Chapter 2: Father Comes For a Visit

Samantha's pov.

Waking to the morning sunlight I rubbed my eyes free of the sleepiness that hid behind my dark brown eyes. Getting up rather slowly I made my way over to the window and looked out. Aw what a lovely day. The sun was shining the birds were sinning and the flowers were in full bloom.

It was the spring of 1860; I was in my graduate year of the Miss. Kenly's school for girls. Being a graduate at the school meant so much to me. Yes, I was one of the older ones to graduate but, that didn't matter. I had just turned 20 in September so I really wasn't that much older than the rest of the girls. Going over to my closet I picked my outfit for the day. What to wear? It was far too lovely out to wear a dark color and it was way to cool to wear a short sleeve dress.

After all today was going to be such a special day, father was coming for a visit from Indiana. Oh, how exciting it was going to be to see him.

Picking out a dark blue dress, with lace, around the wrists, with my mother's gold necklace and bracelet to complete the look, of a young lady. I got dressed with a smile upon my young face. However, before I could make my way down to meet my father I wrote to my Mammy.

Dear Mammy;

Is a nice day for father to be visiting me here at Miss. Kenly's school for girls. I can remember writing you often say how lonely I was here at school. That was until I meet some nice girls from my dorm. I've also met the new minister in town, Sean Patten. I shall be home soon and be a grown woman. When you see me you won't hardly know me. I will see you in a few weeks time.

Love

Samantha

Sealing the letter shut I looked into the lovely full link mirror I smiled at my reflection and went down to meet my father with the letter in hand. Getting to the bottom of the steps I see father standing in the door way with a smile on his face. He hadn't changed since I was a little girl.

"Father," I say as I give him a hug, a hug that had been long overdue. Oh, how I missed him so. Putting my arms around him I knew how much I loved and missed him.

"My little princess, my sweet little Sam," father said as he kissed my forehead. "Miss. Turner you're…

"My music teacher." I say with a laugh as I covered my hand over my mouth. How funny father could be. How I missed him so.

Right, music teacher, has told me that she has planned a nice tea."

Leading him into the family room Miss. Turner sat at the piano with a smile upon her face. She really was a great teacher. In fact I had learned a lot from her. My father was very proud of me when I wrote him saying I could play the piano like a proper young lady.

Father sat next to me as the tea party went on. Oh, how I could remember playing tea parties with some of the local children at Stardust. Looking back on those memories put a glow to my heart. Those great, great memories, I could look back on them like it was yesterday. Smiling as the music came to an end father met Miss. Turner and Sean.

"It's nice to meat you Sean." My father said as he shook the young man's hand. "You must be the new minister Samantha had written about.

With the sound of those words I could feel my face go crimson. Why did father have to mention that for? I thought I was nerves just waiting to introduce my father to Sean, I was more nerves now. Finally after what seemed forever I could feel my face go back to normal. "Why, of course father I did write and tell you this." I said trying to cover my embracement. However, this only worked for a little while.

"Yes, I'm at the local church here in town." Sean answered as his hands were placed behind his back. While his grayish blue eyes looked at my father, Sean sure was handsome. His black hair lay perfect upon his head, while his tall slender body wore a black suit. "Samantha, has told me so much about you and how she has missed you so." A smile came to his lips showing off his lovely white teeth. I thought I was going to faint when this smile came about. However, getting myself together I calmed down and felt my heart slow.

Well the hard part was over…at least that's what I thought. How wrong I would turn out to be. I introduced father to the rest of my teachers and then as he left to Miss. Turner. "Mr. Taylor you have such a sweet child." She said with a smile as her dark blue eyes glistened beneath her long eyelashes. Miss. Turner and my father looked at each other as if- no that couldn't be possible, my father was perfectly happy with just him and I, wasn't he?

"Thank you, I guess I've raised my little Sam well." Father said as he gave me a close hug. Miss. Turned looked at me with her perfect smile with her perfect face along with her perfect lovely blond hair. Everything about her seemed to be perfect.

Heading to the door with all the rest of the girls I kissed my father good bye. "Good by father, I love you." I said as I hugged him one last time.

"I love you to sweetie. I will see you in a few weeks for semester break." Father answered as he hugged me like a young child.

