Chapter 7

The sun was exceedingly hot for such an early morning hour as Paulette Moore grudgingly left the pleasures of a lazy hammock nestled in the shade of the hemlock grove to join her brother, Arthur, inside their Georgian mansion. He promised to take her to market in Charles Town and purchase a slave for her birthday. She could hardly wait.

Her damned fool personal attendant, Jane, a comely mulatto who was a gift from her parents on her tenth birthday, smuggled herself into the bed of a field hand, got pregnant, and died giving birth. Now she was left to struggle with the clumsy ministrations of the unschooled hands of one of the second floor maids. Of course, the child Jane bore still lived and now belonged to Paulette, but he was of no use to her until he was at least three or four years of age.

It certainly would not hurt if her brother gifted her with another slave or two as part of her dowry. Slaves were a commodity, after all. It was no secret the greater the dowry the more desirable the lady. Not that she needed to worry about a man desiring her. Paulette was considered one of the state of Georgia’s most sought after southern belles.  Her beauty was enough to capture a man even without her dowry. Many a man had already offered his hand in marriage.  Most were rich men with large cotton and sugar plantations. She was holding out for that proposal from the one man who managed to capture her heart as well and the friendship of her brother. As soon as her darling Stephen Carlson returned from tending to his sick father’s estate, she had no doubt in her mind he would be on bended knee proposing to her. She was certain, had the summons for his return not arrived when it did, she would have been engaged to him by now. In the meantime, she saw no harm in padding her dowry just a little more.

Arthur Moore extended his arm as his sister glided up beside him and casually guided her to the breakfast table

“Are you ready for an exciting trip to auction, my lovely half-sister?” he asked enthusiastically.

“I do not know, my handsome half-brother,” Paulette whined as she feigned boredom. ‘Tis such a long ride and the days are so hot. Isn’t there an auction in Savannah soon?”

Accustomed to her theatrical antics, and knowing full well how much she enjoyed traveling to Charles Town, Arthur played along.

“There probably is, dearest, but I understand the stock at the Charles Town auction house is quite spectacular. There is even a darky who looks white. What a novelty that would be, dearest,” he drawled.  “I hear she was raised to act and be amongst the ladies. I should think her likely to know all of the latest styles for you and possibly some gossip as well. But, if you would rather wait for the auction here...”

“Oh hush. You are well aware that a white mulatto at auction is a commodity I should not wish to pass on. You can be such a devil at times,” Paulette cooed as he helped her into her chair next to his at the end of the sixteen-foot Louis XVI style, mahogany dining table.

“Well then, let us eat up and get going,” Arthur said with a chuckle.  “We have a full day’s ride ahead.”

Arthur also noted the weather. The sun had barely risen and it was already necessary to seek shade from the effects of its blistering rays. The barouche would likely be intolerable and require a block of ice for some semblance of comfort. They would also have to take their horses into consideration and go slower than usual.

“Do not worry, my dearest,” Arthur said when he noticed Paulette looking out of the window with concern. “There will be plenty of stops and water on the trip.”

“Will we be stopping at Aunt Mildred’s at Beaumont?” she asked.

Arthur’s eyes lit up. What a splendid idea. He should have thought of it himself. Beaumont plantation was just about half-way between Savannah and Charles Town. It required just a short detour from the road they would be traveling. It would make a perfect place to stop for the night. They had not seen their father’s widowed sister in months. Mildred suffered with her health for some time now and found travel tedious and taxing. A brief visit with her would be welcome on all accounts.

“I say,” he said with genuine enthusiasm. “A visit with Aunt Mildred would certainly serve us in many ways, would it not, my dearest? How clever you are.”

Arthur smiled as he reached across the table to stroke Paulette’s smooth ivory cheek that sported just enough blush color to be within the boundaries of fashion.

Paulette was smug with satisfaction. If her brother found her clever with the suggestion of their breaking up the tedious drive with a visit to their aunt’s plantation, perhaps she could earn even more praise by suggesting they spend more time there.

“Since the auction is not for a few days and ‘tis so unbearably hot, perhaps we could spend an extra night to really break up the dreariness of the trip,” she drawled lazily, “I would much rather house the spare night with Aunt Mildred than in some stuffy hotel in Charles Town.” She giggled mischievously, “I remember that pond in the north pasture. I am certain it would feel just lovely after a long day’s ride in this heat. Why not stay a day to enjoy it and continue on after?”

