Many thanks to DimmDimms and ElizabethSoph for reviewing and keeping me going. Mr. James Weevelforth makes various offensive comments; this is of course to illustrate his character and expresses how willfully ignorant people of his time may have spoken, and is of course NOT an endorsement of his words. By the end of this chapter, I imagine that you will agree with him that he is a villain of the lowest sort if what they suppose about him turns out to be true.
44.
Anne had no particular anticipation of what she would find at Mr. James Weevelforth's home, but did not expect it to be so grand. The dining room table alone was lined with four and twenty chairs (although to Anne's practiced eye she believed an additional six or even eight chairs could have been placed along its sides such was its length and the spacing of the existing chairs). The dining room was such a large space that someone had determined that it should have cabinets along the walls; the bottom ones were solid wood and the top ones had glass doors, and many items were displayed therein.
As for their host, the younger Mr. Weevelforth bore a striking resemblance to his uncle, with the most notable difference that he was a man of perhaps thirty. There was the sense that his future was laid out in the visage of his uncle. Mr. James had sparce brown whisps of hair upon his crown and a thick middle paired with spindle-like arms (this was evident even through his coat) that bespoke of large meals and lack of any labor. It was evident that Mr. James would soon be as bald as the uncle, and would likely reach and perhaps exceed his uncle's girth before too long.
In visage, manner and ill-earned conceit, Anne felt there was no comparison between Mr. James and Captain Wentworth. Captain Wentworth was the superior in everything. While Mr. James might have money, this was of no importance to Anne, and in fact added to her distain of him, aware as she was as to how it was acquired by the exploitation of slave labor.
Mr. James claimed the privilege of escorting Anne into the meal, and on the way there used their time together (unaware of her complete disinterest in the topic and that it would not impress her in the least) to point out all he had: "You will observe the fine crystal we use at every meal when you see the dining room, and my father paid a pretty penny to have everything made by the finest craftsmen who were brought in from England. These sugarcane fields are mine as far as the eyes can see and well beyond. The only thing missing from this plantation is a proper wife and children to carry on the family name." He then looked pointedly at Anne and waited.
Anne believed Mr. James was used to getting what he wanted with very little effort on his part, and that traveling to England to properly court a woman and marry her, was too much trouble for him. However, besides his wealth and that he dressed in fine clothes, there was little in his manner to recommend him to any woman.
Anne thought to herself, Is this his idea of courtship? Who does he think he is to expect encouragement from a complete stranger he met only five minutes ago? I would sooner marry the nearest able seaman than this buffoon whose wealth is built on human suffering. But of course Anne was much too well mannered and too savvy to make such a retort.
Instead she replied, "That is a shame."
Mr. James pulled out a chair next to the head of the table and gestured for Anne to be seated. However, he had not the strength to push in her large seat, and so had a tall slave, who appeared to be mulatto, do so. When Anne thanked the slave, he appeared shocked at her consideration and rapidly backed out of the room.
Mrs. Weevelforth arranged the rest of them, acting as the hostess, and so Mrs. Croft was seated across from Anne, Mr. Weevelforth next to her, and the Lieutenant finished out that side. Next to Anne, was Mrs. Weevelforth, the able seaman guard (the other one had been sent to give the waiting sailors further leisure), and finally Captain Wentworth. It was evident to Anne that Mrs. Weevelforth had deliberately placed Captain Wentworth as far away from her as possible.
A bevy of mostly mulatto slaves in livery brought steaming dishes forth and less well dressed children, some of whom were even lighter than the the footmen, gently fanned at the diners with large woven fans made of sugar cane leaves (for all year long it was quite hot). Anne concentrated on her food (which Mr. James heaped upon her plate in such quantities that it was impossible to imagine eating it all). She tried a bite of each dish; the meal was varied, fresh, and featured seafood and local fruits. It was much more food than most would have midday (if they even ate anything at such time at all).
