ROSEDALE IN APRIL
Chapter Nineteen

Climbing up from the depths of sleep, Captain Jack Dalton woke as if from a trance while an early spring April storm rattled the beveled glass windowpanes. A bolt of jagged lightning flashed in the ebony velvet sky turning the master’s chambers at Rosedale a ghostly white as raindrops pattered against the great manor. Before it dimmed, a growing roll of thunder flared rapidly then ended in an ear-splitting crack. Rustling gusts of rain struck the outside verandah as the wind howled like a banshee in the gathering gloom of dawn. Errant breezes brought the fresh smell of the storm into the room while the serviceable wooden shutters protected the inside from its moisture yet allowed the white lace curtains to furl and dance with the constant force of the west wind. A soft, warm, feminine body lay nestled against the Captain’s nude frame as he relaxed upon the goose down pillow relishing the creamy satin feel of alabaster skin. It was strange the strong sense of serenity that filled his soul with Rose in his arms as the raging thunderstorm enveloped the world beyond their bedroom walls. Her mystical effect on him was total and complete—devastating when wanting her only reminded him of the hopelessness of their precarious affair. So beautiful when joined in love and she was his, for a small space in time. A time that was rapidly fading and with it came the ugly reality of a divisive war between brothers from North and South.

The sweet fragrance of jasmine scented perfume filled his nostrils as she moved against him, her breath a warm tickling at the base of his neck that sent rivulets of desire rushing through his veins. Rose’s full garnet lips touched him softly there, and as Jack looked down, she drew back as glowing emerald eyes smiled into his. Slowly his head lowered as their hungry lips met again and again as if each ardent kiss was sweeter than the one before. His arm beneath her curled about creamy shoulders while his other hand caressed downward along her spine to press her hips closer to his. In a wordless moan, Rose threaded slender fingers through the Captain’s tawny hair at his nape arching her back in a silent plea. Jack sensed her passionate need for she echoed his own. Pulling her beneath him, he settled between her thighs with a throaty groan and huskily whispered, "Tell me that you want me, Rose."

"I want you, Captain." Rose softly sighed, reaching upward and splaying both questing hands across his wide, naked chest. Light ivory flesh stood out in stark contrast with sun darkened tanned skin…as different as North and South…as dissimilar as man and woman.

They came together and then apart with the fierceness of the outside storm as they breathlessly took each other soaring on spiraling heights of blissful ecstasy…giving and receiving…the massive strength of masculinity into petite sensual femininity. Each was attuned only to each other and their consuming desire for one another, totally oblivious to the turbulent weather that waged its own vicious war outside. And as the wind howled, the thunder roared, the lightning flashed and the house shook—whether from the raging storm within or the storm’s fury without, the two of them gave it no mind. The peals of echoing thunder could only partially drown out their ragged cries of release as they both lay trembling in the after wake of spent passion. As the heavens played out their fiery dances and tiny twinkling stars appeared between the racing clouds, together they watched in complete awe the magnificent miracles of nature. Rose’s cheek was pressed against Jack’s shoulder as she lightly stroked his satiny tanned chest and the bare skin of his arm and ribs. The languid contentment of the moment refused to be disturbed. Cuddling closer to the security of her Captain, soft breasts were like velvet against him, and it was delicious torture to have his skin seared by the rosy hardened peaks. For Rose was intoxicating…Jack was addicting…together they forged a deep undying passion that magically grew with each passing April spring day.

Much later, Jack swaggered into the dining room to break the fast finding many of his Union Army officers already seated and eating their morning meals. The tantalizing smells of coffee brewing, biscuits baking and bacon frying wafted throughout the room assailing his nostrils and reminding him how famished he was. Taking his seat at the head of the table, a new servant girl who looked to be about in her sixth month of pregnancy poured the Captain a fresh made cup of coffee. In the corner crawling on all fours was a toddler that obviously belonged to the young black woman. The little girl was chubby and sported numerous braided pigtails sticking out at all angles about her dark curly head. Curious, Jack inquired, "And where is Lizzie this morning?"

