“I am happy to be here,” he winked. “I will help you in any way you request, and by the beginning of next planting season, we should have everything in order to get this plantation running again.”
“I certainly hope so,” she told him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Vanessa stood at the upstairs window of her bedroom, looking down at the back fields. Already there were enough sharecroppers to start cutting the old cane plants back, and preparing for the next planting. It was nice to see the fields filled with workers, and hear them singing again. The stables were still fairly empty, but they did have the wagon and horse, which brought Vanessa back from Texas, to use until more horses and mules could be purchased. Broken Feather had kept himself busy learning about sugarcane farming, with the help of Chandler and some of the sharecroppers. The only time she saw him was when he made his daily visit to see and hold Glenda. Vanessa could hear Mammy Sue humming softly to Glenda, accompanied by the rhythmic squeak of the rocker she was sitting in as she held the child.
Mammy Sue knew all about the circumstances of Glenda’s birth because Vanessa had no other choice but to tell her when Mammy Sue discovered she was nursing her daughter. Besides, she did not want to keep any secrets from Mammy Sue, and discovered that Mammy Sue knew all along that she had not been her father’s true daughter. Only she didn’t know who her real father was either. Vanessa assumed she would never learn the answer to that burning question.
“It’s a cryin’ sham yo ended up bein’ in this kettle o’ fish,” Mammy Sue grumbled. “If yo loves a man it shouldn’t matter none what color his skin is.”
“Only it does, and there is nothing I can do about it. Anyway, Broken Feather hates me now, because I refused to go to Mexico with him and become an Indian like him.”
“Well, sumpen should be done about it,” Mammy Sue insisted.
“All we can do is love our daughter equally only, eventually, my father is going to put pressure on me to find a husband, and then, I fear Broken Feather will go back to Mexico, even if he has to leave Glenda behind. She will feel abandoned the same way I felt when the man I thought was my father left me and mama. The only difference is that Broken Feather is Glenda’s father, and I can never tell her I am really her mother, except maybe when she grows up, and then she will end up hating me too, for keeping the truth from her.”
“Life just ain’t fair!” Mamma Sue got up from the rocker and placed Glenda in her bassinette, now that she had fallen asleep. “Only today is yo twenty-first birthday, an’ I had cook bake yo a cake. We will have it at supper ta night.”
“That is so sweet of you, Mammy Sue. I’m so glad to be home where there people who love me.” She gave Mammy Sue a hug. “I’m going down to see how things are coming along, and if any more workers have joined our group,” Vanessa informed Mammy Sue. “I am really proud of how well Broken Feather is grasping everything. He is such a responsible person. It breaks my heart that he must pose as my servant. He hates it, and as a result, he has been rather cool towards me.”
“I noticed Chandler seems ta likes yo pretty much,” Mammy Sue smiled.
“I am very fond of him, but I don’t want to encourage him. My feelings for Broken Feather are in such turmoil, and I don’t want to make the same mistake I made when I married Jason while I was in love with Broken Feather. I need to give it time and hope that somehow…” She didn’t know what she hoped for because she felt there would never be a somehow that would allow her and Broken Feather to rekindle the love they once felt for each other, and it was a sure thing they could never get married. It would be too dangerous for both of them to go behind the law to act on their love for each other.
She turned and left the room, pulling her shawl around her shoulders as she headed downstairs. As she was coming through the kitchen, she almost bumped into a black man who was busy filling the wood box for the cook stove. He grabbed her arm to steady her, and apologized for being in her way.
“You are new here,” Vanessa noticed. “I haven’t seen you in the fields.”
“No, ma’am,” he said. “I come up from farther south. I didn’t have the experience to sharecrop, but Mr. Cunningham said he would hire me on as extra help around the big house.”
“That was kind of him, only he hasn’t mentioned it to me. What’s your name?”
“They call me Zack. I used to live here when I was a boy, only the master sold me.”
Vanessa stood stock still. She noticed he was rather well-spoken, for a black person. “Where did you go after you left here?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She had always wondered what had happened to Zack and hoped his new owners had treated him kind.
“I went to work for Doctor Trent. He taught me how to read and write, and showed me how to patch people up. Of course, I could never work as a doctor, but I helped him on the battlefield when he took care of the wounded. I was no more than a boy at the time, but as the war continued, I grew some. Later, when he died, he left me all of his medical books, so if you ever need help with the sick here, I could probably lend a hand.”
“Goodness, Zack, I am so surprised and happy for you. Don’t you recognize me?”
Zack looked closer and his eyes widened. “Is that you Nessie?” he asked unbelievingly. “I heard you moved away. I thought someone else bought the plantation after your aunt died.”
“I did move away, but I have come back. I missed you so much, Zack. I never got over the fact that my father sold you.”
For a moment, the two merely stared at each other, and then Vanessa threw her arms around Zack’s neck and hugged him to her. “I never thought I would see you again,” she murmured.
“Well, this is a pretty picture,” a voice gruffly stated, and Vanessa looked up to see Chandler glaring at her. It surprised her because he had been so kind and thoughtful, and worked with the black servants and sharecroppers so well.
