Oppressed (14 page)

I looked at Edmond and stretched out my
mouth into a wide clown-like grin, mostly because I had secretly
sipped some stiff doses of absinthe when I had excused myself to go
to the bathroom and it had finally kicked in. The small sterling
silver flask had started to become a permanent fixture under my
many layers of petticoats. “You’re right, Edmond,” I said happily.
“You’re so right. He should be wearing a fine red velvet jacket
with a black silk tie just as you are! What was he thinking?
Horribly unrefined man!”

His blue eyes shone in approval and he
slowly stroked my bare back with his fingers. He leaned in and
whispered, “You look stunning. I could ravish you right here, my
sweet Cecile.”

I shuddered at those words and every
inch of my flesh ran cold.

Thankfully, we were interrupted by a
strikingly handsome man with dark deep-set eyes, exquisitely formed
cheekbones, and a kind smile. “Edmond! You came!” His eyes sparkled
as he leaned in to give Edmond a warm embrace.

“
Oncle Jacques! When I heard you
were the owner of a plantation I had to see it for myself! Making
even more riches off the backs of heathens, as if you aren’t
already the wealthiest man in the state.”

Jacques shrugged. “It’s what the Madame
wants, and who am I to argue with her? Who is this gorgeous
creature?” he asked, as his attention turned to me.

“
This is the lovely Cecile
LaNuit.”

“
Bonjour.” I gave him a
genuine smile.

“
How charming.” Jacques took my
hand and gave it a quick kiss. “You must share a dance with my boy.
It’s my duty to make sure all of my guests have an exceptional
time. Now, you don’t mind do you, Edmond?” He gave Edmond a small
knowing wink, almost as if he were teasing him or daring him to say
no.

Edmond’s jaw tightened slightly but
his smile remained fixed. “No, of course not.”

“
Lucus, come over here!” Jacques
turned around and shouted at a broad-shouldered back. “Come dance
with our lovely guest.”

The broad-shouldered back turned around
and my cheeks unwillingly flushed. His eyes met mine and for some
inexplicable reason I had the urge to break off the connection and
stare at my satin slippers and count the number of tiny diamonds
and glass pearls that rested on each toe. This wasn’t like me at
all. I had waltzed with princes, dukes and the oh-so-charming
Edmond. This wasn’t any different. Another lie.

What I felt at that exact
moment was similar to how I felt when I danced with the spirits. A
profound connection with the unknown; a rush of vague fear, utter
excitement, and the acceptance that the
les mysteries
move to their own rhythm and
would always surprise you when you least expected it. Something
deep within me told me that this meeting was the loa’s way of
letting me know that they had not actually abandoned me, and as
hopeless as my situation appeared I would somehow climb out of the
darkness. I felt Edmond’s eyes on me and panicked that he could
somehow read my mind, so I took several low breaths and willed
myself to calm down.

“
Bonjour.” Lucus took my
hand and gave it a kiss that made my heart race.

“
Bonjour,” I whispered shyly
through lowered lashes. . I felt the heat in my cheeks continue to
rise as my eyes took in the contours of his face, and felt the
warmth of his touch melt through my gloves.

We started to dance to a rhythm that was
rich and uniquely ours and the people around us became no more than
whispering shadows as they watched us move across the floor. The
moment cloaked me entirely and I relished every second of it more
than I should have. Pure exhilaration filled me as I took in the
intoxicating scent that emanated from his skin, the teasing
expression behind his dark eyes, and the upward curves of his full
lips. I was confused by the fierce emotion that had taken hold of
me and desperately searched for a rational reason why I found him
so utterly compelling. I struggled to remain composed for fear that
Edmond would somehow pick up on my feelings and drag me
away.

A cool winter wind wafted into the
room and brought with it the innocent scent of clean night air and
fragrant jasmine. I could feel Eruzlie’s loving presence as she
embraced us with her blessing and encouraged me to continue
dancing.

“
Save me,” Lucus said
unexpectedly.

“
Save you?” I snapped out
of my trance and found the courage to meet his steady
gaze.

“
Yes,” he
nodded.

“
Save you from
what?”

“
The hyena twins,” he said, as
he turned my attention to two beautiful girls who wore matching
pink silk ball gowns and diamond-encrusted tiaras. They stood at
the far end of the dance floor with their elegantly gloved hands on
their hips and observed us with narrow, tight expressions. I felt
their eyes carefully appraising me from head to toe, measuring
every inch of my skin. One of them turned to the other and
whispered something into her ear. They both broke out in laughter
as they looked at me and then at Edmond. A sense of deep
degradation that I had never felt before suddenly manifested within
me and I felt my body tremble uncontrollably.

Lucus reached out and brushed away a
stray lock of hair that rested on my forehead. “Is everything
alright?” he gently asked.

I smiled, let out a small giggle and
mentally scolded myself for actually letting my emotions show. “I
was just thinking that they look nothing alike.” Well, they didn’t.
One was short and blonde, while the other was tall and
brunette.

“
Oh but they act, dress, think,
and laugh exactly like.”

“
Let me guess, they laugh
like hyenas?”

He nodded. “Do you see that gorgeous
woman throwing disapproving glances our way?”

“
Yes.” I had noticed
her.

“
That’s Maman, and she’s
plotting my marriage to one of them as we speak.”

“
Really?! And I was under
the impression that only women had that problem.”

He shook his head from side to side
dramatically. “I assure you us gentlemen are often placed in
compromising positions as well.”

“
Hmmm, I seriously doubt
that.”

“
Are you accusing me of
lying?” he asked teasingly with one eyebrow raised.

