Mardi Gras Masquerade (28 page)

Some time later, in spite of the gaiety, Maria was unable to stifle a yawn.
 
She was not accustomed to keeping late hours.

“Would you like to go?” Steve quickly asked.

“Not yet.
 
It’s all so . . .”

Maria could not hold back another yawn that prevented her from finishing the sentence.

“A little night air might wake you up,” suggested her escort.

“Perhaps it would,” Maria was forced to agree.

Steve stood up and led her out to the lobby.
 
Their chauffeur was waiting there for them.
 
Steve instructed him to follow them in the limousine, and they left the hotel.

“It’s not that far to the levee,” he told Maria.
 
“If you get too tired to walk on, let me know.”

“I’ll never get that tired, Steve,” the woman replied with a smile.
 
“I want this night to go on forever.”

Steve smiled back and drew her hand around his arm.
 
They walked off along the brightly lit street, as though it was the middle or the day.
 
Mardi Gras certainly seemed to attract ardent partygoers.
 
All of the costumes and excitement enthralled Maria’s imagination.
 
It was so different from anything she had ever known.

The brisk night air awakened her, but her happiness made her feel warm.
 
After several blocks of leisurely walking, they came to the spot where the road ended near the river.
 
Steve gave some directions to the chauffeur, and he drove off to the left.

He told Maria “We’ll go out to the Riverwalk, and head back toward
Jackson Square
.
 
Is that all right with you?”

“Anything you say,” Maria murmured back.

The moon had already set, but the bright lights along the path and dimmer lights of the stars reflected in undulating ripples on the water of the
Mississippi
.
 
When Maria moved closer to Steve, she was disturbed when he pulled away.

“I don’t want you to get a chill,” he said as he took off his jacket to wrap it around her shoulders.

“I don’t want
you
to be cold,” she replied, looking seriously concerned.

“That couldn’t happen while I have you here beside me,” he smilingly responded.

They moved dreamily along until Steve suggested that they should sit down on an unoccupied bench.
 
Much to Maria’s amazement, it was the same bench they had sat on that first night she had come to
New Orleans
.
 
Their bench.
 
She could not believe that they had walked so far.

Once they were settled, Steve put his arm around her.
 
She nestled closely against him.

“It seems like a long time has passed since we first sat here,” she commented.

“Then, you remember.”

“I remember everything.”

“In your life?”

Maria let out a low laugh. “Since I met you,” she explained.

“Shall we talk about that?”

“Not now.”

“Why not?” Steve asked.

“Everything is too special now.
 
I don’t want to spoil it.”

“Are you
suggestin
’ that your memories of the time we shared would spoil your evening?”

“Don’t be silly.
 
I was thinking about other things.”

“Things you don’t want to discuss.”

“Basically.
 
I might be a romantic fool, but I want this dream to go on forever.”

“Eventually, dreams have to give way to reality, Maria.”

“I know that, but not tonight.”

“Time is growing short.”

Maria lifted her head to look at Steve, and then said, “That’s why I don’t want to talk about anything painful now.”

After a moment, Steve replied, “All right.”

Maria leaned her head back onto his shoulder, and they stayed there, speaking of less important subjects until the dawn began to break over the
Mississippi
.
 
When they finally went back to the car, Steve had to awaken the chauffeur.
 
Minutes after Maria climbed into the back seat and resumed her position beneath Steve’s arm, she fell asleep.

CHAPTER 12

The aroma of food slowly slipped into Maria’s consciousness.
 
She rolled on to her back and opened her eyes.
 
A breakfast tray had been set beside her on the bed.

“Good mornin’,” said Steve, sitting there next to the tray.

In a sleepy voice, Maria replied, “I don’t remember going to bed.”

“You fell asleep in the car.
 
I didn’t want to wake you, so I carried you upstairs.”

The girl quickly peaked under the covers.
 
She was wearing her nightgown.

She immediately exclaimed, “Don’t tell you---”

“No, I didn’t undress you,” Steve interrupted.
 
“You woke up just enough to tell you’d take care of that yourself.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“You were exhausted, Maria.
 
In fact, I’m surprised you’re not still wearing your gown.”

“I must have sleep-dressed.”

They both laughed lightly

The man looked at her tenderly and said, “I would have let you sleep all afternoon if this wasn’t such a special day.”

