Storm Clouds Rolling In (29 page)

“And what other plans do you have, daughter?”

Carrie grew suddenly evasive. The silence stretched between them and Thomas looked at her with concern. Carrie battled with whether to tell her secret dream to her father. Finally, she looked up. “Would you mind terribly if I kept my dream to myself a little while longer? It’s very new and I find I’m not quite ready to talk about it.”

Thomas managed a casual smile. “Not at all.
You’re becoming a young lady. It’s not necessary for your old father to know all about you.”

Carrie knew her father too well to miss the hurt he was trying to conceal.
“That’s not it at all, Father!” she cried. “It’s just… Well, it’s just that…”

Thomas leaned forward and held his finger against her lips.
“Not another word. I know you’ll tell me when you’re ready. You’ve always had big dreams, Carrie. There’s no reason for me to think that would change now. Hold on to them. I believe you can make them come true.”

Carrie stared into his eyes for a long moment and then finally asked the question she had
wanted to ask for a long time. “Why do you encourage my dreams, Father? Most other fathers I know would be appalled if their daughters had dreams other than the desire to be a proper plantation mistress. Why are you different?”

“Because
you’re
so different,” Thomas answered immediately. “I learned a long time ago that you’re not going to be someone you’re not.” He shrugged. “I can’t deny there have been times I felt it would be far simpler if you were like all the other girls around you.”

“Simpler because of
Mama?”

“That’s a big reason, of course.
I grieve the lack of understanding between the two women I love most.” Then he hesitated.

“And because you have no son.”
Carrie spoke his thoughts, realizing they had never talked about this before.

Thomas nodded ruefully.
“I can’t deny that is true, Carrie. I’ve always promised to be nothing but honest with you. In so many ways, I suppose, I have treated you like a son. I have given you all the independence you ever wanted. You know as much about the farming operations of the plantation as I do.”

“Do you regret it?”

“Not for a moment,” he answered promptly. “I love you just the way you are. I suppose that’s the real reason I’m so different. I wouldn’t change you even if I could. I’ve watched you do things your own way from the time you were little. You are very special, Carrie, and I believe you are going to do special things. Things that require big dreams—and the ability to hang on to those dreams.”

“Do the other men give you a hard time?”

Thomas looked at her quizzically. “Why all the questions?”

“I’ve had them a long time,” Carrie admitted. “I just haven’t asked.”

“Why now?”

Carrie shrugged, not sure herself.
“I seem to have questions about everything lately. I decided I should start finding answers to some of them. So, do they? Give you a hard time, that is?”

Thomas nodded.
“I suppose they do. Our way of life is steeped in tradition and culture. It borders on heresy when someone breaks out of line to do something different. But,” he continued firmly, “no one is going to tell me how to raise my daughter. Especially when my beautiful, spirited daughter is wonderful just the way she is.”

Carrie leaned forward and gave her father a big hug.
“Thanks. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Thomas replied in a husky voice.
“Sometimes I wonder if I’ve done you a disservice. If I should have insisted on shaping you into a proper plantation mistress. I fear I may have set you up for disappointment after disappointment as you battle against southern tradition.” He laughed. “Not that I could have changed you, regardless. No, I would not go back and undo it if I could,” he said strongly.

Carrie reached forward and took his hand but said nothing as she smiled lovingly.
Silence fell between them for a while as the carriage rolled forward. Carrie knew Miles was giving all his attention to his driving, trying to miss the holes and ruts that early spring rains had pocketed the road with.

The rains had also produced one of the most beautiful springs Carrie could remember.
She took in deep draughts of the fresh air as they surged forward. Warm sunshine bore testimony to the fact that the unpredictable days of vacillating weather were over. Just yesterday, Carrie had asked Rose to put away her winter cloak. It was one of her favorite traditions. Those rare times in the past when it had gotten chilly again, defiance kept her from taking it back out.

“Have you heard anything from the Democratic Convention, Father?” Carrie saw her father hide his smile.
Of course, he would guess she was interested in more than politics. She blushed as she realized he knew she was fishing for information about Robert.

“I’m afraid I have, Carrie,” he answered seriously, his smile fading.
“I fear our neighbor, Edmund Ruffin, is quite a happy man today.”

“What do you mean
?” she asked, though she was certain she already knew.

“The last report I got was after the
convention adjourned on April thirtieth, four days ago. Douglas had his platform selected, with a possibility of winning the two-thirds vote needed.” He paused. “And then seven of our Southern states walked out,” he finished heavily. He told Carrie as much as he knew about the events that brought it to pass. “There is a possibility things turned around down there since my last report,” he said, though she could tell he didn’t believe his own words.

“What will happen now?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m on my way to Richmond. I have a meeting with Governor Letcher. We are of like mind on the need to maintain the unity of our country and he will need all the support he can possibly get. Most of Virginia is not eager to see our country divided—though, there are many who would lead us in that direction—and too often the majority makes far less noise than a determined minority. Governor Letcher is a man of reason, but I fear he is about to fight an uphill battle.”

