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Authors: Virginia Henley
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toss her hair over her shoulders. "That's because daddy packed him off to school for pestering the wenches. They feared if he got himself a yard-child, it would purely kill mother."
Nicholas was shocked at the outrageous things she was saying. This little madam is wise beyond her tender years. He frowned. "You've been listening to gossip, Mandy. I hardly believe anyone has discussed these things with you."
"Oh, I listen to Mammy Lou and the house servants' gossip all the time. Mammy says if a young man hankers after a wench night and day, it stunts his growth and send him lunatic!"
Nicholas could control his amusement no longer. He threw back his head and laughed outright. "There could be some truth in that."
She looked vastly pleased with herself that she had amused him. "What did you think of Aunt Billie?" she asked bluntly.
Nicholas chose his words carefully. "Well, she never actually spoke to me. She just nodded."
"That's 'cause she has to keep her place when company comes. If she behaves, daddy rewards her with an extra pony of bourbon. Mammy Lou says she's the scandal of the family and has a skeleton in her closet."
Nicholas saw the elusive dimples.
"Oh, I don't mean literally-- y'all know what I mean."
"Yes, I know what you mean," he assured her.
"Good! Let's make a pact. If I discover her dark secret, I'll tell you, and if you discover it--"
"I shan't tell you Mandy. I don't repeat gossip."
Her eyes flashed angrily. "Be damned to you then!" She whirled about, saw Mammy Lou had overheard her, and clapped her hand to her mouth.
"Amanda Virginia Jackson, y'all apologize to de genleman, elsewise yo' gonna get a lickin' dat won' let yo' sit fo' a week." Her black face shook in outrage.
"I'm sorry you are damned, sir," she said coolly, her haughty nose in the air.
Nick's eyes twinkled as he realized that to Mammy's ears, she had apologized.
"Now y'all gets yoself up dem stairs t'bed, missy!"
"But I haven't found out what he thinks of Jennifer Joy yet," Mandy protested.
"Dat's easy-- she a lady. Y'all acts like some triflin' white trash. Y'all be de death of ol' Mammy."
Amanda declared with passion, "Mammy Lou, you ruin my whole life! Never run, never shout, never cuss, never frown, never interrupt, never, never, never!"
"I haven't told you what I think of you, yet," Nicholas said lightly.
She turned bright, expectant eyes upon him and said hopefully, "Shocking? Unmanageable?"
"Childish," he said bluntly.
Mammy put and end to the altercation by grabbing Mandy by the scruff of the neck and hauling her off to bed.
Nicholas returned to the house just in time to see Jennifer Joy's crinoline disappear up the staircase. No doubt about it, he lost his heart that very first night.
Before Nicholas Peacock departed the Jackson Plantation he had acquired three hundred acres, fifty of which were already cleared and plowed, ready for planting. Bernard Jackson threw in all the cotton seed he would ever need.
He learned that Jackson did not own the land on top of the escarpment known as Paradise Hill. It was still owned by the county, and he knew that by the time he'd purchased a dozen field hands and plows, mules, shovels, and axes he'd need to clear the land, he would have exhausted his supply of gold. Nicholas however was determined to acquire Paradise Hill and a few hundred acres on the plateau, so the first thing he would do when he got back to Charleston would be mortgage the land he had just purchased from Jackson, to get the money to buy more land.
Amanda had been hanging about outside her father's office and at mention of Paradise Hill, she burst in on the two men and shouted wildly, "Father, you know Paradise Hill is mine! Don't you dare let Mr. Peacock get his hands on it!"
"Amanda Virginia, ah am shocked that you would listen to our business discussion. Go to your room at once, little madam!"
"I will not!" She stamped her foot willfully and gave Nicholas a look that almost burned him with the
Nicholas was shocked at the outrageous things she was saying. This little madam is wise beyond her tender years. He frowned. "You've been listening to gossip, Mandy. I hardly believe anyone has discussed these things with you."
"Oh, I listen to Mammy Lou and the house servants' gossip all the time. Mammy says if a young man hankers after a wench night and day, it stunts his growth and send him lunatic!"
Nicholas could control his amusement no longer. He threw back his head and laughed outright. "There could be some truth in that."
She looked vastly pleased with herself that she had amused him. "What did you think of Aunt Billie?" she asked bluntly.
Nicholas chose his words carefully. "Well, she never actually spoke to me. She just nodded."
"That's 'cause she has to keep her place when company comes. If she behaves, daddy rewards her with an extra pony of bourbon. Mammy Lou says she's the scandal of the family and has a skeleton in her closet."
Nicholas saw the elusive dimples.
"Oh, I don't mean literally-- y'all know what I mean."
"Yes, I know what you mean," he assured her.
"Good! Let's make a pact. If I discover her dark secret, I'll tell you, and if you discover it--"
"I shan't tell you Mandy. I don't repeat gossip."
Her eyes flashed angrily. "Be damned to you then!" She whirled about, saw Mammy Lou had overheard her, and clapped her hand to her mouth.
"Amanda Virginia Jackson, y'all apologize to de genleman, elsewise yo' gonna get a lickin' dat won' let yo' sit fo' a week." Her black face shook in outrage.
"I'm sorry you are damned, sir," she said coolly, her haughty nose in the air.
Nick's eyes twinkled as he realized that to Mammy's ears, she had apologized.
"Now y'all gets yoself up dem stairs t'bed, missy!"
"But I haven't found out what he thinks of Jennifer Joy yet," Mandy protested.
"Dat's easy-- she a lady. Y'all acts like some triflin' white trash. Y'all be de death of ol' Mammy."
Amanda declared with passion, "Mammy Lou, you ruin my whole life! Never run, never shout, never cuss, never frown, never interrupt, never, never, never!"
"I haven't told you what I think of you, yet," Nicholas said lightly.
She turned bright, expectant eyes upon him and said hopefully, "Shocking? Unmanageable?"
"Childish," he said bluntly.
Mammy put and end to the altercation by grabbing Mandy by the scruff of the neck and hauling her off to bed.
Nicholas returned to the house just in time to see Jennifer Joy's crinoline disappear up the staircase. No doubt about it, he lost his heart that very first night.
Before Nicholas Peacock departed the Jackson Plantation he had acquired three hundred acres, fifty of which were already cleared and plowed, ready for planting. Bernard Jackson threw in all the cotton seed he would ever need.
He learned that Jackson did not own the land on top of the escarpment known as Paradise Hill. It was still owned by the county, and he knew that by the time he'd purchased a dozen field hands and plows, mules, shovels, and axes he'd need to clear the land, he would have exhausted his supply of gold. Nicholas however was determined to acquire Paradise Hill and a few hundred acres on the plateau, so the first thing he would do when he got back to Charleston would be mortgage the land he had just purchased from Jackson, to get the money to buy more land.
Amanda had been hanging about outside her father's office and at mention of Paradise Hill, she burst in on the two men and shouted wildly, "Father, you know Paradise Hill is mine! Don't you dare let Mr. Peacock get his hands on it!"
"Amanda Virginia, ah am shocked that you would listen to our business discussion. Go to your room at once, little madam!"
"I will not!" She stamped her foot willfully and gave Nicholas a look that almost burned him with the
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