The memory of what made that day so special made Maria sit up in bed.

“Is Tienne here?” she asked with a worried frown.

“Yes, he is.
 
It’s nice to see that you’re so eager to see your groom.”

Unable to think of anything else, Maria pushed aside the covers on the opposite side of the bed from Steve and stood up.
 
She hastily put on her robe to turn and face his approving stare.
 
Unfortunately, there was no time for banter.”

“Is he coming up here?” she asked as she tied her belt.

“Isn’t it supposed to be unlucky for the groom to see the bride before the
weddin
’?”

“But, I haven’t seen him at all!”

“There’s no need to get so upset, Maria.
 
You’ll see him soon enough.
 
Now, eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”

When Steve stood up and acted as though he was going to leave the room, Maria ran over to grab his arm.

“You can’t go yet!” she stated in anxiety.
 
“There’s something I have to tell you.”

“I’d like to stay and chat, but I have to see my parents.
 
I haven’t gotten to tell them the plans, and they want to hear all about them before the guests arrive.”

“They’re having guests?”

“The
weddin
’ guests, my girl.
 
Did you think we wouldn’t invite anyone to share in the celebration?”

“It slipped my mind,” Maria replied, feeling foolish.

“That all right.
 
You wanted Tienne to take care of everything, and he did.
 
After our late night, I didn’t think you’d want to entertain the guests here, so my parents are
playin
’ host and hostess at their townhouse.”

“What about Tienne?”

“He’ll be there, too.
 
Don’t worry about anything, Maria.
 
You’ll have the whole house to yourself, except for the staff.
 
I’ll be back to pick you up for the ceremony.”

“This has gone far enough!” Maria almost shouted. “I can’t marry your brother!”

“And why not?” asked the man, and his eyes glittered dangerously.

“Because he never asked---”

“Oh,” Steve once again interrupted, “All of a sudden, his proposal wasn’t good enough for you?
 
Or are you still annoyed that he couldn’t get back here to entertain you before this?”

“That’s not it at all!
 
I don’t even know the man!”

“Most couples don’t really know each other until after they get married.
 
It’s natural.”

Maria heaved out a long sigh of frustration.
 
She wished that she had taken the time to plan what she would say when this time finally arrived.
 
Steve’s face grew sterner as he waited for her to speak.

“You don’t understand!” Maria cried.
 
“I’m not who you think I am.”

Steve pulled his arm out of her grasp to face her fully.
 
There was no compromise in his expression.

“You’re certainly not what I expected you to be,” he commented, “and it’s been obvious all along that you’ve had second thoughts about this marriage.
 
I told you then and I’ll tell you again now, you’re going through with this marriage.
 
Everything has been arranged.
 
You’re not goin’ to back out now!”

“You’re twisting all of my words!
 
Just listen to me, Steve!” Maria firmly demanded, even though she found it difficult to meet the menace in the man’s eyes.
 
“I am not Maria Fontaine.”

Steve scowled and crossed his arms.

In a patronizing voice, he said, “And who would you have me believe you are?”

“Her roommate.
 
She sent me here in her place to break her engagement to Tienne.”

“So, you’re
tellin
’ me that your name is not Maria,” Steve stated disbelievingly.

“That part was true.
 
We’re both named Maria.”

“Two
Marias
,
roomin
’ together.
 
I suppose that your last name is also Fontaine.
 
Come on, Maria.
 
This is the flimsiest story you could possibly make up.”

“But it’s true!” Maria wailed.

“I’ve heard enough of this nonsense!” Steve thundered.
 
“Tienne DuPont is waiting to marry his fiancée, Maria, and you’re here, and by God, you’re goin’ to marry him!”

He grabbed the woman’s shoulders roughly and shook her, saying, “I told you that you weren’t goin’ to get out of this!
 
It’s too late to make up excuses!
 
Now, are you going to get into that
weddin
’ gown by yourself or do I have to force you into it?”

Maria cringed beneath the punishing grasp of his fingers.
 
He was too strong for her to fight, either physically or psychologically.
 
All of her arguments gave way before the threatening expression on Steve’s face.
 
Her failure to finally convince him of the truth was the final straw that destroyed all of her remaining confidence.