Master Of Paradise (34 page)

All were gathered in the comfortable living room at Paradise. Samuel splashed bourbon into glasses for the men and poured sherry for Amanda and Jennifer.

Brandon downed his in one gulp. "I've decided to join you and your daddy's cavalry troupe, Beau."

Beau swirled the liquor around his glass. "I'm not joining the South Carolina Cavalry. With Father in command, I thought it might be awkward for both of us. I've decided to serve under my namesake, General Beauregard. I'm going tomorrow."

Jennifer gasped. "Oh Beau, I'm so proud of you, but I'll just die if anything happens to you."

"Jenny, we got the finest horsemen in the country. We were all born with guns in our hands. Every plantation in the county has at least one son whose attended West Point, or the Citadel, or like Brandon, to the Virginia Military Institute. All the North has is immigrants from Europe, fresh off the boats!"

Nicholas cautioned, "They have immigrants by the thousand, don't forget, and all poor. They'll be willing to fight in return for food and a few dollars."

"God Almighty Nick, you're not afraid of the Yankees are you?" Brandon laughed.

"I'm afraid of war. I'm afraid of the North-- it's filled with factories that can turn out cannon. The Federal Government has a navy that can soon convert to warships. The North also controls the wheat supply."

Jennifer looked ashamed that she was related to him. She moved over to stand beside Beau. "A Southern gentleman would never admit to fear."

Amanda flushed darkly at the implication. Nicholas ignored Jennifer's words, but Beau Hampden's chest swelled as she cast him an admiring glance.

"Well, we're not at war yet, and I hope to God it doesn't come to that. I've two plantations and a shipping business to run." All eyes were on him now, expecting him to commit himself as they had done, but Nicholas cared little for the opinion of two rash boys.

Jennifer smiled at Beau. "Your sister Julia must be the envy of everyone with her daddy at the head of the South Carolina Cavalry and her brother going to join General Beauregard."

"Oh, how romantic!" Jenny cried, pea-green with envy. "I suppose just everyone will be marrying their sweetheart before they go off to war, then they'll have someone at home waiting for them." She gave Beau a speculative look. "You must stay for dinner Beau. Samuel, I hope we're having something delicious tonight."

Beau shook his head. "Sorry ma'am, can't tonight. Have to make an early start in the morning. But soon as I enlist with Beauregard and get my uniform fitted in Charleston, I'll come to dinner."

"Now that's a promise I shall hold you to." Jennifer took his arm and walked him to the door. As soon as he'd gone, Jenny turned to her brother. "Brandon, I wonder if we could have a little talk in private?"

"Sure honey. I'm stayin' for supper, so I'd better go up to the stables and see that my horse is fed and watered. Why don't you walk with me?"

Outside, Jennifer was blind to the beauty of the dogwood and budding magnolias. "Brandon, those slaves up at Blackville will bring nothing if that lunatic Lincoln gets his way. I think you should sell them off for cash before you go running off to Virginia, fightin' some silly war that hasn't even happened yet."

"Well honey, I should have known where your priorities would lie. Just to show you my heart is in the right place, I'm going to make out my will and leave that place to you, if anything should happen to me."

"In the safe at my house. There's something I want in exchange Jenny. There's a pair of twins I had sent from the breeding farm. I've taken a fancy to them, and when I go up to Virginia, I want you to bring them over here and take care of them for me."

"Was that one of them I saw you with that night?"

"You guessed it. I'll skin you alive if you sell them on me. You can sell any of the others you want to, you don't have to wait and see if anything happens to me. I trust your instincts where money is concerned."

When Nicholas and Amanda were alone, he saw that her thoughts were in turmoil. "What is it, sweetheart?"

She hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Nicholas, I'm so confused. I've been frightened to death that you would go running off to war, but now I see how reluctant you are, I'm frightened you won't go."

He put a finger under her chin and raised it so she looked him in the eye. "Be thankful I don't join the Union. Slavery is wrong, when all's said and done."

Amanda's eyes were wide and she didn't know whether to take him seriously or not. She'd already learned Nicholas was not like other men. She pulled away from him, piqued at his attitude, and he chuckled at her reaction.

He could have sat her down and explained that his ships would be needed to import military supplies. The Confederacy would need specie and credit to finance a war, and exporting cotton was the only means of doing it.
I've only got half the planting finished. I must get the rest of the fields in, then I'll be free to sail the merchant ships.

At dinner it seemed that lines had already been drawn with the brother and sisters on one side, and Nicholas on the other.

Beau Hampden had chosen to join General Beauregard at an auspicious moment. On the night of April 12th the Yankees fired the first shots of the Civil War when they took over Fort Sumpter in Charleston Harbor. Immediately, General Beauregard with his newest officer, First Lieutenant Beau Hampden, proceeded to shell the Fort until the offending Yankees were removed.

Beau returned home briefly before they rode North to lick the enemy. He was already a full-fledged hero, complete with a nasty powder burn on his cheek. He arrived at Paradise the same afternoon as Bernard Jackson. Beau was almost drunk with the glory of it all, while Bernard was grave-faced with fatigue.

Nicholas sat Bernard on the shaded verandah with a pony of bourbon.

"Virginia's about to secede. It's been passed and will be signed any day. Lincoln has called for 75,000 volunteers, and we have secret information that he has already seized Southern ships in Northern ports, and we know it won't stop there. He is about to proclaim a blockade of all Southern ports to prevent cotton going out and war supplies and food coming in."

Nicholas whistled. "By God, blockade runners will make fortunes, but of course the United States could charge us under Federal piracy laws."

"You have a ship?" Bernard inquired.

