▁dis en ch anted ▁with ▁Sh arp ▁when ▁rum ors ▁sur fac ed ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁father ed ▁an ▁il leg it imate ▁child ▁with ▁Anna ▁Co oke , ▁a ▁plan ter ' s ▁daughter ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁Bow ling ▁Green . ▁Sh arp ▁denied ▁pat ern ity ▁of ▁the ▁child , ▁which ▁was ▁still born . ▁ ▁Court ship ▁of ▁Anna ▁Co oke ▁ ▁Be auch amp ▁left ▁Bow ling ▁Green ▁to ▁live ▁at ▁his ▁father ' s ▁plant ation ▁in ▁Sim pson ▁County , ▁Kentucky , ▁where ▁he ▁con val es ced ▁from ▁an ▁ill ness . ▁He ▁learned ▁that ▁Co oke ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁re cl use ▁nearby ▁at ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁plant ation ▁after ▁her ▁public ▁dis gra ce . ▁Having ▁heard ▁from ▁a ▁mut ual ▁friend ▁about ▁her ▁beauty ▁and ▁accomplish ments , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁meet ▁Co oke . ▁At ▁first , ▁she ▁rejected ▁all ▁attention , ▁but ▁gradually ▁received ▁Be auch amp ▁under ▁his ▁gu ise ▁of ▁borrow ing ▁books ▁from ▁her ▁library . ▁The ▁two ▁eventually ▁became ▁friends , ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 1 , ▁began ▁cour ting . ▁Be auch amp ▁was ▁eigh teen ▁years ▁old ; ▁Co oke ▁was ▁at ▁least ▁thirty - five . ▁ ▁When ▁he ▁proposed ▁marriage ▁that ▁year , ▁Co oke ▁told ▁Be auch amp ▁she ▁would ▁marry ▁him ▁on ▁the ▁condition ▁that ▁he ▁kill ▁Sh arp . ▁Be auch amp ▁cons ented . ▁Again st ▁Co oke ' s ▁advice , ▁Be auch amp