Mélisande Peau-de-Soie Noir thus became the mistress of Robert de Guise, with her own small apartment where they could meet, a little income, and his absolute respect. His wife was not pleased by his absences, but he and Mélisande were very discreet. They embarrassed neither Madame de Guise nor each other by public appearances. Nor did they embarrass themselves by having children. No one had a claim on them, other than each other. When Mélisande lay in the arms of Robert after he made love to her, he smiled upon her with adoring devotion. They were content.

Life in New Orleans in the early Nineteenth Century was difficult and sometimes rough and often short. One had to succeed in making money. One had to survive in a society that was often unpolished and quick to gossip, gamble, duel, and drink. One had to survive the tropical climate---the heat, humidity, storms, and disease. Robert de Guise did not survive the malarial fever of the Ponchartrain marshes. Their passion ended in grievous death.

What Mélisande had received from Robert was not enough to keep her now. Gradually she had to become what she knew she could now be, if she had to be. She did not enjoy being “la maîtresse de M. Whomever.” But, she did not give up her inner self and carried herself proudly, just as she always had.

As Mélisande passed thirty, however, the beauty that had caused men to follow her became more “mature,” and men followed younger women. She knew that she did not have much time.

When she saw David, she saw that perhaps she had time enough. She learned from the gossip of her friends that he was from Scotland, that he had come down the river from Pittsburgh looking for his future, that he did not care for New Orleans, and that he was of a mind to go back upriver to St. Louis or even further and make his life there. She also learned that he was Presbyterian, that he worked hard, and that he was proper and just. She thought his English sounded as barbaric as did his surname, but supposedly his surname was five centuries old. She thought he would not mind her passive Catholicism nor her French ways nor her French tongue, which she could speak beautifully with allure. “Mélisande Poh duh swah nwahr” spoken very slowly seemed to draw men in. Most importantly, he was himself of an age to appreciate her mature beauty. For him she would have children.