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"Where you gave birth to . . ."

"Pearl. She's a beautiful child, Beau."

"And where you got married?"

"Yes."

He lowered his eyes. "When I heard you had married, I decided to stay on in Europe. The truth was, I didn't want to ever come home again. But," he said with a sigh, "that wasn't realistic. Then Gisselle arrived." He smiled. "She's changed, hasn't she?" he asked, hoping for my agreement. "I think she's finally growing up, maturing. Terrible events like this drag you kicking and screaming out of childhood. She knows she's got to be a responsible person now. She has a fortune to oversee, business interests."

"I understand you've been a great help so far," I said. "I'm doing what I can. Have you seen Bruce?" he asked.

"Yes. Whatever happens to him is only just," I said. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't get a penny more than he's supposed to get," he promised.

"Money isn't that important to me anymore, eau. Actually, it never was as important to me as it was to Gisselle."

"I know. I saw the write-up on you in the paper. Do you have a studio like this?"

"Yes, but with magnificent views of the canals. It's in the attic of our house," I said.

"It sounds wonderful. Gisselle has kept me upto-date on everything, and from the way she describes. . . what do you call it, Cypress Woods?" I nodded. "From the way she describes it, it sounds like utopia."

"I was always happier in the bayou, surrounded by natural things. That was all too much a part of me, of who and what I was, for me to ever give them up."

"Even for me?" he asked softly. His eyes shone brilliantly with unused tears.

"Beau . ."

"It's all right. I'm being unfair. I have no right to ask or demand anything from you. You have a right to despise me for leaving you. Nothing that's happened to me or will happen is undeserved," he said.

"We were both at fault, Beau, and both victims of a cruel fate," I replied softly. We stared into each other's eyes, drawing each other closer.

"Ruby," he whispered. He started to reach for me when Gisselle burst into the studio.

"So here you are," she shrilled. "I should have known you would find her. Stevens told me you had come, and when I couldn't find you in the office or living room, I just asked myself, where would he go?"

"Hi, Gisselle," he said. She lunged at him and kissed him fully on the lips, her eyes opened and turned toward me as she did so. "I missed you this morning," she said after she pulled her mouth from his. "When did you leave?"

Beau blushed. "Early. You knew I had to meet with your attorneys."

"Oh. Right. My brain is like a bowl of scrambled eggs today. Well, you might as well tell us what you discussed and what we have to do," she said. "Let's all go to the office and talk." She took Beau's hand and, very full of herself, smiled at me. "All right, Ruby?"

"Fine," I said, and followed them out.

Back at the office, we listened as Beau reviewed what our attorneys believed. How Daphne had gotten Bruce to sign documents excluding himself from her fortune and ours before he married her was a puzzle, but sign them, he did, and the attorneys felt they were ironclad.

"Whatever legal maneuvering he tries will be an exercise in futility," Beau said. "Now, there is a short time left before you take control of everything, but with the attorneys acting as executors, you will have control immediately."

"Then we can spend whatever we want? Buy whatever we want?" Gisselle asked excitedly.

"Yes."

"No more restrictions! The first thing I want is my own sports car. Daphne wouldn't let me have it," she whined, and then turned to me. "You should go through the house and decide what you want to take back to the swamps with you now. I might just have someone come and auction things off," she threatened. "And there is the question of the ranch, our apartment buildings . ."

"Gisselle, must we discuss this now?"

"I don't care when we discuss it or if we never discuss it. If you want to, just send your attorney around one day to talk to our estate attorneys, right, Beau?"

He gazed at me. "If that's what she wants," he said.