found some other excuse years ago. Why did you use my little fiancée to provoke the duel? There was no need to deprive me of such a sweet tidbit.”
“It seemed appropriate.”
“I suppose it might have seemed appropriate to you, but it was hardly an equal exchange. Lysette was chaste and modest, of far greater value than your harlot of a wife.”
Max drew in his breath. “I’m going to kill you.”
“As you did Corinne?” Etienne smiled casually. “I never had the opportunity to tell you what a relief that was. She was so tiresome.” He seemed to enjoy the sight of Max’s darkening face. “Careful,” he murmured. “You’ll give me the advantage by letting your emotions get the better of you.”
“Let’s get this over with,” Max said gruffly.
They exchanged one last look before turning to take up their weapons. Max pushed away an unwanted memory that hovered entreatingly on the edge of his awareness, a memory of childhood. He wondered if Etienne had given a thought to a fact few people in New Orleans remembered—that once they had been inseparable friends.
Chapter 5
M ax had often pondered why Sagesse had slept with his wife, and realized the deed had been inevitable. They had been boyhood friends, had sworn to be blood brothers, but even then Etienne had also been Max’s greatest rival.
Because they were friends, Etienne struggled to subdue his jealousy. Eventually, however, as they grew into manhood, their friendship was overshadowed by too many arguments and increasing competition, and for a number of years they kept a careful distance from each other.
When Max fell in love and married Corinne Quérand, it had not taken long for the idea of seducing her to take root in Etienne’s mind. Once Etienne had succeeded, it became clear Corinne’s charm had worn off quickly. Now that Max had repaid the debt by ruining his betrothed, Etienne wasdetermined to settle the score once and for all. He had fancied himself half in love with Lysette Kersaint, and Max would pay for taking that away from him.
Lysette walked down the stairs after a sleepless night. The house was still, the hour too early for the twins to have awakened. There was a heavy feeling in her heart, and she could not pretend it was anything other than concern for Max. Just why she should care so much about what happened to him was impossible to explain.
Going to the morning room, she peered through the window and saw that dawn had arrived. Perhaps at this moment Sagesse and Max were dueling, rapiers scissoring and flashing in the pale light.
“By now it is over,” she heard Irénée say behind her. The older woman sat at the empty breakfast table. “It seems I have been through a hundred mornings such as this,” Irénée continued, looking haggard. “This is hardly the first duel Maximilien has fought. And he is not the only son of mine to have taken up swords. No one understands the grief a woman bears when the life of her child is threatened.”
“I do not think he will fail, madame.”
“And if he doesn’t? How much more will his heart be blackened when he tries to live with Etienne’s death on his conscience? Perhaps it would be better for him to…to lose this duel than to become so embittered.”
“No,” Lysette said softly.
The minutes seemed to drag at a fraction of their usual pace. Surely if Max were all right he would have returned by now. Lysette tried to make conversation, but after a while she fell silent and stared blankly at the cooling liquid in her cup.
“Madame!” she heard Noeline exclaim. Irénée and Lysette both turned with a start. The housekeeper stood in the doorway, her wiry arms bracketing either side of the doorframe. “Retta’s boy just ran up to say that Monsieur is coming down the road!”
“He is all right?” Irénée asked unsteadily.
“Just fine!”
Irénée jumped to her feet with surprising alacrity and hurried to the entrance hall. Lysette followed, her heart pounding
“It seemed appropriate.”
“I suppose it might have seemed appropriate to you, but it was hardly an equal exchange. Lysette was chaste and modest, of far greater value than your harlot of a wife.”
Max drew in his breath. “I’m going to kill you.”
“As you did Corinne?” Etienne smiled casually. “I never had the opportunity to tell you what a relief that was. She was so tiresome.” He seemed to enjoy the sight of Max’s darkening face. “Careful,” he murmured. “You’ll give me the advantage by letting your emotions get the better of you.”
“Let’s get this over with,” Max said gruffly.
They exchanged one last look before turning to take up their weapons. Max pushed away an unwanted memory that hovered entreatingly on the edge of his awareness, a memory of childhood. He wondered if Etienne had given a thought to a fact few people in New Orleans remembered—that once they had been inseparable friends.
Chapter 5
M ax had often pondered why Sagesse had slept with his wife, and realized the deed had been inevitable. They had been boyhood friends, had sworn to be blood brothers, but even then Etienne had also been Max’s greatest rival.
Because they were friends, Etienne struggled to subdue his jealousy. Eventually, however, as they grew into manhood, their friendship was overshadowed by too many arguments and increasing competition, and for a number of years they kept a careful distance from each other.
When Max fell in love and married Corinne Quérand, it had not taken long for the idea of seducing her to take root in Etienne’s mind. Once Etienne had succeeded, it became clear Corinne’s charm had worn off quickly. Now that Max had repaid the debt by ruining his betrothed, Etienne wasdetermined to settle the score once and for all. He had fancied himself half in love with Lysette Kersaint, and Max would pay for taking that away from him.
Lysette walked down the stairs after a sleepless night. The house was still, the hour too early for the twins to have awakened. There was a heavy feeling in her heart, and she could not pretend it was anything other than concern for Max. Just why she should care so much about what happened to him was impossible to explain.
Going to the morning room, she peered through the window and saw that dawn had arrived. Perhaps at this moment Sagesse and Max were dueling, rapiers scissoring and flashing in the pale light.
“By now it is over,” she heard Irénée say behind her. The older woman sat at the empty breakfast table. “It seems I have been through a hundred mornings such as this,” Irénée continued, looking haggard. “This is hardly the first duel Maximilien has fought. And he is not the only son of mine to have taken up swords. No one understands the grief a woman bears when the life of her child is threatened.”
“I do not think he will fail, madame.”
“And if he doesn’t? How much more will his heart be blackened when he tries to live with Etienne’s death on his conscience? Perhaps it would be better for him to…to lose this duel than to become so embittered.”
“No,” Lysette said softly.
The minutes seemed to drag at a fraction of their usual pace. Surely if Max were all right he would have returned by now. Lysette tried to make conversation, but after a while she fell silent and stared blankly at the cooling liquid in her cup.
“Madame!” she heard Noeline exclaim. Irénée and Lysette both turned with a start. The housekeeper stood in the doorway, her wiry arms bracketing either side of the doorframe. “Retta’s boy just ran up to say that Monsieur is coming down the road!”
“He is all right?” Irénée asked unsteadily.
“Just fine!”
Irénée jumped to her feet with surprising alacrity and hurried to the entrance hall. Lysette followed, her heart pounding
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