Beguiled Mercy (WIP)

[Firm Master]

(Hello there. Started a story on Wattpad and came into an issue when my newest chapter landed into adult content and it locked to private only. So I'm here to post to a new audience. This is deeply plot based with the only sex scene in the fifth chapter so far.
Please PM me and let me know what you think! I don't get much feedback about my writing and would really appreciate it.)

Chapter 1

Even though the floors had been swept yesterday, it was hard to keep them clean. Alice took her time sliding the straw broom over the wood surface of the floor, knowing no one was coming to check on her work, but it was a duty she took up anyway. In fact, she couldn't quite place what kept her here. A roof over her head and a kitchen to work in was far better than nothing, but at the same time she had her offer to leave and join another plantation. The offer came back to her mind now and she shrugged it off.

In truth, she knew what kept her. She was expecting the lord of the house to return. It had been three years since he'd left and now his household had been deserted. All except her. The last servant to seek to maintain what wealth and influence he had, unsure if he would ever return or if he was even alive. After so many years, however, she wasn't too concerned about it. He slipped her mind now. She stuck around more to keep herself occupied and stay with something familiar to her than to leave and experience something new.

She continued to sweep now, thinking about the potatoes that were boiling right now. She was low on food, but she had a little bit of money left to purchase some groceries when she needed them. The Patterson estate would also be kind enough to feed her. Provided she continued to work for them on occasion. She was there every Thursday for watching the children and basic cleaning and every Sunday to take the carriage with them to church. If her master never returned, at least God would be there to keep her safe.

Alice had grown lax in her attire when she worked around the estate. The hoops of her dress were removed and she kept her sleeves rolled up, allowing more skin that was usually shown to be displayed. Sometimes she'd leave her uniform off, especially in the summer months, instead working in only her thin chemise. Even now she no longer wore her stockings either. She sometimes would slip them on when the days got colder, but it never got to be unbearable. She reminded herself that it was her last pair that had no runs in them anyway, so there was no reason to wear them unless she risk having them look terrible as well. Her uniforms were all starting to look worn as well. Small tears here and there that she had sewn shut, but still were clearly mended. Little bits of stains and smears that didn't wash out. The ends of her dresses were all frayed now and it was as much the fault of doing work she wasn't assigned to do as it was not wearing the hoops and letting the ends drag on the ground.

A sound stirred her then. She had been humming to herself a tune from church when she heard a thud in the grand room. Instantly she guessed it to be bandits or some ruffian and her regret of staying alone now came full circle. The small hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she tried to quickly and quietly rush into hiding. There was no way for her to defend herself and even if she could, she couldn't imagine facing a man, much less the barbarian she imagined had rushed the household.

The candlelight would give away that someone was here. She knew this much, but she wasn't sure if anything else would make her noticeable. Her mind was racing and fear was grasping at her lungs, making it difficult to breath as she moved about to find a spot to hide. Finally she settled on a cupboard that was empty and resigned herself to stash herself inside. Her hands shook the whole time, unable to properly grab the handle while her other hand clutched her broom, ready to defend herself as meekly as she might be able to.

When the door from the grand room to the dining hall creaked in the distance, she felt an extra rush of adrenaline and finally grabbed the handle properly to open the door. Without any hesitation she stepped in and closed the door behind her, making sure to turn toward the front in the process. If she were discovered, she wanted to at least face them. And now with the darkness all around her, only broken by the single strip of light that penetrated her new world, she waited. The broom was clutched tightly in both hands, pressed against her bosom, her breath trying to be calmed, but refused to seek more air. She was gasping now, mouth wide open and feeling still suffocated. It tempted her to ease the cupboard open a little more, but her fear gripped her too much from moving.

As she started to feel a little more in control and calm, the door to the kitchen opened. Her breath caught in her throat and the heaving of her chest stopped. She held her breath, convinced that the sound of her breathing could be heard a kilometer away. As she peeked through the gap she was able to look through, she watched the shadow of a figure slip inside. She felt herself unable to think now and nearly jumped in shock. Her breathing came back again, but she worked hard to stifle it with little success.

Her ears burned as she tried to listen, to tell where the stranger went. How close he might be. Where he might be going. If she would be found. Thought after thought of her brutal murder came to her mind and she wanted to scream. No one else would hear, though. It would only be her and her unwanted guest. The fear of that reminder made her want to scream even more desperately, in the wild hopes that someone might be passing by to rescue her. In the end she held back. It was far too excessive of a risk.

As her thoughts kept her aching in her fear, she watched the shadow slip away. Another moment later, it reappeared and she watched a figure come closer to her pot of potatoes cooking on the stove. They were so close to her now and had their back to her. She felt tempted to ambush them, but the broom in her hands would likely do nothing but give them a dusting, especially when she reflected how small her frame was compared to this person. She decided to hold her ground and watch in desperate anticipation as the person looked over her meal and then turn away to start to browse the rest of the kitchen.

The figure moved away and she tried to adjust her head so that she could look out and keep them in her sight. They had left her food alone, but she was certain they'd be back. Even worse, they were surely going to look for her and were very likely going to find her in the end. This realization set her mind in a flurry. She needed to get out. Or get armed. Or make this person go away somehow. Yet she couldn't think of anything to do that made her feel safe and her body refused to move, even if she did make a decision. She was unable to see the person now and she found herself needing to open the door a little wider to look around. She hesitated, but went ahead and pushed the door ever so slightly wider, trying to spot the man that came in.

Just as she was about to give up on the search and assume he had left, she saw him again. This time he was facing her and watching the cupboard. He stared hard into the space she looked out from and she froze. It was obvious she was caught now, but she was trying to convince herself that she was still hidden. He didn't say a word of instruction to come out and he didn't move forward. He just stared inside, possibly at her instead of the darkness. She found herself looking back at his face and something caught her attention. His eyes!

“Master Soler?” she called out feebly, shocked at the idea that it might really be him. “My God, is that you, master?” Her words were shaky and she pushed the cupboard open slowly at recognizing him. His facial hair had grown wild, leaving him to look like a wild mountain man. His clothing was unrecognized to her, a dark brown tunic, torn and stained all about and equally brown slacks that were covered in mud, wild grass, and other filth. She looked down to his feet. He had no shoes on and it was clear his feet were bleeding, but were covered in the same filth as found on his pants. The mud itself had caked on further at the bottoms of his feet and between his toes, creating a strange magenta color in some spots.

The eyes of the man before her looked toward her in a pleading fashion. It was clear he was exhausted. “I need...something to eat,” he instructed, his voice crackling. He looked just as surprised about his voice as she felt. It wasn't the same at all, but it was definitely her master before her. She set to work quickly, jumping out of her hiding place and moving to the stove to get the unfinished potatoes ready for him.

“Please, master. Sit down.” She motioned toward the stool next to him, setting next to the island that was used as much for a working space as a place to sit at and chat between the girls in the kitchen when things were different. She herself turned away to pull the potatoes from the boiling water and get them on a plate, cutting them into pieces before bringing the plate closer to him and setting it before him. “Go ahead.” She said, offering the plate to him. She had no problem with the idea of not eating tonight. Or maybe fixing something else. It wasn't important now. With Master Soler back, things will be better! It was surprising to her how fast the idea came, but it felt completely true, even with how bad he looked.

The bland potatoes were quickly attacked with the fork she had given him, the plate half empty before he even ended up looking back up to her. She found herself unsure how to feel about him. As much as she was happy to see him returned and excited to serve him again, she also dreaded his condition and how he looked. He had always been clean shaven or a light beard from what she ever remembered of him. If he ever got dirty, it was relatively light and he was quick to bathe. Here, before her, he looked like a madman taken by the uncertain waves of life. He seemed desperate, miserable, and hurt. Things she had never seen from him and certainly would have never described him as such. To some level it sickened her. It further hurt to think that she served him when he was in such duress. As nice as it was to do his bidding and please him, it was not at all so romantic in her mind looking at him as he was now.

On the other hand, she found herself proud now. He came home to her. No one else waited. No one else believed he'd be back, and here he was, ready to have her get him back up to speed so he could make this place great once again. Suddenly the romance was back in her mind. She had always admired him and, although she would never state as much, lusted over him. Being able to play care taker at his worst would surely put her in a special place in his heart. She couldn't imagine how it wouldn't influence him!

Reality came spinning back as he cleared the plate and he looked toward her. She had completely forgotten to provide him something to drink and he would surely be just as thirsty! Without a word she rushed to the pump in the far corner and filled a glass for him. Her frayed skirts chased after her ankles as she came back, her steps much faster than she usually made. The glass was placed before him and he had it emptied within seconds. She quickly moved to fill it again and handed it to him, to which he drank half, hesitated, then drank the other half soon after.

She was about to fetch him another glass when he reached for her hand and stopped her, shaking his head. “Are you alone?” he asked hoarsely. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Is anyone else still here?” This time his regular voice came through, albeit rougher now. He let go of her hand and adjusted himself on the stool.

“It's just me, m'lord,” she replied, bowing her head to him. She resisted the urge to curtsy, finding it would probably be too much for now. She half expected to be reprimanded for not showing full courtesy to him, but no punishment came. “The rest left over the years. Some are over at the Patterson's estate, but the rest I know not where they went.” Her explanation came out of her mouth quickly. It surprised her to some degree, but she paid it little mind.

The man again adjusted himself on the stool, seemingly unable to find a comfortable position. It was clear that fatigue was tugging on him as well as the other strains he was enduring now. His eyes were heavy and now that hunger had been pushed away for the moment, the burning of his muscles started to take over in his mind. He could no longer feel the bottom of his feet, instead the numb pressure of different surfaces could be felt, but nothing more. He didn't want to even glance at his feet at this point. It was a mess, there was no doubt, and looking would only make it feel worse to him.

He watched Alice move around him and look him over. He was glad to have someone here, but wished it was someone that had a higher position. A simple servant girl wasn't going to pay as much attention as one of those he had as advisers. On the other hand, he could already imagine that everything that wasn't nailed down had already been taken. The thought angered him, but he pushed the feeling aside. Right now he needed to get himself taken care of and then he'd worry about other matters.

“Get a bath ready,” he instructed, motioning her to leave him. As much as the idea of laying down appealed to him right now, he didn't want to sleep filthy. He had already had far too many nights of sleeping in muck to be up for doing it in his own home. As he heard her gentle statement of agreement and her footsteps rushing off, he got up himself. His mind was on what was left in his study. He had no doubts that at least some of his property had been stripped away, but he needed to check on his secret compartment that held the deed amongst other items and a stash of money. He needed to make sure it was all still there and safe.

The walk up the stairs was miserable. Having walked the distance back to the estate was one thing, but now having to climb upward with these stairs strained his legs. It made him tempted to stop and worry about the issue in the morning, but the bath and bedroom was up here as well and he'd have to come up at some point. Ignoring the pain, he pushed on. It wasn't long before he made it to the top and his steps felt odd as he met level ground. The pain subsided a bit as he started his search.

He was right about the matter. His collection of books had been left largely intact, but the rest of the room had been gone through. He could see that his desktop was empty now and his seat had clearly been moved. He wondered if Alice had been fumbling through his belongings, but it was a moot point to him. He needed to worry about the main issues before the semantics. He set himself down in his chair, noting miserably that he just made it filthy before leaning down to the bottom drawer.

The drawer was stuck. He sighed and tugged on it and it gave. At least that was a good sign, he reasoned. With it being stuck, it meant no one would have gone through it. At least not for some time. He pulled the drawer back and saw that much of his documents there were left, but had been tossed and mixed about. Someone certainly had rummaged through the papers at some point. Pushing down the stack, he pressed his fingers to the back of the drawer and felt the small piece of wood at the top give way. The panel at the back clicked and popped forward slightly. From there he pulled the panel out and looked in.

It had remained untouched. Inside were a couple of bags of coins, a few choice pieces of jewelry that had been passed through the family bloodline, and a few documents, including the deed to the estate, that gave him ownership to several things. Of them were documents for his indentured servants. All the documents would still be legal, but many were expired at this point. Legally he had every right to have the terms extended, however no court would justify waiting years to have a manner like this settled. Those who had left were free and he would have serious issues getting them back.

Of those documents he found Alice's. The girl's service had also expired. He took a moment to double check the details for her. She had served the 8 years that had been signed for. In fact, her term was up almost two years ago now. It would place her at roughly 20 years old now. The idea of telling her to go now that her term was up felt like the right thing to do, but also he admitted to himself that he needed her services for now. It wouldn't be a huge issue, he figured. He'd release her when he could and offer her some terms to go along with it. At the very least, a new dress for her new life.

The documents were all shoved away and the panel replaced again before he made his way into his private bathing room. He was pleased to see that Alice had almost finished up with the bath. He was also happy to see that his porcelain tub was largely untouched in the time he was gone. His attention slipped on the details of the matter, however. He was tired and he was anxious to get clean.

“You can get in whenever you're ready, master.” Alice brought herself closer to him, shyly motioning that the tub was indeed ready. At least it was filled at this point and the soap was set to the side for him along with a cloth. As she watched him stumble slightly, she reached out. She didn't like the idea of the filth all over him getting on her, but at the same time she wasn't about to let him just fall. Her hands met his body, one bracing him at his chest, the other moving behind his shoulder.

