Carried Forward By Hope (43 page)

Moses smiled now. “Should it? The better question might be, does it bother you?”

“Not a bit,” Thomas said firmly. “You’re a competent farmer, you understand how to care for the land, and you’re a capable leader. I couldn’t leave Cromwell Plantation in better hands.”

“I’ll take care of it like it was my own,” Moses assured him.

“That’s good, because half of it will be.”

Moses took a step back now and stared at Thomas. “What?”

Thomas smiled. “That’s what I brought you out here to talk about. I want you to take over complete management of Cromwell Plantation in exchange for half-ownership.”

Moses stared at him, unable to find a single word in his head that would make sense if it came out of his mouth.

“There will be a lot of things to take into consideration, but we’ll figure them all out. The first one is that neither of us can sell our half to anyone else, and if you ever decide to leave, your half will revert back to me.”

Moses could still only look at him, trying to make sense out of what Thomas was saying.

“You are a competent farmer,” Thomas continued, “but you will need training in business and management practices. Carrie handled the books before. I will want you to do that now. I will use the next six weeks to mentor and train you, and then I will be close enough to give you help moving forward.”

The words began to seep through Moses’s brain, but the best he could do was begin to smile.

“Should I assume your smile means you are pleased?” Thomas teased, his blue eyes dancing with fun.

“You can assume that,” Moses said, grateful he still remembered how to talk. He took a deep breath. “That’s a big decision, Thomas.”

“Yes, it is,” Thomas agreed. “You can be sure it was not one I made lightly. The world is changing.
I
am changing. My life is changing.” He paused. “The plantation will always be in my family, but I will not be here to oversee it. Carrie is here for now, but I know the time will come when she will follow her passion to be a doctor.”

“I hope so,” Moses murmured.

“It’s just a matter of time,” Thomas said firmly. “Robert is going to get better. When he does, I know he will encourage Carrie to follow her dream.”

Moses frowned. “Why not Robert?” he asked. “He grew up on a plantation. He knows how to run them. He’s your son-in-law.”

Thomas nodded thoughtfully. “That’s true,” he agreed, “but Robert is not a farmer. He is a horseman. I hope the day comes when Cromwell once more has a strong lineage of horses, but that will remain separate from the plantation itself. My hope is that, when that times comes, you and Robert will be able to work together,” he added firmly. “But that will be a choice you will have to make.” He turned to gaze out over the fields. “Abby has told me of the history you and Robert share. You’ve had a chance to deal with it, but is it true Robert still has no idea it was your father who killed his father when you were boys?”

“It’s true,” Moses said heavily. “I had hoped to talk with him after the war, but his illness has made that impossible.”

“Yes,” Thomas murmured. “We’re going to let time play it out. My gut tells me everything will be okay, but Robert still owns Oak Meadows. When he is well, he may decide to return there.”

“Does Carrie know?”

Thomas nodded. “Yes. I told her today after I told her about marrying Abby.” He answered the question in Moses’s eyes. “She’s thrilled.”

Moses finally allowed the smile dancing in his heart to explode on his face. “You won’t be sorry, Thomas,” he said.

“I already know that, Moses, or I wouldn’t have made the decision,” Thomas replied, an answering smile on his face. Then he sobered. “I also realize things may change for you. If they do, we’ll talk it out and determine a solution.”

“Change for me?”

“Rose is like Carrie,” Thomas stated quietly. “She has huge dreams. Right now she is choosing to be content teaching at a school here on the plantation, but do you really think that will satisfy her forever?”

Moses blew out his breath. “No.”

“Abby has helped me understand a lot of things. Our country is changing, especially for women. Or maybe I should say that women are changing.”

“
Have
changed,” Moses stated.

“You’re right,” Thomas admitted. “I fought it for a long time, but having Carrie as a daughter has made me face things most southern men are not willing to even think about. More and more women are going to go to college. They are going to want careers.” He paused. “They want freedom to vote and have a voice in the United States.”

“That’s a ways down the road for me and Rose,” Moses said, “but I’m in complete agreement that women should be able to vote.” He reached down and picked up a handful of oyster shells from the roadbed, watching as they dribbled through his massive fingers. “I know Rose won’t be content here forever,” he admitted. “But since she’s about to have another baby…”

“You’re hoping she’ll be all right with staying here for a while.”

Moses tossed down the rest of the oyster shells and looked Thomas in the eye. “Rose and I have been apart far more than we have been together over the last four years. The same is true for Robert and Carrie. All I want is time to be with my wife and have a family. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want my wife to have everything she wants — just like she wants the same for me.” He turned to stare out over the fields again. “Running this plantation is everything I’ve ever wanted, but that isn’t more important than Rose having what she wants too.”

Thomas put his hand on Moses’s shoulder. “You’ll figure it out because you love each other,” he said firmly. “Both of you are going to have to bend. Learning to bend almost
broke
me,” he said ruefully. “I’m counting on you being smarter than me.”

“Me too,” Moses said wryly.

Thomas laughed. “Just be willing to change. I could never have guessed the roads I have gone down in the last four years. I can’t say the journey was always fun, but I’m grateful for the destination.” He paused, a wide smile on his face. “All I know is that at this very moment I have made an agreement for you to become the co-owner of Cromwell Plantation. I don’t know about you, but that’s plenty to keep my brain cells occupied for a while.”

Moses shook off his thoughts about Rose as he let Thomas’s words sink in. “I do believe I would like to go talk to my wife,” he said, a wide grin splitting his face.

******

Abby was waiting at the foot of the stairs when Carrie came down with the breakfast tray. “How is Robert this morning?”

