Rose Hill, 1780
"I'm glad to see you're all better," George said as Quinn walked in the drawing room for tea. Rachel followed behind, but even though nor Judy or Lady Angeline were there, she didn't sit down. Quinn hated that they had to be so careful all the time. It was just one of the things that would change as soon as they moved, and she honestly couldn't wait for it. "Arabella and I are planning on leaving tonight after dinner, since you won't need me anymore," he said.
"With this weather? Are you insane?" Quinn asked, pointing her finger to the window on their right. A huge storm had arrived the night before and it seemed to get worst with each past minute. The wind howled nonstop and the rain hit the windows so loudly at night that Quinn had had a hard time falling asleep.
"You can't leave!" Rachel said with her eyes bulged out. George and Quinn were surprised to hear her talking. She never did so, unless they had the doors closed. She looked around to see if anyone else had appeared in the room, and went on when she knew they were alone. "There's a hurricane coming," she said in a whisper.
"A hurricane?" George asked, setting his teacup down at the table and turning towards Rachel. Rachel nodded firmly and Quinn tensed up.
"How do you know?" Quinn asked, reaching out her hand for Rachel to grab and come closer to them. Rachel took a few steps forward, but didn't grab Quinn's hand. Not where everyone could see them.
"Slaves know that kind of stuff," she said with a small shrug. Quinn frowned in confusion and Rachel sighed before explaining, as if it sounded too obvious to her. "You learn to feel when those things are coming when you work so close to the nature. They have been talking about that for days down the quarters. I have heard the rumors and it's supposed to be a pretty big hurricane. Everyone is scared down there," she said.
The last thing Quinn wanted to do was to underestimate Rachel, but she had always been skeptical. She doubted that someone could simply feel when a hurricane was coming. Still, when she looked out of the window and saw the former steady palm trees swaying as if they danced ballet, something inside of her told her that, once again, Rachel would be right. But even if she weren't, it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Then you can't leave," Quinn told George. "Wait at least until tomorrow to see if the rain will stop," she said.
"Alright, I'll talk to Arabella and see if she agrees on staying," he said, getting up from the armchair and buttoning up his blazer. "Rachel, keep us posted if you hear anything else, will you?" he asked. Rachel nodded.
"I'm getting nervous," Quinn said, pulling her bedroom's curtain to peek outside. "The winds are getting even stronger. I have never seen those trees bending that much."
"You're right," Rachel said, sitting by the fire and rubbing her hands together. "It's gonna hit us before the next sunrise. The air is feeling too light, it must be pretty close." Quinn nodded, but she had no idea what Rachel was talking about. She took a deep breath, trying to feel what Rachel was talking about, but nothing felt different for her. "I'm worried about the slaves down the quarters," she said.
"Why?" Quinn asked, walking towards her and sitting on the arm of Rachel's chair. Rachel wrapped an arm around Quinn's waist and smiled at her. Quinn felt a condescending overtone in Rachel's smile and almost felt guilty for not knowing what Rachel meant.
"This house is made out of bricks. It will probably keep us safe, even if the hurricane is a big one" she said, running a hand along Quinn's arm. "The quarters and the kitchen house aren't as sturdy. Things could go bad very quickly down there if the hurricane hits us hard."
Quinn felt the dumbest for never thinking of that. The farm had been hit by many hurricanes before, but never once she heard anyone talking about that. Of course, her parents had never cared about the slaves. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that on her own sooner. If she was scared being inside such a big house, she couldn't even imagine how the slaves felt in their tiny bedrooms.
"Let's go get them," Quinn said, getting up and walking towards her closet to try to find her raincoat. It was useless, she could never find anything in there. Rachel was always the one to pick her clothes.
"What?" Rachel asked in surprise, following her into the closet. Quinn grabbed the first pair of boots she found and handed them to Rachel. "What are you doing?" Rachel asked again.
"Grab me a raincoat. I'm gonna go down there to get them and bring them here so that they can be safe too," Quinn said, sitting on the floor and untying her shoe. Rachel's eyes went wide, but she kneeled on the floor and started to help.
"Quinn, you can't walk down there! The wind would throw you miles away!" Rachel said. She had not agreed with Quinn, but she still helped her put on the boots.