He was already reaching for the bottom of his shirt at that point, seeking to pull it off. As he did so, she moved her hand in response, then stepped back from him. From there, he reached for the band of his pants and slid those off as well without hesitation. Alice found herself trying to look away, embarrassed about the matter, but it was clear that he wasn't or at least he was too tired to care. She wasn't sure and she wasn't about to ask him about the matter.

He quietly climbed into the tub, slowly lowering himself in. The water quickly turned a light shade of brown and as he let himself sink in completely, it only got darker. Alice came closer and knew she was going to be expected to wash him. As much as she enjoyed the idea of touching him, she also felt concerned about letting her fantasies get the better of her. He was dirty now and she wasn't exactly aroused by how he looked, but maybe once he was clean things would change and she wouldn't resist. Her mind started to wander and quietly she reached for the soap and cloth and then dipped both in the water before starting to create a lather.

“I need to know what happened while I was gone,” the man stated, his body starting to relax in the tub. He had dipped both arms into the water and then set them out on the rim of the tub. The water that slid down the side, both inside and out, came out brown. “Did anyone come by asking about me? Did any of the staff cause any particular trouble or try to take over the place? Anything unusual like that?” The words came out relatively quickly. He clearly had more strength now that he was fed, but he still looked tired.

“No, master,” she replied. “I don't recall anyone asking about you. At least if anyone did, I wasn't the one being questioned.” She felt ashamed at her answer. It was no help to him, that much was obvious. If only she had noticed something. Anything! “Everyone left, one by one. I tried to get them to stay. I really did! No one listened to me, though.” She let her sorrow about the matter show. In all her efforts, it was only her that remained, waiting for his return. She felt like she could now mock everyone else. I told you so. She thought to herself. She'd say that to every one of them.

He sighed as she began to take one of his arms and scrub it. She was going to be of little help to him. It was just as much as he figured. It made him that much angrier to think that every other person abandoned his estate. Even his advisers. He let his assistant not take any blame. The poor bastard had been right beside him when they were ambushed and shot on the spot. Even with the poor aim of those muskets, the marksman got the mark quite well from the bushes. Or perhaps that bullet was meant for him instead? He let the idea slide.

“Then what do you know?” His tone came out harsh, her hands working to clean his other arm stopped for a moment, then continued. “What have you done the last few years.”

“M'lord...” She hesitated, but kept cleaning. She had been doing things she was sure he wouldn't approve of and at the same time she wasn't about to lie to him. “I hope you don't mind. I have been learning.” She paused a moment then worked to clarify. “At the church, they've taught me how to read. I've learned to write as well.” her voice was soft now, trying to downplay just how much she had learned. She had put in a lot of effort the last few months in particular, but she didn't want to sound as if she was bragging about the matter. “I learned to do math as well. They even taught me multiplication!” Her last words ended with her looking away. She had just boasted about the matter and she felt shame, her face growing warm. “I can't do the division they have tried to teach me, however. I don't understand...”

He perked up a little at the news. An educated servant often turned into a troublesome servant and he could feel himself growing angered by her behavior. “Don't let yourself get too proud.” He stated, chastising her. “That's just the tip of the world of math.” He thought back on his own experiences. How smart he felt when he too learned to do multiplication as a child in his schooling. He was praised for the ability and he felt so grand about the matter. It all crumbled away as he struggled for a time with division. Then they introduced geometry. It was all difficult to grasp for him and for the most part he didn't take to it all. Leave the geometry to the builders, he figured. He was no mason after all, nor a wood worker.

A moment of silence followed and then she spoke again. “I learned about some theories in medicine.” She looked toward him. He had sat up in the tub and she moved to clean his back. “They say there are these little creatures. Really tiny ones that you can only see under a microscope. They're the reason people get sick.” She took a moment to squirm at the thought. There were probably thousands of those things all over him right now and she might get them on her. She was willing to sacrifice herself for him, though, so the idea wasn't so terribly revolting to continue cleaning him. “I also heard you can stop them with this ointment stuff that I got.” She raised a hand to point toward the end of the tub where a vial of liquid sat. “It'll keep you from getting sick from your cuts!” She smiled to herself, thinking she was doing a huge favor for him.

His words however brought her down to reality. “I know about those creatures, Alice.” He muttered. “They're still being debated on how true it is that they exist. I honestly don't believe it. It is too crazy. Can you imagine how many of those things would be crammed into a small space? It's absurd. I don't see how anything can live that's much smaller than an ant.” he looked toward the ointment, annoyance taking him. “I hope you didn't pay much for that. It is likely snake oil. Nothing more.” He leaned back as she finished washing behind him and he raised his feet out of the water.

The collection of dirt had largely fallen away from his feet, however as Alice came up to inspect them, it was clear that small stones and other objects were embedded in his skin. Some of it was just caught between ridges of his feet. Others had stuck themselves into the skin. A few quite deep. She took a moment to look around for something to remove the objects, but had nothing. “I'll be right back, master.” She said, quickly leaving the bathing room and heading downstairs to the kitchen.

Taking a knife from the drawer, she ran back upstairs, careful not to trip or allow the knife to slip from her hand. Her mind was in a flurry now, thinking about the task of getting every object out of his feet. As she came back and brought the knife into his sight, he nearly jumped up and told her to back away. Her attention went to his feet and he calmed down. He watched her eyes looking intently at his feet, the knife held close to her thumb as she worked to dislodge and flick away the small rocks and debris. Blood started to flow from many spots and she decided to clear the heels of his feet first before the rest. The blood dripping down was making it hard to see after all.

He could feel the flicks of her wrist when she pulled a rock out. It was numb, but the pressure was still there. He found himself worried that she might be cutting into his feet, but at the same time none of her movements gave her away to doing such a thing. He tried to let his mind wander about other issues, feeling his body relax and the desire to close his eyes and sleep overtaking him. He couldn't fall asleep here, however. He needed to wait until he could get to bed.

To keep himself occupied, his eyes went to wandering her. It had been years since he'd been with a woman now and whether it was out of this lustful aspect or because of her actual looks, he found himself interested in her. Her delicate features on her face, not hidden by her determined expression there now, provided a pleasantly feminine view that he hadn't seen in so long. Even now he could feel the slight stirrings of his blood. It didn't help matters that she had naturally splashed some of the water onto her uniform and it had soaked through. A few spots were now slightly see-through and he could see the figure of her body as other parts clung to her curves. She wasn't impressive and wouldn't stand out by any means, but here and now, she was a very pleasant and arousing sight.

With her work on his feet done, she inspected her feet one final time and nodded to herself in satisfaction before setting the knife down on the nearby counter. She then quietly picked up the cloth and rubbed his feet gently before moving to his legs. She allowed herself not going past his knees and she felt her face warm as she caught him staring at her. She stopped and moved beside him, cleaning his chest then handing him the cloth. “I can leave.” She stated, starting to do just that.

“Where have you been staying? The servant quarters?” He asked, taking the rag and starting to work on the parts she didn't do.

“Yes, m'lord.” She replied, nodding to him.

“Bring your things for the night to my room. If I need you, I don't want to have to call across the estate. You'll be staying in my room tonight.”

She nodded, her face growing warm again and quietly left him.

A few minutes later she had brought a fresh uniform and undergarments into the room, putting them away as she figured they should go. At first she wasn't sure if she should hang her uniform with his suits and her undergarments with his own, but she went with it. Surely that's what he meant after all. She then headed toward the bathing room nearby and opened the door.

He was in the middle of getting out of the tub then, careful about how he stepped in case his feet suddenly decided to slip out from under him or gain feeling out of nowhere. Between the exhaustion, the tired muscles, and the numb feet, he found it a struggle to get out, but he made it. Once out he was reaching for the towel she had left him, starting to dry himself. As she opened the door, he smiled.

“I brought my things.” She stated, her voice quiet.

“Take your clothes off and get in bed. I'll be there shortly.”

Alice hesitated a moment. As much as she was attracted to him, she wasn't sure if she wanted to be with him like man and woman. There was a time once when she had slept with another of the servants and he made love to her. It was nice, but at the same time she resented the experience, although she couldn't place why. Now here was the lord of the house requesting her to be in his bed. There was no mistake about the language: He was going to have her.

“Of course, master.” She replied, surprised that it came out so clearly and level.

The girl did as she was told, entering the bedroom and watching herself mechanically take her clothes off. She let everything collect in a pile on the far side of his bed before slipping under the sheets there. It made her happy that she had kept up with changing his bedsheets on occasion. It was less frequent that when he was here, but the sheets hadn't been on the bed for more than a month.

As she waited, she found herself covering her whole body up to her chin. She wasn't cold, but she felt a chill down her spine now. The reality of being in his bed, waiting on him to come into the room and find her naked, expecting to have him use her body at his leisure thrilled her, but also worried her at the same time. She shivered slightly, her hands clutching the cool fabric of the sheet on top of her.

It wasn't long before he came out of the bathing room and walked into his chambers. The thought of being in bed was thrilling for him. First because of her being available and waiting for him, the second being that he would finally get to sleep properly in his own bed. Without giving any further thought to the matter, he gave himself one final run across his body with the towel, drying any spots he felt were wet and then let the towel slip to the ground. He raised the cover up and slid under, having caught a clear sight of her completely exposed backside. She had rolled away from him as he came into the room and now he was scooting himself against her.

He slid his lower arm under her head that was resting on the pillow and his other arm slid across her waist, then wrapped around her, reaching up to grasp her lower breast. He could feel his manhood, now semi-erect, press against her lower back and the sensation of her body touching against his made him harder. He pulled at her, her breast held tighter before gently pinching her erect nipple between his fingers and breathing against her neck. His lips touched her ear lobe and he slid in a little tighter.

Happy with how close they were, he moved his hand down to rubbing her side and along her hip and waist. She felt wonderful under his rough hands and he could feel his longing that had been unmet for so long starting to find an escape. His feet rubbed together as he moved and he sighed. “Forgot to wrap my feet.” He muttered, slight annoyance in his voice. He put his head down on the pillow and grabbed at her hip to pull her against him, but as he closed his eyes, he felt himself relax.

Alice let him touch her as he wished. She wasn't about to fight him and she couldn't possibly deny how much she enjoyed his touch. She wanted to deny him, wanted to act as if she didn't long for this moment, but at the same time she didn't know why and didn't act on it. The feeling of his rough hands gave her goosebumps and chills all across her body. Even the unruly beard he had developed felt delightful against her neck and shoulder. She wanted him to explore her forever and could feel the hunger between her legs. As his body went limp behind him, she panicked. “Did I do something wrong?” She asked very lightly. Silence followed. “Master?”

With no reply, she carefully and slowly moved over and then looked back to him. He was asleep. She sighed, as much out of frustration as relief. She wasn't about to shake him awake and she most certainly wouldn't dare try to arouse him as he slept and put him inside her. With that resentment, she carefully slid out of bed.

Her chemise slipped on, she decided to clean up quickly before coming back. Her first stop was in the bathroom to clean the tub. As it drained, a ring of dirt was left at the water's edge and she quickly wiped it away before taking a bucketful of water to rinse it out as well as the trails of dirt at the bottom. Once the tub was drained and cleaned, she pulled out a fresh towel and the supplies for him to shave with. She wasn't sure how any of it worked and whether it would be any good, but she set it all out anyway. It was tempting to ask about it later, or perhaps watch him shave, but she let the idea go. It wasn't her place.

Returning to the bedroom, she picked up her dirty clothes and set them to the side to take out and wash later. Finally she gathered up some medical supplies and knelt down beside the bed at his feet. She removed the covers and rubbed ointment all across the bottom of his feet. From there, she wrapped up each foot and then brought the covers back over them. Satisified that her work was done, she put the ointment away and came back beside the bed. She let her chemise slip off her shoulders, falling into a small pile before she slipped back under the covers. He had rolled over onto his back and she laid back down, trying to take up as little space as possible, curled up on the edge of the bed. It wasn't her place to be here and she wasn't about to sprawl out in his bed. Master Windel Soler's bed.

 

[Firm Master]

Chapter 2

Windel's eyes opened as a streak of light slid over them. The morning sun was rising and he felt surprisingly rested and relaxed. He let himself stretch as he lay, extending his toes downward, raising his hands above him, and noticing that his muscles were sore all over. The stretch felt nice, but his bladder demanded him to get up.

Pulling the covers away, he found he had slept naked. It was something he was not used to doing and as he brought his feet out from under the covers, he noticed the wrappings around them. At that moment, last night came rushing through his mind and he moved to rest his elbows on his legs, letting his head sag. There was a lot to be done today. In fact there was a lot to be done in the next few weeks at least.

He took a quick glance over his shoulder to see if Alice was there still. Sure enough she was laying on her back, somewhat sprawled out. He smiled to himself as he noticed the sheet had come down and one of her breasts was completely exposed. The sight of her completely oblivious to her indecency in contrast to how formal she was taught to behave helped to brighten up his mood and a grin spread across his lips.

He got up and walked back into the bathing room. He had the comfort of some basic plumbing installed here. A simple hole that could be used for relieving himself in. It drained into a pipe that led down to a tank under the house. It was designed to be easily emptied when it was full and carted off somewhere to be dumped off the property.

