dressed in fancy clothes that seemed quite inappropriate for the afternoon, and some wore only wrappers in bright colors. Something about them indicated they were not hotel guests, but they did not appear to be servants, either. Two other women and one man, all three very dark-skinned and obviously servants, were sweeping and dusting in the corridor.
Mr. Carter took Elise to an office where he told her to wait, then he himself exited without even so much as a farewell. She took a seat on a silk brocade chair.
Elise had always wanted to come to New Orleans, because this was where her parents were from. She had seen little of it when she rode through in the closed carriage. Perhaps she would have a chance, on a day off perhaps, to see a bit of the picturesque town. But for now her thoughts focused on where she was at this moment and upon her new life that lay ahead. Carter had said nothing to her on the journey from South Carolina, treating her like mere baggage.
“Hannah,” she murmured to the child in her arms, “maybe it won’t be so bad. This place is a lot nicer than the slave quarters at the Hearne place.”
After about five minutes a man entered the office. He was thick and muscular and over six feet tall, without much of a neck to support his large head. His muttonchop whiskers made his round face seem even broader, but his small, narrow-set eyes balanced the effect. He wasn’t entirely unhandsome, but his eyes were cold and his thin lips were taut, detracting from the pleasant qualities. When he spoke his voice held neither warmth nor tone, but was flat. His manner of speech pegged him as a man of low quality trying to mold himself to a higher level of society.
“I am Maurice Thomson, your new master.”
“Sir.” She nodded but did not rise.
His chilly eyes roved over her in a long, intense scrutiny. She felt oddly violated by his look, and a chill ran down her back.
“You are as beautiful as your mother,” he said, opening a gilded box on the desk and removing a cigar.
“You knew her?” She couldn’t help the eager entreaty in her tone.
“Oh yes, I knew her. I owned her, as you must know.”
“And now you think you own me—”
“I do own you.” His lip twisted in a superior sneer. “Surely you don’t plan on being difficult about this. The law is on my side. You have no recourse.”
“But why?” Even now Elise could not quell her natural tendency to question her destiny. “Is a little financial loss so important that you would ruin two lives for it?”
“I simply do not like to lose.” He casually took a lighter stick from a container near the hearth and lit the tip from the fire. This he applied to the end of his cigar, puffing heartily as he did so. “Your father’s first mistake was in stealing your mother away from me twenty years ago. His second mistake was engaging me in a game of cards a month ago. He can’t be blamed for that entirely though. I have changed much in twenty years, and he simply did not recognize me. Actually, word had circulated several years ago that I had died, so he felt himself quite safe in returning to his old haunts. Losing your mother was a rather personal blow to me. Nevertheless, I feel I am now vindicated and recompensed. I have little doubt you shall bring in twice the revenues she did even in her prime.”
“What do you mean?”
The chill of his eyes flared momentarily in a kind of evil relish. Elise shivered again.
He reached out a hand and ran a thick finger along the line of her jaw. “So innocent, so pure. Even though you are not technically a virgin, I think at first you shall appeal as such. But I will see for myself soon enough.”
She f linched away from his touch. Hannah stirred and whimpered.
“The baby is a difficulty I hadn’t counted on.” He grimaced at the child. “Until she is old enough to earn her keep, she shall be an encumbrance, but I suppose we shall simply have to make the best of it for now.”
“I assure
Mr. Carter took Elise to an office where he told her to wait, then he himself exited without even so much as a farewell. She took a seat on a silk brocade chair.
Elise had always wanted to come to New Orleans, because this was where her parents were from. She had seen little of it when she rode through in the closed carriage. Perhaps she would have a chance, on a day off perhaps, to see a bit of the picturesque town. But for now her thoughts focused on where she was at this moment and upon her new life that lay ahead. Carter had said nothing to her on the journey from South Carolina, treating her like mere baggage.
“Hannah,” she murmured to the child in her arms, “maybe it won’t be so bad. This place is a lot nicer than the slave quarters at the Hearne place.”
After about five minutes a man entered the office. He was thick and muscular and over six feet tall, without much of a neck to support his large head. His muttonchop whiskers made his round face seem even broader, but his small, narrow-set eyes balanced the effect. He wasn’t entirely unhandsome, but his eyes were cold and his thin lips were taut, detracting from the pleasant qualities. When he spoke his voice held neither warmth nor tone, but was flat. His manner of speech pegged him as a man of low quality trying to mold himself to a higher level of society.
“I am Maurice Thomson, your new master.”
“Sir.” She nodded but did not rise.
His chilly eyes roved over her in a long, intense scrutiny. She felt oddly violated by his look, and a chill ran down her back.
“You are as beautiful as your mother,” he said, opening a gilded box on the desk and removing a cigar.
“You knew her?” She couldn’t help the eager entreaty in her tone.
“Oh yes, I knew her. I owned her, as you must know.”
“And now you think you own me—”
“I do own you.” His lip twisted in a superior sneer. “Surely you don’t plan on being difficult about this. The law is on my side. You have no recourse.”
“But why?” Even now Elise could not quell her natural tendency to question her destiny. “Is a little financial loss so important that you would ruin two lives for it?”
“I simply do not like to lose.” He casually took a lighter stick from a container near the hearth and lit the tip from the fire. This he applied to the end of his cigar, puffing heartily as he did so. “Your father’s first mistake was in stealing your mother away from me twenty years ago. His second mistake was engaging me in a game of cards a month ago. He can’t be blamed for that entirely though. I have changed much in twenty years, and he simply did not recognize me. Actually, word had circulated several years ago that I had died, so he felt himself quite safe in returning to his old haunts. Losing your mother was a rather personal blow to me. Nevertheless, I feel I am now vindicated and recompensed. I have little doubt you shall bring in twice the revenues she did even in her prime.”
“What do you mean?”
The chill of his eyes flared momentarily in a kind of evil relish. Elise shivered again.
He reached out a hand and ran a thick finger along the line of her jaw. “So innocent, so pure. Even though you are not technically a virgin, I think at first you shall appeal as such. But I will see for myself soon enough.”
She f linched away from his touch. Hannah stirred and whimpered.
“The baby is a difficulty I hadn’t counted on.” He grimaced at the child. “Until she is old enough to earn her keep, she shall be an encumbrance, but I suppose we shall simply have to make the best of it for now.”
“I assure
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