"I'm gonna ride Star," she said. It would be easier than trying to walk against the rain and winds. Perhaps she could try to get Star inside too - she wasn't sure the stable was sturdy enough either. God, how had she never thought of that before? She loved her horse. How many hurricanes had her horse been hit by, all alone in a stable? It hurt her inside to realize how selfish she had been.
"I'm coming with you, then," Rachel said, untying her apron and throwing it onto the ground.
"Rachel, you don't have to. I'll go and you stay here with Ollie!" Quinn said. She didn't want to put Rachel in danger, but she knew Rachel wouldn't agree on staying.
"You're not going there alone," she said, shaking her head. "I feel terrible for saying this, because I'm a slave too - but I don't trust them. I won't let you get there alone," Rachel said. Quinn felt her stomach fluttering. She loved when Rachel was so determined. She loved when Rachel was so protective. She handed Rachel a pair of boots, too.
The walk to the stable felt like a war. They weren't out for more than a second and Quinn already felt her gown soaked. The raincoats were useless against the cold rain that hit them. Quinn grabbed Rachel's hand to make sure the wind wouldn't drift them apart and they ran their way down. Quinn breathed out in relief to see everything was still okay inside the stable. The horses were dry, although many of them felt more agitated than usual. Perhaps they felt the hurricane coming too. Perhaps Quinn was the only who didn't feel it.
Quinn didn't even waste time to saddle the horses. It wasn't comfortable to ride like that, but the raindrops hurt so much against her skin that she didn't even focus on how it hurt to have her bones bumping on the horse's back as Star ran her way down the hill. Ace ran close behind, with Rachel on its back. None of them seemed to mind the rain. Quinn was impressed by their strength, cutting through the rain and the wind so easily.
Rachel was the one to get inside the quarters and tell the slaves they were supposed to go to the big house for shelter. Quinn bit her lip when she saw the surprised looks in their face as they came out into the rain. Mothers wrapped their children with blankets, and Quinn's heart broke. She couldn't imagine being in their place. She couldn't imagine having to leave in the rain with Oliver. But she was helping them, and it felt good to do so.
Rachel went in front of them, leading their way on top of Ace. The slaves all walked close to each other, protecting each other. Quinn could count at least a thousand of them. For once in her life she would see her house filled with people. For once in her life all those rooms would serve for something more than just decoration. Quinn was the last one to leave, making sure no one had been left behind before following Rachel's lead back to the house.
"Dorea!" Quinn exclaimed when they reached the kitchen house. Dorea put her head out of the window with her hand sheltering her eyes from the rain and jumped back on startle when she saw the so many slaves behind Quinn. "I'm taking the slaves to the mansion. There's a hurricane coming! Go call Abbigail and Lou Lee, you shouldn't be here either, it can be dangerous!"
"Yes, ma'am," Dorea said with a small bow of head. She was closing the window to go do as she was told, when Quinn called her again.
"Please, bring all the blankets you have. Once you get there, grab the blankets from the guest rooms too. Everyone is wet, I don't want them to be cold. Light up all the fireplaces and make sure they are settled comfortably, alright?" Quinn said. Dorea stood still in shock. Rachel smiled proudly. "Ask for Abbie to feed them too. I want you to treat them as you would treat any other of my guests. We have a long night ahead of us," she said.
Her heart was slamming against her chest. She felt a thrill she had never felt before. For once in her life, she felt like she was doing the right thing.
Quinn groaned when she heard her mother's screams coming from down the stairs. She had barely managed to put on dry clothes and the last thing she wanted to do was to go calm her mother down, but she knew she had no other choice.
"Quinn, have you gone mad?" Judy slammed her fists against Quinn's bedroom's door, and Quinn took a deep breath before opening it, only to find her mother's face in a boiling red of angerness. "Why are all the slaves sitting on my living room?"
"First of all, it's not your living room, mother. Nothing here is yours, remember?" Quinn said, wiggling her eyebrows up as she walked passed her mother and went down to the library - the one room she had told Abbie to not let slaves in. She knew her mother wouldn't be so keen on having slaves around and assumed if she had at least one room to herself she wouldn't complain so much. "You may stay in here, if you want. The other rooms are gonna be fixed for the slaves to spend the night in. There's a hurricane coming and I don't think the quarters would be safe enough for them."
