Zombie and Racheal

"Don't worry about it. Bill deserves the treat and I've been trying to think of something small he won't make too big a deal out of," Rebecca explained. "It's a good opportunity to remind him I appreciate and reward good work." She then sighed and looked towards Sam, trying not to think too long at how charming she found the smaller woman's grace. "Sam, forgive me for being so direct, but you obviously must hear rumors about the girls of courting age by the neighbors maids and such... Have you heard any word suggesting one of being a honest girl, quick of wit, kind of speech, and willing to be secretive if necessary? I don't wish to trust my land or heart to just anyone..."

Samantha just nodded as he said Bill deserved it. She ahd to admit, Bill was definitely one of the nicer servants she had met. He seemed to actually enjoy what he did. All the others just complained about every little thing. She would be glad to take it to him. Plus she just liked going out to the stables when she had the chance. She looked over at him again as he spoke to her. She just listened, not quite sure of what he was getting at. "No Sir. Is tht the kind of woman my master is trying to find?" She asked, a bit curiously. "I could try and find you a girl like that next time I go to the market if you wish." She said. Truthfully, Sam was starting to take a liking to Benjamin, though she would never tell him that, not only because he wouldn't return her feelings, but also because such a relationship, between a slave and her master, was unheard of.

(You keep adding servants! He only has two!)

"No, dear. Not my style. Honestly, I'm really not interested in a bride. I just know that men like Briggs are going to make me suffer them until I chose one," she replied. "Plus I'm beginning to hear gossip they think I'm a pansy! They honestly think I would tramp around with other men!"

Then again, she did at times stare longingly when their pants were too tight, but never did she find affection towards them like she did with Sam. The girl made her want to care for another person, not simply interested in the cardinal pleasures of the world, but she could never admit either fact aloud. For while it was okay to have relations with one's servants, such creatures were not known to secrecy once the relation was over, plus, there was little chance that if Sam found out a girl wished to kiss her, she would not turn her into the local authority of the Church.

(I'm sorry! I'll fix it.)
Sam just nodded as he said he wasn't looing for a bride. She didn't really know what to say to the last comment though. He was the ladies man so she didn't know how anyong could ever think he was a pansy. He seemed to have the most confidence she had ever seen in a man before.

Sam had never noticed him staring at other guys pants, but even if she had she would think it a bit normal. She caught herself staring at other women's breasts while in the market sometimes. So she just thought tha kind of thing to be normal. She actually enjoyed women more than men. That being the reason she was sent back to the shop so many times when a man tried to get too close to her. She really didn't like being touched by men, but women on the other hand, she didn't mind so much. She still thought all of this to be normal though just as long as she didn't express her feelings out loud, she would never know she was abnormal.

"Sam, forgive me for asking, should it be a touchy subject... Have you always been a slave? I've known of a fair number girls who without husband or father went sent into slavery by their family rather then affording them the dowry, etc. needed to find them good marriages or even poor ones, claiming they could not afford to care for the girl and keeping her father's property all the same. It happens especially to those with illegitimate connections to their fathers, or so I heard. I thank God everyday that i survived and not my older sister... I would have hated such a fate for her. I know she would have rather wished herself dead then the plaything of another man."

Sam looked up at him, a bit unsure of what he was going to ask when he said it was a touchy subject. She listened as he spoke of girls who had been born into slavery and those sold into it. She sighed a bit, pushing her plate away from her as she turned around in her seat. "My father had a gambling problem... One night he was getting suer lucky, winning every game and such. But you know what they say, the dealer always wins. He was feeling so lucky he bet me, his fifteen year old daughter. He lost, I havn't seen them for 5 years." She finished. She didn't really seem too sad about it. Though she was mainly just good at holding it in. She sighed, taking her plate to the sink and begining to wash it. She would wait for her master to tell her he was done before taking his but she didn't really want to look him in the eyes at the moment.

Rebecca rose from her seat, silently crossed the room and wrapped both arms around the girl's lower chest, pressing her chest tightly against the smaller woman. "Bastards. all of them, then!" she whispered, her lips rather close to the other girl's ear as she held her close. She hoped Sam wouldn't rebuke her attempt at comforting her. There was no way this could have been easy on her.

Sam didn't notice him getting up or even crossing the room, too deep in thought to be paying attention. She froze when he hugged her. Dropping the plate in the sink, splashing a bit of water on them. She was just so shocked by the sudden interaction from him and she didn't know what to do. She wasn't mad or anything. She did start to tear up and almost started to cry as she thought about it more.

