CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES Chapter 58 "Tete-a-tete"
This is a story of erotic fiction meant for adult readers over the age of eighteen years
Written by Jean-Christophe: October, 2013 Read all my stories at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Jean-Christophe_Stories
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Chapter 58
Guy:
My grandmother's burial had been the ordeal I'd expected and it leaves me feeling bereft. Just a short time ago, we'd laid her to rest in the new family vault I'd purchased as the final resting place for her and other members of the Maratier dynasty which she had established. However the thought of her resting alone in such grandiose isolation depresses me.
I decided on a private burial with just me, my son Etienne, Simon Barrow and a handful of invited close friends attending. These included the elderly and frail Odile Thureau who'd been so kind to my grandmother during her illness and Claymore Jackson, my capable head overseer at La Foret. Claymore is neither family nor friend but as my employee, he is the representative of all my other employees as they pay their respects to me in my sad bereavement and as La Foret's head overseer he brings the homage of my slaves which is due to their late Mistress.
My decision that my grandmother's funeral be a private affair hadn't been an easy one to make. It irked me that I couldn't give her the grand funeral I felt was her due. I recall when her brother died his funeral had been both large scale and lavish with hundreds in attendance. Numbered among the mourners were the State Governor and legislators; indeed the Governor had delivered the eulogy. I'd watched the funeral procession from the sidelines and I had seen Lucien's obvious grief and sadness as he walked behind his grandfather's casket. He was so young and vulnerable and it seemed to me that he had the weight of the world on his young shoulders. I recall I'd felt sorry for Lucien who was now all alone in the world and strangely, I had also felt a bond of kinship towards him and I regretted that we'd never spoken. Today, I can identify with Lucien's grief for his grandfather as I mourn the passing of my own grandmother.
I knew such a funeral could never be afforded to my grandmother and that it would be boycotted by the stiff-necked members of the establishment who'd still see her as persona non grata - even in death. I wanted to shield her memory from their snubs and insults and after discussions with Simon Barrow, I'd decided on a very private burial.
After we'd laid my grandmother to rest in the marble mausoleum, Etienne returned to school and I invited Odile and Claymore back to her home where Cadmus and the household slaves had prepared refreshments for us. I try as best I can to be the perfect host but my mind is elsewhere. Discreetly, Simon Barrow has waited until after the funeral before suggesting that he needs to examine my grandmother's personal effects and papers to ensure there is nothing hidden among them to cause me any problems. I know this is a sly reference to her claims about Lucien Barrois's slave birth. I had confided my concerns about the truthfulness of her claims to him as the reason for wanting Rafe and Norge to "disappear".
Simon asks for full access to her personal diary - to the best of my knowledge she never kept one - and to her private papers which are kept locked in a safe concealed behind a painting in her bedroom. I tell him he can have free access to all my grandmother's effects and I thank him for relieving me of the heavy burden of having to personally attend to these matters. I really am grateful to Simon for his understanding and support of my position. I ask him when would be a convenient time for him to begin and he surprises me by answering.
"There's no better time to begin than right now!"
I apologize to Odile and Claymore for leaving them so abruptly and explain that there are urgent matters concerning my grandmother's affairs that Simon and I must attend to immediately.
Both graciously say they understand and rise to leave but I insist they stay for more refreshments before doing so. Odile lives just a short distance away; however Claymore has a longer trip back to La Foret ahead of him and I instruct Cadmus to have a slave bring fresh coffee and sandwiches and to fetch me when they are ready to leave for home.
My insistence that they stay longer is one that I will live to regret! With the benefit of hindsight I should have let them depart.
Claymore Jackson:
I rather wish that Guy Maratier hadn't insisted I stay longer for refreshments as there are other places where I'd rather be than sitting here in awkward silence with the frail and elderly Odile Thureau.
