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"Oh, darling, sweet Pearl," Jeanne cried. "Let me hold her."

Beau handed her to Jeanne, whom Pearl immediately recognized. She smiled and Jeanne flooded her cheeks with kisses, squeezing her lovingly to her.

"Well now," Paul said, "this is an unexpected honor, Monsieur and Madame Andreas in the flesh." His lips moved to twist into a grotesque mockery.

"Anything new, Paul?" I asked quickly, ignoring his sarcasm.

"New?" He looked at Toby, pretending we had asked the simplest nonchalant question. "Anything new, Toby?"

"There's no change for the better," Toby said sadly. "In fact, this morning they decided to put her on a breathing apparatus."

"Care for a drink, Beau?" Paul said, lifting his glass.

"No, none for me, thanks."

"Too early in the day for you Creoles?" he quipped.

"Paul," Jeanne snapped. "Why don't you say hello to your child?"

Paul gazed at Pearl a moment and then nodded.

"Bring her to me," he asked. Jeanne did so. Paul didn't take her from Jeanne, but he reached up and stroked Pearl's hair before kissing her cheek. Then he sat back and sighed so deeply, I thought his heart had shattered in his chest.

"I'll take the baby for a little walk and get her something to eat," Jeanne said quickly.

"Good idea," Toby said. "I'll go speak to Letty and see about getting you something to eat, too."

"Don't trouble anyone," Beau said.

"Trouble anyone?" Paul lifted his eyes and laughed. "Anyone here troubled?"

Toby paused in front of us and smirked. "He's been drinking heavily ever since Ruby was taken to the hospital," she explained. "He's stopped looking after his business and just sits around now wallowing in self-pity. My parents are at their wits' end, especially my mother. She doesn't eat; she doesn't sleep worrying about him. See if you can do anything with him," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Beau said.

"What's that?" Paul cried. "Did someone say it's all right?"

After Toby left, I crossed the room and stood in front of Paul and folded my arms across my chest to glare down at him sternly.

"What are you trying to prove, Paul? What are you doing to yourself?"

"Nothing. I'm not proving anything." He lifted his arms and shrugged. "Just accepting what Fate has decided will be my destiny. Right from the beginning, I was chasing a dream. Every time I thought I had turned it to reality, Fate came busti

ng in to splatter the dream over the bayou like so much swamp mud." He paused to gaze up at me and his eyes narrowed in the strangest dark way.

"You didn't know her, but Ruby's grandmere Catherine used to say if you swim against the tide, you'll drown," he said. It was as if he had poked a stick in my ribs.

"Stop it, Paul. Stop this overacting. The three of us know the truth. There's no need to pretend like this in front of ourselves."

"Truth? Did you mention the truth? Funny word coming from your lips, or anyone's lips for that matter," he added, and then looked up again. "What is the truth? Is it that love is really a cruel sword we turn on ourselves, exquisite torment? Or is it that only the chosen, the lucky few," he said, gazing up at Beau, "are meant to be happy on this earth? Under what star were you born that you should realize such happiness, Monsieur Beau Andreas?"

"I don't know the answer to that, Paul," Beau said softly. "But I do know that what you promised to Ruby must be kept."

"Oh, I always keep my promises," he said, eyeing me now. "I'm not the sort who doesn't."

"Paul, please. . ."

"It's all right," he muttered. He finished his drink in a gulp. "I have to lie down awhile." He struggled to stand, falling back and then pulling himself up again. "You two make yourselves at home. My sisters will look after you."