Beloved Destiny

  TITLE

  CHAPTER 1 Visitors at Camellia Hill

  CHAPTER 2 Carina and William

  CHAPTER 3 Easton Hall

  CHAPTER 4 Lost at Sea

  CHAPTER 5 Mary's Mission

  CHAPTER 6 The Betrothal

  CHAPTER 7 The Wedding

  CHAPTER 8 Carina at Easton Hall

  CHAPTER 9 Pebo

  CHAPTER 10 A Bitter Winter

  CHAPTER 11 Playing at Deception

  CHAPTER 12 Mary and Pebo

  CHAPTER 13 Return to Camellia Hill

  CHAPTER 14 Thrown back By the Sea

  CHAPTER 15 Carina's dilemma

  CHAPTER 16 Found Out

  CHAPTER 17 Trapped

  CHAPTER 18 Confrontation

  CHAPTER 19 Freedom

  CHAPTER 20 Joshua Makes Plans

  CHAPTER 21 The Whirlwind

  CHAPTER 22 A Shattered World

  CHAPTER 23 The Beginning

  EPILOGUE

  Beloved Destiny

  Carol Ann Fears

  Copyright © 2010 by Carol Ann Fears

  All rights reserved.

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  Visitors at Camellia Hill

  er name was Carina. She was born and came of age during the golden era of Southern culture. In the calm and prosperous years before the Civil War graciousness and beauty filled the plantation houses and gardens around Natchez, Mississippi. Carina knew no other life or time, accepting as normal the privileged position that she enjoyed. She was indulged to the point that she might have been spoiled had her character not prevented it. An intelligent, strong-willed young woman, she was much too independent to allow herself to be coddled. Carina sat staring at her image in the mirror. Like most young ladies she spent more than a little time each day gazing at her own reflection. Studying the image staring back at her, she tried to see herself objectively, evaluating each of her features according to the accepted standards of beauty in early 19th century America. This self critique was a daily ritual, performed with some trepidation as well as a glimmer of self-doubt.

  She saw a face possessing high cheekbones, graced with a complexion that matched the hue of one of her papa's prized peach and cream roses. Carina's eyes were a shade of green which echoed the color of winter wheat; large with feathery lashes and well-curved brows. She had never liked her nose, thinking that it seemed a bit too thin with a slight upturn at the tip. But she couldn't doubt which feature was her true claim to beauty. Her luxuriant, thick auburn hair was the envy of all of her friends. She continued to stare at herself in the mirror as she ran the brush through her hair. Sunbeams from a nearby window caused shimmering highlights to glow in the thick dark-red waves. She admired herself with a subtle little smile on her lips. Taken as a whole, she thought her appearance was at least as pleasing as that of any of the belles in her circle. She slid a rhinestone comb into each side of her hair, allowing it to puddle on her shoulders. Her high cheekbones were even more pronounced by drawing her hair away from her face. Mama joked occasionally when they were "en famille" that a bit of Choctaw blood may have been introduced into the family at some time in the past; perhaps contributing to Carina's facial structure. Obviously Mama had received no such characteristics, her face being as round as a pie-pan; although she was pretty in a chubby pink and blonde way that men seemed to favor. Although Carina might have preferred to be of the same type, she was glad that she had inherited her Papa's looks along with his striking hair color. Mama said that she had Papa's strong-minded character as well; a remark which Carina took as a great compliment, although she knew it was not intended as such.

  A commotion out on the lawn drew Carina out of her musings. Tying the sash of her satin robe around her waist, she walked over to the window to look outside. Two men, strangers to her, were on horseback, calling to the house. Jared, Papa's manservant, walked out to meet them. Jared and the men spoke for awhile as the men dismounted and walked up the steps into the house. Pebo, one of the stable boys, led the horses away to tend to them. Carina heard the sound of masculine voices floating up from the foyer although she couldn't make out any words. Her curiosity mounting, she ran to her wardrobe to pull out a suitable gown so that she could make an appearance downstairs.