Once he finished, he looked on the counter and found his shaving kit waiting for him. If there was anything he needed to do now, it was shave and he set to work getting himself set up. The girl was nice enough to leave a bucket of water ready for him and he lightly splashed some of the water to his face. It was cold and were it summer, it would have been refreshing. As it were, he wasn't so thrilled about it. Still, he moved to dip the small bowl in the bucket and came out with it less than half full. From there he took the soap bar and set to work creating a lather. A minute later he had a thick lather spread over his wild beard and his straight razor out.

Unable to find his strop to sharpen the blade, he resigned himself to leaving it as it were. This proved a bad decision later as he nicked himself multiple times and small dots of blood rested across his jaw and chin. Still, as he held up the small mirror during the shave, he could see how dramatic the change was. He never liked to think about complimenting himself, but he had to admit that he did look sharp. His brown hair was long now, but he'd see a barber soon enough to have it cut. His dark blue eyes were quick to scan a room or horizon as the case may be, his strong brow giving him a piercing gaze. His jaw was not as firm or protruding as many men, but with his now thinner frame than before, it gave him a far more demanding and fierce look. Especially when he let his brow furrow.

He gave himself another look as he rinsed off the remaining soap and wiped his face. A few specks of blood dotted his face where he nicked himself, but it wasn't anything to be concerned about. They usually weren't even visible after an hour or so. With himself now shaven and feeling better after doing so, he came back into his chambers and started to go through his clothes.

Most of it was still here. In fact, he noticed that the clothes were a little odd. For having sat for years, they seemed much fresher, much cleaner than they should be. In fact, he noticed that with the sheets as well. It made him curious if Alice had done his laundry even while he was away, but he wasn't about to ask. The proof was right in front of him and he had no reason to hassle about it now. The work had been done and with him back, everything would be resumed properly.

It wasn't long before he had himself dressed. A pair of black slacks and a black belt in the loops to hold it up, a light gray, long sleeve button up shirt tucked into the pants, a black vest with gray stripes, and finally a charcoal gray jacket over it all. He noticed that all of it was loose on him now. He wasn't as thin and malnourished as he could be, but he still felt the clothes slightly hanging from him instead of being actually worn. It would have to do, though. And he'd fill out again after he got into eating properly once more.

He sat himself down on the edge of his bed before sliding his black socks on and black leather boots. As he worked on tying them, he smiled to himself. With all that had happened, there was a level of expectation coming on. Things would be different than before, he told himself. He had every bit of control of the estate and he was ready to change all the things his father had left him with. His mind moved toward thinking about the sight of Alice's uniform in his wardrobe and he instantly knew the first thing to change: The uniforms.

There was nothing flattering about them for the women at least. They were too square. Too stiff. Surely something could be designed that would look and fit better. He admitted to himself that it'd be nicer to pass by a servant and have them dressed in something attractive to catch his eye and any guests he might have, but at the same time he knew how women were. They would be just as thrilled about such a nice outfit to show off.

He looked back at Alice, now rolled on her side and still asleep. Her loyalty seemed odd to him on many levels, but he wasn't in a position to question it. She had proved very useful already and beyond the trouble that her learning might cause, it could be useful as well. He decided to make her a personal assistant today. Given how well she responded to taking care of his personal needs, it only made sense to keep her at his side closely. Her ability with math and writing would be needed and if worse came to worse, he'd replace her with someone more capable. Either that or delegate tasks from her to others.

He told himself that he'd give her the news when she woke up, however as he noticed her still sleeping, he reminded himself that time was a major factor right now. There was a lot of business to be settled and he needed to do as much of it today. To start with, he needed to find out if there were any horses still in the stalls and failing that they would need to get horses at the Patterson's, maybe even a carriage if he was lucky. From there, it would be a trip into town to collect a decent food supply and a few fresh hands to work on the estate.

Standing up, he turned back to Alice. “It's time to get up.” The girl stirred, but largely stayed as she was. “Come on, Alice. Get up. Get breakfast made. Don't make me say it again.” The final sentence made her eyes open wide and she looked around startled. It took a second for her to recall sleeping in his bed. She would have been up earlier, but his bed was terribly comfortable. The sheets were of a much higher quality than her own and the bed was not as stiff to lay in. It actually gave a bit under her figure and she enjoyed the feeling. The fact that it had his scent in the sheets now only fed her desire to stay in bed, but she quickly got up.

Within a moment she had her chemise on. Her mind raced to figure out what to do first. Her uniform was grabbed from the wardrobe and she heard Windel chime in. “Wear something nicer today. We're going to town.” Her heart skipped a beat. Did he just tell her to dress up? She felt a smile come to her lips and her face grew warm.

“Of course, master!” she replied, a little too enthusiastically. At least in her mind it was too much. Her excitement simply got the better of her and now she was quickly moving to leave his room and do as he instructed. She found herself running down the hall, then rushing down the stairs, and then back down the lower hall to the servant's quarters.

She had really only one dress that would fit for what he was asking for. She only wore it on Sundays for church, but it seemed to be exactly what he was expecting of her and she felt happy to wear it for him. Opening her wardrobe, she slid her hand down the dress she wanted to wear. A dark blue dress made of cotton. It was an expensive item: One she had purchased with the small wages that each servant received during their time as a sort of allowance. She had saved up for almost a year to afford it and had bought it not long after Windel left, meaning he had surely never seen her in it.

The dress itself was lined along the bottom hem and around the waist with a white strip of lace as well as the neck and sleeves. White buttons ran up the length of the front. She had purchased the petticoats needed to make it look proper and had always enjoyed going out in the dress. She felt very much like one of the many ladies who came to church was their husbands and clearly had wealth. She once had flirted with a gentleman a few months ago at church, but the idea of having the Lord smite her for her transgressions of committing such sins in His house made her squeamish. They had made eye contact a few times after that, but hadn't spoken since. Even still, the attention made her feel incredible.

She quickly changed into the dress and hurried to the kitchen where she got the fire started. She already felt like she was in some amount of trouble this morning and certainly didn't want to face more by not getting breakfast ready as Windel had requested. She was careful to keep her dress clean, however. It was one thing to upset him by not doing as he told her. It was another to ruin the only nice dress she owned and disrupt his expectation of her dressing nice today.

Windel found himself outside the house for most of the morning. Weathering had taken it's expected effect. While the house wasn't in disrepair, it was clear that some attention was needed to make it look proper. Weeds had overgrown some pockets of land and were peaking out between the paved walkways on either side of the house. Water had worn away some areas of paint, needing a fresh coat again. The stables were musty and smelled of hay and shit. It was clear that after he was gone, there was little care had here and the horses were all gone now, no clue left from where they went. Likely stolen by his own household, but bandits could have easily come at some point.

The feeling in his feet had returned. A good sign, even though the feeling was largely a dull pain. He was happy that Alice had taken care of his feet last night and now that he was up and about, he was hoping that they would heal up quickly. While he was perfectly capable of walking, it would be nightmarish to imagine running or perhaps having to quickly switch direction of travel and have the skin tear further. The thought made him cringe slightly.

A few minutes later he was inside again and exploring the interior now. The display cases were all empty save for a couple of broken dishes and a small display stand which used to house a decorative plate. He also found some of the furniture missing as well. He couldn't imagine how anyone could slip off with a chair or a end table so easily and unnoticed, but with them gone, there seemed to be small holes in the design of the house. At least he noticed the difference and it made him agitated.

He finally made his way back upstairs to his study. He opened the bottom drawer and popped the panel out again, this time snatching up a sack of coins inside and closing the compartment once more. He then was back downstairs to check on Alice.

The girl had finished cooking a few eggs and had cut up a couple of potatoes as well, placing a larger portion in one plate and taking it to the dining room, leaving the rest in another plate for herself. She decided to be a little bold in the matter, bringing her own plate to the dining room as well and had quietly sat down, careful to not catch the hoop on anything, and waited for Windel to return. Her wait for only a few minutes and both their plates had cooled.

Windel noted Alice sitting in the main dining room, letting his eyes look over as much of her dress as was visible. “You look nice, but that doesn't excuse you being allowed at this table.” Alice's eyes shot wide open and she hopped up from her seat, clutching her plate and pulling it off the table.

“I'm so sorry, master!” she exclaimed, giving a mild curtsy and rushing to retreat from the room, the hoop of her dress pushing the chair out of the way. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was fiercely attacking her judgment on the idea of being here. “It was stupid of me to eat here. I'm sorry. Please, excuse me!”

“Wait!” Windel called out, walking over to his own plate and motioning toward her. “We need to talk anyway. Come. Sit.” He moved his hand to the seat opposite of him. She hesitated a moment, then did as he instructed. “Don't doubt that what you did was wrong, but it happens we have a lot to discuss.”

Windel sat down himself, watching Alice fidget with her fork. She had sat again nervously and looked down, afraid to meet his gaze. “I'm sure I don't need to explain this, but I will anyway. The house is empty. The only worker here is you and I'm obviously not about to have you start tending the fields.” She could feel herself smile beyond how much her mind screamed at her to not do so. “I also don't need to tell you that you're the most senior worker.” He sighed, letting her take that fact in. “Anyway, we'll make this short. I'm making you my assistant.”

Alice looked up then, a smile clearly displayed on her lips. She felt incredibly happy at the statement. He was recognizing her hard work and dedication to him. She could feel the excitement of thinking about this new world. His assistant. After a moment, however, it occurred to her that she wasn't sure of the difference.

Alice also noticed how different he looked now that he was shaved again. She liked how he looked years ago, but now his face looked more taunt and masculine. Even though he was thinner than he had been from what she remembered, he still had that charmingly handsome face. She found herself admitting that she didn't like his hair long, but she wasn't about to complain. Obviously it was not her place and even if she had any right to say so, she wouldn't dare confront the man she served.

Windel had taken the time to start eating, glancing up at Alice after a few moments. “Sir, I'm not sure exactly what that means.” Her hesitant reply made him laugh. At his laughter, she felt her face flush and had to look away. She enjoyed making him laugh. He looked very handsome when he did so, but she wasn't as happy about it being at her expense.

“Starting today, you're not just a servant.” He took another quick bite. She continued to sit intently, not having eaten anything yet. “You will be with me most of the time. Taking notes. Reminding me of what needs to be done. Letting me know of any issues that you hear about. And after we get some new staff, you'll be free from your usual duties.” He paused at that, deciding he should clarify before she misunderstood. “Cooking. Cleaning. Laundry. Those will no longer be your duties, but we'll detail that later.”

She heard him clearly, but she was starting to feel a little bewildered. She had spent all of her life doing domestic chores and now she was going to be free of them? It was alien to her and she wasn't sure if she was up for the task. Still, it was thrilling to look forward to a change and there was no way she could possibly refuse the offer. “Of course, master. As you please.” She gave the formal response with a smile, then proceeded to eat.

A few minutes later, Windel had left and come back into the dining room where Alice had cleared the plates and returned. In one hand was a notepad. In the other, a quill and ink. He set them down on the table and motioned for her to join him on that side. She eagerly did just that. He handed her the quill and she took it, continuing to smile.

“You said you can write?” he asked, motioning to the notepad. He hesitated a moment and then reached for the ink, scooting it closer. Once in place, she dipped the quill into the ink and started to write out her name, just as she was taught. Alice Rinfelt. She smiled to herself and he gave an approving nod. “Good. And math?”

“You want me to write it, master?”

“Just numbers and then we'll test your math ability.”

The quill dipped in the ink again and she penned each number. “You know...” he started, leaning back. “I'll take your word for it on the math. You have no reason to lie about it and you've proven the rest of your words to be true.” It was nicer than he felt he should be, but he said it anyway. Alice herself was taken with the compliment. She felt deeply accomplished and with his declining to test her math abilities, she felt a ping of sadness. It was a great chance to prove herself that was now missed.

“It's time we made a list of what's needed. Write these down in a list.” He started to name off various food stuffs that he could recall in the household. Wheat, flour, salt, beef, potatoes, carrots. The list went on for a bit, sometimes he would take a moment to think. Alice wrote each word as fast as she could when he seemed to be moving through the list quickly. During his pauses, she'd carefully consider the last work, then look back and find spelling mistakes she had made. She knew how to spell, but found herself needing to take her time when she did write or she made small mistakes along the way. The process of correcting those mistakes was in a desperate measure to show him that she was useful and knew what she was doing.

Windel caught sight of her writing after he was done with a word for a bit. Curious, he looked over. The act of her spending time to correct the spelling annoyed him. It wouldn't matter since it was pretty clear what each item was, even if it wasn't spelled correctly. He left her to it, however. There was no point in chastising her for trying to be careful and he wasn't interested in dealing with it anyway.

A few minutes later they had multiple lists. One for foods, another for basic needs around the house, another for tools, and a couple more for other concerns. Windel motioned Alice to give him the notepad and she complied reluctantly, feeling she had left many mistakes and he'd be displeased by it. A quick glance at the list and he nodded. “This will do. If we think of more later, we'll just have to keep it in mind.”

“Let's get going. Leave the quill and ink. It'll just spill later.” He handed the notepad back to her and got up. She did the same, carefully stepping away from the seat so the hoop of her skirt didn't push the chairs around or get caught. Looking up at him with a smile at her predicament, she was disappointed to find he was no longer watching her. Instead he had already turned and headed toward the front door. She walked quickly to catch up, feeling as if she needed to catch him unless he disappeared from her life again.