"Oh Lord, you truly have gone mad! How could you know a hurricane is coming?" Judy asked, putting both her hands over her head. Quinn rolled her eyes. She knew her mother wouldn't believe it if she said Rachel had told her so, so she chose to not say anything. "They have survived all the hurricanes that hit this island so far, I don't know why this one would be different!" Her mother huffed. Lady Angeline walked inside the room, looking around with a frown of disgust. She didn't have to say one word for Quinn to know she wasn't very happy either.
"Mother, I'm just being careful. If nothing happens to the quarters, that's even better. For now you have to either settle for sharing this house for one night or you can go find other place to stay. I wouldn't advise that though, because as I have said, there's a hurricane coming."
"Miss Quinn!" Lou Lee said, storming inside the library.
"I thought you said they wouldn't get in this room," Lady Angeline murmured under her breath, taking a step back in surprise.
"Oh, enough from the two of you! I have more important things to worry about!" Quinn snapped. Her face softened again when she turned back to face Lou Lee. "What is it, Lou?" she asked. Her aunt quirked one eyebrow up at the nickname, but didn't dare to say anything.
"Arabella is in labor!" Lou Lee beamed, almost as if the baby to come was from her own family. It was the kind of behavior that made Quinn sure she was doing the right thing. Those slaves were so loyal and kind to her family that she knew she could never repay them. "George told me to let you know. Abbie and my mother are already upstairs aiding her, so I'll be taking care of the other slaves."
"That's great!" Quinn answered with a big grin and a nod. She hadn't been so fond of Arabella at first, but the woman had certainly grown on her once Quinn saw how well she treated George. The way she embraced Rachel into the family without asking any questions was sure a point to her side as well. "Where are Ollie and Bernie?" Quinn asked in concern.
"They're asleep, but Rachel is keeping an eye on them at the nursery," Lou Lee answered with a small bow of her head.
"Well, I should go and check on my daughter-in-law, then," Judy said, walking towards the door. Quinn grabbed her fist to stop her, but she yanked it free as her mouth fell open at Quinn's audacity. "What do you think you're doing?"
"They haven't asked for you, mother. I'm sure they will if you're needed, but until then, please stay here. There's enough going on in this house, I'm sure no one needs you running around and agitating things even more," Quinn said. Judy crossed her arms and sat down, much like a spoiled child, and Lady Angeline did the same. Quinn wanted to get away from there and just go stay with Rachel at the nursery, but something told her she shouldn't leave the two woman alone.
"Slaves helping to deliver a white baby," Lady Angeline whispered, shaking her head.
"What is wrong with that?" Quinn asked, leaning against a bookshelf. She knew she still had many hours to go in that room with her aunt and that it would just be easier if she didn't pick a fight, but she couldn't stop herself. It didn't feel right to just stay quiet and listen to words like those. If she didn't say anything, she was being complacent. "A slave helped deliver me," she said with a shrug.
"Yes, we all know how that turned out," Lady Angeline said with a giggle. Both Judy and Quinn frowned, not quite catching what she wanted to say. Lady Angeline rolled her eyes and explained herself. Quinn wished she hadn't. "You're not supposed to create that kind of bond with slaves, especially this early in life. That's probably why you have such a hard time putting them on their place."
"You're vile, aunt Angeline," Quinn said with a groan. "Abbie and Dorea are amazing people. They helped deliver Oliver and even George was able to admit he didn't have as much knowledge in the matter as they did," she said.
"Well, that sure wasn't a good idea! What is wrong with that child?" Lady Angeline asked, cringing. Quinn's mouth hung open. Everyone had noticed something odd about Oliver, but no one had been brave enough to voice it - at least not in front of Quinn. Lady Angeline had been the first, and Quinn would make sure she was the last. "He's hideous!"
"I'm sorry, but if that's what you think perhaps you just shouldn't come to this farm anymore," Quinn said, biting her inner cheeks. She had to act collected, but inside all she wanted was to rip Lady Angeline's throat apart. "Let's be honest here, there's no reason for it. I sure won't miss you. You can visit George in Basseterre and my mother can go meet you there, although we all know you two aren't as close as you pretend to be. Why else would you need to come all the way here?"
