The Collins Plantation Heiress

By B. Lin Standley

During the 1840's, Rachel Collins becomes the primary heiress to her family's tea plantation. Her childhood is anything but typical, including her memories. It's as if she has two sets of memories, her's and Clara Henderson's, a girl that lived on the family plantation before Rachel was born. As different events occur, Clara's memories comes out. With the break up of her family, Clara's memories start to become a strong part of Rachel's life and she tries to sort out why Clara's past is reaching out to her.
In the meantime, Rachel's family becomes part of the secret security for the Castillian crown. They protect various persons for the crown by hiding them on the plantation. However, Rachel's role becomes more prominent. She becomes a guardian of the only royal granddaughter, Margaret, and the two are fast fiends. However, Clara's memories don't fade from Rachel's mind and Rachel learns that Clara is trying to warn of her of the mistakes that lead to a tragic end. Can Rachel figure it out before the tragic history of the Collins family happens again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: B. Lin Standley
• Release date: Jan 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311170583

B. Lin Standley

B. Lin Standley grew up in the New England town that started the salem witch trials, Danvers, Mass. She developed a talent for story telling from having the imaginary friends that comes from being an only child, her surroundings, and the stories that her father would tell.As an adult, B: Lin joined the US Army and became a medic. Later she added chemical warefare defense to her training. After her military career, she became a Medical Technologist and has a B.S. in biology.B. Lin now enjoys her life in Montana

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Chapter 1

The Collins tea plantation was always my home and the feeling went down to my soul. My oldest memory of the place was when I was around three years of age, during the winter of 1839. I was dancing around in my new red silk dress for the Yule time holiday. My older brother, David, was playing with his new fiddle and was around five years of age. Like our mother, David and I both had her chestnut brown hair and hazel colored eyes. However, that’s where our similarities ended. David had a lean build and mom’s oval shaped face. I got my Mother’s small frame and Dad’s Germanic features with a heart shaped face.

This memory ended when Dad’s tall, medium build figure came to the doorway and called our names, Rachel and David. He said that it was time to go to the children’s Yule party at the monastery. His black, wavy hair and mustache was always neatly trimmed with a smile that made his face light up like a Yule tree.

Mom was already at the monastery helping with getting the place ready for the children’s party. Later on, she would be playing her guitar and Brother Paul would join her with his flute. She always enjoyed doing that at the parties. For her, performing on her guitar was the happiest moments she had on the island. Dad would say that it brought back nice memories of her childhood. Otherwise, mom seemed very sad around the plantation.

You could tell that Brother Paul enjoyed playing his flute when he got a chance. His amber colored eyes would have a sparkle to them when he did play. At first I was scared of him because of the scars on his face were very obvious against his dark skin. He also had a flat nose, high cheek bones and taller stature than my dad. As a little girl, the combination of his giant like appearance and the scars made him look scary to me but as time went on, I learned he was a very nice man. His mannerisms were rather regal in nature and he was very gentle. I had been told that when I was a baby, I was fascinated by his short, pepper corn, dark hair. I always had to reach out and rub it. Brother Paul would just laugh and tickle me back. Then the laughter would be contagious to everyone.

Along with this childhood memory, I had a very different memory that seemed to linger in my mind. The memory took me to a summer night from a long time past and it seemed to be a lot older than the time of my third winter. The image of the bottom from the rocky cliff started small. Then it got closer with a sensation of falling with it. In the distance, a man was shouting to me but I could not make out what was being said. A sense of overwhelming pain came over me and then everything went black.

This memory started when I went with my dad to the harbor. We were unloading a harvest of tea onto the docks during the autumn of my forth year. It was the first time I saw those grey cliffs by the old, red and while light house. A cold shiver went down my spine and I turned my back to them. It was like I was scared by the sight of them and I could not understand why.

Another strange thing happened after that day. I became scared of falling from a very high place. No one could figure out why I became that way. There was never an incident that would explain why. Later Grandma said that maybe I picked up on the young woman that had fallen to her death on those cliffs. Her new husband was accused of pushing her off out of revenge. There had been signs of a struggle in the area where the woman was pushed off from. In addition, others heard the two argue earlier the night before and he was seen with the woman before she disappeared.

Somehow, the man managed to escape before he could be brought to justice. He reached the mainland a short time later and was never seen again. He claimed that he never killed his bride. He figured out who kidnapped the woman and followed him to the cliff. He heard his young wife screaming for help and when he got to the cliff she had already fallen over. No one believed him but the woman’s family declined to go after him.

The family plantation was nestled near the marshlands of Crescent Island. The main house was two stories tall. The ground floor was up a few feet with the foundation being made of the local brick. The house was white with some gingerbread trim for a bit of whimsy. There was a porch in the front of the house that had a few narrow stairs from the ground. Grandma had her rocking chair near those stairs with a small table beside it for her drinks while she knitted. David and I had our own smaller table and chairs on the porch. I would sit there to read while David practiced his fiddle playing.

The plantation was two hundred acres in ground size. We had four outer buildings for the operations of the plantation. One building was the equipment shed, the other was the greenhouse for the new tea plants, the third one was the storage and drying shed for the tea leaves that were harvested, and the last one was the living quarters for the seasonal work hands. Dad always worked on maintaining those buildings.

