escape occurred to Maria. What she dared not tell the brother, she might more easily explain to the parents.
“Will you introduce me to them?” she asked.
“I’ll leave that for Tienne to do after they get back.”
“Get back?” Maria repeated as she felt her last hope dwindling away.
“Yes. After my father retired from the business, he and my mother have always spent the winter in their home on the Riviera after New Year’s Day.”
That explained why Marla had not met Tienne’s parents when she was in France . It did nothing to relieve her sense of frustration.
“Will they be coming back before the wedding?” she asked with no hope of receiving a satisfactory response.
“The day before. Don’t worry. Tienne will introduce you to them,”
“Shouldn’t I meet them before then?”
“You seem to place great stock in meeting your future in-laws, and I suppose that’s natural. You don’t have to concern yourself over it. My mother is a very gracious lady and my father is as enthralled by beauty as my brother appears to be.”
“How convenient for you,” was her dry response.
“Come on,” said Steve. “You haven’t seen everything yet.”
Maria resigned herself to following him as he walked over to the lacily curtained French doors that led out onto the balcony. Steve opened them as one with both hands and then stepped outside.
With a heavily laden heart, Maria joined him on the balcony. Her eyes first went to Steve’s face which held a certain glint of suppressed diversion. He was obviously reveling in her discomfort.
Maria looked away to focus on the view beyond the railing. Her misgivings fell away.
For this, she would marry Tienne DuPont, if he could be as deceived by her pretense as his brother. It was the final fulfillment of her dreams.
There, before her, beneath a high embankment, stretched a lazily drifting arm of the Mississippi River . The early f1owers of springtime gave the scene a sweetly aromatic, heavenly sense of unreality. Now the picture was complete.
Maria might feel herself to be in a prison, but she could no longer deny the fact that she would be a willing captive.
CHAPTER 4
As soon as Maria was left alone in her room, she looked around for a telephone. Her need to speak with her roommate had grown more imperative. She had promised to call her that day with news about the situation there. Marla would be worried if she did not hear from her.
There was no phone in the bedroom. Maria hesitated to ask Steve if she could make a call for fear he would deny her the privilege. It was better to live with the uncertainty than to know she was completely cut off from any outside communication. She would have to search the house secretly when no one was about.
With trembling fingers, she unpacked her bags and thought about what Marla would say if she knew what had happened. She would undoubtedly be surprised that Maria had not yet made any contact with Tienne. Knowing the model as she did, the librarian expected Marla would be outraged when she heard about her fiancé’s absence. She, herself, would never have tolerated such treatment whether there was a substantial reason for it or not.
As Maria thought more deeply on the subject, she realized that her friend would probably insist on her staying there until her task had been completed, regardless of Maria’s personal discomfort. It was true that the wedding plans had been made, and they did need to be cancelled. While Marla might resent her roommate’s masquerading in her persona, she would have to admit that it would be best to continue with the impersonation until she spoke with Tienne DuPont.
There was always the chance he would call the house and ask to speak to her. If that happened, she would have to make her explanations on the phone. It would be impossible to disguise her voice. That would be good in a way. The truth
“Will you introduce me to them?” she asked.
“I’ll leave that for Tienne to do after they get back.”
“Get back?” Maria repeated as she felt her last hope dwindling away.
“Yes. After my father retired from the business, he and my mother have always spent the winter in their home on the Riviera after New Year’s Day.”
That explained why Marla had not met Tienne’s parents when she was in France . It did nothing to relieve her sense of frustration.
“Will they be coming back before the wedding?” she asked with no hope of receiving a satisfactory response.
“The day before. Don’t worry. Tienne will introduce you to them,”
“Shouldn’t I meet them before then?”
“You seem to place great stock in meeting your future in-laws, and I suppose that’s natural. You don’t have to concern yourself over it. My mother is a very gracious lady and my father is as enthralled by beauty as my brother appears to be.”
“How convenient for you,” was her dry response.
“Come on,” said Steve. “You haven’t seen everything yet.”
Maria resigned herself to following him as he walked over to the lacily curtained French doors that led out onto the balcony. Steve opened them as one with both hands and then stepped outside.
With a heavily laden heart, Maria joined him on the balcony. Her eyes first went to Steve’s face which held a certain glint of suppressed diversion. He was obviously reveling in her discomfort.
Maria looked away to focus on the view beyond the railing. Her misgivings fell away.
For this, she would marry Tienne DuPont, if he could be as deceived by her pretense as his brother. It was the final fulfillment of her dreams.
There, before her, beneath a high embankment, stretched a lazily drifting arm of the Mississippi River . The early f1owers of springtime gave the scene a sweetly aromatic, heavenly sense of unreality. Now the picture was complete.
Maria might feel herself to be in a prison, but she could no longer deny the fact that she would be a willing captive.
CHAPTER 4
As soon as Maria was left alone in her room, she looked around for a telephone. Her need to speak with her roommate had grown more imperative. She had promised to call her that day with news about the situation there. Marla would be worried if she did not hear from her.
There was no phone in the bedroom. Maria hesitated to ask Steve if she could make a call for fear he would deny her the privilege. It was better to live with the uncertainty than to know she was completely cut off from any outside communication. She would have to search the house secretly when no one was about.
With trembling fingers, she unpacked her bags and thought about what Marla would say if she knew what had happened. She would undoubtedly be surprised that Maria had not yet made any contact with Tienne. Knowing the model as she did, the librarian expected Marla would be outraged when she heard about her fiancé’s absence. She, herself, would never have tolerated such treatment whether there was a substantial reason for it or not.
As Maria thought more deeply on the subject, she realized that her friend would probably insist on her staying there until her task had been completed, regardless of Maria’s personal discomfort. It was true that the wedding plans had been made, and they did need to be cancelled. While Marla might resent her roommate’s masquerading in her persona, she would have to admit that it would be best to continue with the impersonation until she spoke with Tienne DuPont.
There was always the chance he would call the house and ask to speak to her. If that happened, she would have to make her explanations on the phone. It would be impossible to disguise her voice. That would be good in a way. The truth
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