“Crawford will be in the running too,” remarked Ralph Earl. “Not a man in the Cabinet who doesn’t believe he would be a better president than John Quincy Adams, who is certain he’ll be elected president.”
“Nobody told me—nobody said a word!” mourned Rachel, looking stunned. “I knew he’d been elected senator—but president!”
Jack went to her quickly, put his hands on her quivering shoulders. “We’ll make you a queen, aunt Rachel. We’ll make you the grandest lady in the land!”
“And I’ll have to live in Washington—when I want to stay at home!” she protested. “I don’t want to be a queen. Jack, wash yourself and come and eat your dinner. Mr. Jackson, do serve the children! Hannah, pass the vegetables. All of you, eat your dinner—your Christmas dinner.”
Obediently, Andrew Jackson made wooden motions of slicing at the turkey. John Eaton took the knife from his hand.
“Sit and eat, sir. Let me finish this business. He’s bound to be nominated, you know,” he addressed the whole group. “It’s a ground swell, stirring all over the country. Why, just yesterday the Nashville Clarion stated that the General was unquestionably the choice of the people, in justice to themselves! Here, Hannah, here’s a fine drumstick for some hungry boy. Wait, you haven’t any gravy.”
Andrew Jackson looked down the long table at his wife with a look of humble pleading in his eyes that she had never seen there before.
“I was going to tell you tomorrow, my love,” he said meekly. “I had warned them all. But that young scoundrel ruined everything.” He glared at Jack Donelson who patted his aunt’s cheek unperturbed.
“He’s going to need me, aunt Rachel,” he said gleefully. “I deserve the rough edge of his tongue now, he thinks, maybe even his riding crop on my breeches. But he knows he’s going to be needing all the help he can get, and you too! You’ll need a strong, smart boy around here when all the furor starts, and I’m that boy. Just one more statement, sir.” Jack looked at his uncle, his chin high and firm. “I have a further announcement to make. I came home because I saw your situation and your need for assistance. Also I came home to marry Emily Donelson, if so be she will have me—with or without the consent of this assembled family, I mean to marry Emily.”
“And that,” shouted the General, rapping the table with his glass, “I will not countenance!”