I have the long drive back to La Foret which I am anxious to make in daylight. I am driving two, new, inexperienced ponies, the twins Nathaniel and Micah who for some unexplained reason Guy had me train and break in to harness. I wonder about Guy's motives in having these two broken in as ponies, his ongoing interest in their training and his impatience that they be ready as soon as possible has aroused my suspicions. Could it be that I am training replacements for Rafe and Norge?
Nothing would surprise me about Guy Maratier's intentions and for some inexplicable reason I don't trust him. I can't complain about his treatment of me as an employee. He rewards me handsomely and allows me a free hand in the day to day running of La Foret. But he lacks the spontaneous warmth and easy charm that had characterized the two Barrois men I knew so well and worked with - Lucien and his grandfather.
Thinking of Lucien, I'm well aware that some of his friends are raising the capital to buy Rafe his freedom. Indeed, I'd anonymously donated a large sum of money to the fund and nothing would please me more than to see Rafe set free. I now regret the fact he'd been found to be the progeny of a slave woman and enslaved. Of course as a slave, Rafe can never be my friend but I do have residual affection for the small boy, Lucien who'd so trustingly taken my hand and walked with me as I attended to my duties on behalf of his grandfather. Those are poignant memories that still trouble me. And there is a sense of deep, personal shame for my rejection of Lucien the man and my subsequent treatment of Rafe, the slave.
Today, I saw Rafe for the first time in some months and I have to say that he has matured into a superb slave who appears to have adapted to his new life. I watched as he and Norge had slowly drawn Guy's carriage behind Charlotte Maratier's hearse. Both ponies were in black harness and each wore a funereal headband bedecked with tall, black, ostrich feathers. My heart bled as I saw Rafe's further humiliation at being forced to take part in the cortege of the woman who'd masterminded his downfall.
I didn't know Charlotte other than by reputation. And if what I'd heard is true then I really didn't want to know her. I'd attended her funeral under sufferance after Guy hinted very strongly that I should be there representing La Forˆt. In reality, there were better things which needed my attention rather than attending Charlotte's funeral.
Nevertheless, I did feel some pity for the woman. She went to the grave mostly unmourned and unloved save for her grandson, Guy. Even her great grandson, Etienne seemed unmoved by her passing. Perhaps it was his youthful indifference to her but he gave the impression of being bored witless and, like me, he'd rather be elsewhere.
Etienne has grown impossibly arrogant over the years and I share a deep dislike of him with Colton, the major domo at La Foret. Colton has seen much more of him than I have during his school vacations at the plantation and so he knows more about Etienne's character than I do. I know from what Colton has told me that Etienne has a sly and sadistic nature and delights in seeing the house slaves punished for real or concocted misdemeanours.
In earlier days, Etienne had simply complained about one of the house slaves to Colton and demanded that he be punished. But in more recent times, Etienne personally delivers the punishments and he has assembled a formidable collection of canes, paddles, straps and whips that he uses with great enthusiasm and applies mercilessly.
Colton tells me there is one young slave in particular who raises Etienne's ire - a slave by the name of Ben. Ben had once been a favourite of Lucien Barrois before transferring his affections to his new Master, Guy Maratier. Guy had promoted Ben over all his other slaves and entrusted him with the care of Charlotte Maratier in the early stages of her illness. Foolishly, Ben had neglected his Mistress and rather than gaining his freedom as Guy had planned, he'd been sent to La Foret as punishment. It was intended that Ben work as a field- hand but his good looks and curvaceous ass had attracted the lustful attention of Colton who, after consultations with me, assigned him to house duties and to his bed. Ben has become Colton's bed buck and personal assistant. This is a far cry from Ben working under the whip in a gang of heavy duty slaves in the plantation's fields.
I once commented to Colton that Ben leads a charmed life and whatever divinities decide a slave's fate seem to favour him. Colton said while this is so for most of the time, Ben lives in fear of Etienne's visits and he pays a high price in pain whenever he angers his "young Master" which is frequently the case.
