"Ruin and Redemption"

Derrick Returns from a Rough Journey and Earns Rebecca's Sympathy

Months later, Derrick returned home to Pinehurst---worn, beaten and half starved.

Derrick found Suzanne in a field near Montgomery, Alabama, and was shocked to see her doing the heavy work. 

 He was overwhelmed by Suzanne’s intense display of affection when he came for her. She got down on her knees, kissed his feet, threw her arms around his neck and shouted “Thank you, Mr. Derrick!" many times. He felt unworthy of the display. How could he have sold such a kind, charming, gracious woman?

Derrick learned from Suzanne that the mistress of the house had grown jealous of her and prevailed upon her husband to send her to the fields, where she had caught the overseer’s eye. It would have been only a matter of time before she was forced to become his mistress.

Suzanne's new owners were more than happy to sell her back to him, although the price was steep. Pretty soon, Derrick came to enjoy her company on the road, and looked forward to sleeping beside her at night. She held him tightly around the waist when they rode and laughed often and freely at his jokes. They were like giddy teenagers, falling in love for the first time. Derrick dreamed at night of a happy life with her, children as numerous as the stars. He wouldn't mind their blackness; he would love each and every one of them. He and Suzanne would move far away, where it wouldn't matter that she was black or that they had black children. They would go to Africa or Paris, perhaps.

Halfway home on the journey, Derrick's happiness with Suzanne was prematurely cut short when they met some patrollers on the road.  A negro woman of Suzanne's description had been stolen from this area recently, and they were after the reward money. The bill of sale meant nothing to them. Derrick might be some abolitionist, as he was unable to produce any identification for himself. They took Suzanne with them, shooting at him when he tried to follow her. He had no idea which plantation they would take her to, nor what would happen to her when the patrollers realized they got the wrong woman.

He spent a week in the area, going from house to house looking for her. When he had almost given up, he found her body tossed into a ravine. For all he knew, she could have been raped by all of them. Her blouse was ripped halfway off, and all her underclothes had been stripped and lay around her.

Derrick was disconsolate from grief and from the horrible news he would have to bring to Lizzie and Cal. Calpurnia would take it particularly hard. How was he ever going to face them or himself! How could he have let this thing happen? Why hadn’t he kept following the patrollers? Why had he trusted them to do something reasonable like take Suzanne back to her supposed owner? Or had they done this to her when Suzanne had fetched no reward money? He couldn’t know. Only that he’d loved her, and now she was gone forever.

“Derrick! I was so worried!” Lizzie ran into his arms, which he could barely open to her.“Oh, I’m so glad you made it back!” He stumbled onto her, leaning against her.

Patsy was next to hug Derrick. “Derrick! You made it! We were all so worried! I’ll have to let Scarlett know right away.”

None of them expected it would take so long to find Suzanne. Lizzie had been kneeling at her bed every night since the third week, praying for Derrick's safe return.

Lizzie went to get Scarlett, and brought her to the house so she could also express her appreciation that Derrick was back.

“My love, my love! Derrick! Where was he, Derrick? Is he alright?” They were practically on the floor, where he had fallen gratefully, unmindful of any scandal or shock he might cause.