by Kitty Margo
On a warm summer morning, Lynna and Judith accompanied Mary to the infirmary on her daily rounds through the slave quarters. The cabins were sturdy structures, well-built to keep out the cold winter wind and bone-chilling rain, unlike on some plantations where the boards were spaced so far apart as to provide hardly any shelter at all.
“Mary, have you received any letters from Suzanne?” Judith was shooing irritating flies from a couple of newborns whose mothers had already returned to the fields.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I received a missive just this morning. She seems to be having a marvelous time, and needless to say, there was no mention as to when, or if, she might be returning home,” Mary answered dejectedly. “I fear, if left to her own devices, the child would pack up and move to Charleston permanently.”
“I am sure you miss her terribly,” Judith commiserated, glancing toward her niece. “Bertie, my sister, has written Lynna several times pleading with her to come for a visit. But I cannot imagine waking up in the morning without her smiling face to greet me.”
“You have nothing to worry about, Aunt Judith,” Lynna promised. “If Aunt Bertie did not live so far away, I would love to visit her. But I have no desire to travel to Jamaica, of all places, although I would love to visit Aunt Gypsie. Is she residing in Savannah or Charleston now?”
“One never knows about Gypsie,” Judith smiled. “She was always the spirited one. If I am not mistaken, the last correspondence I received stated that she was still in Charleston.”
“I have heard that Jamaica is a beautiful place,” Mary teased. “Hot sultry nights, romantic moonlit beaches. A person could find herself falling in love in such ideal tropical surroundings.”
“I am in no rush for love. I will happily bide my time until the right man comes along...” Lynna immediately realized her blunder, seeing Mary's downcast eyes.
“Are you quite sure my Daniel is not that man?”
“Mary, I…” What could she say? How could she hurt this woman whom she loved so dearly? Fortunately, Mary saved her the heartbreak. “I am sorry, dear. Please forgive me. I’m just a romantic old fool at heart. Honestly, I did not mean to pressure you. I suppose I fear some handsome young man is going to come along, sweep you off your feet, and steal you away from us all.”
“Romantic, maybe,” Judith laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “But please, do not call yourself old. After all, I am but a few years younger than you, Mary Fletcher.”
They were on their way home after visiting with the sick when Judith broached the subject that Lynna dreaded, “Mary, in Suzanne's letter, did she perchance mention Captain Jordan?”
“Mention him? Why, her tear stains practically blotted out the ink because he has not yet proposed. Frankly, I feel it would be in my daughter’s best interest if she returned home immediately. I have never seen the child so smitten with a man before. Beth has repeatedly assured me that he really is a fine, upstanding young gentleman, and there is no cause for alarm. It seems he is one of Charleston's most eligible bachelors and women seem to flock to him wherever he goes.”
“I should like to meet him myself,” Judith teased. “Wouldn’t you, Lynna?”
“Um… yes. Yes… I would,” she stammered and turned her face so they would not witness the betraying rush of color to her flaming cheeks.
“I should delight in meeting him as well,” Mary remarked. “But I am afraid my daughter is in for a heartbreaking disappointment. According to Beth, he has stated on more than one occasion that he has no intention of settling down any time soon with a wife and family. But then, if anyone can change his mind, I am sure my daughter could,” Mary stated with an abundant dose of a mother’s pride.
“If she sets her cap to it, she will,” Judith agreed. “Suzanne has turned into quite a lovely young lady, and from what I can tell, she is not without her own flock of admirers.” Glancing toward Lynna, Judith's heart swelled and her eyes glowed with pride. Suzanne was indeed lovely, but she held no comparison with Lynna, who was beautiful inside as well.
Chapter Eight
After supper, Lynna and Judith sat on the porch swing to enjoy the cool, fragrant night air. A gentle breeze caused the wispy tendrils of Spanish moss hanging from the huge live oaks to sway hypnotically. It puzzled Lynna that the slaves used the moss to stuff their mattresses, dried it for fire kindling, and mixed moss with mud to form clay to caulk their cabins, yet the trees were continually hanging full.