I pour myself one last cup of coffee before I leave and I ask Odile Thureau if she'd like me to freshen up her cup. She very politely declines telling me that she drinks very little coffee these days and much prefers tepid tea.
Although I haven't seen her for number of years, I do remember her from her infrequent visits to La Foret with her cousin, Lucien's grandmother. Mostly, I remember her regal bearing and that she is a genteel, gracious and kindly person who was easily distressed by the condition of the plantation's slaves.
Now old and frail, she has lived a semi-reclusive lifestyle for the past few years attended to by a slave family consisting of a husband, wife, and three adult children, a daughter and two sons, Cody and Jem. I know Lucien had kept in touch with Odile even after his grandmother died and that he'd taken an active interest in all her affairs to ensure she was looked after.
As a boy, Lucien had been a frequent visitor to her home whenever his grandmother visited and he'd played with the two slave brothers. He'd been particular close to the younger brother, Jem and he told me that Odile had bequeathed both brothers to him conditional on him keeping them together. Lucien had given Odile his solemn promise that both brothers would never be parted or sold and that they'd always have a home with him.
For several minutes we talk about mundane things until she pointedly asks me questions about La Foret. She wants to know how it is faring under its new owner; is it as prosperous as when her cousin's husband owned it, what is the condition of the slaves and how are they treated by their new Master.
I answer each question truthfully and wait patiently for the next one. Then, there is an awkward silence as she hesitates before asking.
"Mr Jackson, can I ask you a question of deep concern to me?" Her question is tentative almost to the point of being apologetic. "Do you know what became of poor, dear Lucien?"
Her question surprises me. I would have thought like everyone else she knows of Lucien's fate. Does she not know that Lucien is now a slave? And if not how do I tell her? Tactfully, so as not to distress her, I ask.
"What do you know about Lucien, Miss Odile?"
"Oh I know that he has been naughty and sentenced to slavery. That much I do know. However, I wonder what has become of him? I worry that he is being mistreated as so many slaves are by their cruel masters. It's a matter that weighs heavily on my mind and keeps me awake some nights. I worry about the poor boy! Can you tell me anything about him?"
"Indeed I can Miss Odile! In fact, Lucien is just a few metres from where we sit. Guy Maratier retained ownership of Lucien and renamed him Rafe. Rafe serves as one of Guy's two ponies and drew his carriage in the funeral procession to the cemetery. He is waiting outside until his Master is ready to return home."
"OH NO!"
Odile's cry of distress reflects the look of shocked horror on her kindly face.
"Oh no! That can't be true. Lucien being made to pull a cart is just too awful to contemplate." Her eyes fill with tears as she continues. "He was always such a sensitive boy. Oh dear, it distresses me to think of him being used in this way. I'd hoped that he was being used by a kindly owner in a more refined way."
My sympathies go out to this kindly woman who obviously loves Lucian/Rafe. I wish I could give her some words of comfort to ease her very obvious distress. But such words fail me and I blurt out.
"Unfortunately Miss Odile, he's a slave and it's his owner's right to use him as he sees fit."
And even as I speak them, I know my words must sound callous and hurt her deeply.
"I do understand that Mr Jackson!" Her words seem to softly rebuke me. "But I wonder what crime Lucien committed that demanded such a harsh punishment? Of what crime was the young scallywag guilty?"
At least my next answer is brief and I hope it gives her some comfort.
"Miss Odile, Lucien wasn't guilty of any wrongdoing!"
"Then why is he a slave, Mr Jackson? I simply don't understand."
"Did you not follow Lucien's trial, Miss Odile? Are you aware of the charges brought against him?"
"You'll have to forgive a foolish, old woman, Mr Jackson. You see a combination of old age, ill-health and failing memory makes me reclusive and aloof from what is happening outside my own door. I overheard my slaves talking among themselves about Lucien's trial. I questioned them and they simply told me that he'd been taken before the courts and found guilty of a crime and sentenced to slavery. They also told me all his worldly possessions had passed to his next of kin, Guy Maratier. Now you tell me that Lucien committed no crime. Is that not so, Mr Jackson?"