The mountains were nearby and it fed the needed water for the tea plants. As on the waterfront and valley, we had our own village area that supported the tea growing in the marsh area. During the spring, some of the plantation hands would be found helping with the planting of the new tea plants and plucking the first flush of the first crop. In the summer the village activity was almost gone because most of the people were working at the plantations for the second harvest time and the bulk of the tea exports. After the crops were picked and the festival was done by the waterfront, the late fall was the busiest time in the village. The shops would be busy with the selling of goods for the short winter and Yule time since everyone had money.

Back then, David and I were close for siblings since we did not have any other children to play with, expect for the visits from Aaron and Roger Henderson. We often played marbles and checkers with each other on days that we could not go outside. Otherwise, after the morning tea plucking and/or after the chores were done, we played tag, hide and seek, climbing trees, go horseback riding or go fishing at the Henderson’s creek. When the Henderson boys joined us, they would play the same games with us. However, it was more fun for David than me when those boys were over.

The Henderson boys were the sons of Walter, Uncle Asa’s favorite nephew from Valance. Both boys were twins but did not look alike. They were only a year older than David. Roger had a stick figure with blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes. Like my father, he had rather Germanic features but higher cheek bones.

Aaron was on the husky side and shorter than his brother. His hair was a darker blonde than Roger’s and his eyes were a lighter blue that reminded me of my favorite shooting marble at the time. However, both boys tended to be obnoxious towards me, while being friendly with David and minded their manners around the grownups. Grandma would say that was typical of a family where there was only one girl and she was the baby. Then she remarked how it did not help that I could beat the boys in everything they did. It still did not make me feel any better.

The main activity that we all did together, except for Mom, was target practice with Dad’s rifle and revolver. That was one skill that Dad made sure we had. Mom made a big fuss of me being out there with the boys but even Brother Paul said that was a valuable survival tool. After all, we lived on an island and you never know when we might have to fight to keep our freedom was his thinking.

In hind sight, I wonder if Dad had Brother Paul teach me archery just to spite my mother. She started to take me away from the shooting when I was seven years old. She kept saying that using a gun was undignified for a lady. Considering how many of the old myths had a goddess using a bow and arrow, Dad must have figured that Mom could not argue how un-lady that was. I did get good at it to where I was hunting rabbits and such.

I even got faster with getting the rabbits than David, Aaron or Roger did with the revolver or shotgun. When that happened, I would just grab the rabbit I got and just strut past the three boys glaring at me. Dad would try to hid his grin and mom screamed in horror when I got back to the house. Grandma would thank me for getting dinner and we got the rabbit dressed out, leaving mom to deal with her sick stomach.

The plantation next to ours belonged to the Henderson’s. They were an older couple that had no children of their own. So when it was time to pluck the tea leaves, we took care of our plantation first. After that, Dad would take David and me to the Henderson’s to help them. When all the plucking was done for both plantations, we would have a big picnic by the creek that was on the Henderson property. That was the only time I saw mom ever joining in any activity that involved the Henderson’s. Even then, she would keep her distance from them. The rest of my family saw the Henderson’s as part of the Collins family and we did not think of them as just neighbors.

When the Henderson boys were over, Roger would join Dad and me while we tended to the plantation. Aaron would take out his knife and carve while waiting for us on the porch. Both of them did not care to sit and listen to David’s practicing. So they kept to themselves busy during that time.

I admit I would get a bit jealous that Roger was beside Dad instead of me. The two would talk about both plantations’ operations as I was riding behind them. When the ride was over, I would be stuck putting up the horses while Dad and Roger went to the house to get something to drink.

After a few years of this, I just stayed with grandma in the kitchen when Dad took Roger out. Grandma would just smile and say for me to get used to it. She figured it would be the same way for me when I got married and Dad was dealing with my husband. I just kept my thoughts to myself and continued with helping out. When dad and Roger were back, they would get the horses turned out into the pasture. Following that, they would just come into the kitchen, get some lemonade and continue to the study. Dad would show Roger his old alchemy school books and explain what was in them.

Both boys would always tease me by calling me tiny because I was so much shorter than them and David. Many times, Roger or Aaron would yank on my braids or tried to trip me as they went by. One time during a dinner, I got kicked a few times under the table. I did not say anything of what they were doing because I did not want to be seen as a cry baby. Usually, I just kept my distance from both boys when they were over.

During my eighth summer, I was reading at my usual spot by some pine trees. Aaron had climbed one of the trees earlier and I did not know he was up there. As I was reading, I felt some pine needles falling on me. Then it became small pine cones. At that point, I stood up and looked up to see Aaron getting ready to jump down. I moved over and he landed in the spot that I was sitting at just a few seconds prior. I told him that he could have just asked me to move. Aaron just smiled and remarked that would have been too easy. Then he walked away as I stood there watching him leave. After ten feet, he turned around with a cocky smile and remarked that he thought I was watching. I told him to go away. Aaron turned around and went towards the house.