Lynna noticed her aunt's head nodding sleepily. Poor thing. Suzanne was going to send her to an early grave with her demanding ways. Taking her hand, Lynna pulled her gently to her feet. “Go to bed, Aunt Judith. I will be in shortly.”
“I suppose I am tired. Advancing age has a way of robbing your energy,” Judith admitted wearily. After a loving kiss on Lynna's cheek, she went to bed and Lynna knew she would be asleep almost before her head touched the feather pillow.
Settling back against a cushion, she pushed with her bare feet to set the swing in motion and allowed her mind to wander. Absentmindedly, her fingers went to twirl a lock of hair as her mind drifted to Charleston. Suzanne was probably having a marvelous time in the Holy City, flitting from ball to ball in the fabulous gowns Aunt Judith had designed and painstakingly stitched into the wee hours of the morning. She most likely had all the young bucks vying for her attention, including Joshua Jordan. No! She simply would not permit herself to think about him, or what he and Suzanne were doing on this beautiful moon swept romantic night. Hearing a rustling noise, she peered into the shadows, ready to bolt if her uncle appeared.
Lynna and Judith were grateful and gave thanks nightly for their quiet, peaceful evenings alone. Her uncle had not forced his company on them in over a fortnight, which meant they were due a visit any day. Judith’s husband, Tobias, knew she received her wages on the first day of the month and would be home searching for whiskey money.
Tobias Mathison was a nasty drunk. Short and heavyset with carrot-colored hair, a pudgy, screwed-up face, and the meanest of dispositions. After quenching his constant thirst at the local tavern, and spending his last coin for a night with one of the local harlots, he would come home, often turning hostile if there were no more coins to be found. Lynna had stayed hidden behind closed doors for days at a time, ashamed to be seen after one of his visits.
“It’s only me, Lynna. Do not be frightened. I was hoping you would still be awake.”
Relieved to hear Daniel's familiar voice, she patted the swing, inviting him to sit with her. “Aunt Judith just went to bed. It is such a marvelous night that I decided to sit outside for a while. Come join me, Daniel.”
Daniel took the seat beside her on the swing as fireflies danced merrily around them. He smelled clean, of soap, and earth, and tobacco. “I remember when Suzanne was a little girl, she would pull the hind portion of a firefly off, the part that glowed, and place one on the top of each finger. They still glow even when severed from the body, you know? Then she would waltz around with the body parts shining on her fingers and pretend they were sparkling jewels.”
“How awful!”
“Suzanne did not bat an eye when she mutilated the insects, dozens of them each night. Jasmine always said you could tell a person’s true character by the way they treated animals. I wonder if that saying holds true for insects.”
“If you ask me, cruelty is cruelty no matter the species, and if I recall, you and Samuel also had a fondness for such devilment. Remember when you would chase down a June bug, retrieve a length of Aunt Judith’s sewing thread, and tie the June bug’s back leg to the string? The poor insect would fly madly around and around your head trying to free itself of the string until it collapsed from exhaustion.”
“I guess you are right,” he lamented. “They left a nasty smell on my hands, too.” Then, with a look of steely determination in his eyes, he turned abruptly to face her, evidently before he lost his nerve. Daniel took both her hands and pulled her to her feet, gazing deep into her eyes. He lifted his hand to p
ush a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and then returned it to grasp her hand. “Lynna, you know how I feel about you. How I have felt for a long time.” He paused as if gathering his courage. “Will you marry me, Lynna?”
Lynna sat in stunned silence, not knowing what to say or how to say it. If the truth be told, she had been expecting him to ask her for months now, but when it actually occurred, she was caught off guard.
Daniel drew her into his arms and his kiss was demanding, filled with years of pent-up passion. When he drew away, his fingers went to where his mouth had been to gently outline her lips.
Unfortunately, Lynna felt no emotion from his touch or kiss, none of the overwhelming passion that she knew existed inside her. Nor did she feel the revulsion that had swept over her when Malcolm had kissed her. She did not feel anything really, except sadness and regret. She could not hurt Daniel by allowing him to see that his most passionate kiss failed to elicit even the slightest response in her. She would try another kiss, and this time demand her body to respond.