"That's true, Miss Odile. Lucien is innocent of any crime. It has to do with the unfortunate circumstances of his birth."
"What do you mean by the unfortunate circumstances of his birth, Mr Jackson? I don't understand."
"It was claimed he is the son of a slave woman and he was reared by his grandparents as a free person yet they never manumitted him. The judge who tried his case upheld that claim and ordered Lucien be returned to slavery. And, naturally, as a slave, he couldn't own property and it passed on to Guy Maratier through his grandmother, Charlotte Maratier as she was the only surviving member of the Barrois family."
"Ce n'est pas possible!" Odile protests loudly. "That's impossible. The claim that Lucien is the son of a slave woman is absolute nonsense. Why, I was staying with my cousin at the time and I as present at his birth. It was a difficult birth but I saw Lucien enter this world and I heard his first, lusty cry. It was I who first cleaned him and gave him to his mother to hold and to feed. He was such a joy to everyone present especially to his mother, dear, sweet Francine and his proud father, Henri."
I'm left speechless by Odile's words. If true, then a great wrong has been done to Lucien Barrois and it is a wrong that cries out to be righted. However, I quickly regain my composure and ask.
"Miss Odile, are you saying that you witnessed Lucien's actual birth?"
"Indeed I did Mr Jackson. Lucien's mother, Francine was a sickly person and her pregnancy wasn't an easy one. My cousin anticipated a difficult birth and asked me to stay at Jolimont as both company and support for her. As I said I witnessed Lucien's birth and sadly a few days later I watched as his sweet mother passed away weakened by his birth. It was so sad but the doctors could do nothing to save her. In fact, I was a witness is to both Lucien's birth certificate and his poor mother's death certificate. Therefore, I am both a witness to Lucien's birth and to the untimely death of his mother. Who made such a preposterous claim that Lucien's mother was a slave woman?"
"The claim was made by Charlotte Maratier."
"Then she was clearly mistaken. Her claim was wrong, very wrong!"
"However, Miss Odile, Charlotte did provide documents to back up her claim including a submission from a slave woman named Ophelia stating she is Lucien's mother."
"Ophelia you say? Why does that name sound familiar? I'm sure I have come across it somewhere but just where I can't recall. My poor memory fails me at times, Mr Jackson. Old age isn't kind! Perhaps I came across that name in my cousin's diary. I would have to check, I'm afraid."
"Your cousin kept a diary? And you have it in your possession?"
"Indeed I do Mr Jackson and not just one diary but all of them and her journals too. My cousin was a very methodical person and meticulously recorded everything that happened in her household even down to the smallest detail as to what seeds she had sown in her garden and the day they were sown, what misdemeanour a slave was guilty of and the punishment given to that slave. And she kept a daily account of her daughter-in-law's pregnancy and of Lucien's birth. And I am sure that somewhere the name Ophelia is mentioned."
"Can I ask why you have these diaries in your possession? And is anyone else aware of their existence?"
"Of course you may, Mr Jackson. My cousin gave them into my care during her final illness with the instruction to pass them on to Lucien on his twenty-fifth birthday. Of course, I'm no longer able to do so as poor Lucien was sentenced to slavery. And in answer to your second question no one is aware that I am the custodian of my cousin's personal diaries other than the two of us. Not even my slaves, whom I trust implicitly, know that I have them. They contain the innermost thoughts of my cousin and I respect her privacy. But why do you ask?"
"Can I ask that you keep them secret and safely locked away and don't mention our conversation to another person?"
"I will if you deem it necessary to do so! This is all very mysterious. Can I ask why there is this need for secrecy, Mr Jackson?"