“Chandler, remember Zack? We were just talking about him when I first arrived. He has come here to work. You hired him yourself.”
Chandler lost his stiffness, and managed a smile. “So I did. I didn’t realize he was the same little boy who used to be a slave here.”
“I am so glad he came back. Thank you for giving him a job here.”
“We can use all the help we can get, but there is only so much money we have to work with, and we can’t take on many more until the crops start paying our way. I came in to get you because there is a new sharecropper who wants to buy a portion of the land, instead of just work it for sharing crops. If you sold him a plot, the money would help with getting some of the livestock and other things we need to get this place running again.”
“You would have to talk to my father. He is the true owner of the plantation. I am just here because I have no other place to be.”
“He told me you could make some of the major decisions since he claims he doesn’t plan on coming back here, and eventually, you will take a new husband and be the mistress of the place.”
“I didn’t think he actually planned to leave it to me,” she mumbled.
“Who else would he leave it to? You are his only daughter. Only he did mention it was on the condition that you had a husband to help you manage the plantation. I think it stipulates that in his will.”
Vanessa realized that was the way Sam would force her into getting married. She smiled and shrugged. “Yes, I suppose that is true,” she said, bowing her head.
Sam had no children of his own and the plantation only brought back bad memories for him, so of course Sam would leave it to her, with conditions attached, Vanessa decided.
“I will talk to the gentleman you mentioned. Ask him to come into the parlor,” she told Chandler, not wanting to even think about the conditions of her receiving the plantation in the end.
Vanessa squeezed Zack’s hand, as he started to turn away. “We will have to take time to talk about the old days,” she told him, and he nodded, and then left the kitchen.
“I
suggest you be a little less personal with the hired help,” Chandler said as Zack left the room.
“They are no longer slaves, Chandler. They are just people, like you and me!”
“They are still black, regardless of their status, and they came here to work for you, not become your friends. You should keep that in mind.”
“Zack is already an old friend. I was practically raised with him.”
“And your father sold him because you were getting too close. You’d think you would realize that.”
“I did, and I resented it. Having black blood does not make someone evil or undesirable. It just makes them different.”
“Old beliefs die hard,” Chandler reminded her. “If you expect to survive in society here in the south, you should be more careful about the way you conduct yourself around the blacks. You have your reputation and good name to consider.”
“My old mammy is black. Should I treat her like she is unimportant to me? You may be the overseer of this estate, and report back to my father, but you cannot choose my friends for me.”
“I’m sorry if I offended you. I just wanted to help you understand your position here as mistress of this plantation.”
“A lot of things have changed since the war, and it is about time we become more accepting of the blacks. Too many people have died in order to free them, to now try and put them in a social prison, instead of slave chains.”
“You will discover the wisdom of my advice eventually,” he murmured. “I will go fetch Mr. Smith for you.”
“Thank you, Chandler. I will be waiting.” She gave him a forced smile, as her opinion of Chandler started to change because of his attitudes towards the blacks.
However, she had to remind herself that Chandler fought to keep the slaves, the same as her father had. It must have been very disappointing to both of them when the south lost the war. She had been too young at the time to be involved with the politics of the situation or gain any prejudice towards black people. She had always considered the slaves her friends even though Sam tried to discourage her from getting involved with any of the slaves, beyond civil politeness.
Vanessa sat impatiently, waiting for Mr. Smith to be shown into the parlor. It pained her to think about selling off part of the plantation, but if it was the only way to raise money to get the rest of the plantation running again, she would just have to accept her fate.
When the door opened, a man about the same age as Sam came into the room. He was rather handsome, Vanessa thought, and in spite of his age, he had a young aura that attracted Vanessa. She could see he was a quadroon from his lighter skin, while still having many features that indicated his black heritage. For a moment, the two merely stared at each other, as though they weren’t sure what to say, and then Mr. Smith came up to her and put his arms around her, causing Vanessa to pull back.
“Nessie, don’t you remember me? I’m Seth. Your mother was always kind to me.”
Vanessa gasped. “It was you who were kind to us,” she murmured, now allowing him to hug her.
“You have grown into a lovely woman, and so much like your mother, except for the color of your hair, and it being all curly.”
“I used to ask my father where I got my curly hair and he said the angles gave it to me. Only now he claims that…” she caught herself. No one but Mammy Sue and Broken Feather knew of her real circumstance of birth.
Seth looked expectantly at her. “You seem troubled,” he said softly.
“So much has happened. You never came back with the other slaves to be a servant at the plantation. I was hoping you would return.”
“I had things to take care of and couldn’t come back,” he said quietly.
Vanessa shrugged. Why should she think Seth would come back just because of her? “I went to Texas and was married off to a man I didn’t even know, but now I am back here. I understand you want to buy some of the plantation land. How can you afford to buy it? Where did you get the money?”
“It’s a long story, if you are interested in hearing it.”