She let Mr. James drone on and on about his wealth, about the pity that the slave trade had been abolished and his fear that if things continued in Parliament as they had been going, that in a few years slavery would be ended in all its possessions, and his hope that Parliament would come to its senses and understand that to have the sugar for their tea that slavery was needed. He concluded, "They may be human, a matter I do not fully concede, but if they be men they are of the lowest sort. They need a firm hand or else they would live lives of idleness and dissipation. Proper breeding arrangements may improve their stock of course."
From what Anne could see, it was Mr. James who was in fact a man of the lowest sort, whose own life bespoke of idleness and dissipation. At that moment it was very hard for Anne to restrain all the words she wished to say.
Frederick for his part, seethed, angry that such a man was attempting in his clumsy way to pay court to Frederick's soon-to-be wife. Frederick had no doubts as to Anne's loyalty, and certainly wealth did not impress her for she would never have deigned to accept him when he was just a lowly commander with no ship. He was also angry that their fate was left to a priest that wished to give Anne to his nephew, rather than fulfill his proper offices. He ate without appreciating anything, and spoke only when addressed.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Weevelforth was questioning Mrs. Croft about what the latest fashions were in England, what she knew about the current state of the crown (not politics, but which of the royals had which mistresses). Mrs. Weevelforth seemed to soak up every crumb, even though Mrs. Croft had not much to tell her, for such things were not important to her, she was seldom in England proper, and she knew even if her hostess did not that the sexual lives of royalty was not proper fare to discuss around the table.
When Mrs. Croft had nothing more to tell Mrs. Weevelforth on the more appropriate of such topics, Mrs. Weevelforth gave a little sigh. "Oh how I miss England. I know it can get rather cold there, but I enjoyed the turning of the seasons. Here it is all the same, save for the rainy seasons. I live in fear of hurricanes, for I have heard tell of the Great Hurricane of 1780, which killed many thousands in these islands."
Here Mrs. Croft was able to provide more salient conversation, for her father was captaining a warship in the islands in the October when it occurred, and the British Navy suffered heavy losses. She told Mrs. Weevelforth a little of that history, "My father was serving under Rear Admiral Rowley. He told me that they lost two ships of the line, a post ship and a sloop, and seven other warships lost their masts. He felt most fortunate to be in the latter group."
Here Captain Wentworth added, "My father told me that many times in the high of the storm he was all but certain that their ship would be upended and they would all perish. He said that he and then men were in constant prayer, and they all begged most fervently for deliverance no matter how little they believed in God at other times. Yet the rain kept falling and the winds tried to tear the ship apart and sink her, and the waves kept splashing over the sides as the ship listed this way and that."
Mrs. Croft noted, "They lost all but one of their masts and furthermore, a great crack was formed in the hull, that fortunately did not extend all the way down into the waterline. He recounted how tired and wet the men were as they worked at the pumps to remove the waters that had rained down and been cast over the sides from mighty waves that surrounded them. My father said that the storm did not pass for more than a day, but after they survived that first night they thought they had a chance."
"Yes," Captain Wentworth added, "it was still more than possible to sink from the existing damage, but at least they were not lost like the Thunderer or the Stirling Castle. There were three British wrecks off Martinique as I recall, but as it happened, the French navy's fleet off Martinique only lost one ship. Also, there was much damage and loss to the British navy in its other ships. The whole ocean was full of flotsam."
Mr. Weevelforth responded, "I well recall that storm. On Antigua, it was a mighty wind and heavy rain, which of course damaged many houses, yet St. John's Cathedral survived well, it just had some broken glass and some damaged bricks. We learned over the next few weeks that much more damage had befallen the other islands. On Barbados, we heard that every home was destroyed and every tree felled. There were even reports that cannons from the fort on Barbados were hurled into the air by the hurricane. Some of the French islands had a mighty tide which washed everyone away. And I believe it was St. Lucia where a hospital was destroyed when gigantic waves crashed a ship atop it."
