Free The Color Of The Soul (The Penbrook Diaries) by Tracey Bateman

“I understand he spoke to your father
about coming to call on you.”
    Camilla sniffed. “As though
I’d want him for my beau.” She cut a glance to the driver’s seat, where Cat sat
next to Toby. “Besides, the Hansons arrive tomorrow, and I much prefer Thomas
to any of the young men in Floyd County.” Her voice rose to slightly louder
than necessary. Why must Camilla be so cruel?
    Madeline frowned and shook
her head at her daughter, but Camilla ignored her and continued without so much
as a pause. “That may be the one good thing about this war. Thomas and his
parents can’t go north for the holidays like they always do, so Father invited
them to spend Christmas with us. I believe Thomas will ask me to marry him
during the visit. After all, I imagine he will want to have things settled
between us before he heads to Virginia.”
    A smirked twisted Camilla’s
lips as Cat’s back stiffened. “Won’t that be just wonderful, Mother? I know
this may not be the most opportune time to plan a wedding, but ever so many
girls are getting engaged nowadays. Why, Amber Calhoun says it’s our duty to
send our men off to war with the assurance that we’ll be waiting for them upon
their return. She says it gives them something to fight for.”
    Cat twisted around in her
seat and looked at Madeline. A frown etched her brow. “Is Thomas going to go
fight, Miss Maddy?”
    “Don’t you mean Mister Thomas?” Camilla’s blue eyes
flashed like sapphires.
    “I said what I meant,” Cat
retorted, never taking her gaze from Madeline’s.
    “Why, you insolent girl.
I’ll whip the hide right off you when we get back to Penbrook House.”
    “Camilla, please. What do
you expect when you provoke her?”
    “It isn’t possible to provoke
a proper slave,” Camilla replied, obviously uncaring of her disrespectful tone.
“I will speak to Father about this girl’s conduct.”
She cast her glance to Cat. “What do you think of that?”
    A shrug lifted Cat’s
much-too-thin shoulders. “I don’t care what you do, Camilla.”
    “You will address me as Miss Camilla.”
    Maddy released a sigh and
raised her gloved hand to her temple in an attempt to ease the ache. “I wish
you wouldn’t speak of this to your father, Camilla. It will only upset the
household. Cat meant no disrespect, I am sure, but only showed concern for an
old friend. Isn’t that right, Cat?”
    Cat stared back at her,
anger slowly receding from her fawn-like brown eyes. “Yes, ma’am. I apologize,
Miss Camilla. I–I forgot my place for a moment.”
    “See that you don’t forget
it again!” Camilla straightened in her seat and looked away as though the
matter was suddenly beneath her. Cat slowly turned and stared straight ahead.
    Relieved that the incident
appeared to be over, Madeline leaned back and closed her eyes as the swaying
carriage sent waves of nausea through her. More and more lately, her stomach
ached and her head pounded until she took to her bed for days at a time. Henry
despised her for her weakness, as though her frequent bouts of illness were a
personal assault against him.
    But she wasn’t the only one
he railed against. Henry seemed to be angry most of the time. Maddy knew the
Penbrook plantation was suffering, mainly, she surmised, from Henry’s
mismanagement since his father’s death. But of course Henry insisted it was
because of the Yankees blockading all ports in and out of the South.
    Money was dwindling away,
but for Maddy this was no concern. She knew her inheritance was secure under
her father’s capable control, and if need be, she and Henry could borrow the
money to get back on their feet once the war ended. When she said as much to
Henry just the other day, she saw his fists clench and feared he might strike
her. Instead he only shouted, “I’ll not have my wife trying to manage my affairs!”
He stormed out of the house and had not returned until well into the night.
Madeline suspected he was frequenting one of the