“Dear, you shall be thankful. The marital duty isn’t pleasant. It will happen soon enough,” assured John’s mother-in-law, Tabitha.
“Mother it’s not that I desire it. I just know in the depths of my soul that something is wrong,” Gayle said woefully.
“What do you think it could be?” Tabitha asked as she gathered her daughter’s hair and began to braid it affectionately.
“I’m not certain. Last night I even presented myself to him. He looked away as if I weren’t even standing there.”
“Never do that again. He’ll think you’re a loose woman. Let him come to you, dear,” Tabitha said as she pinned her daughter’s hair up.
“Mother, it’s been over a month.” Gayle wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “He wasn’t home on our wedding night. He’s gone most of the week, especially late in the evenings. I don’t feel married. I don’t feel I have a husband at all,” sobbed Gayle.
“I suppose I shall have a chat with Master Stewart. Maybe he can shed light on this baffling situation. It will be just fine, dear.” Tabitha kissed the top of her daughter’s head and smiled though deep concern and worry brewed inside her. Later that afternoon, Tabitha told her husband of their daughter’s concerns.
“I’m not certain how to broach this topic except to be frank.” Tabitha said, looking cautiously over her cup of tea.
“Just tell me,” Mr. Douglass stated, looking down at his periodical, slightly annoyed.
“Well, it appears that our son-in-law hasn’t…hasn’t consummated the marriage.” Brief but heavy silence filled the room. Mr. Douglass saw this as quite problematic since grandchildren were a part of the agreed arrangement.
“Come, Tabitha. We’re going to speak to Master Stewart.”
* * *
“Please, do come inside,” Master Stewart stated as he led Mr. and Mrs. Douglass to his elaborate dining room. Tabitha smiled then immediately excused herself to an adjoining room, leaving the men to their discussion. Master Stewart took notice of her departure.
“Please, sit down,” Master Stewart stated with a sincere grin across his weary face.
“John,” Mr. Douglass began, “I wish the terms of my visit were more joyous, however, something rather troubling has come to my attention.” Mr. Douglas held his hat in his hands, perched above his round stomach.
“What seems to be troubling you, William?” Master Stewart asked.
“I’ll cut to the chase. The matter is rather delicate, however.” Mr. Douglass stated, looking cautiously at Master Stewart above his thin-rim glasses.
“William, we’ve known each other for years. We’re now bonded by marriage. I consider Gayle, your wife, and you to be family. Please tell me whatever is necessary so that I may be of possible assistance,” encouraged Master Stewart. Mr. Douglass sighed.
“Your son hasn’t consummated his marriage with my daughter. You and I are both men. I think you know clearly what’s going on here,” Mr. Douglass said, trying to push down his irritation.
“And what might that be?” Master Stewart asked, adjusting himself in his seat.
“Your son is lying with someone else. He must have another woman. This is one of the few benefits of taking a wife – consummation and the steady relations that there follow. Your son is young and virile. He’d been away at war. He was highly sought after. There’s no other explanation. He surely is fulfilling his needs with another woman,” Mr. Douglas said flatly.
“That’s a strong accusation. We have to consider the fact that John doesn’t know Gayle very well and the possibility that there’s another reason. I do agree, however, that it’s puzzling. I’m not certain if it’d be appropriate for me to question him regarding this matter due to its personal nature, but I’ll overstep my bounds this once. I’ll speak to John. Please consider the matter resolved.” He stood up and shook Mr. Douglass’s hand.
“Thank you John. Please enjoy the rest of your day,” Mr. Douglass said nervously as he placed his hat back atop his rounded head. He retrieved his wife, who was eavesdropping, and returned to their homestead.
Master Stewart stood at the door, watching them leave. As soon as they were out of sight, he angrily slammed the front door and raced to his son’s bedroom. John was at the university. Master Stewart ransacked the room, trying to find a scrub of evidence to explain the odd behavior. He cast aside gun parts, periodicals, books, clothing, a hidden bottle of gin, and other irrelevant odds and ends. After coming up empty, he approached Mary who was ironing.