"Iza be Hattie, Cap’un. Lizzie iz wid hur new husband. She bees back in a few mo’ days I s’pect. Can Iz git somethin fo’ yo’?"

Jack instantly began pondering the peculiar situation. Since when did slaves get time off for anything? The thought hadn’t had much time to fester before Rose suddenly bounded into the room. Immediately espying the little girl in the corner, Rose excitedly crossed to that section of the spacious inhabited dining room.

"Sadie! Come to Rose! That a girl! You can do it, Sadie!" Rose sweetly beckoned to the baby girl that had pushed herself onto her dimpled knees and was precariously wobbling her way to the red headed woman bent down with arms outstretched. With her mouth gapping open displaying two pearly white teeth at the bottom, Sadie gurgled and squealed as she took those first hesitant steps into the protecting arms of Rose.

Laughing and clapping in zeal, Rose energetically swung Sadie up and twirled around, kissing her fiercely on the cheek as she bounced and sat down in an empty chair intent on feeding the hungry toddler. Jack’s mouth suddenly stopped chewing and swallowed. He wasn’t sure what surprised him the most. Rose feeding the baby girl with complete disregard to the forthcoming mess that was sure to be made or her simple mode of dress this morning. For once since arriving at Rosedale, she was gowned in a becomingly dainty albeit modest ivory skirt and blouse with just a hint of delicate lace at the collar and cuffs. Not one bit of soft woman’s flesh was exposed for his or any other man’s starved perusal. Now what, Jack inwardly wondered.

"Good morning all. Terrible weather we’re having, no?" Rose beamed with a dazzling smile.

Wrapping and tying a linen napkin around Sadie’s neck, Rose nonchalantly began to spoon feed her from a bowl without any hesitation or qualms whatsoever. Jack surprisingly sat back in his chair and intently studied the unfolding touching scene. For Rose looked so natural and matronly as if she were made to care for children…as if she had been doing the task her entire life. His brow wrinkled in confusion before he took a sip of coffee to hide his current perplexed and disconcerting mood. After each bite, Rose carefully wiped away the droppings of oatmeal that never quite made it inside the child’s tiny mouth. Clearing her throat while still feeding the tot, Rose directed her next comment to Sergeant Ryan that was seated to her left and was currently wearing a slightly uncomfortable albeit guilt ridden expression.

"Tommy, I believe I owe you an apology for last night." Rose sincerely conveyed. Tommy started to say something but she interrupted his words. "I realize I put you in a very difficult situation and you were only doing what was expected by your Captain. It was your duty to follow orders. And for that, I’m truly sorry, Tommy."

"No apologies needed, Rose. I believe there were just some misunderstandings, but I trust they have all been worked out?" Tommy shot Jack a knowing glance for he was certain that they had. After all, Tommy of all people was privy to the goings on in the master’s chamber that was separated from his own bed by just a mere wall. Yes, Jack and Rose had definitely mended their differences in the most passionate way possible.

All of a sudden, Rose’s gaze was distracted by movement and locked on something outside the dining room window overlooking a small rose garden. Her eyes widened and her jaw slacked opened before hastily jumping up from her chair with Sadie still clinging to her hip.

"Nanny! Hattie! Did you two know that Jacob and Jedediah are outside playing in this pouring rain?"

At that precise moment, Nanny was loaded down with a large cumbersome platter of food and Hattie shockingly whirled around with a pot of hot coffee in her hands. Seeing their surprise and knowing their answer immediately, Rose waltzed over to the bewildered Captain and unceremoniously plopped Sadie down in his lap.

"I’ll tend to this. Here Captain, hold Sadie while I switch two little boys’ bottoms!"

Jack was stunned speechless. He had never been around children let alone babies and was understandably awkward and nervous about the young tot sitting in his lap.