Arthur popped the last of his hardboiled egg into his mouth and chewed slowly, emphasizing the fact that he was considering her suggestion. He dramatically swallowed his fare and washed it down with a mouthful of freshly brewed coffee from a newly arrived shipment he recently procured from Jamaica. He savored its flavor before he swallowed with a loud unmannerly gulp.  With a crisp linen napkin that matched the tablecloth perfectly, he dabbed at the corners of his mouth with meticulous care before standing up slowly. His lean, well-muscled physique provided a fine form for his fashionable light weight costume. He wore only a pale gray linen vest over his natural cotton shirt and rich burgundy breeches. They were made from cotton grown on their very own plantation and milled in their very own mill house.

Next to Stephen, Paulette thought Arthur the most handsome and virile man in all of Georgia. Stephen was the only man who could even come close to her brother’s impossible good looks, wealth, and social status.  If things went her way, she would soon have both of Georgia’s most desirable men at her beck and call.

Catching a glimpse of Arthur’s richly tanned chest beneath his open necked shirt and loose hanging cravat, she smiled.

“You have been baking in the sun again,” she said in a tone that was a mix of whimper and cooing.  “Have you been to the pond without me or are you simply weathered from doing our overseers job?”

“Sister,” Arthur chuckled as he walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her slim shoulders, allowing his fingers to lightly slide up the nape of her neck. “Do you really think I would go to the pond without you?” He sighed heavily, “My, oh my, you are so beautiful, my lovely, sweet sister.” Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, “If you were not my sister I would take you as my bride.”

Reveling in the sensation of his hot breath against her ear lobe, Paulette giggled and boldly placed her hand over his, forcing his fingers deeper into her flesh. She so loved the effect she had on men, even if this one was her half-brother.

“I know, dearest,” she sighed, “but, alas it cannot be. We share our father’s blood, after all.” She turned her face to look at him and continued, “You know that no matter who you marry... or I... you shall always have my heart.” She leaned her head back against his arm and felt the heat of his body radiating through his cotton shirt against her bare neck. “Well,” she said with renewed energy, “I could do this all day, but we should be going.”

“Indeed,” Arthur mused as he reluctantly pulled his hand away from her silken skin. Unable to resist, he caressed the exposed flesh that peeked from the lace that covered her upper shoulders and lowered his lips to her neck. Placing a feather light kiss just below her ear, he whispered. “Your idea of spending a few nights in Beaumont is perfect... as are you.”

Paulette closed her eyes while she struggled to maintain her composure. Arthur was such a scoundrel.  It was no wonder women swooned over him so. She was tempted to call his bluff and demand satisfaction and release right then and there, but, of course, brothers and sisters did not engage in such actions in polite society.

Many a time Arthur bemoaned his fate for being born long after the time of the acceptance of siblings marrying. Even though they were half-brother and half-sister, the laws still held since they shared blood from the same father. He was six years old when his mother died giving birth to a brother who also died within a few days. It was not long afterward that his father remarried. Less than a year later Paulette was born.

They first realized their love for each other was more than normal siblings possessed when Paulette was fourteen and Arthur was twenty. It was on one of the hottest summer days the state had seen since it was founded as one of the thirteen colonies and perhaps even prior to that. Paulette begged her parents to let her go to the swimming hole on the far end of their plantation. Since the threat of an encounter with a renegade Cherokee was prevalent, her parents adamantly denied her. After thirty minutes of non-stop lamenting from Paulette, the frustrated couple ordered her to her room for the remainder of the day. Her waiting maid, Jane, was given the task of washing her down with the coolest water available. It would have to suffice.

Spoiled beyond any sense of reason by both her mother and her father, Paulette disobeyed their orders to remain in her room and stole out of the house and off to the swimming hole.  She threatened poor Jane with the beating of her life if she uttered one word of her whereabouts to anyone. Knowing full well that a beating from Paulette’s parents would be far easier to endure than a beating from her mean and spoiled mistress, Jane obediently followed Paulette’s orders.

