crossing her dark arms defiantly. Master Stewart noticed her wide frown.
“Well something is amiss. I was advised today by Mr. and Mrs. Douglass that my son has been neglecting some of his marital duties as a husband. I don’t know what would cause him to do this other than Hannah. It’s important that you tell me straight away if you learn anything. This must be stopped. I’ve spoken to John and Hannah on numerous occasions, but they may be continuing to disobey. I won’t tolerate it. John has repeatedly defied me these past two years.
“He ain’t a baby no more. We want to keep them babies, but we can’t,” Mary responded.
“There may be truth in that, however, there’s too much at risk for this to continue. If there’s anything happening between the two, I want it to stop immediately, and if it does not, I shall find out, and those involved shall regret it.” Master Stewart walked away, leaving his threat to linger in the air for Mary to taste. She sighed before returning indoors to her ironing. Later that evening, Mary waited for the proper moment, then pulled Hannah aside as she finished up a load of laundry.
“Come up to the room – now!” Mary whispered in her daughter’s ear. Hannah quickly followed her mother, closing the bedroom door and locking it.
“Yes, Mama?”
“Hannah,” Mary looked around as she whispered to her daughter. “You gotta stop seein’ John for a while.”
“Mama, I can’t do that. He’s my husband,” Hannah said with a look of concern on her face. Mary grabbed her daughter by the shoulders roughly.
“You have to! Master Stewart’s very upset. John hasn’t spent no time with his wife! Tell him to stop comin’ to you in the evenin’ and go to his wife more often. He’s got to, or you two will suffer for it!”
Hannah smiled.
“What are you laughin’ at?” Mary demanded, pushing her hand into her ample hip.
“He been tellin’ the truth, Mama. He told me he hasn’t laid with her, and he kept his word.” Hannah smiled wider as she plopped down on her bed, holding the bed sheet close to her chest.
“He kept his word to you alright, but now you both in a heap of trouble! He has to be with her. I’m sorry, but he has to.” Mary swiftly walked away, leaving Hannah in a cloud of unpredicted happy thoughts.
* * *
John showed up at the big tree at their usual time that evening. Its branches sprawled out like a loving grandmother’s arms, welcoming them into her loving fold. This time he brought Hannah a tin of sweet bread and red licorice ropes wrapped delicately in lilac lace.
“Good evening, my dearest Hannah.” John embraced her, kissing her passionately as he held her smooth, feminine body close to his. “I have something for you. Sweets for my sweet.” Hannah smiled as she took in the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg, making her mouth water.
“Thank you, John,” she said shyly. “Thank you for everything.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead.
“What do you mean?” he asked with a large grin as he slid lazily down onto the uneven blades of grass, bringing her down slowly with him.
“Master Stewart told my Mama that you won’t lay with Gayle. He’s mad.” John’s face suddenly turned serious.
“Mr. Douglas contacted my father?” he asked, his heart rate slightly accelerating.
“I don’t know. I s’pose so. Mama said for us to not meet for a bit, and that you need to be with her to make things right. I don’t want you to, but I understand,” Hannah conceded as she unwrapped a piece of licorice and thoughtfully chewed.
“How dare she,” John uttered under his breath. “How dare Gayle try to force me to be with her by running to her parents regarding such a delicate matter!” John shouted. Hannah watched as her husband stood up, yelling and screaming.
“No one owns me! I’m not a breeder! I’m not Master Stewart’s slave! This is absurd. Does he not have any boundaries? Now his
“Well something is amiss. I was advised today by Mr. and Mrs. Douglass that my son has been neglecting some of his marital duties as a husband. I don’t know what would cause him to do this other than Hannah. It’s important that you tell me straight away if you learn anything. This must be stopped. I’ve spoken to John and Hannah on numerous occasions, but they may be continuing to disobey. I won’t tolerate it. John has repeatedly defied me these past two years.
“He ain’t a baby no more. We want to keep them babies, but we can’t,” Mary responded.
“There may be truth in that, however, there’s too much at risk for this to continue. If there’s anything happening between the two, I want it to stop immediately, and if it does not, I shall find out, and those involved shall regret it.” Master Stewart walked away, leaving his threat to linger in the air for Mary to taste. She sighed before returning indoors to her ironing. Later that evening, Mary waited for the proper moment, then pulled Hannah aside as she finished up a load of laundry.
“Come up to the room – now!” Mary whispered in her daughter’s ear. Hannah quickly followed her mother, closing the bedroom door and locking it.
“Yes, Mama?”
“Hannah,” Mary looked around as she whispered to her daughter. “You gotta stop seein’ John for a while.”
“Mama, I can’t do that. He’s my husband,” Hannah said with a look of concern on her face. Mary grabbed her daughter by the shoulders roughly.
“You have to! Master Stewart’s very upset. John hasn’t spent no time with his wife! Tell him to stop comin’ to you in the evenin’ and go to his wife more often. He’s got to, or you two will suffer for it!”
Hannah smiled.
“What are you laughin’ at?” Mary demanded, pushing her hand into her ample hip.
“He been tellin’ the truth, Mama. He told me he hasn’t laid with her, and he kept his word.” Hannah smiled wider as she plopped down on her bed, holding the bed sheet close to her chest.
“He kept his word to you alright, but now you both in a heap of trouble! He has to be with her. I’m sorry, but he has to.” Mary swiftly walked away, leaving Hannah in a cloud of unpredicted happy thoughts.
* * *
John showed up at the big tree at their usual time that evening. Its branches sprawled out like a loving grandmother’s arms, welcoming them into her loving fold. This time he brought Hannah a tin of sweet bread and red licorice ropes wrapped delicately in lilac lace.
“Good evening, my dearest Hannah.” John embraced her, kissing her passionately as he held her smooth, feminine body close to his. “I have something for you. Sweets for my sweet.” Hannah smiled as she took in the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg, making her mouth water.
“Thank you, John,” she said shyly. “Thank you for everything.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead.
“What do you mean?” he asked with a large grin as he slid lazily down onto the uneven blades of grass, bringing her down slowly with him.
“Master Stewart told my Mama that you won’t lay with Gayle. He’s mad.” John’s face suddenly turned serious.
“Mr. Douglas contacted my father?” he asked, his heart rate slightly accelerating.
“I don’t know. I s’pose so. Mama said for us to not meet for a bit, and that you need to be with her to make things right. I don’t want you to, but I understand,” Hannah conceded as she unwrapped a piece of licorice and thoughtfully chewed.
“How dare she,” John uttered under his breath. “How dare Gayle try to force me to be with her by running to her parents regarding such a delicate matter!” John shouted. Hannah watched as her husband stood up, yelling and screaming.
“No one owns me! I’m not a breeder! I’m not Master Stewart’s slave! This is absurd. Does he not have any boundaries? Now his
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