The Fancy

by Mercedes Keyes

  “I see, go on…”

  Quinton exhaled, “You see sir, from that moment, if you must know, we have become inseparable. She refuses to stay put where she would be safe, for fear of something happening to me, and then well – should something happen - who would take care of her? For that reason, she will not leave my side, nor I hers.”

  “I see.” Manny nodded once more, fighting back a grin, yet he could not help the smile that spread across his features.

  “No, not entirely sir – in truth, to protect her, I decided that we must return at once to England, to my estates. Although I am a doctor, I am also Earl of WhistHirst – on my estates, in England she will be safe – and accepted as my wife. There is however one hitch to this plan….”

  “Em, and that is…” Manny asked.

  “Her mother; you see, I gave her my word, that I would gain possession of her so that she too may be free; thus, the need for double passage. One trip along the east coast to Virginia where she is a slave at a plantation there;

  I must keep my wife safe and seek to gain her mother as well. Once she is secured and in our safe keeping, we will proceed onward to the final leg of our journey which will see us off to Plymouth, England.” Quinton sighed, “In truth sir, once we arrive at this plantation, I haven’t a clue of how I might convince her master to sell her to me. There, you have it as it is.”

  Quinton sat quietly, waiting, watching the man across from him think things over, however before Manny could speak, there was a tap at the door, it opened with Quinton’s brother rushing in, panicking it seemed.

  “She’s gone! Bloody vanished she has, yer’lass went into t’woods, I can’t’ find her!”

  Quinton stood with Manny doing the same, “Explain vanished?” Quinton was not immediately rattled, regardless of the way his brother stood as if hyperventilating.

  “After that bleedin’ mongrel! She took off, I could not keep up with her! A bleedin’ boar might’ah gotten her, heard it squeal!” He urged in between breaths.

  Manny came quickly from around the desk, “I would think this would be better done while searching for her.”

  Quinton sighed, it seemed, the moment his back was turned, off she went – he thought that maybe he should be worried, but he wasn’t; instead he turned towards the door, making his way out and down the hall with the other two men on his heels – he rushed only because they thought it a matter to rush to.

  Sarah gutted the wild boar as quickly as she could, tossing its liver, the heart and other plugs of meat at her monstrous hound – whom she considered her baby. The moment she tossed the meat at him, it was gone – caught in his mouth and then down, tail wagging for more, “There is plenty here, we’ll leave the bones for wolves, well – I will cut you both hind legs, that will last you, with plenty of meat.” She spoke as she made quick work of carving the pig up, trying to keep as much blood off of her gown as possible, wondering where Evan went.

  In no time, she had it completely skinned; piling chunks of meat on the skin which she would take back with her for Moose. But she would make sure that he had his fill, this she knew when she tossed a bit at him and he watched it fall to the ground, sniffing it and then making digging moves with his nose as if to bury it.

  “Full? Good, we must hurry and get the rest back and hidden before Quinton comes looking for us.” Wrapping the extra meat and hind bones in the skin, she pulled her hemp rope from under her gown where she’d hidden it and tied the bundle of meat securely within the skin, looking down at herself; there was blood on her skirt and sleeves – it could not be helped. Standing, she hefted what was left of the fur, skin and meat bundle over her shoulder and took off at a trot for the grounds, feeling the blood soak through her dress, “He’s going to kill me, I’ve ruined this gown!” She worried, rushing as fast as she could to the back of the mansion, hoping there would be few to no guests around.

  At a woman’s startled scream, as well a few shocked shouts from some men, Sarah groaned with dread - too many couples and a small group, all stopped, shocked. She knew her little venture was blown. Moose galloped happily at her side - the size of a small bear, growing beyond what they’d imagined he would be, content to follow Sarah anywhere, seeing her as his mother. One of the men they passed on the grounds, startled by her blood stained clothing, shouted, “Stop right there!” and made the mistake of going for her.

  Moose turned instantly, barking a strong warning at an ear shattering volume, growling and showing teeth no one wanted to test – especially the man who froze in fright, not daring to move. Sarah clicked her tongue, snapped her fingers and Moose was back against her hip as she lead the way to the veranda. She looked up the top of the stairs, and froze.

  There to meet her, were several people, one of them, her husband; beside him, Evan, and another white man, very tall and broad – next to him, Lena and a young woman who looked exactly like her, all except in coloring. One was a brown/gold, and the other, fair/gold, both stood with their mouth’s dropped open.

  Sarah didn’t know who to explain herself to first, and thought it should be to their hosts, “My apologies madam, I only meant to hunt for his food; I did not mean to gain such attention, if you would please – can this be placed on the floor in your storehouse, for him. He is now full.”

  She dropped the heavy bundle of meat on the steps.

  One of the women, who had screamed when she came forward, squeaked once more and fainted. Thankfully, her husband saw her falling and caught her.

  Quinton was not amused, nor for that matter, surprised.

