Since that night, the air in the estate changed. So had the slaves' behavior around Marv. Mia treated him with much more deference than before. Where before she was judgmental of his beliefs, she now saw sternness where there was none. The rest of the slaves gave him tentative glances, but not out of fear. They were curious, some daring to ask him details of the punishment he administered to Gail, and when he would do it again.
But the servers, Gail, and her friends teased him ruthlessly. They took to wearing the simple one-piece shift, the common clothing of slave women, but of a finer cut, around the estate. It came down just above their bottoms, leaving their underwear exposed, and the sheer nature of the garments let him see through the fabric. He didn't know where to look when they got close. Every part of their body was exposed.
On the bright side, there was no animosity for his loss of control during that night. Rather the opposite, he was being seen as a strict but fair master. Word of this had trickled out of the estate and to the common slave folk who now came to make their contracts. If spanking a pretty slave girl gained him the trust of the blacks, then he should do so more often.
Gods, he wanted to. He'd dreamed of it enough. Too many nights he'd spent pleasuring himself to the image of their bodies at play. He was sure those girls kept pleasuring each other. He'd heard the giggling from their rooms. Mia must have been aware of it and let it continue. Marv supposed the mistress didn't have a problem with it as long as they didn't impersonate masters.
Now, he was having dinner with Mia. A full plate was served to him by Gail. She stood beside him, hands clasped demurely in front of her, head slightly bowed. The straps of her sheer dress barely staying on her shoulders. Since that night Mia had assigned Gail as his body servant and. Gail was to attend to all his personal needs. This sent his imagination spinning. Gail did nothing to shut down these dirty thoughts.
All week he'd resisted Gail's increasingly obvious temptation. She would offer to bathe him while she in the nude. She attempted to creep into his bed, at one time almost catching him masturbating. He'd once lost his temper on her, threatening to spank her again when she snuck a kiss and a grope of his behind, only for her to laugh and hide with her friends.
The behavior of all the women of this estate baffled him. So, he'd invited Mia to dinner. This dinner wasn't just a formality to update Mia on his progress working with the slaves, but to find out more about this estate.
"Do you like her dress?" Mia said suddenly from across the table.
"Yes. It is...fitting." Marv said.
"Good. It was my idea."
"This surprises me."
"Does it? Well, it is exceedingly better than their old clothes."
"Those were very fine clothes. They must have been tailor-made and more expensive than my own."
"Exactly! How can a slave be better dressed than her own master?" Then she corrected herself. "This is not to say you look in any way inferior to those harlots. You are a fine man and master."
Marv waved her off. "No insult taken, so no apology is needed. Though, these new clothes are...revealing."
"It is the clothes I wore as a young slave lass. Good enough for me, good enough for them. It also shows they are comfortable with their master, hiding nothing from his gaze."
Marv noted Mia's own clothing. They were garments fit for a queen. She wore no jewelry, nor makeup. The woman didn't need it. Her dark green dress hugged her generous curves wonderfully, emphasizing her wide hips. The low cut of her dress left the tops of her large breasts exposed, drawing his eyes to them. A dribble of sweat ran down those large breasts, disappearing in the crevice.
Then as if sensing his gaze while Mia fanned herself and she smiled. "Try the juice."
He coughed, caught. He took the glass Gail presented to him and gulped it down. It was quite sweet; unlike any juice he'd ever tasted. "Is this grown on the plantation?" Though, he'd seen no farmers.
"Yes. Homegrown." Mia smiled wider.
After taking another sip, he spoke with Mia of his plans and how he came to work for the Freedmen's Bureau. He'd never owned slaves before this, nor had his family members. As a man of the north, the burgeoning industrial industry was the trade of his wealthy parents. Disgusted with how the workers were treated, Marv opted to take his education to the south, where he hoped to increase the efficiency of farms with the use of innovative machines and new ideas about planting.
It was his first experience with true slavery. He'd only met house slaves and slaves in skilled trades before. Down south, he saw sights that gave him nightmares. Soon after, the civil war started, and he organized the integration of freed slaves to northern society. It made him a natural fit for the Freedmen's Bureau.
Mia didn't like any part of his story, seeing nothing wrong with slavery. Her story was of rising through the ranks to become mistress of the house. She'd proved herself to the Master, her body pleasing to him, and becoming his mistress. At first, she was mistress of his bedchamber, then his entire estate. There was a social ladder even among slaves, it seemed.
It wasn't his first time meeting slaves like her, missing the old days. He supposed they missed the routine, the certainty, the order. Marv hoped that he could provide that sense of order so that Mia and others like her would change their minds, but much of their ails was out of his control. The biggest problem was the armed resistance to the new regime of freedom. These people were terrifying fellows. They acted as savages, burning, pillaging, assassinating. This he could do nothing about. It was no wonder some missed slavery when freedom brought so much death.
He sighed, finished with his drink. He asked for more. Gail quickly obliged, fill his glass with milk instead. This was also sweet while being quite creamy. Did they add something to it? He gulped it down as Gail and Mia were so pleased by his enjoyment of his drink. Raising his glass for more, Gail hesitated.
"It is alright if there is none left. This is obviously a very special mixture."
"There is more milk if you like, Master."
"I don't do well with too much milk. More juice please."
At this, harshness returned to Mia's features. "Did you not prepare enough for Master! What have you been doing all day, girl?"