Tarnished Gold (Landry 5)

enjoying every moment of my disaster. Before him on

the table was a mug of steaming Cajun coffee and a

bowl of gumbo.

"Our unexpected swim has made me

ravenously hungry," he explained. "And I am glad of

that because this is absolutely the most delicious

shrimp gumbo I've ever eaten. So you see . . . at the

end of every storm, there is some sort of rainbow." I started to smile, but Mama raised her

eyebrows.

"Sit down," she directed, "and get some

nourishment in your stomach, too. Honestly, Gabriel,

how could you take Monsieur Dumas into the swamp

to show him a pond filled with alligators and snapping

turtles and snakes and then be so careless as to fall out

of your canoe?"

"I didn't take him to any pond filled with

alligators, Mama."

Pierre's smile widened. Just as I sat, we heard a

car horn. "Customers," Mama said.

"I'll get my own gumbo, Mama. Thank you." She gave us a once-over, her eyes filled with

suspicion and reprimand, before hurrying out to the

stand.

"Your mother's wonderful," Pierre said. "The

sort of woman who takes command. I was afraid to

say no to anything."

"When you leave, she will bawl me out for

endangering a rich gentleman from New Orleans," I

told him, and dipped into the black cast-iron pot to

ladle out some gumbo for myself. I, too, was suddenly

starving.