Free A Cry at Midnight by Victoria Chancellor Page B

said carefully, looking down at her plate.
    "
The Communist Manifesto
has generated some sympathy among the more liberal members of our society."
    "The liberal press." Now there was a term she'd heard a lot.
    "A quaint way of phrasing, but yes, the articles and books that have gone to press are more in favor of exploring change than they are of keeping the status quo."
    "What do
you
think?" Randi asked, finishing off her last bite of egg and looking at him through the fringe of her bangs.
    He seemed taken aback at her question, but quickly recovered. The term "a cat always lands on its feet" came to mind, except in Jackson Durant's case, he was a pretty big, dangerous cat.
    "I believe political change is highly overrated. Most of the time, only the politicians change. The lives of people are disturbed, often violently so, but return to normal within a matter of months or years."
    "My dad says the same thing, except his way of saying it is, 'damn politicians are all alike,'" Randi said, giving her best John Galloway imitation.
    At the foot of the table, Jackson Durant actually smiled. Just for a moment, but he'd definitely found her amusing. Randi smiled in return, her heart feeling much lighter.
    "You shouldn't curse," he chastised, although she didn't hear any bite to his words.
    "I wasn't really cursing," she defended herself. "I was quoting."
    "You're arguing semantics."
    She shrugged. "You'll have to take that up with my dad."
    His smile slowly faded. "And where would I find him?"
    Her mind raced. She couldn't say, "Just north of Memphis," because that's where they were now. She named the first big city that she knew had been around since the mid-1800's. "New Orleans."
    "Really?"
    Randi folded her napkin carefully and placed it beside an odd looking spoon she hadn't used. "This was a really good breakfast. If you don't have anything else to discuss right now, I'd like to go upstairs and see Rose."
    "I haven't determined if I'll allow you to be her governess," he reminded her.
    "I know, but since I'm already here, I could at least visit her, couldn't I? I promise not to do anything . . . inappropriate. I won't curse or giggle or anything terrible like that."
    "My terms for raising my daughter are not to be questioned, Miss Galloway. She has a special place in this society, one I intend for her to enjoy. I won't have her future jeopardized."
    "I'll be a vision of propriety. And if any society patrols come around, I promise I'll hide."
    Another smile threatened. "I'll allow your visit on those terms."
    "Thanks," Randi said, starting to get up from the heavy chair.
    He rose quickly from his place at the head of the table. She paused, having seen this kind of gallantry in movies, and waited for him to come around to the side.
    Without a word, he pulled the chair out for her. She smiled and acted as genteel as possible, as though a man seated her and helped her up from the table all the time.
    "I'll see you later, Miss Galloway. Please stay out of trouble."
    "I will," she said, hoping she could keep that promise.
    #
    Jackson waited until his intriguing houseguest went upstairs, then called for Lebeau to meet him in the study. While he waited for his butler to arrive, Jackson stood at one of the wide, tall windows that overlooked the front lawn of Black Willow Grove. The rain that had threatened for several days hadn't fallen, leaving the ground firm and covered with newly green grass. Flowering trees along the side of the house bore witness to spring, while life abounded in the many birds that searched the ground for insects.
    No one would imagine that disaster could threaten during such sunny, perfect days. But there was something about the river this year that had him worried. As soon as he was finished his correspondence, he would ride upriver to check low-lying areas for any flooding.
    If the Mississippi was rising, he'd have to warn his neighbors, although he doubted they'd put much stock in his intuition. They'd been