Although Paulette did not meet up with any Indians, she did encounter Arthur; who was also there against their parent’s wishes. Paulette removed her skirt and stomacher, leaving only her light corset and shift to swim in. She managed to loosen enough of the corset’s stays to make it comfortable and was gaily splashing around the cool body of water by the time Arthur arrived and joined her. The two laughed, giggled and played in the water well into the afternoon. The sun was fading behind the trees when they finally pulled their soaked and tired bodies out of the cool liquid and flopped onto the lush grass beneath an ancient black walnut tree.

Arthur’s shocked surprise was barely masked while he watched Paulette boldly walk from the pond, seemingly unaware that the light-weight and water soaked fabric clinging to her already voluptuous body left nothing to the imagination. She moved without a care in the world. Admittedly unschooled in what happened between a man and a woman, Paulette was still very aware that she was misbehaving in the worst of fashion. She was thrilled by the naughtiness of it. Life on the plantation could be so dull.

Arthur spread a thick blanket that was kept in the boot of the imported hunting fourgon he was so fond of driving onto a shaded section of ground and coaxed his beautiful, young half-sister to join him. He spread the fabric of her full skirt across some low hanging branches and created a covering for her to lie under for protection from the few rays from the blistering sun that managed to weave their way through the thick foliage that intertwined between the close growing trees. The set up was deliciously ingenious, since it still allowed the warm breeze to pass over her body while protecting her delicate creamy skin from being ravished by the fierce Georgia sun.

The two spent the better part of the hour basking in the warmth of the balmy afternoon while they waited for their clothing to dry sufficiently for them to return home. Unbeknownst to his innocent sister, Arthur struggled vehemently with his manly urges the entire time.

With the sun almost set and their clothes fairly dry, he leaned on his elbow to suggest they start back for home. His heart almost stopped from the beauty of Paulette’s profile as the shadows, created by the sun’s hint of relinquishment of the sky to the full moon, blended with her creamy skin. With the fabric of her shift still damp and molded to her pert breasts, her thick golden curls splayed down her back, and her sultry blue eyes half closed, she resembled a statue of a Greek goddess displayed in the home of a friend in Savannah. It was more than he could bare. Before he could stop himself, he leaned over to steal a kiss.

For the briefest of moments Paulette kissed back, but then rapidly came to her senses. They were brother and sister! What were they thinking? Her innocence and naivety took over. She considered herself ruined for marriage and her future prospects for a husband destroyed. Leaping to her feet with lightning speed, she grabbed her skirt and stomacher and disappeared into the nearby grove before Arthur was able to come down from the clouds, regain his senses, and realize what he had done. For weeks following the incident she would not spare a word or even a look in his direction.

Arthur’s humiliation and regret for his thoughtless unbridled actions toward dear, innocent Paulette ran deep. He did not blame her for hating him. He hated himself. Even so, they were closer than most siblings could ever imagine being and he found her refusal to acknowledge him so crushing he did not think he could go on living.

When Arthur’s father complained of Cherokees raiding their livestock at some of the plantation’s outposts and asked his son to join him on a small outing for the purpose of securing their boundaries, he was more than eager to go. They anticipated being gone for a month. Perhaps that would allow enough time for Paulette to cease being angry with him and for him to think of a way to make it up to her.

It was during that outing that James Moore died.

The rains were excessive, making visibility more than a few feet away almost impossible. They were approaching a ravine flooded with raging waters that resembled a miniature version of the ocean waves on a recent voyage Arthur took to Virginia, when his father’s gelding was spooked by a bobcat and broke its gait. Thinking his father in control of his mount, Arthur gave chase to the bobcat for about a quarter mile. To his horrified surprise, when he returned he found his father was face down in the ravine and the gelding struggling a few yards away with a broken leg. In denial of the situation, it took minutes of agonizing tear-filled begging for a response from his father while he inspected his limp body for him to accept the fact that the man was dead.

What followed was a complete blur to Arthur. After the ordeal of putting his father’s gelding out of its misery, he tackled the heartbreaking and arduous task of loading James Moore’s broken body onto his own mount and taking him back to the plantation.

To Arthur’s surprise and dismay, not only did he have to suffer witnessing his father’s death, he was forced to endure the brutal accusations of his step-mother, Margaret Moore. The woman never managed to find room in her heart for the Arthur from the day she met him. When she realized how bonded he was with her daughter, she made certain to regularly emphasize the fact that he was not her son and not a full blood relation to Paulette; hence, such a bond was unsuitable.

