Free Pride of the King, The by Amanda Hughes Page A

smells from the baker's shop, and the fruit at the grocers stand always looks so pretty in the baskets."
    "So you are always alone?" asked Lauren.
    "Always."
    "Sometimes you take Monsieur's supper to him at the mine. Do the workers ever flirt with you there?"
    "No, of course not," Eugenie stated avoiding Lauren's eyes as she stirred the soap in the crucible.
    Lauren noticed that whenever she quizzed Eugenie on the topic of boys, the girl froze. This time Lauren decided to press the girl, her youthful curiosity getting the better of her.
    "Surely there is someone you like."
    "No," said Eugenie flatly.
    "Oh come now. You will never tell me anything. There must be someone," said Lauren with a devilish smile. "Have you ever been kissed?"
    "I don't want to talk about this," lisped Eugenie. She turned and started for the house.
    Lauren followed her into the kitchen and watched her chopping turnips. "I know there is someone, and you are keeping it from me,” she teased. “I can feel it. We are best friends and I will not go until I find out.”
    Suddenly, Eugenie slammed the knife down on the table and barked, “Mind your own business! Now leave me alone!" The girl’s voice was shaking and her fists clenched.
    Lauren was dumbfounded. Her mouth dropped open and she stammered, "I--I’m sorry Eugenie. I was just teasing."
    She reached out to touch her shoulder, but Eugenie jerked back. “Well, don’t tease me!" and she left the room.
    Fighting back tears, Lauren returned to Madame's boudoir. There was a side to Eugenie she would never understand, and she realized that today she had asked too much of the girl. Lauren would have to accept that there would always be ghosts between them.
     
    *                 *                  *
     
    All summer long Lauren met Rene by the river. They would walk hand in hand along the banks of the Kaskaskia whispering confidences and sharing caresses until they found a secluded spot and would drop down into a passionate embrace. Gabriel was unaware of how often the two met, and he would have been alarmed had he known the direction their relationship was heading. Lauren's impulsive nature and Rene's ardor were a dangerous combination, and their visits began to take a serious turn.
    "I wish we could run away together, Rene," sighed Lauren as she rolled over onto her back to look at the clouds one fine afternoon. "We could go to Paris or Vienna. It wouldn't matter as long as we were away from here."
    A small, red ant crawled up the sleeve of her gown and carefully Rene picked it off turning his attention to her neck and breasts. He slid his lips along her skin, up to her ear and whispered, "Every night we could sleep side by side and awaken to each other in the morning."
    "Oh, that would be wonderful," she murmured.
    He kissed her and said, "Let's go Lauren. I mean it, just you and me together. We can marry and take the convoy to New Orleans in the spring and from there to Paris."
    "Do you mean it?" Lauren said sitting up, looking into his blue eyes. "Do you really mean it?"
    "Yes I mean it, Lauren because I love you." He eased her back and pressed his mouth onto hers as he had a hundred times before, but this time something was different. Lauren felt herself losing control. She would not have the strength to refuse his advances this time. Why should I ruin the moment? This is the man I will marry. Nothing matters but Rene.
     
     
    Chapter 11
    It had been a year since Lauren had arrived in Kaskaskia. She marveled at how quickly the months had gone by and how drastically her life had changed since that stormy day in New Orleans. Rene had awakened passion in her, and she felt as if she had left all her schoolgirl notions behind. On rare occasions the guilt of the nuns would haunt her, but she would remind herself that it was fine because Rene was the man she would marry.
    By now, her figure had grown to its full maturity. Her limbs were long and graceful, and she was