"Rose…I don’t know anything about no babies. Here…take her back!" Jack nervously stammered holding little Sadie back out at arms length.

"Nonsense, Captain Dalton! She won’t bite. But if she does, she can’t do much damage with only two little teeth," Rose lightly admonished as she determinedly strolled over to the shuttered windows.

"Jedediah! Jacob! Get in here right this minute before I switch you both good! And I don’t want to hear any back talk! NOW, boys!" Rose commandingly hollered.

Outside in the torrential downpour, two little boys were cursing their luck and started to revolt but with one look at the beautiful mistress of Rosedale’s stern countenance, they quickly abandoned their mud puddles and lit out for the plantation house’s back door.

Jack glimpsed down at the small child in his lap and half smiled. In turn, Sadie innocently looked up and all of a sudden, without warning, sneezed a stream of oatmeal all over the Captain’s dark blue dress uniform.

"Oh Shit! Here…get her, Rose! She’s slobbered all over me!" Jack sickly growled. The whole table erupted into loud resounding guffaws. Of course, Jack didn’t think it was very funny in the least. Rose stood silently with just a bare hint of a smirk and crooked a finely arched brow.

"Sorry, Captain Dalton. I have two little boys to discipline but Nanny and Hattie are too busy, so you’ll just have to make do for a little while. Besides, it could be worse…she could’ve wet or pooped on you! Be back shortly." Rose teasingly chided as she purposefully strolled out into the hallway to meet Jacob and Jedediah that were currently making a trail of puddles on the hardwood polished floors.

"But…but…Rose! Come back here! If she wets or especially that other thing on me, I’ll take a strap to you!" Jack vehemently rebuked.

An amused Sergeant Tommy Ryan cast his vexed Captain and best friend a look of pure mockery, thoroughly enjoying the comical situation with zeal. A mere woman…and an avowed enemy of the Union at that was putting Jack in his place! Yes, Miss Rose DeWitt Bukater had the honored, notorious Yankee Captain wrapped right around her little finger! Too rich for words! However, Jack saw Tommy’s annoying smirk and deemed to put the Sergeant back in his rightful place.

"Sergeant, since you find all this so amusing, I think you need to baby-sit for a spell." Jack started to give little Sadie to his Sergeant but the child’s little arms were locked tight around the Captain’s neck and she stubbornly refused to let go. When Jack attempted to dislodge her, she let out a loud squeal of protest. Slightly miffed, he therefore reluctantly relented to sit back down to inwardly fume. But with one look from the cherubic little face, Jack awkwardly patted her on the back and a lop-sided grin twisted his lips. In the next instant, Jack even went so far as to butter a biscuit and to hand feed it to the child that soon awarded him with a tiny hand smearing the light yellow greasy substance down the front of his Union blues. Snickers from Union officers and the servants didn’t go unnoticed from one disgruntled and horrified Army Captain.

Jacob and Jedediah with their eyes downcast hesitantly approached Rose in the grand hallway. With her arms akimbo, Rose lightly tapped a slender foot on the oak floor. Kneeling down and getting eye level, she stared them both in their faces and warmly warned, "If you boys catch cold, there’s not enough medicine with this bloody war going on to make you well again, Jacob and Jedediah. Do you understand? We’d hate to see you both come down with pneumonia. Now get some dry clothes on and stay out of this rain! You hear me?"

"But wez jes’ havin’ som’ fun, Miz Rose!" Jedediah defended.

Rose’s visage instantly softened and she gathered the duo up hugging them both with comforting arms, completely oblivious to the fact that her ecru silk dress became instantly soaked and dirty. She then pushed the pair slightly back to sincerely implore, "There’s nothing wrong with having fun, boys, but not at the risk of getting sick. And what would all of us do if you never recovered? Have you thought of that? I don’t want to frighten you, but I’m just telling the God’s honest truth. Now get back to your houses and change out of those wet clothes. And Jedediah, when you get home tell Sam that I want to see him in the parlor after this rain stops. All right?"