"Yes you may, Miss Odile. In light of what you have told me it would seem Lucien suffered a grave miscarriage of justice. If this is so, then it is an evil wrong that must be righted. Are you aware that some of Lucien's friends are actively working to buy his freedom?"
"No Mr Jackson, I wasn't aware of that. However, I am pleased that they are."
"Would you be prepared to help them in their struggle to have Lucien set free?"
"Of course I would Mr Jackson. Nothing would make me happier than to see Lucien as a free man once more. But how can I possibly help? I'm just a feeble old woman."
"Miss Odile, don't underestimate you worth in the struggle to free Rafe .... Eh sorry, I mean Lucien. If all goes well, it's highly possible that you will be seen as Lucien's saviour."
"Then tell me how I can help poor Lucien? Tell me what I must do, Mr Jackson?'
"If I were to make contact with Lucien's friends and ask them to visit you, would you be willing to tell them what you have told me and to allow them to read your cousin's diaries?"
"Mr Jackson, I would be more than happy to tell them what I have just told you. However giving them access to the diaries is another matter. I would feel I am breaking my cousin's trust in allowing strangers to read her private moments."
"I do understand your position Miss Odile. But I wonder if your cousin would be happy with Lucien's present condition. My thinking is that she'd move heaven and earth to see her grandson set free."
"You are correct Mr Jackson. I'm being a foolish, sentimental old woman. Please forgive me?"
"There's nothing to forgive, Miss Odile and I greatly respect your integrity. I wouldn't ask you to break trust with your cousin's memory if I didn't think it was absolutely necessary and in Lucien's best interests."
"Then so be it, Mr Jackson. I will talk to Lucien's friends and give them access to his grandmother's papers. Perhaps they will find something in them that will help poor, dear Lucien? I hope so with all my heart."
"I will make immediate contact with two of Lucien's friends, Miles Fortescue and Francois Fournier and tell them of our conversation and about your willingness to help them in their efforts to free Lucien. I imagine they'd want to speak to you as soon as possible, Miss Odile."
"I am familiar with both those names and during my long life I have had friends in both families. You say these boys are friends of Lucien's?"
"I believe so, Miss Odile! I understand they were at school together."
"Then by all means send them to talk with me at the earliest possible moment."
"And I have another request to ask of you, Miss Odile."
"What is it, Mr Jackson?"
"Please keep our conversation secret and don't mention it to anyone. Not even to your slaves. And above all, don't mention it to either Guy Maratier or his lawyer, Simon Barrow. We must maintain absolute secrecy if we are to have any chance of regaining freedom for Lucien."
"Rest assured, Mr Jackson I won't mention our tete-a-tete to another living soul."
My mind is a maelstrom of emotions as I think back through this conversation with Odile Thureau and it raises many questions which must be answered. If, as she claims, Odile has documented proof that Rafe wasn't born to a slave woman, then a great wrong has been done to Lucien. And if this is true, I wonder if the claim about his slave birth was merely a genuine mistake or a deliberately concocted plot to defame and defraud him. The thought that it could be deliberate is gut wrenching and I wonder who could have conceived such an evil plan.
I ask myself who gained by Lucien's downfall and the answer is obvious; it was the Maratier family but which of them is responsible. Was it a joint effort on the part of Charlotte and Guy Maratier or merely the work of one individual? And if this is so which of them is the guilty party? These are some the questions that have to be answered if Lucien is to have a chance of regaining his freedom.
So that I don't arouse Guy Maratier's suspicions, I'll have to remain anonymous and I can't play an active role in the "free Rafe" movement. However, I can at least pass on the information Odile has given me. Tomorrow morning, I will drive over to the Fournier quarries - which abut the eastern boundary of La Foret - to place an order for gravel and speak in secret to Francois Fournier. I will tell him of my conversation with Odile Thureau and acquaint him with the fact that she has in her possession documentation refuting the claims that Lucien's mother was the slave woman, Ophelia.
