Chapter 2

Antoine Poirier was delighted with the way Uncle Gaston had taken to his Madeleine from the very beginning, immediately accepting her and making her feel as one of the family. He was worried for fear that it would not go that way at all. Madeleine not being of the select social class from which his benefactor had insisted he choose a wife when that time came; in fact, hers could hardly be called even the lower middle class, her father being nothing more than a fisherman. It hadn't been an act of defiance on his part, for Lord knows, he felt greatly indebted to this man who had taken him in following the brutal death of his parents, treating him as he might his own son, had there been one, even to giving him the finest of education at McGill University; no, it had simply been love... of the head-over-heels variety, and upon first sight at that; then, Uncle Gaston had amazed him by understanding.

Antoine had found her in a small restaurant where she waited on table and where he took lunch only occasionally, until that day. The rest was inevitable, for as she had told him some two weeks later when he asked her to become his wife, she had loved him from the first moment she saw him. Her lack of formal education, or the fact that she came from poor peasant stock, nothing could have been of less importance to him; her exotic beauty stunned him; she had only to smile that first time and he was completely lost. Even Annette... snippy, audacious, envenomed Annette... even she had taken to her immediately, and from the first moment Uncle Gaston had laid eyes on her he had done little more than smile his pleasure.

Of course, the proof of Uncle Gaston's acceptance had come when he'd asked Madeleine to act as family hostess at these Friday night affairs, and he, Antoine, could barely contain his own elation... even now, as he watched her graceful movements beside his Uncle, the powerful little man holding affectionately to her hand, and the manner in which she conducted herself in the presence of Montreal's most elite... as if she had been born to it... filled him with pride and love. God, if only he didn't have this other worry, he thought.

Uncle Gaston had assured him a dozen times that there was nothing to get upset about, but just the idea of Ottawa sending officials over to look at the company books and records had upset him considerably. He couldn't help it; after all, Galaxy Mining, Ltd. was his responsibility, and because Uncle Gaston had entrusted him with its helm he felt more accountable than ever. He had worried himself to the point where he could hardly sleep nights, and of course, the whole thing was having an effect on his and Madeleine's personal lives. Their love-making had become little more than a series of abortive attempts at sex on his part, filling his Madeleine with unsated frustrations, he felt certain, and God Almighty, he didn't know what to do about it.

She was such a vibrant, voluptuous creature; he had only to look at her even in her clothes to feel immediate stimulation and a stirring at his loins, but to enjoy the enchanting vision of her magnificent young body in the rich splendor of nakedness was enough to set him off like a rutting bull. It seemed at those times he had no control whatever over himself, that nothing mattered only plunging his aching penis into her tantalizing flesh and emptying his life-giving sperm into her. He just couldn't seem to contain his lust, even though he invariably hated himself after and would sincerely vow that it would be different next time... yet, wonderful, loving person that she was, she would smile understandingly and forgive him. Nevertheless, he felt certain that his constant failures were straining their yet-to-be-seasoned relationship and he laid the whole damned mess to this Ottawa investigation business... whatever that was all about.

Now, as he watched them moving among the guests, Madeleine looked his way and smiled. A warmth crept over him and he responded with a slight pursing of his lips that she would understand... a symbolic kiss. It was at that moment that Ginny Novak joined him, taking his arm fondly and brushing one soft, full breast against it.

"Darling, I've been looking for you," she said for greeting, smiling radiantly up into his face.

"Really? I've been right here," he said, always aroused by the suggestive tiny lights that seemed to be forever dancing in her sea-green eyes. As always, she'd had a bit too much to drink and her attractive face reflected it in the slackness about her wide, full mouth and the slight glaze to her eyes. Her usually upswept, perfectly coiffured blonde-hair showed tattle-tale wild strands also, and when she spoke there was just the hint of thickness to her tongue.

"I've been in the playroom sampling the bourbon," she said, giving his arm a little squeeze and once pressing her full, ripe breast against him. "I was hoping you might wander back and sample some with me. We might even've gotten into a game of billiards... or something."

