instinctual causations. And her mind did struggle.
“Stop it!” She wrenched herself from him.
His eyes lit, and his lips parted to a gleam of teeth. A look that sent fear charging through her.
But someone stepped between them, the height of his shoulders forming a barrier between Madeleine and Zenon.
“Excuse me. I’m a friend of Miss Madeleine. Have we met?”
She saw the clean, strong neck stretching below cropped brown hair, and realized it was Ethan Manderleigh. His words conveyed spotless polite, but the posture was that of a rooster ready to sharpen his talons.
Beyond his shoulder, she saw that Zenon’s jaw was set. He gave Madeleine one last hard stare and then cut his eyes to Ethan. Zenon’s face showed abject fury, and he clenched his fist. For a moment Madeleine thought a full-blown fight might erupt.
Instead, Zenon turned without a word and walked away, his houndlike gait threading the crowd.
Madeleine exhaled.
ETHAN TURNED TO LOOK at Madeleine. The parallel lines of his brow, eyes, and jaw formed clean planes. And, Madeleine noted, those parallels seemed vastly serene in comparison to the pointed angles of Zenon’s face.
“You all right, Madeleine?”
Her breathing slowed. “Yes, thank you Ethan.”
“I didn’t want to interrupt, but when I saw you across the room it looked like he was being disrespectful. You want me to go after him?”
She laughed, embarrassed. “No, that’s not necessary. Zenon’s an old acquaintance from way back when.”
Ethan shook his head, gaze narrowing toward the foyer where Zenon was now leaving the gala. “As you say, ma’am. We’ll let him off this time.”
Madeleine felt so relieved to see Zenon go that she had to fight a new impulse: to clutch Ethan’s arm and take counted breaths until her pulse returned to normal. She noticed he was holding a shiny black cane with a ball handle. It seemed an eccentric way to round out his black tie ensemble.
He looked at her. “You sure you’re all right? I was so sorry to hear about your brother.”
Madeleine nodded, and felt the ache return to her chest. “Daddy and I received the flowers you sent. Thank you. Ethan, I don’t suppose you’ve seen my father lately?”
He considered this. “Haven’t seen Daddy Blank since the day he introduced me to you. Is he here tonight?”
“I don’t know. We had a . . . mishap. I came here hoping I’d find him.”
Ethan nodded. “Well I’m sure he’ll show. I remember him talking about this thing. Says it’s liable to raise all kinda funding.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Ethan gave her a wink. “Don’t worry. We’ll wring out this here tuxedo rag and see if Daddy Blank don’t shake out.”
She smiled, and he offered his arm to her. “Shall we hit it together?”
And though her hands wanted to close around that proffered arm, wanted so much to absorb his warm invincibility, she felt a gate slam shut.
“Let’s divide and conquer.” The words came out sharp, sharper than she’d intended. She swallowed, trying to soften her tone, and added, “We’re more likely to find him that way.”
He blinked in surprise. Then he nodded and looked away, his gaze traveling to the foyer where Zenon had exited a few moments ago.
“You know, Dr. LeBlanc,” he said, and the return of formality seemed not so much distancing as disarming. “Old acquaintances can be replaced by new ones.”
Despite herself, she smiled at him. “An interesting notion, Dr. Manderleigh.”
And then his expression became impish. “But first dance says I find Daddy Blank before you do.”
And then he was gone.
She watched him shoulder into the crowd. To her surprise, he leaned on the cane as he walked. So the cane wasn’t a prop after all. She hadn’t noticed his limp when he’d come to her house with Daddy, but then again she hadn’t been looking.
His flirtation was charming, though he was a very dubious match for her.
Quintessential old money New Orleans.
“Stop it!” She wrenched herself from him.
His eyes lit, and his lips parted to a gleam of teeth. A look that sent fear charging through her.
But someone stepped between them, the height of his shoulders forming a barrier between Madeleine and Zenon.
“Excuse me. I’m a friend of Miss Madeleine. Have we met?”
She saw the clean, strong neck stretching below cropped brown hair, and realized it was Ethan Manderleigh. His words conveyed spotless polite, but the posture was that of a rooster ready to sharpen his talons.
Beyond his shoulder, she saw that Zenon’s jaw was set. He gave Madeleine one last hard stare and then cut his eyes to Ethan. Zenon’s face showed abject fury, and he clenched his fist. For a moment Madeleine thought a full-blown fight might erupt.
Instead, Zenon turned without a word and walked away, his houndlike gait threading the crowd.
Madeleine exhaled.
ETHAN TURNED TO LOOK at Madeleine. The parallel lines of his brow, eyes, and jaw formed clean planes. And, Madeleine noted, those parallels seemed vastly serene in comparison to the pointed angles of Zenon’s face.
“You all right, Madeleine?”
Her breathing slowed. “Yes, thank you Ethan.”
“I didn’t want to interrupt, but when I saw you across the room it looked like he was being disrespectful. You want me to go after him?”
She laughed, embarrassed. “No, that’s not necessary. Zenon’s an old acquaintance from way back when.”
Ethan shook his head, gaze narrowing toward the foyer where Zenon was now leaving the gala. “As you say, ma’am. We’ll let him off this time.”
Madeleine felt so relieved to see Zenon go that she had to fight a new impulse: to clutch Ethan’s arm and take counted breaths until her pulse returned to normal. She noticed he was holding a shiny black cane with a ball handle. It seemed an eccentric way to round out his black tie ensemble.
He looked at her. “You sure you’re all right? I was so sorry to hear about your brother.”
Madeleine nodded, and felt the ache return to her chest. “Daddy and I received the flowers you sent. Thank you. Ethan, I don’t suppose you’ve seen my father lately?”
He considered this. “Haven’t seen Daddy Blank since the day he introduced me to you. Is he here tonight?”
“I don’t know. We had a . . . mishap. I came here hoping I’d find him.”
Ethan nodded. “Well I’m sure he’ll show. I remember him talking about this thing. Says it’s liable to raise all kinda funding.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Ethan gave her a wink. “Don’t worry. We’ll wring out this here tuxedo rag and see if Daddy Blank don’t shake out.”
She smiled, and he offered his arm to her. “Shall we hit it together?”
And though her hands wanted to close around that proffered arm, wanted so much to absorb his warm invincibility, she felt a gate slam shut.
“Let’s divide and conquer.” The words came out sharp, sharper than she’d intended. She swallowed, trying to soften her tone, and added, “We’re more likely to find him that way.”
He blinked in surprise. Then he nodded and looked away, his gaze traveling to the foyer where Zenon had exited a few moments ago.
“You know, Dr. LeBlanc,” he said, and the return of formality seemed not so much distancing as disarming. “Old acquaintances can be replaced by new ones.”
Despite herself, she smiled at him. “An interesting notion, Dr. Manderleigh.”
And then his expression became impish. “But first dance says I find Daddy Blank before you do.”
And then he was gone.
She watched him shoulder into the crowd. To her surprise, he leaned on the cane as he walked. So the cane wasn’t a prop after all. She hadn’t noticed his limp when he’d come to her house with Daddy, but then again she hadn’t been looking.
His flirtation was charming, though he was a very dubious match for her.
Quintessential old money New Orleans.
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