“Mary, I need a word with you,” he said sternly.
“Yes, Master Stewart,” she said as she looked up to face him. Mary studied his facial expression and bit the inside of her cheek. She felt a reprimand coming on.
“Please come this way,” he directed, leading her to the back porch. “Have a seat.”
“Mary, I’m going to ask you a question, and I demand an honest answer.” Master Stewart took a deep breath as he looked into his beloved’s tired eyes.
“Of course, Master Stewart,” Mary said with a bit of sarcasm.
“Do you have any reason to believe that Hannah and John have been spending evening time together?” He exhaled.
“No sir, I don’t.” Mary lied with a straight face, crossing her dark arms defiantly. Master Stewart noticed her wide frown.
“Well something is amiss. I was advised today by Mr. and Mrs. Douglass that my son has been neglecting some of his marital duties as a husband. I don’t know what would cause him to do this other than Hannah. It’s important that you tell me straight away if you learn anything. This must be stopped. I’ve spoken to John and Hannah on numerous occasions, but they may be continuing to disobey. I won’t tolerate it. John has repeatedly defied me these past two years.
“He ain’t a baby no more. We want to keep them babies, but we can’t,” Mary responded.
“There may be truth in that, however, there’s too much at risk for this to continue. If there’s anything happening between the two, I want it to stop immediately, and if it does not, I shall find out, and those involved shall regret it.” Master Stewart walked away, leaving his threat to linger in the air for Mary to taste. She sighed before returning indoors to her ironing. Later that evening, Mary waited for the proper moment, then pulled Hannah aside as she finished up a load of laundry.
“Come up to the room – now!” Mary whispered in her daughter’s ear. Hannah quickly followed her mother, closing the bedroom door and locking it.
“Yes, Mama?”
“Hannah,” Mary looked around as she whispered to her daughter. “You gotta stop seein’ John for a while.”
“Mama, I can’t do that. He’s my husband,” Hannah said with a look of concern on her face. Mary grabbed her daughter by the shoulders roughly.
“You have to! Master Stewart’s very upset. John hasn’t spent no time with his wife! Tell him to stop comin’ to you in the evenin’ and go to his wife more often. He’s got to, or you two will suffer for it!”
Hannah smiled.
“What are you laughin’ at?” Mary demanded, pushing her hand into her ample hip.
“He been tellin’ the truth, Mama. He told me he hasn’t laid with her, and he kept his word.” Hannah smiled wider as she plopped down on her bed, holding the bed sheet close to her chest.
“He kept his word to you alright, but now you both in a heap of trouble! He has to be with her. I’m sorry, but he has to.” Mary swiftly walked away, leaving Hannah in a cloud of unpredicted happy thoughts.
* * *
John showed up at the big tree at their usual time that evening. Its branches sprawled out like a loving grandmother’s arms, welcoming them into her loving fold. This time he brought Hannah a tin of sweet bread and red licorice ropes wrapped delicately in lilac lace.
“Good evening, my dearest Hannah.” John embraced her, kissing her passionately as he held her smooth, feminine body close to his. “I have something for you. Sweets for my sweet.” Hannah smiled as
she took in the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg, making her mouth water.
“Thank you, John,” she said shyly. “Thank you for everything.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead.
“What do you mean?” he asked with a large grin as he slid lazily down onto the uneven blades of grass, bringing her down slowly with him.
“Master Stewart told my Mama that you won’t lay with Gayle. He’s mad.” John’s face suddenly turned serious.
“Mr. Douglas contacted my father?” he asked, his heart rate slightly accelerating.
“I don’t know. I s’pose so. Mama said for us to not meet for a bit, and that you need to be with her to make things right. I don’t want you to, but I understand,” Hannah conceded as she unwrapped a piece of licorice and thoughtfully chewed.
“How dare she,” John uttered under his breath. “How dare Gayle try to force me to be with her by running to her parents regarding such a delicate matter!” John shouted. Hannah watched as her husband stood up, yelling and screaming.
