Désirée is a foundling baby in Antebellum Louisiana. When she grows up she is beautiful and gentle and a French gentleman marries her in spite of her unknown parentage. The marriage is thrown into crisis when Désirée's first baby is darker-skinned than herself.
A Gothic but non-speculative story.
| Date | Publication | Publisher | Type | Page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 |
|
Bayou Folk | Houghton, Mifflin and Company | Collection | |10 |
| May 1983 |
|
Isaac Asimov Presents the Best Horror and Supernatural of the 19th Century | Beaufort Books | Anthology | 253 |
| 1985 |
|
A Treasury of American Horror Stories | Bonanza Books / Crown Publishers | Anthology | 247 |
| September 1997 | American Gothic | Barnes & Noble Books | Anthology | 87 | |
| 1999 |
|
American Gothic: An Anthology 1787 - 1916 | Blackwell Publishers | Anthology | 339 |
| 1999 |
|
American Gothic: An Anthology 1787 - 1916 | Blackwell Publishers | Anthology | 339 |
| 2011 |
|
The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction | Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press | Anthology | 199 |
| July 2019 |
|
American Gothic Short Stories | Flame Tree Publishing | Anthology | |
| December 2025 | Mothers of Horror | Hemelein Publications | Anthology | |14 |