Mr. James said, "I was too young to recall those events, but many left the island then, thinking that the next such storm might come in the next year or two and they would be destroyed. Our home was spared the worst of the damage, and this very room was untouched (which is quite fortunate, considering its cost) and such was my father's fortune that he was both able to make repairs and even buy up the land of those who fled back to England. Yes, we acquired much land and many slaves in the years that followed that storm," he said the later with much self-satisfaction, puffing up his chest and straining the buttons of his rather snug shirt and waistcoat.
"Such things never happen in England," replied Mrs. Weevelforth and that tabled the discussion.
Despite how ridiculous she was, both Mrs. Croft and Miss Elliot felt a bit sorry for her, to be stuck in the islands with such company that she was eager for the companionship from strangers. She evidently had no children, which gave her Mrs. Croft's sympathy, for her life must have been so confining and unvaried, with little purpose. Mrs. Croft consoled herself that at least her own life had meaning, and though she might have no children, she was of service to every man aboard her husband's ship, and in that sense had a large family who depended upon her.
When Captain Wentworth, Mrs. Croft and Miss Elliot returned to the Admiral's Barge along with the others, they all pondered what the best move forward might be. Yet they were not going to discuss such things with all the common seamen about.
Anne held Frederick's arm the entire time and when it was time for him to climb the rope ladder to her ship, she watched him go with much regret. A few minutes later, they returned to the Admiral's ship and Anne lost no time in joining Mirabella in their cabin.
Anne was eager to share all the events that had taken place, and gain her friend's advice, but before she could do so, Mirabella shared her own glorious news. She smiled in a way that made her years seem to melt away and exclaimed, "I have seen my son, Captain Wentworth is most good and kind for he arranged for him to come here! Edgar is at least a span taller, and I see much of his father in him. Oh how I wished to embrace him, but it would not do to embarrass him so when he has the duties of a man." Anne was really very glad for her and thought about how difficult it must have been for Mirabella to be parted from her son at such a tender age.
Mirabella talked at length about their meeting, concluding with, "Even if I should have to return to England and my relatives now, the entire journey and voyage was well worth it to see my son, and yet I still hope that perhaps, just perhaps, your Captain Wentworth might let me serve you on the Laconia, and have Edgar take up a midshipman position there as well."
"I shall do what I can to forward this idea," Anne replied, "and I very much wish to make Midshipman Holmes's acquaintance, but much depends upon whether Captain Wentworth and I can even marry at all."
Mirabella of course asked for an explanation, and Anne resolved to give her a complete account. Mirabella was a very good listener and was most interested in all Anne had seen and done, and most importantly why what should have been a simple matter of making arrangements and paying for license was proving so difficult.
They were sitting on the small bed they shared in their tiny cabin when Anne explained, "It is all Mr. Weevelforth's fault and a most unfair business it is, too."
"Mr. Weevelforth?" Mirabella echoed, wondering if she had indeed heard the name correctly.
"Yes, Mr. Weevelforth," Anne confirmed, "the priest."
Given that they were sitting beside each other and the single lamp did little to illuminate their faces (and there was no window), Anne neither noticed Mirabella's grimace upon first hearing that name, nor the way that her hand began plucking at the fine white hairs at the base of her neck which had escaped her pins, or her cautious relief upon hearing he was the priest.
However, when Anne mentioned the invitation to nuncheon at the plantation which belonged to the younger Mr. Weevelforth, the priest's nephew, Mirabella sprang from her seat. This Anne could not help but notice.
"What is it, dear Mirabella?" Anne asked, concerned, standing up herself.
"I know of this family," Mirabella replied, pacing the five steps she could make in each direction beside the bed before she was forced to turn and come back. The wooden floor squeaked slightly as she paced. Mirabella paused when she reached Anne on her twelfth step and explained, "for my dear husband when he told me of his origins said that the planter his father was making cabinets for on Antigua, was a Mr. Weevelforth. You must admit the name is distinct and we are of course on Antigua."
"You mean . . . " Anne's mind quickly interpreted the logical implications this new information, "that Captain Holmes was born to one of the slaves serving the Weevelforths?"
