REBEL HEARTS


Prologue:


A/N: Another period piece, set during the American Revolutionary War. I hope you all read this, I know period pieces are not everyone’s cup of tea. Speaking of ‘cups of tea’ please read the summary that follows this! Also, please, this story is not meant to offend anyone in any way, shape or form. My great-great grandmother’s name was Mahalia (Arabic for ‘tender’) and it is a proud, regal name. The historical facts of this story might be a bit cloudy but I hope everyone reads this and enjoys it. Thanks, Luv, S


Summary: Elizabeth ‘Buffy’ Summers is a Bostonian, high society young lady. When the story starts, we find her living in South Carolina, circa 1778 and in charge of a large Plantation. Through a series of flashbacks, told in the POV of Buffy and William ‘Spike’ Anderson, we will find out just how she and he met a few years before in Boston, Buffy’s home town. I don’t want to give away too much, other then this: Buffy and Spike meet at a party in Boston in or around 1775.

At the party, Lord William Anderson, an aristocratic Englishman, falls hopelessly in love at first sight with the lovely Buffy Summers. Problem is, Buffy’s Father, Hank Summers has betrothed his only child, Buffy who is all of seventeen or so, in 1775, off to Riley Finn, a rich, thirtyish Plantation owner from South Carolina. Okay, I’ve said way too much already, so please, just read this and tell me what you think.
Thanks, Luv, Spuf


Prologue: Time: On or about 1778
Place: Finnwood Plantation, South Carolina


Elizabeth ‘Buffy’ Summers Finn, sat watching the sun set in the western sky. She was not alone as her wonderful house servant, Mahalia, was sitting with her. Mahalia bounced her own chubby son, Jacob on her knee as she both scolded and advised her young mistress. “Mr. Finn is a difficult man, Mrs. Finn, I know that, but we women, we must submit to our men. It’s the way, Mrs., always has been, always will be.” Buffy (her preferred moniker) was pretending to listen and digest the words the older and wiser house slave was spewing, but it was difficult.

“With the master gone away to war,” Mahalia continued knowingly, “think of it this way. You are the one in charge here at Finnwood, this is your place now. Frankly, Missy,” the servant woman winked, “if I was you, I’d count my blessings that your honeymoon with the Mister didn’t leave you with a child to worry about.” Buffy felt a twinge of pain shoot through her, not because she was sorry that she was without a child in her belly, but because she was so glad she was not.

“I know the Mister can be cantankerous and even mean, Missy,” Mahalia nodded, offering baby Jacob her ample teat to suckle. “He’s a hard man, Riley Finn is, but you are his wife, though I can’t imagine why your Daddy chose him as your husband. How old are you now Missy, nineteen, near twenty years?” Buffy nodded, already losing interest in the conversation, even if Mahalia was someone she considered a good friend, not just a house servant, or slave as the case here in Southern Carolina was.

“Mahalia,” Buffy finally interjected into the woman’s lecture, “I have to thank you again for your ‘advice’ to me you know, about the baby thing.” Buffy blushed bright red when her companion grinned happily, “that’s okay, Missy,” Mahalia assured her, “I knew from the start that you had to work with Mr. Finn to ‘change’ him somewhat before there were children.” It was really pathetic, but Mahalia was right, Buffy had figured Riley out hours after their wedding ceremony in the nearby Baptist Chapel.

Too bad Buffy had not realized just how ‘odd’ Riley Finn was before the wedding, but then again, her Father, Hank Summers probably would have overlooked ‘that’ too. Buffy remembered exactly how her Daddy, Hank had beamed during the whole wedding ceremony, after all, he had orchestrated the Buffy/Riley engagement and matrimony. Riley Finn was Buffy’s father’s most important provider of the precious cotton that Finnwood produced. Since Hank Summers ran the most prestigious manufacturing company in the North Colonies, well, it was only time before he married off his sole child, Buffy, to Riley Finn, the sole heir of Finnwood.