  Dressed in a simple morning dress of blue silk adorned with pink rosettes encircling the neckline, Carina walked out into the upstairs hall and looked down over the railing at the men standing in the foyer with their hats in hand.

  As she was peering down at the strangers, Carina's father walked into the foyer, extending his right hand to first one, then the other of the visitors. "Well, Joshua, my land, you are a sight for sore eyes! The last time I saw you I'll swear you weren't knee high to a grasshopper. How'd you grow up so fast? How're your dear mother and father? I certainly hope they are both well? I'm afraid that seeing you makes me realize how derelict I've been about keeping in touch with my good friends."

  "They are both quite well, as a matter of fact Mr. Blanchett, thank you for asking. Father's still running his business, although he insists that he will retire any day now; but Mother always laughs when he says that. She says he wouldn't know what to do if he didn't have the business to keep him busy. He's teaching me how to manage things so that if he actually does take a notion to give up the reins, I will be ready. By the way, this is my friend William Porter. We were at school together and we decided to take advantage of a few weeks of freedom to ride around the countryside and visit with old friends and family." Joshua reached over to put his arm around William's shoulder. The affection between the two men was obvious to see. Both of them were attractive young men; tall, muscular and well-formed. Joshua's hair was black as a raven's wing while William's was the color of wheat.

  Carina was still upstairs looking over the railing down at the men when suddenly William looked up, saw her staring down and smiled at her. Caught! Now he would think that she was just a nosy girl, a trait he probably would not find at all becoming. Since she had already been found staring, she decided to boldly walk down the stairs to take a closer look at the two of them.

  "Oh, there you are, Carina, you must remember Joshua Prewitt, Lemuel Prewitt's son? We used to live near them in Natchez, until Mama and I decided to move back here to the farm." Papa always referred to his place as a "farm", although Mama would have preferred that he call it a "plantation." Carina cared not a whit what he called it; the place had brought such joy to Papa that she felt affection for every acre of soil. She enjoyed the name of her home, Camellia Hill, so called because of the lush, fragrant camellias that surrounded the main house.

  "Well, Papa, I do remember being with you and Mama on a visit to the Prewitt family, but I suppose I was too young to remember very much about meeting them. How do you do, Mr. Prewitt?"

  "Quite well, thank you, Miss Carina and this is my good friend William." Both men made a charming little bow from the waist, as Carina dropped a curtsy.

  "Now that we have all been introduced, let's go into the front parlor. I believe Mama is there, and we can all have tea and cakes." Papa began the act of gently herding everyone in that direction, as the two younger gentlemen hung behind so that Carina could precede them.

  The front parlor was the most formal room in the house, a large room with polished heart pine floors, velvet settees and a glittering crystal chandelier which Mama's family had given to her and Papa as a wedding gift. Carina noticed that Mama matched the room in splendor. Her hair was done up in the French fashion, with ringlets falling to her shoulders. How much of this was her own hair, and how much came from other heads was a closely held secret. All the hair was golden blonde, which led Carina to think that perhaps Mama's crowning glo
ry was not entirely her own. Mama was dressed in an apricot gown more suitable, perhaps, for late afternoon or dinner, but being Mama, she could get away with it. Her pink complexion and charming dimples gave her the appearance of a much younger woman, and she still loved to flirt with the gentlemen. She sat in a pale blue velvet chair which she knew complimented her coloring as well as her attire.

  "Look here, my dear, it's young Joshua come to visit us and he brings his good friend William. They attended school together. I am going to try to persuade them to stay with us at least through next week, so that we can show them around, and perhaps have a small soiree to introduce them to our friends." Papa was the most hospitable of hosts. Once a guest had come into his home, Papa used all of his wiles to prolong the visit as long as possible.

  Mama dimpled prettily and made good use of her ivory fan to show her eyes off to their best advantage. "Why I do remember dear little Joshua; of course he is certainly not little anymore, but a fine, strapping young man, I see. I certainly think that we have time to put together some entertainments to amuse these fine gentlemen. All of our friends will be delighted to meet them, especially the young ladies, I dare say." Mama was flirting and simpering shamelessly already, which caused Carina some annoyance, and of which Papa always remained oblivious. "Here, sit down gentlemen, I will have Mary bring the tea tray. You must be famished. How long have you been riding?"