"Yes," replied Mirabella, "and would have stayed there a slave had not his father bought his freedom. But as you may recall when I told you about him, Captain Holmes's mother Mary remained a slave in that household. Perhaps my son's grandmother, aunts and uncles, cousins, and a whole web of relatives still reside there, slaves to this day."
Anne recalled the slaves that had served them their meal, the child slaves that had fanned them as they ate. Her stomach roiled. Were some of these related to Captain Holmes? She knew of course that slavery was a terrible, terrible institution. But somehow it was made more terrible in the knowledge that some of these persons might be relatives of Mrs. Holmes by marriage. But even worse was the thought that some of them were toiling out in the fields in the heat of the day, day upon day, dying young as she had heard such workers typically did, for harvesting sugar cane was backbreaking work.
Mrs. Holmes was not finished, however. "Anne, there is something I did not tell you before. I did not see the point of it. It was something that I believe my husband only told me, and I have never told my son this. But now that you have met the Weevelforths, well I think it is something that you need to know, and likely Mrs. Croft too. I have mentioned that Captain Holmes was a quadroon, for his mother was a mulatto, well given the talk we gave you this morning you certainly must understand the implications of that, since slaves remain on the plantation unless the master lets them go elsewhere and Mary had been born on that plantation." Mirabella waited, willing Anne to understand, hoping she would not have to say the words.
Anne considered this. For a female slave to have a baby, she had to know a man, and for that baby to be a mulatto if she were a full African, well that baby had to have a white man for a father. "Do you mean that either the planter or one of his men fathered your husband's mother?"
"Yes." Despite the fact that there was no one there to hear, Mirabella dropped her voice lower. "Captain Holmes stated that his father noted that many slaves born and bred on the Weevelforth plantation were mulattos, and the household slaves were exclusively mulattos."
Anne thought about that, and then unbidden the words of Mr. James Weevelforth, when he talked of his slaves as hardly human, sounded in her ears again: "Proper breeding arrangements may improve their stock of course." Was it a task that his father or Mr. James set upon themselves, to supply means for doing so?
Anne recalled how the youngest of the slaves appeared lighter than their elders. Could it be that those little ones are Mr. James's children, born into servitude from his loins? Anne swayed upon her feet, utterly horrified. It was up to Mrs. Holmes, who had time to accustom herself to such thoughts, musings of her husband with the little bit of evidence that he had pondered time and again, to catch Anne and help her seat herself.
It was up to Anne, however, to tell Mirabella, "There were some children in the house that fanned us during the meal. They were far lighter than the male slaves who were serving as footmen, but those men were not nearly as dark as some slaves that I saw upon the street. I suppose the footmen were mulattos and the children quadroons. Could it be that the men are the brothers of Mr. James Weevelforth, and the children are Mr. James's sons and daughters?"
"Perhaps," replied Mirabella. But in her heart, she believe that it was all too likely. Unlike Anne, Mirabella could well imagine the horror of the female slaves in having to serve their master in this additional way. She ignored that her own husband might be the product of a similar imposition upon his mother by his cabinet-maker father. She hoped that a man who would carry about his son enough to manumit him, would have cared for his mother, also.
A/N: Many of the recounted events are drawn from Wikipedia's account of the Great Hurricane of 1780. I hadn't been familiar with this event, but according to Wikipedia, it was the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Western Hemisphere and killed an estimated 22,000 throughout the Lesser Antilles over the course of seven days, from October 10 through October 16, and probably hit Barbados as a category five storm. In the Life of Olaudah Equiano (a book written by a former slave who served the British navy and was later freed and provided an account of his life including what he saw in the islands as a freeman who served on merchant ships), I recall him writing about a plantation where all of the slaves were fathered by the planter; this served as the inspiration for the Weevelforths's possible conduct.
What do you think that Anne and Mirabella should do with their newfound knowledge? How do you think Frederick and Anne can arrange to be married with Mr. Weevelforth standing in the way? I have some ideas, but I would love to hear yours.