THE MARRIAGE CAPER, Chapter 1
Andre de
Laurent hated these small, intimate dinner parties at the house. He was always
expected to attend, even on nights like this when it was just the family and
one of his sister Lecie’s friends.
The pre-dinner
cocktails had barely started. He didn’t have to look at his watch to know
dinner would be served in approximately thirty-five minutes. Enough time—as
Tasha had once said—for everyone to get a good buzz going.
Tasha. He
wished she was here. He missed her, never having the good fortune of seeing her
often enough.
“Andre...”
His brother’s voice broke into his thoughts. Funny, he hadn’t noticed when
Julian had moved to his side in front of the majestic fireplace made of natural
stone. In the winter, the heat permeated a calming effect along with the
warmth. Too bad it was the dead of summer. Andre could use a little calming.
He looked
up into Julian’s mirror-like eyes. Both were a Pacific-blue, but Andre’s were a
shade lighter than Julian’s. The same with their hair. Julian’s was darker and
curlier. Big brother was taller too. Even though Andre had heard more than one
woman say that he, Andre, was the better looking brother, that hadn’t stopped
women from throwing him over for Julian. Being the heir to the de Laurent
fortune had its own appeal.
And then
there was Lecie, Andre and Julian’s younger half sister. She was her mother’s
daughter. Blonde hair and blue eyes, just like Claudette.
Andre had
to admit that after Claudette married his father, she’d stepped in and been a
wonderful mother to both him and Julian. All things considered, they were a
close family, though Papa was prone to meddling in their lives.
Now that
Papa could no longer interfere in Julian’s love life—thanks to Julian’s solid
marriage with Camille—that could mean only one thing. Andre was next. But Andre
wasn’t interested in marrying. Not in the least.
Andre
leaned toward Julian, and whispered, “How long do you suppose it will be before
we can make an escape?”
“Papa’s
got his eye on you, little brother,” Julian said, almost laughing.
“Whatever
for?”
“I suppose
you’ll be his new pet project.”
Andre
groaned. “Tell me you’re joking.” He cast a quick, stealth-like glance around
the grand salon where Papa liked to impress his guests. The main parlor was
directly in the middle of Pacifique de Lumière, Andre’s family home—that Julian
would one day inherit—and it had been impressing people for more than four
hundred years.
“Papa has
been up to something.” Julian paused to knock back his cocktail. “Mysterious
trips up to Avignon. More than once in the last month.”
Avignon? That’s
where Andre and Julian’s late mother was from. Why was Papa going up there? Andre
shook his head. It mattered little. Nothing Papa threw at him could persuade
Andre to become the subject of his experimentations.
Deidra,
Lecie’s friend, sidled up to Andre’s side. She’d had a crush on Andre for
years, he knew that, but he’d never wanted to hurt the mousy little girl’s
feelings, and he wasn’t about to start now.
“Deidra,
we haven’t seen much of you lately.” He gave her a friendly smile because he
doubted she attained many of those. “I hope all is well with your parents.”
“They’re
fine.” She glanced away as her cheeks turned red. “I’ve been spending some time
in the States with my grandmother.”
Andre
grinned. “I’ve been spending some time in the States myself. California.”
“I’ve
heard. Florida here.” Deidra’s tone remained cheerful, but her face showed her
remorse over his reason for the trips to the US.
“Who
knows...maybe you’ll find your own reason for visiting Florida.” Andre gave her
a wink. “Other than your grandmother.”
From the
corner of his eye, Andre didn’t miss Parker, Pacifique de Lumière’s butler,
whispering in Papa’s ear. Seconds later, both men scrambled out of the parlor.
* * *
Maurice de
Laurent hurried down the hallway and slipped inside his study, closing the door
behind him. Traversing the dimly-lit room proved no problem for him. His feet
knew where every obstacle lay and instinctively avoided them.
He settled
himself behind his desk and pulled the receiver off the telephone’s base,
laying it against his ear. “Maurice de Laurent.” After the simple greeting, he
listened intently, showing little emotion. Once the message had been relayed,
he said, “thank you for calling,” and hung up the phone.
It was
over. His late wife’s uncle, Edouard Renault had died.
Author bio:
Sandra
is an award-winning author of romance. She has eclectic tastes, penning tales
in a variety of genres such as paranormal (mostly time travel and
reincarnation), contemporary and suspense. She lives in the U.S. (west coast)
with her husband, two kids, four dogs and one very temperamental feline.
Sandra's books often push the envelope and step outside the boundaries of
conventional romance. For more info on Sandra's books, visit her website at
www.sandrawrites.com.
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