Rebecca felt a tear hit her arm and began to cry as well. "Shh... Sam, dear, don't worry. I will never let you come to harm in this house," she whispered, her voice cracking and taken a much higher pitch, still deep for a female, but much higher then her usual. "If you wish it, I will do whatever I can to see that your grandfather finds what he deserves... Just tell me what would help..."

Sam sniffled a bit. listening to Benjamin's offer. She was a bit surprised that he was actually offering such things. She shook her head a bit. "N-no, that's ok." She said, rejecting the offer. She wasn't too mad at her father. She was actually kind of glad he had done what he had. Because she had ended up here which was surprisingly better than her home life. She didn't really notice his voice cracking, too busy thinking of other things to pay attention. "Master, why are you so nice to me?" She asked quietly.

"For one, I hate slavery, for another, I see you and think of the fate my sister could have endured... I cared dearly for her and I have left her room as she kept it... The one not far from the master bedroom... Then again, I left my own room the same as it was before our father's death," she explained. She had, in truth, missed her little brother terribly and like her own room, it was a memento to what had been. "Maybe she was lucky, even if we both had survived, I doubt she would have lead a very happy life. She would have most likely never married."

Sam reached up, wiping her face a bit before turning arodn in his grasp. She looked up at him for a moment before burrying her face in his chest. "I'm sorry for your sister's and father's death." She said quitely. She could tell that he really did miss the two of them. She looked up at him as he said she was lucky. She didn't bother to ask why she wouldn't have married. She didn't feel it was any of ther business. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly for a moment. She found that he was surprisingly skinny compared to how his clothes made him look.

Feeling her soft form so close was strangely... arousing to Rebecca and she fought a blush of embaressment. She hoped the other girl could not feel the thick bindings under her cotton shirt that she used to hide her breasts. Rebecca, still, in turn, continued to cry despite this. For the first time, she was in the presense of someone who honestly seemed to care about the death of her family. What was more, for the first time, someone actually cared abot the girl she had been.

Sam was fairly content despite the fact this was the closest she had ever been to a man. She didn't know why, but she felt comfortable around him when she hadn't aroundd any man before this. She didn't notice the bindings, only thinking he had nice pecs or something of the sort. Surprisingly this was the first time she had ever told anyone, other than the slaves in the shop about her past. She kept crying, She really did care about his sister and his father. He talked about them, especially his sister a lot so she assumed they were close. She stopped hugging him after a moment, her hands falling by her sides. She wasn't sure what to do or say after that.

"Go take Billy that orange juice, I can clean up in here," she informed as she reached around the smaller girl and grabbed hold of the plant before squeezing around her to the sink.

Rebecca needed sometime to think, anyway, and cleaning had always been a help. She needed to think about what she would do over the next few weeks as it neared what would have been her brother's twentieth birthday. She didn't want the festivities that young men often indulged for the sake of 'fun.'

It was then as her arms were dipped in several inches of warm, soapy water and her thoughts far off from those of proper young men, that the door to the kitchen opened and Lord Briggs entered the room, followed by the unexpected Lord Marshall.

"Ben, what are you doing? Don't you have a maid for that?" Briggs exclaimed at the sight of the young man cleaning.

"Yes, I do, but seeing as I haven't given her a day off, making her work including her customary days off, I figured there would be no harm in giving her today off and doing the dishes myself."

Briggs looked bright red. "Is this how you run your household, do you honestly expect my daughter to be privy to this once you marry her?"

"Lady Catherine would do quite well to learn the benefit of labor and, no, dear Sir, i have no expectations for your daughter to be privy to anything once I marry her as I do not plan to do so!"

Briggs turned even brighter shade and marched out as Marshall shook his head.

"Ben! I must say... I appreciate your mastery over your own household, but people are beginning to talk. They think you wish relations with that servant of yours, if you haven't already started them, so I would find a wife or find her a new home before further questions are raised. No wife wants to be the mistress to a slave...."

Marshall then gave him a weak smile, feeling sorry for whatever was going on in the young man's world before tipping his hat and leaving.

Rebecca practically collapsed, sitting down quickly on the kitchen floor as she looked around and tried to make sense of what she would do now that she had offended the rather important Lord Briggs. Few other proposals would come her way now...

