She stood there frozen. Looking forward at the willow tree from her childhood, out of the corner of her eye she saw her father talking to a man. Not just any man, but this man was to be her husband. Since her Mother falling ill the family had run out of money. With three younger brothers and being the only girl it was the logical step to sell their daughter either to marriage or slavery that is what she told her self every night to keep the rage from filling her heart. As the grey took over the blue sky the water began to fall only a few drops at a time. The rain replaced the tears on her face. Kate thought to herself of how this is the last time she will see her brothers, her father and how she will not be there in her mothers last breaths on this earth. This is the last time she would gaze at the weeping willow, somehow the tree seemed different. Seeing the tree in this new light, Kate felt one with the tree the green from the trees leaves in her eyes and the way it stood frozen not being able to move, yet at the same time the wind would come and move the branches any which way that it pleased making the willow weep.
This would be his second and last visit to the Austen's house. Really more of a shack he thought to himself. Jack was not looking for another wife when Mr. Austen approached him at the market earlier this month raving of how he was selling his daughter to be married. Jack told him that he had his hands full and had no need for another wife. He never considered himself one of those men who needed 9 wives to fill his needs. However, when Mr. Austen just smirked at him and proceeded to tell him that he had never seen his daughter then. Jack could not lie he was interested at this statement. Later on in the month he came to the Austen's, Mr. Austen came out right away greeting him. Mr. Austen pointed down to the river bank at the brunette her curls falling in front of her face ever so often as she was collecting wild flowers. Jack stood speechless; she was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. Mr. Austen could not help, but chuckle at Mr. Shepherd's ahh struck face. At the sound coming from Mr. Austen Jack turned to him and said, "Let's talk shall we". At this Mr. Austen gave him a huge grin revealing that his two front teeth were no longer. Mr. Austen hated what he had to do to his only daughter, but was given no choice with the circumstances that had fallen upon the family. He would not dare sell his boys into slavery loosing the family name. He was very much aware of his daughter's beauty and knew that slavery working as a maid somewhere or even worse as a lady of the night would not have to be an option for her. When Mr. Austen went to the market looking for a wealthy suitor to pay a heavy price for his daughters hand in marriage he carefully looked for the right man. Rumors of abuse on wives from many rich men where know to the public, but it was something that the populace turned a blind eye to. When Mr. Austen spotted Mr. Shepherd in the market that day he knew that he would be the perfect suitor for his daughter. He was very wealthy and powerful, yet at the same time was know as an honorable fair man who would never lay a finger on a woman. As Mr. Shepherd began asking his questions Mr. Austen was brought out of his thoughts.
"How old is she?"
"She just turned 18 about a week ago." At this Jack just nodded in agreement almost in an improving matter.
"Do you know if she has known man's touch before?" Jack blurted out. While this was a normal question to be asking when accumulating a new wife, no man wanted a tainted woman. However, he felt a new emotion emerge that he had not felt when asking this question about his other wives before he married them. He felt anger, just the thought of another man touching her made his skin boil. Jack never liked other men to touch what was his, yet this beautiful girl was not his yet. If it turned out that another man had marked her. He could not even think of it. Jack was happy when Mr. Austen responded bringing Jack out of his horrible thoughts.
"I can assure you that she has not, but if you choose to make sure I understand."
"Very well, I will be back with my maid to check if she is pure and sign papers to make her mine. Now you understand that once she is mine and you have signed her over to me you may never see her again and she is never to come back and visit you even when her mother passes?" He stated in a matter of fact way not showing any real emotion either way.
Mr. Austen at this turned cold losing all the color in his face just looking down at his daughter, "Yes I understand" he said with no expression.
"Have you even told her that she is to be a wife soon?"
"No, I was waiting to see if you would accept and now that you have I will inform her of her fate."
"Ok, I will be back in a week's time." Through out the whole meeting Jack never once took his eyes off his soon to be new wife. As Jack turned to leave he looked Mr. Austen in the eyes, shook his hand and left. Mr. Austen looked down at his daughter and mouthed the words, "I'm sorry Katie", as a single tear fell form his face.
True to his word Jack came back in a week with his head maid Rose a plump black woman with a kind face. When Kate passed the exanimation given by Rose to see if she had known man, Jack Shepherd paid the heavy price which was sure to give the Austen's more than enough to survive. With just that the wind took Kate to another life.