As he walked back to the house, a strange image came to my mind. I was seeing Aaron as a man with dark hair and brown eyes. This man was very muscular and I felt my heart skip a beat. I shook my head and told myself to stop day dreaming. Quickly, I put my nose back into the book I was reading and put the incident out of my mind at that moment.

During my ninth summer, Aaron and Roger came to our plantation for the last time as boys. Both Roger and Aaron were going to the royal academy of Valance. Their grandfather was a royal alchemist and had the pull to get them enrolled there.

Roger was going to be an alchemist while Aaron was going to the military part of the academy to become part of the engineering corp. I was actually very happy for them but said nothing. Dad and Mom congratulated both of them and told them to write to us if possible. They wanted to know what the classes were like, especially Dad. He had gone to that same academy when he was young. He had been studying alchemy at the time but did not get the apprenticeship. Roger agreed to write to us as he put the scribbled address dad gave him into his pants pocket while Aaron mumbled that he would try.

Before he left, Roger thanked Dad for all the lessons in the study. He wished David luck with his fiddle and the rest of the family with the plantation. Aaron did not say much of anything except a thank you to my parents. On his way out, Aaron yanked on my braids and called me Tiny.

Later that night, when I went to bed I saw something on the dresser. I picked it up and saw it was a small carving of a trotting horse. I had no idea who left it for me or where it came from. When I asked the family about it at dinner time, no one had an idea where it came from either. Grandma thought that maybe Aaron left it. She did see him carve a horse while on the porch. I shook my head and said that Aaron would not have left anything like that for me. Then we all dropped the subject.

I was grateful that both Henderson boys were not coming back. I could finally get some peace for the entire summer was my thought. Yet, it seemed different without Aaron or Roger around the following summer.

Chapter 2

For my family, the plantation did well. We did not have to worry about getting food on the table. We always had nice clothes in the latest fashion from the mainland for the Yule festivities. In fact, we always had enough clothes to change between washes. We had a lady from the village that did our laundry once a week. Mom and David would bring the clothes to her and pick up the clean ones from the previous week.

I usually did not mind it when Mom and David went because it gave me time to be with Dad. Yes, I was very much a daddy’s girl and he was my whole world at that time. He always took the time to be with me and I went with him everywhere on the plantation. He taught me all the operations of how to run the plantation and how to keep it maintained. We would check the plants to see if the tea had their three leaves with fuzzy silver. That was the sign that they were ready to be plucked and the family would gather them over the next week.

One time, I asked Dad why he did not teach David anything of how to run the plantation. All he would say was how I was to tend to the plantation with my husband someday. He added that David was not cut out to be a plantation owner like I was. Then I dropped the subject for a long time.

As David showed more talent with his fiddle, Mom worked with him on his playing. I would spend that time reading. Since I was usually with my brother or being with my dad, I did not play with dolls or dress up for tea parties like other girls. Mom was always frustrated with that and would try to get me to be lady like. She would dress me up in nice dresses with the big hair bows but I would be in my plain dress by the end of the morning.

Mom and I had a few fashion battles. One was with the corset. She was always getting on me for not wearing it like a proper lady. Personally, I thought it was uncomfortable and it would get in my way when I had to do the plucking or chores. To help me out and to get Mom to stay calm with me, Dad took a large piece of cloth and put leather support sides on it. It gave the appearance of me wearing a corset and I had better movement in it. Later, Mom learned about the fake corset that I was wearing and she burned it in the trash pit. She gave dad hell for contributing to my inappropriate behavior and each morning she made sure I had on a proper corset.

After a spring time of having difficulty plucking tea leaves and doing my chores, Dad made me another corset like the one I had before. Even grandma asked for one. Later I realized that she did that to prove to my mother that she was in the wrong about a corset. Of course, I would hear the arguments behind closed doors. That got me upset because I knew that the three adults were arguing over me, which seemed to me the normality of our family. Later, when no one else was around, mother would say how the argument was my fault and that I must not love her because I was always getting her in trouble. I would just stay quiet and try to figure out how I could be a better daughter.

Also, Mom and I had the battle with headwear when I first learned how to pluck at the age of four. Mom would make sure that I had on a bonnet to wear for outside while I was plucking. I complained that I could not see what was going on around me. Grandma agreed with me and told Mom that no one wore bonnets while pickling. It reduced a woman’s ability to see if any snakes were around. So she went to the attic and pulled out a boy’s outlander hat for me to wear. The brown felted hat of a low crown and straight wide brim fit me perfect. I commented that I looked just like my Dad and ran to my room to put it up.

In my room, Mom took that hat from me and threw it on the ground. She stomped on it and told me to pick it up. She proceeded to tell me that if she caught me wearing it, I would get a harsh lesson for defining her. Grandma told Mom that if I got bit by a snake, she would give that same lesson to her after she dealt with the snake bite.

Sure enough, a month later I got bit by a green strangler snake. I remembered how it coiled around my ankle and bit the back of my calf. I was screaming for dad to get it off of me and he pulled out his knife to get it to let go. He had send David to the house to get Grandma to get a salt bath going for my ankle.