"You're right, Quinn," Lady Angeline said, crossing her hands atop of her lap. Quinn furrowed her eyebrows. She knew it wouldn't be just that. She knew she wouldn't be let go so easily. "I'll make sure to leave as soon as the hurricane has passed, now that I know I'm not welcomed. Please, send my regards to that slave of yours. I'm sure she will miss me, although you can try to make up for that absence."
"Quinn, what is going on?" Judy got up to her feet, walking towards Quinn with more anger than Quinn had seen in a good while. "This is not the first time someone implies you have something going on with that slave. What is happening?"
"Nothing is happening, mother," Quinn growled between her teeth. "She's just trying to get you against me, can't you see that? We all know who is the sinner in this room." It hurt her to say so, but she knew she had to take a step forward if she wanted her mother to believe her.
"You better not be lying to me, Quinn, otherwise-" Judy threatened her, raising her hand in front of Quinn's face. Quinn grabbed her hand again, but she didn't yank it this time.
"Otherwise what, mother?" Quinn asked, gripping tighter on her mother's wrist. "You can't threaten me anymore. You don't control me anymore. Stop acting like you have a say on anything that happens in this farm, or you might be the next one to be forbidden to get in here," she said.
"Otherwise I'll kill you, Quinn," Judy whispered in a way not even Lady Angeline would be able to hear. Quinn wouldn't even have witnesses to those words, in case something happened in the future. "Everyday I regret putting you in this world. It would be the last straw I need to take you out of it."
"Quinn! Come on in, come meet your beautiful niece!" said George when Quinn appeared on the door once Abbie told her the baby had been born. Rachel hid behind the door - she wanted to see the baby, but she didn't know if she was welcome. Arabella had always been nice to her, but it was hard to know what the boundaries were. She wasn't exactly family. Quinn came inside, and soon Rachel heard. "Where's Rachel? Bring her in too!" George said. Rachel's smile lit up.
"Oh dear Lord! She's beautiful!" Quinn said, coming inside and pulling a chair to sit by Arabella's side. Arabella looked up to Quinn with a grin and Rachel stepped closer. It felt like a hundred years since Oliver had been born but at the same time he still looked so small in her arms. Yet, it didn't matter how much time passed, she would never forget the feeling - the feeling that Arabella also felt in that moment. A feeling that came to every woman who held their baby for the first time, regardless of their race or status. A love that could never be measured. "George, she looks just like you!"
"Doesn't she?" Arabella squealed. Rachel giggled and placed one hand on Quinn's shoulder to look at the baby. It was indeed a beautiful baby. All her features laid perfectly on her face. Her nose wasn't smashed. She was perfect, in a way Oliver would never be. That didn't make Rachel love him any less. In fact, something made Rachel feel like she loved Oliver even more once she found out he wasn't like all the other babies. "That's because you haven't seen her eyes! They're bright blue, just like George's!" said Arabella. Her voice carried a pride that Rachel knew well.
"What's her name?" Rachel asked in a whisper. She wouldn't want to wake up the baby who slept so peacefully in Arabella's arms.
"Matilda," George answered with a smile. Arabella nodded. "We're calling her Tilly for now, though. Matilda sounds just too serious for a baby this small," he said, grabbing the Matilda's hand between his fingers and squeezing it gently. The baby squirmed, but smiled. Everyone else smiled along. It was the magical effect babies had, of always making everyone happier and carefree.
"It suits her perfectly," Quinn said with a giggle, but took a deep breath and straightened herself on the chair. Rachel frowned, feeling Quinn's mood shifting. "Are you still planning on going to America?" she asked.
"Yes," Arabella said firmly with a nod. "We're gonna wait a month or so, until she's just a little bit older and stronger to endure the trip, but we are definitely going as soon as we can. We just don't feel like this is the right place to raise a baby," she shrugged with a sad smile, as if she pitied Rachel for not being able to do the same. "We still think you should come with us," Arabella said.
