"She did it" Sam smiles to himself. "She actually did it."
Sam feels for the first time in a year true joy and elation. His eyes scan her letter relishing in every curve of her script. The way the letters on the page form sentences, Sam can almost hear her as if she's in the room with him...like he can almost forget his troubles on the Evans Plantation.
For starters, this war has been more than difficult. Thanks to Sam's quick wit and skillful tongue , he was able to keep himself as well as most of his workers out of the military by persuading Sergeant Major Carson to accept food and housing for members of the confederate military. At the time this seemed like a great way to remain somewhat neutral within the war, however the use of his land and wealthy is slowly starting to fade. The extravagant plantation is becoming a washed out memory...and with no new production; hope for a agricultural revolution is rapidly disappearing. A single knock comes to the master bedroom where Sam has hidden himself away from the constant noise of it all.
"Who is it?" He says sternly; his smile has already disappeared.
Sam hates to be disturbed; especially by the soldiers occupying his house. They're rude, dumb and cruel...and their behavior towards Sam's slaves further enforcers why Sam secretly supports the causes of the North. Sam relates himself with Odysseus from the Odyssey; how the suitors disrespected the rules of hospitality and almost ran a great kingdom into the ground. He knows exactly how angry he felt as his wealth and land were constantly abused; how all of the men just ate and drank the day away without consideration or thankfulness; not to mention the problems between his slaves and the soldiers. For instance, Two weeks ago, one of the slave girls named Jody was attacked by a drunk soldier in search of some fun. When Sam found out he nursed little Jody back to health himself after finding the soldier and practically beating him to death before the other officers could stop him. Srgt. Carson had the soldier transferred immediately after the incident, but since then Sam placed the women in separate living quarters with armed guards with orders to shoot anything that moves. The soldiers seemed a little uneasy with Sam's new policy, so the last thing he wants to deal with is a potential riot from a bunch of barbaric soldiers.
"Its just us Master Sam" Flora says through the door. Sam eases up a little watching the door open. "May says you done heard from Mercedes?"
Sam smiles being reminded of the letter in his hand. "Come in, see for yourself."
Flora walks in followed by May and Puck who's carrying baby girl.
"Is that really from Merce?" May asks with wonder.
"You mean you wasn't sure?" Flora says whacking May on the butt. "You told me you knew for sure!"
"Owww!" She whines. "It was Mr. Noah who told me so! I never saw the thing myself!"
"You sayin' you don't trust me May?" Noah smirks towards her causing her to blush.
She breathes out deeply. "That's not what I'm sayin' Mr. Noah...it's just easier to believe you when I can see it for myself."
Sam gives a hearty chuckle getting up from the bed to pass the letter to Flora. Her eyes greedily run over the page before spreading wide with pride.
"Its real" Flora says her eyes starting to well up with tears. "Del would be so happy!"
"Lemmeee see!" May squeals impatient. Flora passes her the note and May's eyes widen amazed. "I can't believe this is her!" She laughs. "Its so fancy!"
Sam watches her excitement and suddenly feels a strong sense of guilt. He wasn't thinking at the time, but maybe he should've sent May to be educated too...maybe Flora should've went as well. They both would've probably been a lot safer and happier in France. Least of all they'd be free. Even if they were faced with hardships in France, it would've been better than being stuck here in a house full of horrible confederate soldiers.
A loud crash interrupts their tiny moment of happiness...
"I better go see what that was all about!" Flora groans taking the letter from May giving it back to Sam. "All I know is they better not have broke the good china!" She huffs about. "C'mon May...and bring that baby too! Lord knows she needs to get fed and changed with a bath."
May sighs walking over to Noah and taking the little girl out of his arms. She's got an extra light coffee complexion with bright green eyes and carmel honey blonde curls. She gives May a sleepy smile as she reaches out for her.
"Alright Beth, Flora says we gotta do a lot of things before bedtime-"
"I no sleepy" the little girl yawns pushing against May's cradling hold so she can talk to her.
"You are sleepy" May corrects.
"No I not! I no sleepy! I no sleepy!"