When that snake let go, I had a very purple foot and was hobbling from the pain of the bite. The family was grateful that it was not a copper snake since that was poisonous. They got on Mom’s back about how she needed to stop raising me like a mainland girl and to remember that a tea plantation was a woman’s work place. That started up a lot of problems for me later.

Mom spent her spare time playing her guitar, if she was not teaching David with his fiddle. Once in a while, I would catch mom with a sad longing look if she thought she was alone. The sound from her guitar would reflect her mood. Otherwise, the music she played reminded me of the fancy court balls. I could picture the women in their long hooped dresses and their hair up with the sparkling tiaras. They would be dancing with their dresses swaying to the music and the men would be in their tail suits and top hats.

David and I were told that Mom was from a traveling minstrel family. Dad had gone to the Castilian mainland for a holiday. He attended one of the shows that Mom played in. He fell in love with her and met her after the show. By the end of his holiday, they had become married. Mom would just agree with Dad whenever he told that story. You just could not help but think that there was something more than what we were be told. It did not help that Mom would not say anything to us about her family, nor her childhood.

The last happy memory I had of our family was around the Yule festivities during my ninth winter. David was giving a wonderful performance at the monastery Yule party. Mom mostly accompanied him with her guitar. Dad and I were commenting how we never saw Mom as happy as she did that night. Then I noticed that Dad seemed to withdraw from the party for a few minutes as he watched the performance. When his attention was back to the present, it seemed like his mind was present the whole time and he was being the proud husband and father again.

Days later, Mom and Dad were arguing a lot more. Then it became almost all the time. By a month’s time, they stopped talking all together to each other. Mom was coming and going from the plantation to deliver and pick up mail. Dad did his best to avoid her. If he saw Mom in the hallway or coming in his direction he would turn around and go back to where he came from. He was never at the dinner table either. To make matters worse, there was an eerie quiet through the house and a part of me wished that they would go back to arguing to stop the tension in the air.

To get away from the tension, I went to the stables a lot to be with the horses. I would take my book of fairy tales and read it over and over. Sometimes I would stop and wish that the happily ever after would surface for Dad and Mom. David would go to the greenhouse and play his fiddle loud as he possibly could to not hear anything going on in the house.

Grandma was the peacemaker for the family during this time and it was aging her terribly. Her dark blonde hair became completely grey. That included how her dark eyes and apple face were getting that tired look from old age. Despite her stout stature, Grandma tended to be quick on her feet. By the time the ordeal was over, she was getting thinner and her walk was slowing down.

All I wanted was for Mom and Dad to get their differences settled and I prayed each night for it. When they did say anything, I could hear them arguing again and it was always something about me or the plantation. I even asked Grandma why my parents were arguing because I wanted to know what I did wrong to make them argue like they did. She would say that the problem was between my parents and not about me or David. Each chance I got; I was outside wishing on the first star or praying that I would be a better child to make my parents happy again.

Instead, the problems got worse. David started to be disobedient to Dad and Grandma. It did not help that none of the grownups were trying to punish the behavior. If anything, Dad and Grandma would tell David to just get out of their sight and David would. Mom would verbally tell David to behave but that was all.

David was starting to avoid me and I had no idea as to why. Otherwise, I was burying myself deeper into the few books I had until the short winter time was over. Then I started to ride Rosemary more around the plantation. Once in a while, I would go to the Henderson’s just to talk to someone. However, when I was there, I would pretend that nothing was happening at the family plantation. I always used the excuse of how I came to help Aunt Emily with her chores. Like me, the Henderson’s were acting as if nothing was going on.

Then one day in the late spring, Dad came to me. He explained that a guest was coming to the plantation. He needed me to be on the lookout for him. When he did arrive, he was to wait until I went to get Dad so he could deal with the situation. Then he told me that the current problems would be ending once this stranger left. I wanted to question what was going on but the tone in Dad’s voice told me not to.

The springtime finally arrived and with it the stranger that Dad mentioned. He was wearing a riding outfit like the gentry did back at the mainland. After grabbing the reins from the light brown horse, the stranger approached the gate. As he got closer, I noticed he had the same hair and eyes as Mom, David and me. He had a lean build and was rather on the tall side, like David. I was trying to decide if this was family that I never met before or was this stranger that Dad mentioned. Then the strangest feeling came over me, I knew this man from somewhere before but this was the first time I ever saw him. Then I shook the feeling off thinking that it was because I knew he was coming.

Once the man came to the gate, he addressed me as Miss Rachel and asked to see my father. I told him I would fetch him. The stranger leaned against the fence, pulled out a book and started to read. As I walked away, I was thinking that would be something I would do while waiting for someone and I wondered what he was reading.

Dad went to greet our guest and he started to tell me to stay put. Then he changed his mind and asked me if I wanted to join him. I quickly ran out the door with Dad. A few feet out the door, I stopped dead in my tracks and realized that Dad was behind me. I turned to look at him as I waited for him to catch up.

As we walked to the gate, Dad was telling me that the stranger was my uncle, Joseph, from the mainland. He was here to help out with the family situation. I became very happy about this man coming. I assumed that the family would be happy again and then this uncle would be on his way. My resolve was to help him all I could because I just wanted my family back!

