“Well, I would like to go to town, but there is something I would like more.”
“I have a feeling I am not going to approve,” he half smiled at her.
She was so easy to read when she had something she was working towards that she knew he wouldn’t like.
“Do you want to give me a present I would really appreciate?” she asked, leaning in closer to him.
“Depends on what it is,” he said hesitantly.
“I would really like to have my own slave. Not a maid, but someone who could help me with my horse, and do things for me. Always at my beck and call when ever I needed him. He could ride out with me at night so you wouldn’t have to worry about me.”
“Him?” Rand asked, starting to smile.
He knew exactly where this was leading.
“Theodore, would work perfectly. Please let me have him for my own slave,” she begged.
“Lettie…” Rand said, knowing she had finagled a way to get what she wanted, once again.
“Please, Rand, I will do anything you want. I will only eat half and let him have my leftovers. He won’t be any bother, I promise!”
“You act like you are begging to have a puppy, or something,” he said. “Theodore is a human being.”
“Exactly, and he should be treated as though his feelings have some importance. Let me keep him and be responsible for him. If you insist, when I get my inheritance, I will pay you for him.”
“Your inheritance?” he asked.
“Of course you know I am a wealthy woman, didn’t you? I just won’t get any of it until I turn twenty one. Right about the same time I will be released from your services. My father is worth over a million pounds.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” Rand stated. “I have an heiress as my indentured servant? How could I have ever agreed to bringing you here? You should have remained in England and found yourself a worthy husband.”
“I don’t wish to be married. I told you that. We are only pretending to get married, so that doesn’t count.”
“Very well, Lettie. I will give Theodore to you as a birthday present, and you don’t have to pay for him. It is only because you know how to manage me,” he laughed. “Come here,” he said, holding out his arms.
Leatrisha, crawled over and fell into his arms, and he held her against him.
“I will take you into town, and we will entertain ourselves with seeing a play, and having dinner, and I will buy you anything you wish, while we are there,” he mumbled in her hair. “You know, Lettie, even though you drive me to distraction sometimes, l like having you around. You brighten up the place, and all the slaves love you. They seem to be performing better than they ever did before you came, and I think it is because they like you so much.”
“They think I am going to marry you, and become their new mistress. It is the only thing I feel bad about, because in the end, I am going to have to leave them all.”
Rand took in his breath. He hadn’t thought about that. Things were starting to get complicated, he realized. Leatrisha turned her head and looked at Rand.
“You are really a very kind and generous man,” she said softly. “Thank you so much for giving Theodore to have as my own slave. I can’t wait to tell him.”
Then she was hugging his neck and laying her mouth against his, and the moment he felt her lips on him, he couldn’t help himself from pulling her tighter against him and caressing her lips with his, deepening the innocent kiss, without realizing it, and then he was pulling her down beside him, as he continued to kiss her.
“Stay with me tonight,” he whispered, pulling her wrapper away, and throwing the covers back for her to crawl under the covers with him.
Leatrisha crawled down beside him, feeling an immense comfort to be held in his arms, and when Rand placed his mouth on hers again, she welcomed the kiss, parting her lips to him, as she let out a sigh. The kiss lasted so long that Leatrisha was completely consumed by the many emotions that ran through her body, as Rand continued to caress her lips. She never wanted the kiss to end, she told herself, and it seemed to last most of the night, until she finally fell asleep in the comfort of Rand’s embrace.
If this was all he could have, Rand thought, it was more than he deserved. What was he ever going to do with the imp? The slaves loved her as much as he did.
Perhaps he would marry her, he thought, idly, but not for a long time. She still had a lot of growing up to do. Until he made up his mind, she would continue to wrap him around her little finger, as she had done from the very beginning when she first suggested he bring her to America, he chuckled to himself. There was something enticing about the thought. He liked being warped around her little finger. But most of all, he liked her warped in his arms, the way she was now.
CHAPTER NINE
Rand looked out his window, watching Leatrisha riding Black Magic, and close behind her was Theodore riding a smaller horse, right on her heals. The boy was like a puppy dog, Rand smiled to himself. He shadowed Leatrisha where ever she went, and Rand decided it was a good thing, because now he did not have to worry about her so much. If anything ever happened to her, Theodore would be there to come and inform someone, or to help her, if she needed his help.
Every time he walked past Theodore’s family in the field, they always gave him a large smile and thanked him again for not selling Theodore. They seemed to worship Leatrisha even more than they had before, and he knew it would be hard for Leatrisha to leave the plantation, after becoming so close to all the slaves.
The other problem was that he was not going to be able to sell any more slaves at this rate, if Leatrisha stepped in to put her foot down about it, which meant some rough sailing ahead, if he ever had to thin out his slaves in the future.
In two days, he would be taking Leatrisha to Huntsville, with him, and he was looking forward to having her all to himself for a couple of days. The Plantation business took up much of his time, and Leatrisha was always out and about, if not with the slaves, she was out riding her horse, and now she had Theodore to keep her company doing that. She never seemed to want to go riding with him. The night he had held her in his arms all night, made him realized how much he had missed her warm body, not being next to his in his bed, and even merely holding her, seemed to comfort him beyond explanation.
