
Jesse took a breath and slowly let it out. She smiled and shook her head. “No, not yet.”
“Are you sure? Do I need to get the doctor?”
“No—ow,” she said sharply.
He dropped the praline and jumped to his feet. Panic threatened to engulf him. “That’s it. I’m sending Tomas for the doctor.”
He took two steps towards the hall, but Jesse stood and put her hand on his arm. “No. Don’t. I—”
Her eyes became as wide as saucers, and she stood very still. Horrified, she looked at the floor but couldn’t see her feet for her belly. She then looked him in the eye.
“What?” he asked.
“My water broke.”
“But you’re not due until two more weeks,” he argued.
Someone chose that moment to bang loudly on the back door. Both of them jumped, and Dulac glanced from Jesse to the door and back to her again. He pointed at her. “Don’t move.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she said softly.
Cautiously, he peeked out to see the guard’s anxious face, and he let him in. Even in the soft glow of the gas light, Dulac could see how pale the man was.
“What is it?”
“Her water broke.”
Dulac drew his brows together in perplexity. “I know. It just happened, but, how did you know? Were you eavesdropping on us?”
It was the guard’s turn to look confused. “What? No, sir. I’ve just come from the stables. Miss Bonny’s having her baby.”
Dulac didn’t realize his mouth was open until spit drooled down his chin.
* * * *
/> One day later, Dulac sat in the nursery’s rocking chair. He had a sleeping baby in each arm, and he stared at them in amazement. While Rebecca may have been older than Roberta, she was the tinier of the two. Her hair was silver-blonde like Jesse’s, and she had already proven she had her mother’s feisty nature. He could still hear her first cries, and only Jesse could get her to calm down.
Dulac focused on his youngest daughter, Roberta Nadeen Dulac. They had brought her to him about thirty minutes after Rebecca had been born. She had quietly sucked on her fist and stared up at him as if to say, “Here I am, Father. Teach me right from wrong, if you can.”
Her dark black hair and sky-blue eyes matched his, and there was no doubt she belonged to him. A fierce possessiveness stole over him, and he knew he’d fight to the death to keep her safe. He had gone through hell to get her, but just looking at her now made it all more bearable. Not to mention the fact that in less than a week, Bonny would be out of their lives for good.
He yawned and closed his eyes. The rocking was putting him to sleep, but damned if he could stop. It felt too good. He hadn’t slept since the women’s water had broken. He woke the instant someone tried to take one of the babes from him. His arms tightened around them, and he blinked the bleariness from his eyes. “I’m awake.”
“Give them to me, Cristienne,” his mother demanded softly. “It’s okay to rock them sometimes, but they need to sleep in their own beds, alone.”
Reluctantly, he let her take them. He stood and stretched. “Is Jess awake?”
At her nod, he left her with the babies and hurried to their room. He pushed the door open and smiled at his bride. She was in bed and propped up against pillows. She smiled back. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
“She looks just like her mother.” Dulac climbed into bed.
He snuggled up to her and sighed in contentment. He was almost asleep, soothed by Jesse’s hand rubbing his head, when she spoke. “I’d like to see Roberta.”
He sat up and looked at her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I’m her mother now. I need to get used to the fact that I had twins.”
With a happiness that surprised him, Dulac quickly got off the bed and went to the nursery. His mother rocked a fussy Roberta, and she gave him a reproachful look. “You’ve spoiled her already. Go away.”
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