A Civil Affair

Chapter 9: (Madeline's POV)

"I want you in the store this afternoon," my father spoke sternly.

"I have an appointment in a half hour," I said without looking up at him.

"An appointment? Where?" I could tell he did not believe me.

"At the..."

"Madeline," he stated.

"I'm going to meet Will by the tree!" I stammered. I heard him take in his breath before hitting me full force with his words.

"Madeline Rose, you are not going to see him today or any other day! I have enough problems with his father as it is! This will just make it worse!"

"But—"

"You know it is for your own good. Please, I don't want any more strife in this family!"

"What do you mean?" Now I was becoming concerned by his tone.

"We received a letter from your brother," he mumbled as he turned his back on me. I leapt from the chair I had been sitting on and moved around him, forcing him to look at me.

"When? What did he say?"

"A few weeks ago."

"A few weeks?! Why didn't you tell me? What did he say? Is he ok?"

"Calm down, he's alright. Nothing's happened to him. He's been living out of a tent somewhere in Tennessee. He couldn't tell us much more than that. He would like to be home for Christmas though."

You could see the hurt in his eyes. I gently touched his arm but he pulled it back and turned away again. The bell on the door interrupted and he quietly slipped into the storeroom so I could help the customer. I looked up and politely smiled, but my mind was on my father and the way he looked away just thinking about my brother. I also thought about my brother, living out of a tent in Tennessee as the weather started to cool down and turn into winter.

"Can I help you?" I asked the customer.

"Yes, I'm looking for a good romance novel."

"Right this way."

As I was helping the customer, my mind kept wandering back to my father. He had wanted so badly for Austin to take over the business and now that dream had shattered. My father would never say it outright but I knew he did not want me doing the sales and accounting. That was a man's world and I didn't belong there. If I had my choice, though, I wouldn't be a part of it anyway. I'd rather be teaching literature to young students, having them recite poetry or performing some of my best loved plays. But we never truly get what we dream for in this world.

"Maddie," my father's voice cut into my mental rant. "I'm going home. I'm not feeling well. Please stay with the store and remember what I said about William. His father makes good with his threats."

My heart sank even lower as he left the store. He needed me there more than anything and I let my foolish impulses get the better of my judgment. As much as I loved that tree, it had served its purpose and now my brother's actions kept me away from it. Besides which my father was right about Mr. Hutchinson. He was none too happy about anyone using that tree. I even feared he would cut it down out of anger or spite.

Will would be upset if I didn't meet him but my duty remained to the store first. Just thinking about him though brought a sudden scowl to my face. He had compared me to Cleopatra! She wasn't just a great Queen. She was also an adulteress, seductress, and very powerful ruler! Why would he compare me to her? Perhaps he didn't see me as anything but that; perhaps he was already with someone and I was going to be the other woman! I threw my book down on the counter just as another customer came in to the store. Before I could regain my composure, the voice I feared most echoed through the walls.

"Maddie, what's wrong?"

A hand touched my arm but I pulled back before even looking at his face. "Don't."

"Did something happen? Are you ok?"

I finally looked up, confirming who it was. "Why are you here?" I demanded, clearly more outspoken than I had ever been.

"You didn't come to the tree. I wanted to see you."

"Why?" I had already backed up enough for him not to be able to reach me.

"Because I wanted to see you. What's gotten into you?"

"We shouldn't meet like that, especially there," I quickly protested.

"Why not?"

"People talk, Will! My father doesn't need rumors about me being spread through town and he doesn't need your father coming after him again!"

"But—"

"Do you have an order to pick up? Perhaps a history book on the great Cleopatra?" I remember being a bit snide with that remark and wanting to bite my tongue after.

"What's wrong with the greatest Queen of Egypt?"

I simply scoffed. "First, she wasn't Egypt's greatest, she was its last. Second, there were other queens who used their brains instead of their bodies to rule. And third, you compared me to an adulteress who let Egypt fall to the hands of Rome because she was greedy and didn't care about Egypt at all!"

"I didn't realize you knew so much history. And I'm sorry I offended you by my comment."

"That's not the point! You compared me to a woman who I'd never in my life dream to be!"

"I only said it because you mentioned wanting to be another character from the play. We had already gone through Caesar, Brutus and Antony. She was all that was left!" he defended.

"Did you not know that Caesar tried to use her to gain access to Egypt?"

"But not before falling in love with her!" he protested again.

"He was married, Will! He was married and was so taken by her forwardness that he allowed her into his bed under the false pretense of love!"

"A man can't love two women?" he asked legitimately.

"A man can love one and lust for the other but once he turns to lust he turns a blind eye to love!"

"I could say the same for some women as well!"

"Are you speaking from experience?" I challenged.

Will was caught off-guard and turned away from me. "I may have had some, yes."

"Get out," I simply replied.

He reeled around on his heels. "What? Why?"

"I refuse to play your Cleopatra while you probably already have another woman by your side!"

"There's no one else, I swear!" he replied, closing his eyes.

"Tell me to my face and with your eyes open."

"There is no one else," he repeated squarely looking me in the eyes. "And I want to see you again, just not like this—yelling and arguing over a character reference. I don't care what my father says or does as a consequence of this."

"I do! Will, he sent my father home with a bruised eye and a bloody lip! Next you'll know, he'll be taking the whip to him!"

"He wouldn't."

"He's a plantation owner—he'll use the whip on anyone who disobeys him."

"Not all of us are like that!"

"It's common knowledge that a whip is used to punish and discipline and if he's already hurt my father with his fists, the whip will be next!"

"I won't let him do anything!"

"Just get out, Will, please!"

"Fine, but I will see you again, I can promise you that!" He left with a slam of the door and I was left to close down the shop through my tears.

