Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Forty-Six
As it turned out, after Harrison joined the family on their yacht, he stopped calling on Rosemary all together. It was not smooth sailing that day in the Charleston Harbor and especially not for Harrison. He had never been on a boat before, and he would not be getting on one again. The young man began to feel queasy almost immediately upon stepping on the deck. Despite not feeling well he was trying to carry on like he wasn't getting sicker and sicker. Within fifteen minutes he looked bad. His color was off, and he was sweating. Both Rhett and Robert had tried to get him to stay in the center of the boat where it was the calmest. Harrison was still denying he was sick therefore when Percy offered to take him back to land Harrison had refused. After twenty-five minutes, he could no longer deny he was sick. He had rushed to the side of the yacht and had started throwing up.
Nobody spoke. Percy had turned the yacht around and had headed into shore. Once they were at the dock, Rhett said, "Robert, help me get Harrison into a cab."
"Sure."
After Robert and Rhett were back on the yacht, spitefully Rhett said, "I guess he isn't calling on either one of us now."
Both Beth and Scarlett said, "Rhett!" at the same time."
Rosemary said in a bewildered tone, "You don't think Mr. Ford is going to call on me again?"
Rhett in a gentle tone said, "No, my dear sister, he will never be able to face you again. He will be too embarrassed. He regurgitated in front of you."
"It isn't anything to be embarrassed about. He just got seasick."
Robert smiled at Rosemary and said, "Rhett is right. His conceit will never let him call on you again because you saw him doing something very undignified."
"Mother? Father?"
Percy said, "Your brothers are right."
Beth said, "I'm sorry, Sweetheart."
"But I really liked him."
Scarlett gently said, "You will find another man to call on you."
"I don't want another man I want Mr. Ford."
After a few minutes, Rosemary said, "Would everyone stop looking at me like my dog just died?"
Rhett said, "Scarlett and I are invited to a lot of social events. Would you like to start attending them with us? I promise I won't try to steal their attentions away from you."
Rosemary said with a smile, "You two did have a lot to talk about. Yes, I would like to attend the events with you."
Beth said, "You can attend with your father and me also."
"Thank you, Mother. It never occurred to me that Mr. Ford would get seasick. My romance is over just like that."
While looking at Rhett, Scarlett said, "That is how it happens sometimes. One afternoon can change your life forever."
Rhett replied, "Indeed."
Warren talked about how much work he had to do at the textile mill and while looking at Robert said, "I need an assistant, but I can't find one I want to hire."
Robert ignored the statement.
In the middle of May over the supper table, Robert said, "That book Uncle Tom's Cabin is causing quite the controversy."
Percy said, "How so?"
"I understand it is nothing, but abolitionist propaganda. Yet, it is quite popular. On the first day of its release, it sold three thousand copies. Within a month it had sold out its first complete print run."
Rhett said, "It is quite the exciting story."
"You have read it?!"
Percy said, "How?!"
"Several of my business associates had been talking about it. I sent Scarlett out to buy me a copy of it. You are right, Robert, it is abolitionist propaganda, but unfortunately all Northerners will think of all slave owners as Simon Legrees. Tension between the states is going to get worse."
Percy said, "Simon Legree?"
"The cruel slave owner in the book."
Robert said, "I understand the woman who wrote it has never even been to The South."
"I don't think she has, but she claims she used real freedman's accounts of their time in slavery."
"Do you still have the book?"
"Of course, I never give away any of my books. I will lend it to you, but you must not show it to anyone. I am afraid people would take it from you and destroy it."
"Of course, I will be discreet."
"I will get it after supper."
Percy said, "No, I will read it first then hand it over to Robert."
"Very well, Father. Let us talk of happier things. Things that would be of interest to the women."
The family did speak of happier things while Percy and Robert knew their wives were going to be reading that book before it was passed on to anyone else.
In the parlor, Scarlett said, "Daphne, when is your baby due again?"
"Late September/Early October."
Scarlett thought, 'Perfect.' She said, "You will need a wet nurse, of course. You can have ours. We won't need her after Tommy turns one in August."
Daphne said, "Scarlett, that would be wonderful."
"Faith can take care of your baby for his first year of life then you won't have to get another nursemaid."
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just keep passing her back and forth."
Scarlett smiled a tight smile and said, "I hope we never have another child."
There was a tense silence after Scarlett's words. Finally, Beth said, "You don't want to have any more children?"
"I didn't want to have any children, not that I don't love Tommy, but if Rhett and I never conceive another child I will be fine with that."
All Daphne could think to say was, "Oh."
Scarlett smiled and said, "Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how one looks at it, Rhett and I will probably have many more children. I will love each and every one of them as much as I love Tommy. Which is just as well, I know Rhett wants to have a daughter also."
"If Rhett is that silly over his son, how will he be over his daughter." With a smile at Rosemary, Beth continued, "Even Percy got a little silly over his daughter."
Scarlett laughed and said, "I honestly believe that he would be happy to publish in the Charleston Gazette all of Tommy's accomplishments. Accomplishments that every child goes through. And Tommy isn't even early with these accomplishments."