I recall Odile saying a few minutes ago that she was a witness to the issuing of a birth certificate for Lucien. Despite a search by the court's officers at the time of his trial, no certificate was found among the Barrois family's records. The absence of a birth certificate at Lucien's hearing was damning and ultimately it was a major factor in the judgement made against him. I remember reading this absence of a birth certificate supported the claim that he was slave born. A child born into slavery is officially classified as a "non-person" and isn't issued with a birth certificate. It is left to the slave child's owner to record its birth in the slave register which all slave-owners are required by law to keep.
As the head overseer, I have access to the Barrois Slave Register and, at the time of the hearing, I checked it to see if Lucien's birth had been recorded but found nothing. I reasonably assumed that Lucien's grandfather had deliberately not recorded his slave birth in order to preserve the family's honour and I'd left it at that.
Now, with the benefit of hindsight I wonder if, as Odile said, a birth certificate had been issued for Lucien, wouldn't there have been a copy at the office of the Births' Registry? Why then wasn't this checked at the time of Lucien's hearing? Was it simply an oversight or something more sinister? The situation has become murkier.
Odile's adamant claim that a birth certificate was issued at the time of Lucien's birth is compelling and I wonder what became of it. Perhaps she can shed further light on this question.
"Miss Odile, you mentioned a few minutes ago that you witnessed the issuing of a birth certificate at the time of Lucien's birth. I wonder if you know what became of that certificate."
"Why of course, Mr Jackson. I have it in my possession with the rest of my cousin's papers. I have it together with the death certificates of poor Lucien's dear parents. His father, Henri was absolutely devoted to his mother, Francine. The suggestion that he was unfaithful to her with a female slave is monstrous. Those who knew Henri would support me in saying that would never have acted so dishonourably. Henri never recovered from Francine's untimely passing and he died about four years after her. During that time, Henri never looked at another woman despite the urging of my cousin for him to find a new wife and a mother for Lucien."
"Again, can I ask why you have them?"
"As I said earlier, my cousin entrusted her personal papers into my care and asked that I pass them to Lucien on his twenty-fifth birthday. She was rather old fashioned in that she wanted to be sure Lucien was of an age where he'd value them. I have to be truthful and admit they have been of concern to me. Obviously, I couldn't give them to Lucien if he is a slave and I wondered what I should do with them. Should they be destroyed? Several times I meant to speak to Guy about them and to ask for his advice."
"I'm glad you didn't, Miss Odile. And PLEASE don't mention them to Guy or to anyone. Only speak about them to Lucien's friends, Miles and Francois. I can't adequately stress the need for absolute secrecy. No one must know of the existence of the birth certificate or your cousin's diaries."
"You can rest easy, Mr Jackson. As I said earlier I won't speak of them to anyone other than to Lucien's friends. I will be the very soul of discretion."
"And please, tell no one of our conversation. It's imperative that it remain a secret too."
"I will be guided by you Mr Jackson. Do you really think there is a chance that we can help poor Lucien?"
"Yes indeed, I do, Miss Odile. And if Lucien is set free it will be because of you and our conversation. But now, I must leave you for the trip back to La Foret. As you know it's a long drive and I want to be back at the plantation before dark."
"I understand Mr Jackson and I should take my leave too."
My mind is a confusion of thoughts and I really need time to sit and think about all of what Odile Thureau has told me. Perhaps the drive back to La Forˆt will give me the chance to sort them out and to plan my strategy to help Rafe.
I'd come to Charlotte Maratier's funeral under sufferance and yet it has proved to be a momentous event which could be the catalyst that frees Rafe and restores Lucien to his rightful place. I hope so with all my heart. But I must be discreet in what I do and say so as not to alert Guy Maratier or his lawyer. In the light of what I have heard today I don't trust either man.
