An Old Fashioned Southern Romance Novel (12 page)

“Then so be it. It can’t be any worse than marrying someone else who happens to be the right color but the wrong woman.”

“So you are saying there are no eligible Black women out there that meet your stands?”

“No, I am just saying I don’t want to look anymore because I have found the woman I want to be with.”

Chad walked out of the den through the open sliding glass doors and into the
sunroom. He looked out onto the ocean and reflected on the summer he and Caroline shared. Chad had lived a charmed, yet mundane existence until Caroline came along. He did not have to do much except wait for things to come to him. He had attended a private, exclusive college and learned the family business. But, for the most part, he just lived inside a bubble. His life consisted of boats, golf courses, European vacations, cotillions, fundraisers, and private lessons of assorted skills. Nothing impressed him and no one seemed to captivate his heart. That is, of course, until he met the red-headed girl of his dreams. He knew Caroline was the one, but he didn’t know how to make his mother, a Black woman, understand what he was feeling. She was as bad as the Whites. She thought Chad and Caroline ought to marry their own kind. It was just easier. No one seemed to follow their heart anymore and no one seemed brave enough to go after their dreams, no matter the consequences.

“Chad, it’s not just that she is White, you know,” his mother followed him. “She’s trash.”
His mother followed him.

“How dare you! You don’t even know her!”

“On the contrary, Chad. I know all about her and her family. Her father is a Klansman, her mother is a drunken whore, and she is a used up piece of trash who can’t get a decent White man to marry her so she is all of a sudden in love with you.”

“Where do you come up with this stuff? None of that is true! How can you be so
judgmental?”

“I’m starting to think your father and I sheltered you too much, son. But, unlike you, I have lived in the real world. I know people and I know things. And I have first-hand knowledge of that family.”

“You don’t know Caroline. She’s different. Even if what you are saying is true about her parents, she is not like that.”

“Son, I am not going to argue with you because I know that you are already aware of this girl’s past. You are just trying to convince me that she is a good girl. But, I know better. If you want to be with a White girl, at least find a decent one and stop taking everyone else’s leftovers. It is simply not proper for a Montgomery to do such a thing. Not only will you be stuck with biracial children, but they will have a
whore for a mother,” his mother pressed.

“You are such an elitist! Nobody is good enough for you. That’s why I am almost 30 years old and have never had a meaningful
relationship.”

“That is by choice, Chadsworth. There are plenty of women from which you can choose. For some reason, though, you seem to favor the condemned.”

“Are you sure that’s it, mother? Or, is there something more? It must be very difficult for you to have the appearance of being White, but be bound by your roots. If you want to know what I think, I think you are jealous of Caroline’s mother. Your skin may be as white as hers, but your bloodline doesn’t lie.”

“
You have lost your damned mind, boy! I have never wanted to be White and I curse the skin color I have. I am constantly reminded of the evil blood that runs through my veins. I would kill to be as dark as my ancestors. Maybe if I were darker, you would have turned out darker too and you wouldn’t be so confused about who you are. Don’t confuse race with color, young man. You will never be White. Your children will never be White.”

Chad was more furious with his mother at that moment that at any other time he could remember. He wanted to be with Caroline and race and color did not mean one damn bit to him. He was in love and willing to do whatever it took to be together. He had an idea, a plan. But, he wasn’t sure how to pull it off. He didn’t even know if Caroline would ever go for it. He knew she felt the same way about him, but would she be willing to give up everything to be with him? He was going to find out. Chad was going to ask Caroline to run away with him and they would live as a White couple. Chad was going to pass for a White man, if Caroline would have it. He knew it was crazy, but he didn’t know what else to do. He was a Black man trapped in a White body with a White girlfriend and a Black mother who looked White, but was not confused about who she
was. And everyone, Black and White, was telling him that he should not be with Caroline and he was sure people were telling her the same thing about him. And what was it all for? They loved each other and were of the same mind. He knew is plan could end up costing him and Caroline everything – maybe even their lives. But, he was willing to take the risk if she was. He didn’t care where they would go – as long as they could be together. Chad knew he would have to change his name and give up all of his family history. Was Caroline really worth losing his life for? He believed she was.

Chapter
Seventeen

Surprisingly, Annabella was having the time of her life in London. Her family’s connections were better than she remembered. As a child, they always had a marvelous time in Europe, but she thought it was just because she was young and therefore easy to impress. But, she never imagined as a young woman she would still be swept away by the beauty and mystique of it all. Annabella always had a special love for England. She thought of it as the mother of her beloved nation and she considered herself a Loyalist. She was, however, as southern as they came and thus torn between Dixie and Great Britain. The more time she spent abroad, the more she felt she was in the place where she belonged.
Annabella even marveled at how pale British people were. She often felt out of place at home because there was an unspoken expectation to be tanned. Annabella was hopelessly pasty and any attempts at tanning were met with vengeful sunburn. But in London, she fit right in with the locals. Her skin was revered and she was celebrated. She found herself wearing bright red clothing to accentuate her features. Tonight was no different except for one thing. She was set to dine with a very famous baron who was recently widowed. He was not much older than Annabella, but his late wife met an untimely death at the hands of a very aggressive cancer. He had grieved for what was considered an acceptable amount of time and now he was considering marriage again. Annabella’s father had been in contact with his people and the young man was excited about meeting a real southern belle. Annabella was the last of her kind. She believed very deeply in her traditional American values and she was as stubborn as a mule. She believed in being gentile almost to a fault. If he was looking for a woman who was unyielding and pampered, he would certainly meet the woman of his dreams tonight.