Slipping her arms around his neck, she touched her lips to his in her most ardent kiss; and she had been taught kissing by a master. Still, she felt nothing. Not even the slightest twinge in her nether region. She heard Daniel's sharp intake of breath, but did not realize he was undergoing the same feelings she herself had experienced after being the recipient of Joshua’s kiss.
Dropping her arms from around his neck, she went solemnly to stand at the edge of the porch, watching fireflies flicker and moths flutter around the sputtering candle. After several minutes of pained silence, she turned to Daniel and could only surmise that he was still awaiting a reply to his proposal. She had to stall for time, until she could think of a way to refuse his heartfelt request without breaking his heart in the process. “Daniel, this is so sudden.”
Daniel seemed flushed and was perspiring heavily and, evidently, his groin area had been beset by a terrible itch. It was some minutes before he found his voice, and when he did, it was scarcely above a whisper. “It is not sudden on my part. I love you, Lynna. I have since the day you appeared on our doorstep looking as if you had lost your only friend in the world. Please, say you will make me the happiest man on earth and consent to becoming my wife!”
There must be a way to be truthful, while at the same time sparing his feelings. Save him from having to suffer the same torment she had been forced to endure after Joshua had callously thrown her offer of marriage back into her humiliated face. But what? “Daniel, please give me time to ponder this issue at length. I could not possibly give you an answer tonight.”
“How much time do you need?”
“Why, I’m not sure. Marriage is much too serious an institution to be hastened into. When I marry, I wish for it to be perfect and last forever.” She prayed he would somehow understand.
“Lynna, I realize that your feelings are not as strong as mine. But given time, you would grow to love me. I know you would.” With a sweeping hand, Daniel encompassed the plantation and its thousands of acres. “I long for you to stand by my side as my wife and one day be mistress of Magnolia House.” It was obvious to Lynna that, in his mind, no woman of sound mind would turn down such a proposition.
“I do love you, Daniel. I just do not know if I am… ready. I need more time. Please, give me that time, Daniel.”
His white grin flashed in the darkness. “I will give you until morning.”
“Oh, you are incorrigible!” She smiled, greatly relieved that he was able to joke about the matter.
“I do understand, Lynna.” He held her face and tilted her chin up.” I will be eagerly awaiting your answer. Please, I beg of you, do not postpone the agony any longer than you have to.” Then, placing a tender kiss on the tip of her nose, he turned to leave.
Lynna watched him walk toward the big house with his shoulders hunched, seeming dejected and defeated. What was she holding out for? Why not accept his offer of marriage and move her scant belongings into the grand plantation house? Daniel was a handsome enough man of average height and build with his father's black, curly hair and his mother's small frame and cheerful disposition. A man who would love her and be a splendid father to her children, just as his own father was. He was a man any woman would be proud to claim as her own.
Lynna could find only one flaw with her plan. She did not love Daniel and could never hurt him by marrying him for any other reason. When she stood before God and pledged her vows, she would mean every single word.
After a restless night, Lynna was tired, cranky, and unable to sit still. Hoping to get her mind off her troubles and figure out a way to let Daniel down without shredding his heart and dignity in the process, she went where she always went in times of stress. Her garden. With her basket tucked under her arm, she strolled through the rows of towering sunflowers, dodging bumblebees to gather sunshine yellow daffodils, lavender iris, and red roses for Mary’s table.
Taking her fragrant bouquet, she strolled to the big house to arrange a vase and surprise Mary. Entering the front door, she passed by the parlor and was greatly distressed to find Mary and Daniel having their morning coffee. Drat! She had expected Daniel to be making his morning rounds or she would have left the flowers on their stems. “Good morning,” she greeted with a cheerfulness she was far from feeling. “I picked flowers for you, Mary.”
