Chapter 2

The carriage came to a stop at the exchange port. As he stepped out of the carriage the smell of cigarette smoke and spices filled his senses. There were people unloading and loading up cargo into the ships, as well as newcomers exiting the boat with wide eyes as they took in the new surroundings. He slipped on his specially made sunglasses as the carriage pulled away.

He took out the photograph from his pocket and looked at the face staring back up at him. The girl in the photo appeared no older than 16. Her demure look was accentuated by the very plain dress she wore, which had no particular designs or patters. It was a solid, dark color with long sleeves and high neckline. She was seated with her hands folded on her lap and a small smile on her face. Her hair was pinned away from her face just behind her ears. He could tell she hadn't fully blossomed due to her boyish build. He internally sighed.

Maybe I should've put more thought into pickin' de fille.

It was hard to scan the crowd, his eyes still adjusting to the sunglasses. He hated wearing them, but for the sake of the occasion he chose to don them tonight. He couldn't risk scaring off people who had just come off the boats. His red on black eyes earned him the name Le Diable Blanc; many people would often come in search for the devil of New Orleans, to see if rumors were true. He didn't feel like fighting off the crusade, wielding crosses and calling on the lord to smite this creature back to hell. He went through too much, convincing local churches and the residents of his home New Orleans that he wasn't a demon spawn of Satan. Tante Mattie and Pere made sure of that.

The docks were crowded with people, it was hard to see. He thought he spotted her, but it ended up being someone else. He proceeded to look for her until he grew tired and sat by the entrance.

The sun had come up, the rays hurting his sensitive eyes. He wondered how long he'd been waiting. As he took out his pocket watch, a shadow was cast over him.

"Monsieur Lebeau? Remy Lebeau?" A soft accented voice said.

"Oui?" He tried to shield his eyes from the sun to get a better look at the person before him. As he stood up his eyes locked onto what he would call the most gorgeous pair of eyes he's ever seen. The finest emeralds were no match for these eyes.

"Can I help you petite?" He said politely.

"You don't recognize me, do you?" She asked softly.

As he stood up he finally got a good look at the woman before him. She was stunning. Her heart shaped face was framed by two stripes of snow white. The rest of her hair was of rich auburn curls cascading down her back and over her shoulder. Half her hair was pinned up into the black hat that she wore. She held an umbrella to shield her porcelain skin from the sun. Her hands covered by dark gloves, tucked into the sleeves of her coat. Her full skirt swayed in the morning breeze and a bird chirped lightly in the cage that rested by her feet.

He thought it over for a bit, how should he answer it without looking like a complete scoundrel? He's been with countless women, not bothering to remember their names. He was saved when she spoke up.

"Anna Xavier." She held out her gloved hand. He took it and planted a kiss on the soft silky material. He was entranced by those eyes again. The held a certain air of mystery. His eyes then wandered to her long lashes that framed those eyes then the curve of her brows, the creamy white porcelain complexion, to her cheeks that were a delicate shade of pink. His eyes rested on her mouth. A pair of full pouty lips was moving and he just realized she was talking.

"Monsieur Lebeau?" She said again.

"Oui Mademoiselle?" he snapped out of his daze as she blushed.

"Ah said Ah think you'd like an explanation."

"For…?" His brow furrowed.

It was then he realized this wasn't the girl from the photograph. He looked down at the photo in his hand, then back up at the beautiful creature before him.

"Y' do look tres belle Madamoiselle Anna. I can't help but notice this isn't you in de photo" He showed her the photo he held.

"Ah've lied to you, Ah'm sorry." She looked down at her feet. Fiddling with the umbrella handle she held with both hands.

"Ah just didn't want a man who only wanted a pretty face, so I sent a photograph of someone else and not my own." She raised chin up to look into his eyes.

He stared back at her.

"Ah do hope you can forgive me, I-I tried to write the truth many times, but Ah was just…" His eyes bore into hers. She looked so innocent, so afraid. It triggered something in him. A feeling that he couldn't quite put a finger on.

"Scared of bein' used?" He finished for her as she nodded solemnly.

"So here Ah am and now you know the worst."

"Non, not the worst…Just not what I was expecting." He said lightly.

"Monsieur, if you're judgment has been altered or if you are not satisfied in anyway, I'm determined to make Mah way back to New York. If you say-"

"Non, non Chere." He lightly interrupted and took her hand in his.

"Y' being honest wit me, so I'll be completely honest wit you," she looked up into his shaded eyes.

"I wrote to y' dat I work at a plantation, transportin' tobacco and other goods. Well dat ain't true." She nodded and looked down.

"Truth is, chere I own it. De business is mine. Well, along wit mon frere Henri who you'll meet soon, but the majority of it…I own." He had his most handsome smile on his face.

"Ah see… You wanted a woman who didn't want you for your money."

He nodded with a small smile on his face.

"But," He started dramatically

"If your judgement has been altered or if y' not satisfied in any way.."

She laughed

"Or if you're not interested in marrying a handsome, devilishly charming, wealthy man…"

She laughed again and he smiled at her.

"No. Ah think Ah can manage that, if,"

She turned and laced her arm through his.

"You can manage a somewhat prettier wife." As she looked up into his shaded eyes he felt his heart jump at the sight of her smiling face.

"I can definitely manage dat, chere."

He waved over the carriage and gathered her belongings. He helped her climb in, and then got in after her.

"Ah guess now we have all the time in the world to get to know each other." She said as she gazed out the window, looking at whatever the carriage passed by in interest.

"Well, no…we get married at 9 o'clock."

She looked a little surprised, and then gave him a small smile.

"We better hurry then."

"Oui." He chuckled.

As they made their way back to the Lebeau Manor they made polite conversation. He told many stories of his brothers and cousins. She seemed genuinely interested and laughed heartily at the events he retold. He listened attentively as she retold stories of her family. She seemed to be very close to her sisters, as well as her father.

"Are y' folks from de South also?"

"No, Ah was adopted." She raised an eyebrow.

"Y' never mentioned dat in y' letters." He said curiously.

"Oh, must've slipped Mah mind." She said coolly.

He vaguely remembered what she wrote, having one of his servants read the letters out loud to him as he worked. She often talked about her sisters and how her day was going, just as she was now. He couldn't help but think that she was a bit different from how she sounded in the letters. The woman before him had an animated way of speaking. A sort of coyness to her, along with those mysterious eyes.

His thoughts then drifted as she slipped off her coat. Even though she was fully covered, the material of her arm length dress couldn't hide the luscious curves that had been underneath that coat. The swell of her breasts fought to escape the confines of her dress. The corset emphasized her small waist and the flare of her skirt suggested she had full hips. She folded the coat and laid it on the empty seat next to her. She was completely oblivious to his eyes raking over her body as she continued to tell him a story from her childhood. After a moment of silence she spoke again, only with a hint of sadness.

"Monsieur Lebeau?"

"Hmm?" he said as his gaze drifted back to her face.

She had a conflicted look on her face. Her brow furrowed, causing a little wrinkle along her eyebrow.

"Are ya sure this is alright?"

"Call me Remy, chere…" he told her as he held her gloved hand in his.

"It's perfectly alrigh'. Things worked out, non? Don' you worry about it."

She smiled and held his hand for the remainder of the ride, watching as they passed rows of willow trees and farm land.

"Welcome t' de Lebeau Manor, ma belle mariée."

A/N: I rely on Google translate, so pardon my French if it's incorrect. I'd also like to say that as I was watching the movie again, the dialogue in the first meeting between Luis and Julia is horrible. It sounded so weird…but what do I know? Hope you guys enjoyed.