Emmeline smiled. "So what happens to the plantation now?"
"The house remains, I suppose. I officially parceled the land up to the families that have served the plantation. They all have their own piece of land to tend now. It had to be official, or someone would find a way of wrenching it out of their hands and claim it, probably them, too. They can't be touched now. Everything is officially documented with the government."
"You offered them their freedom."
"I actually had a number of times before in various drunken states, but it is on paper now. Not sure how much different they will fare for it, but the land will. I expect that emancipation will be a messy affair. Change always is. With land, they will fare better than most. But as for the plantation itself, there is only a house with no land. I offered it to Percy to use if he wanted. Not sure if he will."
"That was very kind of you."
"I can imagine his mother would absolutely relish depending on my charity. No doubt she will refuse, probably convinced it is tainted with devilry."
"Perhaps now that she has seen the real culprit, she won't be so believing in such things."
"I expect she would rather believe in curses than acknowledge the truth."
Emmeline bit her lip. "You aren't sorry to leave? Your whole life has been back there."
He didn't say anything for a moment. "No, I am not sorry. I have neither possession nor burdens now. It is a feeling I am still growing accustomed to. But I do worry. It is my nature, I am finding. Out of the both of us, you are the only one with any real skills. Drinking and wastrelness do apparently not count for much."
"You underestimate yourself," she said, proudly wrapping her arms around him. He would do well; she knew it. He would turn his attention to something and it would be a success. There was so much opportunity in America. They simply had to find theirs, even if they had to resort to going to the frontier and claim some land. With him, she wouldn't mind, but she expected they would stay in the east.
"I hope so," he said, kissing her brow. "I have a wife to keep now. By the way, I heard Percy put his pursuit to Alicia Torpington."
"Really? Mrs. Thornton will be pleased." Unfortunately, doubling of his land wasn’t likely to save him when abolition came. She wished he would see that, but it seemed not. Perhaps letting go of the past proved too difficult, especially as it meant letting go of all of their advantages and privileges, but that would happen wanted or not.
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