Noah chuckles looking at his daughter in May's arms. "If she's not sleepy don't force it."
"Well when she's up half the night, I'll put her with you in your room-"
"With you in between?" Noah grins as May's eyes form a glare.
"You wish Mr. Noah!" May says switching Beth to her hip. "Let's go down to the kitchen...night Master Sam."
"Night May" both guys say together.
"She's getting so big" Sam says. "And she's prettier than Quinn."
"I know" Noah sighs. "Sometimes I wish time would slow."
"Not me...I'm ready for this war to be over" Sam groans.
"Yeah, but you don't have a kid who's on the brink of asking questions" Noah says pinching the bridge of his nose. "I keep holding my breath for the day she asks me about her mom."
Sam nods. "How is Quinn?"
"The same."
Three months after Mr. Evans and Mercedes departed for Europe, all hell broke loose for the Fabray family. The cunning and vengeful Mrs. Fabray had finally had enough of her husband's abusive nature, and on one warm southern night decided to take matters into her own hands. As a belated birthday present she scheduled him a night of pleasure at Madame LaPointe's, the closest whore-house in the next county. Not even an hour into the night, she arrived at his room to find each of his arms and legs tied to a separate bed post with a bandanna tied tightly around his mouth. That is where she ordered Big Hal, one of her slave-overseers to beat Mr. Fabray until his flesh started to peel. She watched the entire time; and with every scream or yelp Mr. Fabray offered she took a drink remembering her "Irish Heritage." When Hal had finished a swollen, bleeding man had replaced the dignified Mr. Fabray and as a final act to cause her husband even more pain, she poured an entire bottle of Jack Daniels Whisky on his open wounds. Hal had left the room, leaving Mrs. Fabray alone with her husband...and after a few more minutes of endless pleading, she finally put him out of his misery with a single shot to his heart. When the sheriff asked what had happened and who attacked Mr. Fabray; Mrs. Fabray admitted to the entire act claiming she was taking her revenge...and was fully ready to accept the consequences. Reluctantly the town had sentenced her to death, but granted her the request of seeing her daughter before the execution...which is where her mother revealed that when Quinn was a little girl she found her father molesting her. On the gallows, Mrs. Fabray asked for forgiveness from her daughter for not "getting rid of the bastard sooner" before practically soaring off the edge with a smile on her face.
Naturally with the horrific loss of her parents, the revelation of her dark past and with the news of her accidental pregnancy...Quinn went temporarily insane and was sent to the Jeffrey Holmes Asylum for Women. Noah searched for her for months before discovering where she had been placed; and putting two and two together he realized that he was the father of her baby. With Quinn being locked away in an Asylum, doctors had attempted to give her an abortion but Noah was able to convince them to give him custody of the child until Quinn got better.
It had been a little over a year, and Quinn still wasn't better. The Fabray Plantation went to ruins, all property sold, and all slaves either on the run or working some place else. The only thing Noah has to remember Quinn is their daughter, Beth. And with all of those memories silently haunting them, the last thing he wants is for his daughter to end up scarred like her mother. Conforming to social standards of beauty and sustenance? Forever being told how to act, what to do, who to love? He's seen first hand how rebelling against something that's inbred inside of you can destroy everything? He wants better for Beth.
"What's with you and May" Sam says changing the subject. He's noticed how every time May get's brought up or if she's in the room, how Noah slightly perks up.
A small smile creeps along his face. "Nothing much...I just like messing with her."
"Seems like a lot more than-"
"Well I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't like her" he chuckles. "But she's stuck on some guy named Abe."
"Ahhh" Sam says. "She could change her mind."
"Doubt it" Noah shrugs. "But as long as she cares for Beth...Beth loves her. They look good together...almost like mother and daughter, and they cling to each other like they are. Maybe that's another reason why I like her, cause if I did we all could just...fit."
Sam smiles. He used to have dreams like that too. Mercedes round with his baby; a little swirl of their own with equal features. Curly dark hair and a fair complexion or hazel-green eyes with milky chocolate skin. Or maybe tannish gold sun kissed skin, with big dark eyes and pouty full lips. With her chubby cheeks and his wide smile...thinking about it makes his chest tighten.