*   *   *   *   *

The air grew cooler as the weeks passed on and winter approached. I had attempted to read by the tree three times but each time there were problems. The first two times I saw Will there with a beautiful girl swinging on my swing. The last time I saw him there sitting with his back against the tree, a book in his hands. I didn't want to disturb him so I walked away. He had attempted to come into the bookstore several times but each time my father ushered me into the storeroom. He kept ordering more books with the hopes of running into me but I refused him every time and told my father to deal with his sales himself. I didn't want to explain myself to him and he probably assumed I was just obeying his orders to stay away. Each time though I heard him sigh with disappointment.

As soon as winter's chill hit our town, Will stopped coming to the store altogether. That was also when I received a personal letter in the mail. There was no return address so I assumed Will had tried to get in touch with me through the post instead. I was in shock when I started to read it and realized who it was in fact from.

Dear Maddie,
I wanted to write to you personally since I didn't want our parents to worry about me. It's been several months since we've begun our journey into Tennessee and our rations are small. I'm afraid we won't make it through the winter if we don't get our supplies soon. We haven't seen any action yet and the men are getting restless. I thought this was going to give us a chance to make history and march on Washington and take a stand for our rights as citizens of the South. But it isn't anywhere near what I thought. The saddest part is most of the men are mere boys—all around my age—waiting for their own personal glory. I want to say it was worth it and come home but until I see for myself what the war is really about, I have to stay. If I come home for Christmas, I will be considered a deserter and they don't arrest deserters, they shoot them. I am sending another letter to Mama and Father just to tell them that I am ok and alive. But please, don't speak of this to anyone. If I get caught writing about the frontline, I could be considered a spy. Miss you.
Austin

I almost dropped the letter. I had heard some talk in town about the Confederate Army leading troops into several states to ‘safeguard' against the assault from the North. Here my brother was giving me first-hand accounts and I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about it! When my father came into the reading room, I quickly shoved the letter and envelope into my pocket. He seemed in much better spirits than he had been these last few weeks.

"We received a letter from Austin!" he replied, smiling. As much as he hated that Austin deserted his family, he was still anxious to hear from him.

"What does it say?"

"Just that he is alright and he will try to come home for Christmas."

I swallowed hard, knowing I held the truth in my pocket—the truth I could never tell. I was about to ask him another question when there was a knock at the front door. I panicked. We had just received letters from Austin but he could have written those weeks ago. If he was wounded or worse, it would reach us before his letters could.

"Mr. McCall?" the man on the other side of the door addressed him.

"Yes, that's me."

"I have a letter for you from Mr. Hutchinson."

"Thank you," Father said dryly, looking back at me.

I had done nothing in recent weeks to anger Will's father so I couldn't understand why my father would receive a formal letter from him. Ripping open the letter my father read it until his eyes went wide and he looked up at me. He handed me the letter and walked away, not speaking one word to me until I had read the letter completely.

Dear Mr. McCall,
I'd like you to allow your daughter to meet me at the tree. I will make sure my father doesn't know anything about it. I have been trying to apologize for my actions but Madeline refuses to speak to me. Please allow me the chance to speak to her. I will be there this afternoon. Thank you.
William Jacob Hutchinson

I followed my father into his study where he was pouring himself a drink (he never drank) and I just stood blankly in the doorway. He took a swig of the alcohol and I watched him grimace as it went down. Will had crossed a line I never expected him to and that made me even angrier with him. What's worse, my father was even angrier at me.

"You have anything to say about that?" he pointed at the letter still in my hand.

"No, I told you I wanted nothing to do with him! I don't know why he feels the need to apologize."

"Maddie, if you're lying to me—"

"I'm not, I swear! Let me go see him and I'll straighten this out!" He sighed heavily.

"Go, but don't let his father see you. Lord knows I don't need any more problems. Be quick about it. Your mother won't want you late for supper."

I left him and practically ran to the edge of town. I didn't want anyone to see me but as soon as I headed towards the old Yellowwood, heads began to turn. Slaves and servants were known gossipers and it bothered me that they kept staring at me as I passed. The closer I got to the tree though, the angrier at Will I became. When I arrived, I saw him there, leaning casually against the trunk, looking down at his feet.

"I didn't think you were coming," he remarked, not looking up.

"Your letter to my father was unnecessary," I spat.

"My letter was needed to prove I'm sorry."

"How sorry can you be when you use this tree for own guilty pleasures?" I gritted through my teeth.

"What are you talking about?" He finally looked at me questioningly.

"You know what I mean!" I shouted.

"No I don't! I use this tree just like you do, but I had the greater privilege of fighting my father over its demise!" he explained, pushing himself forward and stepping towards me.

I stepped back as he advanced. "What do you mean its demise? And I saw you! I saw you here with a girl swinging on my swing!"

"My father threatened to cut down the tree! He claimed I was neglecting my duties and spending too much time here! And using the swing with a girl my parents want me to marry was the only way I could stop him!"

"I... I saw you with her and you looked... happy. So cutting the tree down is just an excuse!"

"I wanted you here! There were so many times I was here by myself. Why didn't you come back?"

My breath caught in my chest. His eyes seemed to look through me. "I thought you probably hated me after I accused you of harshly referring to me as Cleopatra and you really did look happy with her."

"I said I was sorry about the reference. If I had the option of going back I would have compared you to fair Juliet instead."

"You mock me even now!"

"Would you rather I use another character from another book? I would search my entire library to find one single character to compare and compete with how beautiful you are!"

I was stunned. No one in my nineteen years had ever come close to saying something so poetic and causing me to blush at the same time. He took a step closer and tentatively placed his arm around my back, pulling me into him. I looked up into his eyes and then closed mine as his lips gently came down on mine.
 

continue to chapter 10