"So, your girlfriend was Fae, not a witch, as they say here?"

"Mistress. We did not call them girlfriends then. As for her being Fae, it took me a while to understand what that meant…. In any case Uncle Jacob was coming home, and Lieutenant Porter and I had to hurry up our plans. The idea was that by the time he was here, it would all be done, and Uncle could not stop it.".

"And your plans were...?"

"Establish a partnership to extract sugar from maple syrup… which meant not having to buy it from the Caribbean. Establish a national industry instead of depending on imports."

"What Hamilton advocated?"

"Lieutenant Porter was an admirer of Hamilton, and his enthusiasm infected me."

"And your uncle would object because…?"

"Because the Benchley's business was providing slaves for the Caribbean plantation" his voice was bitter "The Benchley fortune was based on the slave trade… and how we paid for it afterwards… In any case Jacob had brought in the daughter of a planter… actually a niece who had come from France. She had a title…and that impressed uncle Jacob… To have a countess in his bed" he growled. "I STILL hate my uncle, as you see, even after I killed him"

"So, you had a business partnership"

"And helped Porter get married quickly"

"Marriage?"

"He had fallen in love with my cousin Deborah, Debbie, who had a small inheritance, controlled by my uncle. MY uncle did not approve of Porter. Of course, I had to help them elope."

"And it worked?"

"Yes. By the time Uncle Jacob was back, Debbie was married to Lieutenant Porter, and we were partners in a business enterprise. WE waited to see the explosion when he came back. My father talked to my aunt about not irritating Jacob nor insulting his wife…. My father… in the show they make my father be like Uncle Jacob, but not so harsh… And my mother…My mother was not a drunk. She had a heart condition, which is not the same…"

"And Silas Romney proposed to Margaret Lafferty" Wendy added "he was reluctant because he had been a slave until recently and she seemed too fine a lady. But she accepted him. She said that there had been slaves in her family, shipped out by Cromwell… the only difference was when they got their freedom. She liked him, and knew he would be a good husband."

"They did marry?"

"Alas, no… "

"So, we waited for Uncle to come back, to welcome his bride… Genevieve de Brissac Benchley… and so it started. Mother had to remind me to be polite and not make speeches about the evil of slavery. And Aunt Hepzibah…"

-0-

They were all waiting for Jacob and his bride. Amos had to be reminded to be polite to the new bride, whom he had been heard to call "stuck up French Aristocrat, who thinks that because she's a noble she is better than the rest of us." To placate his mother, he promised to hold his tongue.

As they waited for the coach to arrive, Amos came to Margaret's side and handed her the rosary that Aunt Hepzibah had confiscated "Take it. I told her that she was a thief, and that she should be treated as such."

"Was she angry?"

"As usual. She complained to my father that I had disrespected her, and Father remined her that she was dependent on Uncle Jacob, and that she'd better behave. Like it or not, the new Benchley Mistress was a Catholic and she should feel welcome."

"I hope… I cannot thank you enough. You always defended me,"

"You deserve it. Becky loves you, and even Jimmy…"

The coach finally arrived and Jacob and his new wife stepped into the house. News were exchanged; Jacob frowned when told of Debbie's marriage. "I see" was all he said. And then he stared at Amos "You probably had something to do with it, didn't you?"

"I think that my friend deserved my help."

Jacob sighed. "And went into business with you…. Ah, nephew, you do not know how close you are to being disinherited."

They were interrupted by Hepzibah's shouts. "You married by the Romish rite!" she faced Jacob angrily. You… dared… have a Romish priest bless this marriage!"

"The family insisted."

"You are bringing Popery under this roof! I will not have it!"

"I am the head of the family. You have no say in this."

"No Popery!"

"Bide your tongue, sister, if you want me to keep footing your bills"

They calmed down and went to meet the children. Becky curtsied to her, and Genevieve helped her up. "What a nice child you are." She then turned to Jimmy "And you are Jacob's son. I will be your new mother…"

"You are not my mother! You are a fake! I don't want you! I want my real mother!:

Margaret tied to calm Jimmy down "I am sorry. He is still mourning his mother… a real tragedy that was"

Genevieve smiled at her, and her eyes lit up when she saw the crucifix hanging from Margaret's neck. Another Catholic.

Amos went back to Irina, to tell her of the new mistress of the house.

"How is she?:

"A French aristocrat. All nice manners, of course. They are trained for it. I do not know how she will manage here without a lot of servants to tend to her."

Irina sighed. :I wish… I wish."

"You wish you could meet her… but..."

"But we are not married….I know"

"I know, I wish we could marry. But… but it is just not done…"

"You have no problem flouting convention when it suits you.:

"But not going against my mother…now with her weak heart…"

'Maybe I could talk to her..."

Amos shook his head. "She is sweet and loving, but she believes in society's dictates. "

Irina sighed. "Still, I wish."

Later the family gathered for the evening entertainment. Amos notice that Hepzibah was not there. Keeping away from all the Popish influence…

Genevieve played the piano for the family, and they were amused to see Becky dance, trying to keep up with the rhythm.

Then flames went up outside and there were shouts.

They went out and they saw a fire, and in the fire the statue of a woman, which had a blue mantle.

"No Popery!" the assembled people shouted.

Margaret looked at the burning statue and shouted "It's the Blessed Virgin Mary! They are burning the Holy Mother"!

"No Popery! Reverend Moore thundered "Let his abomination be driven from this land!"

"Release the hounds!" Jacob thundered! And anyone that I find here I take to jail. Out with them!"

Genevieve knelt down sobbing. Amos looked at her, and helped her get up. "It will get better, I promise!" he told her.