Who cared if this older, somewhat brutal man, Riley, might not make his precious Buffy happy? Hank Summers would never want for the fine cotton that Finn’s Plantation produced and his darling Buffy would never want for anything at all. Buffy would have money, position in Southern society, a massive Plantation to oversee as Mistress and dozens of servants and slaves to manage.

“Yes,” Buffy mumbled to Mahalia, while staring off the veranda out into the front area of the fine Finn Plantation, “if you had not ‘advised’ me dear ‘Halia’ I would already be swelled up with Riley’s child. And, as we both know, neither your master or myself were ready for that.” Buffy was not naïve, she knew that when she married Riley, she was expected to start popping out heirs by the wagonful, immediately, but this was for the best.

Riley had joined the Militia soon after he and Buffy married, claiming that it was time to serve the Colonies in their fight for Independence from the British Tyranny. Sad to say, Buffy had to stifle a sigh of relief when her new husband had told her he’d signed up that very morning, just weeks after their marriage. “Hope some of our relations took, darling,” Riley had smirked that day, tweaking her cheek with his huge, rough fingers. “Hope to come back from the victory and find a young son running about, ready to greet his Papa and learn about farming."

Buffy was far less then ready to give Riley a child, especially after she found out, rather shockingly, how debased her husband could really be. Riley had not taken ‘care’ when he had taken Buffy’s virginity on their wedding night and frankly, he’d been less and less gentle every time afterwards. She, Buffy Summers Finn, had realized quite quickly that her handsome, rich and successful husband had a yen for varying degrees of sexual brutality. That was bad enough, but the thought of getting pregnant by this man, this virtual stranger who took delight in humiliating her, was too much for Buffy to bear and she had run to her new, best friend, Mahalia, the house servant, for some advice and confidence.

Mahalia, being the descendent of a proud and royal African tribe, was not only intelligent, she was very savy about ways to help babies not be conceived until the time was right. With understanding, sympathy and affection, Mahalia had explained some ways for Buffy to keep little Finn’s from being conceived, without the Mister knowing what was what. “Do as I say, Missy Finn,” Mahalia had winked as she explained some ways to control nature, in a natural way of course. “There won’t be any babies until ‘you’ want them. Until you and the Mister have settled in and learned about each other more."”

The fact that Riley was now off, involved in the War for Independence, Buffy didn’t have to worry about settling in and learning more about her husband. ‘Dear God,’ she thought sadly, ‘I learned enough about Riley before he left to join General Wasington.’ Buffy smiled benevolently at Mahalia, “Jacob’s a handsome little thing, Halia,” she sighed wistfully, “his Papa, Jesse and you must be so proud.” Halia, as Buffy called her twenty-eight-year old ‘friend’ grinned widely, “yes, we are. But Missy,” she reached out and took Buffy’s hand in hers, “Jesse is a good man, slave that he may be. I love him and he loves me, and that’s enough for two people to create a child together. The love I mean. Maybe someday, when Mr. Finn comes home from the war, you two can make things work.” Buffy snorted, quite unladylike she was sure her Mama, Joyce, would be scandalized by such an awful display, “yes, maybe, Halia,” she sighed, staring back out into the cool Carolina evening. “I just hope that our side wins this war, even if it means Riley coming home sooner then later.”


A/N: Okay, this was tough. I debated submitting this part of the story now, but decided to lay the foundation for the whole fiction. Of course, Riley is right off the bad guy, even if we won’t see him too much or hear from or about him too much, (yeah!). In the next chapter, through a series of flashbacks, we will find out about William Anderson, Lord that is, who is now in the year 1778, a British Captain.

A hint here: William has not forgotten about Buffy, whom he met through Alexander Harris, his American best friend from the University in 1775. Buffy has not forgotten William either, but even then, these two were enemies, if only because the Colonies had already begun to rebel against the British Crown and the old ways. Please stick with this story. Please read and review. Thanks, Luv, Spuf