  “That he is full, is certainly good news.” Lena returned, smiling. Manny could not believe his eyes, and reflecting on Quinton’s words, now made sense of it all, he couldn’t help himself, he barked with laughter, the sound of it deep and catching. Lena smiled and turned to the woman next to her, “Well Ms Hope, have you room for the dogs fare?”

  Smiling, tickled, Hope nodded, “Yes, we do indeed. I will get someone to take it away,” Before she finished her sentence, one of the stable boys rushed forward picked it up and dashed off with it.

  With her pretty head nodding in thanks, Sarah gave her husband a quick glance and rushed in by them, with Moose on her heels, to their suite to get out of her blood and mud stained clothing.

  “Bleedin’ hell! She’s as wild as the boar!” Evan blasted in stunned disbelief; “She killed that boar! Bleedin’ Hell!”

  Quinton cut him a warning glare and turned to Lena, “Madam, if you would please, water for her bath?”

  “Right away sir, right away.” Lena turned away, chuckling to herself; she looked up at Manny who stood beside her, still laughing. Shaking his head, he turned back to the sun deck, making his way inside and then to his office where he would await Quinton’s return to finish their discussion, and their plan for getting his wife’s mother.

  Now more than ever, he wanted in – just for the heck of it, his wife was a hit in his book.

  In the privacy of their room, Quinton sat on the edge of the bath, rinsing his wife down. They were both quiet; she was waiting for his disappointment in her; he was thinking. He knew that what he was doing was Aislin’s job, but he was reluctant to give it up to her.

  Now that she was clean once more, Quinton held a towel up for her to step into. He wrapped the towel around her and his arms – and was in no hurry to let go.

  She stood naked, wearing only the large cloth and his arms, her head down, quiet still, unwilling to give an explanation for what she’d done, what in truth could she say?

  Quinton’s arms tightened even more around her, pulling her closer still, he kissed her brow, “What am I to do with you?” He asked rhetorically not expecting an answer. Slanting his head, he sought to make eye contact with her, “Look at me.” He coaxed softly.

  Sarah glanced up, “He was hungry,” was her only explanation. Quinton began laughing, shaking his head at her, and tilting it sideways, he looked past the bath at their massive beast, lying quietly, content, sn
oring and not a care in the world – stomach tight with meat, his master and mistress in the room with him, what more from life could he ask?

  Quinton looked back at his wife, “You will be the death of me, you know. You’ve shocked people today – not to mention my brother. He was frightened for you, thought you’d vanished, of course, I knew better.” He paused, kissing her brow once more, “Why do I get this feeling, no matter how much of a Lady Sarah I try and make you, Suga is still within, waiting for her chance to be free?”

  Turning doe eyes on him, certain to make him weak in the knees, she asked, “You – still love me? Lady Sarah or – Suga?”

  Cupping her lovely face, he gazed with adoration, “You ask such silly questions Suga, such silly nonsense. I love you still, in fact I love you more – Suga, or Lady Sarah, they are the same in my eyes.” Pulling her tight against him, he kissed her and that led him to taking advantage. Unable to reel in his desires, he made love to her, deciding that Manny - could wait.

  Later on that evening after supper, the men came together once more, and this time after giving the matter more thought, Manny thought the best move, was to get there, and play it by ear once they arrived. Since he would be assisting, they did not have to wait around for one of his other ships; two days later, he treated them to passage upon his private ship, used in most cases, for family only, the Princess Ces’alena; destination – state of Virginia and the Clover Grove Plantation.

  It would be during that journey down south, that all truths were disclosed and discussed; especially for Sarah.

  As Quinton had promised, the journey for her, once underway, would take on an entirely new meaning after having the privilege of being on the Princess. She learned as well that it was named after the woman she had come to know as Ms Lena, who in truth was a real life princess – she was encountering an entirely new world, people and things she would have never imagined previously to meeting Quinton.

  As for him, he was eager for his wife to spend some time with the princess, he felt there could be no one better to rearrange his wife’s thinking, than her; especially knowing that his wife had believed at one time that there were no such things as black princesses – it was time for her to see – that that belief – was indeed false.

  Finally the princess had set sail, and with the captain taking charge – Manny was free to go below to meet with Quinton, his brother and the other men in his group.

  Ellen was finding all of the traveling exhausting with a small child and immediately took to their stateroom to rest, while Sarah accepted Lena’s invitation for tea in her own quaint little library.

  After pouring tea with the two of them sitting comfortably, Lena opened, “Here we are finally, how are you finding it, being on a ship again?”

  “It is much different this time – beyond anything I ever imagined. Moose is not yet sure footed.”

  “Poor thing, I can just imagine. But, what about you? How are you doing as, Lady Sarah Abigail Caine, Countess of WhistHirst – have you yet, found your footing?”

  Sarah’s head dropped coyly, unsure of what to say, responding she admitted, “My hunting boar, returning with it as I did, was not very – Lady like – was it?”

  “I don’t know, depends on the circumstances. One thing is certain, you are – a survivor. I believe, as a lady, you must don many garbs in order to fit into the role that is most needed. Your husband, Lord Caine, is in love with you, he – is very proud of you; you are doing something right.”