Beth smiled and said, "I never thought Rhett would be a silly father."
"But he is."
"No one could argue with you about that."
Scarlett giggled and said, "I think Mammy has had some murderous thoughts about Rhett." All the ladies laughed. She continued, "Especially every time he second guesses her decisions."
"Nonetheless, you are lucky to have your mammy as your son's primary nursemaid."
"Don't I know it."
Scarlett added to herself, 'And I am going to do everything I can to keep my mammy.'
A month later after Percy, Beth, Daphne, and Robert had read Uncle Tom's Cabin, Robert and Daphne had come to supper. While the men were drinking their whiskey, Percy said, "Sooner or later we will go to war with the North over the issue of slavery."
Rhett said, "No, Father, what will cause a war is the slave states wanting to leave the union over the issue of slavery."
"True. The North will fight to keep us as part of the union."
Robert said, "That is true. What are we going to do?"
"Get out of the slave business."
"Are you going to sell the plantation?"
"No. I know they hate me, but nonetheless I cannot sell them to an unknown master. A Simon Legree. I will never buy another slave."
"Father, we lose at least fifty slaves a year to disease and accidents. Soon we would not have enough slaves to work the fields. How would we tend to our crop? Much less harvest it.
"I don't know. I would just like to wash my hands of the entire slave practice."
"I would too." Hesitantly, Robert added, "Daphne's father wants me to come to work for him as his assistant. Daphne will eventually inherit the textile mill. Therefore, one day I will be the owner. Now that Daphne is with child, she doesn't want to go to the plantation. She wants to be near her mother in case she needs her."
Percy stared at his son. He knew that Daphne had never voiced her displeasure, but he also knew she had let her husband know that she did not approve of owning another human being. Percy also knew that part of her disapproval was her fear of the slaves, which Percy didn't blame her for. He had been afraid of the slaves for many years. He knew that if the slaves revolted that he and his family would be killed. The only thing keeping the slaves in check is that if they revolted not only would they be killed, but many, many more of their brethren would be punished, in horrible ways.
Percy smiled and said, "Go to work for Warren. I predict that in ten years all the slaves will be free anyway."
Robert smiled a grateful smile and said, "Thank you, Father."
Percy stood up and said, "Give me a hug."
The men hugged. Percy didn't know what the future held, but he knew Robert's life would be better off not being part of slavery. Rhett stood up and said, "I want a hug too."
Percy said, "From whom?"
"From both of you."
After the men finished hugging, they joined the ladies. After everyone was settled, Percy said, "Robert has some news."
Robert looked startled then said, "I am going to work for Daphne's father. I will become the assistant manager at the textile mill."
Daphne said, "Thank you, Robert. Thank you. That makes me so happy."
"Anything to make you happy."
"How exciting!"
"Wonderful."
"This is quite the surprising news."
After Robert and Daphne had left and Scarlett and Rhett had gone to the nursery to play with Tommy, Percy said, "Rosemary, would you like to live in the country?"
"I enjoy visiting Middleton Acres, but I would not like to live in the country full time."
That night while Beth and Percy were getting ready for bed she said, "What are you going to do about Middleton Acres?"
"I don't know. I really don't know."
Beth knew her husband needed love and comfort in that moment. She said, "Don't think about it. Think of me instead." Beth kissed Percy. Soon he indeed wasn't thinking about anything outside their bedroom walls.
Robert was unhappy. He had not wanted to give up his dream of managing Middleton Acres and living in the country. He had loved the plantation. He had loved growing up on the plantation. He had wanted to share that experience with his children.
Yet, Daphne had not liked it from the beginning. He knew she was very uncomfortable with the Butlers owning slaves and especially how many. He knew that he could force her to live in the country and she would. However, he knew she would never truly be happy.
Robert thought about his father's father. He guessed he was his grandfather Butler, but the name sounded strange even in his head. The man had been dead before Robert had been born. In truth, he had been dead before Rhett was born. Grandfather Butler had given up his life at sea to become a respectable gentleman in Charleston. Robert guessed he could give up everything also. Father thought that in ten years there would be nothing left of the life they had once lived. Robert knew that was why his father had urged him to go to work for his father-in-law. So, Robert would have a better future. His father believed that slavery had survived past its usefulness. With a strange certainty, Robert knew that the life they had lived would be ground into the dust.
Robert let himself go down memory lane. He was remembering all the fun he and Rhett had while at Middleton Acres. He and Rhett had gone fishing. They hadn't caught a thing. They later found out there weren't any fish in the pond. He remembered when Rhett had stolen two of Grandfather Kennesaw's cigars. He had kept them hidden until the boys had gotten to the plantation. Robert had been ten and Rhett twelve. It hadn't been hard to get a match. They were all over the kitchen. Their mammy had been busy with Rosemary. Their sister had been just six months old. In truth their mammy hadn't paid them any mind since Rhett had turned ten. Maybe even before. They had smoked those cigars behind the barn. They had been lucky. A slave found them and the cigars before the barn had gone up in smoke. Robert smiled. He and his brother had been sick for weeks. Sometimes even smelling his father-in-law's cigars could make him nauseous.