"Give this to Mammy, for me. I told her I would write her more." I say as I hand him the nice crisp white envelop. Touching his hand I realized I wouldn't see him for a while and how much I knew I would miss him. Giving him one last hug I said in a whisper "I will miss you father."

"I shall miss you to Sam," father said as held me like a small child. Looking towards the door I broke the hug and headed out the door toward the buggy that waited for me.

Stepping out into the lovely day and taking a deep breath of the fresh clean air I looked back as my buggy began to ride off. I saw father and Miss. Turner talking once again. They were just talking about school and such, right?

A few more weeks went by and I focused on my studies and worked very hard. I received letter after letter from father. However, one day they just stopped. Maybe father was just busy? That's it maybe he was just busy. After all he did own a plantation and plantation owners were very busy.

Not worrying about such matters I headed into the study to practice my piano when I spotted Miss. Turner sitting at the piano. But she wasn't playing. Instead she sat there writing a letter. But to who, I wondered as I looked on. Walking quietly towards her she hears me, turns around and flips the letter over.

"I, I didn't hear anyone come in." she says as she began to get some what nervous. Why was she acting so odd for? It wasn't like I was trying to spy on her or anything.

"Miss Turner, Miss. Turner!" A young lady yelled down the hall. Walking out of the room Miss. Turner didn't bother to take the letter.

Looking behind me as I moved towards the piano with the letter on it, looking once more I pick up the letter to see who it is to. Looking down at the words my eyes go big, bigger than two new gold cones it was father! Why-why could this be? Looking down through the letter I began to read it.

Gripping the letter I read what I had feared for quite to some time. Reading the sentence my hands began to shake. It couldn't be! No, it just couldn't. Why would father do such a thing for? We were happy weren't we? I asked myself this question over and over again as I read the sentence more than once.

How could my father marry Miss. Turner? Why? What could have caused this to happen? Thinking back I could remember things that were said between them as I left the room or could hear as I sat in the sitting room reading a book. I read the sentence one last time.

Marrying you would mean the world to me. I must say I've admired you for quite some time now. But, how will we tell Samantha?

This, was the obviously way I was to find out. Dropping the letter I left the room with my left hand resting on my forehead. Heading to my room I began to fill grief grip my heart with sadness not far behind. Lying on my bed I realized I had lost my father. Not just him as my father but I had lost him to someone else. Grabbing a piece of paper I began to write to Mammy.

Dear Mammy;

I don't know how to write this, I was rather shocked when I read such a thing. Father is marrying Miss. Turner! I don't believe this. It has been me and father for so many years. Has father forgotten about are times together? Riding horses together, taking walks around the plantation or just talking like it used to be. I don't know how I will be able to cope with such a thing? Have you known of this and hadn't told me? Oh, Mammy I feel so alone now. What will I do?

Love

Samantha

Getting up rather slowly I made my way back downstairs and gave the letter to Miss. Turner. Oh, how I couldn't look at her the same ever again. She being my new mother? I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. Yes, I didn't know much about my real mother but there was still know right for someone to walk right in and take her spot.

Going to the back yard I sat in the white swing that sat under a big cherry blossom tree. I began to look out at the big yard with many trees for miles upon miles. I now looked at things different with school. No longer did I enjoy it but, now I loathed it with a passion. How could I learn to like school again? I wouldn't and I knew I wouldn't. And father, what would I think of him? Would I loathe him as well for marrying Miss. Turner? Or would things still be the same between us? Father and Daughter? Of course not, why would it be that way again?

What if father didn't have time for me anymore? What would become of me if he forgot about me? Worse what would happen to me if he died unexpectedly? Oh, that was the worst question of them all. What would happen to me if he died? Would I get Stardust? There was no question about such thing. Of course I would get Stardust. It had been passed down for years. If something did happen to him then he would be laid next to my mother. Oh, how I wished I had some memory of my dear mother. All I've been told about her was that she loved people and she loved to help them. Of course I've been told I act like her every so often. However, every time I would ask about my mother and what she was like. What she looked like, no one would answer my questions.

