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Authors: Virginia Henley
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battle fire in her yes. "If you sell him Paradise, I shall kill myself!"
"Ah'm sure our guest will overlook your dramatics, but he can hardly forgive your appalling lack of manners."
Nicholas gave her one of his amused glances and she swept from the room like a goddess about to mete out some terrible revenge to any poor mortal who dared to cross her path.
Bernard cleared his throat. "Ah must apologize for my daughter's odd behavior, Nicholas. She's been too much indulged ah'm afraid and the result is she is somewhat, er, eccentric."
As Samuel and Nicholas saddled up prior to their leave-taking, Amanda brought sugar lumps for the horse and the mule, and fondled the animals' muzzles.
"Mandy, don't be angry at your father. He can't sell me Paradise Hill because he doesn't own it."
"I know that," she said stubbornly, "it's mine."
"Amanda, I'm being serious. You'd better get used to the idea that I am going to own it."
"Then if it's the last thing I do, I shall get it back from you!" she declared passionately.
"The only way you could do that would be to marry me," he jested.
Her eyes went wide and she suppressed a shudder of revulsion. "Oh, I shall never marry. Didn't anyone tell you that I have sworn a vow never to marry and never to have children?"
"No, it didn't happen to come up. Why would you do such a thing?" he asked, disconcerted at the mysteries that went on in the girl's head.
"Men do unspeakable things to their wives," she murmured and lowered her lashes shyly.
The whole family came out for Nick's leave-taking as if they were seeing off a favorite son. He thanked them for their kind and generous hospitality. "I'm very lucky to have such a family for my nearest neighbors. After three or four years' crops, I hope to build my own plantation house, and then I'll know where to come looking for a wife."
As they watched Nicholas and his servant ride away, Jennifer Joy said, "Well, I do declare. I believe I've had my first proposal."
Amanda Virginia said, "I beg to differ! The gentleman clearly meant me!"
Her family all went off into peals of laughter as if she'd just said the most comical thing. Even her gentle, sweet mother was wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.
Mandy put up her chin, dropped a curtsy and swept from the room. When she was alone, she said aloud, "He did mean me. Purely and Absolutely!"
Chapter Four
Before they visited the slave market, Samuel gave Nicholas invaluable tips about what he wanted in a good field hand. Perhaps more importantly he told him what he did not want.
"Back scars is bad. They shows unwillin' workers-- troublemakers. We wants no ruptures, hemorrhoids, broken fingers or toes. No males who's been cut-- they's house slaves."
Nicholas realized cut meant castrated, and he was appalled at the inhumanity.
In spite of Samuel's vivid description, Nick was not fully prepared for the experience encountered at the Barracoon. They purposely waited until evening. That way, if business had been slow all day, a few hundred dollars could be knocked off the prices. Nicholas was a man who seldom hesitated. He knew what he wanted and walked a direct path to it, but on this late afternoon he purposely observed the other buyers before rushing in to make his selections.
What he saw make his hackles rise. The whole damned business of purchasing human flesh was abhorent and yet he knew he must ruthlessly hold his nose, so to speak, and follow the custom. The slaves sat on benches in front of the sheds, until a prospective buyer showed an interest, then they soon lined up for inspection, almost eager to be chosen over their fellowmen.
Nicholas watched and listened as a well-heeled planter bargained for two field hands. At a gesture from the keeper, the six bucks lined up and stripped naked.
"Nice clean back, no stripes on this one, suh."
"Makes no difference to me. Sugar Plantation. My drivers have to use the whip."
"Yessir, sugarcane sure uses up a lot o' field
"Ah'm sure our guest will overlook your dramatics, but he can hardly forgive your appalling lack of manners."
Nicholas gave her one of his amused glances and she swept from the room like a goddess about to mete out some terrible revenge to any poor mortal who dared to cross her path.
Bernard cleared his throat. "Ah must apologize for my daughter's odd behavior, Nicholas. She's been too much indulged ah'm afraid and the result is she is somewhat, er, eccentric."
As Samuel and Nicholas saddled up prior to their leave-taking, Amanda brought sugar lumps for the horse and the mule, and fondled the animals' muzzles.
"Mandy, don't be angry at your father. He can't sell me Paradise Hill because he doesn't own it."
"I know that," she said stubbornly, "it's mine."
"Amanda, I'm being serious. You'd better get used to the idea that I am going to own it."
"Then if it's the last thing I do, I shall get it back from you!" she declared passionately.
"The only way you could do that would be to marry me," he jested.
Her eyes went wide and she suppressed a shudder of revulsion. "Oh, I shall never marry. Didn't anyone tell you that I have sworn a vow never to marry and never to have children?"
"No, it didn't happen to come up. Why would you do such a thing?" he asked, disconcerted at the mysteries that went on in the girl's head.
"Men do unspeakable things to their wives," she murmured and lowered her lashes shyly.
The whole family came out for Nick's leave-taking as if they were seeing off a favorite son. He thanked them for their kind and generous hospitality. "I'm very lucky to have such a family for my nearest neighbors. After three or four years' crops, I hope to build my own plantation house, and then I'll know where to come looking for a wife."
As they watched Nicholas and his servant ride away, Jennifer Joy said, "Well, I do declare. I believe I've had my first proposal."
Amanda Virginia said, "I beg to differ! The gentleman clearly meant me!"
Her family all went off into peals of laughter as if she'd just said the most comical thing. Even her gentle, sweet mother was wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.
Mandy put up her chin, dropped a curtsy and swept from the room. When she was alone, she said aloud, "He did mean me. Purely and Absolutely!"
Chapter Four
Before they visited the slave market, Samuel gave Nicholas invaluable tips about what he wanted in a good field hand. Perhaps more importantly he told him what he did not want.
"Back scars is bad. They shows unwillin' workers-- troublemakers. We wants no ruptures, hemorrhoids, broken fingers or toes. No males who's been cut-- they's house slaves."
Nicholas realized cut meant castrated, and he was appalled at the inhumanity.
In spite of Samuel's vivid description, Nick was not fully prepared for the experience encountered at the Barracoon. They purposely waited until evening. That way, if business had been slow all day, a few hundred dollars could be knocked off the prices. Nicholas was a man who seldom hesitated. He knew what he wanted and walked a direct path to it, but on this late afternoon he purposely observed the other buyers before rushing in to make his selections.
What he saw make his hackles rise. The whole damned business of purchasing human flesh was abhorent and yet he knew he must ruthlessly hold his nose, so to speak, and follow the custom. The slaves sat on benches in front of the sheds, until a prospective buyer showed an interest, then they soon lined up for inspection, almost eager to be chosen over their fellowmen.
Nicholas watched and listened as a well-heeled planter bargained for two field hands. At a gesture from the keeper, the six bucks lined up and stripped naked.
"Nice clean back, no stripes on this one, suh."
"Makes no difference to me. Sugar Plantation. My drivers have to use the whip."
"Yessir, sugarcane sure uses up a lot o' field
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