“How are you going to help him
?” Carrie asked curiously.

“I don’t know,” her father admitted.
“That’s why I’m going. I want to see exactly what I can do. There may be nothing, but I cannot rest with myself until I know. Landowners seem to be leading the drive to secession. I want to join my voice with those who are not being pulled in that direction.”

“The real issue is slavery.”
Carrie was not asking a question.

Thomas nodded slowly.
“Yes, and no. It seems to be slavery that has ignited the flame. It certainly is where the tension has become centered, but I believe it has expanded beyond that. Many of those raising their voice for secession have never owned a slave and never will. They are simply angered by the North deciding it can dictate our way of life down here. People don’t like to be pushed into a corner. When they are, they lose sight of what they are fighting about. They simply fight to get out of the corner. At that point, reason loses all power to affect change. It becomes as futile an effort as trying to push back the tide.”

Carrie listened thoughtfully but didn’t respond.

“You seem troubled about something, Carrie.”

She looked at her father but truly had no idea how to tell him what was on her mind.
She couldn’t remember ever feeling there was something she
couldn’t
talk with her father about. Silence stretched between them. Carrie knew her father was waiting for her, and so, taking a deep breath, she plunged in. “I don’t know what I feel about slavery anymore.”

Thomas looked at her closely.
“What do you mean?”

Once Carrie had started, it became easier to share her thoughts.
“I know you believe owning slaves is our destiny and that the slaves, if left to their own devices, would be unable to care for themselves.”

Thomas nodded.
“That’s true.”

“But,” Carrie protested, “I’m
not so sure that is true.”

“Why not?” Thomas asked carefully.

“I look at all the slaves at home. They do everything. They raise all of our crops. They make bricks, construct all of our buildings, take care of all our animals, and prepare all of our food. Those aren’t the actions of people who cannot care for themselves.”

Thomas nodded.
“It is true they can do all those things but only because they have the leadership of the white people to guide them in those directions. Left to their own devices, they would revert this civilization back to what they came from in Africa.”

Carrie glanced up at
Miles’s stiff back on the driver’s seat. She was sure he could hear their conversation. What must he be thinking? But now that she had started the dialogue, she was loath to stop it. “There are many people who feel owning slaves is wrong.”

“Yes
, but those people simply don’t understand the will of God in all this. The scriptures are quite clear about the basis for slavery. I know some would have us go against God’s will, but they are simply ignorant.”

Carrie couldn’t miss the edge of anger in her father’s voice as the silence built.
She decided to avoid any further conversation about slavery as she was still too confused about where she stood herself. Her thoughts were as yet too unformed. She had no desire to argue with her father about it. “Where are we staying when we get to Richmond?” she asked brightly, wanting to leave the unpleasantness behind. “Are we going to stay with Mr. Thomas, your tobacco friend, like we did last time?”

Thomas allowed her to lead him away from the discussion.
“No, we’re staying at the Spotswood Hotel. I was keeping it as a surprise, but since you asked you might as well know,” he said, smiling.

Carrie grinned with delight. “The Spotswood!
How wonderful! It is such a beautiful hotel. I have dreamed of staying there since I was a child.”

“It is indeed beautiful,” Thomas agreed.
“It is also the center of much of the political talk in Richmond right now. It seems to be the place where everyone is congregating to talk. I find I want to be in the thick of things during this trip to our capital city. I didn’t think you would be adverse to the idea,” he said slyly.

The rest of the trip passed easily as Carrie chattered about all the things she wanted to do while in Richmond.

“Miles will accompany you this afternoon, Carrie. If you don’t mind, I’m going to stay here at the hotel and talk with some friends.”

“Of course I don’t mind.
Miles and I will have a grand time exploring the city,” Carrie assured her father. “I’m not at all hungry, so we don’t even need to bother with a meal just now. You can eat with your friends. I’ll find something if I want to eat later.”

It had been just past noon when they arrived at the beautiful five-storied Spotswood Hotel.
Its brick construction and iron facade gave it an air of quiet dignity. Richmond was both an old town and a booming, young city. Remnants of its patriarchal, agrarian society mingled easily with industry tycoons intent on bringing change and progress to the rapidly growing area. Spotswood reflected this spirit. Everywhere, you could hear conversations about the events capturing the minds and hearts of America as heated words mixed with voices of reason.

Carrie was intrigued by the Spotswood Hotel.
She would explore it more thoroughly, but right now it was the city itself that beckoned her. The explosion of spring could be seen everywhere on the streets of the bustling city. The hotel’s location on the corner of Main and Eighth was right in the center of the city she loved so much.

“Miles, I would love to go walk through the
area around the Capitol again. It’s been so long.”

“Whatever you say, Miss Carrie,” he said indulgently, falling
into step beside her.

“Do you like Richmond, Miles?”

“I ain’t got to see much of it, Miss Carrie. I can’t rightly say whether I like it or not.”

“But you come here so often,” she protested.

“Yessum, I guess I do. But I mostly just be in one area.”