Page 75 of Master of Paradise
"Jesus Christ," he swore, "the treacherousbitch!" He glanced quickly toward the black men in the ditch."Don't breathe a word of this to Brute. I don't want any killingaround here. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Nicholas ran all the way to the stables andgrabbed Sunblood. He didn't wait to saddle up, but rode himbareback, his strong brown hands threaded through the horse's mane.He pulled the magnificent beast to a halt on the driveway at theJackson Plantation, sending gravel flying in every direction.
"Where are they?" he demanded the moment helaid eyes on Brandon.
Brandon stepped back in alarm at the look ofpure hatred on Nick's face.
"They've left, but they can't be more than acouple of miles down the road. Ma's house slaves were draggingtheir feet all the way." He hesitated a second, then trieddesperately to excuse himself. "Thank God you've got the guts to goafter them, Nicholas. I told Jenny she had no right to do it, butshe wouldn't listen."
Nicholas looked at him with contempt. "ByChrist, Brandon, don't you think it's time you learned to handleyour womenfolk?"
He didn't wait for an answer, but urgedSunblood forward, and before he reached the end of the driveway, hewas riding at full gallop. It didn't take long to overtake themules pulling the slave buyer's wagon. He saw that the man held along buggy whip, and it was obvious he had used it on the reluctanthouse servants.
The abject misery on the black faces changedto hope as they saw Nicholas thunder up on the huge red stallion.The anger in his eyes was terrible to behold. Though he dismounted,he still towered over the man in charge of the slaves.
Nicholas spoke with such total authority, theman found it impossible to put up more than a token protest abouthaving legal papers in his possession.
Nicholas fixed him with a steely eye. "Thepapers are worthless forgeries. My people's papers are locked in mysafe, where they will remain. You will give me the papers before Iride for the patrol and have charges brought against you." Heturned to the five house servants. "Go home."
They hesitated only an instant, then theylifted their heels and took off for Paradise like the devil himselfwas after them.
Nicholas dared the man to use the whip onhim, but the buyer shifted his eyes and mumbled, "What about theseothers?"
"They have nothing whatever to do with me,thank God."
Sunblood, untethered, had danced off adistance when Nicholas raised his voice in anger, but now heobediently answered his master's whistle and came trotting up.
"Good boy." Nicholas rubbed his hand down thesatin flank and remounted. He lost no time getting back to thehouse, and as he rode past the five servants, he called, "I want tospeak to you in my office when you get back."
He slammed the door of Paradise so hard, itshook the very foundations.
Jennifer Joy was going upstairs with MammyLou who was carrying two freshly ironed gowns.
"Get down here!" Nicholas ordered in a harshvoice that brooked no refusal.
Jennifer, appalled at being spoken to in sucha manner, whirled about and she came down furiously to face thisuncouth lout-of-a-man who came into the house with the grime andsweat of the field still upon him.
His eyes blazed into hers. "I may havetainted myself buying human flesh, but by Christ I will nevercommit the sin of selling a human being. Hear me well, for I willonly say this once. No slave will ever be sold from Paradise."
She dared to defy him. "They are my slaves tosell if I wish."
"Yes-- your obedient slaves who have servedyou well and faithfully all your life. You are a mercenary bitchwho will do anything for money. I will buy them from you for youare not fit to own them. I will give you two thousand dollars. Ihave some Confederate money in my cash box I've been looking to getrid of.
"You will rue this day," Jennifer vowedvenomously. "I'll write to Daddy and tell him you have beenmolesting me," she said triumphantly.
His large hand shot out and slapped heracross the face. Her head snapped back on the impact, nearlyknocking her to the carpet. "I am not a Southern gentleman,Jennifer. Never forget it," he said with deadly calm.
Her hand covered the left side of her rapidlyswelling face as she stared at him in shocked disbelief.
"If your lies about our having a sexualrelationship ever reach my wife's ears, I will destroy you." Histhreat was made in such a quiet voice, it was more deadly than ifhe'd shouted it from the rooftop.
Jennifer fled upstairs, past Mammy Lou whoseeyes stared out of her head.
Amanda, who had been up in her room with thedoor closed, had dimly heard the shouts from below and was comingto investigate. "Jenny, whatever's the matter?" She was alarmed atthe state of her sister.
Jennifer shook her head, ran into her room,and locked the door.
Amanda looked at Mammy Lou. "Someone struckher," she said with disbelief. "My God, it wasn't Nicholas, wasit?" She rushed down the staircase past Mammy and ran along to herhusband's office where she saw Cleo, Dite, and Fanny sitting down,and Charles and Porter standing behind them. She disregarded theirpresence and asked Nicholas in an incredulous voice, "Did youstrike Jennifer?"