Dad greeted the stranger with a hand shake. Both men clasped their other hands on top of the hand shake and simultaneously stated that they wished the visit was under better circumstances. Dad asked me to help with the horse as the two men continued to talk but kept the conversation to just above a whisper. I did make out Dad saying that someone was always unhappy here, and ended it with the sooner the better, for everyone.

Before taking the horse to be watered, Uncle Joseph took his fiddle and guitar while Dad carried the saddle bags. He then explained to Dad and me that the horse was from the monastery and that Brother Paul would be by for him in a day’s time. Dad thanked me for helping with the horse and both men went inside.

From the stable, I could hear Mom shouting in excitement when she saw her brother enter the house. They embraced in front of the window and I saw Grandma getting up as Joseph helped her. Then she left the room and I assumed to get David. Dad and Joseph talk for a few minutes until David came into the room. Both he and Uncle Joseph shook hands and then David lead the man out of the pallor. I was smiling because everyone looked happy inside and I thought that the family was coming together.

When I finished caring for the horse, I went back inside the kitchen. Mom and Dad were sitting by the table together for the first time in a long time. However, it was short lived and Dad told Mom to go ahead and tell me as he went back outside. Mom had me sit down beside her, a first in a long time for both of us. She explained that Uncle Joseph was here to work with David for the summer, like Dad had told me before. Then they both would go back to the mainland so David could be a court musician and learn how to write music with his uncle. I remarked that David was going to be lonely without us. Mom added that might not be the case and ended the conversation there. She was very quiet as she got up and left the room. I sat at the table for the longest time trying to figure out why Mom was still quiet to me. If everything was going to get better, why did she still act that way? What was I doing wrong to keep her so mad at me?

During his stay, Uncle Joseph worked with David on his playing and mannerisms for the court. Mom was joining them and I still felt like I was in the shadows. If I was around, Mom would get me to fetch something for them and then I was sent off again. She was still avoiding Dad and Grandma. In turn, they totally stayed away from the trio. There were times when we were asked to be an audience to help David. I had no desire to listen because I did not think it was worth my time. For the sake of the family tranquility, I did as I was told to because Grandma and Dad would scold me if I did not. They kept emphasizing how this was an important step for David and it was my family duty to help him.

On the morning of my tenth birthday, I went to the kitchen and grandma greeted me with a good morning to the birthday girl. Then she said that she would have my favorite cookies ready for me by lunchtime. I hugged and thanked her because Grandma always made the best cherry almond cookies!

Then I went to do my chores and tried to get them done early. I was thinking that the family and I would be doing a picnic lunch like we always did for my birthday. Plus, we would have the company of Uncle Joseph. I was excited to show him all around the creek area that we would go to and maybe catch a few fish for the smoker like we always did.

When my chores were done, I went back to the kitchen to get washed up and ready for the picnic. Instead of the picnic basket ready on the table, there was just the plate of cookies. Mom left a note saying that there was no time for the picnic due to David’s daily performance. Then I saw that picnic basket was not put up but just on the counter empty with the contents beside it. I sat at the table feeling upset and tried to understand how David’s performance should prevent us from the picnic lunch on my birthday like we always did. The performance could be done before or after was my thought.

At that point, I had enough of being in the shadows of the blossoming composer. I left a note in my room and went fishing anyway. Far as I was concerned, it was my birthday and I should have the privilege to enjoy part of the day doing what I wanted to. With my book in one arm, the pail and rod in the other, I went to the usual fishing hole by the plantation. It was half a mile from the house with a nice group of pine trees. It was the perfect reading spot as I waited for the fish to bite.

The noon sun was casting its warmth on me when I realized how late it was. I did not bother making a sandwich because I figured that someone would have got me by that point to listen to the performance. My growling stomach was telling me to go back to the house but I was getting upset that no one came to look for me. I told myself that they all must be too busy with David to bother with me. A part of me was considering the possibility that maybe no one noticed I was gone.

Deciding that it was time to go back to the house, I reached out for the line of fish I caught. I heard the sound of someone coming towards me and I turned to look. Uncle Joseph was coming towards me with a basket in one hand and sachet over his shoulder.

After a minute of staring at one another, Uncle Joseph apologized for the cancellation of my birthday picnic. He did not know it was my birthday, otherwise, he would have insisted that the picnic go on. I accepted his apology but it did not reduce the tension that was coming from me.

He sighed and I could see he was trying to find something else to say. Then he saw the line and remarked how I caught enough fish for dinner. I asked if he was here to take me back and he replied if I was ready to. Otherwise, he wanted to join me for a bit. It was a nice spot I had for reading and he had a few books in his sachet.

I was not sure if I wanted to share my reading spot with anyone. I was going to say that I already read my book and was ready to go. As if seeing through me, Uncle Joseph said that he would share his books with me if I wanted something else to read. Reluctantly, I let him stay with me and then casted my line again. He asked me what kind of trout I caught and I shrugged my shoulders. Far as I was concerned, they were just trout. From his sachet, a book about aquatic animals was pulled out and he handed it to me. He told me to open it and see what kind of trout I caught.

