Strange Eden by Gina Giordano

Author:Gina Giordano [Giordano, Gina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Käferhaus Press
Published: 2023-02-19T00:00:00+00:00

The sun had grown brighter and brighter until it finally descended to the wavering horizon line of the sea, a bright orange ball cradled by a mass of yellow clouds streaking below it. The sequence of light set the ocean ablaze in a shimmering column of smoldering tangerine. Now that she lived closer to the equator, the light seemed to disappear much faster once the sun vanished, and darkness set in quickly over the settling land. No matter how many days had passed, the sunsets never failed to inspire her astonishment.

And now it distracted her from the conversation she held with Charles. He had been silent when he arrived at the table, and she asked him about his day. And then, when his mouth started moving, she became lost in the display outside the window. She heard the slightest mention of a name that caught her interest.

“Monticello?” she asked, interrupting him. “You were in Monticello during the war? The home of Mr. Jefferson…Thomas Jefferson? What was it like?”

“We were sent to capture him. He was the rebel-declared ‘governor’ of Virginia. He is nothing but an ungrateful criminal.”

Charles’ disdainful tone did not diminish her fascination.

“I do wonder what kind of books a man like that would keep in his library. From what I’ve read, he has quite a thinking mind…”

“It was not as impressive as one would assume. To reach it, our party had to ride up a steep and savage hill, only to find the house perched on top like Olympus itself, utterly abandoned except for one or two slaves. He had received warning of our approach. I saw but a few shelves of books in a single room. I suspect he had already carried off the more valuable items beforehand. He fled from us like a coward.”

“Would you not do the same if the enemy approached? Can you blame the man?”

“No, my dear, I would stay and fight like a man. Like a soldier. That Jefferson is a fool. He is ruled by ideals and cannot commit a single one to action. I do not understand why the Americans revere him so.”

“He authored the new country’s declaration of their freedoms. He’s written many works…”

Charles crudely ripped apart a piece of bread.

“And have you read a single tract? American opinions deserve little notice. I think they will soon discover that accomplishing their newly found independence is not quite as easy as declaring it on paper. It is an offense of justice. They had no prior peace among them but the peace of the king. Now they will see what mayhem their renunciation of allegiance will inevitably cause,” he replied between bites.

Eliza looked downward, lost in thought, as she swirled her wine.

“Did you destroy the house?” she asked quietly.

Charles shook his head in ridicule.

“No. But we made ample use of the wine cellar. We did not set fire to everything. We rode further south and destroyed his other plantation, Elk Hill, I believe, instead. Now, as I was saying, the damage the goats are causing to the soil is monumental.

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