Antoine smiled. Her words, her gestures, her every move was suggestive of sex, and had been since the first day she had walked into this house on the arm of Uncle Gaston better than a year ago, replacing his former mistress. Her capacity had been obvious, her duties nil... except to cater to the master's personal and private needs... whatever they might be. Antoine only knew that he didn't blame his Uncle; after all, he was human and Aunt Yolande had been ill for at least a dozen years; a man had to have a woman, and Ginny Novak was very much that.

He, himself, had never touched her sexually... had hardly ever laid a hand upon her, but in all honesty he had wanted to many times, and from her actions... just the way she would hang onto him, or brush her breasts against him teasingly as she was doing right at that moment, he felt certain that she would be receptive. But once again, his loyalty to the man who had befriended and raised him would never permit him to commit such an act. Ginny Novak was his uncle's toy, and although Antoine too- often could barely tolerate the little man's cruel and abusive treatment of her in public, he bit his lip and kept his place. After all, if she didn't like it, she could always go back to the States where she came from.

Now, as he watched her, she looked about the room until her eyes found what they sought.

"Ah, so there the little czar is," she said with obvious distaste. "And with your Madeleine, of course."

"Of course... ? Why do you say it like that?" Antoine questioned, her derisive tone provoking him.

"Did I say it wrong? I'm sorry, Darling. Probably just the natural, unrefined farmer coming out in me. Nothing more crude than a half-drunk, corn-fed girl, they say."

Antoine grinned and she moved around until her back was to Uncle Gaston and Madeleine, then he saw the almost immediate, serious expression that sobered her attractive face. It surprised and puzzled him simultaneously.

"What is it?" he heard himself question. "Is something wrong, Ginny?"

"We must go someplace where we can talk," she replied in a voice above a whisper. "It's terribly important to you, Antoine..."

"What is it?"

"We can't discuss it here," she insisted, "too dangerous."

"But... I don't understand..."

"Wait..." she said, turning slowly, her loose little smile returning once more as she pretended to look dazedly across the room. Then, he felt her hand tightening on his arm, and she said: "Look, they're leaving the room... now we can slip out..."

Antoine watched his Uncle leading Madeleine toward the central hall and felt a moment of confusion. "Where the devil are they going?"

"Probably to the front sitting room," Ginny lied. "There're some guests in there, too. Please, now come with me."

She gave him little chance to refuse, ushering him by the arm through the doorway that led to the servants' corridor and back toward the playroom.

"Look, Ginny... I don't understand," Antoine said, resisting, but not enough to slow her anxious pace. "What's so damned important that we couldn't talk about it back there?"

"Plenty, Darling," she half-whispered as they entered the near-darkened playroom and she closed the door quietly behind them. "In fact, I'm not going to tell it all to you here, either. It's too dangerous... could even mean my neck..."

"Your neck? Good God, what're you trying to say, girl?" he snapped, his accent broadening his English in irritation.

Ginny Novak eased in close to him, both hands suddenly clutching at the muscles of his arms. She looked up into his face, her own expression one of taut seriousness. "Listen to me," she almost hissed, her lovely eyes probing the depths of his own irked and questioning ones, "that filthy uncle of yours is working at hanging you. And unless you do something about it awfully damned quick, it's going to be too late."

"Wh-What? Look... what the hell are you talking about, anyway?" Antoine rapped, angrily trying to shed her hands from his arms. "Is that what you brought me back here for? To malign Uncle Gaston? Christ, what kind of girl are you? You sleep with him, eat his food, drink his liquor... and too damned much of that by the way you're talking..."

"Stop it!" she hissed vehemently. "Stop and listen to me you stupid, naive idiot! Galaxy Mining, Ltd. is in trouble with the government. I overheard a conversation between Gaston and his attorney, Robert Jovell, this afternoon on the telephone. I heard Gaston say something to the effect that he'd been expecting it... it had to come sooner or later, but that he wasn't worried, they couldn't touch him... the whole operation was in your name! Now... do you still think I'm trying to malign that noble bastard?"

Antoine was stunned. He stared down at her, hardly seeing her. Of course, it was all ridiculous. Either she had misinterpreted whatever it was she'd heard, or she was making the whole thing up for reasons of her own. Certainly, Uncle Gaston would never do anything that would reflect on him, Antoine, let alone making him some sort of scapegoat that might wind him up in prison. The whole idea was preposterous!