"Mac," Harm said carefully.
"I'm alright, Mr. Rabb," she snapped, "Stop tiptoeing around me." She sounded ungrateful and she knew it, but she was so angry.
Harm was taken aback for a minute. After all that he had done in the last few days this was how she was treating him? "Don't take your frustrations out on me," he replied.
Mac let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry," she said, turning to face him. "I just. you know I thought it was over and we could start to heal. But then. now I'll have to sell. I promised AJ I would take care of this place."
Harm nodded. "You did," he told her, "It was a heavy burden to bear, but you did it. And now, you're free. Selling Sweetfern isn't losing."
"It's more than that, Harm," she said as she looked out the window and watched a few of the workers outside, "I've loved living here. This place, these people, they are my life."
"Mac, maybe it's time to start a new life," Harm said carefully. He pulled something from his pocket. It was a tattered piece of paper. "I found this in here a few days after my arrival. It's addressed to you, but it was open and my curiosity got the better of me."
He handed the paper to Mac. "It's the letter from my Uncle Matt," she said softly, "That's how you know to call yourself 'O'Hara' when Brumby asked you."
Harm nodded. "I also know that you had wanted to get away from here," he said, "From what your uncle said you were really looking forward to going north."
She smiled slightly. "Yes, I've heard that woman are freer in the north," she said, "I would like to go North."
"Now's your chance," he said as reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand. Mac stared up into his deep blue eyes, and for a moment, she lost herself in them. The, suddenly they heard a loud thud from across the room, and they both turned in the direction of the sound. Bud was standing in the corner of the room, a large volume lying on the floor at his feet. He wore the guiltiest expression Mac had every seen.
"I. uh. well, you didn't seem to notice that I was still here, so." he stammered.
A wide smile broke Harm's features as looked at Bud. Mac began to giggle. And soon all she and Harm were caught up in a fit of laughter. Bud gazed at them dumbstruck. Harriet stuck her head around the door, little AJ on her hip.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"Oh, Harriet," Mac said though her giggles, "You're a lucky woman."
Harm laughed harder, and Harriet looked confused. Little AJ had begun to laugh. He must have found the grown ups to be thoroughly amusing. Harriet put him down and pranced past Mac and Harm and ran over to his dad. He stood on top of the heavy book at Bud's feet and jumped into his arms. Eventually, the laughter quieted down, and everyone sobered.
"Bud, would you please ask Hannah to call the hands into the barn," she asked with a smile still on her face, "I need to talk with them."
Bud nodded and as he left the room, he handed AJ to Harriet. Harriet turned to Mac, "What's going on?"
"The lawyer who was just here informed me that I have to sell Sweetfern," Mac told her plainly.
Harriet's face dropped. "Mac, I'm so sorry."
Mac shrugged. "Actually, Harriet, I'm beginning to think that this may be a good thing," she said, but then her face dropped.
"What is it?" Harriet asked concerned.
"Where will you go when the farm is sold?" Mac asked crushed.
Harriet put her hand on Mac's shoulder and gave her a small smile. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you," she said, "I got a letter from my mother just before. well, I got a letter from my mother, and she's asked Bud and I to live with her in Florida until the baby is born."
Mac breathed a sigh of relief. And Harriet had a sudden idea. "Sarah," she said, "Where will you go?"
Mac glanced over at Harm, who had been watching the exchange. "I'll be heading North, as soon as I hear from my uncle in New York."
"Where will you be until then?" Harriet asked.
"I suppose I'll stay here until the sale is complete," Mac shrugged. She noticed that as she said that both Harriet and Harm stiffened. "What?" she asked them.
Harriet looked at Harm to answer. He turned his serious expression on Mac. "I don't think it's safe for you to stay here alone," he said, "Especially, since publicly refused Brumby today."
"Thank God," Harriet said enthusiastically, and Mac turned toward her. "I. I agree with Mr. Rabb. I don't like the idea of you staying here alone. Why don't you come and stay with Bud and I in Florida?"
Mac looked completely taken aback. "Harriet, I couldn't impose."
"Mac, I won't let you say no," Harriet said, "You wouldn't be imposing and I'd really like you to be there with me." Harriet gave Mac a conspiratorial smile. "Please, Mac," she pleaded, "I can't stand my mother."
Mac grinned and laughed. Harriet embraced her with her free arm. Harm looked on, his mind on his own future. He knew what he was going to have to do, and he still wasn't ready.
A half an hour later, the hands were all assembled in the barn, and Mac stood among them. They were all dressed in their homespun work clothes, and some were dirty from working in the fields. There were several children running in between their parents' legs. Hannah let out a loud whistle and gradually a hush fell over the crowd.
"Thank you all for getting in so quickly," Mac started. "I know the last few weeks have like a nightmare for many of you, and I'm afraid I have some news that you may find distressing."
The hands exchanged nervous glances, as Mac continued, "According to the law a woman cannot own property, so Sweetfern will have to be sold."
There were a few astonished gasps, but Mac raised her hand to quiet them. "AJ made provisions in his will for all of you," she said, "He's left you all one hundred dollars, as well as travel expenses. You'll be able to move wherever you like, and start new lives."
The hands exchanged more anxious looks, but their eyes were filled with excitement. They all started to talk. "North, we could go north." "Canada." They began to smile and laugh. "What about you?" on of the men asked, and everyone became quiet, "What will do mem?"
Mac swallowed. "I don't know yet," she said, "I'll be staying with the Roberts at Mrs. Robert's mother's plantation in Florida at first. I will move north eventually, but I need to wait for word from my uncle." The hands nodded, and after a few appreciative comments, they dispersed to begin packing their belongings.