She seemed to keep her distance purposefully. He knew it was because she had no desire to marry anyone, especially him. Only the way she allowed him to kiss her, made him realize that she craved a man, and apparently was lonely for some sort of companionship, and since his companionship was all there was for her to share, she would settle for it until it came time for her to leave. Actually, she had no other choice, he thought.
Realizing that she was an heiress, had given him pause to admit she was not the typical indentured servant. At least when she finished out her indenture, she would not be destitute, and by then she may even want to go back to England where she truly belonged. The thought disrupted his tranquility though, so he pushed it aside. After all there were almost six years to prepare for that day, and no telling what would happen between then and now.
Rand had finished going over the books, and Leatrisha had returned her horse to the stables right before lunch, so he knew she was around someplace. He probably had time to play her a couple games of chess before dinner, and looked forward to the challenge, since she had become so good at the game. He gazed out over the fields, but he did not see Leatrisha or Theodore with the other slaves picking cotton. Ever since she got her own salve, she did not work in the fields as much, he noticed, and he wondered what it was that seemed to occupy her now.
They were probably out at the stables, where she usually had Theodore brushing down Black Magic, or cleaning out his stall. Black Magic was becoming so pampered with all the attention Theodore gave him, that Rand figured the horse was about as spoiled as Leatrisha herself.
He could hear voices when he entered the stables, and he slowed, to see where they were coming fro
m. Then he saw them. They were both sitting on upturned buckets, and Leatrisha was holding a book in her hand. She appeared to be reading to Theodore, but then he stopped stock still. She was not reading to him. She was teaching him to read.
Rand strode up to the two, and swatted the book out of their hands.
“Lettie! Slaves cannot be taught to read!” he bellowed.
Leatrisha jumped up, with an astonished look on her face.
“Why ever not?” she asked.
“It will give them the notion that they can compete with others. Reading gives one too much independence. An ignorant slave is more easily dealt with than an educated one. There is no reason to educate a slave than there is to educate your horse. They are objects of service. That is all they are meant to do. Not read! What would Theodore ever use such a talent for? He doesn’t need it to care for your horse, or help you with what ever it is you have him do. He doesn’t need it to pick cotton. You will put notions into his head that he can become an equal, which he will never be! I don’t ever want to see you doing such a thing again!”
Leatrisha, glared at him as her green eyes sparked, and she went and picked up the book that had been propelled across the walkway.
“You gave Theodore to me! He is my slave! I can do what I please with my own slave! If I want him to know how to read, then I can teach him, and you can’t stop me!”
“Why would you want him to read?” Rand asked, trying to hold his temper.
“What if I wanted him to read to me, when my eyes were too tired? Or what if I wanted to give him a list of things to do, and wrote them down so he would remember it? What if I wanted him to read the label of something for the horse, so he would know what it was used for? There are lots of reasons for a person to know how to read. He may never be your equal in importance, but he should have the same opportunities for education, if someone is willing to teach him. And since I am willing to teach him, I don’t see why you would care.”
“It’s against the law to teach slaves to read, Lettie. No one would buy a slave that knew how to read!”
“I don’t intend to ever sell Theodore, so why should that bother me?” she asked.
“It’s against the law…”
“No one has to know he can read! He will only read when he is around me, or to his little sister, when she wants a book read to her.”
“I won’t permit it! I’ll take him and sell him if you persist, Lettie!”
“He is my salve!” Leatrisha ground between her teeth. “If you take him back, I shall never speak to you again!”
“Lettie. Be reasonable!”
“You are the one who is not being reasonable. You give him to me, and then you dictate to me what I can do with my own property!”
“Go up to the house, Lettie, and you, Theodore, you get back to the field and start picking cotton!”
Leatrisha, turned and ran up to the house, charging through the door, and slamming it behind her. Her feet took the stairs two at a time, propelling her to her room where she slammed that door as well, tossed the book across the room, and fell upon her bed.
Closely behind her, Rand followed, and jerked the door open, as he charged into her room.
“I will not have you throwing tantrums in my house!” Rand bellowed, against her back where she was sprawled across the bed, not looking at him.
“Go away. You are horrible! I can’t believe you will not let me teach Theodore to read!”
“I told you it was against the law!”
“It is a stupid law made by stupid people who want to keep their slaves under their thumbs so tight they can’t even move. Slaves dedicate their whole lives to working for you, and they can’t have the simple pleasure of reading?”
“It takes time to teach someone to read. Slaves do not have time to go to school, or practice reading. The only reason Theodor can do it, is because he is your little lap dog, that tags after you all day with nothing much else to do. I won’t have it, Lettie!”
“It is a terrible thing to own another human being. I whish I had never come here!” Leatrisha cried.
“I can always send you back, if that is what you want!”
“If you do, I get to take Theodore with me!” she spit.
