Chapter Twenty – One

The doctor had arrived later that morning and had properly dressed Maggie’s head wound as well as binding her wrist in a tight splint that kept the damaged bone still.

He did confirm that Maggie had experienced a concussion and had checked her eyes to ensure that there was nothing wrong with her brain.

He also left some laudanum for any pain that she might feel with her wrist. She would be able to have a spoonful here and there to manage it.

Maggie and Max sat in awkward silence in the dining room at lunchtime with Isaac and Joanna. Isaac looked wracked with guilt while Joanna kept her face blank. Zachary had not been mentioned, nor seen, so she assumed that he had decided to make himself scarce.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Max exclaimed, dropping his knife on his plate which made a clattering noise. “Are you going to bloody well apologise, or not?” he demanded to know of Isaac.

“It’s not as simple as that,” Isaac muttered.

“Of course it is,” Max quipped cynically. “You say, ‘Maggie, I apologise for exposing you to that utter bastard’.”

“Hold your tongue,” snapped Joanna. “Zachary is still my nephew.”

“Don’t,” hissed Maggie under her breath as Max went to retort something nasty.

“Maggie, I am very sorry,” Isaac said sincerely. “I assure you I had no idea –”

Maggie interrupted him. “Let us not discuss it further. So long as that man does not cross me again then we shall have no issue.”

“This was Zachary’s house long before it was yours,” Joanna added rudely. Maggie wondered if Joanna would be so quick to defend her nephew if she knew he had fathered two illegitimate sons through his horrid behaviour.

Could this woman not comprehend just how horrendous her nephew had behaved? “Mrs Lavelle, I have only just learned that my father is dying so it seems as though I shall inherit this house a lot sooner then I originally realised. I would behave appropriately if I were you. I know what it is like to live on barely anything and I would have no qualms with evicting you without a shilling if you continue to treat me this way.” It was a true warning. Technically, Maggie would be paying for Joanna’s lifestyle upon Isaac’s death. Why would she want to provide for a woman who had only shown her cruel indifference? 

“Hear, hear,” murmured Max in agreement.

“Is that a threat, Miss Maggie?” Joanna arched a perfect, blonde brow. She looked to her husband for support but Isaac offered none. Maggie hoped that this meant he agreed with her.

“A mere friendly suggestion.” Maggie smiled sweetly, though the expression was filled with obvious falseness. She had no desire to tiptoe around this woman anymore. She did not care if Joanna didn’t like her. She had come to terms with the fact that there would always be people who judged her without truly knowing her.

“Zachary wants to apologise to you anyway, Miss Maggie,” sniffed Joanna. “He is very remorseful and he desires your forgiveness.”

“I have no desire to forgive him,” Maggie retorted angrily. “I have no desire to see him. You will not permit him here, Mr Lavelle,” she instructed Isaac. She had become quite pushy overnight though she would not feel guilty about it.

“Fear not,” Isaac said quietly, “for he will not be welcome here any time soon. I am very disappointed and ashamed in Zachary. I thought he was better than this.”

Maggie remembered that Zachary had been Isaac’s protégéfor many years. He, too, must have been feeling very betrayed.  

Over the next several weeks, Maggie spent her time outdoors, getting to know each and every one of the slaves that were owned by the Lavelle Plantation. She was glad to hear that they were treated well by Isaac but their barbaric stories of Maggie’s paternal grandfather were harrowing.

Maggie learned about the cotton planting process which would be happening come spring and even she picked up a hoe to help ready the fields as best as her broken wrist could allow her.

Regardless of what had happened, it would be her responsibility to care for these people upon Isaac’s death and she would do so gladly. She would do so by giving them their freedom papers. She had gotten the idea from the story that Janna had told her about her old love.

Maggie would give the slaves their freedom regardless, but if they wished, they could stay on the plantation and they would be paid a fair wage. Their freedom was very important to Maggie. She firmly believed that nobody deserved to be enslaved.

As the weeks went on, Maggie noticed Isaac’s deteriorating state. He began to find his normal day-to-day activities difficult. His fingers could no longer button his shirt and he had a hard time swallowing his food. His speech became increasingly slurred and his movement became quite restricted.

He often kept to the sitting room in an armchair reading.

The progression of his illness was quick and it seemed as though every day there was something else that Isaac could no longer do. It was very heartbreaking to watch.