"I'm alright, Mr. Rabb," she snapped, "Stop tiptoeing around me." She sounded ungrateful and she knew it, but she was so angry.
Harm was taken aback for a minute. After all that he had done in the last few days this was how she was treating him? "Don't take your frustrations out on me," he replied.
Mac let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry," she said, turning to face him. "I just. you know I thought it was over and we could start to heal. But then. now I'll have to sell. I promised AJ I would take care of this place."
Harm nodded. "You did," he told her, "It was a heavy burden to bear, but you did it. And now, you're free. Selling Sweetfern isn't losing."
"It's more than that, Harm," she said as she looked out the window and watched a few of the workers outside, "I've loved living here. This place, these people, they are my life."
"Mac, maybe it's time to start a new life," Harm said carefully. He pulled something from his pocket. It was a tattered piece of paper. "I found this in here a few days after my arrival. It's addressed to you, but it was open and my curiosity got the better of me."
He handed the paper to Mac. "It's the letter from my Uncle Matt," she said softly, "That's how you know to call yourself 'O'Hara' when Brumby asked you."
Harm nodded. "I also know that you had wanted to get away from here," he said, "From what your uncle said you were really looking forward to going north."
She smiled slightly. "Yes, I've heard that woman are freer in the north," she said, "I would like to go North."
"Now's your chance," he said as reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand. Mac stared up into his deep blue eyes, and for a moment, she lost herself in them. The, suddenly they heard a loud thud from across the room, and they both turned in the direction of the sound. Bud was standing in the corner of the room, a large volume lying on the floor at his feet. He wore the guiltiest expression Mac had every seen.
"I. uh. well, you didn't seem to notice that I was still here, so." he stammered.
A wide smile broke Harm's features as looked at Bud. Mac began to giggle. And soon all she and Harm were caught up in a fit of laughter. Bud gazed at them dumbstruck. Harriet stuck her head around the door, little AJ on her hip.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"Oh, Harriet," Mac said though her giggles, "You're a lucky woman."
Harm laughed harder, and Harriet looked confused. Little AJ had begun to laugh. He must have found the grown ups to be thoroughly amusing. Harriet put him down and pranced past Mac and Harm and ran over to his dad. He stood on top of the heavy book at Bud's feet and jumped into his arms. Eventually, the laughter quieted down, and everyone sobered.
"Bud, would you please ask Hannah to call the hands into the barn," she asked with a smile still on her face, "I need to talk with them."
Bud nodded and as he left the room, he handed AJ to Harriet. Harriet turned to Mac, "What's going on?"
"The lawyer who was just here informed me that I have to sell Sweetfern," Mac told her plainly.
Harriet's face dropped. "Mac, I'm so sorry."
Mac shrugged. "Actually, Harriet, I'm beginning to think that this may be a good thing," she said, but then her face dropped.
"What is it?" Harriet asked concerned.
"Where will you go when the farm is sold?" Mac asked crushed.
Harriet put her hand on Mac's shoulder and gave her a small smile. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you," she said, "I got a letter from my mother just before. well, I got a letter from my mother, and she's asked Bud and I to live with her in Florida until the baby is born."
Mac breathed a sigh of relief. And Harriet had a sudden idea. "Sarah," she said, "Where will you go?"
Mac glanced over at Harm, who had been watching the exchange. "I'll be heading North, as soon as I hear from my uncle in New York."
"Where will you be until then?" Harriet asked.
"I suppose I'll stay here until the sale is complete," Mac shrugged. She noticed that as she said that both Harriet and Harm stiffened. "What?" she asked them.
Harriet looked at Harm to answer. He turned his serious expression on Mac. "I don't think it's safe for you to stay here alone," he said, "Especially, since publicly refused Brumby today."
"Thank God," Harriet said enthusiastically, and Mac turned toward her. "I. I agree with Mr. Rabb. I don't like the idea of you staying here alone. Why don't you come and stay with Bud and I in Florida?"
Mac looked completely taken aback. "Harriet, I couldn't impose."
"Mac, I won't let you say no," Harriet said, "You wouldn't be imposing and I'd really like you to be there with me." Harriet gave Mac a conspiratorial smile. "Please, Mac," she pleaded, "I can't stand my mother."
Mac grinned and laughed. Harriet embraced her with her free arm. Harm looked on, his mind on his own future. He knew what he was going to have to do, and he still wasn't ready.
A half an hour later, the hands were all assembled in the barn, and Mac stood among them. They were all dressed in their homespun work clothes, and some were dirty from working in the fields. There were several children running in between their parents' legs. Hannah let out a loud whistle and gradually a hush fell over the crowd.
"Thank you all for getting in so quickly," Mac started. "I know the last few weeks have like a nightmare for many of you, and I'm afraid I have some news that you may find distressing."
The hands exchanged nervous glances, as Mac continued, "According to the law a woman cannot own property, so Sweetfern will have to be sold."
There were a few astonished gasps, but Mac raised her hand to quiet them. "AJ made provisions in his will for all of you," she said, "He's left you all one hundred dollars, as well as travel expenses. You'll be able to move wherever you like, and start new lives."
The hands exchanged more anxious looks, but their eyes were filled with excitement. They all started to talk. "North, we could go north." "Canada." They began to smile and laugh. "What about you?" on of the men asked, and everyone became quiet, "What will do mem?"
Mac swallowed. "I don't know yet," she said, "I'll be staying with the Roberts at Mrs. Robert's mother's plantation in Florida at first. I will move north eventually, but I need to wait for word from my uncle." The hands nodded, and after a few appreciative comments, they dispersed to begin packing their belongings.