  Joshua took his seat, stretching his long legs a bit, which gave Carina a moment to admire their muscular appearance. "We left yesterday and rode all day; resting at the Rooster's Tavern last night. We resumed our journey at dawn this morning. The weather has been most pleasant and our trip has been enjoyable; doubly so now." He gave a small nod to Mama and Carina to indicate that they were responsible for his esteem of the day.

  Mary wheeled in the tea cart and the next few minutes were taken up with Mama pouring tea, handing the cups around as the others chose a delicacy from the tea cart.

  "How are your mother and father, Joshua? I am afraid we have been so busy with our duties here that we are neglectful of visiting our friends. As soon as the spring planting is done Papa, Carina and I must come to Natchez and Easton Hall for a good long visit. Mary and Jared are capable of tending to the day to day running of the farm for a week or so." Mama seemed more animated than usual by the prospect of a visit with the Prewitts. She had been reluctant to move from Natchez to the farm, preferring the activities in town to the relative isolation here. She was not happy being away from society for long. Papa knew this, fully understanding her need to be in the company of friends.

  "Mother and Father are very well, Ma'am, and I am sure they will be absolutely delighted at the idea of a nice long visit from you and Mr. Blanchett."

  Joshua sipped tea from a delicate cup that seemed much too small for his fingers. He was adept at handling himself as well as delicate objects carefully, obviously the result of good breeding, Mrs. Blanchett thought. The boy was extraordinarily handsome, with finely chiseled features enhanced with hair that was as black as ebony. She glanced sideways at Carina to gauge her interest, if any. Carina maintained a neutral, polite demeanor, but then she was always hard to read. She kept many of her thoughts to herself, tending to speak only when there was something of substance to say. Mama had tried hard to school her in the fine art of flirtation and small talk, but with little success. Carina was too much like her Papa. She was a pragmatist; which was not considered by men to be attractive in a female. At least it was not attractive to most men, Mama thought.

  "Why don't you take Joshua and William out into the garden for some air, Carina? After being on horseback all morning, they would probably like to stretch their legs. Then Papa can show them around the farm until it is time for dinner. Mary will be preparing a delicious bass this evening. Pebo, who is the son of Papa's manservant Jared, caught a beautiful specimen this morning." Mrs. Blanchett stood up, signaling an end to tea time. She left the room to discuss the dinner menu with Mary.

  "You young people go along into the garden. I will catch up with you later. We have some of the most beautiful camellias in bloom now. I know you will enjoy them." Mr. Blanchett took his leave as well.

  "After you, Miss Carina," Joshua bowed slightly as she moved toward the door.

  Carina led the gentlemen into the garden where they were pleasantly surprised to see such an abundance of floral beauty, as well as variety, out here in the country. They were accustomed to the grand gardens of Natchez but this rivaled the most sophisticated gardener's efforts there. Carina was proud that her Papa had designed the beds himself, indicating which plants he wanted placed in each. A fountain stood in the center of the garden, featuring a pensive girl pouring water from a large jar. The fountain added a refreshing splash as well as a visual delight as the sun sparkled on the rippling water. The paths were made of crushed limestone, reflecting light so that both ornaments and blossoms shone bright in the noon sun. One path curved to the right, leading them to a pergola thickly entwined with Cape jasmine. The dappled shade of the pergola was a welcome relief after the intensity of the sun. As they walked further along, Carina ran her fingers along a low stone wall, enjoying the coolness of the stone in contrast to the shimmering heat of the sun. Blue delphinium, pink foxglove and white mophead hydrangeas suffused the breeze with a perfume so intense that Carina began to feel slightly light-headed. She swayed a little on the path causing William to catch her around the waist in order to steady her.

  "Careful, Miss Carina, you could take a bad fall, and I must say that these limestone paths don't look very forgiving." He held on to her for just a brief second more than was necessary before releasing her.

