AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why don’t you come into the parlor and sit down while we wait for the others.”
“Sure thing,” Marc said with a nod as he looked around him. He let out a low whistle of approval. “This place looks fantastic.”
“Thank you. We wanted Savannah House to have a make-over but still retain the same charm and elegance of yesteryear.”
“You achieved your goal then,” Marc said. “My family stayed here once when I was a child. Wonderful memories.”
Charlotte closed the parlor door behind them. She turned toward Marc, deliberately making her expression as blank as possible.
“I’m going to be completely honest with you, Marc. I think perhaps this assignment is ill-advised. Maybe you should just say no,” Charlotte said in a sharp voice.
“And why is that?” Marc asked, his dark brows knitted together.
He was standing so close to her. For the first time she noticed his chiseled features and his espresso colored eyes. There was a quiet intensity about him that radiated in the parlor. Energy bounced off him in waves.
“Because Fancy and my brother are getting married in a few weeks.” She tilted her chin up in a defiant stance. “And I don’t want anything to get in the way of their happiness.”
“I’m not a threat to that. Truth is, I never was.”
Charlotte let out a harsh laugh. “Really? From what I remember they called off an engagement because of you.”
“I don’t think anyone benefits from dredging up the past, Charlotte. It’s best forgotten.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” she said angrily. “You did your dirt and then left town without having to face any of the fallout.”
He took a step toward her, quickly swallowing up the distance between them. “Charlotte, I want to stay respectful, but you’re making it extremely hard. I didn’t come over here to discuss the past or justify my actions. Frankly, it’s none of your business.”
Charlotte sucked her teeth. Was this guy seriously trying to tell her Case wasn’t her business? “Case is my brother, so it was very much my business when his life was torn apart.” Her cheeks felt flushed with anger. “You busted up their relationship. And it took a very long time for them to get back on track.”
“Fancy forgave me a long time ago,” he said in a quiet voice. “And Case ended up with the woman of his dreams, so from where I’m standing it all ended well.”
Charlotte let out a snicker. “Forgiving is one thing, but forgetting is another. Just be aware that I’m going to be watching you,” Charlotte warned.
A wide grin broke out on his face. “Well, I’m giving you fair warning, Charlotte. I’m going to have my eyes on you as well.” He slowly looked her up and down, causing a wave of embarrassment to flow over her.
She turned on her heel and left the room in order to assemble the other ladies to join them in the parlor. Just as she’d expected,
Marc Cabron was not the choir boy that everyone believed him to be. And he didn’t seem to be remorseful at all about stepping in between Case and Fancy. Hiring Marc Cabron had been foolish and short-sighted. And if there was anything she could do to make certain that he wasn’t hired, she would go to the ends of the earth to make it happen.
* * *
The moment Charlotte Duvall left the room, Marc let out a hissing sound that was equal parts frustration and anger. He didn’t know Charlotte very well—they’d never really crossed paths back in school—but from what he did know about her, she was a pampered princess who had never wanted for much in this world. And from the sounds of it, she was a judgemental know-it-all. How he hated those types. Her looks were deceptive though.
On the outside she appeared soft and sweet, as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. She was beautiful, he realized. He had only seen her on a few rare occasions. Each and every time she seemed to fade into the background, as if she didn’t relish the spotlight. And although he’d guessed that Charlotte was shy, he now knew that was the furthest thing from the truth. She hadn’t hesitated to blast him to smithereens.
“Seems like she needs to get her own romantic life to worry and wonder about,” Marc muttered. “And stay out of mine.”
If there was anything he absolutely despised it was a busy body. And he had a theory about people like that. They focused on other people because they really had nothing going on with their own lives. Was that Charlotte’s problem? Was she focused on his past with Fancy because she was single and didn’t have her own romantic life?
Fancy Tolliver’s face flashed in front of his eyes. With her blond hair, blue eyes and striking features, there was no doubt of her stunning beauty. At one point in time he’d developed strong feelings for her. After the death of his fiancée, Gretchen, Marc hadn’t known if he was coming or going. He’d been extremely vulnerable and buried in grief. A friendship with Fancy had turned into something deeper. On his part. Fancy had been feeling neglected by her fiancé, Case, and spending a lot of time in Marc’s company had blurred the lines. He had fallen for her hard. Fancy’s relationship had imploded when Case discovered that his fiancée had been spending so much time with him and discussing with him their relationship issues.
Marc had always known that Fancy loved Case. In his heart he’d hoped something might develop between them, but it had never moved past friendship. He’d left Savannah in order to give Fancy’s relationship a chance to heal and for Case to get over his ruffled feelings. Although he’d left town, the damage had been done. Case and Fancy had been apart for two years, during which time Marc had traveled the world. It had only been very recently that they’d mended their relationship and gotten re-engaged.
Marc needed to be home in Savannah. He could no longer punish himself for falling for Fancy. And he wasn’t going to put Fancy and Case’s needs above his family. His beloved father was dying. Cancer had come in like a thief in the night and grabbed Lucien Cabron by the throat. And it hadn’t let go, not since the terrible day he’d been diagnosed. Stage three cancer. At the present time, his father’s cancer had worsened to stage four. The entire family knew that he was nearing the end. It drove Marc a little crazy that he’d been away from home for so long in an effort to make up for the past. He didn’t want to think about all the days he’d missed with his father. It only led to anger.
The click of heels on the hardwood floor alerted him to the fact that the ladies of Savannah House were joining him in the parlor. One by one they filed in to the room, greeting him with more civility than he’d ever imagined. After all, hadn’t he been the bad guy in the Case-Fancy breakup? Because Fancy was their friend and Case was related to both Callie and Charlotte, he’d been the obvious villain in the situation.
He could try and pretend as if that hadn’t wounded him, but it wouldn’t be the truth. When he’d left Savannah two years ago his heart and his soul had been wounded. If he added in all the grief he hadn’t dealt with regarding Gretchen’s death, it would amount to a tsunami of emotions he had had been grappling with.
