Louis Fournet leaned against the wall in the home of his business partner and watched Jean’s widow speak with her guests. The real Mrs. Jean Cuvier wore a black gown that set off her dark hair making it glisten against her pale skin. She appeared the grieving widow, as she made her way through the throng of people, nodding at their condolences, dabbing at her eyes occasionally, and keeping her children close by her side.
Either the woman was an excellent actress or she had indeed loved Jean. The newspapers were full of stories of the two other Cuvier widows, yet wife number one had given old Jean quite a lavish send off.
The mansion on Josephine Street was brimming with guests as Louis glanced around wondering if any of the other “wives” were in attendance. He observed Marian Cuvier as she walked through the mourners, carrying herself in an almost aristocratic manner, her head held high. The scandal had leapt from the front page of the newspapers, shocking Louis with its implications for the business. How could a man do to his wife and children what Jean had done to Marian? Louis felt almost sorry for her.
However, that didn’t change his need to sell Cuvier Shipping and with Jean out of the way, selling the business should be an easy conclusion. He would find a buyer for the business, push the paperwork through quickly and then present the widow with the sale. Cuvier Shipping would make her a wealthy widow who could escape the damaging scandal of her husband’s death.
“Excuse me,” a young woman said, drawing his attention from the lovely Mrs. Cuvier.
“I do not believe we’ve met. Were you a friend of Jean’s?”
The dark-haired older woman gazed at him with questioning green eyes, and Louis was a little amazed at how forward she seemed.
Louis smiled. “I’m Louis Fournet, Jean’s business partner.”
“I am happy to meet you. Jean spent little time here. We never had the opportunity to meet his business associates.”
“Who did you say you were?” he questioned.
“Excuse me. I should have introduced myself. I’m Claire Bienvenu,” she said extending her hand. “Mrs. Cuvier’s sister.”
Louis nodded. “Nice to meet you. I intend to speak to Mrs. Cuvier before I leave. How is she?”
Claire smiled. “She’s holding up well. Marian’s life has centered around her children for many years.”
Louis noticed the two children at Mrs. Cuvier’s side. The boy looked to be about ten years old and the girl at least six. For a moment he felt sad as he realized his own son should have been close to the boy’s age by now.
He watched Marian reach down and pat her son on the arm in a comforting gesture.
“Those are nice-looking children.”
“They’re the only decent thing Jean did in his life,” she glanced at him quickly to check his reaction. “I’m sorry, I’m not very good at hiding my feelings for my dead brother-in-law.”
“That’s quite all right,” Louis said thinking maybe he should stand here with this woman a little longer. The more he learned about Marian Cuvier, the better he would understand her.
“So tell me, Mrs. Bienvenu, do you know your sister’s plans, now that Jean is gone? Has she said anything?” he asked.
She smiled. “You’ll have to ask her about that. I know she would want to meet you. Let me get her.”
Before he could respond, Claire walked toward Mrs. Cuvier. He watched the woman approach Marian Cuvier and whisper something in her ear. She glanced up, her eyes meeting his across the room. Smoke-gray eyes, the color of the moss that hung from the cypress trees, met and held his stare. He nodded in her direction. No one would ever have questioned Jean’s taste when it came to women.
Marian Cuvier represented the genteel woman who lived a life of privilege. She made a beautiful widow, stunning, in fact. Surely she would want to rid herself of Jean’s business. However, her husband’s infidelities seriously threatened her position in society and would keep her name in the paper in the months to come.
Most men kept mistresses, but Jean had played a dangerous game of marrying more than one woman at a time and eventually the conquests had cost him his life. Current gossip said one of the widows had killed Louis’s partner.
He watched Marian approach, both children clinging to her waist, their eyes large with grief. She turned her large gray eyes on him and he smiled. “Mr. Fournet, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“Mrs. Cuvier,” he said bowing over her outstretched hand. “I’m terribly sorry for your loss. Jean was a character that will be hard to replace.”
“Thank you, Mr. Fournet, I quite agree.”
He chuckled at the memory of the newspaper articles fresh in his mind. “Sometime in the next week I’d like to call on you to discuss the business.”
“What about the business, Mr. Fournet? Everything is well, I presume?” she said, her eyes narrowing.
“Everything’s fine. I just wanted to discuss some options we have.”
She raised her brow. “The reading of the will is tomorrow morning and I’m sure you’ll be present to hear Jean’s bequests.”
“Yes, I’ll be there. Perhaps when I call on you next week I could give you a brief report on the current status of Cuvier Shipping,” he said, not wanting to mention the fact he intended to sell the shipping company.
“That’s an excellent suggestion,” she said.
He noted with interest the way her cool gray eyes assessed him as if she were deciding if he was an adversary or a foe. But then again, right now perhaps she felt that any man was an enemy after Jean’s betrayal.
“Once again, let me offer my condolences to you and your children on the loss of your husband,” he said, with a polite nod.
“Then I will see you tomorrow,” she said, and walked on through the crowd of people.
He watched her move away, her back straight, her head held high, and the gentle swish of her skirts tempting. Somehow the quiet temperate woman he imagined beneath that widow’s garb appeared sharper than he anticipated. Yet she intrigued him as she moved about the room. A quiet sense of strength seemed to emanate from her.
Somehow he had expected a quiet mousy woman who could easily be convinced that selling would be in her best interest. Unless he’d misunderstood her, the widow was far more than just a pretty face who had been easily deceived by her husband.
Selling the business could take a little longer than he estimated, but he would be getting rid of Cuvier Shipping whether the lovely widow wanted to sell or not.