Cover Spell Read Online Free PDF Page B

happiness.
    “Ok, we don’t have much time. Can you meet me downtown? Can you take the trolley to the train station and leave tonight?” His words picked up speed, and each one tumbled out faster than the last. He pulled Josette from her crouched position on the floor, so she balanced on her tiptoes. “I’ll be there with two tickets on the Crescent line. We leave tonight.”
    She looped her palms around the back of his neck and tipped toward his chest so that the beads of her gown settled into the buttons of his shirt. “Oui, Oui. Oh yes. Papa is still at the ball, and most of the servants are off tonight. I can sneak past the housekeeper and butler. I’m sure of it.” She traced his lips with a finger, and Luke bit down gently. She smiled. “I don’t want them to get involved in this. I’ll pack and meet you there.” The French-laced words rolled off her tongue, and her eyes sparkled with love and excitement.
    Luke’s lips pursed as he exhaled a long breath. Josette’s playfulness was getting to him. Probably in an effort to distract himself, he eyed the room. He spotted the untidy dressers and the shoe pandemonium on the floor. “Now, don’t bring too much. We won’t have room at first for all of the things you’re used to, but I promise, Josette, I’ll give you everything you want. Everything. I’ll take care of you.”
    “I just want you, mon amour , my love.” She sank her lips into his until he pried himself away, and turned back to the window.
    “I love you, Josette.” As quickly as he had thrown himself into the room, he disappeared over the side of the double dormer window.
    Josette leaned over the side until he was only a shadow. She blew him a kiss off her white glove, but I guessed Luke had probably already run out of sight. She faced the jumbled clutter in front of her and began the frantic task of packing her life into a travel bag. I recognized the feat that girls of all ages and generations hated—light packing. I watched as she assembled a sensible bag for a lover’s escape. She picked through gowns, lace gloves, and stacks of hatboxes.
    Dainty, crystal lamps positioned on either side of her dressing table cast a warm glow on the face of the teenage girl. She sat on a velvet-padded stool and sorted her jewelry into shimmery piles. I marveled at the beautiful broaches, hat pins, rings, and necklaces she lined along the back of the table. She hesitated as she ran her fingers over the pieces, but settled on a pearl necklace and a pearl ring, leaving the rest on the table in perfect order.
    Josette stepped behind a changing screen and tossed the green gown over the side. After a few minutes, she emerged from behind the partition wearing a dark brown fitted jacket with wide shoulder pads accented with light brass buttons. She swapped her elbow-length, white satin gloves for a matching brown leather pair. Her black skirt stopped just above the knee, and it was darted with a few pleats at her tiny waist. She pulled a scarf from the closet and knotted it loosely around her neck. I admired her 1945 style. The smart travel suit transformed the bawling teenager into a fashionable, mature young woman.
    The hard case luggage set lay open atop her frilly bed. She fastened the inside divider of the suitcase with satin ties, then firmly snapped the lid in place. She slid her hand into the handle, picked up her hat with her other hand, and walked out of the room, toward her new life with Luke.
     

     
    New Orleans, Present Day
     
    I sat up from my mound of pillows and reached for the script. I had an idea for the screenplay rewrites. It was wrapped up in Josette’s room. She couldn’t be captured on the front steps of Magnolia Plantation. That setting was all wrong. Holly was right about what I need to do. I jotted down the scenes from my head on the backside of the screenplay pages. I think this could make the difference in the scene between Evan and Emmy. I couldn’t wait to share it with the