“No one owns me! I’m not a breeder! I’m not Master Stewart’s slave! This is absurd. Does he not have any boundaries? Now his own son is a part of his chess game. I’m my own man! I’ll choose with whom I live my life with. I’ll choose my wife, where I live, where I go, what I eat and do. Gayle isn’t happy having part of the money. She wants all of me, and I never agreed to that. I even told her what she should expect from me. I won’t stand for this!” John screamed. Hannah grabbed his arm.
“John, please calm down! Please!” Hannah leapt up from the ground and hugged him tightly around his neck. He succumbed to her warmth. He held her face tightly in his hands, looked into her eyes, and kissed her once more. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
“I’ll deal with Gayle tomorrow morning. I never agreed to sleep with her – and I refuse.”
John stepped back and removed his clothing rapidly as if it were on fire. He ran towards the water, his naked body against the black canvas of night. His long legs gained momentum then like a fawn running from a predator, he leaped in. Hannah chased after him, unable to catch up. Throwing her pleated dress and stockings on the ground, she continued, her chest heaving. She ran quickly, her thick hair moving in beautiful shapes. She noticed her breasts weighing her down. She could feel them bouncing as she approached the water. As she ran, it seemed that her body came alive, that womanhood tapped her on the shoulder before she reached John. She burst into the water, her eyes closed and hair swaying upwards. The water pushed upward as her petite body moved downward. John swam around expeditiously in the darkness. His arms and fingers felt around in all directions as he found her. He pushed his lips against hers, surfacing like a torpedo with her safe in his strong arms. He shook his head, flinging water in all directions.
“I feel alive!” he screamed and laughed as he flailed about in the warm water. Ripples surrounded him as he watched Hannah bob up and down, her arms gently swaying back and forth. He looked at her and smiled genuinely, as if he were seeing her for the first time. They’d made love only once since that first night. Subsequent evenings were spent sharing treats, drinking liquors, talking, swimming, or picnicking under a blanket of adoring stars.
John felt his desire for her growing as he made his way towards her, taking special interest in her breasts that seemed to be calling him in their direction. To him, they were the perfect topping to her sweet femininity. He loved the way she walked now. He noticed, after he’d returned from the war, how her hips swayed with each seductive step, how her derriere was more rounded and protruded higher. Her once child-like face took on a softer femininity that was crowned by longer tresses of thick, beautiful hair. It was coarse and lovely. He loved the feel of it next to his skin.
Hannah massaged his back with her palm. She smiled sweetly as she saw her soul mate slowly descend upon her. Soon he was holding her tightly around her waist, looking down at her with overwhelming need. He lightly licked her lips with the tip of his moist tongue, then pressed his lips against hers. He continued to kiss her in slow, deep motions. His hands traveled up the side and back of her neck. The sound of water could be heard moving to and fro around their bodies.
John dipped his hand beneath the surface, feeling around until he was softly cupping his beloved’s nether region. He moved his hand back and forth across her love then gently separated her thighs. He shifted downward, becoming eye-level with her as he adjusted himself. He slowly rose, pushing his way inside her, causing her to sigh and dig her moon-crest fingernails into his shoulder blades. He moaned uncontrollably as he made sweet love to her. He held her waist in place as he stimulated her. Hannah held on tightly, closed her eyes, and experienced depths of physical bliss she never imagined existed. He continued to make love to her, kissing her fervently as he slowly twirled inside of her. The slow churn of water glided over their erogenous zones. The more John moved, the more tantalizing the water became as if Hannah were an instrument ready to be plucked. The momentum continued until Hannah became wild-eyed and feverish. Suddenly her eyes flew open. She gasped and arched her back.
“Stop it, John!” she said as she continued to hold on to him, and writhing about.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m going to – go on myself,” Hannah warned.
“We’re already in the water, so it doesn’t make a difference now,” he teased. He held onto her as she gushed. He watched while she screamed and wiggled around in his arms. She gasped repeatedly, a wave of warmth coming over her, intense heat that started at her toes and rose all the way to her breasts. Her genitals throbbed. John grinned at her slyly. He continued moving in the same fashion, savoring what was happening before his eyes. When she was finished, she fell limp in his arms, unable to keep herself afloat in the water any longer. He held her close, still churning slowly inside her as her breathing returned to normal. She opened her eyes and saw him smiling down at her.
