The Accidental Mistress (33 page)

Christophe dropped back in his office chair.
"Sorry, it's been a helluva day."

"We have a problem?"

"What now?"

"Your mother? She's called in members of the
firm. I was cut out of the meetings."

"So?"

"I found out two of them left this afternoon
with her, to Martinique."

Christophe sat forward. "My mother is going
to Martinique?"

"Yes, and I can't ascertain why."

"I think I know. Damn it! How soon can you
be ready for a flight down with me."

"Well I
—
"

"Be ready in an hour."

***

Zuri entered the private hospital room with
her mother and sister. The doctors said the visit could only be a
short one. As much as she wanted her father to be okay, she feared
facing him again. Nanette squeezed her hand. They stood at the side
of his bed.

"Can he hear us?" Joi asked.

"He's resting. But the doctor says his
vitals are strong. He'll recover. We just need to wait until he
opens his eyes to how grueling it will be."

"He can't be stressed."

"
Ma
chérie
,
you did not cause this. The doctors said the first year that this
could happen. Recovery means more rest and patience, for Claude as
well. He was pushing himself too hard and too fast."

"I can't stop seeing the
way he looked at me,
mère
. That look in his eyes. He hates
me."

"That's not true,
chérie
. There is nothing
you could do to make him hate you. Nothing," Her mother whispered.
She put her arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.
"We'll talk more about it tomorrow. Go home and get some
rest.

"I don't want to leave you."

"I'm staying with him. I'll take care of
him," Nanette smiled.

"I'm sorry,
mère
. So sorry. I let him
down. I only did what I thought I had to do to protect
him."

Nanette smiled. "You are your father's
daughter. A fighter. He knows that. Sometimes we do what we have to
in order to protect our family. I believe you about Christophe.
It’s going to be okay."

***

Christophe groaned. He forced his phone into
his pants pocket. Again Zuri wasn't picking up his calls. "What the
hell is the delay?"

"It's coming down out there. They can't
clear us to leave until after the lightening storm," Davis said,
watching him pace.

"What is mother up to? Have you found
out?"

"I think we both have an idea," Davis said.
"No one at the firm is speaking on it."

"The board has already given me their vote.
The Oasis is as good as bought."

"Not if she buys it from under you." Davis
sat forward. "She was pretty determined to get there ahead of you.
My guess is she will get the bank to collect on the debt early or
purchase it outright for Elliot."

"If she does anything like that, I'll kill
her."

Davis shook his head. Christophe walked over
to the glass doors. Lightening flashed. The storm raged beyond the
hanger window. Once again, he removed his phone and tried to call
Zuri.

***

"So what you lost your phone. Here, use
mine." Joi pulled out her mobile encased in pink rhinestones. She
forced it into Zuri's hand.

"I had his number programmed into my phone.
I don't know it by heart." She passed it back to her sister.

"Oh?"

Zuri sighed. She flopped down on the sofa.
Her head pounded and so did her heart. She really couldn't deal
with Christophe. All she wanted was to craw up under the covers and
sleep the night away. That's all she needed. Joi sat on the sofa
next to her. "I'm tired."

"Me too."

"I think I’m going to bed."

Zuri nodded. She watched her sister as she
left. Closing her eyes, she fell over on the sofa and let fatigue
coax her to sleep.

***

Christophe paced. "Then how soon will they
let us take off?"

"They won't clear us until four in the
morning. The outer bands of the storm moving in from the south make
it impossible to fly around it. Apologies, sir."

Christophe glared at the pilot but held his
bitter tongue. Anger would get him nothing. He marched out of the
hanger into the rain and his waiting vehicle. It was a bad omen.
His mother had gone too far. He would make her pay dearly this
time.

***

Zuri sat up on the sofa. The phone ringing
to her left woke her. She rubbed her eyes. They burned raw from
crying, and her mouth tasted like garbage. Nothing, however,
compared to the headache forming. She could feel the heat in the
room from the new morning sun.

"I'm coming," she groaned

"Hello?"

"
Bonjour
I'd like to speak with Zuri
Baptiste."

"
Oui
, this is
she."

"
Comment
allez-vous
? Je
m'appelle
Edward
Delmont.
I am calling from
Banque Antilles Francaises.
We need you to visit into our office this
morning."

"I, um, okay. I can be
there in two hours?"

"
Bien
."

She hung up. She
immediately called her father's room at the hospital. Her mother
answered and told her there was no change. Zuri's heart sank. She
hurried to the stairs to dress.

***

Christophe forced his seat
to recline. Davis was twenty minutes late and he fumed silently
over the additional delay. He hadn't slept. He couldn't find a
number for the Baptiste. He called the Oasis and left a message,
but even now he doubted she'd receive it.
Why isn't she answering my calls? Has my mother already lied
to her?
His insecurities surfaced and so
did his doubts. He didn't know what was at stake anymore, other
than his heart.

"We'll land around noon. We
should be there in time."

"Leave another message for
the bank manager again. Tell him that he is to meet with me
only."

Davis nodded.

The plane began its
accelerated taxi down the runway. Before long, they were lifting to
the clouds. If his mother interfered, he'd make her regret
it.

***

Zuri hadn't wakened Joi.
She decided to meet with the bank manager on her own. With her
father's proxy in her purse and no way to reach Christophe, she was
going to do what she could to get an extension, to restore her
father's dignity. After what he'd learned, her father would never
approve of any kind of partnership with the Montague's. She would
have to be smart and find another way.