I opened the book and saw the bright illustrations of the different types of fish. In a few minutes, Uncle Joseph and I figured that I had two types of trout. Then we spent the rest of the time together figuring out what species of turtles were around the creek area and eating the sandwiches he brought.

It was almost sunset by the time Uncle Joseph and I got the fish cleaned and back to the house. I had enjoyed my time with him because I finally had someone that understood why I liked to read. He explained that I came by it naturally. The men on my Mom’s side were book worms and I was the first girl in the family that was one according to him. He was glad that he could give his old childhood books a new home since he did not have children of his own. Before going to my room with my new treasures, I hugged my uncle and thanked him for the books. He just smiled and said how the pleasure of the day was his.

Dad was standing in the distance watching us. I saw the smile on his face as I was hugging my new books. He remarked that Uncle Joseph had a friend for life now. Both men laughed and I smiled as I walked to my room.

Placing the books gently onto my small book shelf, I heard my mother slamming the door open. She was yelling how I should not have gone off like I did. There was much that I should have been doing instead of horsing around the creek like a boy and getting myself all muddy. I looked down at my boots and tried to figure out what mud she was talking about. I had wiped them off before coming in and my dress was still clean.

Then Mom saw the new books on my shelf. She walked over to them and pulled one out. In a very snarky tone, she asked if I was wasting my day with it. I told her how Uncle Joseph and I were looking at the pictures and trying to figure out what the animals were around the creek. She threw the book on the floor and yelled how I dared to take the time away from David’s lessons. Then she slapped me across the face.

For a minute, I stood there and I started to cry. Everything was centered on her and David and I had enough. Then I was yelled at for crying and being selfish. Mom proceeded to order that I had to stay in my room to think about what I did wrong. Then she stomped out of the room and slammed the door. I sat on my bed and dried my tears. In defiance to Mom, I grabbed one of my new books and read it. At least I had a few new (to me) books for my birthday and I had some fun about the day.

Staying on the bed, I said that I was not hungry and continued with reading my book when Grandma came to get me. Instead of leaving, Grandma hobbled to the bed. She sat down beside me and placed her cane just within reach. She asked what I was reading and I showed her the book. It was about horses, what different breeds there were and what they were breed for. Grandma commented that the book was really nice but that I needed to eat something first. Then we can go back to reading the book together. Mom and David could do the dishes for once since it was my birthday. I smiled and jumped off the bed. I handed Grandma her cane and we went to the table.

While eating the dinner roast, I thought it was odd that I did not smell the smoker. There was enough fish to have for a dinner another day. I kept quiet because Mom kept glaring at me and I wondered if she did something with the fish I caught earlier. After dinner, I asked Grandma if she needed help with clearing the dishes for the cake. I remembered that she was baking one that morning like she always did for our birthdays. Grandma sighed and looked at Mom. Then she said that she tripped in the kitchen while holding a pitcher of milk. She apologized for ruining the cake and said how she did not have time to make another. She would make it up tomorrow. I did not believe the story.

Then Mom announced that David was going to do his daily performance. Especially since everyone was busy looking for me and it could not be done at the usual time. Dad told her to put it aside for one day. No one was in the mood to listen and David needed a break anyway. Mom gave us all a glaring look and then it seemed her eyes were fixed on me. Dad told her to leave me alone because he and Grandma had already dealt with the day. I knew it was lie but I just looked down to get away from the looks I was getting. Then I asked if I could leave the table. Mom said no but Dad and Grandma told me to go ahead. Quickly, I took advantage of the situation and left.

I acted like I was going to go to my room but snuck outside instead. My gut feeling was Mom must have thrown away the fish I caught and I wanted to know. Sure enough, in the compost heap, there they were, along with my birthday cake. Slowly, I walked back to the stable and sat on the hay bales. I was trying to figure out why Mom was always seemed to be mean to me. Why did it feel like David could get away with everything while I got punished for the smallest thing?

It was almost dark when I heard my Mom coming to the stable. Thinking that she wanted to punish me for not being in my room, I jumped down from the hay bales and hid behind them. The door opened and I saw my Mom’s silhouette. She slammed the door close and she went to the opposite corner of where I was. She stood there crying and I wondered what was up. Did everyone give her a hard time inside while I was gone because she would get upset if anyone put her in her place? She always acted like she never did anything wrong.

A short time later, the silhouette of Uncle Joseph came through the door. He saw Mom in the corner and went to her. His walk was like a man that was very mad and he stood with his arms crossed while looking at Mom. He told her that he did not appreciate how she made him and Grandma looked like the villains that made my special day terrible.

Then Uncle Joseph asked Mom if she finally told me what was going to happen in a month’s time. Mom had her hand on her mouth and pleaded with him to not tell her daughter. Uncle Joseph told her to stop being a coward and to tell me. I saw Mom shaking her head. She said that I was a rather difficult child and that I would not understand. Uncle Joseph countered her with the difficult one was her because she did not know how to handle a smart tom boy that showed other talents instead of music. Then he remarked if I had been a boy, she would have found a way to send me to school because I showed an inclination for the sciences, like my father. Mom pushed Uncle Joseph away and left the stable. Uncle Joseph followed and I wondered what was going on. What was so important that Mom was supposed to tell me?

