Clarice has a real nice place down in the Quarter. It ain’t nothin’ fancy, but it’s clean, and it’s safer than where you was plannin’ to go.”
“We’d be obliged,” Raphael said. “By the way, what’s your name?”
“Clarence Deauxville. Clarice is my twin sista.”
Raphael nodded. “I’m called Rafe,” he said. “This is Jade.”
Clarence tilted his head. “You up to tryin’ out my suggestion?”
Raphael glanced at Jade, who nodded nervously. “Yes,” he said.
Clarence’s smile widened. The light turned green, and he accelerated through the intersection, taking a right at the next street as he spoke over his shoulder.
“Only take a few more minutes and we’ll have you outa’ dis here rain.”
Jade frowned at the cabdriver, then leaned against Raphael. There was nothing in her background that told her it was safe to trust the kindness of strangers. But Raphael was holding her close and she was sorely sick of travel. The thought of a bed—any bed—was too enticing to ignore.
“It will be all right,” Raphael said softly. “Besides, if it’s not, we can always go somewhere else.”
She relaxed, but only slightly. It wasn’t until they arrived at their new destination that her nervousness began to subside.
The old two-story house was long and narrow, running north to south on the matching lot and bounded on three sides with a tall iron fence. Only the front of the house was open to the street, and the tiny patch of green grass that led to the front porch was standing in water.
“Real sorry about the weather,” Clarence said, as Raphael counted out the money owed. “You two hurry on up to the porch. I’ll get your bags.”
Still, Jade hesitated, suspicious that the man was planning to abandon them there and drive off with their things.
Again Clarence seemed to understand what she was unable to say.
“It’s all right, missy,” he said softly. “Ain’t everybody tryin’ to hurt you. I’ll bring your things right up. You can count on that.”
Jade hesitated, then sighed. “Yes, well, all right and…thank you.”
He nodded solemnly. “You welcome, missy.”
There was a Welcome sign hanging on the front door. Raphael grabbed the doorknob and turned it, pushing Jade in front of him as they walked inside. What had once been a formal sitting room had been turned into a lobby/reception area. The furnishings were dark and ancient, but there was a clean citrus scent in the air that Jade recognized as orange oil. From the shine on the woodwork, she could tell that someone was religious about its care.
Within seconds, a small, skinny black woman appeared from the hallway. It was evident that Clarence the cabdriver had been truthful about one thing: Clarice was definitely his twin. She smiled cordially until she realized Clarence was with them. At that point, her expression lightened even further as she gave him a hug. The familial welcome relaxed Jade even more.
After a quick word with her brother, the elderly woman turned to her guests.
“Welcome to the Forsythia Inn,” she said, eyeing the bedraggled pair with an appraising look. “We need to get you settled in, then you come down to the dining room. Clarice has some hot gumbo that will fix you up just right.”
“Sounds good, but we need to settle a little business first,” Raphael said, then patted his pocket to make sure their money was safe. “How much per week?”
“You plannin’ to stay more than just a visit?” Clarice asked.
Jade nodded.
“Then how about two hundred dollars a week? That includes café au lait and beignets every morning, and my good cookin’ at night.”
It was a lot of money for people with no jobs, but it was a bargain and they knew it.
“We’ll take it,” Jade said.
Clarice handed them a key. “I’ve got rooms on the ground floor, but if this rain don’t let up, I’d hate to have you wake up in water. So…up the stairs, third door on your left.”
“Flood? The hotel
“We’d be obliged,” Raphael said. “By the way, what’s your name?”
“Clarence Deauxville. Clarice is my twin sista.”
Raphael nodded. “I’m called Rafe,” he said. “This is Jade.”
Clarence tilted his head. “You up to tryin’ out my suggestion?”
Raphael glanced at Jade, who nodded nervously. “Yes,” he said.
Clarence’s smile widened. The light turned green, and he accelerated through the intersection, taking a right at the next street as he spoke over his shoulder.
“Only take a few more minutes and we’ll have you outa’ dis here rain.”
Jade frowned at the cabdriver, then leaned against Raphael. There was nothing in her background that told her it was safe to trust the kindness of strangers. But Raphael was holding her close and she was sorely sick of travel. The thought of a bed—any bed—was too enticing to ignore.
“It will be all right,” Raphael said softly. “Besides, if it’s not, we can always go somewhere else.”
She relaxed, but only slightly. It wasn’t until they arrived at their new destination that her nervousness began to subside.
The old two-story house was long and narrow, running north to south on the matching lot and bounded on three sides with a tall iron fence. Only the front of the house was open to the street, and the tiny patch of green grass that led to the front porch was standing in water.
“Real sorry about the weather,” Clarence said, as Raphael counted out the money owed. “You two hurry on up to the porch. I’ll get your bags.”
Still, Jade hesitated, suspicious that the man was planning to abandon them there and drive off with their things.
Again Clarence seemed to understand what she was unable to say.
“It’s all right, missy,” he said softly. “Ain’t everybody tryin’ to hurt you. I’ll bring your things right up. You can count on that.”
Jade hesitated, then sighed. “Yes, well, all right and…thank you.”
He nodded solemnly. “You welcome, missy.”
There was a Welcome sign hanging on the front door. Raphael grabbed the doorknob and turned it, pushing Jade in front of him as they walked inside. What had once been a formal sitting room had been turned into a lobby/reception area. The furnishings were dark and ancient, but there was a clean citrus scent in the air that Jade recognized as orange oil. From the shine on the woodwork, she could tell that someone was religious about its care.
Within seconds, a small, skinny black woman appeared from the hallway. It was evident that Clarence the cabdriver had been truthful about one thing: Clarice was definitely his twin. She smiled cordially until she realized Clarence was with them. At that point, her expression lightened even further as she gave him a hug. The familial welcome relaxed Jade even more.
After a quick word with her brother, the elderly woman turned to her guests.
“Welcome to the Forsythia Inn,” she said, eyeing the bedraggled pair with an appraising look. “We need to get you settled in, then you come down to the dining room. Clarice has some hot gumbo that will fix you up just right.”
“Sounds good, but we need to settle a little business first,” Raphael said, then patted his pocket to make sure their money was safe. “How much per week?”
“You plannin’ to stay more than just a visit?” Clarice asked.
Jade nodded.
“Then how about two hundred dollars a week? That includes café au lait and beignets every morning, and my good cookin’ at night.”
It was a lot of money for people with no jobs, but it was a bargain and they knew it.
“We’ll take it,” Jade said.
Clarice handed them a key. “I’ve got rooms on the ground floor, but if this rain don’t let up, I’d hate to have you wake up in water. So…up the stairs, third door on your left.”
“Flood? The hotel
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