With the both of them out the door, they started their walk to the Patterson's, Alice a few steps behind Windel.

 

[Firm Master]

Chapter 3

It wasn't long before the Patterson farm was in sight. The pair had been walking for around a half hour now and were coming near the entrance to the estate. It was a walk that Alice had done many times over the last few years and the first time that Windel could ever recall. He had always had the luxury of a horse or carriage to bring him this way. Now that it was lacking, he was feeling slightly humbled by the experience. Something he wasn't going to allow to happen again if he could help it.

The sun was starting to rise in the sky now, coming up on their right along the road they walked. The weather was mercifully cool and tolerable, but the humidity in the air had a tendency to make the later part of the day miserable, especially when the day left a person working and covered in sweat.

Windel's eyes slid over the horizon constantly. The surroundings were largely uncharged during the last few years, but he wasn't sure if bandits were more common now or not. Crime was scarcely an issue out in these areas, but if some event rose to cause hardship in the land, it wasn't unusual to find crops being stolen and property left unattended to disappear. On the rare occasion there would be a violent attack, but they were few and far between.

Alice found herself comfortable with the walk, beyond the dress she wore. She had become used to the walk and learned to step a certain way around dips in the ground and rough spots. It was the main reason her dress remained in such good condition without ripping or wearing the hem. It was also the reason that she was so attentive this morning. These walks always made her happy and forced her to be light footed. Even though it was more effort, it also made her feel very ladylike and gave her a pleasant feeling of graceful femininity.

They found their way to the fenced in front entrance area and began the walk up to the door. The path was paved with small rocks. A step up from the dirt roads, but not as nice as a cobblestone road. Windel couldn't help thinking how hellishly bump this road would be in a cart, but it wasn't his concern. Practically every road he'd ever known was hellishly bumpy to begin with. At least with a paved road there was less concern about mud, water, and dust.

There was no one out in front this morning, which wasn't so surprising to Windel. The servants of the house would be occupied with concerns of breakfast, working in the fields, and handling the children that the Patterson family had. It was a moot concept to Windel. He took a brief moment to reflect on his feelings about having a child. An heir would surely be needed, but as it were he felt he was too young to feel obligated to start building his family. Further, he'd need to find a decent wife. A matter that he wasn't looking forward to. As much as he loved the intimate aspects that women could provide, he wasn't as thrilled about the adaption of his household for a wife.

Windel brought his hand up and rapped his knuckles against the heavy wooden door. He knocked three times firmly on the door before taking a step back and turning sideways, glancing at Alice. The girl had a smile on her face, looking up at him as his eyes met her. They looked to one another for a moment, then Windel looked around from the porch, trying to take in the surroundings.

The Patterson's home was a two story plantation home, not far off from the design of the Soler household. The white washed house stood starkly against the golden and green background of roadways and greenery, both living and dead. A few trees dotted the front yard, allowing for plenty of shade from the heat of the day, which servants often found themselves resting under during their breaks or time off. Today it was going to be too mild for such concerns, but the need to work hard wasn't a concern now. The crops were planted already and it was a matter of checking for weeds and bugs every so often. It was a task that called for little attention or thinking, but it allowed a worker to grow a strong back from constantly bending down.

The door opened a moment later, an older woman in a servant's uniform greeting them. “Hello, sir. Can I help you?” The voice was gentle, but slightly hoarse. A trait likely gained from yelling at children, or perhaps other servants.

“I'm here to see Mr. Patterson,” Windel offered. He could see that the woman didn't recognize him. It made sense, mainly because he hadn't been around in years, but also he was scarcely here to begin with.

“May I let him know who is here to see him?”

Windel gave a slight nod. “Mr. Soler.”

The woman took a moment, hesitating as she opened her eyes a little wider as if she hadn't noticed him standing right in front of her. She looked him up and down, then it seemed like realization came around and a worried look came on her face. Windel couldn't tell if her concern was recognizing the name or if she felt she had been rude by questioning him in the first place. In either case, the woman opened the door and motioned them to come in, giving a low curtsy.

The two entered and as Alice passed by, she tossed a bright smile to the older woman. “Hello Candice.” The woman looked up and expressed an even more surprised look, but it subsided quickly as things made sense: Alice still worked at the Soler household after all.

The door closed behind them and the woman excused herself quickly before rushing upstairs. Windel took some time to look around the grand room that they had been left in. It felt familiar, given that the design was very similar to his own home. Small sized grand room, but a tall ceiling gave the illusion it was larger. A set of stairs going up to the second floor where the master's bedroom and study would be, amongst other rooms, filled space that could otherwise be expanded into to make the room bigger. It became a necessary evil in the floor plan.

Alice looked toward Windel, wanting to look around while they waited and say hello to others here. The feeling to stay with him and be quickly available to serve him kept her in her place, however. She was holding the notepad she brought against her chest, both arms wrapped around it, hugging it to her lightly. As they waited, she took the chance to look at the list. A few misspellings caught her attention, but she had no way to cross anything out or squeeze a letter in to correct it. It glumly set on her conscious that she had made mistakes she couldn't hide and fix right now.

Footsteps soon followed down the stairs near them. A bulky man in the later part of his life came down and looked toward the two. His gaze quickly went to Alice and wasn't surprised about seeing her as she was here often enough. However when he saw Windel, his expression changed. Between surprise and borderline annoyance, it was hard to tell for Windel, but the expression wasn't terribly friendly.

“Mr. Soler?” The old man said, coming to the landing and walking toward him. “My god, son! It is you!” The expression changed to a smile and he came closer, extending his hand out for a handshake. Windel took it firmly. “Windel. I thought you were dead.” As the handshake started, Charles Patterson brought a hand over to Windel's shoulder and patted him roughly. “It's really good to see you. You should come and sit. We need to catch up.” A gesture toward upstairs was made, but Windel shook his head.

“I'm afraid I don't have time for that right now, Mr. Patterson. As nice as it is to see you too, I must get my estate back together and I'm trying to get that started today.” Windel let the older man's hand go now and Mr. Patterson followed up by taking a step back to allow him his space. “Specifically, I need a cart for getting to town and bringing back supplies and some fresh faces.”

The request made Mr. Patterson's face change once again. This time it was of defeat. “I'm sorry, son, but I don't have a cart to spare.” The statement sounded mildly like a lie, but Windel wasn't about to call him on it. “I wish I could, but there's nothing I can do there.”

“Then a pair of horses for today? I can return them to you by the end of the week. Surely you can do that much. Alice let me know that you did have a full stall.” It was a blatant lie. It would give him some leverage, though. Servants had no reason to lie about such things and as Alice heard her name, she looked toward Windel and had a concerned look on her face. It would fit perfectly either way: Mr. Patterson would think that she had given Windel some information that she felt she shouldn't have shared. Alice was just confused about when she said such a thing, however she knew better than to question Windel's statement. She mentally took a note to ask him about when she said that later, after they left.

“That's true.” Mr. Patterson's face now returned to the serious, mildly annoyed look of before. “And I suppose after all your father had done for me, the least I can do is let you borrow some horses I have no urgent need for. I'll make sure they're brought around for you.” His expression softened. “Is there anything else you needed, Mr. Soler.” The emphasis on mister was well noted by Windel as seemingly mocking, but possibly as a statement of respect that he wasn't quite catching properly.

“At the moment, no. A couple of head of cattle and a few hens that you could sell me would be great, but I'll have to do that another day. Besides, I can always get some elsewhere if needed.” The comment came out slightly threatening. The two estates had plenty of business between one another, but it was in the Patterson's favor at the end. The Soler estate could easily get by without their input and if so wanted, could compete directly against them as well. It was something Windel noted as a possible future expansion, but not one he wanted to do anytime soon.

“In that case, give me a few minutes to get a servant out there and for them to bring the horses up.” The old man walked toward one of the side doors to outside.

“Thank you Mr. Patterson.”

“Of course. It's God's desire that we treat our neighbors well, after all.” With Mr. Patterson leaving out the door, Windel turned to Alice who still looked puzzled and then walked past her, motioning she follow.

The pair stood outside on the front porch, waiting for their ride. Alice took the chance to excuse herself and with Windel's approval she made her way to the garden area and found one of the servants she was very familiar with. “Hello Ms. Anders.”

The woman, Juley Anders, looked up toward Alice. She was a similar age as Alice, but had a slightly larger build. Jet black hair and green eyes gave her a slightly exotic look amongst the locals, but she had been treated nicely beyond the difference. It was a nature that wasn't always returned. “Miss Rinfelt! Why are you here today? Is it already Thursday?” The smile on the woman's lips was misleading as she stood up. The two had a mild rivalry.

“I just came to mention I won't be able to make it for work any longer.” Alice gave back a warm smile, letting herself seem very friendly even though she felt a mild contempt.

“What do you mean you won't be able to make it any longer?”

“Master Soler has returned and I've become his personal assistant.” Alice was now beaming with pride. “So I'm going to be unable to help here since I'll be working for him again.” She let the words come out nicely, but she now felt that a battle had been fought here and she had won with little effort.

“It'll be terrible to see you go, Alice,” Juley replied, letting formalities drop now. She motioned for a hug and Alice took a few steps forward and obliged. After the embrace ended, Alice took a couple of steps back and had her hands in front of her, both hands holding onto either side of the notepad.

“I can visit. And you'll see me Sunday as usual.” Alice replied. “I have to go, but say bye to the kids for me.”

“Of course.”

Alice turned and walked away, her dress swaying slightly as she came around. This was becoming a fantastic day for her and it was only going to get better later as she got to go to town. She took a moment to fantasize about the experience: Windel would take her to a restaurant and they'd eat together, smiling and laughing the whole time. They'd make loving eye contact many times before Windel would lead her to a tailor and have her fitted for a new dress. She'd thank him graciously and he'd come closer, his eyes glancing at her lips, then back to her eyes, then to her lips again. Finally they'd close the distance and the kiss would be gentle and pleasant.

The fantasy fell apart as she walked up on the porch and Windel turned to face her. She was just in time for the horses to be pulled up and he looked annoyed. “You can't ride, can you?” The question startled Alice. The whole time she was thinking they would ride in a carriage, experiencing a pleasant trip, having completely forgotten that detail that Mr. Patterson was only offering the horses. It was only natural that she'd have to ride a horse as well. Something she'd never done before.

“I'm sorry, master. I haven't ridden a horse before.” She turned her gaze downward as if it was enough to fix the situation. By having the chance to display she felt wrong, there might be some way of the issue being resolved. Windel turned toward the man that brought the horses and sighed.

“Remove the saddle from one and get a pillion. We'll ride on one horse.” He paused, watching the servant start to take the second horse back. “No, we'll need that second one. Just take the saddle off.” The man silently nodded and started to unhooked the saddle, removing it and leaving a moment later.

“It's fine.” Windel said, noting the nature Alice presented. His mind was already racing with problems. The issue of her riding wasn't one of the biggest he had, but it was a bother. Still, it wasn't her fault. She'd just have to ride side saddle behind him. It wouldn't be an issue at all, he reasoned. Alice raised her head back up and said nothing. Her world of pride and happiness was brought back to Earth.

The pillion was brought and strapped to the back of the saddle. With the cushion and brace in place, Windel moved to beside the horse and pulled his leg up and stuck a foot in the stirrup. He then took his other leg and tossed it over, feeling the weight in his foot start to cause the stirrup to dig into his foot mildly. The extra pain wasn't unbearable, but it did make him uncomfortable. It couldn't be helped as far as he was concerned. Only one more issue today.

As he settled into the saddle, he looked toward Alice. One hand still on the reins, he held his other hand out to her. “Okay. Just come up here and sit behind me like it's a chair and you're sitting sideways.” He motioned his hand toward the pillion. “Just like this.” His hand moved up and down, not giving a clear sign of what he was showing her to do.

Alice walked up and handed the notepad to Windel before she raised her foot up into the large stirrup of the pillion. She took Windel's hand and the other man took her other hand. She pushed off on the raised foot and turned herself around, sitting down, but instantly noticed that the hoops in her dress would be a huge problem. They didn't allow her to scoot very close to Windel and the bottom of her dress rose to almost exposing herself. She shyly pushed her hands down on her dress, but the bottom hoop was far out of reach.

“Oh no!” Alice exclaimed, her face turning red and her heart racing. Windel turned himself to see her plight and laughed.

“Don't worry about it. There won't be anyone around until we get into town.” He hadn't even thought about the issue. The nature of a woman's clothing escaped him and now seeing her in her plight, he couldn't help finding it comical that neither of them had considered the issue. With the girl now trying to keep her dignity by pressing the front of her dress down to no avail, Windel motioned the other horse to be brought closer and he took the rein to lead it along.

Both reins in hand, Windel tapped his heels into the sides of the horse and they started off on a mild trot. He felt Alice reach her arms around him, holding herself to him. He took the notepad he had in one hand and touched it to one of hers. She took the hint and grabbed the notepad from him, but kept her arms around his waist. He smiled to himself. “If you show some ankle, you might get yourself a husband,” he teased as they left the entryway and started on the dirt road. “Then again, if you really want to stay on the estate, I can see why you want to stay covered up.”

“Please, Master Soler!” Alice exclaimed in nearly a squeal. She felt herself becoming very hot now and his teasing wasn't helping her. “I'm sorry. I didn't know we'd travel like this.” She ended up with her face against his back, holding onto him to stay secure.