“
No. Well maybe a little.
Which one is she?”

“
It doesn’t matter. They
come from the same family so either one will do.” His voice was
quiet and had distinct sullenness to it.

“
And what do you want?” I
asked.

He gave me a knowing smile that made
my knees weak but didn’t respond to my question.

“
Well, if you are forced to
marry one of them you can always buy a mistress to keep you
occupied on the side,” I said sarcastically. I was surprised at how
bitter and completely unrefined those words sounded when I said
them out loud. The moment I said them I regretted it. What if he
already had a mistress? In New Orleans, most wealthy Creole men
secured placées when they were young. Why was I wasting my time
thinking about whether he had a placée or not? Did I want to be his
placée? No.

He laughed a deep, genuine laugh and I
immediately felt at ease and forgot about my little outburst. “If
all mistresses were like you I’d buy a hundred. One for every room
in the house.”

I rolled my eyes.
“Charming.”

“
Why,
merci
. Now follow my lead.”

“
Where are you leading me
to?”

“
My favorite
oak.”

“
Your favorite
oak?”

He nodded.

“
In case you haven’t noticed, I
can’t exactly follow you to your favorite oak.” I glanced at
Edmond, who was still in conversation with Jacques.

“
Yes you can.” He swirled
me to the back of the ballroom and towards a door.

“
We can’t go outside!” A million
thoughts ran through my head. Edmond, tricky spirits, and what
others would think; but one look at his eager, pleading expression
and all sense of reason went out the ballroom. I hadn’t felt this
alive since the night before I had met Edmond. “Alright- but just
for a moment.”

“
Wait here,” he said. He
left me and headed towards the table. I watched him as he quickly
grabbed a handful of pralines and a bottle of Champagne
Charlie.

For the first time in a long time my
face broke out a wide grin but the only difference was it wasn’t
fake. I felt some of the spirit I had lost over the past few months
slowly seeping back into my pores and gave thanks to the loa for
not abandoning me after all.

“
Shall we?” Lucus extended
his arm. I quickly glanced around the ballroom and noted that
Edmond had his back turned to us.

I took a deep breath and took
his arm. “
Oui.”

Chapter
Fifteen

Dinclusin and
Chalotte

Darkwood
Plantation

A few miles outside of
New Orleans,
1852

The cool winter wind sent shivers down my
spine and goose bumps up my bare arms, yet I savored every second
of it. I closed my eyes and inhaled the haunting night air, which
was thick with the sweet and melancholy scent of chrysanthemums and
camellias. The moon illuminated our path as we happily meandered
through a maze of regal oaks. For a moment I panicked and realized
that I was walking through a forest with a complete stranger who
was more than capable of strangling me and throwing me into the
nearby swamp. My worries immediately vanished when Lucus wrapped
his waistcoat around me protectively. I felt safe. Safer than I
felt in my own home.

A fierce rush of liberation suddenly
streamed through me and I extended my arms, looked up at the
beautiful inky sky with its endless sea of twinkling stars, and
started to laugh like a maniac. I laughed and laughed without
completely understanding why I was laughing. I felt as if I could
finally breathe again. I felt alive and re-awakened so I continued
to laugh and spun around and around like I had done so many times
in Congo Square. In the distance I could hear the low rhythm of
drums beating and I knew there was another Queen close by. I moved
my feet, shook my hips and spontaneously grabbed Lucus’ hand. He
tried to imitate my moves but he couldn’t keep up and watching him
trying to dance to the rhythm of the drums was hilarious and made
me laugh even harder. Eventually he gave up and leaned against an
oak to catch his breath.

“
Quitter!” I
teased.

After my little performance came to an
end I cleared my throat and looked at a very amused Lucus who stood
and observed me with a serene smile on his face.

I simply stared at him for a few
moments. “Thank you,” I said.

His smile widened. “You’re thanking me
for…?”

There were no words I could use to
express how I felt. “Thank you for wanting to show me your favorite
oak,” I said stupidly.

He pulled me close to him so close that I
could feel the heat from his body and the whiskey on his breath. “I
have a confession to make,” he whispered dramatically. “I don’t
have a favorite oak.”

“
Then why did you bring me out
here?” I asked. My voice unwillingly trembled.

He held up the bottle of champagne. “To
drink champagne and eat pralines with you in peace without the
prying eyes of the hyena twins or your protector, who by the way is
doing a terrible job of protecting you.”

I scoffed in an Edmond-type manner at his
arrogance while all the while my insides were melting. “And you
think you could do a better job of protecting me?”

“
No.” He pulled backed and
popped open the bottle. “I don’t
think
I can. I know I can.”

I sighed dramatically, grabbed the bottle
out of his hand and took several very large swigs. “You Creole men.
So passionate! So tortured!”

Lucus grabbed me by the waist and took my
free hand into his. “What is life without passion, love, and some
emotional torture thrown in for good measure?” he asked, as he spun
me around. “Besides, it’s you Creole women that drive us to
madness. Your mere presence is already driving me to
insanity.”

I backed away from him, crossed my arms,
and pretended to be very offended. “And why is that?”

“
Because I know my cousin isn’t
worthy of you, yet I cannot do a single thing about it. Except
challenge him to a duel, of course, but then one of us would end up
dead and Maman would personally kill the one that lives for
bringing scandal to the family.”

I placed my hand over my heart. “You would
challenge your dear cousin to a duel over me? I’m flattered, but I
can take care of myself,” I said, as I thought back to this
morning’s conversation I had with Tante Celeste. I gave him a large
goofy champagne-and-absinthe-infused grin and batted my eyelashes.
“But thank you for your offer.”