"
Bonjour
,
Je m'appelle
Zuri Baptiste."

"
Bienvenue,
please follow
me."

The woman led her through
two doors. Finally the man who held her family’s fate in his hands,
Edward Delmont, greeted her. He shook her hand and kissed both of
her cheeks. He went on in French asking after her father; news of
his second stroke had spread rapidly through the island. Zuri
assured the manager that her father was recovering.

She was then promptly led
to a meeting room. Everyone stood. Except a very distinguished
looking woman with familiar eyes. She was in her early sixties,
dressed in a pale pink suit. Her raven hair had a deep silver
streak along the front that was swooped into a bang and cascaded
down with her curls to her shoulder. It was her eyes that Zuri
found cold and assessing. With her small smile of welcome, she
forced Zuri to maintain her stare.

"Allow me, Madame Montague.
This is Mademoiselle Baptiste."

"Montague?" Zuri
asked.

Stephanie Montague gave a
curt nod. Zuri looked to the men seated on either side of her, then
to her escort. "
Monsieur
, what is this
about?"

"I can explain that to you
dear. Please have a seat."

Zuri nodded. She sat down
in the chair before her. Her heart was in her throat. But she
swallowed her nerves and tried to focus.

"You are quite lovely. My
son didn't exaggerate."

"Where is Christophe?" Zuri
asked. "Shouldn't he be here?"

Stephanie Montague
smirked. "
Monsieur
Delmont, please present my offer to Mademoiselle
Baptiste."

Zuri was handed a black
folder. She lowered her eyes from the woman across from her and
uncovered a three-page contract. The type text was in small print.
She squinted and skimmed it, realizing this was not what she gave
Christophe.

"That my dear is a one time
offer. I'm aware of your talents in negotiating, so I assume you
can appreciate my generosity."

"I don't
understand?"

"I'm offering you a way
out. To pay your father's debts. Clear his accounts and restore The
Blue Oasis to him."

Zuri’s eyes widened. "I, I
thought we were doing a merger."

Stephanie gave a light
laugh. "Certainly not. Montague would never align with such a
bargain."

"I want to speak to
Christophe." Zuri closed the folder.

"Leave us."

Everyone rose and walked
out. Zuri focused on the woman before her. There was something
calculating about her manner that made the hairs on her nape stand
on end. Why was she here instead of Christophe? The deal before her
was far more generous than anything she would dare ask of him. More
generous than anything Christophe offered.

"Tell me about Chicago?"
Stephanie Montague said.

"I don't
understand."

"Shall I ask it in French?"
Stephanie gave a soft mocking laugh.

"I don't understand why
you're here."

"I'm here because my son is
a very important man. He's worth more than this island, more than
your father's debts. I respect the fact that you set your aim high.
Elliot told me how, um, creative you were in gaining access to his
bed. It's time we settle this affair, and I'm willing to do so
amicably."

"I don't know what Elliot
told you, but I resent you implying that I've used Christophe.
We're friends, and the merger was a deal between us. It's one that
I don't plan to honor any way. Far as I'm concerned, my family will
handle its affairs with the bank. We don't need anything from
Montague."

Stephanie clapped. She sat
forward. "It's too late. You've gotten Christophe's attention,
distracted him from his purpose. Now I have to rectify
it."

"Rectify?"

"You have an offer to
clear your father's debts. I'm a very powerful woman
mademoiselle
, a personal
friend to the President of the Regional Council. I suggest you
accept my offer graciously or you can choose option
two."

"Which is?"

"Right before you arrived, I had an
interesting conversation with Detrick Chevalier. It appears that he
feels your father has been less than honorable in reporting his
earnings with the French Republic. If you don't sign those papers
and agree to never see Christophe again, I will sign these papers."
Stephanie Montague cut her eyes to the folder next to her.
"Monsieur Delmont is prepared to accept my personal bid for your
company. And after I buy it, I will audit every financial
transaction since its doors opened and report your father for tax
evasion and fraud."

Zuri dropped her eyes to the contract. "Why
would you do this to your son? Make him think that he has no one
but you? What kind of woman are you?" she asked, her eyes returning
to Stephanie.

"I'm a woman you don't want to test.
Christophe will understand, especially when we prove to him that
you don't love him." Stephanie rose. She picked up the pen and
walked down the length of the table. "He's been disappointed
before. Don’t you worry. He can handle this."

The black pen was placed on the document.
Stephanie Montague's slender hand was dropped on her shoulder. "I
have a request," Zuri said, closing her eyes. "If I do this, I want
you to use your influence with the President to have Detrick
Chevalier arrested for fraud. I don't care how, but I want his
crimes exposed and my father kept out of it."

Stephanie laughed. "You are a smart girl.
Consider it done."

"I want your word."

Stephanie Montague's perfectly arched brow
winged up. "And in return?"

"I will end things with Christophe. He'll
never know you blackmailed me to do it. Agreed?"

Stephanie patted her shoulder. Zuri picked
up the pen. Her hand shook. She had only truly known Christophe for
a week. It wasn't love between them. Hell for all she knew he
hadn't even tried to call her. This would free her father, and end
things once and for all. This was best. But why did it hurt so
bad?

"Merci."

***

Christophe walked briskly through the bank.
He spoke to Edward Delmont the moment the sun rose. Whatever his
mother was up to, he was in time. Delmont told him that the meeting
between her and the Montague attorneys wasn't until 2pm. He checked
his watch. Time was up.

"
Monsieur,
may I
—
"