Page 10 of A Caribbean Heiress in Paris
“He made up for it,” Manuela retorted as she topped everyone’s glass with more champagne.
Luz made a face.
“The man probably had one of his helpers get the table. It’s not like he found the timber and carved the thing on the spot.”
“He didn’t have to do it and he did, and that’s not nothing,” Aurora retorted, which Luz could not exactly deny. “And his business partner was quite dashing.” That was said with a speaking glance directed in Antonio’s direction.
“I’ll concede Mr. Kapadiawasdelightful,” Luz admitted before applying herself to the plate of escargots that had been placed in front of her. The snails’ texture reminded her of the conch dishes that were so popular at home. But even if she hadn’t been used to the chewiness, the garlic and butter sauce they were smothered in was reason enough to try them. She listened to the others distractedly as she pried one off the shell with a tiny fork.
“Kapadia was very curious about you,” Antonio informed the table, and Luz almost catapulted her little gray snail into the table across from them.
“What do you mean,curious?” she asked diffidently before popping the escargot into her mouth, hoping the chewy mollusk would keep her from any outbursts.
“He mentioned that you’d—” Antonio cleared his throat as he obviously tried to keep his lips from turning up into a smile “—that you’d piqued Mr. Sinclair’s interest.”
Sinclair.
It suited him. Luz’s foolish heart gave a little hop at the revelation, and she valiantly refrained from asking what the other letter in his initials stood for.
“He also asked about your business, and I told him that you were here with the hopes of bringing your rum to European markets.” Antonio stopped to take a sip from his glass of champagne, and Luz had to bite her tongue to keep from asking him to get on with it. “They are based in Edinburgh, and I mentioned you intend to settle there. I hope that’s all right.”
“It’s fine,” she assured him when he started biting his lip. Antonio had a propensity of regaling third parties with long-winded biographical accounts of his associates. By now, Kapadia was probably intimately acquainted with her life’s story.
“He asked me to extend an offer to assist you in any way you required once you arrive in Scotland.”
“Oh?” The heat on her face and her racing heart were likely surprise at the unexpected kindness. Nothing to do with E. Sinclair and his sinful smile.
“That’s a generous offer,” Aurora observed.
“Indeed.” Manu nodded. “That Scot might be a useful man to know, given the situation with Childers.”
Luz’s stomach twisted at the mere mention of her elusive trustee. That afternoon they’d arrived at their town house in the Place des Vosges, only to find a letter from Mr. Bruce, the solicitor who had been handling her inheritance. The man informed her that Percy Childers had refused her request to release the funds of her inheritance. She despised being in this position and once again wished her father had been more forthcoming with her on affairs that affected her future. That he had at least confided in her that he was reluctant to leave the finances in her control. That way she would have at least been prepared for this battle. Another one she’d have to fight on her own.
Sinclair and his self-assured, commanding face appeared in her mind. Perhaps, if all else failed with Childers, he could be a last resort.
“He’ll be at Le Bureau tonight,” Antonio said, an eyebrow raised salaciously.
“Sinclair will be there?” The question flew out of her mouth before she had any chance of stopping herself.
“Monsieur Kapadia only mentionedhewould be attending the special program this evening.”
Sinclair got under her skin in all the wrong ways, but his business partner seemed a good sort. She was already intending to search out the owner of Le Bureau; she’d just add properly introducing herself to Mr. Kapadia to her endeavors for the evening.
Manuela had made Luz promise to enjoy herself tonight, and she still planned to, once she’d taken care of more important matters.
“I just want to note that I am not in favor of this outing,” Aurora complained, turning everyone’s attention toward her. “There may be people we know there. There are hundreds of Mexicans here for the exposition as well as Venezuelans and Dominicans. Frankly, the last thing I want is to run into the same sanctimonious bores I left Veracruz to get away from.”
There was an astonishing number of attendants from the Americas at the exposition. Thousands arrived from the thirteen countries which were hosting pavilions, and many others were there as guests or to do business. Just the day before, Luz had conversed with a physician from Guayaquil, Ecuador, who had delayed his return home after finishing his studies at La Sorbonne to be part of his country’s delegation. Paris was a thrilling place to be, but she understood Aurora’s trepidation.
Manuela made an unhappy sound as she took a bite of steak tartare. “If they’re also enjoying the establishment’s entertainment, what moral high ground do they have to judge us for doing the same?”
“Some of us are trying to practice medicine in an already very difficult terrain and need our reputation to be taken seriously, Manuela.”
Manuela’s mouth lifted in the sneer which usually meant she was about to say something utterly disreputable, and Luz braced for it. “And some of us are trying to ruin our reputations so we can be left in peace, Aurora.”
“Don’t be too hard on her, Manu. She likes to be careful,” Luz said as she leaned to squeeze Aurora’s hand. Luz took in Aurora’s tense shoulders and found that she understood her better now than she ever had. It wasn’t that Aurora couldn’t let her guard down. It was that as a woman—a Black woman at that—Aurora was confronted with naysayers at every step. It made one feel like the only way to live was perennially battle ready. Manuela, who could never stay angry for more than a minute, slumped in her chair and put an arm over Aurora’s shoulders.
“Fine, I’ll behave. Unless of course the opportunity presents itself to do a little damage,” she said, holding her index and thumb with a sliver of space between them, then pointed her coupe at Luz. “Luz Alana could be outright catastrophic in that gown.”