"Yessums, Miz Rose. Iz tells him. Won’t git in no mo’ rain today. Paw gonna tears my backside up when Iz gits home fo’ sho’."

"Sam doesn’t know where you are, Jedediah?"

"Nawsums, he bees at de barn when Iz snucked out wid Jacob while ago," he guiltily admitted.

Shaking her copper head at the boys’ mischief, Rose reentered the dining room to take her vacated seat. Intentionally not retrieving the little girl from the Captain’s lap, Rose helped herself to a piece of fruit and a buttered croissant. However, Jack impatiently started animatedly pointing at Sadie to remind Rose of her sloughed off responsibility and arched a dark menacing brow in her direction. Purposefully, Rose continued to ignore him and daintily sipped a cup of hot chocolate. In the next instant, Jack turned ten shades of red as he shockingly lunged out of his chair holding the little girl away from his soaking wet uniform while Sadie precariously dangled from a pair of massive masculine hands.

"Dammit to hell, Rose! That does it! She’s done gone and wet all over me now! You come and get her right this instant!" Jack angrily bellowed fighting hard to keep his temper in check.

Nanny, Hattie, and the entire table of Yankees uproariously cackled and slapped their hands on the table or on a knee. Rose let a twisted grin spread across her face as she finally came to retrieve a very wet toddler from the horrified Captain. She surprised him again when she merely took a cloth napkin and began to dab at the crotch of his damp pants prompting Jack to violently snatch it out of her grasp and exasperatedly throw it down on the table before stalking out of the room. Just before he reached the hallway door, Rose succeeded in getting his sour attention.

"Oh, Captain Dalton?" Rose sweetly simpered.

As Jack spun around on his heels, he crooked an irritated brow in question at his beautiful lover.

"Sometimes we all get…pissed…uh…I mean…urinated on in one way or the other. No?"

Jack’s harsh lines instantly mellowed at her teasing witty remark. He cockily bowed, crooking a half grin before relenting good spiritedly, "Touche, my dear, touche! I admit it could have been far worse!"

Later when the torrential rain had became but a drizzle, Rose met in private with Sam, the overseer, in the front parlor behind closed doors. While there, they discussed the vast plantation’s new business plan, which included diversifying their moneymaking ventures. Their private conversation concerned which sharecroppers had elected to stay at Rosedale and those that would eventually leave its grounds most likely after the war was over. Also, they spoke of fairly doling out the promised plots of acreage, future crops to plant and harvest, economics, and all possible effects their new way of life might be handled and dealt with. They spent long hours putting their thoughts and ideas into a contingent deal for all the future and present inhabitants of the estate. More than satisfied with the outcome, Sam made ready to leave for lunch.

"Sam, remember that this situation is just between us Texans. Let’s not inform the Yankees of our new way of life…for now."

"Sho’ nuff, Miz Rose. Ain’t none of dair business, Iz ‘spect," Sam obligingly agreed.

"Oh and Sam. There won’t be any work on Saturdays anymore. And of course, Sunday will remain the Sabbath as always. Saturday should be a time to spend with our families and do whatever we want."

Sam stood with jaw slack, his face masked with incredulity. "But, Miz Rose, you sho’ bout dat?"

"Sam, everyone needs time to work their own land how they wish. We still have a lot of things to work out and we’ll get there. Tell the children that school will commence tomorrow in the chapel. They need a proper education to see them through life equipped with the necessary tools in order to succeed."

"Much obliged, Miz Rose. But yo’s bees careful. It still bees aginst de law to learns black folk hows to read, write, and cipher. But yo’ a godsend to us all. Yessums, yo’ iz."