I left out of the stables and went to my room. Later, a strange image came to me. Like the images of the cliff, it was the same feeling of something from a long past. I was in the same stables and I was overhearing a conversation. Just like what happened earlier. The conversation was between two men, a younger one and an older one, and they were planning my demise. When the area was clear of the two persons, I saw myself running from the stable and was looking for somewhere to hide. Like all the other times, the image went away and I was left with the feeling of uneasiness.

The next morning, I was up early getting the stables cleaned up. I started to become the only one doing this chore because David was busy with his lessons. Yet, I reminded myself that soon he would not be around so I had better get used to it. When that was done, I went to help Dad with looking at the tea plants. I figured if I stayed with him, Mom would not come and slap extra chores on me for the time I had went off yesterday.

Dad and I were busy with the tea crop for the day. I was surprised that Mom did not come and get us for the daily performance. He said that Uncle Joseph and he both agreed that David needed the time to relax before going to the mainland. He proved to Uncle Joseph that he had the capability to make it as a performer. It was time for the family to enjoy being a family for the final few weeks before David was to begin his new life. Also, Uncle Joseph wanted to spend some time relaxing and be with the family he did not get to know. I asked if Mom agreed with him and he replied how everyone gave her no choice in the matter. My next thought was how my life was going to be difficult with Mom’s wrath of not getting her way. To my pleasant surprise, Mom stayed away from me and when she was around, she was quiet. However, the glares I got were another matter, especially when I went riding or fishing with Uncle Joseph.

Uncle Joseph seemed impressed when I showed him the tea bushes and explained how they grew. Then I told him how the weather affected the taste of the leaves and how the processing of the plucked leaves could vary per year. Before he and David left, Uncle Joseph asked me to put a few tins of our plantation’s tea together for him. He even asked for a blend that would be spicy for a sit by the Yule time log. I gladly did so. The family was impressed with my blends and then I heard Grandma saying that her mind was made up. Dad and Uncle Joseph agreed with Grandma while Mom remarked that at least I had a talent for something. I just kept wondering what the conversation was beforehand where they agreed as a group.

Around the time David and Uncle Joseph were to leave, Mom asked me to do my usual monthly outing with Mrs. Henderson, who I called Aunt Emily. When Dad dropped me off I knew that he would take David and Uncle Joseph to the waterfront afterwards. I was going to spend the night with the Henderson’s and I thought that it would be a nice break from my mother. Considering all that happened in during the past few weeks of Uncle Joseph’s visit, I was probably going to catch hell when he and David left.

The outing started off on a nice day. Mom hugged me said that she was going to miss me. That was really out of place for her, especially since I was only going to be gone for a day and night. Also, that was the first time I could remember her hugging me. Uncle Joseph gave me a hug as well and said how he enjoyed visiting me. Then David told me good bye and we hugged with a promise to write to each other. On that note, I climbed into wagon seat next to Dad.

Auntie Emily was an older lady that was of medium height and build. She had a touch of silver in her dark brown hair and her eyes were just as dark with a sparkle in them. We stopped at the local deli and got some sandwiches as usual. Then we would go to our little clearing that had a few rocks that you could sit on with a wonderful view of the mountains nearby. After getting the supplies, we went back to the Henderson plantation as planned. That night, Mr. Henderson, known to me as Uncle Asa, handed his wife a letter from Aaron. He seemed to be doing well and he sent his love.

Uncle Asa was a tall and lean man. His skin was dark and his hair was almost white from constant work on the plantation. Also, he was a lot older than his wife by fifteen years. Unlike my Dad who stayed to help on our plantation, the Henderson’s had no children to help them out. They always had to hire help or my dad would go over and help them with the harvest and fixing the place up. We did not think much about it. They were neighbors and in some ways, just like family. That was all there was to it according to my Dad and Grandma. Mom, on the other hand, did not care for them so we would visit them rather than them coming to our place.

As usual, I slept in the spare room with a window that looked out to my family plantation. I always loved to see it and a sense of belonging always came to me when I did look at it. That night, I noticed that Grandma was out gathering some wood rather than Mom. With her arthritis, Grandma usually did not go get the wood because she had a hard time bending down to get it. So why was Mom not doing it? I put the thought out of my mind and went to bed.

The next morning, I figured I was going to go home right after breakfast as usual. However, I stayed at the Henderson’s for another night, not that I minded it at all. The day after that, Dad came to get me. He seemed withdrawn as he came to the door. Uncle Asa offered him a glass of brandy but dad refused. He said that he was not going to use that to get over the hurt he was feeling. He had a daughter to tend to and that was now his life’s priority. Before leaving, Auntie Emily gave me a hug and said that she was available anytime I needed her. She also hugged my Dad and told him that she was sorry for what happened. Dad put on one of his smiles that he used to hold back tears. Now I knew something was wrong at the family plantation. Soon enough I would learn what happened.

