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Homecourt Publishers Greenville, SC Homecourt Publishers Greenville, SC the story of Eliza Lucas Pinckney Copyright © 2012 by Homecourt Publishers All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews. Homecourt Publishers shall have neither the liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused by the information contained in this book. For information or comments, contact: Homecourt Publishers 2435 East North St., #245 Greenville, SC 29615-1442 [email protected] www.homecourtpublishers.com (864) 877-5123 written by Ben Bache Copyright © 2012 by Homecourt Publishers ISBN Reference Number: 0-9741017-1-1 1 — All Grown Up 1 2 — The Plantation 7 3 — A Rough Start 17 4 — Blowing in the Wind 29 5 — Earning a Reputation 41 6 — The Swindler 45 7 — A Good Year 62 8 — A New Decade 70 9 — 30 Years Later 77 Epilogue 83 I'm not happy that Father is leaving, but I'm 16 years old and I can handle it. 1 — All Grown Up My father rubs his thumb under my eye, as if he is wiping away a tear. "Are you crying?" he says with a smile. "No!" I say, which is true for the most part. My eyes might be watering, but I'm not crying! "Of course not," says Father. "Elizabeth Lucas is far too grown up and independent to cry." 2 — Indigo Girl I do my best to smile. Whenever he calls me "Elizabeth" instead of "Eliza," I know he is mocking me. But I am grown up now. I am sixteen years old, and that's an adult woman. I have traveled to England to attend the best schools, and now across the oceans to be in the New World. I am ready for anything. Besides, we aren't living in the Middle Ages. This is the year 1738, when a strong woman can make a difference! Still, I am going to miss him. "I'm going to miss you," he says, as if reading my mind. "I don't have a choice, though. It's time for me to leave South Carolina. I have to do my duty and go back to the islands." Father is always talking about doing his "duty," and even when I roll my eyes it makes me proud to hear him say it. I know that he has to go back to Antigua. That tiny island needs him. It is always being threatened by Spanish ships, and the British government can't let one of its colonies slip away to one of its rivals. 3 — Indigo Girl Father is an important man in the British Army, and he is needed in Antigua. All my life, Father has been a high-ranking officer in the British military. People are always saluting him and calling him "Sir." He's going back to be the governor of the island, and I know he is the right man for the job. It just all seems to be happening so fast. We only moved here, to South Carolina, a few months ago after Mother got sick. Father thought it'd be a nice change of scenery. But he has barely unpacked his suitcase before they are calling him back home. A ship blows its horn. To everyone else, it's just another sound in the background of the 4 — Indigo Girl busy port of Charles Town. Dock workers are loading crates onto boats, passengers are climbing aboard, and people are scattered everywhere. Among all of that chaos, it's easy not to hear the sound of a single ship's horn. But I sure heard it. I know that it means that Father's ship is ready to go. He will be leaving in just a few minutes. I give him one last hug, and so does my little sister, Polly. She has been quiet ever since we got on the wagon at the plantation. I know it's hard for a little girl to say good-bye to her father. "Are you two going to be okay?" Father asks, although it is a little late for that question. "Of course," I declare, proud of myself for seeming so calm and confident. "What about the plantation? Are you sure you can run it? I can get your brother, Thomas, to return home from England. Or I can have one of the overseers at the other plantations help you." 5 — Indigo Girl South Carolina is going to be different than the tiny South Carolina island of Antigua (but I'm ready). Antigua I look at him in shock, and he gives a smirk to show that he was only half kidding. I am the one who had begged Father to allow me to run the plantation while he is gone. I have grown up around the sugar cane plantations in Antigua, and I know I am up to the task. The thought of my younger brother coming back from his schooling in England to help me... that is enough to make me laugh. 6 — Indigo Girl And the overseers at Father's other plantations? I am supposed to be the one who is in charge of them! The ship blows its horn one final time. I give Father one last hug, and so does Polly. He turns and walks away. I have no idea when I'll see him again. 7 — Indigo Girl I grew up tending to the sugarcane plantations, but these fields just look like weeds! 2 — The Plantation I was being honest when I told Father that I was up to the task of running a plantation. I believed—and still believe—that I can do it. But it's hard work. Harder work than I ever imagined... and we haven't even planted a single crop yet. For starters, the lower fields are covered in weeds. Actually, "weeds" is much too kind of a word. What I really mean is that the lower 8 — Indigo Girl fields are covered with small trees that take an hour to dig out of the ground. I'm thankful for the slaves, even though it's a harsh arrangement. I was around plenty of slaves growing up near the sugarcane plantations in the West Indies, but it's something that has always bothered me a bit. I guess it's just a cruel necessity. Running a plantation would be impossible without the slaves. It would take me a month to clear one acre of the stubborn evergreen shrubs that grow so easily along Wappoo Creek. A dozen strong slaves can do the same task before lunch time. Right now, every field hand I have is trying to uncover the topsoil that is hidden below the overgrowth. Their time would be better spent plowing fields, building fences, and getting ready to plant seed. But none of that can happen until we get rid of the weeds. *** 9 — Indigo Girl I know that the local planters wonder if I can really run a plantation. "Hello, Miss Lucas." For a second, I worry that I've been staring at the weeds so long that they're starting to talk to me. Then I realize that the voice is coming from behind me. I turn around to see Mr. Jacobson and Mr. Harley. "Hello, Miss Lucas," Mr. Jacobson repeats. "Oh... hello," I finally say, thankful to talk to a person, and not the weeds. "We just wanted to come by and make sure you're okay," says Mr. Harley, in an overly-concerned tone that I don't care for. 10 — Indigo Girl I've been running this plantation alone for over a month, and I think that I'm doing just fine. Not all of my neighbors agree. Mr. Harley owns a nearby plantation, and it's no secret to me that he views me as a helpless sixteen year-old girl. "Of course I'm okay," I say to him, trying to be firm with my tone. "Why wouldn't I be?" "Well," says Mr. Harley with what I'm certain is a tiny smirk on his face, "I saw you yesterday near the creek chasing after a horse." My face turns bright red, partly because I am blushing, and partly because a sudden anger rises up through me. It's true that I was "chasing after a horse" yesterday. The fence in the pasture near the Big House is in bad need of repair. The horses are always getting out, which isn't that big of a deal. But something spooked them yesterday. I'm not sure if it was a rattlesnake, or the sound of a shot gun. But three horses took off through the fence and into the woods. 11 — Indigo Girl It’s hard to track down runaway horses while wearing a dress! The first two horses ran only a few hundred yards before they decided to graze on the grass. I was able to bring them in easily. The last horse is named Blue Sky, and he's always looking for trouble. Once he realized he was out of the fence, he took off for the creek bed, which is a mile down the hill. It might be easy for a horse to run that distance over the bushes, but it isn't easy when you're wearing a dress down to your ankles! I knew exactly where to find him, because it's where I let him stop for a drink 12 — Indigo Girl when we go for a ride.
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