Cursed to live....AGAIN

Jeanne

Jeanne

The live band was playing and we were dancing and swinging and having a grand ole time at my husband's party. I looked the part, I might add. Rachel had made me a red dress that stopped above my knee with red fringes. She also made me a matching headpiece with a feather in it as well as gloves. I stood out just as I should as the hostess. Fred's suit was white with red satin on the inside and a red shirt. Every time he threw his jacket open to step with the music, that red showed and there was no mistaken that we were the stars of this here party.

After making sure that everyone was having a time, I ended up over by the front door just in time to see Rachel and her daughter, Rueann enter. She was of an age to have a little fun and I imagine her mother didn't want to come alone. Rueann looked positively darling in a white dress with beads that stopped mid-calf and a white headband to match. The real stand out, I must admit, was Rachel. She had on a gold sequined dress with her back out and her figure was definitely one to be envied. Even for someone with children.

"Welcome you two. We are so glad you made it. Stunning, just stunning." I told the two of them.

"You are being modest. That red brings out everything on you, Jeanne. It was a bold choice and I love it on you." Rachel told me, her daughter agreeing.

We weren't there another minute before a young gentlemen home from the military asked Rueann to dance. She looked at her mama who smiled and nodded towards the dancefloor.

Rueann took his hand, and they began to dance to the music as others gathered to do the same or clap and cheer on the others.

"This really is a lovely home you keep here." She complimented me.

"It suits us just fine. Nothing like what you have. I'm hoping that we can get something a little bigger once his lawyer salary kicks in." I whispered to her as I stopped a tray with champagne and gathered a glass for us both.

"Well, I can't imagine anything nicer than this, but you should have what you want, I say. People don't understand what we as wives go through when they are in school or away working for hours. It can be lonely and tedious. So, if it's a bigger house you want, I say tell Fred to get it for you." She smiled. I did as well, but this time, my smile was stiff. Since when did she call my husband by his family name?

It struck me because only myself and his immediate family called him that. It was Winfred to everyone else. I knew he had to have invited her to do so. Just then there was a pain that shot through my chest. I barely had a moment to acknowledge it when I saw that my husband had made his way through the crowd to greet her.

"Rachel, I am glad to see you could make it tonight to celebrate with us." He told her, taking her hand and kissing it.

"Yes, I didn't know if I would make it. Those boys are growing by the minute and I can barely turn ma head without 'em gettin' in some mischief or the other. Their uncle offered to take them out to his cabin at the bayou and finish teaching them to fish." She explained to us.

I was hearing her, but what I was really doing was watching her and my husband's eyes. They would meet and stay on each other just a moment too long.

"Well, I am glad he's able to pitch in. Boys need a strong man around, especially ones that are getting older, like yours. I'm sorry, I must ask, is this the dress that I saw in your studio?" he wanted to know which further alerted me. Since when did care about dresses so much. I mean, was he planning on switching from law to tailoring. Over my dead body would I be the wife of a tailor over a lawyer. Law gave me status. Children did also but since I could never give him another living child, the status from his job would have to do.

"Well yes, it is. It was just sitting there going to waste. I actually thought to give it to you for the party but when you decided on red, I knew that was the color that would turn heads. So, I kept this one for myself. It was a labor of love you could say." She explained trying to bring me into the conversation so that I wouldn't suspect anything. It was already too late.

When I watched my husband reach out and shake the hand of another guest that entered, I noticed that there was one thing line of sliver beading along the inside pocket of his jacket. It matched her dress perfectly. I knew that she hadn't had the nerve to sew a piece of her dress into my husband's outfit. That same pain came again but this time it was worse. I knew these pains. They came when something wasn't right. Usually, I would go right to my cards and let them guide me. But we were at a party, and I didn't want to leave them alone now that I suspected something.

"Are you alright, babee? He asked me, dragging the word out like he always did.

"I'm fine. Just a little too much fun." I answered causing us all to laugh.

"Speaking of fun, Ms. Rachel, I know you didn't come here in that dress with your hair in those waves to stand around. I must insist you dance with me since I am the man of honor." He announced.

Rachel looked over at me, "Only if your gorgeous wife doesn't mind."

"Of course not. You too have fun." I feigned my comfort with it.

It was just then, as he took her manicured hand and led her to the floor to dance that the band decided that a slow song was in order. He held her a little too tight and her head was a little too comfortable on his chest. I watched them dance and being no fool I knew that something was brewing there. That is if it hadn't already been turned into a full-on picture of iced tea. He had been a little different, but steady. I should have known there was a reason.

The more I watched them, the worse I felt. I knew that I was being warned. But I loved that man. So, I decided before I accused him of anything, I would do some lookin' of my own. If I found that she was seekin' to steal what was mine, she would live to regret it, and she wouldn't be the only one.