My Splendid Concubine (12 page)

“
A carrot.”

“
Yes, he said barbarians liked it.”

“
What did he mean?” Robert was having trouble swallowing. His heart was pounding like a drum ready to burst.

“
He said the carrot is the barbarian’s tongue.”

“
I see. So, you didn’t like it.” It was a struggle not to smile.

“
No, my father ruined my appetite for carrots for good.”

“
That’s a pity.” He almost laughed.

“
How are you going to kiss me?”

“
I’ll show you.”

“
Do I have to suck?”

“
You don’t have to do anything.” Her obvious innocence captivated him. He hoped she was the woman he’d always dreamed of.

“
That will be nice,” she said.

She jerked as Robert moved toward her. Her head ended in an awkward angle, and he kissed the side of her nose. Rober
t took her face between both hands, held her still, and kissed her again. Her lips were stiff and dry at first. After she relaxed, they were soft, warm, and moist. The moment turned serious. When Robert slipped his tongue into her mouth, she gasped, and said, “I like it, Robert Hart.”

“
Kiss me back,” he whispered.

She was cautious like a chick ready to leave its nest for the first time but once their lips met, she became the aggressor and her tongue the invader. His hands moved to her clothes. He peeled off the thin layers of silk. There was no
resistance as he stripped her.

She unbuttoned his shirt and slipped her hands inside to e
xplore his chest and back. Her eyes opened wide with surprise. She pushed away from him and stared at his chest. “So much hair,” she said. She ran her fingers through it. “It feels strange to touch and looks like dark grass.” She laughed and threw herself on top of him pushing him onto his back. She pressed her lips against his. Their tongues danced.

His hands explored her muscular, naked legs and ended on her bottom. There wasn
’t much room, but he managed to pull off his shirt and crawl out of his pants and for an instant, their lips parted.

“
Do not stop,” she said, and fear flared in her eyes. Her voice sounded frantic and demanding. “Touch me everywhere.”

They rolled over, and their naked bodies mi
ngled. He kissed her neck and ran his tongue along her smooth flesh. She tasted like the ocean.

“
Make me yours before my father sells me,” she said, whispering.

Her words brought back reality. Her father was tak
ing bids on her virginity. In a moment, Robert was going to steal it. His conscience screamed no, but it could not fight his desire.

“
Take me.” She begged and pulled him toward her.

“
But your father—”

“
I want you, Robert Hart! Pity me! It is my last wish before I’m sold. I will never forget how you carried my father to safety.” She sobbed and tears wet her face. “You are making me a happy woman. My life is worth this moment.”

Heat flooded him. H
e held her with both hands while he grunted like a stag in rut. He thrust into her for a long time. After she gasped and her body convulsed, his orgasm quickly followed.

Once it was over, sweaty and exhausted, they slept in each ot
her’s arms.

When
Robert awoke, she was gone. He felt lost. For a moment, he wondered if he had imagined it all, but the sexual scent of their encounter filled the space. He was glad that Guan-jiah had not been there watching from the shadows. It wouldn’t have been the same. He cradled the back of his head in his hands and stared at the ceiling basking in the memories of his time with Ayaou. His mood suddenly shifted to one of regret, and he was confused. Both Me-ta-tae and Willow had left him soon after making love too.

A deep stabbing pain blossomed in the center of his ste
rnum. It hurt and he rubbed at it. He wanted to wake just once with the woman he’d made love to next to him. He wanted to sit up and study her sleeping face. He wanted to kiss her lips and light the fire again. Every sexual encounter since his first time at fifteen had ended the same way. Robert was sick of these brief interludes.

Chapter 6

“Is there something bothering you?” Unwyn asked. He was the
Maryann’s
duty officer. “You’ve been pacing and watching the shore all morning. It’s too hot to be out here. The deck is like a frying pan. I’m about to have tea. You’re welcome to join me.”

Robert didn
’t look at him. “No, I’m fine.” What he said wasn’t true. He hadn’t slept. He had no appetite.

“
I shouldn’t have been so hard on you during the fight, but it was for your own good. It was foolish taking a risk for those boat people.”

“
It was no bother,” Robert replied. He still didn’t look at Unwyn. He couldn’t take his eyes off the shoreline and the city. Where was Chou Luk? It was almost noon and the deadline for bidding on Ayaou was ending.

“
Patridge was wrong about you.” Unwyn snapped. “You are a prig. I detest people like you. Rot in hell!” He spat over the side.

“
What?” Robert turned to Unwyn, whose face was red and swollen from anger. “Don’t take that tone with me!” Robert said. “I’ve done nothing to deserve it.”

“
People like us come to places like China for one thing—to become rich or powerful or both.” Unwyn leaned closer until Robert smelled his sour breath. “You won’t achieve that by risking your life to save peasants.”

“
What I did was the right thing to do,” Robert replied. “Get out of my face.”

“
You are a fool and fools deserve what they get. Patridge was wrong taking you to Ward’s celebration. He will gain nothing from it.” Unwyn walked away with stiff, angry steps.

Robert didn
’t understand why Unwyn was so upset. Later he realized that by ignoring the man, Unwyn must have felt slighted, but Robert could think of only one thing then, Ayaou.

When Captain Patridge finished his business in Shanghai, he e
xpected to sail back to his summerhouse on Zhoushan Island. Robert wanted to pay Chou Luk and take Ayaou with him. If needed, he’d use the money in his Hong Kong bank account. He was ready to sell everything he owned and ask for an advance on his pay. He was willing to offer as much as four hundred yuan to beat the others. However, if Chou Luk had changed his plans and didn’t come to the ship, what was he to do?