“I didn't either, but if things go right, we'll head home differently.” His words were gentle and reassuring now. He patted her free hand. “So give a good show while you still can.” He started to laugh again.

Feeling they were getting along so well, she took her free hand and pulled it away, lightly slapping him on the shoulder before her hand came back to around him. “Honestly, you're too much. I should have left.” She now felt herself smile. In reality, she felt like she was just hugging him and he was happy with that. The day was still going well, even if she didn't like the ride.

“You should have,” he agreed, patting her hand again. “You probably should have...”

 

[Firm Master]

Chapter 4

Alice found herself constantly sliding down from the pillion, the skirts of her dress not giving her the traction needed to stay in position. While holding onto Windel helped greatly, she found her arms grow tired from trying to hold up her weight. Throughout the ride she spent most of her time adjusting and readjusting herself in her seat. The concern about her hoops pushing her dress up disappeared after they were away from everyone, but the nature of having to constantly grab at Windel made her feel self-conscious.

She allowed herself the chance to constantly feel his body, hidden by the way she held him. He was thin now, almost sickly thin. She felt concern well in her body as her hands felt the muscles of his abdomen clearly. As much as it was nice to feel a man’s muscular figure, it was disheartening that he wasn’t filled out like he was years ago and the frail and thin feeling of his torso made her feel less secure about him. The resentment in her stomach tugged at her emotions. She wanted to feed him. She wanted to have him relax and conserve his strength. She wanted to serve him hand and foot, which was more or less her duty already, and care for him in whatever way she could to restore him. At the same time she felt conflicted about the matter. Either way, she had missed him and the chance to be so close was far too pleasant to resist.

She hardly knew the man that she nearly gave herself to last night and now clung to. It would have been hard to imagine him a few years ago being something she’d crave so strongly, although she knew she did. After three years of absence, naturally both of them had changed, but still her heart begged to please him and her mind refused to deny those desires.

Windel expected the hold that Alice gave as they rode. While she constantly adjusted, he figured it had more to do with just trying to keep her balance and handle the jostling about that they experienced in the ride. The constant swaying of the horse’s walk, twisting their position and moving them forward and up, backward then down.

The feeling of the spread his legs faced started to make his thighs burn a little as they came close to town. He kept himself mostly upright with a proper sitting posture as Alice moved her hold on him. He would have otherwise started to slouch, but felt he needed to keep his posture so she could remain well placed on the horse as well as make sure he didn’t shift to either side from her added weight pulling him down. That detail was only made clearer as he felt his right foot start to hurt from the weight placed in the stirrup before he shifted slightly and she’d move herself to find her own comfortable spot.

The day was relatively comfortable. The early spring air was mildly humid and the temperature was moderate. With the weather as pleasant as it was, the two of them were both thankful that the weather wasn’t hotter. It wasn’t uncommon to be found sweating profusely under the Southern heat and humidity on a summer day, but even in spring it could get very warm. Enough that a dress such as Alice’s would make a woman want to strip her petticoats off for comfort, risking her appearance in the process.

The town was coming into sight and Windel took a moment to collect his thoughts. Some basic supplies were needed, as well as the cart, some new hands on the estate, and he’d need to check up on some old business partners. He also took note to consider a haircut if time permitted, but it wasn’t a priority. He would have Alice help out with that tomorrow if nothing else. Comforted by that thought, the idea of even having his hair cut today slipped away. There simply wouldn’t be enough time.

The sun was high now. It was starting to look like they’d get close to making it back home with daylight left, but those hopes were fading fast. With so many things that needed to be done, Windel was expecting to end up at least finishing the trip in the dark. Riding at night was really a concern about two factors: Making sure that a person stayed on the correct path and making sure that a bandit didn’t sneak up before a chance to escape or fight back was given. Neither was a huge concern to Windel, but he didn’t like the idea of heading back at night anyway.

“I imagine you want to get off now,” Windel stated.

“Are we close to town?” was the reply, Alice peeking her head up and trying to look over his shoulder to no success. She leaned further, finding a glance around his frame. “Oh, we are!” Alice smiled to herself, hugging Windel in her excitement, but was masked in the fact she still needed to hold herself up with him.

“Yeah, we’re almost in town. So again, do you want off now? Or are you comfortable getting closer?” Windel’s tone was starting to show some annoyance.

“May I please stay on for now?” Alice asked back, the meek question answering his.

“That’s fine,” was his grumbled reply.

The horse trotted into the edge of town and Windel looked around from his position.

The town spread out along the coastline here, the ocean to the southeast and docks lining much of the coast. Several ships were currently docked, most of them were likely traders along the coastline as deeper hull ships that were needed for transatlantic trips couldn’t dock here. To the southwest, a river met the ocean almost perpendicularly. A steamboat could be seen in the distance, heading down the river and making a likely stop in town. Windel reflected for a moment that he had never been on a boat. In either case, it wasn’t the time or place to consider taking a trip now.

The town itself was moderately busy and well established. Some of the buildings closer to the docks were two or even three stories tall, constructed of fine masonry. Many other buildings were more of the traditional designs of the state: Small wooden sheds that were passed off as shops with windows displaying their wares to the outside world or as homes that the poor found themselves cramming into at night.

Windel turned his attention to his first destination: A cart would be needed and he turned the horse toward the direction of the local market. Once the cart was purchased, the rest of the concerns could be handled. Until that point, there was no reason in worrying about anything else.

Windel felt Alice stir behind him. “I take it you want to get off now?” he stated, noticing that a few people were not too far away now and she could easily flash someone if they continued.

“Yes, please.”

Windel stopped the horse, the second horse coming to a stop as well. He then hesitated a moment, trying to decide how best to get her down and not make himself fall off. Resigned to his fate, he pushed off the stirrup and pulled his leg onto the saddle, semi-crouching on the horse. He careful slid his leg over then slid down, both reins still in hand.

He held his free hand out to Alice now, noting that he nearly could see up her dress from this angle. She reached forward and took his hand, a blush forming on her face as she smiled to herself sheepishly. Once again she felt herself being treated like a proper lady and it brought a joy through her body. Her heart started to race of its own accord and her eyes refused to look at him. Butterflies were in her stomach now and as she slid down, feeling his free hand guide her weight through her arm, she carefully landed on the ground. She was trying to be graceful as she held the notepad to her chest with her other hand and as her feet met the dirt road, she felt accomplished in her goal.

Alice took a moment to smooth out her dress. She felt certain that she had hair all over her now, but couldn’t quite find it. To be sure, she continued to slide her hands along the back of her dress, wiping away all the hairs she imagined clung to the delicate material.

Somewhat satisfied with the job done, she looked up and found herself watching the steamboat approaching in the river. It was hard for her to take her eyes off of it. She had seen steamboats before, but always at a distance. The trips made into town to go to church were always quickly in and quickly out with no time to stop by the dock and watch. It made her sad that once again she’d miss the chance, but the resolute nature of serving Windel made her concerns fade.

“Go ahead.”

“What, master?” Alice turned to face Windel as he started back into the saddle. Concern welled in her stomach as she worried that he was speaking at length and she had missed everything he had said.

“Go on. Look around,” he motioned toward the steamboat. “Just meet me in the market in about two hours. We need those supplies.”

Alice’s eyes widened and her smile grew again. Finally she had the chance she was desperately after and she wasn’t about to miss it. Giving a cheerful curtsy to him, she found herself nearly running toward the dock. She no longer was concerned about appearing ladylike as she found herself overcome with the childlike desire to explore this world she had always wanted to see. It felt wild to her to suddenly be set free and a slight feeling of remorse tugged at her for so quickly running from Windel.

As she came to this realization, she turned to look toward him, but was now gone. For a moment she felt she should head toward the market and rejoin him, but decided that he did give her directions to follow. She turned back around and headed toward the dock on the river, trying to not let herself feel guilty. She held the notepad in both hands as she walked, resting it against her stomach. She found herself glancing down at her dress ever so often, enjoying the sight of how it would sway with each step. Once again she was aware of being a lady and the happiness it brought her.

The steamboat was still a good distance out by the time Alice stepped onto the boardwalk. A system of wooden walkways and chains guided passengers onto and off of the ship when it was docked, but for now there were very few people around and Alice took a pleasant position off to the side of the pathway.

Her eyes watched the trickle of light grey escape the large chimney stack from the boat. The cloud it left lazily trailed higher and higher into the sky, being strung along like a puffy kite on a gentle breeze. In the back, she could vaguely make out the sight of the paddle spinning around, bringing the boat closer to its destination. And closer to her.

The tap of a cane on the wood behind Alice startled her and she spun around quickly, the notepad slipping from her hands in her fright. On instinct her hands shot up toward her neck, arms pressing together in front of her chest and her eyes wildly searching for the cause of the sound. She vaguely felt the tug of her dress’s weight spin around her as she turned.

Before her stood a man that couldn’t be older than 40. Dressed in a black suit, ivory cane, and a black top hat with a white strip, the man would have looked very well dressed and proper were it not for the unruly beard that framed his face. Shallow wrinkles had developed clearly on his face, slight bags hanging under the green eyes and grey starting to overtake the brown hair.

“Hello there, miss,” the man started, taking the brim of his hat and removing it before bowing to her. This allowed her the chance to see he was balding and she turned her eyes away until he started to straighten up to save herself the sight.

“Hello, sir” she replied politely, giving a smile and a small curtsy before glancing toward her notepad. It had fallen near his feet and she was hesitant to reach for it. The man noticed her looking down and smiled before looking at the notepad as well. He put his hat back on and bent down to pick up the pad, using his cane to brace his weight and stand back up.

“I presume this is yours. You don’t want to lose your shopping list,” the man offered warmly. “I’m Sampel. Roderick Sampel.” He offered the notepad to her, watching her intently.

Between the initial fear and now the suddenly charming nature she was being faced with, Alice had trouble holding back a shy smile and the heat that flowed over her face. “Alice Rinfelt,” she replied in turn, taking the notepad. Her heart was once again racing, but no longer out of being scared.

“The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Rinfelt,” the man stated with a warm smile, bringing his hand back to his side as he shifted the cane forward slightly.

“Oh, no. Please sir, I’m not married,” Alice replied, feeling almost as if she were lying. It was true that she wasn’t married, but at the same time she felt wrong stating it as if she were available. For a moment, she reminded herself that she was actually very much available as soon as her services were done, however. It was a thought that made her want to ask about her service that was remaining with Windel, but the idea fell to the side as the man motioned his elbow to her.

“My mistake, Ms. Rinfelt. Would you mind joining me? I have some business to attend to and having a beautiful young lady on my arm would make the day brighter for me.” His voice had an allure that Alice wasn’t at all expecting and she felt herself instantly taken by his request. Wordlessly she reached out. Her free hand slid under and then rested on top of his forearm. She pressed the notepad under her arm and used that hand to hold onto his upper arm, feeling the muscle underneath, larger than she expected from the looks of him. The man smiled as he locked his gaze with her. She looked up with a shy disregard of the world around her. Right now she was a lady.



Windel found himself agitated in the market. While Alice was given leave, he didn’t like being left alone while in a public place. The concern of being pickpocketed, needing to have someone to converse and bounce ideas off of, and ultimately another set of eyes to watch his back was always a comfort he took for granted. Now, riding alone with the two horses into the town, he couldn’t help feeling that every eye was upon him and enemies that he didn’t even know about were lurking between each alley and within every shadow.

The paranoia was sweeping him lightly, making his gaze shift that much faster and his expression that much firmer. Even as he noticed that no one paid him any particular attention that he noticed, he still couldn’t help feeling that things weren’t right. When he also considered that he had been betrayed so ruthlessly a few years ago, it all made a lot more sense for his concern and he comforted his mind in that realization. He was simply being paranoid because of one bad experience. Everything would be fine here, he told himself.

The purchase of the cart went along smoothly. As nice as a carriage would be, he needed a flatbed cart to haul the supplies that he came to collect. A carriage simply wouldn’t do for that purpose. Windel also duly noted that the money he brought wouldn’t be enough to cover a proper carriage and everything else he needed anyway. Even though it was an annoying truth, it did lend some comfort in leaving him unable to make the choice between his comfort and the necessity.

The two horses were hitched up to the new cart and the next stop was to the county hall. The ride on the cart was much smoother than on the horse. While the suspension did little to counter the bumpiness of the dirt roadways, it was far more comfortable than on horseback. Between not having to spread his legs wide at an awkward angle to get himself mounted on the horse and the consistent shifting that forced his muscles to work hard to steady himself, horseback was far from comfortable for him. At least on the cart he could sit normally.

Windel took a moment to look up to the sky as he stopped the cart before the county hall. The sun was now starting to fall toward the horizon and it wouldn’t be long before it nestled itself into the landscape. The day was simply going by too fast and he had so many things he needed to do. The feeling of pressure to perform was getting to him now. He had always been able to work hard and fast as needed, but the effects of three years of confinement were starting to show. He wasn’t at full strength and being alone here left him feeling slightly paralyzed. He found himself wanting to hunt down Alice and have her accompany him, but at the same time she’d serve no true purpose. The paranoia that rang in his mind fought with his logical process. The battle of will finally won out in logic as he slid off the seat of the cart and walked to the entrance.

