then, and I’ll tell you!”
“You see ...” he began softly. “I, too, once had great plans to restore this house to its rightful grandeur. For years after the war, the place lay empty, prey to the elements. Edward wanted it torn down, but your grandfather insisted that it be restored. He was never happy at Royal Oaks with Edward. His one desire was to see the house made habitable again before he died. Since he was old and crippled, he needed an able body to help him carry out his plans. Your grandfather financed the entire operation, while I did the labor for him. In the end, we were to have shared the house. I made several trips to New Orleans to hire workmen and to bring back furnishings for the house. It was on the last trip that I met her—”
Met who? I wondered, but I dared not interrupt him. His eyes had gone dark, clouded with painful memory.
“I brought her back with me from the city. My fiancée fell in love with the house at once. We were to be married on the Mardi Gras” He gave a short laugh. “Mardi Gras—the time of joy and celebration.” His voice was thick with irony.
“There was a masquerade ball that evening following the wedding ceremony, the ‘grand debut’ of the new Evangeline.”
His voice was low now, filled with anguish. “The night of the ball, the house caught on fire. I lost my bride of barely four hours.” He attempted a rueful smile. “That is the end of my story. Your grandfather blamed me for the entire fiasco. He went back to live with Edward until his recent death. Now I live here alone with my guilt and my memories.”
“You live here?” I echoed, looking at the great ruin of the house—my house—with sudden horror. “Why wasn’t I told any of this? Uncle Edward did not mention you at all in his letter, nor did he tell me about the fire—”
“Edward is not always entirely honest. Not if it can benefit him more to be otherwise” Nick touched my arm. “Let me take you back to the dock, put you on the next boat. Forget you ever set eyes upon this damnable place. Let it fall back into ruin!” He shook his head adamantly. “You should never have come!”
I glanced over at him, suddenly frightened. The way his dark eyes glittered made my heart pound against my chest. This was all wrong. It had to be some mistake. But in my heart, I knew that it was the truth. Last night in the storm, I had discovered the man they called Mad Nicholas. And he was living in my house!
Chapter Five
“I will not leave until I’ve spoken to my uncle,” I insisted, stepping firmly toward the carriage. Nicholas stood motionless, lips tightening, the corners of his mouth white with emotion. His black eyes shot fire. For a moment, I was afraid that he would refuse my request.
“I see that you are as stubborn as the rest of your family,” he remarked at last. With a heavy sigh, he moved back to the horses. “Very well. I will take you to see Edward. I only hope that you won’t be sorry.”
The carriage now moved rapidly away from the ruin of Evangeline, crushing through root and tangled vine. We crossed another wooden bridge, even more worn and shaky than the first had been. The narrow black ribbon of water below was thick with shadows.
Nicholas sat brooding and silent beside me, paying sharp attention to the horses. It was no matter, for the enthusiasm to chatter had left me. The sight of the charred, broken ruin of a house had left me speechless.
We moved on through a tangled web of trees. Soon the land cleared, the fields took on a tamer, more cultivated look. Moments later, a rooftop sprang suddenly into view from behind a host of bowing cypress. “Royal Oaks,” Nicholas explained.
I blinked, almost unwilling to trust my eyes. But what stood before me was no mirage, no illusion. Edward’s large, white-columned house was almost a perfect replica of Evangeline! As we moved in closer, I saw that a few modern touches had been added here and there in place of some
“You see ...” he began softly. “I, too, once had great plans to restore this house to its rightful grandeur. For years after the war, the place lay empty, prey to the elements. Edward wanted it torn down, but your grandfather insisted that it be restored. He was never happy at Royal Oaks with Edward. His one desire was to see the house made habitable again before he died. Since he was old and crippled, he needed an able body to help him carry out his plans. Your grandfather financed the entire operation, while I did the labor for him. In the end, we were to have shared the house. I made several trips to New Orleans to hire workmen and to bring back furnishings for the house. It was on the last trip that I met her—”
Met who? I wondered, but I dared not interrupt him. His eyes had gone dark, clouded with painful memory.
“I brought her back with me from the city. My fiancée fell in love with the house at once. We were to be married on the Mardi Gras” He gave a short laugh. “Mardi Gras—the time of joy and celebration.” His voice was thick with irony.
“There was a masquerade ball that evening following the wedding ceremony, the ‘grand debut’ of the new Evangeline.”
His voice was low now, filled with anguish. “The night of the ball, the house caught on fire. I lost my bride of barely four hours.” He attempted a rueful smile. “That is the end of my story. Your grandfather blamed me for the entire fiasco. He went back to live with Edward until his recent death. Now I live here alone with my guilt and my memories.”
“You live here?” I echoed, looking at the great ruin of the house—my house—with sudden horror. “Why wasn’t I told any of this? Uncle Edward did not mention you at all in his letter, nor did he tell me about the fire—”
“Edward is not always entirely honest. Not if it can benefit him more to be otherwise” Nick touched my arm. “Let me take you back to the dock, put you on the next boat. Forget you ever set eyes upon this damnable place. Let it fall back into ruin!” He shook his head adamantly. “You should never have come!”
I glanced over at him, suddenly frightened. The way his dark eyes glittered made my heart pound against my chest. This was all wrong. It had to be some mistake. But in my heart, I knew that it was the truth. Last night in the storm, I had discovered the man they called Mad Nicholas. And he was living in my house!
Chapter Five
“I will not leave until I’ve spoken to my uncle,” I insisted, stepping firmly toward the carriage. Nicholas stood motionless, lips tightening, the corners of his mouth white with emotion. His black eyes shot fire. For a moment, I was afraid that he would refuse my request.
“I see that you are as stubborn as the rest of your family,” he remarked at last. With a heavy sigh, he moved back to the horses. “Very well. I will take you to see Edward. I only hope that you won’t be sorry.”
The carriage now moved rapidly away from the ruin of Evangeline, crushing through root and tangled vine. We crossed another wooden bridge, even more worn and shaky than the first had been. The narrow black ribbon of water below was thick with shadows.
Nicholas sat brooding and silent beside me, paying sharp attention to the horses. It was no matter, for the enthusiasm to chatter had left me. The sight of the charred, broken ruin of a house had left me speechless.
We moved on through a tangled web of trees. Soon the land cleared, the fields took on a tamer, more cultivated look. Moments later, a rooftop sprang suddenly into view from behind a host of bowing cypress. “Royal Oaks,” Nicholas explained.
I blinked, almost unwilling to trust my eyes. But what stood before me was no mirage, no illusion. Edward’s large, white-columned house was almost a perfect replica of Evangeline! As we moved in closer, I saw that a few modern touches had been added here and there in place of some
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