  "Thank you, sir; I am afraid the sun has made me just a little light-headed. Perhaps we should go back into the house now." Carina had forgotten her bonnet, of all things, no wonder she was dizzy! Irritated at sounding like a weak ninny, she marched stiffly back into the house.

  "Of course you need to have a rest, it is almost mid-day, and the sun is so warm I am not surprised you were affected. We were remiss to have kept you out in the heat so long, even though your gracious tour gave us such pleasure. We were selfishly thinking of our own enjoyment, I'm afraid."

  Carina couldn't help but admire William's flowery little speech. She was beginning to notice that his manners were impeccable, a trait sometimes lacking in the young men she encountered here in the country. Perhaps Papa would find out something about him later today when he showed the younger men around the farm. Her curiosity about William and his circumstances was uncharacteristic for her, who had never shown much interest in the young men who lived on the adjacent plantations. But something about him, his courtly manners, softly waved golden hair, as well as his eyes, which were the color of aquamarine, had piqued her interest. Of course, he was just a most attractive, well educated young man, Carina told herself. There were entirely too few of that sort of man around here. At seventeen, Carina was just beginning to notice men. Her colt, Pomme, had occupied most of her time and interest for the last year. He was a gift from Papa, and she was delighted with his progress as a saddle mount. She loved to ride, although Mama all but forbade it, assenting only as long as Carina allowed her to think she only rode side-saddle. What on earth would Mama do if she found out Carina occasionally rode astride when she was well away from the house? Carina laughed to herself at the thought of how scandalized Mama would be. She must never know.

  Walking back into the house, Carina stopped by the kitchen to chat with Mary and the kitchen girls. She helped herself to a cup of cool water from the wooden bucket that sat on the oak table in the center of the room. The worn old bucket stood there available to quench the thirst of the house staff. Mary was rolling out a pie crust for tonight's dessert.

  "What kind of pie are we having for dessert tonight, Mary? I hope it's peach, you know that's my favorite." Carina could usually wheedle Mary into giving her whatever she wanted. Mary had been with the family since Carina was a tiny baby, and the
two had a deep affection for each other.

  "Well, now, you know, it is goin' to be peach, Miss Carina. I knew you'd be wantin' peach, so that's what I'se making." Mary added a little more flour to the board to prevent the dough from sticking and rolled it little more. "I'se makin' apple too, since we got company. I need to make sure there's plenty for ever'body."

  "We need to have company more often, if that's what it takes for you to bake two pies in one day!"

  Carina ran over to give Mary an affectionate hug, then walked into the main hall and started up the stairs to her room. As she passed Mama's bedroom she heard voices. Mama and Papa were talking about her, she realized, after hearing her name mentioned twice.

  "She is 17 years old, Thomas. It is high time we started thinking seriously about Carina's future. There are very few suitable young men in the county to choose from. Joshua Prewitt comes from such a good family. We know everything about his background. We wouldn't have to worry about her marrying some unknown ne'er do well misrepresenting himself as a gentleman. Her future would be secure and should they be fortunate enough to have children, those offspring would inherit a vast fortune. Lemuel Prewitt is a tremendously rich man, as you well know. Carina would want for nothing if she married into such a family. Of course we will make her a handsome dowry." It would seem that Mama was using all of her considerable powers of persuasion to convince Papa that Carina and Joshua Prewitt would make an excellent match.

  "She is just a child, my darling; she knows nothing about such things. Don't you think we should keep her here at home for a few more years? You could teach her what she needs to know about running a household during that time. Besides, I am just not sure I am ready for her to fly from our nest." Papa's voice sounded wistful, perhaps a little melancholy. Carina knew that she was Papa's darling and that he would not be able to let go of her easily. She smiled to think of his reluctance toward a possible marriage for her. What neither of them realized was that she had absolutely no intention of marrying Joshua Prewitt or anybody else, for that matter. She would simply stay here at home with Mama and Papa, and her beloved Pomme. She was happy at Camellia Hill, so why on earth would she want to get married and leave?