Isaac’s illness proved to Maggie that Joanna did truly love her husband, even if she was not a very nice person to others. Joanna waited on him hand and foot. There was nothing that she would not do for him.    

Zachary was hardly ever mentioned, though when he was it was revealed that Isaac and Joanna were paying for him to live rather lavishly in Atlanta. When she was the mistress of the Lavelle Plantation Zachary would be lucky to have a crust of bread from her.

Maggie wrote her family often. She knew it would be months before they received her letters but it was the closest to a conversation that they could have. She wrote to them about Isaac’s illness and the people she was meeting. She informed them of her intentions for the plantation and asked for their approval. She did not mention, however, the altercation with Zachary.

So long as Max remained quiet as he had promised to do so, it would remain a secret.

Maggie also became quite good friends with Janna Sunderland, the woman she had previously seriously disliked. Janna was a very kind, young lady and she provided Maggie with several entertaining conversations. Janna’s southernisms and Maggie’s English aristocratic norms often conflicted but they enjoyed learning about each other’s customs.

Maggie was very glad to have a female friend. Aside from Max, she did not have any friends and the only young females who spoke to her were her little sisters and cousins, and as much as she adores them, they were several years her junior.  

Janna also educated Maggie on all things romance. Maggie was not at all experienced when it came to courting or gentlemen so Janna was a valuable asset. Janna taught Maggie how to be flirtatious and, much to her chagrin, forced Maggie to practice on her. In the end, though, Janna had immensely helped Maggie to be confident when approaching Max romantically.

As their friendship blossomed, Janna revealed more about the man she had once loved, Daniel Jackson. She spoke about loving him in the past tense but Maggie couldn’t help but feel that she still harboured affection for him.

But not all loves were meant to be unfortunately.

Maggie also spent more time with Nora’s sons, Anthony and Albert. She often brought them a meal of whatever the cook had prepared for dinner and had progressed on to teaching the boys to read just as her father, Nate, had done for her.

Maggie wrote several words on small pieces of paper and helped the boys to construct sentences. They smiled gleefully whenever they correctly deciphered a word. Maggie believed reading was an essential skill to have. While the boys would never be able to attend school or university, they would be capable enough to find intelligent work when they were old enough with their freedom papers.    

The beginning of March meant the beginning of planting season. Maggie helped to plant the cotton in the already dug furrows. It was very strenuous and tiring work. It could also be very tedious and repetitive.

March was also a very difficult month for Isaac. His speech had become practically unintelligible and he was unable to use his arms or legs. Breathing was very difficult for him and Joanna was tearfully convinced that he husband would be dead before the month concluded.

His imminent death was becoming very real to Maggie. His death would be truly awful. She could see in his mind that he was still there. His mind was trapped in a dying body.

Maggie spent time with him of an evening, reading to him from the newspaper. She could see the enjoyment in his eyes as he listened to her read. This was the sort of time that she enjoyed spending with him, and she only wished that they could have read together in the beginning, instead of him scheming with Joanna to have her marry their wicked nephew.

Maggie left Isaac sleeping in his bed. As she approached the stairs to return to the dining room for dinner, she caught the end of a heated argument between Joanna and a mystery intruder, it seemed.

“You do not have permission to be in my house, you damned tory!” exclaimed Joanna from down in the sitting room.  

Tory? Had an Englishman ventured onto the Lavelle land?

“Tory, eh?” scoffed the intruder. “If remaining loyal to my Queen and country makes me a tory in your eyes then I am proud. But my political allegiances lie with the Whigs, madam.”

Maggie knew that cynically teasing voice better than any other man’s. She gathered up her skirts and tore down the stairs. “Daddy!” she cried excitedly.

Nate stood before Joanna wearing his English finest. Simply the clothing was a sight for sore eyes. She could have never predicted that seeing a mere cravat could make her feel nostalgic.

She flew into his arms and Nate lifted her from the ground.

“Oh, my darling, you’ve no idea how much I’ve missed you,” he said tenderly.

She had been away from home for nearly six months and she had missed her family every day.

“I had intended to bring Mama and your siblings but Lizzie became ill shortly before the journey so she elected to remain behind with the children,” Nate informed her.

“Is Lizzie alright?” Maggie asked worriedly. Lizzie was only small and any illness could effectively end her life. She began to panic.

“Just a slight fever and a cold, dear one, fear not. Mama saw to it that she was spoiled rotten with sweets while she soothed the fever. I did not leave before I knew Lizzie was on the mend.” Nate smiled but then looked to Joanna. “You see?” he said rudely. “I am who I say I am. I came to see my daughter, to see that she was safe and happy.”

