Chapter 10: Savannah’s Games

Mr. Carter, sent by the governor’s wife to collect the ceremonial handkerchief, and Mr. Price, sent by the governor with wedding gifts, were both thrown out by the drunken, raging Caleb. They waited outside the door until midnight; even the most patient person would lose their cool.

Their voices drifted through the hallway, low and tense. The sound of Caleb’s rage still echoed in the walls—another Foster family disaster that would become fodder for the city’s rumor mill.

As the night deepened and dew fell, I swallowed all my emotions and removed my own hairpins. After settling the drunken Caleb onto the bed, I walked out to greet them.

I took a deep breath, straightened my dress, and forced a smile as I opened the door to face our guests. My hands were steady, even as my heart hammered in my chest.

Smiling, I said to Mr. Carter and Mr. Price:

“Today is Caleb’s big day, so he drank a bit too much. Recently, the governor went on a tour and left Caleb to manage things. Now that the governor’s back, Caleb hasn’t had a moment’s rest before having to prepare for the wedding. Since yesterday, he’s had a fever. He held on until now and finally fainted. He certainly didn’t mean to neglect you both.”

I softened my words with the practiced grace of a hostess, hoping to smooth over the rough edges left by Caleb’s temper.

I slipped prepared checks into their pockets.

“I’ve had a dinner prepared for you in the front hall. Mrs. Carter, I know you love theater, so I’ve already sent for performers. Please enjoy yourselves. Mrs. Carter, please go ahead—I have a few words for Mr. Price.”

Mrs. Carter beamed, thoroughly pleased with me. She belonged to the governor’s wife’s side; no matter what Caleb did, she would always support him. But Mr. Price was different. He was sent by the governor. No matter his standing in the mansion, he’d have to report to the governor tomorrow.

I could sense the tension in Mr. Price’s stance—the weight of expectations, the precariousness of his loyalty. Savannah’s politics demanded subtlety, and I played my part with care.

Caleb was at a delicate moment, handing back power after acting as interim manager. The governor was in his prime—no one could guess his intentions. The other sons were all outstanding. Caleb’s position as heir seemed secure, but beneath the surface, currents swirled. He could be replaced at any moment.

If the governor was displeased with the reputation Caleb had gained while acting as interim, and if Mr. Price bore a grudge over tonight, a careless word in tomorrow’s report—especially with a little encouragement from others—could easily provoke the governor’s anger and see Caleb demoted, branded as arrogant and ungrateful.

There’s no greater danger than a family divided behind closed doors. I’d seen it before—how quickly fortunes shifted with a single whispered accusation. I needed Mr. Price on our side, at least for tonight.

I smiled as I placed a deed to a house and a bill of sale into Mr. Price’s hands.

“Yesterday I heard you were struggling to raise money to help your sister. I have no siblings, but I know the pain of family separation. I only wish to do what little I can. I hope that, when the governor asks about Caleb tomorrow, you might say a few kind words.”

Mr. Price looked at his sister’s bill of sale and wept.

The sight of his tears cut through the formalities. For a moment, there was nothing between us but the raw ache of love and loss—the kind that makes even the proudest man weep.

“Mrs. Foster, I don’t deserve your kindness, but I can’t accept the house deed.”

I replied, half helpless, half gentle:

“Your sister will need somewhere to stay when she’s free—why refuse me?”

Mr. Price wiped his tears.

“Mrs. Foster, you’re generous. I’m just a servant; how could I deserve your kindness?”

I smiled.

“It’s nothing, really. If it helps your sister sleep easier, that’s all I want.”

After Mr. Price left, I ordered that the governor’s wedding gifts be properly stored.

I catalogued each gift, making sure nothing would go missing. The silver trays and crystal goblets glinted in the moonlight, reminders of the stakes I was playing for.

When Caleb woke, I was sitting by the window, hair down, poring over the account books. With Lillian gone, my father had given me all the dowry he’d prepared for her. The first wife was unwilling, and before I left to marry, she hissed in my ear:

“Raising a tiger brings disaster! When my daughter returns, you go back where you came from!”

The principle of raising a tiger to bring harm—she understood it too late. She should never have underestimated me.

I looked out at the dawn breaking over the Spanish moss. I knew this family had taught me how to survive, but they had no idea what I’d become once I tasted freedom. Savannah rewards the clever and the ruthless—and I was ready.

And this time, I wasn’t playing anyone else’s game.