“Of course, I am! I know so little about you except that you seemed to make my mother happy when she was sad by finding little ways to cheer her up. You always appeared so strong, and I felt bad that you had scars on your back from when you had been beaten.”
Seth shrugged, and sat down beside Vanessa on the settee. “I hardly remember they are there any longer,” he smiled as he held her hand.
“I always thought you were the nicest looking slave we had,” Vanessa said truthfully.
“Thank you for the complement,” he smiled. “Actually, I was not supposed to be a slave when I came to your plantation. My father was the owner of his own plantation, and my mother was his mistress. She was half black, and very beautiful. Before he died, he gave me my papers so I could be a freeman, only before I could get to the north, the slave hunters caught me, took my papers away and accused me of being a runaway slave. That is when I got the scars. They beat me half to death, so I couldn’t escape and then, they sold me to your family.
“Your mother took pity on me. She tended to my wounds. She was newly married, but was unhappy in the marriage and lonely, so we became close friends.”
Vanessa sat up straighter and studied his face. “You were her lover weren’t you?” she breathed, taking a strand of her hair and wrapping it around her finger.
That was where she got the curls, she thought, as her eyes rested on the curls of his graying hair. He has such a light complexion that her own skin had not taken on a deeper color, she realized, lifting her hand to her face, as the pieces started falling into place. It was no wonder that he treated her and her mother kind. He must have loved them both.
At first Seth looked shocked. “What makes you think that?” he asked, looking closer into her eyes.
“Mammy Sue and my father both knew my mother had a lover, and that I was that lover’s child, but neither knew who the person was and my father pretended I was his child. Only it was you, all along. You were always there for us when my father was gone, and you were there for me after my mother died. It had to be you. You are my real father, aren’t you? I have your curly hair!”
Seth glanced down, and gave a little shrug. “How did you discover you weren’t Mr. Renton’s daughter?” he asked quietly.
“He told me, before he sent me back here. He never loved me because I reminded him that my mother had been unfaithful to him.”
“He was cruel and unfeeling. She was young and frightened. He didn’t even want her as his wife, and told her as much. They slept in separate rooms. She cared for my wounds to distract herself from her situation, and a love grew between us. They would have shot me if they discovered it was me who fathered you. Only you didn’t look like you had black blood in you, and Glenda refused to tell anyone who her lover had been. She took the secret to her grave, only I have had to live with it. I have missed you more than you know, Nessie. Does it upset you to discover I am your father?”
Vanessa started to laugh. “Why should it upset me? This is a wonderful birthday present! I have turned twenty-one today and I thought I would never learn who my true father was and all along…” Vanessa sat still, her eyes widening. “It means I am part black. If I ever marry again and have children, they may end up having characteristics that would prove their blood line got crossed along the way. She thought of Glenda and now wondered if she really had been Jason’s daughter, but her own black blood had seeped through.”
Vanessa began laughing even harder. “And I was so worried about people not accepting me because I fell in love with a Black Seminole Indian! Chandler is concerned that I am too friendly with my black servants… and all along…” Her words dwindled away. This changed everything!
“I suppose you would rather not have anyone know. I wouldn’t divulge it. I have kept it to myself all these years.”
“So how did you get enough money to buy up part of the plantation?” Vanessa asked, changing the subject. It was going to take so
me time to adjust to this newfound discovery.
“Like I said, my father was a wealthy man. He not only gave me my freedom, but he also left me a large portion of his money when he died. Only I had my papers taken away from me and burned. It has taken me this long, once the war was over, to prove my heritage, and claim my fortune. When I heard you were offering to let sharecroppers work your land, I decided to come investigate. Other blacks have been buying up some of the plantation land in these parts since they are the only ones who know how to raise the crops right, having done it all their lives.”
“If my so-called father only knew,” Vanessa laughed, “he would have a fit. Chandler said I could decide whether to sell some of the plantation since I will end up inheriting it anyway, and it is only fitting you have part of it. It will serve my father right! Only he has never really considered himself my father, and other than letting me come back here, he has washed his hands of me.”
“No one ever needs to know,” Seth murmured.
“Not for now, anyway,” Vanessa agreed. “Eventually, though, it will have to come to light. I just don’t want my father snatching the plantation away from me, if he discovers the truth and finds out I sold part of the plantation to the man who was his wife’s lover, and the father of the girl he claimed to be his daughter all these years. You might be happy to discover you have a granddaughter.”
“You have a child?”
“No one knows, except Mammy Sue. We are claiming it belongs to Broken Feather, the Black Seminole Indian who brought me here. The story goes that his wife died in childbirth and I was willing to care for his child. I fell in love with him and when the baby was born, thought it belonged to him. Yet if I have black blood in me, it could as well be the daughter of my husband, for all I know, and its black traits just came out stronger than his. When I had the child, he assumed it must be Broken Feather’s daughter, the same as I thought. That is the reason I was sent away, and was to claim my husband died, when he actually divorced me, once he could plainly see my newborn did not belong to him. I think you and I are more alike than you know! Only there was no way to pretend that Broken Feather was not the father of my daughter. Now, I am not so sure.”
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