  “He is different; there are few men like him.”

  “I agree.” Lena smiled, “He is your good fortune.”

  “I wish, to be his good fortune, as you say.”

  “You already are.”

  Sarah shrugged, “I was not born to be, what he wishes, neither am I, the right color.”

  “Says who?”

  Sarah stared at Lena momentarily, thinking about all that he’d been teaching her, thinking about his past that he’d shared with her. Regardless of his words, what people would see first, was the color of her skin.

  “I’m waiting…” Lena gently nudged.

  “My skin is not as fair as milk, my eyes are not blue, my hair is not the color of corn-silk, trapping the sun-…”

  “And yet, the Earl of WhistHirst, made you – his wife, there must be more to it than fair skin, blue eyes and corn silk hair – surely, there is more to beauty, than what meets the eye. Surely, there is more to each of us, every individual woman that captures that one particular man’s eye – surely there is?”

  “I’ve seen none more beautiful than you.” Sarah admitted.

  “If that is true, you need to get out more.” Lena laughed, shaking her head. “Do not be fooled Sarah, the color of your skin, your eyes, your hair – they are not the things that make one beautiful – never have they been the things to hold and keep a man, nor the things to bring a woman honor – not ever have they, nor ever will they.”

  “But they are the things that make one of us, a slave, while the one with the other traits will be chosen to be a lady, a queen, a princess.”

  Lena leaned back and sighed, nodding her head, “We have a long journey to travel together, you and I will let my husband know, that we will not leave off after your mother has been brought back – but together, we shall sail to England; and in that time – there are things, truths that you need to know – about us – men, women, slaves and kings. Once you know these things, you will see that you are blessed – as so few are – yet, the more of us who know the truth and understand it, the more we will have, to empower ourselves, our brothers, our sisters so that we can slowly, but surely pull ourselves up from the depths we’ve been cast to, and held to, thus - we can rise, and stand – and be what we really are – equal, and worthy as any other to be a Lady, a princess, a leader or queen.”

  Sarah nodded, giving her a humble smile and agreed, “I would like that – to know things, more things.”

  Lena leaned across the table, laying her palm over the younger woman’s hand, squeezing it, “And you shall, Lady Caine, you shall – because you lack nothing in order to be

  what your husband has asked; you only need to arm yourself with knowledge, once you have that, you can move forward from this idea of being, just a slave and thinking you can be nothing more.”

  Clover Leaf Plantation

  Pulling in the long drive – it was already clear to see – that for whatever reasons – the profits earned from cotton and fancy sales had not gone on the upkeep of Clover Leaf. The lawns were overgrown and weedy in some areas – while bare patches bearing holes were filled with muddy rain water. Dogs ran free – barking at them as they entered the main area near the front of the antebellum style plantation – which was in sore need of repair and care. Looking around Manny murmured to Quinton, “Gambler or drunkard – in either case, they are always in need of money. We shall be done with this matter hopefully come night fall and can depart by morning.”

  “How can you be certain?”

  “Look around you – everything you see tells of a man who has no pride in his home, his plantation. It serves him for nothing more than to sleep, gain finance for whatever his habit may be. I would wager that it won’t be long before we know.”

  Manny, Quinton, Evan and Owen were on horseback; with Hayden driving their wagon of goods, and one of Manny’s men, Shelly, riding shot gun, they pulled up to the front of the mansion. All men on horseback climbed down, loosely wrapping their reigns around the posts of the porch, Manny taking the lead with Quinton following as they climbed the steps. Immediately the front door opened, an Indian woman stood there to greet them, her voice – so much like his wife’s that Quinton immediately knew, this was Cora, his wife’s mother.

  She was dark, smooth skinned with dark eyes, very similar to Sarah’s and black hair with tinges of grey growing in amidst the strands; very slender, if not slightly underweight, high cheekbones and sunken cheeks.

  She was dressed in her native garb, fawn sk
in. Quinton’s eyes went back to meet with hers, eyes once more, haunted, bleak – resigned – almost dead eyes, in that instant he knew, he would not leave this plantation without her.

  Manny spoke up, “Madam, we’ve traveled for some time, our horses are in need of water, rest; we are in need of the same, is your master present – please?”

  She stared at them all, her eyes going from one to the other, taking her time, they went to Quinton once more, and there they settled on him, longer than the others; Quinton felt a chill, he knew it was crazy, but – it was as if she knew, finally she turned back to Manny.

  Before another word was said, the master – Gareth Kuiper showed himself. He looked as if he’d been sleeping, or sleeping off a night of drinking. His hair was unkempt, his clothing disheveled.

  He was a man in his mid-forties, who in truth looked older with a grizzled face and bleary eyes – as well as Tabaco stained teeth - he too stared at the group of men on his porch, walking closer, he saw money and smiled. Turning to Cora, “Go – don’t just stand there! Have their horses seen to.” She turned, disappearing down the long hall.

  Chapter XIV

  “Come in, come in! Excuse my appearance, my nights are tortured with an ailment for which there is no cure.”