Empire Island: A Short Story

Six

When I woke, the waning light of day had become total darkness; it consumed the entire room. At first, I did not know where I was and then felt Louis’ body against mine and remembered that he and I had made wonderful love before falling asleep. I could hear his even breathing; feel the warmth of him as he lay next to me, his arm draped possessively over my body. I wondered where we were. I could feel the gentle swaying of the vessel and knew we were still on the river, but could not tell if we were moving upriver or if the ship was docked. After a few minutes, the movement of the ship lulled me back to sleep. The next time I woke, streaks of sunlight filtered into the room from a small window above the bed. I rolled over expecting Louis
“I think I have created a glutton,” he said, his eyes showing his delight in my wantonness. “But, you will have to wait; at least a little while, m’dear. We have arrived to our destination and I am anxious to show you your new home. I hope the accommodations will be to your liking. If not, feel free to change anything you don’t like. With a wave of his hand, he turned toward his home that sat back several hundred feet off the river and said “Welcome to my Labelle.”
That was when I turned and actually looked toward the house; its impressive beauty left me momentarily breathless. It looked as though it had sat there a hundred years, as the bayou grew up around it. It was three-storied tall and huge, much larger than my father’s home was. The whitewashed cedar boards glistened in the morning sunlight and the two-dozen tall columns that stretched the height of the building, stood along three sides I could see. They reflected the brilliant rays back toward the river.
“How did you choose the name?” I asked curiously.
“Labelle is an orchid… the most beautiful of flowers. They grow wild in the moist tropical climate of the islands. They are all over my land in Barbados. When I designed my Labelle, she was to be a beautiful and delicate orchid set amid the thorny roses. To me, she is the most graceful of homes along the river.”
“An orchid- I’ve never actually seen one.”
“We will have to remedy that, and soon,” Louis
“I cannot wait to see our bedroom.”
“It may need some adjustments,” he said sheepishly. “When I built the house and designed the bedroom, it was for me. At the time, I never planned to share it... If you do not like it, there are several rooms to choose from.”
“It will be fine as long as you share my bed,” I replied. And, it was the truth. I did want him to share my bed. I did not want separate rooms such as ma mère and mon père had at home. Louis hugged me to him and kissed me deeply. I felt his passion firm against my stomach and responded fiercely- not restraining the fire in my loins. When his mouth released mine, my knees buckled from weakness and I nearly collapsed. The words “I love you” escaped my lips before they were fully realized in my mind.
“Je t'aime chérie,” he whispered softly. I realized that it was the first time he had ever told me that he loved me. I had never told him that I loved him either; and in that moment, I wondered if I truly had fallen in love with Louis Philippe de Lafontaine… or was I simply in love with the pleasure he could and had given