I could remember once when I was five I was playing in the back yard with Mammy watching nearby. Swinging on the nearby I could see a very lovely stone. So I stumbled a crossed the yard to go see what it was. Picking it up I found that it was a jewel of some sort.

"Mammy, look what I found!" I yelled as I ran up to her with my lovely brown hair blowing in the winds.

"Were did you find that?" Mammy asked in shock as she took the stone from me. She looked at it as if it was some kind of snake or something. It was just a stone and that was it.

"Over there?" I pointed as I pointed to the rose bushes. Taking the stone back I looked at it again. I could see my reflection it the lovely sapphire stone. Looking into it I could of sworn I saw my mother in it.

"Give that stone here child." Mammy told me as she held out her rather large hand.

"No, I want to keep it and show father." I yelled as I ran inside. This was amazing. I couldn't believe I had came a crossed something so beautiful. "Who's is it?" I as Mammy as I exsamed the stone even more.

"Yalanda," were the words that came from Mammy's lips.

"Who's that?" I asked looking at her somewhat confused. Who was Yalanda? Was she a little girl that once lived her before my father had owned this place?

Sticking her hand out Mammy asked for the stone again. Yet again I told her no and I ran inside to tell father.

"Father, father." I yelled through the house before I came upon him. Coming upon him sitting in his favorite chair reading the paper. "Father,"

"What is it little Sam," father says as he puts me on his lap.

I show him the stone with a smile upon my little face. This was such a great find. I had never found such a thing.

"Were did you find that?" my father asked in a stern and cold voice. Why wasn't father happy for me? I was forever finding new things around the plantation. He often knew this.

"Out by the rose bushes." I said with a smile going a crossed my young face. However, my father wasn't the least bit happy to see such a thing.

"Give it here." He says in yet the same stern voice as before. I began to get a bad feeling that went through my body. Why did father want this for? It was hers finds keeper's loser's weepers. I wanted to tell him in a teasing voice. But I didn't I knew I didn't want to make him worse.

"No," I say as I hid the stone with my other hand. Father was not getting this, it was far too pretty to give it away just like that. "Finders keepers, loser's weepers." I said a loud. Not catching myself in time I realized I had said the wrong thing.

"I said give it here!" father yelled as he stood up knowing me off his lap in the process. What was father's problem? I was showing him the stone. I wanted to show it to him that was all. What made him so mad?

Not giving it to him I stood there with tears forming in my young brown eyes. My mouth began to tremble as I watch my father get mad. Taking the stone from my hands he jammed the stone into his brown pants and called for Mammy.

"Mammy, take Samantha up for her nap." He said in a voice I had never heard of. Nap? What nap? I didn't need a nap. In fact I hadn't taken one in years. I wasn't a baby anymore. I was a little girl who was just showing her father something.

"Very well, Sir," Mammy said taking my hand and leading me out of the room.

"But I don't want to take a nap." I say as I looked up at Mammy.

"Come, we must do as ya father says." Mammy said in her deep African accent.

"Mammy, why was father like that about the stone? I just wanted show it to him." I say as I sat on the edge of my bed. I did everything in my power not to go to sleep. I wasn't the least bit tired.

"It nothing Sammy," Mammy told me as she called me by her own little nickname for me. "Now, ya lay down and get to sleep, ya hear me."

Nodding my head yes I lay down and closed my eyes. I began dreaming of that stone and of course of that girl or lady Mammy talked out. Who was she? One day I was to find out but not a moment sooner.

Coming out of the flashback I shook my head and went back inside. Before long it was night fall and all the girls sat around the fire talking about their days and how they went. After this it was time for bed. Off we went and I lay awake for a few short moments thinking about father getting remarried.

The next day I had received two letters. One was from Mammy and another from a man I had never heard of before. Reading Mammy's first. She wrote that she knew of the marriage but she didn't want to write and tell me because she thought it would do something to me. Of course it would do something to me, destroy me and it had. It truly had. The next letter wasn't the least bit better.

Dear Samantha Taylor;

Your father has taken a terrible fall and has been told to stick his bed. He says he would like to see and you talk to you before anything else happens. I don't know how much longer he has left.

Doctor Kelly.

A/N: I don't have any reviews and I would like to get some. What do you think? Review!