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“You, too, and thank you again for the buggy.”
As he rode away, she wondered if chucking rocks at the maddening man she intended to marry could be considered an act of love. Blowing out a frustrated breath, she returned to the house for the items needed for her day. After giving Julianna her goodbye, she and Penelope set out for Sable’s place.
The eager smiles and confident voices of the orphans as they read lifted her mood, and after sharing lunchtime with them and one of the staff members, her day with them ended.
Sable walked her out to the buggy. “How’s Drake? Rai told me what happened between you two.”
“Still stone-faced. I’ve apologized but it hasn’t made much of a difference.”
“Give him time. We all act like children sometimes when our feelings are hurt.”
“I suppose.”
“He loves you. You love him. Once this mess with your father is settled, you can work on the problem between you. Do you really believe he’s going to come to New Orleans?”
“I do.” And the thought continued to nag her like an oncoming headache. “Julianna wants to take me shopping for a wedding dress and is planning a big to-do reception.”
“You’ll need a dress, and Julianna isn’t content if she’s not celebrating something or other, and a wedding is special. It’ll be fun.”
“Not with a glaring groom.”
Sable laughed softly. “He won’t be glaring, trust me. Rai and I were ready to strangle each other the day before we said our vows, but by the end of the reception—let’s just say, we had a very memorable wedding night. You will, too.”
Embarrassment burned her cheeks. She’d never talked about the marriage bed with anyone but her mother. That discussion had been quick and apparently quite wrong, considering the way Drake laughed upon hearing about her mother and the recitation of the alphabet.
Sable said, “Didn’t mean to embarrass you, sorry.”
“No, you’re fine. I need to go.”
“Okay, but if you have questions, let me know.”
Val gave her a tight nod, but then gathered her courage. “Will it hurt?”
Sable seemed to consider her words before replying, “I’m sure it’s different with every woman, but I did have some discomfort. Rai took the time to prepare me though, so it wasn’t awful or excruciating. He seemed to know more about my body than I and that helped a great deal.”
Val thought back on her experiences with Drake. He, too, apparently knew more than she. “I think it’s shameful the way society keeps us in the dark about things like this.”
“I agree.”
Val eyed the woman soon to be her sister-in-law. “Thank you for being so frank with me.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome. Everything will work out between you and Drake.”
“I hope you’re right.”
That said, she climbed into her buggy and struck out for the Quarter.
Eb wasn’t at work, but the woman who answered the back door said he was due in later that evening and promised to pass along Val’s message about the school.
At the cigar shop, Mr. Bascom didn’t appear pleased to see her. Val ignored his tight face and asked after Dina.
“She’s not here.”
“When will she be?”
His anger was reflected in the tone of his reply. “I don’t know. She and my son are gone.”
Val was confused by that. “Gone where?”