“And separate him from his family? Now you are being the hypocrite!” he sneered.
“Get out of my room. I don’t want to hear your voice. It grates on my nerves!”
“I’ll talk to you about this later, when you have calmed down,” he said quietly.
“I will never calm down!” she yelled, as the door closed quietly behind him.
He knew he never should have given Leatrisha the slave. Now he was having to pay for that unthinking decision. She was stubborn enough to out resist him and force his hand, which he would end up regretting in the end, but what else could he do? He couldn’t let her get away with every whim because that is the way she wanted it. He should have sold the boy, and maybe that was exactly what he would do. Leatrisha was getting away with far too much as it was! Hell and damnation! She was his servant, not the woman he was supposed to marry. He was getting the two mixed up, and letting her have too much free run of the place. It was time for it to stop!
Rand strode out of the house, and went to the cotton field, grabbed Theodore by the arm and directed him to his carriage.
“I’m going into Huntsville,” Rand said to Burk, who was walking by at the time. “Keep an eye on things for me. I’ll be back in the morning!”
“Taking the lad to sell?” Burk asked.
“Damn right, I am,” Rand growled.
“You’re little lady won’t like it.”
“She has no say in this matter,” Rand responded. “I own this plantation, not her!”
He ordered the driver on, as he glanced over at Theodore, who was trembling in the corner of the carriage.
An hour later, Leatrisha sat up from her bed. Theodore was her slave, she told herself firmly. Rand could not tell her what she could do with her own slave. She would just teach him in private from now on, so Rand wouldn’t even know.
She dried her tears, and went down to see if dinner was ready yet. She hated having to face Rand, she was so angry at him. The house was quiet when she came down the stairs, and the table hadn’t been set for dinner, so Leatrisha put her head in the kitchen, where Mama Liz and Hattie, were sitting eating at the kitchen table with the other servants.
“You might as well join us, miss Lettie,” Mama Liz smiled. “The master is away right now, so you can eat with us.”
“Away? Where did he go?”
“Don’t know. You’ll have to ask Burk. He is in charge while the master is gone.”
“How long is he going to be gone?” Leatrisha asked, as she started to get an uneasy feeling.
“Don’t know that either. Ask Burk.”
Leatrisha ran from the kitchen, and out to Burk’s little hut, banging on the door when she got there.
“Where’s Rand?” she asked as soon as Burk opened the door.
“Went to Huntsville to sell that little slave of yours. Guess he changed his mind about letting you keep him.”
“No! How long ago did he leave?” she cried, unable to stop the tears that started spilling over her lids.
“About an hour ago, I think,” Burk told her.
“How far away is Huntsville?” Leatrisha asked.
“About an hours ride from here,” Burk informed her.
“Straight down the road?” she asked.
“Pretty much. You don’t intend to go there, do you?” He looked worried. Rand had left him in charge, and Rand would have his head, if he let Leatrisha leave.
“What I do is none of your concern!” she snapped.
“I’d get in trouble if I let you go,” Burk said.
“Short of tying me up, you can’t stop me!” Leatrisha spewed, “And if you lay a hand on me, I’ll tell Rand you raped me!” Then she turned and took out for the stable.
It didn’t take her long to th
row a bridle over Black Magic’s head. She still had on her trousers from riding earlier that day, so she swung up on Black Magic, heading out the front drive, as Burk watched her gallop off in the direction of Huntsville.
Black Magic, ate up the road with long strides, as Leatrisha urged the horse on word. She would not let Rand get away with it! Leatrisha hissed to herself. Theodore was her slave, and he did not have a right to take him away from her! As she approached Huntsville, her eyes darted around, trying to decide which direction Rand would have gone. Probably to the slave block. If he wasn’t there, she would wait their until he showed up with Theodore, even if she had to sit up all night waiting for him!
“Which way to the slave block?” Leatrisha asked the first person she saw on the road.
“That way, miss.” He looked shocked at the way she was dressed and that she was riding the black horse bareback.
“You looking to buy a slave?” he asked as she turned and spurred away.
“Already have one,” she called over her shoulder. “But someone is trying to sell him out from under me!”
“Stealing slaves is a crime!” the man called.
That’s right, Leatrisha thought. Rand had stolen her slave from her, as far as she was concerned.
As she rode up to the slave block, Leatrisha, saw Rand, standing next to his carriage, talking to a man. He had not seen her ride up, since his back was to her, and Leatrisha slid down from Black Magic’s back.
“Give me back my slave!” she bellowed, causing Rand to jerk around. “You took him from me, and that is a crime! He’s mine, and you can’t sell him!”
“What is going on here, Rand?” the man asked. “You told me the slave belonged to you!”
“I showed you the papers, didn’t I? He does belong to me,” Rand exclaimed. “Lettie, you have no right coming to town on your own. What is the matter with you? Tie the horse up to the carriage, and get inside.”
“I won’t! Not until you hand Theodore back to me! You had no right taking him from me!”
“You don’t have any ownership papers, do you?” he asked.
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