"Sam," Noah says. "If you miss her that much, why don't you go to her?"
"For the same reasons I didn't go in the first place...I'm needed here! Who's gonna run this place if-"
"We're friends right?" Noah interrupts. "As your friend I can tell you things right?"
Sam frowns unsure of where this conversation is headed.
"As your friend I can tell you right now that this place is lost. You can't revive it! There's barely nothing here!"
Sam shakes his head refusing to believe it. "You're wrong, I've worked it all out. I'm just waiting for this war to end and then you'll see-"
"This war isn't ending any time soon!" Noah snaps. "Besides, you're starting to run out of money catering to all of these leeches! Something's gotta give! You should sell this place before you loose everything."
"I can't sell it" Sam groans. "Who would even by it? Everyone's loosing money...besides this place is my home. I've already lost just about everything...my legacy is all I have left. I can't give up, not yet."
Noah breathes in deeply unsure of what else he can say. "I'll talk to you later."
Sam nods. "Yeah, I need to start writing back to Merce." Noah nods preparing to leave but Sam stops him.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks" he says.
Noah shakes his head with a laugh. "You're welcome, you rotten bastard."
Sam smiles watching him go before walking to his father's desk to begin writing his answer to Mercedes.
A Few Weeks Later...
Mercedes is out walking in the gardens with Finn and Kurt listening to their stories about their travels around Europe.
"Italy is absolutely lovely this time of year...maybe we should all take a trip?"
"To Italy?" Mercedes says skeptically. "You would pick a country where you don't know the language."
"Well I speak italian" Kurt brags.
"As do I" Finn adds. "Well sort of...I like spaghetti."
Mercedes lets out a laugh that has Finn grinning from ear to ear at it's clear jovial sound.
"Besides, it would be good for you. One of those "learning experiences" you keep bragging about" Kurt smiles picking a flower from a nearby bush.
"Wait a second, you'd want me to come too?" Mercedes asks shocked. "Me? In Italy?"
"Yeah, why not?" Finn asks excitedly. "Especially with you studying so hard? You need a break."
"Not to mention all of the Carnival of Venice!" Kurt practically shrieks. "Oh Mercedes you'd look stunning in-"
"Me? Stunning?" She almost laughs but both guys look at her with eager expressions. "Are you sure about this? Like I doubt if Mr. Evans would even let me go."
"Why not? We're all old enough...besides we'd take good care of you" Finn promises.
"Not to mention we have some very high ranking connections...and I would just love designing your costume-"
"Costume?"
"For Carnival!" Kurt explains clapping his hands together. "Its settled we're going!"
He leaves Finn and Mercedes in the garden going towards the direction of the house to find their parents or guardians.
"Are you sure this is going to be safe?" Mercedes says. "I mean, for someone of my status."
Finn gives her a reassuring smile. "Of course...we'll just tell everyone that you are a royal visiting from-"
"A princess" she laughs.
"Why not?" Finn grins as well. "It doesn't matter, we'll think of something."
They both continue through the gorgeous maze, coming up with different scenarios Mercedes could act out.
A/N: hey guys...did you miss me? lol okay so i got stuck again but hopefully this fixed it...i felt it was a good place to stop and hopefully more is to come really soon.
i apologize if the stuff i wrote about The Fabrays got extremely dark, i don't mean to offend anyone and if it greatly upsets you guys i have no problem changing it or taking it out completely...i wanna make sure you guys feel comfortable in reading my stuff...although i'm really not going to apologize for the whole beating of Mr. Fabray and then having Mrs. Fabray pour whisky on his open wounds...reason why it got so graphic is because i legit can't stand men who abuse women, not to mention he was also a cruel plantation owner...and the fact that he was a child molester (that's the part i can take out if people find it too uncomfortable) so honestly it's amazing that i didn't have something worse happen to him before his character died.
uh...i think that's about it...thank you so much for your patience...and please leave me reviews...i love you guys because you're the best!
much love...pce!