An hour later, Windel found himself outside the general store, several new indentured servants grouped up with him. He reminded himself that Alice currently had the notepad with him, but the knowledge that she’d show up any time now comforted him. He decided to order what he could off the top of his head, leading the men in his party to start loading while the women and few children stood by watching or chatting to one another.

Anger started to build as he looked toward the sky, wondering if Alice would show up soon or not. He needed her here now and was convinced she was late. It was a reminder for him to purchase a pocket watch, an item he longed to own once again, and the trip to a jeweler’s simply wasn’t viable until she came back. Alice’s lack of return was also holding up other important business he needed to complete today. It made him wonder where the girl was.

The sight of the steamboat in the distance was impressive for Alice, but as Roderick led her through the town to the docks, she found herself captivated by the docked ships. “That right there is a corvette,” Roderick said, motioning with his cane toward a tall mast ship with a shallow hull. “And there is a sloop.” His cane fell toward a much smaller ship. “Both of those are great for docking here because of the shallow waters around the coast. You won’t see any ship of the line or some other warship here, though. They would run up and be scuttled!” The older man smiled as he looked toward Alice.

The two walked along the wooden system of piers, Roderick motioning toward one ship in particular. “You will, however, see these beauties.” He had her look toward a slightly larger ship. “It’s a brigantine. You can tell because of the square sails.”

Alice honestly couldn’t see the resemblance that any of the ship classes carried. They all looked different in many ways, but at the same time were all the same. She considered that she rarely had seen any ships, allowing her an excuse about the matter, but she wasn’t about to tell this man that she had no clue what he was talking about. Instead she opted for gentle nods and soft coos of approval.

She had settled her hold of his arm to just her one hand after some time, the notepad firmly held in the other against her side. The two of them had already spent some time in town where they had lunch together while he explained what he did. From what she gathered, he was a merchant. Or perhaps some sort of dealer in some product that she missed the name of. He spoke quickly and with plenty of jargon about his trade and it made it difficult for her to catch on. She made sure to give the appropriate smiles and nods as he spoke, but made no effort to clarify any of his points. It simply wouldn’t be right. She also felt uncomfortable trying to understand too much of what he offered anyway. It simply wasn’t a matter for a lady, much less a servant.

As charming as Roderick was in his mannerisms and the enthusiasm he had for everything he talked about, Alice was mildly put off by a few aspects of his character. She did find his age, or at least how old she thought he was, to be desirable, but he didn’t seem to act like a responsible man of stature that was late in his life. He also seemed painfully oblivious about how little she knew of what he spoke of and how uncomfortable she was hearing talk about things she knew nothing about. Even still, she felt it was only right to let the man speak.

As a sort of reward, he allowed her some time in a tailor shop. At one point she even had the chance to try on another dress, which she proudly modeled for him before taking a look at herself in the mirror provided. It almost felt like he was going to purchase the dress for her, a gift that she would say she couldn’t accept, but surely he’d insist she take it and she’d guiltily be thrilled at the gift. However the offer never came and as she changed back into her own dress, she felt a little bit of disappointment, which she admitted to herself was unfounded. If he had bought her something, she would be expected to start a courtship. At least that’s how she understood it. That was something else she found herself unable to provide, as much as she realized she would enjoy that with him.

Now as they walked along the dock, she was being led to the brigantine he motioned toward earlier. It was a ship of similar size to those nearby with the hull rising slightly higher than many. The masts rose into the sky, making Alice look up and feel almost dizzy thinking about how tall it was. The idea of climbing up to the top and looking down sounded fantastic, but also scared her. What hope could she have of surviving such a fall? There was comfort in knowing she wouldn’t do such a thing anyway. If nothing else, she could state her dress wouldn’t allow it and she was by no means going to wear pantaloons and behave like anything but the lady she was mistaken to be!

“I forgot to mention. This is also my ship. One of my ships,” Roderick said with a grin. He was motioning for her to walk ahead of him now, leading toward the ship. She found herself starting to hesitate and worry now.

“Oh, sir I mustn’t!” she found herself suddenly tossing out, spinning around to face him just a few steps from the gangplank. Her mind was now racing with her responsibility to Windel and a mild settling of fear that this man wouldn’t let her go back now.

“Go on,” Roderick stated mildly, a smile on his face that was still friendly. “You’ll be just fine.” He stepped closer to her, taking his free hand and lightly grasping her arm and forcing her forward.

Panic was starting to eat away at Alice’s stomach and fear led her to doing as she was told. She tucked the notepad under one arm and used both hands to lift her dress slightly, slowly taking each step up the gangplank. She wanted to turn away. She wanted to just tell him no and head back to town and to Windel and do as her master commanded. It was now that she was starting to feel as if she was betraying him. A sinking feeling was carrying itself in the pit of her stomach, reminding her of her duties that she was now abandoning. Each step took her further and further from her tasks and she felt as if her world was being torn apart.

“Be careful now. You don’t want to fall into the ocean.” The encouraging words ended up making her fears dissolve, replaced by the reality of potentially falling into the water. She wasn’t sure if drowning was real or not. She had never swum in her life and it seemed so simple from what she’d heard. And surely if she did slip, he’d rescue her. That would leave little room for saving her dress, which would likely be ruined. She looked down to the water shifting lazily below her. It looked so dark and she was certain there was plenty of filth that would cling to the material of her dress.

Carefully she continued up, finally stepping foot on deck. She took a few steps forward, feeling the ground under her rock ever so slightly as she turned around and watched Roderick join her a few seconds after. Now on the ship, she wasn’t sure what to do. “See? Perfectly safe. Come along and I’ll show you around.”

She had a feeling that it was less an invitation than it was a command and she obliged him, fearful of what might happen if she refused, even if nothing about his nature was threatening. As he motioned her toward a doorway, she walked to it and opened it.

A tour of the inside of the ship followed. Roderick continued to have her lead while he instructed or pointed out where to go. A few of the crew were present on the ship and grinned toward the pair as they passed. The looks made Alice even more uncomfortable and she found herself averting her eyes away from everyone. She wanted to leave now.

“Mr. Sampel. I’m afraid I must go now,” she finally managed to state, still in front of him with her back to him. She felt his breath on her neck suddenly as well as the feeling of his untamed beard brush against her shoulder and a chill ran up her spine.

“But there’s just one more room I wish to show you. Then I’ll be happy.”

Alice felt herself on the verge of crying, but couldn’t place exactly why. Her request to leave had effectively been denied, at least for now, but she found herself convinced that she wasn’t safe. She felt his hand press against the small of her back now and she instinctively stepped forward. His cane slid up ahead of her and tapped on the door to the right. She opened it and he pressed his hand against her back again. As she obediently took a few steps forward, he closed the door. It was the only door he closed behind them and now she felt she was doomed.

The sound of his steps behind her made her freeze in place in the middle of the room. She could see a bed ahead of her and the thoughts that flowed through her mind both frightened her as well as excited her. She couldn’t deny that she found herself aroused from the circumstance she was in, but her mind was screaming for her to leave before things went wrong. Her body refused to listen.

The notepad had moved to both of her hands in the same way she held it when they met, except now she gripped the paper firmly between her fingers, her thumbs starting to ache slightly from the pressure. The pressure from his eyes was bearing down on her and her nerves were burning, anxious to either feel something or do something. In her state, she found no way to move and was expectant of his touch.

“This is my room when I so wish to take a voyage,” his words came warmly, calmly. He didn’t seem to have any concern or worry about what she felt. “I rarely travel any more. So much business to handle here and can’t trust these fools to handle anything for me.” He walked in front of her then, tapping his cane on the wooden planks below his feet. “I would offer you a ride up the coast, but it’s not as pleasant of a trip as it sounds. The waves are constantly rocking the boat and it’s simply too rough of a ride for a lady to have to experience out of leisure. You may well find yourself ill before the first night.” He gave a laugh then and Alice found herself relaxing.

“Come now. Let’s get you back outside. You’ve done as I asked of you and hopefully you’ll join me again.” As if she had agreed to the idea, he was taking the lead and walking to the door. He pulled it open and was heading out. Alice stood there a moment, completely lost in a sea of emotions. The disappointment of being rejected any sensual touch took over her emotions, at the same time elation at not having such a disastrous event occur also crashed through her mind. Guilt at her desires and indecision gripped at her heart which had been pounding furiously in her chest. She clutched the notepad to her breasts, squeezing it tightly while she tried to still her emotions and desires. A few seconds later she was rushing out the door, trying to catch up to Roderick.



“Master Soler!” Windel spun around and watched Alice rushing toward him. She was swinging the notepad in one hand as she ran up, a worried look on her face. Her hair was starting to look frizzy and disheveled and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Windel sighed as he climbed down from the cart, letting the other men continue moving the crates and barrels.

“You’re late.” His cold gaze locked on her as she found herself huffing, trying to catch her breath. He stood before her, waiting for an explanation.

“I’m so sorry, master,” she forced out between deep breaths. It was obvious she had been running. “Please forgive me. I lost track of the time.”

Windel wordlessly held a hand out and Alice offered the notepad. He grasped it from her forcefully and opened it up, looking at the list. Sure enough he missed several things and he immediately went to the entrance of the shop, giving no instructions to Alice who stood where he left her without daring to move. As he disappeared through the doorway, she looked toward the cart and the people nearby. It was clear that they would all return back to the estate with this cart. She felt a little sorrowful for many reasons, but the worst of them being that she was not going to be inside a carriage. Her day as a lady was ending and it was going to be terribly lacking in the pleasurable finish she hoped for.

Windel had the finishing details handled and he paid for the remaining items. The cart was being loaded per his instructions and seeing that everything was moving steadily, he headed back to Alice who had moved to standing beside the cart, but away from the other women.

“Now remember, you’re above the rest of them. Act like it. Take charge. When I am not available to handle matters, you’re my voice. Do you understand?”

Alice found herself both proud and fearful. She had never been the person to take responsibility over others and now she was being thrust into it. “Yes. Of course, master.” The reply was hesitant, but clear.

Nodding his approval, Windel turned from her. “I’ll return in a few minutes. Make sure the cart is loaded,” and he was instantly walking down the roadway in a rush.

It was a final matter that Windel wanted to handle in town today. He quietly made his way into the central plaza where several market stands were setup, most of which included food stuffs, but a few were hawking wares of other origins. One in particular caught his eye. He was amazed it was still here and the man who was in the stall was also a familiar sight.

“Elijah. So it seems we meet again.” Windel came up to the stall and his words brought the man’s attention to him. At first an expression of fear filled the face of the man behind the stall, then of shock.

“My God, Mr. Soler?” The words cut through the air between them, the clear surprise found in his behavior and his voice. “Sir, I haven’t seen you in years! Where have you been?”

“That’s something I’d like to find out.” Windel stated, setting a hand flat on the stall’s surface. “I see you’re still in business beyond my absence and the collapse of my trade. Where is all of this from?” Windel motioned with his other hand at the vegetables and fruits across the counter top. In the past he had always focused on cash crops and a small amount of food for an emergency measure. Now it seemed that Elijah had found a new supplier.

“Please, Mr. Soler. Understand that I had-“

“Enough!” Windel’s fist pounded the surface, causing several of the shallow crates to bounce. “Just tell me where this is all from. I’m not here to close you down, but I expect you to sell my products again once I have a supply.”

“Of course, sir! This is all from Charles Patterson’s farm.” Elijah had his hands up in the air as if to submit to any punishment brought forward. Windel sighed and motioned him to regain his composure.

“How long have you been selling for them?”

Elijah hesitated and Windel watched his behavior. He was nervous, as he should be at this point, but there seemed to be more to the matter. “It started almost immediately after you were gone. About a month after. My stocks were short, you were gone, and for some reason there seemed to be nothing from your plantation. Mr. Patterson noticed my small selection left and offered to help. I had to oblige him, you understand? I couldn’t just go on without-“

“Stop.” Windel stood straight again, turning from Elijah. “Like I said, I don’t need your excuses. I’ll be in touch.”

The matter now bounced around in Windel’s mind as he walked back toward the cart. The situation involving Charles Patterson was already uncomfortable, but now the whole matter was becoming deeply suspicious. He was in no position to make any claims or point any fingers, but it was becoming very clear that Charles knew something and likely did something all those years ago.

It all worked out perfectly as well. With Windel in a position to pounce on the market share that the Patterson farm held, it was a great idea to have him eliminated or removed to preserve the Patterson estate. It was a move Windel was not interested in, but the old man couldn’t have known that. The whole matter made him feel sick. Besides the matter of being betrayed, he had the concern of needing to confront Mr. Patterson and find out what he knew and how he was involved. The time wasn’t right for that, yet. He needed something to go on that was more solid and he needed some backup. He started to formulate a plan to take care of the matter, but was interrupted from the consideration as he made his way back to the cart.

It was now loaded and the servants were all milling about nearby. Windel motioned a hand toward the cart. “Hop on in, everyone. We’re leaving.” The small crowd gathered into the cart and several sat on the back edge, squeezing in. It wouldn’t be a comfortable ride back to the estate for them, but he imagined there were rarely any comfortable rides found for their like.

“Alice, up top with me,” he said as she was about to climb into the back of the cart as well. “Go on,” he followed up as she hesitated. She took a quick glance at his eyes then did as she was told, assuming the seat beside the driver.

