Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Chapter 24: Austin.

"Did she pack her rags and leave for where she rightfully belongs?" Harriet asked bitterly. The image of Austin and that nigger in bed, haunting her still. The way Austin had not moved and looked so comfortable on top of her until Harriet arrived. A sense of entitlement rubbed off Harriet, as she constantly reminded him that he had wronged her. He needed to make up for it but for how long? For eternity.

"I assume so..."

"What possessed you to even participate in such a foul, disgusting act?"

"I thought we were through this, Harriet."

"Were you that desperate? A nigger Austin? A nigger of all women? All the variety and you still went for a nigger? I have every right to be upset with you. What if you caught a disease... you never know..." Austin only turned to smoke his sixth cigarette of the day. Blocking out all her fretting. He had no idea what he was doing either. Merrigold was bad for him very bad, he needed to forget about her and move on even if it meant being with Harriet. Before he had never needed a woman but now that he had met Merrigold and could not forget about her, he thought moving to another woman would be best. To help him with this lustful obsession. He had not seen her in so long, he pushed those thoughts away. Austin was aware that with this decision he was pushing her straight into Thomas arms but it was for the best. For his wellbeing, he could not let his emotions get the best of him and that's what had been happening as of late. It was as if Merrigold had him on a leash, he wanted to gain his willpower back.

"I can not believe this, I still can not fathom any of this." Harriet said softly. "The devil comes in many forms and this is certainly him trying to put me up a test. He saw my happiness and wanted to snatch it right infront of my eyes. I've been fasting for the past week, I can not let anything formed against our relationship prosper." With a sigh she looked up at him. "I love you Austin."

"Thank you Harriet." He replied, exhaling in her face.

"For what?" She coughed, from his smoking stench.

"You said you love me so I said thank you for loving me." He shrugged.

"Oh... uhm normal people say I love you too." Harriet said putting a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. Austin did not pay any mind as he continued looking over his father's land from his bedroom balcony. A look of distaste was visible on Harriet's face, she hated his smoking habit but she refused to let all these trials and tribulations make her leave a relationship that she wanted to work. The man that was meant for her. Like her parents always said, compromise and communication is the key.

"You need to quit that if we're going to be involved in any way. My church does not tolerate that at all."

"I'm not Catholic." Austin shrugged. "I'd leave anything and everything but not my smokes. I'm sorry..." Austin added a little annoyed, from the balcony he saw her from a distance, she was walking towards the house. She seemed to be in a hurry, Austin was suddenly attentive. He had not seen her in so long, if a week counted as long. She was oblivious to his yearning eyes. Merrigold was on her way to drop the papers that she had worked all night on. She wanted to be done with as much of the work sooner that way, she could hand everything in at once and focus on her knitting. She did not want to be back and forth around the house, she knew they would eventually see each other. She did not want to see them, especially since Harriet had been visiting often to keep tabs on her cheating significant other.

Out of instinct, Austin wanted to run down to the first floor from his quarters on the third floor to catch a better glimpse of her. Maybe have a conversation. It took everything in him not to act upon his thoughts.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"What?" He asked, in a monotone voice.

"I usually volunteer and help out at a alcoholics and smokers intervention... perhaps you could come along?"

"...uh maybe..." he said still watching Merrigold talk to Grover. She was pointing out a few things to him. He could not help but admire how good she was with bookkeeping. Making sure people at the commune got paid even if it's very little, making sure all the groceries in the main house were bought, making sure the stable of horses were well taken care of medically, making sure the plantation continued running smoothly and that the sugar cane companies continue needing their harvests. Making sure his parents continue making as much profit even when she benefited nothing. He had been wrong at first but his parents had done well teaching Merrigold, in all honesty he did not know how the plantation worked and Merrigold handled almost everything. Austin simply took credit. Without her, everything would go up in flames. His parents had not given him the plantation to take care of because he knew how... they only did so with Agreement that Merrigold would be around. They did not trust him, they trusted her. It was obvious she called the shots and knew what she was doing. Merrigold had turned out smart, something he had never expected.

Drinking her lemonade, turning to the next page of her book. Harriet asked... "When will you see the doctor? I'm not marrying you or engaging in any foolery until you're confirmed fine."

"Harriet can you please, I beg of you. Let it go. I'm fine, I'm confirming myself fine. I do not need to see a doctor, we had sex... yes. She is human and..."

"And what?"

I miss her.

"Nothing."

"Oh the foolery do not tell me you're one of the animal activists siding with the Royal family to end slavery. Your family will have nothing if the law passes. You need to think properly."

"Nothing? My parents already pay them £0.36 every month. Where have you heard of where slaves receive payment and literacy lessons? If the law passes they with simply raise it up a bit. My parents always treated them fairly well and I reckon they'd all love to continue staying with us."

"You sounds so smart... when you give me that lawyer talk." Harriet giggled.

Austin furrowed his eyebrows confused. He had not even spoke in lawyer diction. It was simple straightforward English and reasons that were quite obvious.

When he looked back at the view, Merrigold was gone. Harriet excused herself for the ladies room, Grover then entered. "...uh Master... we have a bit of a problem.?"

"What's the matter?"

"Merrigold informs me that the boy who heads our cows said there is a cow that tried to jump over the hedge, it broke its front leg, it's in pain and needs attention."

"Tell them to eat it?"

"Excuse me?"

"Tell Merrigold I said the men from the commune can kill that cow, I'm not spending that much on a cow's medical attention. I reckon we have over twenty." He paused. "If it was a horse, I'd think different but it's just a cow. Tell them it's a gift from me for all the hard work."

"Oh fair enough... may I get a couple of pounds for the family?"

"Ofcourse Grover take as much as you want."

Smiling, Grover thought he would gossip for a bit. "Sir, is everything alright with Merrigold? She informed me that she had done all the bookkeeping for the week because she was not feeling quite well. I had to hold her up when she almost fainted."

"That's odd." Austin said. "Uh thank you for informing me, I'm sure she will be fine."

"Certainly."

Austin never prayed but in that moment he prayed she was fine.