"I own two with Rafe Collins. We converted them to steam, thank God."

"Well, I'm on my way to Charleston to raise money to help finance this war. Price of cotton hereabouts will drop drastically as soon as the blockade is announced. I intend to open a blockade office and buy it dirt cheap. I know some planters hereabouts still got two year's crops in their storage barns."

"I just bought gunpowder and medical supplies from New York. I'll sell to the army at a reasonable price. I was planning to make another trip, but now you've brought news of a blockade, we'd do better to get that cotton to Liverpool immediately."

"It might be dangerous," Bernard warned.

"We've painted the ships gray, and they sit so low in the water they're almost invisible. Fast too, but just in case, we'll carry all flags then if we can't outrun a vessel we'll strike whatever colors suit our purpose."

"We plan to set up a Confederate Navy," Bernard said, "but it will all take time. The ironclad warships will have to be built in England. If you're sailing within a week, I'll send a message to Captain James Bullock. He plans to contract a ship-builder in Birkenhead for six stern-propeller ships capable of high speed and long cruise."

"That should cost a pretty penny."

"A million. I'll get that message straight off. Will you travel to Charleston with me tomorrow?" he asked Nicholas hopefully.

"I'll take you in the boat. Be there in just over an hour if we catch the ebb tide. You can use my house on Tradd Street. I'll tell Charles to be ready to go to the Charleston house for a spell. There are no servants there at the present."

Jennifer totally monopolized Beau Hampden, luring him to the summer house with sidelong glances that promised whatever he desired.

He came up against her back and wrapped his arms about her breasts. She could feel his hardness rubbing against her buttocks and her mouth curved into a satisfied little smile. "Beau, has your daddy made out his will?"

Beau, his mouth nuzzling her neck, protested. "Ah didn't come out here to talk about my daddy."

Firmly, Jenny removed his hands from her breasts and turned to him. "We must talk about it. Do you realize with your daddy at the head of the South Carolina Cavalry you could become the owner overnight of the largest plantation in four counties, if anything happened to him?"

His mind was blurred by his sexual arousal, and he groaned because she was not about to fill his needs. Somehow the battle he'd been involved in had given him an insatiable need for a woman. He could think of nothing else.

"Why, even Brandon has left me the breeding farm in his will. He's leaving those black twins in my care when he goes to Virginia."

"Twins?" he said thickly. "You got those twins here?"

Jennifer heard the eagerness in his voice and pressed home her trump card. "He'll probably give them to me for a wedding present."

"You want to get married?" he puzzled.

"Why Beau, darlin', I'd love to! Let's ask Daddy right now." She pulled him along by sheer force of will back to the house. "Listen everybody." She blushed happily. "Beau Hampden has just asked me to marry him and I told him I'd be honored to be his wife."

"Now hold on a minute, Jennifer Joy," admonished her father, "I know you young people are in love and war changes all the rules, but I think it would be best if you were just engaged for the present. Let us all get used to the idea for a spell."

Beau shook Bernard's hand vigorously and agreed with him that they would be content to become engaged. The Hampdens shouldn't put up any objections since they were allowing Julia to marry Ty Caldwell.

Nicholas opened champagne to toast the flushed couple and even poured enough for Samuel and Mammy Lou to be included in the toasting.

Nick's eyes met Amanda's with such intensity that she realized he had been watching her for some time. As he stared across the room at her, there was a naked hunger in his eyes, and she feared that anyone who saw would know them for lovers.
He might as well have shouted it across the room.

He lifted a dark brow in invitation and mouthed silently, "The maze."

After a moment Amanda put her glass aside and stepped into the garden.

Inside the high labyrinth of the maze, she took a flower into her hands and smelled its fragrance. Then he was beside her. As she had done with the flower, he cupped her face and gazed down at her. "Amanda, I love you so much, and I must leave again tomorrow. Let me come to you, tonight?"

"Nicholas we can't, not with Father here," she protested.

He looked deeply into her eyes. "My love, let me tell him. I want you in my room, not in another wing."

"No, no, Nicholas. He looks so tired and so worried. I don't want to upset him when he's got so much on his mind. Besides, he confides in you so easily, I don't want your relationship to be strained.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "By God,
our
relationship is strained," he teased.

"You'll be back from Charleston in a few days," she assured him.

He hesitated, then confessed, "Yes, but then I've decided to take the Rattlesnake to England."

Her face fell. "But that's as long a separation as if you joined the army, except... "her voice trailed off and she didn't say the rest.

"Except, no honors, no glory? Well if your pride demands it of me, I'm on Confederate business. I'm likely taking Captain Bullock of the Navy, among other things."

"I'm sorry, Nicholas. I should know you have enough pride and honor for three men."

He lifted her and kissed her deeply, then arms entwined, they made their way to the heart of the maze where the fountain splashed so invitingly. He whispered, "On my first night back from England, I'm going to bring you here and we'll bathe in this secluded spot."

Chapter Eighteen

While Nicholas was in Charleston, Lincoln proclaimed a blockade of all Southern ports. Nick cursed the Fates that hadn't allowed enough time for Rafe Collins and himself to sail before the edict, but it proved advantageous when the price of cotton hit bottom.

While the Hornet and Rattlesnake had their cotton cargoes loaded, Nicholas took his small boat back up the Ashley to pack his bags for England.

The house servants were thrown into panic at readying the master for an ocean voyage. They were everywhere at once, and consequently Nicholas and Amanda found it impossible to be alone. When it came time for him to leave, he ignored the household and took his wife into his arms. "Sweetheart, there's so much I want to say and so little time to say it."