Wronged (The Cuvier Widows Book 1) by Sylvia McDaniel

surrounded him, though
he hardly noticed.
    “Mr. Fournet! Mr. Fournet!” a voice shouted
across the way at him. Jon, his office clerk, came running toward
him, looking harassed and out of breath.
    Louis walked across the dock, meeting him
halfway. “What’s wrong, Jon?”
    “It’s ... it’s George Morgan, sir,” he said
with a gasp.
    “Of St. Martin Sugar Refinery?” Louis
asked.
    “Yes, he’s at the office, shouting
obscenities at Mrs. Cuvier. He’s furious.”
    Fear sparked through Louis at the image of
Marian being threatened by this man.
    “Damn!” Louis said, tossing the notebook to
the Captain of the vessel about to leave, his attention focused on
Marian. Certainly she was no shrinking violet, but the thought of
anyone mistreating her bothered Louis more than he cared to think
about. But think of her was all he could do while he hurried to
her.
    As a satisfied customer, George Morgan was
often difficult, but when angry, he could become threatening. Poor
Marian was probably in tears.
    Louis ran the short distance to his buggy and
jumped in, picking up the reins, he looked back at his clerk. “Get
in Jon, or get left behind.”
    “I’m hurrying,” Jon said, jumping in.
    Louis snapped the reins across the horses’
backs, sending them off in a rush. Anxious, he drove the horses
hard those few scant blocks through the crowded streets to the
office.
    “How did this happen?” Louis asked.
    “Mr. Morgan came looking for you. He chewed
out Henry, until Mrs. Cuvier came up front. I didn’t stick around
to see any more. I knew you’d want me to come get you, so I ran to
the docks to find you.”
    Louis pulled the buggy up in front of Cuvier
Shipping and glanced at the building.
    “Thank you, Jon.” He set the brake and jumped
out of the buggy. “Take care of the horses.”
    Sprinting up the steps, Louis yanked open the
door and hurried inside. The door slammed behind him and everyone
glanced up. The men smiled at him and all started talking at
once.
    “Hey boss, we knew you’d show up.”
    “Where is he?” Louis asked, glancing around
the office, certain he would still be in the lobby area.
    “Mr. Morgan is with Mrs. Cuvier, in her
office.”
    Oh God, he thought as he took off down
the short hall. As he neared her office he heard laughter. The
sound caused him to pause as he came to her office door. He looked
around the comer and watched her for a few moments.
    She smiled at George, her head tilted as she
told him something that Louis couldn’t hear.
    George started to laugh, his voice light and
carefree. The man had never been this relaxed and friendly with
Louis. In fact, he’d been rude and obnoxious, his language vulgar,
every time Louis dealt with him. Yet he was their largest account.
Revenue from St. Martin alone paid for at least three ships out of
the ten they had traveling the seas. George Morgan was not someone
they could afford to make angry.
    Louis backed away from the door, slowly
easing his way back down the hallway, not wanting to disturb
Marian. God, he hoped that she wouldn’t promise their profit away,
but whatever she’d done, from the tableau he saw going on in her
office, it appeared she’d just saved their largest account.
    He breathed a sigh of relief. His fear for
her safety eased. Mr. Morgan appeared actually to be enjoying
himself. Reeling a little from the rapport Louis had just witnessed
between the two of them, he went back to the lobby and sank down
into a chair.
    Henry came rushing over to him. “Mr. Fournet,
what was happening in there?”
    Louis glanced up at him still in shock. “They
were laughing.”
    “What?” said Henry, his eyes widening in
disbelief.
    “They were laughing like old friends,” Louis
said bewildered.
    Henry looked shocked. “You should have seen
them earlier. She just gave him one of those cool looks she has and
settled him right down,” Henry said getting excited. “She was as
calm as the eye of a hurricane, and then swept him