“Mama said I wouldn’t like it,” she finally was able to say. “The first time I didn’t, but you were so nice about it, it made it easier. The second time, it was fine, and I thought that’s what it’d be like from there on out. This time, John, I don’t know what happened.” John looked down at her wedding ring, worn on his mother’s necklace, admired it.
“Ladies are raised to be modest and quiet when making love. We’re told as men that ladies don’t enjoy intercourse. In the War, there were women considered unsavory because they had no problem hiding their feelings. It’s just something that – well – isn’t spoken of. There’s nothing wrong with liking it, Hannah.” He gave a mischievous grin and kissed her on her nose.
Hannah smiled and melted as John began to move inside her again. He pulled her legs tightly around his waist as he swayed in the water, gripping her buttocks tightly with each upward thrust. They looked at one another silently, kissing softly every so often. The dim moonlight bathed their entangled bodies.
John felt his mission drawing closer. Hannah held even tighter around him as she recognized the signs now. She closed her eyes and concentrated all of her senses. His smell sent her into overdrive. He breathed erratically as he labored. He buried his hands deeper into the flesh of her perky buttocks as he brought her tightly against him. She felt his desire increase incrementally, culminating with powerful thrusts. His body finally succumbed. John panted heavily before regaining composure. His heart rate descended as he lazily held onto her. He sighed deeply, concentrating on the last of the physical rewards as they left his body. He kissed her warm cheek before taking her hand and leading her to shore. They headed towards the meeting tree where they quickly dried off and dressed, resembling Adam and Eve. He took her hand and ran through the grass, laughing. John started to whistle.
“I’m the happiest man alive!” he screamed joyfully.
“John, hush! You could wake the dead!” Hannah laughed.
They approached Master Stewart’s dimly lit house and grew quiet. He picked her up and carried her up the front steps. He slowly opene
d the door. In their usual manner, they snuck up the creaky stairs. They knew which steps would tell and which ones would keep their secret. Once outside Hannah’s bedroom door, John kissed her.
“I love you, Hannah Stewart,” he said as he opened the door.
“I love you too, John Stewart,” she smiled. She walked over to her bed as John began to close the door. Suddenly a light appeared from the far corner of the room. Hannah, startled, jerked her head and screamed. Mary sat up in bed, confused and dazed. She saw Master Stewart standing in the corner of the room. The burning anger emanating from his eyes filled the room. John quickly swung the door fully open. Master Stewart’s deep, raspy voice reverberated as if amplified a thousand times over.
“John Abraham Stewart, Junior! Damn you!” he yelled. John, without hesitation, walked swiftly up to his father. The two men stared each other down. John grasped the magnitude of the situation at hand.
“I knew it!” Master Stewart bellowed. “I heard you’ve been leaving Gayle alone at night. I went down to the river this evening and witnessed your dirty deeds for myself. I’ve concluded that my son has gone mad! You’re not taking care of home because you’re playing make believe with Hannah. John, you can’t have Hannah, and now you’ve soiled her – you’ve lessened her value. She doesn’t know any better. You, on the other hand, I had more faith in!” Master Stewart’s voice trembled with rage. Hannah raced to her mother’s side, clinging tightly and shaking with fear.
“I was waiting for this,” John said with a crooked grin. “I was waiting for the moment you’d have the nerve to confront me about my private affairs.”
“It’s not a private affair! Hannah is my property! You’re my son! After confirming my worst fears this evening, I’ve made up my mind. I’ve tried to avoid it, but you’ve left me no choice. You’ve neglected your wife, joined the Abolitionist movement, deceived me, and deflowered Hannah. Now you continue to seek her out without my consent. You’ve left me absolutely no choice! I must sell Hannah – tomorrow!” Master Stewart pushed his son aside and grabbed Hannah’s arm. Hannah screamed and twisted, pulling in the opposite direction.
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