Finally, as Sam made his departure out the front doors of the manor house, Jack glanced up from his desk towards the open hallway to observe the huge black man joyously beaming with an awed expression on his countenance. Soon afterward, Rose unexpectedly waltzed into the curious Yankee’s makeshift office and silently closed the door. Pouring a glass of sherry, Rose held the crystal decanter up as if to offer some to the Captain. A slight nod from Jack and she hospitably brought him a glass to share.

"So, Captain, plotting your next bloody battle against the Confederacy?" Rose sarcastically prodded glimpsing the stack of maps he hastily tried to block from her view.

Amused, Jack half admitted. "You’re obviously plotting your next confrontation with me."

"Whatever do you mean, Captain Dalton?" Rose perplexingly rebuked but with a fake smile pasted across her beautiful visage.

"Sam appeared quite happy just now as if he was the Cheshire cat that snared the canary." Jack evasively deducted.

"Captain, what’s wrong with being content and at peace?" Rose innocently flung.

"As a poor, pitiful wretch enslaved to a rich, aristocratic southerner? Your slaves obviously know no better but to do your bidding or feel the lashes of a whip across their backs if they should perchance rebel?" Jack sinisterly accused.

"You see any scars on anyone’s backs here at Rosedale, Captain Dalton? Besides your own, of course." Smirking, Rose teasingly deluded to the stark reminder of the still scabbed over claw marks on Jack’s back from their first steamy night together.

Nevertheless, Jack ignored her barb and became increasingly irate for he instinctively knew she was hiding something. And it riled him more than he expected that she didn’t share all of her business with him. Nonetheless, the institution of slavery was still a huge moral issue that divided them both in his unwavering albeit mistaken mind. The concept of human bondage separated them more than geographical roots of origin could ever accomplish; consequently, Jack regrettably suspected it was something that could never be worked out between them.

"It’s just a matter of time, Rose, before you lose this sinful, immoral hold you have over them. They’re human beings just like us regardless of what you damnable Rebs unjustly think! Why not admit your defeat, be honorable, and release them now."

"Why not just mind your own damned business, Captain Dalton. You and your dirty, filthy Yankees can just go to hell! That’s what this deplorable war is all about anyway! You Yanks have your migrant factory workers toiling in far more horrific circumstances, Captain! They are forced to work in slums to try and feed their families. They live in squalor and their own children work long hours. Disgusting! Just free slaves, Captain Dalton?"

Ignoring her last slur, Jack became even more irritable and aggravated. "And that’s another thing! I have a name, Rose, and by God use it for once!"

"I call you Captain Dalton because the first day you arrived here, that’s what you instructed me do to, Captain Dalton!"

"I believe things are a bit different now, Rose." His stony blue eyes could have bored a hole through her at that instant.

"How so, Captain Dalton?" Rose feigned innocently.

"You have to ask? I’m a flesh and blood man and it’s only natural that you call me by my given name. After all, we are on a rather familiar and intimate basis, Rose!"

"You mean I’m merely your war time whore, don’t you? See you at dinner, Captain Dalton! Perhaps what I choose to call you will change when the tides change. But then again, maybe not!"

"Besides calling me a damn, dirty Yankee Captain?" Jack snidely commented.

"Oh, Captain Dalton. You will always be a damn, dirty Yankee Captain to me even if I live to be a hundred! Ta-ta, Captain! And…have a nice day!" Rose gulped down the last of the sherry with a smirk and whirled around to leave him stewing.

"Wench!" Jack pouted as he collapsed into the leather desk chair and angrily flicked a sulfur match to light a cheroot while puffing the end alight. He couldn’t explain why it was so damn important to his heart and mind to hear his name fall from Rose’s scarlet sensual lips. Why did he crave to hear it instead of just Captain or Captain Dalton? She spoke Tommy’s and Fabrizio’s first names at every opportunity. Why was it so hard for her to say Jack? As he forcefully exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, he seriously began to wonder if he would ever hear the stubborn woman speak that one simple four lettered word…either in love, passion or hate. Probably not…he regrettably reasoned…most likely when pigs fly!

Chapter Twenty
Stories