Robert had a ti
n flask with whiskey in it. He took a swallow to calm his nerves. The whiskey burned as it went down. It started a fire in his empty stomach. He should’ve taken Unwyn up on his offer and mended the rift between them. He regretted not doing so but made no attempt to go after Unwyn and explain himself.

Captain Patridge walked up.
“Since I have business to finish, I’m going ashore for a short time. Would you care to join me?”

“
I can’t for I have to talk to Chou Luk when he comes on board.” Robert stood by the ship’s side as Patridge went down the ladder to his waiting boat. At the bottom, the captain gave Robert an odd look before the boat left.

Robert
’s heart beat faster when he saw a small junk with a central cabin covered in bamboo matting moving toward the
Maryann
. After it came alongside, the first face to appear on deck was Ayaou’s father, Chou Luk. His younger daughters, Lan and Shao-mei, were close behind him.

Unwyn appeared.
“All right, Hart,” he said in a tone full of malice, “you tell Chou Luk that Captain Patridge went ashore to finish some business with Boss Takee. He’s to wait for the Captain’s return. After you have done that, take these two girls below to the main cabin and see they don’t leave it. They are the Captain’s new concubines. The Captain does not take kindly to anyone spoiling the goods but a little touchy feely never hurts.” With a lecherous look on his face, he winked at Robert, as if he were considering it for himself.

Rober
t didn’t like the way Unwyn was talking to him but didn’t want any trouble. He just wanted him to leave.

He didn
’t see Ayaou, which made him wonder where she was. He started to worry. He told the girls to follow him below. Once they were in the captain’s cabin, Robert said, “You will stay here for your master.” He looked around the cramped space. When his eyes returned to the girls, he asked, “How is your sister, Ayaou?”

The sisters, who were standing
close together, didn’t move and kept staring at the floor. Shao-mei, the older one, looked terrified.

“
I’m Hart,” he said. “Robert Hart. Do you remember me?”

Shao-mei
’s eyes came up. She shook her head.

“
I’m Ayaou’s friend. I carried your father to safety during the fight against the Taipings.”

“
We don’t know what happened to Ayaou,” Shao-mei said. “Our father doesn’t share with us his business. He said that we have been bought. We haven’t seen Ayaou since last night. Maybe you’ll be able to find her. Will you?” She stepped closer to Robert and looked boldly into his eyes. Her fear had vanished.

“
What kind of man is Captain Patridge?” Lan asked. “Will he beat us?”

“
He won’t beat you if you do what you’re told. You’ll not go hungry and will always have a comfortable place to live.” Robert thought of Willow and the other concubines staying at Patridge’s summerhouse and the life they lived entertaining his guests. He hated lying to these girls.

Clearly,
Shao-mei still had a young girl’s dreams, where Willow’s dreams were dead. Shao-mei and Lan’s innocence struck pain inside him as if an ice pick had pierced him. Soon Shao-mei’s eyes would be dull like Willow’s. He wanted to save Willow but didn’t know how. No, Robert could not tell them the truth. What purpose was served by scaring them?

The cabin was o
ppressively hot, so Robert went to the windows running across the stern and opened them letting in the sluggish breeze. It improved the situation a bit. The sun wasn’t beating on them in here.

Back on deck, he waite
d and hoped for Ayaou to arrive. The minutes dragged like hours. He couldn’t wait any longer. There was another Chinese girl beside Chou Luk. She couldn’t have been much older than Ayaou.

Robert bowed to the old
man, and said, “The weather is hot this time of year, and the air is thick with moisture.” He dreaded asking about Ayaou. It also didn’t help that his conscience was berating him for wanting to buy a woman. To think such a thing was foreign to the way his father and mother raised him.

“
I have seen years where it is worse and some where it is better,” Chou Luk replied.

“
Have you noticed the prices in the market since the Taipings have been here?” Robert hated himself for not getting to the point.

Chou Luk nodded.
“The farmers are afraid. If they pick their crops and attempt taking them to the cities, the Taipings steal the food.”

Robert found it difficult to swallow. He ran a finger around the i
nside of his tight collar to loosen it, but that didn’t help. It was blasted hot. He was streaming with sweat. “Over here is some shade,” he said. “We can sit and talk in comfort.”

Sitting was a relief as his legs had turned to water and were tre
mbling from nervousness. He ordered a deck boy to bring tea and biscuits.

“
Is this young lady your daughter too?” Robert asked, and nodded toward the new girl sitting behind and to Chou Luk’s right.

“
No.” Chou Luk smiled. “This ugly girl is my new daughter-in-law.”

“
I’m sure she’ll provide many healthy grandchildren for you.”

“
Sons, many sons.” Chou Luk smiled revealing a mouth filled with rotting, blackened teeth. “She’ll also help take care of me in my old age. What about you, young man? Got a wife yet?”

Now was the time.
“I have been thinking.” He tried to smile, but his jaw felt locked. “If I may, I’d like to purchase your daughter, Ayaou. I’m willing to pay whatever price you ask.” He knew it was stupid to say such a thing. What if her father asked for too much, and Robert didn’t have the yuan.

“
You want Ayaou!” The old man looked surprised.

“
What is a suitable price?” His hands started to shake. He hid them in his pockets.

Chou Luk gestured for his new daughter-in-law to pour more tea in his cup. He then spent a long moment sipping as his eyes avoided Robert. A boat bumped the side of the brig. Robert heard Captain Patridge
’s voice. Ayaou’s father handed the cup to the girl and looked toward the opening in the rail. His leather-skinned, narrow face was blotched with age reminding Robert of a picture from the Dark Ages of starving people. Chou Luk’s hollow eyes had dark fleshy bags under them. A large half-inch mole sat securely on the left side of his jaw between his mouth and ear. He had stringy, dark hair with strands of white showing through.