Desperate (Harris Trilogy Book One) (2 page)

He would have to find a way to con
vince her to marry him. She really did not have a choice. Now that all her family was dead, she had no one upon whom to rely. He considered himself very skilled in the matter of women, he would persuade her. For the last two years he had watched her grow into womanhood. Sumptuous breasts, round, delectable derriere; she was the most desirable woman he had ever met.

Every Sunday at church it had been hard to focus on the sermon with her sitting on the pew with her grandmother.
Many times he asked if he could come calling, and each time Mattie Monroe turned up her nose at him. The old biddy didn’t think he was good enough for Kate. Fury streaked through him like light. Well, now she was dead and nothing stood in the way of his marrying Kate. His brow creased and his eyes filled with lust as he imagined her lying naked beneath him. He closed his eyes and fantasized about her firm breasts and wide hips.    

Tilley, his new house slave
, walked into the room with his cup of coffee and sat it on the nightstand by the bed. Bob could feel the thickness of his manhood. “Thank you, Tilley.”

Eyes averted, she said nothing. She sure was an uppity thing
for a slave. It might take some time but she would learn her place.

As she
flounced around the room gathering the dirty dishes and cups, he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away. Pretty, with long legs and ample hips, he admired the graceful way she moved. Even barefoot she was almost as tall as him.

He had just bought her from one of his friends
whose wife was jealous of her. Tilley was his friend’s daughter by one of his female house slaves. His wife said she had to go, probably because she was so pretty.

“Tilley, look at me.”

Hands full of dishes she turned and looked into his face. He saw the fright in her eyes. He patted the place next to him. “Come and sit by me. I’ve got something I want to show you.”

“I have work to do, Master.”

Bob threw back the covers and stood. She let out a little scream and dropped the dishes to the floor where they shattered into tiny pieces.

Naked and hard as a rock he crossed to the door and slammed it causing her to scream again.

****

The l
oud crow of a rooster woke Bob. He felt the warmth from the young body beside him. He hungrily stared at the sleeping, slave girl curled into a ball next to him. The first rays of the morning sun filtered through the window bathing her in light. Her skin was light brown without a blemish. Touching his finger to her beautiful cheek, Bob smiled. He had enjoyed her body immensely last night. He hoped Tilley would provide him with another slave child. He had lost so many slaves who had escaped to the North since the war had begun. She had a sturdy figure so child bearing should be easy for her. Maybe she would produce several children making up for the slaves he had lost.

The w
ar had taken so much from him. His five sons had gone to fight. Two had already perished in the war. When he married Kate, she would have more sons for him. Bob’s oldest son was five years her senior but he had no problem with her age. He deserved someone as young and beautiful as Kate.

He
started getting hard again just thinking about her curvy body. Life would be so perfect when he could make love to her every night after they were married. He looked over at Tilley and decided to give her time to recuperate since she had been a virgin.

He slapped her rounded bottom.
“Get up, wench.” Tilley moaned as if in pain. A snort of laughter escaped his thick lips. He bet she was sore after the many times he took her last night. Her dark eyes flickered open and she peered into Bob’s eyes. “You need to change the sheets.” She awoke with a jolt, her heart galloping.

Covering herself with the sheet, Tilley crawled to the edge
of the bed. She glared at him. “Don’t touch me!”

“It’s
a little late for modesty now. Have you forgotten what we did last night?” Suddenly, Bob reached out and grabbed the sheet away from her. 

Before running from the room completely nude, sh
e shouted, “I really hate you!” She said it with such loathing he saw no cause to doubt her words. Thinking he would have to teach her some manners, he laughed. She had a lot of mouth for a slave. But then he liked a challenge.

Bob called for May, his housekeeper
. She entered and saw the blood on the sheets. He noticed obvious disapproval flicker in her eyes. She was a hard one to read though, keeping her thoughts to herself. He had a feeling she thought him despicable, though she’d never uttered a word to him. She wouldn’t dare. 

“May, will you please change
the sheets and tidy the room.” He waited patiently for May to finish her duties to his room, and climbed back into bed. After spending most of the night teaching Tilley how to please him, he was still exhausted.

Draping his arm over his eyes to block out the sun, Bob tried to conjure Kate into his mind with her amp
le breasts and womanly curves. Tilley was a nice little distraction, but she was not Kate. It was time he took a wife and only she would do. He planned on making her his wife no matter what he had to do to get her.

****

Darkness surrounded Tilley as she sat in her small room in the back of the house where the slaves slept. Lighting a lantern, May sat down beside her on the bed. With a wrinkled hand she cupped Tilley’s beautiful, toffee colored cheek. “Are ya alrit’, child?” 

“I hate it here.
I want my mother.” Tilley reminisced about all the happiness she left behind at her father’s plantation. At night she and her mother would slip away to the slaves’ quarters for a little entertainment. She would sing and tap her foot to the music of the harmonica and guitar.

There had been a warm camaraderie between the slaves at her home
, which she did not think existed at the Lewis’ plantation. She had been content as long as she stayed away from her father’s wife. She missed her mother desperately. How could her own father have sent her to such a terrible place to live? 

“It take some ge
ttin’ use to a man’s touch. You be fine.”

“No, I won’t.
If he thinks I’m gonna’ let him root all over me again, he is crazy.”

Tilley stared at May’s old, gnarl
ed hand as she rubbed her knee. The woman had to be eighty but still did the cleaning and cooking. Bob Lewis had no compassion, not even for someone who had served him for so many years. 