Joanna frowned. “It is not a good time, sir,” she seethed, “and it was terribly rude of you to push in. My husband is on his deathbed!”

Nate paused and his face fell. “Oh, I am very sorry to hear that,” he said sincerely before looking down at Maggie. “Are you alright? What on earth happened?”

“It is a nervous disease,” replied Maggie. “His body has stopped working and he is finding it difficult to breathe. The doctor yesterday diagnosed him with pneumonia.” The doctor was certain that Isaac would not make it through the pneumonia. He simply did not have the strength.

“Well, do not tell Mr Lavelle that I am here. I should not like his last memories being of hatred for me.” Nate wrapped an arm around Maggie. “I came to escort you home for when you are ready. I am staying at a nearby inn. I had no intention of abusing Mr and Mrs Lavelle’s hospitality. I have also brought letters from Mama and Uncle Derek and Aunt Rose. They send their birthday wishes for Max.”

Max would be turning nineteen years old in a matter of days.

“How about you venture back to that inn, tory?” suggested Joanna bitterly.

“Mrs Lavelle, please,” Maggie said tiredly, “cannot we all be civil? This is a trying time and I am appreciative of my father’s presence here.”

“Adoptive father, please,” corrected Joanna angrily. “Your father is upstairs dying. Have some respect.”

“I beg your pardon?” Nate asked in disbelief.

“You ask too much of me, Miss Maggie,” Joanna spat. “First I have an illegitimate mixed race child traipse through my halls, then you reject my nephew in favour of a silly artist child and then you banish my beloved nephew from his home. Send this man away out of respect for your dying father.”

Nate’s eyes darkened. “Do not ever call my child ‘mixed race’ in front of me again.”

Joanna didn’t respond. She simply arched her eyebrows slightly before leaving the sitting room for the staircase.

“She is awfully frosty, is she not?” Nate swore, glaring after Joanna.

“Mrs Lavelle does not like me very much,” replied Maggie simply.

“Because of what you did to her nephew,” he recalled. “Why ever would you banish him? What did he do?”

“Nothing, Daddy,” murmured Maggie in reply.

Nate could tell that she was hiding something and Maggie knew that she would have to think of a lie quickly. “Tell me so at once,” he ordered firmly. “Now.”

“Uncle Nate,” remarked Max from the stairs, “when I heard your voice from upstairs I thought I must have been mad.”

Maggie breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her lucky stars that Max had come downstairs when he did.

“Ah, it’s the silly artist child,” Nate said cheerfully.

Nate did indeed know of Max’s romantic feelings for Maggie and he’d made the connection between Joanna’s insult towards Max very easily.

Max furrowed his brows. Maggie shot him a look that told him to play along. Anything to get the subject away from Maggie ‘banishing’ Zachary from the plantation. 

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Hope you liked it :) One more exam to go and then I'm freeeeee!! 

My brother graduated high school on Friday! Can't believe it. Two years ago that was me! I don't know what other countries do but nobody does the last week of Year 12 like the Aussies, or at least my high school. On the Monday, you have the Year 11 vs Year 12 football match. The boys destroy their school uniform and turn them into footy jerseys. Tuesday is your last normal day. Wednesday is pyjama day. You wear your pyjamas to school which is just awesome :) Thursday is what we call "The Stampede". All the Year 12s release a balloon at exactly 3:10pm on the final bell of high school and we stampede through the school. Get the hell out of the way or you will be trampled! I learned that the hard way as a Year 7 lol. Then Friday is the best day. We have Muck Up Day. You play pranks like wrapping the principal's car in plastic and post it notes. We cemented a toilet to a wall and my friend and I went into my brother's German class and covered him in silly string. You also dress up. We went as Thing 1 and Thing 2 :P In the morning you have the Year 12 breakfast where the teachers make you bacon and eggs and burgers and then you have the Year 12 concert which is freakin' awesome. The funniest kids in school host the concert and everyone gets up and does an act. I regret not singing. I was too chicken to sing and I missed my chance!! After the concert they play a "Goodbye" song and all the Year 12s get up on stage and dance for the last time *cries*. God I miss high school! It sucks while you're there but trust me, it sucks being in the adult world. I never knew what the eff insurance was until I got out of high school :P You don't want to know what insurance is! It sucks and it's expensive!

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