I summon Cadmus and instruct him to inform his Master that I am leaving and then wait until Guy and Simon Barrow return. Guy apologizes to Odile and me for being a "poor host". I assure him that I'd enjoyed talking with Odile Thureau and once more express my condolences for his bereavement. He shakes my hand and thanks me for attending his grandmother's funeral.
Excusing himself to Odile, Guy, accompanied by Simon, walks with me to where my ponies are tethered next to Rafe and Norge under the shade of a large tree. Also waiting there for their mistress are Odile's two young slaves, the brothers Cody and Jem. Both are in harness and hitched to a cart driven by their father.
I walk past Rafe ignoring him as though I have no interest in him. To show even the slightest recognition could signal that I have some residual feeling for him which, in turn, could possibly arouse Guy's suspicions. Or am I becoming paranoid?
But I needn't have worried as Guy isn't interested in either Rafe or me. His attention is centred on the two ponies, Nathaniel and Micah.
"How are these two ponies shaping up, Claymore?" Guy asks. "I have to say they look good."
And indeed they do look good. Standing alongside of Norge and Rafe there's little to differentiate between both pairs of ponies apart from facial characteristics. All four are superb specimens.
"They've made excellent progress, Guy! They respond to their driver's commands and his whip. They are strong 'pullers' and work in unison with one another. In many ways they remind me of Norge and Rafe."
"And how's their stamina? Is it equal to that of Norge and Rafe?"
"I'd say they are very much on a par with them. Of course, until today, I've only driven them around the plantation which as you know is gently undulating. I decided I'd give them a test run into town today to see how they handle the hills between here and La Foret."
"And how did they handle them?"
"All in all, they took the hills in their stride. Occasionally, I had to apply the whip to stop them from stalling part way up a hill but they responded and did what I demanded of them. Mind you, the real test will be on the run back out to La Foret. The run from the plantation into town is mainly downhill whereas the opposite is true of the return trip. There are some short, steep hills to climb and some longer, more gradual ones that will test them. That's why I'm keen to get started so we arrive back at La Foret in daylight."
"Then, I won't keep you much longer, Claymore. But I have another question for you?"
Whilst Guy Maratier and I are talking, Simon Barrow has taken it upon himself to inspect Nathaniel and Micah. The arrogance of the man annoys me and serves to re-enforce my dislike and mistrust of him. By rights, as their driver, Simon should have paid me the courtesy of asking my permission before placing a hand on the ponies. But he'd not done so and is busily running his hands down over Micah's powerful chest and ripped belly, pinching and teasing his nipples and screwing a finger into his navel.
I have trained both ponies to stand perfectly still and never to react to any inspections inflicted upon them by a free man. However, as the lawyer fondles Micah's balls and strokes his semi-tumescent cock to full erection, I do see the look of outraged indignation on his face. After inspecting Micah's teeth, Simon Barrow turns his attention to Nathaniel. He stands behind Nathaniel and places his hands on the pony's broad shoulders squeezing and gauging their power and strength. Satisfied, his hands sweep down over Nathaniel's tapering back to the shapely curves of his muscular ass. There, he uses a finger to roughly trace over the recent welts of my whip. Then he grabs hold of a firm buttock in each hand and kneads them in much the same way as a baker would his loaves of his bread. I hear Nathaniel's sudden gasp and watch him squirm as Simon rudely thrusts a finger through his resisting sphincter into the inner recess of his ass.
Guy is amused by Simon's inspections of the two ponies, and smiling at Nathaniel's obvious embarrassment and discomfiture, he asks Simon.
"What's his ass like, Simon? Is it tight?"
"It's as tight as a drum, Guy! Why it's so tight; I reckon he could crack walnuts between his ass-cheeks!"
Guy laughs loudly at Simon's crude joke but I see Nathaniel's red flush of humiliation as he and his brother bow their heads in shame. And for some reason I don't quite understand, I feel disgust for both men's derision of Nathaniel. More than ever, I wish to leave their company and be on my way back to La Forˆt. But Guy has said he has one more question to ask of me.