Chapter 3

Dad dismounted his grey steed, Simon, and helped me down. He told me to go to see Grandma while he put Simon away. I went inside and called to Grandma. She shouted that she was upstairs and I found her in her room sitting on the bed. She gestured for me to join her on the bed and I sat beside her. After a sigh and looking at the picture of Grandpa near the bed, she asked her late husband, Charles, for strength to tell me the truth. Then she looked back at me.

Grandma told me that Mom left with David and Uncle Joseph. At first I was not concerned. I commented that I would probably see her back by winter so I was not going to be upset since it was only a few months away. Grandma shook her head and added that Mom was not coming back. Then I jumped off the bed and went to the window. I was going to ask why she did not tell me herself and then I remembered the argument I overheard while in the stables that night. Uncle Joseph was trying to get Mom to tell me that she was leaving. Everyone knew it but me! To make matters worse, they all kept it from me, including the Henderson’s. I shouted that everyone was a bunch of cowards and went to my room. I slammed the door and locked it.

Grandma and Dad both knocked on the door throughout the afternoon. They kept asking if I was alright and I would tell them to go away. Around lunch time, Grandma told me through the door that she left a plate of cherry almond cookies for me. Instead of grabbing at a cookie, I grabbed one of my fairy tale books and started to read like I did so many times before during the past year. I buried myself in the stories in hopes of getting my mind off what had just happened. When I got to the end of the book, I saw a note that had Mom’s handwriting.

For a few minutes I did not know if I wanted to read the letter. How long had it been there? Did she put the letter in the book just before she left or long before? Slowly, I pulled the letter from the back of the book. I opened it and read it. The date, September 18, told me that mom wrote the letter the night before she left. In the letter she told me that she would always be my mother even though she would not be around anymore. She added that she loved me but David needed her more than I did. She knew that Dad and Grandma would do a good job of raising me while she tended to David on the mainland. The letter was ended with how she looked forward to seeing me for the Yule holiday on the mainland.

Once again, the feeling of Mom choosing David over me came on strong. I tore the letter in half, curled up on the bed and cried all over again. It always seemed that she did not want me for her daughter and I never could understand why. The only reason I could think of was my lack of talent. She always seemed embarrassed by it and I was not the type of daughter she wanted. She wanted a pretty little girl that she could dress up in those fancy dresses and hair bows. She always would say how that it was a good thing I preferred to do boy things because I was rather a plain looking girl.

Those words would haunt me for a long time. Despite everyone assuring me that was not so as I got older, I could not see myself as being pretty. It might have been the reason why I was working at the plantation so hard. I knew that I was going to spend my life there because I would have no husband to take me from there.

The next morning, I got up to do my chores as usual. The first thing I did was clean the stables. Dad came in a short time later and leaned in the doorway. He asked if I was doing fine and I replied in a snarky tone of how everything was just fine. Then I turned around to hide the tears that were coming down. Dad reached out to hug me and I pushed him away. I told him to leave me alone and how I hated him for not telling me that Mom was going to leave. Dad stayed in the doorway with his back to me for a bit longer. He did a quick turn of his head to look at me and said that he still loved me even if I did not think so. Then he left with his head down.

For the rest of the day, I kept myself busy with chores and tried to avoid Dad and Grandma. When I was around them, I just kept quiet. They were just as quiet around me and no one wanted to break the silence barrier that engulfed each of us. We all went to bed early with the heavy quiet remaining.

After a few hours of sleep, I was up and looking at the stars through my window. I tried to remember the names of the stars that Uncle Joseph told me when he was visiting. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure outside. He was just standing in the yard and I was getting nervous. I decided I better get my dad and I went to his room. I saw Dad coming out of his room already dressed and told him about the man outside. Dad said he knew and told me to go back to my room. He was going to deal with Uncle Eugene.

I went back to my room and watched my dad going outside. He stood just in front of the figure of Uncle Eugene. Dad asked him what he wanted and for a second Uncle Eugene just cackled. He remarked how he learned that my Mom finally got wise and left the island. Then I heard Dad tell my uncle that he was drunk again and to leave. He was not in the mood to entertain anyone right now. Uncle Eugene came into better view from the light being casted in the window below. I could see the lean figure with the dark hair following my dad as he continued to make remarks at my Dad.

Dad told him to leave again and this time Uncle Eugene swung a fist at him. Dad grabbed his fist and made my uncle fall. Dad went back inside but I heard Uncle Eugene follow him into the house after he got back up. They argued for a few minutes and I distinctly heard Dad say if Uncle Eugene had a hand in Mom wanting to leave, he would make him pay for it. It was quiet for a minute until I heard Grandma joining the conversation. She told Uncle Eugene that he needed to leave and to stay away for a long time.

Uncle Eugene threatened to tell the family secret to me if he was sent away. He just needed a place to lie down for the night. His wife had kicked him out. I heard Grandma reluctantly gave into my uncle. She told him that the hearth by the kitchen was good enough for his drunken state. Then I heard Grandma coming upstairs. She knocked on my door and said for me to come with her to her room for the night. Quickly I went to her room and jumped into her bed. She locked the door and then joined me. I heard Dad a short time later going to his room.

During the night, I thought I heard Dad going