Page 27 of Master of Paradise
"Your secret is safe with me," hepledged.
She looked at him shrewdly and replied, "Andyours is safe with me, Nicholas Peacock."
His eyebrows rose in mild surprise, but helet the remark pass without comment.
Nicholas returned to Paradise each day atdawn, unwilling to let the work of his own plantation slide. Onemorning he was surprised to see Amanda ride into the stables.
"Hell's afire!, she began, "you wouldn'tbelieve the song and dance I've just been through at our stables.Nathan, our head groom, refused point blank to put a regular saddleon Miss Louise. Says no mistress of his is riding about thecountryside astride no horse from his stables. Damn servantsanyway, they think they own you!"
"That's a fact," Nick agreed, lookingpointedly at Samuel.
"So, I propose to leave my side-saddle hereeveryday and barrow one of your regular saddles."
"I couldn't let you deceive them everyday."
She thought this over for a moment. "Well,could you let me deceive them two or three times a week?"
"How am I to resist you?" hehalf-murmured.
The dimples peeped out, and she quicklyunbuckled the sidesaddle before he changed his mind.
The Jackson carriage was ordered up for thevisit to the Hampden's. Because Miss Caroline was still feelingindisposed, it was decided that Mammy Lou would accompany thegirls. Their crinolines and hoops took up so much space that theyhad to sit on opposite seats, with Nicholas next to Jennifer Joyand Mammy squashed in beside Amanda Virginia. Jenny wore adelicious confection of apricot lace with brown velvet ribbons,while Mandy was in white ruffles, the traditional color for a younggirl's first party dress. Nicholas watched as she stuffed her fandown behind the seat cushion to get rid of it.
"May I be the first to tell you both howlovely you look tonight?"
"Thank you, sir," Jennifer saidplayfully.
Mandy made a face. "I had my heart set on agreen dress."
"Thass no way to accept a compliment from nogenlmans," reproved Mammy, warming to the task of pointing outMandy's shortcomings. "Young girls has to wear white, leastwize'till they's sixteen."
"It would be considered eccentric to dootherwise," Jennifer pointed out helpfully.
"An' when we gits der, don't go runnin' offwiv dat young Hamden boy, catchin' snakeses and suchlike unseemlythings," Mammy warned.
Nicholas frowned. "I'm sure Mandy is tired ofhearing her faults catalogued; I know I am, Lou," he saidshortly.
"Yessir." The old servant knew she had beenreprimanded.
Jennifer heard the steel in his voice andshivered with pleasure.
Nicholas had agreed to this evening, mainlyto get a good look at the Hampden's Plantation.It's one of therichest in the county, known as a 'thousand baler' in cottontalk.Nicholas calculated they were cotton rich to the tune ofat least a hundred and fifty thousand a year.
When they arrived, Mammy Lou went off to theregions of the kitchen and the servants' hall, which wasoverflowing this evening with visiting servants from Magnolia,Twinoaks, Summerhill, and Greenpond Plantations.
Jennifer joined the flower-like group ofbelles who kissed and shrieked and giggled, in fact anything todraw all eyes, especially those of eligible men.
Nick knew most of the young men who werepresent from the card sessions. Stuart Beverly was away at militarycollege along with Brandon, but Tyler Caldwell, Wesley Davis, andKing Vickers were very much in evidence. Beau Hampden lost no timesingling out Jennifer for his undivided attention, while hisbrother Clay, about fifteen, made a bee-line for Amanda. Nicksmiled to himself as he saw Clay pull something from his pocket forMandy to admire.
Nicholas introduced himself to Wade Hampdenand was surprised at the man's youthfulness. He didn't seem a dayover thirty, yet his son Beau must be at least eighteen. Wadeshowed off his lovely home and Nick, noting the paintings,chandeliers, heavy ornate silver, and deep-piled carpets, realizedit had all been imported from England. For a moment he regrettedthat he was not in the shipping business.
Nick slipped outside to observe the workingsof such a successful plantation. He noted they had facilities forginning their own cotton, and decided that would be the nextimprovement at Paradise.I'll build the mill right next to thestables.
He returned to the house, and as he passedthe library door, he saw Mandy and Clay with a decanter of bourbon.He was just in time to see her toss back a shot and triumphantlypick up a silver dollar from the table.
The moment he stepped into the library, Mandylooked as if she wanted to sink through the floor. The lookNicholas gave her was so darkly forbidding, she stepped back infear.
"It was only a bet, Nicholas. I had to acceptthe challenge," she explained.
