else, my mère perhaps?”
Her arms tightened. “Jean-Luc, he does not understand me. You always did.”
He pushed harder but did not want to hurt someone in her condition. “Celine, this is wrong. You should not be doing this.”
“ Je t’aime , Edouard.” Her big eyes, dark as the bayou water, pleaded with him. “I need your comfort.”
He managed to get free and held her by the shoulders. “I don’t love you. Not anymore. We can never go back. Our lives are different. And I love Josée.” The whispered words rang through his mind at the realization.
“Edouard—” She came at him again, her lips parted. Light footsteps on the grass sounded behind them.
“Edouard, are you there?” an all-too-familiar voice called.
Josée. Edouard whirled to face her, knowing he had done nothing wrong. The look she gave him spoke more than any words she could say.
She ran off toward the front of the building.
“Josée …” Edouard left Celine without worrying about her troubles. He needed to explain to Josée. Quickly.
He started to run, not caring about the pain in his leg. “Josée!”
She stopped and turned to face him. “How could you?” They stood in a triangle of lamplight shining through the window.
“Let me explain.”
“I saw nothing that needed explainin’.” Josée’s words felt like darts. “I saw clearly.”
“Things are not like they seem.”
“What am I supposed to think, my husband hidden under a tree with a woman?” Lamplight reflected from her flashing eyes. “I am young, but I am not stupid.”
“Josée—” He reached for her.
“Don’t touch me.” Josée waved his arms from her shoulders. “And to think I looked forward to having you hold me in your arms tonight, thinking that I was the one you wanted to be with.”
She wanted him to hold her close? Edouard rubbed his forehead. “I did not break my vows to you, even in thought.” Celine marched past them and around the corner of the building. Another clap of thunder rolled.
“I’m goin’ inside.” Josée shrugged him off again, though he walked by her side. “We will talk when we get home. Do not think I will forget this.”
At that, Edouard dropped the matter for the time being. Later tonight, he would try to explain. Mon Père, please, do not disappoint me again .
Chapter 8
J osée cut her loaves of bread at the serving table and felt like her heart had been cut into slices as well. She closed her eyes, trying to forget the sight of Edouard with Celine under the tree. Josée was the one who had hoped to find her husband outside for a moment.
If Mama LeBlanc or Jeanne had noticed her expression, she could not tell. She managed her brightest smile while the women served the meal. She could not bear to look at Edouard. Nor could she stop glancing at Celine. Josée wanted to cross the distance between them and rip the woman’s hair out. However, such an act would displease le bon Dieu. Celine would pay the price in her own way, and Josée would not pay with her own bitterness.
She had not known loving someone would cause her to want to behave in such a way. Her heart swelled as she at last let herself look at Edouard, already seated between Josef and Simon Landry. One of them said something, and Edouard appeared to chuckle.
Josée clamped her lips together. He was having fun, and she was here only taking up space. Her stomach complained, but she did not think she could eat. Neither could she breathe after the room had filled with villagers. The air felt thick after the many dances throughout the evening.
She leaned over and whispered to Jeanne. “I’m going outside.”
“Why? The rain comes.”
Josée reached for her shawl and put it around her shoulders. “I do not feel well, and the fresh air should help me.” She reached for a nearby lantern.
“I’ll get Edouard if you want.”
“No!” Josée touched Jeanne’s arm with her free hand. “I do not want to speak with him right now.” She did
Her arms tightened. “Jean-Luc, he does not understand me. You always did.”
He pushed harder but did not want to hurt someone in her condition. “Celine, this is wrong. You should not be doing this.”
“ Je t’aime , Edouard.” Her big eyes, dark as the bayou water, pleaded with him. “I need your comfort.”
He managed to get free and held her by the shoulders. “I don’t love you. Not anymore. We can never go back. Our lives are different. And I love Josée.” The whispered words rang through his mind at the realization.
“Edouard—” She came at him again, her lips parted. Light footsteps on the grass sounded behind them.
“Edouard, are you there?” an all-too-familiar voice called.
Josée. Edouard whirled to face her, knowing he had done nothing wrong. The look she gave him spoke more than any words she could say.
She ran off toward the front of the building.
“Josée …” Edouard left Celine without worrying about her troubles. He needed to explain to Josée. Quickly.
He started to run, not caring about the pain in his leg. “Josée!”
She stopped and turned to face him. “How could you?” They stood in a triangle of lamplight shining through the window.
“Let me explain.”
“I saw nothing that needed explainin’.” Josée’s words felt like darts. “I saw clearly.”
“Things are not like they seem.”
“What am I supposed to think, my husband hidden under a tree with a woman?” Lamplight reflected from her flashing eyes. “I am young, but I am not stupid.”
“Josée—” He reached for her.
“Don’t touch me.” Josée waved his arms from her shoulders. “And to think I looked forward to having you hold me in your arms tonight, thinking that I was the one you wanted to be with.”
She wanted him to hold her close? Edouard rubbed his forehead. “I did not break my vows to you, even in thought.” Celine marched past them and around the corner of the building. Another clap of thunder rolled.
“I’m goin’ inside.” Josée shrugged him off again, though he walked by her side. “We will talk when we get home. Do not think I will forget this.”
At that, Edouard dropped the matter for the time being. Later tonight, he would try to explain. Mon Père, please, do not disappoint me again .
Chapter 8
J osée cut her loaves of bread at the serving table and felt like her heart had been cut into slices as well. She closed her eyes, trying to forget the sight of Edouard with Celine under the tree. Josée was the one who had hoped to find her husband outside for a moment.
If Mama LeBlanc or Jeanne had noticed her expression, she could not tell. She managed her brightest smile while the women served the meal. She could not bear to look at Edouard. Nor could she stop glancing at Celine. Josée wanted to cross the distance between them and rip the woman’s hair out. However, such an act would displease le bon Dieu. Celine would pay the price in her own way, and Josée would not pay with her own bitterness.
She had not known loving someone would cause her to want to behave in such a way. Her heart swelled as she at last let herself look at Edouard, already seated between Josef and Simon Landry. One of them said something, and Edouard appeared to chuckle.
Josée clamped her lips together. He was having fun, and she was here only taking up space. Her stomach complained, but she did not think she could eat. Neither could she breathe after the room had filled with villagers. The air felt thick after the many dances throughout the evening.
She leaned over and whispered to Jeanne. “I’m going outside.”
“Why? The rain comes.”
Josée reached for her shawl and put it around her shoulders. “I do not feel well, and the fresh air should help me.” She reached for a nearby lantern.
“I’ll get Edouard if you want.”
“No!” Josée touched Jeanne’s arm with her free hand. “I do not want to speak with him right now.” She did
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