"Guy, if you'll excuse me I would like to be on my way home. However, you mentioned you have a question for me."
"That's right, Claymore! Well it's two questions really. Are these two ponies ready to begin service here in town and if so, when can they be brought in from La Foret?"
"They are as ready as they'll ever be. And they can be moved into town whenever you are ready for them."
"That's good news, Claymore! In that case, I'd like them brought into town at your earliest convenience, please."
Given my suspicions of Guy's possible ill- intentions towards Rafe, an idea occurs to me. It is one that would remove Rafe and Norge from any potential, immediate threat to where I can keep them under my surveillance.
"Could I make a suggestion, Guy?"
"Of course you can, Claymore! What is it?"
"Why don't I leave my two ponies here for you to trial and take your two back to the plantation? That way you can judge for yourself if they are ready."
It's a gamble on my part and one that I hope pays out. But Guy hesitates as he mulls over my suggestion; it is as though he is reluctant to have Rafe taken out of his sight. I wait for his refusal of my offer but then help comes from an unexpected quarter as Simon Barrow speaks. He supports me but for different reasons to my own.
"Guy, I think that's an excellent suggestion. It would remove Rafe from public notice and take the pressure off you. Rafe would be out of sight and out of mind and lessen the impact of those damned trouble-makers who want to free him."
In view of what I have learned today I am wary of Guy Maratier's motives. My instincts tell me that he is planning Rafe's disappearance and Simon's comment about him being out of the sight and mind of those "damned trouble-makers" only heightens those suspicions. I decide I will have to tell Francois and Miles of my suspicions and enlist their help in keeping a close watch over Rafe and Norge.
With Simon's unexpected support, I decide to press home my point.
"Besides it wouldn't hurt for Rafe and Norge to have a spell out at La Foret. I could put them to work on a water-wheel to build up their fitness and to strengthen their legs for running. Not that there's anything wrong with them at the moment. However with two sets of ponies at your disposal it makes sense to run one pair in harness and to spell the second pair on a water-wheel. What do you think, Guy?"
To my delight, Guy agrees.
"I see the wisdom in what you suggest, Claymore. You can leave your two here and take Norge and Rafe back to La Foret. And if I need them returned you could get them back to me promptly?"
"Indeed I can, Guy. When you are ready for them let me know and I'll give it my top priority to return them to you within the day."
"Then that's settled! And thank you for the way you have trained these two, Claymore. They are a credit to your exceptional training skills. I look forward to driving them around town."
"Guy, I'm sure Micah and Nathaniel won't disappoint you. In fact, as you drive them, I think they'll turn many heads and bring lots of compliments your way."
Cadmus has a slave change over the four ponies while I take my leave of Guy Maratier and his lawyer to begin the long drive back to La Foret. Once on the road, I allow Norge and Rafe to run easy so as not to tire them before we reach the first of the hills they must travel over to arrive back at the plantation.
With the late afternoon sun at my back I relax and leave the ponies to maintain the pace I set for them. The soothing rattle of the cart's wheel and the soft patter of Norge's and Rafe's feet on the road's smooth surface relax me and soberly, I think back over the day's events.
It's been a momentous day of explosive if unintentional revelations from Odile Thureau. If what she said is true then a great wrong has been done to Lucien Barrois and it needs to be rectified immediately before any harm can come to Rafe.
I marvel at the way our fates work to control our lives and our destinies. If Charlotte Maratier hadn't died and if Guy Maratier hadn't insisted on my presence at her funeral, I would never have spoken to Odile Thureau and learned the true facts of Lucien Barrois' birth. And the truth of that event would have remained hidden in Lucien's grandmother's diaries locked away in the safe of her reclusive, elderly cousin, Odile Thureau.
It is as though fate is working through me to correct a miscarriage of justice.
To be continued ............