They arrived at the plantation on the Santee just at sunset. Hannah rested with Susan in her arms, trying not to close her eyes. Whenever she did, she saw Thomas. Even when she didn't close her eyes she saw him. He was everywhere. In the nearby bushes that lined the path to the plantation, walking beside the wagon, she couldn't stop looking for him, looking for his alive green eyes, waiting to hear his reassuring voice telling her that it was all a nightmare. But it didn't come. Instead her eyes met those of Gabriel. Those eyes. They were so pained, tortured. He gazed at her, his jaw set firmly. "What are we going to do?" She whispered. He merely gazed at her. "We'll continue to live. Thomas wouldn't want us to mourn for too long." Gabriel said softly. "Well, he didn't count on me." She replied, casting her gaze out the cart, resting on the figure of Nathan.
When they reached the plantation, Charlotte made sure to feed them some food. Then she whisked the children off to bed, tucking in the little girls and making sure everyone had a place to sleep. Hannah had been given a room all to herself and a comforting bed that beckoned her, but she could not accept it. She couldn't sleep. Every time she tried she saw Thomas' face as the dirt fell over it. She wandered about the house, searching for the girls' room. When she finally found it, she stopped short. Benjamin was sitting on the stairs with his head in his hands. Charlotte was watching him, but she walked into the next room with a sigh. Hannah hesitated before she went and sat down beside him on the steps.
He lifted his head as the steps creaked where she sat. He smiled half-heartedly and patted her on the back. She stared at him with knowing eyes. "It's not your fault." She said softly. Benjamin looked at her, his blue eyes dark with pain. "You aren't responsible for Thomas' death." She said again. "If I had just joined the army, this wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't have been home, I wouldn't have insisted on caring for the soldiers and my son would still be alive." He said, almost spitting out the words. "If you hadn't been there, the soldiers still would have come anyway, and who knows what those soldiers would have done to us after they saw that we had no male protection!" Hannah said angrily. "Thomas did what he thought was right, knowing full well the consequences. He did what he wanted." She said, her voice quieting down.
"So you're saying, it's Thomas' fault." Benjamin said scornfully. "Yes. Thomas did it of his own accord. He wouldn't want you to hold yourself responsible." She said quietly. "But he was my child. Mine. I have to have someone to blame for this and it might as well be me." He said with an restless sigh. "Don't think that way. If Thomas were here standing right in front of you he'd tell you to stop being so foolish. Look at yourself Mister Martin. You too did what you thought was right, you saved your son. And whether you realize it or not you saved him for Thomas. You finished what he started. You too did what YOU thought was right." She said quietly. Benjamin sat still, clasping his hands tightly. "I made my sons kill those men. I hurt them. I killed those men." He said. "Yes, but you saved your son, from those men who would have killed your son. You saved your family Mister Martin. That's all you could have done. Don't blame yourself. Things happen for a reason. We just don't know why." Hannah said gently.
"You had feelings for my son." Benjamin said softly, still staring straight ahead. Hannah held her head high. "Yes I did. I cared for him very much." She replied proudly. "Yet you still say that it was his fault." He said, his eyes drifting towards her. "Isn't it true that when you love someone, you should tell them the truth? If there had been any way that Thomas had survived, I would have told him exactly what I thought. No matter what. I would have told him that what he did was stupid. I did tell him before he ran off. I told him everything would be alright. I told him." She said, tears beginning to trickle down her cheek. Benjamin pulled himself upright and looked at her, his eyes feeling the same pain that she felt. He didn't speak, but simply put his arm around her and drew her close as she began to sob, her cries echoing through out the long hallway as she sobbed into his chest. She cried for everything, for Thomas, for her parents, for the life she had lost, and she let it all out
When they reached the plantation, Charlotte made sure to feed them some food. Then she whisked the children off to bed, tucking in the little girls and making sure everyone had a place to sleep. Hannah had been given a room all to herself and a comforting bed that beckoned her, but she could not accept it. She couldn't sleep. Every time she tried she saw Thomas' face as the dirt fell over it. She wandered about the house, searching for the girls' room. When she finally found it, she stopped short. Benjamin was sitting on the stairs with his head in his hands. Charlotte was watching him, but she walked into the next room with a sigh. Hannah hesitated before she went and sat down beside him on the steps.
He lifted his head as the steps creaked where she sat. He smiled half-heartedly and patted her on the back. She stared at him with knowing eyes. "It's not your fault." She said softly. Benjamin looked at her, his blue eyes dark with pain. "You aren't responsible for Thomas' death." She said again. "If I had just joined the army, this wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't have been home, I wouldn't have insisted on caring for the soldiers and my son would still be alive." He said, almost spitting out the words. "If you hadn't been there, the soldiers still would have come anyway, and who knows what those soldiers would have done to us after they saw that we had no male protection!" Hannah said angrily. "Thomas did what he thought was right, knowing full well the consequences. He did what he wanted." She said, her voice quieting down.
"So you're saying, it's Thomas' fault." Benjamin said scornfully. "Yes. Thomas did it of his own accord. He wouldn't want you to hold yourself responsible." She said quietly. "But he was my child. Mine. I have to have someone to blame for this and it might as well be me." He said with an restless sigh. "Don't think that way. If Thomas were here standing right in front of you he'd tell you to stop being so foolish. Look at yourself Mister Martin. You too did what you thought was right, you saved your son. And whether you realize it or not you saved him for Thomas. You finished what he started. You too did what YOU thought was right." She said quietly. Benjamin sat still, clasping his hands tightly. "I made my sons kill those men. I hurt them. I killed those men." He said. "Yes, but you saved your son, from those men who would have killed your son. You saved your family Mister Martin. That's all you could have done. Don't blame yourself. Things happen for a reason. We just don't know why." Hannah said gently.
"You had feelings for my son." Benjamin said softly, still staring straight ahead. Hannah held her head high. "Yes I did. I cared for him very much." She replied proudly. "Yet you still say that it was his fault." He said, his eyes drifting towards her. "Isn't it true that when you love someone, you should tell them the truth? If there had been any way that Thomas had survived, I would have told him exactly what I thought. No matter what. I would have told him that what he did was stupid. I did tell him before he ran off. I told him everything would be alright. I told him." She said, tears beginning to trickle down her cheek. Benjamin pulled himself upright and looked at her, his eyes feeling the same pain that she felt. He didn't speak, but simply put his arm around her and drew her close as she began to sob, her cries echoing through out the long hallway as she sobbed into his chest. She cried for everything, for Thomas, for her parents, for the life she had lost, and she let it all out