Sam nodded slightly, taking the orange juice and headed for the door. As soon as she stepped out she stopped, wiping her face off. She breathed in deeply, not quite sure what to make of what just happened. She just sighed, taking the juice down to the stables. There she found Billy with horses. She smiled, waving at him as finally looked over at her. "Sir Benjamin wanted you to have this." She said, finally reaching him and handing him the jug. He just looked at it oddly for a moment before taking a sip. A grin grew on his face until it was a broad smile.
"Ahh, this is good!" He said taking another swig. "Tell him I say thanks." He said heartily. She could tell how much he liked it just by his expression. She grinned and nodded, turning and heading back to the house. She started to open the door but heard speaking. She waited until the man had left before she went in. She found Benjamin sitting on the ground. She walked over to him, kneeling down next to him. "What was that all about?" She asked, not quite sure what had just happened.

"Sam... if you ever tell a soul this it will not be my will that sends you back to the market and to masters who would intend you harm," she whispered, her tone extremely angry still as she informed the slave girl this. "I can not be wed. There are circumstances forbidding it. There is most probably not a single woman in this entire country I could marry and remain in possession of this house..."

Sam only nodded as he spoke, she wasn't sure why he was telling her this, especially since he had only ahd her for four months. She looked him right in the eyes as he spoke. Though she was quite confused. He could wed? But why? She wanted to ask, curiosity was always getting the best of her. "But, Sir, why can't you wed?" She asked, not understanding why. The fact that he was really a she was the last thing on her mind.

Bitting her lip, Rebecca stood and looked around the kitchen, closing all the windows, locking all the doors before slowly upbuttonging her shirt to reveal the stiff wrappings, which she then began to carefully undo, her back turned towards the other girl, not quite wanting to show so much bare skin, even to another female... Or maybe just this particular female.

"My name isn't Ben," she whispered quitely. "He drowned."

Sam stood as well, not quite sure what was going to happen next. It made her a bit nerveous that he was even locking the doors just to tell her something. She stood there, staring wide-eyed at him as he unbuttoned his shirt. Her first thought was that he was hurt, but then she realized that wasn't it at all. She looked away respectfully as she turned to take off the wrapping. She didn't know what to say about all of this. "So... You're really Rebecca?" She asked, not quite sure if that was true, but she assumed it was. "And your really talking about your brother when you talk about missing your family?" She kept her voice just as low as he... she had.

"Yes," she whispered softly. "I think you see now why to keep up this charade it would have been wise for me to stay on better terms with Briggs and Marshall. Every time I alienate those who would try to be friends to 'Lord Benjamin', I bring myself under more scewrteny and risk what would happen should I be discovered," she explained, quickly pulling her shirt back on. She had to think of something... Each day she hated the girls thrown at her more and more, grew less respectful for them and more infatuated with the one she could never have by social law and the only one who could ever know her secret.

Sam just stood there speachless. One part of her want to go over there and hug her, but the other part of her was still in shock that her master wasn't really a man, but a woman pretending to be a man to keep from the same fate she had herself. She just stared for a bit longer before nodding a bit in understanding. She knew exactly why she was doing this, she only partially understood why it was so important that she actually marry though. She took a deep breath, so now they both knew about the other's secrets. Well this had sure turned into an interesting day. She took a step closer. "Your secret is safe with me." She said, nodding a bit. She didn't really know what else to say after that.

"You really have little option," she informed with a light laugh, trying not to sound cruel, but also trying to make a point. "If you tell anyone you'll go back to the sort of men you've run from for so long. You don't want that, you have a warm, comfortable home here. The only danger you have is that some one will suspect that I am not as I seem and begin to investigate. Most men of the status I pretend are married by twenty, the rest by twenty-three, the rare, by twenty-five, and the very eccentric by thirty. I could come under the eye of a curious individual at anytime, that is the reason for the facade that I am a shameless flirt..."

Sam nodded a bit. It wasn't really that she didn't have much opinion, on no, it was just that it was all still sinking in at the moment and she wasn't quite sure hw to respond to it. She nodded again as he said where she would go if she told anyone. She really didn't want that, she enjoyed it here way too much to ruin it over something like this. She smirked a bit as he said that was why he was a shameless flirt. It really showed how much she knew about other social classes though. "I kind of like to you're a woman." She said softly, smiling a bit. "I don't really like men, hince why I was sent back to the shop so much." She said. She meant it in a fairly innocent way, though it could be taken differently.

She laughed and replied in a rather innocent way, not thinking of how it might sound, "I don't like women... only you. Men suit me better, but I could have never married one. I just didn't seem to appeal to them. I was never willing to be a damsel and certainly never willing to play cute for them..."