Annabella trembled as she tried to catch the loop
ed end of her necklace into the clasp. She wondered what the young baron would be like in person. She had seen pictures and heard tales, but she could not imagine being in the presence of sheer royalty. She was confident that he would find her beautiful and interesting, but she wondered if he would think of her as marriage material. She knew she possessed all the virtue, but had she passed her prime? Perhaps he was looking for someone younger and less worldly. Annabella was well-educated and well-traveled and she wondered if he would be intimidated by her. Besides, she wondered if there would even be a spark. Besides being insanely wealthy and famous, she knew nothing about him. Maybe she wouldn’t find him attractive at all. Maybe he was jerk. He could even be a snooty, Warrenton-type guy with a British accent. She would positively die if she had traveled halfway around the world to sit down to dinner with Warrenton Bingham Boatwright’s doppelganger. She would surely charge God with being the cruelest trickster of all and believe her life was one big practical joke. So many thoughts were racing through her mind, including the fact that she missed Hattie terribly and it was Hattie who knew how to get her through these tough times. But, Hattie was not there and Annabella had to settle for the scrawny old den mother-type who was commissioned to take care of her needs while she was in London. The elderly lady, Mrs. Crabtree, was a seasoned caretaker and had been charged with the task of caring for many a bride-in-training. She had a few princesses under her belt and, like Hattie, she was no pushover. But, she was a bit snippy and had not an ounce of humor in her body. She was all about the business of preparing women to make terrific wives and doormats. She was a strong advocate of well-bred, educated women, but she believed that those endearing qualities should not impede nor interfere with the marital institution. In Mrs. Crabtree’s eyes, the wife should be an adornment to her husband and not overshadow him. She wasn’t sure how that was going to play out with headstrong Annabella, but it was of no concern to her. As far as she was concerned, either Annabella wanted a husband or not. But, Annabella was less concerned about snagging a man and more interested in having an epic romance. She didn’t know what it was like to be hopelessly in love. She got close, but then reality hit her. She was a fool to start falling in love with that gigolo of a man, Warrenton. He had been with so many women that there was no way one could be more special than the others. He was running a 24-hour woman depot and as quickly as they came in, they were out. Annabella felt fortunate to have seen his true colors before she fell into his tawdry web and given the best part of herself to someone so obviously undeserving. Annabella was consumed with her thoughts when Mrs. Crabtree coarsely interrupted.

“
You will stop that daydreaming at once, lest you float clear into space with no husband to speak of!”

Annabella could not figure out for the life of her what was the matter with daydreaming. But, the lady’s disciplinary action reminded Annabella of her school days. She was often reprimanded for daydreaming. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she is a bit spacey and her imagination often brought her more fulfillment than reality.
Annabella wasn’t sure if marriage was even right for her. After all, she was used to being pampered and taken care of. What would she possibly have to offer a husband? She didn’t know how to cook, clean, or perform other wifely duties. She was sure Hattie could help her with the first two and Caroline would be more than happy to tell her about the latter. But, perhaps she was leaning too heavily on the assistance of others to make her future husband happy. Annabella was simply too confused to make any real sense out of what was happening. She was enjoying being in London with her non-stop social calendar, but she was not entirely sure she wanted to make a lasting impression on the baron this evening. She wanted to continue to explore her options and when the time was right and everything lined up, she would be ready to make a commitment. In the meantime, she just wanted to see what was out there for her. She wanted to keep her options open.

Mrs. Crabtree stood behind Annabella as she gazed at her reflection in the wardrobe mirror. She hardly recognized herself. She was positively radiant in the sapphire gown and matching jewels. Her skin was glowing and she was might thinner than she was at home. There were no pound cakes and smothered chicken on Annabella’s menu in London and it was apparent in her new waistline. Hattie was sure Annabella would never attain the fictitious waistline of Scarlett O’Hara, but alas she had done so. She had Mrs. Crabtree to thank for that and her scarce menu. Annabella had become accustomed to eating broth for
dinner, toast for breakfast, and tea with one biscuit for lunch. Annabella was amused at the idea that she, the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in America, was reduced to a 600 calorie per-day diet. However, she did not feel restricted nor mistreated in any way. In fact, Annabella thought very little about food. The culture in London was not centered around food, albeit because English cuisine was nothing of which to speak. Annabella spent a disproportionate amount of her time thinking about being in love, romance, adventure, and living her life to the fullest. She felt she had spent enough time being someone’s daughter and now it was time to just be herself.

Annabella was content with the finished product that Mrs. Crabtree had so painstakingly constructed. It was time to present Annabella Olivia Devereaux to the baron. Under other circumstances, Annabella would have been terribly nervous, but in the last hour she had resolved that she did not care what happens. She did not have to be the end all,
be all, for some stuffed ascot to fall in love with her. It was just as well if he didn’t. That just meant she could continue to go out and socialize. She was becoming increasingly confident in herself and she was not about to let any self-doubt enter the picture. Annabella was finally free of all the negative comments Warren had made over the years. She was finally out of Caroline’s sexy, rebellious shadow. She was now out of Hattie’s protective, yet overbearing grasp. For the first time in her life, she was her own women. She was free to do just what she wanted to do without hearing those disapproving voices in her ear. As she glided seamlessly to the awaiting car, she looked up at the cerulean sky. She saw a single, shiny star. That star represented her, she thought. She was intent on being the star of her own one-woman production. Tonight was not about convention or trying to impress anyone. Annabella had it all and there was no reason she could not enjoy it.

“So what exactly passes for a Baron these days,” Annabella casually joked.

Normally, she would not dare be so informal with near-royalty, but the wine made her just that much more fun-loving.