"Yes, precisely," Quinn said, nodding along. "We're going. I think Oliver will be better assisted there. I got an offer for the farm and I think I'm gonna sell it. Things really aren't going well around here, so we're gonna be moving with not a lot of money. What are your plans, once we get there?" she asked. Rachel's heart raced. She, more than anyone, knew how hard it was for Quinn to give up control. She was willing to move to wherever her brother said so, just to be certain Oliver would have a doctor by his side at all times. Rachel didn't know how she could love Quinn any more, but it always grew.
"Quinn, that's wonderful!" George said, getting up to his feet in excitement. He ran to his briefcase and grabbed a few papers, bringing them for Quinn to check. "Here, look at this. I have a friend from school who has moved to New York and he bought a small building in a nice neighborhood in the city. We were thinking of renting an apartment there at first, to see how things go before we buy anything. It's very small, I mean, it has just two bedrooms, but we don't really need anything bigger than that. Especially since we won't have anyone to help us with house chores," he said, narrowing his eyes towards Quinn. It was a question, of whether she would be bringing Rachel as a slave or as something else. Rachel didn't know the answer to that either. Quinn nodded, either ignoring or not understanding the implied question, and George went on. "It really isn't expensive, I'm sure you could rent one of those too. It would be a dream to live this close to you!"
"Can I keep one of those? To read it more carefully later," Quinn asked, holding up one of the paper sheets. George nodded with his biggest smile. Rachel's stomach fluttered with excitement too. They had been talking about moving for a while, but it had never sounded so concrete. "How do you plan on making money, though?" she asked. "I mean, we will have money to last for a year or so if we don't splurge, but what about after that?"
"Well, I'm a doctor, I can move my work with me," he said with a shy smile, not trying to sound condescending. "I can definitely give you a hand in case you ever need money, you don't have to worry about that. But I'm sure you will find something you can do. It's a big city, there's gonna be opportunities everywhere. You could buy a small market or a store, that could give you some security," he said. Quinn nodded again. Rachel could almost see all the thoughts running like mad inside of Quinn's head. She rubbed Quinn's shoulder softly and Quinn looked up to her with a smile that was only meant to her.
"Alright. Just keep me posted on what you are planning, okay?" Quinn said, and Arabella nodded excitedly. It was heart warming to know that they had people who were so happy to be by their side. Rachel didn't always know what the boundaries were, but she sure felt like family sometimes. "We're gonna go to give you guys some rest. If you need anything, just call Lou Lee. She can help if Tilly gives you a hard time," she said with a grin, although all of them knew Arabella and George wouldn't call anyone. They had meant it when they said they didn't want their baby to know slavery. "Stay safe," she said, getting up and grabbing Rachel's hand to head out. It still felt weird to have Quinn hold her hand in front of other people, even if Rachel trusted George almost as much as she trusted Quinn.
"Hey, Quinn?" George called out, before they left the room. Quinn turned back to face him. "It was really nice what you did, bringing all the slaves up here. I'm really proud of you," he said. Quinn didn't say anything back, she just smiled and acknowledged the compliment with a small bow. She hadn't done so to earn compliments. She had done so because she had finally learned how to feel empathy. George was proud of her, but he would never know the amount of pride Rachel carried.
Rachel and Quinn were cuddled up in bed for what it felt like hours, but with each lightning strike and thunder Rachel would jump and get startled. There was no way Quinn would be able to fall asleep like that. Another thunder growled in the sky, and Rachel groaned, burying her head on Quinn's neck.
"Do you think Oliver is okay? He's probably awake because of all this noise," Rachel murmured. It was so very clear that Rachel was projecting her on fears on to Oliver that Quinn wouldn't help but giggle. Rachel pouted, and it only made Quinn want to giggle more.
"Oliver is fine, love," Quinn answered, dropping a kiss on Rachel's forehead. "That's the beauty of him. He is probably just sleeping and dreaming in his own little world, without caring at all about what's happening outside. You should try to do the same," she said.
"I know, but I'm scared," Rachel sighed. Quinn was surprised to realize that she, on the other hand, wasn't scared at all. Everyone she loved was safe and together inside a house that was sturdy enough to resist even the worst weathers. The rest of the world could crumble down to pieces, and she wouldn't care one bit.