Satisfied that everything was taken care of, Windel climbed into the cart, took the reins, and started them off. The sun was already setting and it was clear that it would be nightfall before they even made it halfway back home.

 

[Firm Master]

Chapter 5

“I’m not at all happy about you being so late today.”

The words cut through the quiet air as Windel kept his eyes forward, Alice bringing her own gaze downward. The matter was serious to her, but she knew she had done wrong and felt herself ashamed of having such enjoyment when there was so much importance on her being at his side.

“Please don’t be mad at me, master. I never intended to disobey you.”

“And yet you ended up coming late anyway. The means don’t justify the ends.”

“Of course, master.” She raised her eyes toward him, not getting a glance returned to her. It made her feel isolated now. The one man in the world she’d give everything for was now denying her any place in his world at the moment. At least she felt as much. It made her want to cry and reach for him, take his hand in her hands and beg his forgiveness. She knew better, though. Between the facts that it would change nothing now and that it would be making a scene in front of others, she couldn’t do that to him. “I promise I will be more mindful of your orders in the future.”

As he gave no response, she let herself dwell on the issue. Only a few hours ago she was living the happiest day of her life: A man was treating her like a belle and her ingenuous nature grasped at it desperately. Even now, beyond the guilt that welled in her chest, she could recall vividly how pleasant the man was to him. She was being pampered and placed on a pedestal and it was exactly as she had imagined a lady would experience. Even near the end where she felt certain the man was going to make her feel closer to a brothel tramp, she was still being treated above her station and she craved to feel it once more. She knew it was something that Windel would not be providing her, which made her feel a little bothered.

The dull red sky to their right was giving way to the night as the sun straddled the distant hills of the horizon far off to the left. The north bound ride was going to be about the same temperature as their trip to town, but with the darkness approaching, it would cool down soon enough.

“Are you tired?”

Alice looked up to Windel who continued to keep his eyes straight ahead. She found herself noticing she was feeling some fatigue and she nodded, giving a light hum in agreement. “I can stay awake with you, master.”

“You should rest. When we get back, I’m going to need you to take care of getting a dinner ready. Nothing special. Just something to get everyone sated and into bed for the night.” He paused. “I’ll get them settled in and then you’ll join me in my chambers.”

Windel’s last sentence caught in Alice’s ears and she turned her gaze away, a light blush forming. “Are you sure? It might be best if I watched the children.”

“The others can watch them. They’ll need to learn to get along with the adults at some point anyway. It’ll be fine. You’re with me tonight.”

Alice could feel a wave of both concern and arousal overtaking her. It was obvious what he was referring to and she didn’t have to ask. The failure of last night for him to have his relief was clearly meant to be handled tonight and she wasn’t about to refuse him. She reminded herself once more that it wasn’t at all a requirement of her service, but she couldn’t deny the attraction she found for him. She also couldn’t deny the feeling she found within herself now, aching to have a man’s intimate touch once again.

“O-of course, master,” she stammered, her eyes moving to her lap and her hand playing with the material of her sleeve. She found herself suddenly nervous and for a good reason. It wasn’t clear to her how to react with such an obvious situation, but knowing that tonight was going to go in a way she was happy with made her feel giddy.



Alice had dozed off not long after the exchange and Windel could feel his own exhaustion grasping at his eyelids. He wanted to close his eyes, just for a moment, but knew that they wouldn’t come back open if he gave in. The night was fast enveloping them and he could hear light snoring in the back of the cart. He took a glance toward Alice as she shifted in her seat and felt her brush against his arm. She was still out of it, but it was clear she had moved over toward him.

He let his mind wander away from the matter and let himself focus more on business matters. The contact with Elijah both bothered and excited Windel. His empire hadn’t completely been wiped away, which gave him hope that he could get his old connections back easily. On the other hand, just like Elijah, many would have moved on to other prospects by this time, if they were even around. He would need to do some persuading and hope their ventures were not more profitable than what he had offered in the past. Then again, cash crops were rarely outdone in profits.

The comfort of that fact was disrupted by his concerns about the Patterson farm. Charles clearly had some hand in Windel’s disappearance. The question that haunted Windel was just how deep was the connection? As much as removal of Windel would work out nicely for the Patterson’s future, it was so risky that he didn’t believe they would put both feet in over his potential death. The two families had always had an amicable relationship anyway. It wasn’t as pleasant after his father’s death, but the fact that Windel’s father did do some serious favors for the Pattersons said a lot. That left little comfort for Windel as he noted how unfavorable Charles was with him. Perhaps the days of allegiance were long over.

Windel knew that Charles wasn’t the man behind everything that befell him anyway. It begged the question of just how deep the conspiracy against Windel’s life was. Just how many people sought his death? Just how many people were involved in the attempt? In the end, who thought it was worth keeping him alive and keeping him chained up like a common slave for those years instead of killing him?

His thoughts were disrupted as he felt weight land against his arm. Looking over, he found Alice snuggling against his arm now, leaning well against him. Beyond his intentions, a smile formed on his lips. He could see her face buried against the sleeve of his coat and felt her arms wrap around his waist. For a moment, he almost felt as if the girl loved him, but it was a foolish idea. She was his servant and was simply making herself comfortable by moving close to him. Any warm body would do. Even from there, supposing there were some feelings for him, there was no place for her on his arm. She was a lower breed and didn’t have the blood to be his bride.
She did feel comfortable, however. The soft features of her face, arms, and breasts against him were pleasant and he wasn’t about to push her away. He made an effort to keep the closer arm to her steady so as not to disturb her. He then continued on his thoughts, considering all of those he’d held in the past. He would need to find out who was against him and, more importantly, who supported him.

The still of the night kept Windel awake. Mild fear gripped at him now as he realized that there were no weapons to defend him here. The idea of even carrying a firearm or sword was lost to him this whole time and now that he felt they were exposed and in potential danger, it made him feel disgusted about the matter.

He spent a lot of effort peering into the dark, watching for stray movements. The noise of the horses huffing on occasion, the wheels creaking along, and the steady dull clap of hooves all prevented him from listening for sounds. The years locked away allowed him plenty of time to develop his hearing and differentiate sounds, but it did little when further noises would be drowned out.

The realization of little bandit activity in these parts did little to still his mind. There was plenty for a young man with combat desires to do the last few years and so bandits were rare. Up north, the fight with the savages drew plenty of the foolish. To the south, the exchange of Florida to Spain was leading to turmoil, a matter that helped Windel’s escape in the first place.

The thought about his escape tugged at him now. He wasn’t concerned about being sought after. He knew that he was not a recorded slave, but with the change to Spanish rule, there were far too many issues for the residents and land owners to be worried about than to find an undocumented man. Even if they did find him, they would have no legal measures to detain him. That much was comforting, but the fact that he had experienced it once and could possibly do so again if he were captured like he was on that fateful afternoon three years ago did little to make him feel safe.

His mind wandered away from that topic. He was starting to recall a few years ago. The jerk of motion beside him and the sight of his assistant slumping forward, his eyes filled with shock as they looked toward Windel. The way he seemed so desperate to get an answer as to what happened to him before Windel looked up to find several men had ambushed their carriage and he was promptly knocked out a few moments later.

Coming back to reality, his eyes continued to scan the shadowy landscape. The moon lent little light now, giving the world a light grey tint. There was no way he would allow himself to be knocked out and awaken to chains on his wrists and ankles again. He’d fight to the death before allowing that to happen.

It wasn’t long before he could see the estate in the distance, its silhouette teasing him. He was anxious for many things now: For rest, for the sexual release with Alice that he missed the night before, and to get the new day started. It all felt as if he was overtaken with task after task and in every regard it was true. Where one duty was completed, another would follow. It made him wonder if he’d ever catch up on matters, but then he reminded himself that he hadn’t been back for 24 hours yet and he was already feeling he was taking too long. Compared to where he stood a month ago, this was a mountain of advantage.

As the cart rode up to the estate, Windel nudged Alice, who was still clinging to him. “We’re here.” He felt her stir then jerk up and scoot from him. He turned his head away to not let her see the smile on his face, holding back a laugh. “Go ahead and get dinner started. I’ll have one of the women help you while I get the rest handled.”
Alice shifted to sitting upright and nodded groggily. The cart came to a stop and she climbed down, ready to do as he bid her to.

The cart was driven to near the stalls, the horses put away and fed, and the servants were all shown their residences for their stay. There were two large rooms for the servants, one for each gender. Along the walls of both were several beds and appropriate dressers and stands, allowing each to have their own belongings stored away. With Windel finished giving the basics, he told them to meet in the servant’s dining room in a few minutes to eat then they were to head to bed and be ready for the morning.

Alice had finished preparing a simple meal with the help of a young woman of about 15 years. Alice found herself becoming friends quickly with this girl, who stated her name was Susan Teller, and the two were quick to share their histories. It made Alice feel wonderful to find someone to talk to at the estate again. She recalled growing distant with everyone after Windel disappeared years ago and the servants at the Patterson farm were never quite as friendly as they could be. Here she found someone that made her feel happy and comfortable to gossip with.

As Windel entered the kitchen, Alice instantly found herself embarrassed. The dinner was nearly ready, but felt she could have been quicker. She also found herself recalling his words and wanting to watch the friendship she was building. It made her wonder how Windel handled the matter. He was not friendly with her like she was with Susan. He had no one else to talk to and it was a mystery to her as to what secrets he would be surely carrying and would never mention to her.

“They’re ready for you. Make me a plate as well, Alice. I’ll be in my study.” Alice nodded toward him and he was already leaving before she had a chance to show her acknowledgment. As cold as the gesture seemed, there was a sense of worry in her now. He was distant because he had no one. She was sure of it and wanted to be that person he needed. She felt herself take up a resolve to do just that as the two women worked to get everyone else fed.

Alice found Windel in his study, a plate in one hand and a glass of water in the other. He was sat down at his desk, papers spread out over the surface and a quill in hand, marking here and there on the sheets. “Master,” she said, walking closer and looking for a spot to place the food, “I’ve brought your dinner.”

Without looking up from his work, Windel pushed some papers to the side, forming a sloppy pile in the corner and motioned to the open spot. Alice set the items down as Windel continued his work. She was unable to see the writing clearly from where she was standing, having never learned to read well enough to do so upside down, but they all looked important.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Windel stopped his writing and looked up a little dazed looking. “Is there…” He seemed almost lost by her statement for a moment, then his eyes snapped wider and then calmed again. “Oh, no. Just make sure everyone else gets to their rooms and then come to mine. Make yourself comfortable. I won’t be long.”

Alice nodded and made her way downstairs again, anxious to eat herself. She had made her own plate, but left it in the kitchen. She found herself eating alone there, not wanting to join the rest of the servants. Something felt wrong about the idea. She was above them, just like he said, but she was below him. Effectively she felt alone and she also felt she had violated her position by socializing so openly with Susan. It was tempting to state that she would not do that any longer, but it would be a lie. There was no way for her to simply push away that desire. She needed someone to talk to and now that she had a taste of it again, it’d be hard to wean her from it again.

A few minutes later she was placing the plate beside the sink and heading to the servant’s dining area. Most of the new faces were still at the table, chatting away with their plates emptied. Alice spotted Susan looking at her and she motioned her over. When the girl came close, Alice told her to get the dishes together and bring them into the kitchen. She also motioned another woman to come and told her to wash them. They both agreed to their duties quickly and without question. Alice felt herself excited about what she had done, noting how there was no resistance to her words and that she felt she had control over them. The taste of power felt odd to carry, but she enjoyed it, even though it was hard to get comfortable with.

She allowed the rest of them to remain in the room until the dishes were washed and then she moved toward one end of the table. “I know you’re all excited to be here.” A small chuckle came from one of the men at the comment and it made her smile beyond how she wanted to come across. “But it’s time for bed. Master Soler –“ Alice felt herself hesitate a moment, worried that she shouldn’t be calling him master at this point, but figured it was the best title and if it was an issue, she could write it off as giving a name for them to take. “Master Soler expects everyone to be ready to work tomorrow morning. So get some rest.”

There was light muttering made, but everyone got up and made their way to their separate rooms, chatting amongst one another warmly as they did so. Alice was feeling wonderful about how well they were taking to be instructed from her. She was starting to wonder why those in charge complained about how hard it was at times, but she quickly found herself recalling how many arguments could be expected from a crowd. It made her worried to think she would have to handle someone who was mad, especially mad at her, and to consider taking charge or facing problems from it.

With the dining hall now cleared except for her, Alice headed back upstairs. She passed by the study, tempted to peek in, but the door was closed and she didn’t want to disturb Windel with the sound. Instead she did as she was instructed, walking straight to his chambers.

He had told her to get comfortable and knew what he meant by it. She carefully removed her dress, putting it away and noting that it would need to be washed before Sunday, starting to work on her petticoats and corset. It wasn’t long before she was in just her chemise and with a mild hesitation she removed it and let it fall to the floor on the far side of his bed.

She found herself wanting to bathe before he came in, but felt it would be too long. Instead she opted to taking a cloth, dipping it in a bucket of water that was now room temperature from sitting all day, and started to rub it across her skin where she felt it would be the most benefit. The cool water made her hesitate with each stroke, and her nipples responded to the open air and cold touch. She could feel goose bumps across her whole body and beyond the discomfort of being cold she welcomed the feeling of exposure. A guilty desire to be caught cleaning herself by Windel brought a warmth between her legs and to her face, but she wouldn’t dare do such a thing on purpose.

