Read Online Anna: Bride of Alabama (American Mail-Order Bride 22) by Lily Graison - Free Book Online
Authors: Lily Graison
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Inspirational, Daughter, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, Alabama, Faith, misunderstanding, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, Fifth In Series, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, No Letters, No Ad, Single Father, Cotton Plantation, 12-Year-Old, Daughter Scheme, Marriage Resistant, New Mother
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doesn’t sell like it used to. Its been the livelihood of Laurel Haven since my grandfathers father but it barely pays enough for us to keep going. We’ll be okay for while but the tenants…” He looked toward the children. “I’m not sure how they’ll survive much longer like this.”
Julia walked over to where they stood and handed the basket to Anna, then looked up at her father. “Can I stay here and play?”
Gabriel looked at the faces of the other children and smiled. “Don’t be long and don’t get into any trouble.”
Julia grinned and took off running, the other children right behind her.
“She told me they don’t play with her much.”
“They don’t. Everyone gets along fine but some of the older tenants still remember the way things used to be. They’re stuck in their ways. She’s a reminder to them of how hard their life used to be. How hard it still is and why.”
Long minutes passed with neither of them saying a word. When Gabriel turned and motioned for her to head up the road, she fell into step with him. “Have you thought of growing something else instead of cotton?”
He smiled down at her. “Like what? Vegetables?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Something everyone else isn’t growing much of, like peanuts.”
He was quiet at her side for a few minutes. “I’ve never really thought of growing anything else but I suppose it can’t hurt at this point. We could probably take the east field and try something new just to see what happens.”
Anna stopped and stepped into the edge of the field. “Is this a cotton plant?”
“Yes.”
“Where does the cotton sprout from?”
Gabriel stepped beside her and reached into one of the plants in the field. “The seeds sprout and grow into these green shrubs. They produce these pink flowers.” He ran his hand over the ones she could see. “Once they flowers are pollinated, they fall off and leave the fruit behind.” He dug into another plant until he found what looked like a large green apple growing. “This, once its ready, will open to reveal the cotton bolls.”
He walked two plants over and picked one of the bulbs from the plant and handed it to her. “It takes all summer for the whole field to produce. By October, we’ll be ready to harvest.”
Anna studied the bud he’d handed her. It wasn’t just one cotton boll but several all clumped together. She rubbed it between her fingers and smiled. “Its wonderful.”
“It is. I just wish it paid more than it does now.”
“You’ll think of something.” She looked up at him, the grim expression on his face showing how worried he was. Was it just the crop and the tenants? She could imagine the stress that came along with running a plantation this size. She didn’t know how many people lived on the property but he was responsible for their livelihood. If the plantation failed to produce money, they all suffered.
“I already have.”
“Already have what?”
“Thought of something else.”
“You don’t sound too happy about it.”
“I’m not but I have little choice in the matter now. I met with some investors in South Carolina. That's why I was on the train. They want to buy the land from me.”
Anna slowed her steps. “Buy the land? You’re going to sell all of this?”
He stopped walking. “I may have no other choice.” He readjusted his hat. “I’ve talked to Julia about the possibility. She isn’t happy but she’s young. She’ll be fine no matter where we end up.”
“And you?”
He looked down at her. “I lost my happy ending a long time ago. For now, I’ll do what I have to to make sure everyone comes out of this with enough to start over.”
They started back to the house and Anna tried to think of something to say. Gabriel was quiet the entire way back and nothing she thought of would make the situation any better.
She stared off into the distance taking in as much of the land as she could. It was such a shame. Laurel Haven was a
Julia walked over to where they stood and handed the basket to Anna, then looked up at her father. “Can I stay here and play?”
Gabriel looked at the faces of the other children and smiled. “Don’t be long and don’t get into any trouble.”
Julia grinned and took off running, the other children right behind her.
“She told me they don’t play with her much.”
“They don’t. Everyone gets along fine but some of the older tenants still remember the way things used to be. They’re stuck in their ways. She’s a reminder to them of how hard their life used to be. How hard it still is and why.”
Long minutes passed with neither of them saying a word. When Gabriel turned and motioned for her to head up the road, she fell into step with him. “Have you thought of growing something else instead of cotton?”
He smiled down at her. “Like what? Vegetables?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Something everyone else isn’t growing much of, like peanuts.”
He was quiet at her side for a few minutes. “I’ve never really thought of growing anything else but I suppose it can’t hurt at this point. We could probably take the east field and try something new just to see what happens.”
Anna stopped and stepped into the edge of the field. “Is this a cotton plant?”
“Yes.”
“Where does the cotton sprout from?”
Gabriel stepped beside her and reached into one of the plants in the field. “The seeds sprout and grow into these green shrubs. They produce these pink flowers.” He ran his hand over the ones she could see. “Once they flowers are pollinated, they fall off and leave the fruit behind.” He dug into another plant until he found what looked like a large green apple growing. “This, once its ready, will open to reveal the cotton bolls.”
He walked two plants over and picked one of the bulbs from the plant and handed it to her. “It takes all summer for the whole field to produce. By October, we’ll be ready to harvest.”
Anna studied the bud he’d handed her. It wasn’t just one cotton boll but several all clumped together. She rubbed it between her fingers and smiled. “Its wonderful.”
“It is. I just wish it paid more than it does now.”
“You’ll think of something.” She looked up at him, the grim expression on his face showing how worried he was. Was it just the crop and the tenants? She could imagine the stress that came along with running a plantation this size. She didn’t know how many people lived on the property but he was responsible for their livelihood. If the plantation failed to produce money, they all suffered.
“I already have.”
“Already have what?”
“Thought of something else.”
“You don’t sound too happy about it.”
“I’m not but I have little choice in the matter now. I met with some investors in South Carolina. That's why I was on the train. They want to buy the land from me.”
Anna slowed her steps. “Buy the land? You’re going to sell all of this?”
He stopped walking. “I may have no other choice.” He readjusted his hat. “I’ve talked to Julia about the possibility. She isn’t happy but she’s young. She’ll be fine no matter where we end up.”
“And you?”
He looked down at her. “I lost my happy ending a long time ago. For now, I’ll do what I have to to make sure everyone comes out of this with enough to start over.”
They started back to the house and Anna tried to think of something to say. Gabriel was quiet the entire way back and nothing she thought of would make the situation any better.
She stared off into the distance taking in as much of the land as she could. It was such a shame. Laurel Haven was a
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