Part One, Chapter Two

Love of the Land

…

Geoff O'Hara jumped over a fence on his white horse and through the river. He jumped over two more fences before stopping.

"There's none in the county that can touch you," said Geoff. "And none in the state."

He heard something and turned to see Courtney running towards him, laughing and her frilly white skirt picked up.

"Pa!" she called. "So proud of yourself, you are!"

"Well, Eliza Courtney O'Hara," said Geoff. "So, you've been spying on me. And like your sister Anne Maria, you'll be telling your mother on me that I was jumping again."

"Oh, Pa, you know I'm no tattletale like Anne Maria," said Courtney. "But it does seem to me that after you broke your knee last year jumping that same fence—"

"I'll not have me own daughter telling me what I shall jump and shall not jump," said Geoff stubbornly. "It's my neck, so it is."

"All right, Pa," said Courtney as they began walking, "you jump as you please. How are they all over at Twelve Oaks?"

"The Wilkeses?" said Geoff. "Just as you'd expect with the barbecue tomorrow and talking nothing but war."

"Oh, bother the war," Courtney muttered. "Was there anyone else there?"

"Their cousin, Zoey Hamilton," said Geoff, "from Atlanta and her brother, Alejandro."

"Melanie Hamilton!" Courtney grumbled. "She's a pale-faced, mealy-mouthed ninny. I hate her."

"Mike Wilkes doesn't think so," said Geoff.

"Mike Wilkes couldn't like anyone like her," Courtney declared.

"What's your interest in Mike and Miss Zoey?" Geoff asked.

"It's nothing," said Courtney unconvincingly. "Let's get into the house, Pa."

"Has he been trifling with you?" Geoff asked. "Has he asked you to marry him?"

"No!" Courtney said sadly.

"No," said Geoff, "nor will he."

"I have it in strictest confidence from Owen Wilkes this afternoon," Geoff began, "Mike is going to marry Miss Zoey. It will be announced tomorrow night at the ball."

"I don't believe it," said Courtney, running ahead of her father.

"Here!" Geoff called after her. "Here! Where are you off to? Eliza Courtney!"

Courtney stopped with a sad look on her face.

"What are you about?" Geoff asked. "Have you made a spectacle of yourself running after a man who's not in love with you when you might have any man in the county?"

"I haven't been running after him," Courtney defended herself. "It's just a surprise, that's all."

"Now, don't be jerking your chin at me," said Geoff. "If Mike wanted to marry you, it would be with misgivings I's say 'yes.' I want my girl to be happy. You'd not be happy with him."

"I would, I would!" Courtney protested.

"What difference does it make who you marry," said Geoff, "so long as he's a Southerner and thinks like you? And when I'm gone, I'll leave Tara to you."

"I don't want Tara," said Courtney. "Plantations don't mean anything when—"

"You mean to tell me Eliza Courtney O'Hara that land doesn't mean anything to you?" Geoff interrupted. "Why, land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for, because it's the only thing that lasts."

"Oh, Pa, you talk just like an Irishman," Courtney complained.

"It's proud I am that I'm Irish," Geoff declared. "And don't be forgetting, Missy, that your half Irish too."

Geoff turned Courtney so that she would face him.

"And to anyone with a drop of Irish blood in them," Geoff continued, "why, the land they live on is their mother. Oh, but you're just a child. It'll come to you, this love of the land. There's no getting away from it if you're Irish."

Geoff and Courtney stood on a hill overlooking the plantation, the sun illuminating their silhouettes.

…

Later that evening, Leshawna was looking out of the window and saw a buggy approaching.

"Yonder she comes!" Leshawna called up the stairs before rushing around giving out orders. "Miss Courtney, Miss Anne Maria, Miss Beth, your ma's home! Actin' like a wet nurse to them low-down, poor white trash instead of bein' here eatin' supper. Cookie, stir up the fire! Miss Bridgette's got no business wearin' herself out. Cameron, take the lamp out on the porch! Wearin' herself out. Mist' Geoff, Miss Bridgette's home. Wearin' herself out on poor white trash. Shut up dogs! Barkin' in the house like that. Get up there," she added to a young boy that was sitting on the floor. "Don't you hear that Miss Bridgette's coming? Get out there and get her medicine chest."