Feeling refreshed, she set the cloth on the counter and slipped under the sheets. Once again she was keenly aware of how comfortable the bed was and how wonderful his sheets felt against her bare skin. She smiled as she worked to cuddle up into the pillow and warm herself up in the cool sheets. It was still too warm to put on heavier covers, but it was just mild enough to make her shiver slightly while she shifted about to warm herself.

Windel soon came in, his eyes quickly landing on the sight of Alice curled up in his bed. He held back a smile as he moved to beside the bed and sat on the edge, removing his boots. As he did so, Alice rolled over and found his back to her. She looked the sight of him now, his coat having been removed and left on his chair in the study, leaving him still dressed in his vest, shirt, and slacks. As he leaned forward to undo his boots, her hand came up and touched his back gently. She was finding herself anxious for his touch.

She watched as Windel continued to remove his boots, socks, and then began working on unbuttoning his vest. Her hand continued to rub along his back, much less gingerly than before. She was making it obvious of what she was doing and he made no motion to deny her. As his vest came undone, she slid herself out of the sheets and to kneeling behind him on the bed, helping to pull the vest off of him. He paused and moved his arms to allow her the help and the worked on his buttons.

Feeling emboldened by his acceptance, she slid her hands around him, trying to work on his buttons as well. She had never noticed that the buttons on his shirt were opposite of her own clothing and she was having trouble helping because of it. After only two buttons undone, he was nearly done with the rest and instead she let her hands slide up to his chest, her own body moving to press against his back. She slid her fingers under the shirt’s material, feeling his chest and the light field of hair there with her fingers and palms.

Windel soon had the buttons all undone and Alice volunteered to grab his shirt and pull it off. He stopped her, and she hesitated, worried that her advancements were too much, but it was clear he was undoing the cuffs. Once done, he spread his arms out slightly and she took the hint to continue, wordlessly pulling his long sleeve shirt off.

Now with him half nude, she found herself against his back again, her breath catching in her throat at the anxious hunger she had for him. She found herself pressing her breasts against his back, the feeling of his warm skin against her own, his firm muscles and shoulder blades arousing her nipples to attention far more than the cool sheets had. They ached mildly, anxious for so much more attention, but he her only recourse was to press herself harder against him. Her hands were at his sides, lightly tugging at him.

She hesitated a moment as Windel sat there. She felt her heart pounding as she reached to his belt. She awkwardly pulled it over, unhooked it, and slid the length from the clasp. He wasn’t rejecting her actions and she was becoming more and more anxious.

She found herself amazed as she then reached down to his pants and undid the buttons before she slid her hand inside and found his already erect manhood. In her mind, she imaged what it looked like, desperate to feel it and see it now. She found herself leaning down on him, her breasts pressed into his lower back as she snaked her fingers into his pants and wrapped around his member. The angle made it awkward for her to experience him, but she wasn’t about to stop now because of that.

Windel, however, was not as satisfied about the matter and gently pressed her away, standing up to remove his pants and then turning around for her to have a clear sight, and clear reach, of his cock. His rod stood at attention toward her, pointing directly at her face and she took it as an invitation to reach other and stroke him lightly. The touch was inexperienced and too light for Windel’s taste, but he felt she’d learn what to do soon enough, letting her do as she pleased for now.

It wasn’t long before she had one hand wrapped around his member, the other sliding along his stomach and then down to his testicles, gently running her finger tips along every surface she could. She was fascinated at the feeling and the sight of him. She didn’t recall much about her first partner any more, but she was convinced that his manhood wasn’t as nice as Windel’s. With that idea in mind, she found herself with the idea of sucking on his cock and her face turned red.

With Windel not making any movement away from her, she felt she was given a chance to do as she liked and the curiosity of tasting him was overcoming her. She had never had a penis in her mouth and it was exciting to finally try it. She looked up toward Windel who was watching her and then, smiling to herself for a moment she moved her head forward and slid the tip into her mouth.

The salty, pungent flavor of him instantly invaded her tongue and she found it very arousing. She had enjoyed the way he smelled on the multiple times she’d been able to get close to him, but now that she could taste his member, it made her anxiously work to lick at his tip, then slide it out and lick all along the bottom of his length. She felt that she looked like a woman possessed as she did so, but she wasn’t in the mood for caring how she looked. Her desires were burning inside her and the taste he gave off was making her desperate for him. The light scent there was also grasping at her desires, bringing her to hungrily slide him back into her mouth and suck on him further.

As she started to bring more of him into her mouth, he could hear Windel give a throaty, deep moan. It was low and quiet, but unmistakable. She knew it was out of pleasure and it made her deeply happy. She was doing something that he thoroughly enjoyed and she was thrilled by the experience. There was nothing to be unhappy about, taking more and more of his length into her mouth. She scarcely noticed her own moans as she worked on him, unknowingly allowing him the pleasure of the slight vibrations from her mouth.

She was happy until she felt his tip touch the back of her throat and she felt herself gag in reflex. She pulled back, surprised and annoyed at her own self for it. It made her unhappy to have such a result where she couldn’t take his whole manhood into her mouth, but she accepted it quickly, moving back to licking at the tip.

Windel was happy with how well she adapted to the actions, although he was becoming more interested in getting pure pleasure than for her to demonstrate her eagerness to please him. The light licks, the gentle sucking, and the scarce touch of her lips with the ever present feeling of her teeth brushing against him were doing little to physically pleasure him.

“Don’t use your teeth,” he said, watching her look up hesitantly and instantly feeling her shift her lips to compensate. “Suck harder,” he commanded and she obliged, at first hesitant about doing things wrong, but she was quick to do as she was told. It was starting to feel better, but she was quickly becoming hesitant. He felt the brush of her teeth again and knew she must already be getting tired. He’d been with enough women to know the signs.

Alice felt Windel slide his fingers into her hair, the pleasant sensation of her hair shifting about flowing over her scalp. At the same time, she felt a hint of worry and it was for good reason as he grasped her hair and carefully pulled her head back. As her lips separated from his cock, a thin streak of saliva connecting the two for a moment, she felt like she had done something wrong and averted her eyes, waiting to be punished. She was too bold with her actions, she realized. He was going to hit her.

The strike never came. Instead she felt his other hand press against her side. She looked up and noticed he was trying to have her move over. She obliged and then she felt his hands work to position her. First he turned her around. Then she was pushed forward. Then he lifted her hips up so she had her butt in the air toward him. She found herself resting her head downward on the bed, slightly uncomfortable and then felt his hands grasp either side of her hips.

The bed shifted behind her and she felt his legs touch her own, which were already parted. Another moment and she felt something brush her ass, then her pussy. A loud crack then a slight sting came from her bottom and she cried out, finding herself deeply aroused by the action. Another stinging crack against her other cheek and then she felt his fingers slide into her slit, her fluids giving him ample ease of access. As he pressed two fingers into her, she gave a high pitch moan and felt a single streak of her juices slide down her inner thigh. Even if she were to cry out that she didn’t want this, her body told a completely different story.

His fingers thrust into her a few times, making her gasp for air each time and give out a moan that she couldn’t stifle. She found herself pressing her mouth to the bed, trying to keep quiet, but it did little to help. She quickly reached over to a pillow and slid it under her head before he was moaning into it at each movement. She found it easy to breath and comfortable with the pillow there, making her happy that she moved it.

His fingers retreated from her and she felt herself concerned again. A moment of worry that moving the pillow was an issue took over her and just as she raised her head up and looked over her shoulder back at him, the flow of her hair now collected over one shoulder, she felt his cock press against her entrance and it slipped right in. She was amazed at how little her body resisted him, making her stretch her long untouched walls for him. There was a mild sting felt with the stretching, but the amount of pleasure easily overtook the pain.

She felt him pull out slightly, then press back in, both movements leading her to express another desire filled moan. He went a little further in, then back out. Then in again, this time she felt the touch of his lower abdomen against her ass and the associated pleasure of the contact added with their already sensual bonding. He moved out again, and once more into her, this time she felt him grip her hips tightly and pull hard, thrusting deeply. It went further than she could have imagined anything going inside of her and a discomfort took over the pleasure, making her unhappy for a moment that he pushed so hard.

As the moment passed, she felt him slide out, and then started to rhythmically thrust in and out of her. Moan after stifled moan escaped her lips, her eyes firmly closed as she concentrated on her pleasure, knowing that men found their own whether she enjoyed herself or not. To her surprise, she could feel a wave of pleasure building up inside her abdomen and it seemed to make her feel more and more sensitive to his movements. It felt as if each thrust was adding an extra layer of passion inside her gut and before long she felt it ready to burst.

Under his relentless force, she felt that explosion arrive, her pussy contracting slightly and starting to throb as the pleasure that was harbored in her lower stomach now gushed out of her, sending waves of pleasure and chills all across her body. She felt him continuing to thrust in and out of her, each time making her body cry out in desperation and her own vocal cords did the same, screaming into the pillow with blind desperation and ecstasy.

It was a feeling she had never experienced. Of the few times she’d ever had sex, nothing had been this dramatic for her. She had been given his manhood and in return she unleashed her built up hunger for him. She could feel that she was much wetter than before now and it was becoming a little difficult to feel him between the slick fluids.

Still, there was no mistaking how good it felt to have him in and out of her. His motions were picking up speed now and she felt a hand slide into her hair again and grasp at her roots, pulling her head up. She obliged the motion, bringing herself up onto her hands and rearing her head back. She felt incredibly exposed and used now, which made her feel all the more turned on. Drawing in deep breaths between her moans, she could feel his other hand grasping her waist and he started to pound into her much harder.

The pleasure never stopped for her, instead it subsided slightly after her waves of pleasure, but again it was building up and this time it felt a little different. He was thrusting into her differently now and it was stimulating her in a new fashion. She wasn’t sure where this new stimulation was, but it was definitely somewhere inside her that she wasn’t feeling a moment ago. With this new sensation, she was getting closer and closer to another release.

A few seconds later and she was feeling her whole body seize up from the force of her orgasm, everything felt like it was clenching and then it felt like her vagina was grasping, then loosening, then grasping again. The spasms of pleasure paralyzed her in her position and made her body jerk about against Windel’s movements. She found herself unable to keep control as the sensation made her light headed. He never stopped his movements and she wouldn’t let him if he did. Her fingers dug into the sheets, grasping desperately at them as another scream came out.

As the pleasure started to slip away again, she felt him pull her down onto her side, then roll her on her back. She was scarcely aware of the world around her as she rolled her head back, letting pleasure do as it pleased with her. As well as letting Windel continue to have his way with her. As it were, the pleasure was deeply mutual, at least assuming he was enjoying it all.

She let her eyes close and raised her chin up, feeling sexy as she felt herself expose as much of herself to Windel as she could. The sensation of his touch and sex was one thing, but knowing he was looking her over with just as much interest to fuck her as she was to opening herself for him made her fly over the edge.

He was still inside her, thrusting away. She felt the sudden touch of his warm breath then his mouth over her left breast, sucking in her nipple and gently grazing his teeth over the sensitive skin. As fearful as she was that it would hurt or he’d bite, it ended up feeling incredible and she instinctively grabbed his head and pulled him closer to her chest. He did as she motioned, making her body jerk with each thrust he continued to give her. It wasn’t long before he pulled his head away and he gave his own deep moan.

Alice opened her eyes in time to watch him pull out of her and watch his seed shoot from the end of his manhood. She was amazed as the first streak flew past her face into her hair, then another found its way onto her neck. Another and another landed on her, seeming to leave a path toward him: Her chest, stomach, and across her hip and thigh. Each shot that landed on her made her feel happier with herself, knowing that she had done that. That every blast he gave was for her, because of her, demonstrating his desire for her.

A moment later and he was moving away to stand up and head toward the bathroom. She laid there, bathed in his pleasure and warm from her own release. She could feel her face was flush and her heart was desperate to catch up to her body’s demands. She was taking deep breaths, trying to regain her composure, but happiness and satisfaction allowed her to lay there for some time, basking in the experience.

As Windel came back in, she looked toward him and found herself back in reality. She needed to clean herself up. He was looking at her as he came back, a grin on his lips. She couldn’t tell if he liked the sight of her or not as she was, but she felt it proper to get up. She cautiously moved to the edge of the bed under his watchful eye and got up, careful to prevent anything dripping on the floor.

She made her way to the bathroom, finding the cloth she had used earlier and wiping her body off with it. The idea of his seed all across her made her feel marked, loved, wanted. She wanted to keep it on her body, thinking about how he had released upon her. Now, however, she knew it was a little silly and quickly cleaned off the remnants. She shyly allowed herself to wipe a little from her chest and touch it to her lips, tasting the deeply salty fluid. It was a taste that she enjoyed. She’d happily taste him again, she concluded.

Now wiped clean, she set the cloth down again and headed back to the bed. She found Windel already lying down, asleep. She quietly took her place beside him and watched his face for a few moments. He looked terribly peaceful. She imagined that much of his ease was her doing. In that, it made her want to pleasure him further, but it was his decision when that would happen again. It made her anxious as she laid her head down and closed her eyes. She wanted to serve him. Even if it was doing something that wasn’t in her paperwork that she had agreed to.