“It
is da way of master and slave. You are da slave and you muss obey. He owns you.” All hope left Tilley as she pondered May’s words. How could she accept this life with such a brutal man?

****

At the table laden with all the food the neighbors brought, Kate took a nibble from a biscuit Mrs. Johnston had baked. Her stomach lurched in protest from having food forced on it when she wasn’t even hungry. She dropped the biscuit to her plate, and let out a heavy sigh. Hands over her eyes, she tried to hold the tears at bay.

Outside
she heard a horse trot into her front yard. She struggled to stand almost too depressed to even walk to the door. The moment she stepped outside onto the porch, uneasiness filled her. 

“Hi Kate, I hope you got some rest last night.”
Bob gave her a lewd look.

She
blushed. The man made her skin crawl. “Not much, Mr. Lewis.”

“Now Kate, we have been friends long enough that you can call me Bob.” 

She replied, but not with much enthusiasm, “What can I do for you, Bob?”

He
dismounted his horse, tied it to the hitching post in front of the small cabin, and stepped in front of her still standing on the front porch. Immediately, she felt apprehensive. He stood about six inches taller than her. His broad shoulders blocked out the sun as he loomed over her. To some women, his impressive male size would be attractive, but not to her. She abhorred him.

His fingers ran through his black hair.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” His tone made her even more nervous.

“No, Bob.
That would not be proper. I would hate for a neighbor to stop by and get the wrong impression.” She lied. “Mrs. Johnston said she might pay me a visit today.”

“Well, I’ll get right to the
point.” It was evident he was getting annoyed with her refusal to warm up to him. After all she had been through, she really didn’t care. She wasn’t far from telling him to leave.

“Kate, I came her
e today to ask you to marry me. I think you would make me a fine wife. You know I have a huge plantation with plenty of slaves and you would have an easy life. We could have a wonderful life together. You can give me strong sons.”

D
umbstruck, Kate stared at him as if he had two heads. She couldn’t believe he wanted to marry her. Of course she knew he had always been attracted to her, but had no idea he wanted marriage. He had sons older than her.

“Mr. Lewis, I do not love you, so I can’t marry you.”
She refrained from telling him what she really thought. She would not marry him if he were the only man in the world. Hoping not to make him angry, she needed to tread carefully. Gossip had spread through the small community about his terrible temper. Once he got so mad with the mercantile store owner in Durham, Mr. Simmons, that he almost beat him to death. Claimed the man tried to cheat him, which was absurd. One of the nicest, most honest men she knew, Mr. Simmons would never defraud anyone. Because Mr. Lewis was wealthy, the law did nothing. Let him walk right out the front door of the courthouse without any punishment. 

Undaunted, Bob responded, “I’m sure you
will come to love me, I have so much to offer.” He spread his hands out palms up, and smiled as if that would convince her.

He
swaggered closer, his proximity making her more nervous. Practically looming over her, he bent as if he intended to kiss her. Darting to the side, Kate snapped, “Please leave, Mr. Lewis. You are scaring me. I want you to leave now!” She trembled in fear knowing no one would come to her aid. There would be no one to hear her pleas for help. 

She whirled around
intending to go inside the safety of her cabin, when Bob caught her by the waist and pulled her close.

She
shuddered as he whispered in her ear, “It is not proper for a young woman to be alone at dangerous times such as these. I’m offering you security. The woods are full of soldier boys who might take advantage of such an innocent as you. I won’t take no for an answer.” He pressed in a more menacing tone, “You have no other choice.” The smell of liquor lingered on his breath and she thought she would swoon.

Seconds passed as he waited for her answer. Her e
motions turned from fright to anger. She couldn’t believe he had the audacity to tell her what to do. “This is my home and I want you to leave now!” Close to tears, she was getting angrier by the moment. She had to keep control of her feelings or she would be in grave danger. She frantically began to think of how she could get out of this terrible situation.

Bob bent his face close to Kate’s and pressed his lips roughly against her t
ender lips. He groped her breast with one hand while he held her close with the other. She heard him moan and knew she was in real danger of losing her virginity to a man she could barely tolerate.

“Oh, Kate, you are so sweet and innocent.”

She could feel his arousal and felt revulsion at his advances. She tried her best to fight free, but he was too strong. He was a big man and she was no match for his strength. She felt the thin fabric of her dress give way exposing her shift. Bile rose in her throat where it stopped. 

“You are beautiful.
I can’t wait to bed you properly.” He lowered his head again to her lips and tried to force her mouth open with his tongue. 

Afraid she was going to be sick
, she fought for control. She was cringing inside. No one had ever treated her so horribly before. Bob grabbed her breasts in both of his big, strong hands giving Kate an opportunity to step back. She knew his intentions; if he compromised her, she would be forced to marry him. 

She
realized this would be her only opportunity to escape. Remembering the ax handle on the porch behind her, she backed up quickly throwing Bob off balance. She groped along the outside wall of the porch until she felt the ax handle. She gripped it firmly in both hands and swung with all her might connecting with his head.

He fell to
his knees in agonizing pain. He touched his fingers to his head. Face red with rage, he slowly struggled to his feet and stumbled toward her.

Wasting no time, she ran into the house and lock
ed the door behind her. She raced to the far wall and lifted the rifle musket her brother had used in the war and pointed it at the door. She was shaking so badly she couldn’t have shot Bob even if he had been able to kick the door in and force his way inside. It felt like an eternity waiting to see what he would do. The rifle musket got heavier and heavier as she stood there waiting with her torn dress, tussled hair, and heaving chest. The only sound she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears. The quiet went on too long.