Leshawna opened the door and the young boy and Cameron went outside, Cameron holding a lamp."

"We was getting' worried about you, Miss Bridgette," said Cameron as Bridgette O'Hara got out of the buggy she was riding in. "Mist' Geoff—"

"All right, Cameron," Bridgette said. "I'm home."

Brick Wilkerson, the overseer at the plantation of Tara was standing outside the door and was passed by Bridgette.

"Mrs. O'Hara, we finished plowing the creek bottom today," he said. "What do you want us to start on tomorrow?"

Bridgette stopped.

"Mr. Wilkerson," said Bridgette. "I've just come from Jo Slattery's bedside. You're child has just been born."

"My child, ma'am?" Brick asked. "I'm sure I don't understand."

"Has been born," said Bridgette, "and, mercifully, has died."

"Goodnight, Mr. Wilkerson," said Bridgette.

Brick watched the back of Bridgette as she walked into the house with a hopeless look on his face.

"I'll fix your supper for you myself and you eats it," said Leshawna, taking Lindsay's shawl.

"After prayers, Leshawna," said Bridgette.

"Yes, ma'am," said Leshawna.

"Mr. O'Hara," said Bridgette walking towards Geoff.

Geoff walked up to her.

"You must dismiss Brick Wilkerson," Bridgette continued.

"Dismiss him, Mrs. O'Hara?" Bridgette asked. "He's the best overseer in the county."

"He must go tomorrow morning, first thing," Bridgette persisted.

"But—" Geoff stopped when Bridgette whispered something into his ear.

"The Yankee Wilkerson and the white-trash Slattery girl!" Geoff exclaimed.

"We'll discuss it later, Mr. O'Hara," said Bridgette.

"Yes, Mrs. O'Hara," Geoff nodded.

"Mother! Mother! Mother! Mother!" Courtney and her sisters Anne Maria and Beth called as they ran down the stairs.

"I don't want to wear my pink dress!" Anne Maria whined. "I want to wear Courtney's green dress!"

"I don't like your tone, Anne Maria," Bridgette scolded. "Your pink gown is lovely."

Anne Maria pouted and Bridgette turned to Beth.

"Oh, Mother, can't I stay up for the ball tomorrow?" Beth pleaded.

As Beth pleaded, Bridgette turned back to Anne Maria.

"But you may wear my garnets with it," Bridgette told her and Anne Maria's face perked up.

"Why can't I stay up for the ball tomorrow night?" Beth asked.

But, Bridgette went up to Courtney and put a hand under her chin.

"Courtney," said Bridgette, "You look tired my dear. I'm worried about you."

"I'm alright, Mother," Courtney said sadly.

Beth ran up beside her mother and grabbed her arm.

"Why can't I stay up for the ball tomorrow night?" Beth asked, yet again. "I'm 13 now."

"You may go to the barbecue and stay through supper," said Bridgette as she walked away with Beth.

Anne Maria walked up to Courtney.

"I didn't want to wear your tacky green dress anyhow, stingy!" Anne Maria told her nastily.

"Oh, hush up!" Courtney said tugging at Anne Maria's hair.

"Prayers, girls," Bridgette called.

Anne Maria walked into the parlor and Courtney followed a moment later.

…

The family and all of their slaves had gathered in the parlor. They were all kneeling, listening to Bridgette as she played.

"And to all the saints," Bridgette prayed, "that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed, through my fault. Through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, Blessed Michael, the Archangel, Blessed John the Baptist, the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, and all the saints to pray to the Lord, our God, for me."

At some point, Courtney stopped listening and gasped silently as an idea came to her.

"But Mike doesn't know I love him!" Courtney said quietly. "I'll tell him that I love him and then he can't marry her!"

Bridgette and Anne Maria looked at Courtney and saw that she wasn't praying. When Courtney saw them look at her she bowed her head and continued praying. Anne Maria was still looking at Courtney until Bridgette nudged her. Anne Maria went back to praying.

"May the Almighty, and most merciful Lord," Bridgette continued, "grant us pardon, absolution an remission of our sins. Amen."