Riddled with grief and concern for what the future might hold for a widow who never encouraged a warm relationship with her step son, Margaret convinced herself and a few influential friends that her husband’s death was the deliberation of Arthur’s actions. In short, she insisted Arthur murdered his own father in his eagerness for his inheritance.

Margaret Moore’s accusations spurred a rather lengthy investigation that cultivated tremendous hurt along with a serious amount of added animosity on Arthur’s part toward her.

If Paulette knew nothing else about her dear half-brother, she knew he loved their father whole heartedly. Feeling her mother’s accusations unfounded and unfair, she sided with Arthur.  She took great pains in comforting him as best she could, but more importantly she forgave him for his foolish blunder that afternoon at the swimming hole.

Arthur was eventually cleared of Margaret’s accusations of the murder and his inheritance -which included the plantation and all that was in it- was presented to him as per the law and the contents of his father’s will. Paulette and her mother were left a tidy sum, but certainly not enough to allow them to maintain the lifestyle they knew, loved, and expected to continue without Arthur’s good graces.

Unable to stand the sight of his step-mother a moment longer, but not the type of man to simply turn his back on the woman who captured his father’s heart and helped raise him, he bade Margaret leave his home and made provisions for her elaborate keeping in nearby Savannah. Margaret was more than willing to oblige. Being an active socialite, she found this arrangement most agreeable.

Paulette was given a choice of remaining in residence with Arthur or leaving with her mother. By now, Paulette comforted and ministered Arthur to the point where she was convinced that she was in love and could not bring herself to leave him.

Arthur was at a loss as what to do when Paulette’s fantasy love gradually grew into an obsession. As time unfolded, she sought to act upon it in little ways that were far from appropriate for a young lady toward a gentleman, let alone for a sister toward a brother. To her mounting frustration Arthur matured enough to keep his wits about him and she was not successful. He blamed his own sinful love for her, excessive doting, and providing her with her every want for the pickle he now found himself in.

A visit by Aunt Mildred occurred just in perfect timing for his dilemma. With their father’s sister in house, Paulette was forced to tame her behavior.  She kept her clumsy advances restricted to whenever her aunt was absent, which Arthur made certain was a rarity.

This enforced time of abstinence from her antics, as well as insightful feminine conversations with her favorite aunt, gave Paulette room to think and ideas to ponder on. She began to realize the folly of her ways. No matter how much she and Arthur loved each other, it was impossible for them to be together the way she longed for them to be. They would never be able to exist in society if they were to act on their attraction. A tortured Arthur new this and had been trying to get her to see it for quite some time.

 Arthur’s genuine affection for her was so strong, he could deny her nothing. If Aunt Mildred had not arrived when she had, he could not be sure whether he would have given in to Paulette’s pleas and brought shame to them all.

Having been influenced strongly by her mother, social status meant a great deal to Paulette. She placed it above most everything else. As much as she wanted it to be different and shout out her love for her darling Arthur, common sense prevailed. She would eventually have to marry a man who was not him, just as he would eventually have to marry a woman who was not her.

As time went by and Paulette developed into a stunning young woman. She reveled in the attention the young beaus introduced at her coming out ball were continually bestowing upon her. Even so, this did not stop her from being excessively possessive where her half-brother was concerned.

As the years rolled by and they both matured and grew more accustomed to the feelings that could never be acted upon, they decided it was time they consider the prospects that existed for Paulette to secure a husband and Arthur a wife. Promising neither would move a distance away from the other, they each launched their search in earnest for a spouse to complement their social status.

When Arthur befriended Lord Stephen Carlson and introduced him to Paulette, brother and sister were certain their search for a suitable husband for her was over. Not only did Arthur and Stephen become the best of mates, but his profitable plantation neighbored theirs. Since he was the best of mates and Paulette found him exceedingly handsome, who better for Arthur to share her with?

A wife for Arthur was yet to be found, but they were certain once Paulette was married and settled, he would find the right woman and settle down quick enough.

The long journey loomed over them and Paulette knew that every minute delayed would allow the sun more time to increase its assault on the Georgian countryside.

She pushed her chair back as hard as she could, jabbing its ornate, gilded backing into Arthur’s stomach, and smiled as she heard a ‘humph’ escape him. Enough of his silliness, it was time to be on their way.