"I know what we can do to distract you from the storm outside," Quinn said in a warm whisper and Rachel looked up instantly with growing eyes. A smirk came to her lips and it made Quinn's heart skip a bit. They hadn't been together as frequently since Oliver had been born and somehow that only made their moments together feel more special.
Rachel's hand moved to where her face had rested, right on Quinn's shoulder, and her nails scratched the thin skin making Quinn bite back the smile that had been on her lips. Nothing would ever beat the feeling of being completely at Rachel's mercy. She had to stop herself from the embarrassment of letting out a moan because of such a small action, but Rachel noticed her response. She always did, which is precisely why they worked so well. Rachel could read every flinch of Quinn's body and know exactly how far she could go.
Their lips met by instinct and their bodies swayed together like in a dance. In a matter of seconds the lightning strikes were nothing more than an audience to the smell of love that filled the room. Rachel pulled down Quinn's gown without ever letting go of her mouth. Those were the kisses that gave meaning to Quinn's life. The kisses that lasted forever and got her lips feeling numb. The kisses with small bites that left Quinn's lips feeling sore the next day, a gentle reminder that Rachel was real and Rachel was hers.
Quinn would never understand how something could hurt so good. How Rachel could slap her skin raw and instead of trying to stop, her body would just stay still asking for more. Her flesh was bright pink, but it never felt like enough. She murmured obscenities just to have Rachel murmuring it back. She cursed indecencies to have Rachel shutting her up. She jolted her hips up to have Rachel's hand finally where she most wanted and needed.
Being in the eye of a hurricane had never been such a literal feeling. The winds howling outside could easily be mistaken by Quinn's loud moans. She felt like the whole bedroom spun with every spin of Rachel's finger around her clit. Rachel spun faster, but not fast enough. Never fast enough. Rachel knew just when to stop, to drive Quinn right by the edge but never let her go completely. It was frustrating. It was torturing. It was the best thing that had ever happened to Quinn.
Quinn grabbed her own breast, but only for a second. Rachel wouldn't let her. Her body was Rachel's and she claimed every inch of it. Rachel bit her hard. She saw stars behind her eyelids. She felt tears pooling in her eyes. She felt something else pooling between her legs. She whispered.
"Fuck yes, bite me again."
Rachel did, and pushed her fingers firm and hard inside Quinn. It was all too much. It was always too much. It was just how they were. It wouldn't be them if everything was just nice and easy. Rachel pushed harder and each thrust felt like heaven and hell all at once. A hurricane wasn't anything. A hurricane couldn't bring her down like Rachel could. Quinn got further than she ever thought she could be and she knew it was the furthest she would get. Rachel somehow knew it too, and let her go.
She had felt good earlier that day when she let the slaves and knew she was doing the right thing. She had felt amazing when she had George acknowledging her actions. But she never felt as great and powerful as she did as she fell down back onto Rachel's arms. Everything always came down to Rachel. If it weren't for Rachel, Quinn wouldn't have grown to see how her actions had been wrong all along. If it weren't for Rachel, she wouldn't have realized how she wasn't exactly right either, and how delicious it felt to be wrong in that particular matter. Rachel had changed her. Rachel had saved her. And it was time to give it back.
Quinn took a few short breaths, to gather the air her lungs had lost, and flipped to fall on top of Rachel. Rachel took her gown down on her own and didn't blush at all while Quinn watched her. There was no more inhibitions between two bodies that knew the other like their own. Quinn leaned forward to take Rachel's lips again and let her tongue spell the love she felt for Rachel right inside her mouth.
Rachel was the one to moan this time. The winds howled again. None of them heard the knock on the door. Quinn let out a shaky breath when her knee fell in between Rachel's leg. Skin against skin, they were just too caught up within themselves. The hurricane that swirled outside couldn't swipe them away - but other things could.
The door opened. Quinn pulled the covers over themselves, but not fast enough. Never fast enough. Judy's whole face was on fire and Quinn's mouth felt lifeless, unable to form one whole comprehensible sentence. Judy left without a word. Words would be meaningless by then. Quinn didn't need them to know what it all meant.
It was the end. Their end. Her end.
A/N: Not the end of the story though! We still have one chapter and one epilogue left! See you all next week :)