Mary rose from the sofa to take the bouquet. “You must have read my thoughts. I had just commented to Daniel that I was about to pick some myself. Thank you, darling. You have always been the sweetest thing.” Following a kiss on the cheek, she took Lynna's hand and led her to take a seat beside her son on the sofa. “You sit here and keep Daniel company while I find a vase and put these in water.”
Sitting still was out of the question and she found herself nervously fidgeting with the fringe on one of the sofa pillows. Jumping to her feet, she walked to the open French doors and inhaled the heady scent of roses drifting in from the garden. She prayed Daniel did not notice how intently she was trying to avoid eye contact with him. Why did life have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t Daniel fall in love with one of the flirtatious females from neighboring plantations that were forever batting their lashes at him? She was so deep in these thoughts she almost jumped out of her corset when he put his arms around her from behind and pulled her back against him.
“You are not keeping me company,” he whispered against her ear. “Your mind is a thousand miles away.”
“No, not really.” She gazed across the gorgeous landscaped garden bordered by tall sunflowers, with their faces turned to greet the morning sun. “Only as far as the garden.”
“Do you have an answer for me, Lynna?”
Good grief, did he have to start interrogating her first thing in the morning? She was saved the heartbreak of answering by Mary's return. “Oh Lynna, did Daniel tell you about the letter we received from Samuel and Beth?” She placed the vase filled with blossoms on a side table. “These are lovely, by the way, simply lovely.”
Leaving Daniel staring pensively out the doors, Lynna moved to join Mary on the sofa, “No, how are they?”
“They are well and have invited us for a visit. I’m sure Silas can be persuaded to make the journey now that the planting is finished. He trusts his foreman Jopree can handle any situation that might arise.”
Mary winked slyly at Daniel and grinned, “How would you and Judith like to accompany us?”
The mere thought of traveling to Charleston almost caused Lynna to lose her breakfast. Joshua was in Charleston, therefore, that was the last place she would visit. Grabbing the first excuse that came to mind, she blurted, “I am sure the invitation was meant for family members only, not the family’s help.”
Daniel's face grew vivid red with anger as he whirled to face her. “Since when have you and Judith been treated as anything less than family?”
Would she ever stop opening her big mouth and inserting her foot? Lynna realized too late how much her blunder had hurt him and she hur
ried to his side to apologize. “Daniel, I did not intend that as it sounded, you must know that! Your family has always been wonderful to Aunt Judith and I, and we love you dearly. It is for that very reason that we would not care to intrude upon your visit with Samuel and his family. Please, say you forgive me,” she pleaded, rushing to take his blazing face in her hands.
Her touch seemed to soothe him. “There is nothing to forgive, darling.” Grabbing her hands, he clutched them to his chest. “Just remember that you and your aunt are regarded as a part of this family and I will not tolerate any references to family help again.”
“Daniel is absolutely correct,” Mary hastened to add. “Samuel specifically asked that we extend the invitation to you and Judith. I should have made that clear from the onset, then we could have avoided this little misunderstanding entirely.” Lynna was aware that Mary's fondest dream was to see her and Daniel wed, and she could not bear to see them quarrel over something so trite.
Lynna longed to see Samuel again. And she dearly missed his charming wife, Beth, and their precocious daughter, Bethany Breanne. And why should she allow that womanizing scoundrel Joshua Jordan to deny her the pleasure? Why, odds were great she would not even see him during the visit, what with his father’s injury and having a plantation to run. And if the fates worked against her and she did come face to face with the arrogant rogue, then she would simply ignore him, as she should have done years ago. Without further ado she made her decision. “Yes, Mary, I am sure I can speak for Aunt Judith as well. We would love to accompany you to Charleston.”
Mary and Daniel exchanged secretive smiles as they watched the excitement Lynna was unable to contain spill forth. “Oh, I cannot wait to see Samuel again!”
“Exactly what he said in his letter about you.” Relieved, Mary returned to arranging her flowers. “There now, that adds a special touch to the house.”
“Mother, I have been trying to add a very special touch to this house.” Daniel smiled brightly, looking toward Lynna with all of the love he felt shining in his eyes. “I have asked Lynna to become my wife.”