Blood Is Thicker...
By
Christine
Part Two
Chapter 15
Amid the number of engagements and appearances for Fouchon and his daughter to attend, he delighted in telling her he was planning a "coming out" party for her birthday to officially introduce her to New Orleans society. He had her car take her to the city to have a dress designed and fitted uniquely for her, just for the occasion. She had been so relieved when the oil portrait had finally been completed, but now she had appointments with the dress designer to contend with. She was getting emotionally run ragged, became nervous and agitated and began biting her fingernails.
Fouchon made his displeasure known about her habit and insisted she get them professionally manicured to cover the damage. He detested the scarring on her shoulder, but she stood up to him and refused to have it surgically corrected, keeping the peace by not wearing anything that would reveal them.
She stepped out of the dressing room after her latest fitting and almost ran to Pik when she saw him there, but remembered the presence of the seamstress. "Mr. Fouchon needed his driver and asked if I would pick you up," he explained.
"Of course," she said gleefully and he drove them over the county line and stopped in the parking lot of a small business mall.
He sat looking straight ahead, hands still on the steering wheel, and kept slightly nodding to himself. "Maddie," he finally began, "I know you're getting as frazzled as I am. I thought things would get better, but they're not." He had brought her engagement ring with him and nervously slipped it onto her finger.
She looked at it. "It's not your fault," she dispaired. "I wish I'd never told Fouchon who I was, ever…Me and my stupid fairy-tale dream…"
"No, no, no. Don't." He lifted her chin with his finger and looked softly into her eyes. He kept trying to say something but would look away and quietly chuckle, and then start over again. Madeleine started to laugh a little herself when she realized that Pik was actually nervous about what he was trying to say.
Finally, he got the words out. "Marry me. Right now, right there." He gestured toward a justice's office several yards in front of them. The justice, a former client, had already agreed to perform the small ceremony in exchange for significantly higher than the going rate for such a service.
"We'd have to leave right away, though, there's no other way." He hated the thought of running and hiding, it seemed cowardly. But he had a feeling that Fouchon would figure things out soon, he was no fool. His obsession with his daughter had only intensified over time. If her father knew the truth, knew that it was Pik, it would come down to killing him or being killed. Either way Maddie would lose. She'd be without a father, whom she loved in spite of what he put her through. And Pik did not want to hurt her that way. Or she would be without her love, and her father would keep her practically under lock and key for the rest of her life. He knew it would be a living hell for her.
"We'd have to disappear?" She couldn't hurt her father again that way. "But what about my father?"
He assured her. "After a while, you can contact him. Call him, maybe. We'll see if we think it's safe. However long it takes. You know how he'll react at first."
"He'll want you dead, I know it." She stated it plainly and he nodded. "So, now what? Marry you right now. Then run off?"
"Yes, why not?"
"No, no, I can't," she said. He looked crushed. "He's got that birthday party planned for me next week. The governor's supposed to come…."
"Okay, okay. I understand. But what about after the party? And I mean, right after."
She gave it some thought. "Okay, that way I can get some things together, and I'll have time to leave my father a note. Then I won't feel so badly about taking off."
Pik smiled and shook his head. "Only you would be concerned about hurting Fouchon's feelings." He kissed her and said, "Okay, we'll do it your way." Pik began to open the Jeep's door while Madeleine buckled her seat belt. He stood outside staring at her through the open car door, and she at him. "Maddie," he urged, "what are you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, we're right here. Let's do it."
"You mean still get married? Now?"
"Yes!" He was getting anxious.
She bit her lip and nodded excitedly. "Okay. Let's do it."
| |
|
|
|
|