Carrie smiled. “Peaceful,” she said slowly. “Absolutely peaceful.” She had a look of wonder on her face. “I wasn’t sure I would ever see him this way again. He and Amber have read two books already.” She glanced down at the tray. “And he ate a full breakfast,” she murmured, raising shining eyes to Abby’s face. “I do believe my husband is going to get well,” she whispered.

Abby stepped forward to give her a warm hug. “Your determination to bring Amber here has made all the difference.”

Carrie stared at her. “Yes…but I was so frightened that it wouldn’t work. I almost didn’t do it.”

“But you did,” Abby said gently. “My grandmother asked me one time to think about who the happier woman would be — one who braved the storm of life and truly lived, or one who stayed securely on shore and merely existed.”

“I already know how you answered.”

“Yes,” Abby mused. “Her words gave me the courage to leave home, but there have been other times I’ve forgotten my answer and decided to stay on shore. I’ve always regretted not taking the risks. I hope I’ve learned to never do that again, but life can be scary. It’s easy to want to hunker down where you believe it’s safe.”

Carrie listened carefully. “I have a feeling all of life is nothing but taking one risk after the other.”

“At least it’s never boring,” Aunt Abby said lightly.

“Do you feel you’re taking a risk by marrying my father?”

Abby looked at Carrie closely and smiled. “Any time you choose to love you risk not being loved in return. You risk pain and you risk failure. But…” She laid her hand on Carrie’s cheek. “…the risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”

Carrie took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right,” she said softly.

“Why are you thinking about this so much?”

Carrie held her gaze. “Because if Robert doesn’t get better, I have nothing else to try. I keep thinking about things that will bring him back to life. I know he thinks constantly about Oak Meadows. He talks about it during his dreams.”

“And if he gets well and wants to go back to Oak Meadows?”

Carrie flushed. “Sometimes I wish you couldn’t see through me quite so easily.” She shook her head. “But I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She walked over to the open front door and stared out over the pastures. “I don’t know,” she finally answered. “I don’t know that it would bother me. Father doesn’t need me here anymore. And I…” Her voice trailed off.

“Have you been reading the medical books Dr. Strikener sent?”

“Every night. I am learning so much. The advances in medicine during the last four years have been astounding.”

“And your desire to become a doctor is growing more intense,” Abby finished for her.

“Yes.” Carrie knew it would be pointless to deny it. “I’m content for now, but…”

“You’re thinking it will be helpful to spend your time worrying about what is going to happen, or not happen,” Abby said bluntly.

Carrie stared at her and then laughed. “And
that
is such a pointless way to destroy an otherwise glorious day.”

“One could look at it that way,” Abby murmured, her eyes shining with empathy. She took hold of Carrie’s hands. “I don’t know how the path of your life is going to unfold any more than I know how my own path will unfold. All I know for certain is that I can trust God to walk it with me. I also know that if I spend more time listening than I do talking, I’ll figure it out as I go along. I believe you will too, Carrie.”

The sound of carriage wheels had them gazing down the road.

“We’re not expecting anyone,” Carrie said as she walked out to the end of the porch. She shaded her eyes so she could see against the glare of the sun. Suddenly she let out a whoop of joy and dashed down the stairs. “It’s Matthew!” she called over her shoulder.

Abby, Rose, Jeremy, Opal, Sam, and Annie had joined the welcoming party by the time Matthew brought his carriage to a halt.

Carrie breathed a sigh of relief when Matthew jumped out of the carriage with a smile. Whatever had happened on the
Sultana
had not left a visible injury. He looked like his old self. “Matthew!” she cried as she launched herself into his arms. “You’re finally here!”

“And staying for a while, unless your father gets tired of me and kicks me out.”

Carrie looked closer and saw the strain in his eyes that went with his tired voice. “You will never be kicked out,” she said firmly. “Father has been as anxious as I have been for you to arrive.”

Abby stepped forward to wrap Matthew in a warm hug. “My dear boy,” she murmured. “It is so wonderful to see you.”

Matthew grinned and hugged her back. “I’m surprised you’re still here,” he admitted. “I thought you would be back in the city by now.”

“I prefer to wait until Thomas can join me,” Abby said lightly. “I find I prefer to start my new life in Richmond with my new husband by my side.” Her eyes danced with fun.

“What?” Matthew exclaimed as he looked at Carrie.

Carrie laughed. “It’s true! Father and Abby are getting married on July fifteenth, and then they will be leaving the plantation to build the factory.”

“Well…”

Rose launched herself forward. “You can hear all about the love affair later,” she proclaimed as she kissed him on the cheek. “I think the woman who is about to be a mama again should have gotten the first hug.”

Matthew laughed loudly. “Congratulations! Another baby to join little John? I bet Moses is about to pop with pride.”

“About more than that,” Rose murmured, pulling away with a teasing grin. “But I’ll let him tell you the rest of the news.”

Matthew glanced up at the porch then. “Sam! Opal! It’s good to see both of you.” He strode up on the porch to shake Sam’s hand and give Opal a hug. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about your pies, Opal.” He looked hopefully toward the kitchen.

“I got some strawberry pies about to come out,” Opal assured him. “But it’s a good thing you got here now. I’s leaving in just a few days to head to Philadelphia. I’m gettin’ married to my Eddie and going north to start my very own restaurant!”

“Good for you!” Matthew cried. He bent down to look at Annie. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said cordially.

“Nope, but I done been hearing a whole lot about you from my boy,” Annie responded.

Matthew gazed at her and his eyes grew wide. He looked back at Rose, breaking into laughter again when she nodded her head. “You’re Annie? You’re Moses’s mama?”

“I sho ‘nuff be!”