Read Chapter One for an introduction to the Lord and his captive.
Characters
His Lord Governor, Sir Groat
Kate Aileen O'Riley
Manu Hasam El Kamal Bey "Manu" β the Lord faithful servant, head of his household.
Teresa and Sonya β two young and not so innocent Spanish maids
Lasana β another Moor, Manu's woman friend.
Tommy β the Lord's groundskeeper
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Kate could not stop shaking. She could not open her eyes. She was burning up and yet she shook as if it was the dead of winter. If this was hell⦠no, this MUST be hell. But if it was hell, then why did memories of intense pleasure flash in her mind? Pleasure in hell? Ridiculous! From where could pleasure come in hell? If only she could remember her catechism, but she could not, and was left to puzzle at the vague warmth deep in her womb. Beyond that hint at satisfaction, she could feel nothing, just the awful shaking of her body. She had to stop or she would start to wretch again. She had nothing in her stomach and the dry heaves were sapping all her energy. She tried to open her eyes.
It was very bright in hell. The light hurt her eyes. Oh how she hurt. Her arms and legs, her every joint, hurt. And Mary, Mother of God her ass hurt! But from her hurt came a conclusion. She had a body! God, if so, maybe she was alive. Could that be? WAS she alive? She tried to focus her eyes and out of the haze a room began to take form. She was on the floor, chained to the foot of a bed. Her pirate Captain's guards had shackled her there. Her Captain? A ray of pleasure shot through her body at the thought of him. Her energy drained away. She fell into the dark well of unconsciousness.
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In her dream, she was at sea. Although blindfolded she could feel the ship swaying and knew she must be at sea. Her Captain? She must be back aboard his ship. She was naked with her hands tied around the mast behind her, ready to be punished. Why? She must have been headstrong and disobedient as she sometimes was. Her bonds were so terribly tight. Her hands were numb and her arms ached, and now her Captain was slashing at her breasts with his crop.
Her dream digressed, evaporating into a wild hallucination. She was no longer tied to that awful mast. Now she was in a bed, face down, but still tied. Something rough, warm and wet was climbing up her back, as if the tongue of a giant cat was licking her spine, while under her, phantom hands were squeezing her breasts and playing with her nipples. One moment she felt sharp penetrating pain, but in the next, only a warm pleasure so intense it caused her to jerk and throb. On and on the cycle continued, pain to pleasure and back, until she swore she could take it no longer.
The dream shifted again! No longer in bed, panic had taken hold and her dream had become a nightmare. She began to run. The voice in her head screamed, "Run Kate run, save yourself! The Lord Governor will kill you." Escape! That was her only hope. Struggling, fighting with her chains she began to awaken. The steel cuffs cut into her wrists and ankles leaving them bloody and sore, but she still continued to thrash wildly, heedless of the pain.
"Bella! Be still. You are doing yourself harm." The words cut thru the mist of her addled brain. She opened her eyes and looked up at the biggest man, and the blackest man, she had ever seen. Indeed, he was the first and only black man she had ever seen. She fainted dead away.
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"Noble Lord, her weakness and delirium is to be expected. I suspect she has not eaten, nor had water for a day or more during her ordeal. Allow me to tend to her. She will be strong enough to fight you in a few days."
The words filtered into her parital consciousness as if in a dream. The voice was low and strangely soothing. Whoever he was, words seemed to sing, soothing her panic, and she needed him to go on talking. She opened her eyes. Thank God, it was dark now. Someone had turned off the lights in hell.
"Bella, are you awake. You must drink." Large firm hands gripped her head and leaned her forward. She drank from a metal cup. It was cold, sweet water. She tried to focus as she drank. She was no longer on the floor but in a bed against one wall of a large beautifully furnished room. Her eyes became wide with fear staring at the big black man who was so tenderly tending her.
"That is very good, Bella. You must drink to regain your voice. You must eat to regain your fight. I think the Lord will want you to have both."
"Who are you?" She said in a hoarse whisper.
"I am Manu Hasam El Kamal Bey. Man servant to His Lord Governor, Sir Groat. You may call me Manu."
"Wha..?"