Southern Beauty - By Julie Lucia Page 0,16

whispered to herself but aimed at David. She had to smile. This was what the South was all about. What made Southerners complete, what they prided themselves on, hospitality, celebration, and enjoying ones company, she thought to herself. Except, Clarice was here, the evil Clarice, and to top it off, it was her family’s ball.

“I’ll go get us some drinks to cool us off,” Malcolm smiled at her and disappeared into the scenery. Her eyes searched the room for her uncle. She could hear the conversation next to her.

“Can you believe it? Rene Beauregard is here and so is the cadet that shot at the Star of the West, George Edward,” said a young lady to her friends.

“Rene is so handsome,” said another.

“Oh, this is the best ball ever! Look at all the handsome cadets,” said another giddy young lady.

Johanna decided to remove herself from the gossiping girls into another room which seemed to be abandoned of party goers. It was the Beauregard’s drawing room. She noticed a painting on the wall and out of curiosity and boredom decided to examine it closer.

“That was my grandmother’s from Paris,” Johanna surprised by the intrusion, looked in the direction of the speaker.

“Oh, Mr. Beauregard, you startled me,” Johanna said.

Please call me Rene,” he said with a slight bow.

His smile and his presence were a powerful combination, the effect it had on Johanna made her slightly blush.

Johanna had never been introduced to Rene. He had always been shielded by Clarice and away for schooling. She definitely understood what the fuss was all about. He was tall and extremely handsome. Maybe too handsome, she thought to herself. She slightly smiled and looked around the room, realizing they were now alone.

“I fear I do not know who you are, and I thought I knew all the beautiful ladies in Charleston,” said Rene in his charming Cajun accent.

“You mean you courted every beautiful lady in Charleston,” said Johanna, not ready to smile yet.

This made him laugh. “I am not that bad, New Orleans maybe. Are you friends with Clarice?”

“Hardly,” she whispered. I am here for my uncle.”

“And who pray tell is your uncle?” asked Rene intrigued.

She scanned the room once again nervously. “I should go.”

He followed her glance. “Oh, you don’t want to be caught seen with me,” he asked.

“A lady should never be alone with a man she does not know,” she said.

“Well, it appears you knew my name,” Rene smiled, “therefore you must know me.”

“Everyone knows of you Mr. Beauregard, and your reputation with young ladies,” Johanna said in an accusing tone.

This made him laugh again. Johanna couldn’t believe how charming he was when he laughed. It made her smile.

“Very well then, I will only let you pass if you tell me one thing,” he said with a grin.

“And what is that Mr. Beauregard?” Johanna asked.

“Your name,” Rene said.

# # #

“David, do you think this is going to work?” asked Jacob.

“Absolutely, I just need you to meet me with the horses,” David said. “Preston, ride ahead and secure a place for us for the night. Use every contact that you can muster. We need this to work.”

“Don’t let that beauty fool you again,” warned Preston. “You know she distracted you out there so the soldier could attack you.”

“I know. I won’t let it happen again,” David more determined to finish his mission and be done with Johanna for good.

“Those are the most dangerous, the pretty ones. They like to spin you in their web and then attack without warning,” Preston smiled.

“I am no Yankee fool, Preston,” David angrier thinking about Johanna’s deception.

Jacob looked at David’s determined look on his face, “I think she must have been as surprised as we all were.”

“Then why would she leave me unconscious, I could have been dead for all she knew,” David gritted his teeth.

“We did hold her prisoner. Maybe she didn’t have a choice,” Jacob trying to give Johanna, who he had grown fond of, the benefit of the doubt.

David frowned at the thought, “There’s always a choice. She made hers. Now I am making mine.”

# # #

Johanna left Rene alone in the drawing room and once again searched another room for her uncle or any signs of where Malcolm disappeared too.

“There you are, I thought you found another man to escort you,” Malcolm came up behind Johanna and handed her a cool drink.

“Oh thank you. I am just taking all this in. I never thought I would say this, let alone think it, but I believe