The nearly full moon rode low in the western sky. Too soon for him to vanish completely. What to do?
He could return to watching Grace sleep. But really, wasn’t that kind of creepy?
I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t want any unknown specter invading my dreams.
Fine then, no more night time forays into Grace’s privacy. However, that left him at loose ends. Luc hated being idle. Surveying the large room, he noted the paint supplies stacked neatly in a corner of the room opposite the stoves. That called attention to the difference between the walls, about one third of them whitewashed, the other two thirds still dull and aged.
I can paint just as well as I can dig post holes, and probably much faster. He’d deal with her questions later.
First, since the next night was a full moon, he’d get her a plant. She’d remember the moon-gifts from her childhood. Very little time was required to obtain a wild honeysuckle sprig, pot it, and place it just outside the kitchen front door.
As he worked, Luc planned his future dealings with Grace. When the time was right, and she could handle the truth, he’d tell her everything—his curse, his past, his present. How he’d ended up in the shallows of Bayou Mal Chance nearSweet Dreams. He might even let her know the eternity of his future.
Chapter Ten
December 05, 1911, Full Moon
Grace Thibodaux’s bedroom, Sweet Dreams
Grace woke and stretched. One glance out the window told her the morning was well advanced. Physical weariness had helped her sleep soundly. Most of the time, she’d been sleeping less than even the short amount she’d become used to during the scandal in Boston. Due in large part to the spate of unsettling events occurring atSweet Dreams—most recently, the unsettling conversation she’d had with DeLille in his capacity as sheriff.
DeLille had said he’d take the men to the Orleans Parish Prison, but he’d warned her they’d most likely be released the next day. He’d been about to leave with the two trespassers, when she’d asked about pressing charges.
“Why in the world would they be released, when I intend to bring charges?” The very idea infuriated her.
“You can do that Miz Thibodaux.” He enunciated each word carefully, as he would when speaking to a child or an idiot.
Does he think I’m an imbecile?
“You got the right,” DeLille continued. “However, those two men got rights too. They say they weren’t trespassing. Davy, the one who got his eyes injured, he was here the day before, helping to deliver supplies.”
“I remember him clearly.” More clearly than she wished.
“Well now, he’s considering a civil suit against you for the damage to his eyesight.”
“I did nothing to his eyes.” Grace had called on all her patience to remain polite.
“I’m sure you didn’t. Nonetheless, the statutes regarding a landowner’s liability to folks on the property…”
“Even trespassers?” Incredulity escaped her.
“Even them. Those statutes are changing. Used to be that the landowner had no liability to someone illegally on his or her property. However, the new statutes say if the property isn’t well-maintained, the landowner may be liable for any injury suffered by anyone.”
She bristled. “I haven’t been atSweet Dreamslong enough to maintain the property in any consistent way.”
“I understand, Miz Thibodaux, but the statute doesn’t take time in residence into account.”
“But…”
The sheriff stopped her with a raised palm.
She wanted to stamp her foot at being stymied.
“You can go ahead and press charges, you might even win and put them two boys in jail for a long time. Howsomever, you’ll probably get sued, and because you aren’t a local gal, Davy’ll probably win,” the grocer cum sheriff said.
“That’s outrageous.” Grace glared; all semblance of civility gone.
DeLille shrugged. “I don’t make the statutes, Miz Thibodaux. I just enforce ’em.”
