Savannah 07

Amanda and Adam returned to Selby Bluff in mid-July for the cotton harvesting. That entailed very early starts at daybreak, long days and late finishes at dark; a work pattern that neither were at all used to. The crop was satisfactory in overall volume, but the yield per acre was low, the lowest it had ever been. Most plantation owners attributed this to the slaves getting lazier over the years; they never really gave much consideration to fact that it might be due to lack of capital investment, training or lack of management techniques on their part.

The siblings were both appalled at just how hard the slaves were made to work even with the scratched and torn hands that were part of the lot for cotton pickers. Even the oldest and frailest were made to work along with the girls and women, some of whom were clearly pregnant. Although they both hated the spectacle they knew there was nothing that could be done so they spent most of their time in the house writing letters or completing their diaries.

"Amanda I really cannot stand this any longer" Adam grunted one evening when they met for a glass of wine before dinner.

"Stand what brother?" She asked looking at Adam and realising that he was probably slightly drunk.

"These wretched souls working fourteen hours a day, seven days a week" he replied adding. "Have you looked at their poor hands?"

"No Adam" she replied not quite sure what he was talking about and thinking he might be joking. "But then I don't see their hands in close up do I?"

"What?"

Smiling she replied. "Emiline?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are her hands rougher than they used to be? You presumably see hers in close up." She smiled.

Adam realized what she meant. "Don't be ridiculous."

"What do you mean?"

"This has nothing to do with her, I am serious."

"Sorry brother" Amanda replied realising by the look on his face that indeed Adam was serious.

"It's just so horrendous how we treat them. It's not as bad as this in the slaughterhouses of Chicago, the steel mills in Pittsburgh or the garment district sweatshops in New York."

"I know darling" she whispered cradling his head in her hands as she saw that he was starting to cry.

Everything was getting on top of Amanda. She was beginning to loath the plantation and the life-style it created as much as Adam clearly did. Although she had believed that she had sorted out his financial affairs when they were in New York she was disappointed and annoyed to learn that more creditors were chasing him. One evening when he was slightly drunk and they were discussing the situation he tearfully admitted that he owed thousands of dollars that he had 'forgotten' about. The recession brought on by the collapse of the Ohio Life company had cost Amanda very heavily. As British investors withdrew funds from the US and invested them in the safer home markets so US stocks and bond prices fell, land values in the mid-west slumped, grain prices dropped severely and economic activity declined. Amanda was getting hit everywhere. Even her collection of jewelry was losing value for the gold flooding in from California was too much for the market to absorb without prices dropping, and they did. On top of that there was the situation with Strand and the conflict she had between abhorring the man yet gaining enormous pleasure and excitement from having sex with him or, she realized as that came into her mind, even the thought of having it with him. Then, of course, there was Fairfax and her 'love' for him and her spying on her 'homeland. Her life was too complicated, she was beginning to believe.

The letter delivered by an army militiaman just as the final cotton was being picked, baled and dispatched simply added to her woes.

My darling,

I am deeply and acutely aware of the imposition I place on you and it rips at my heart to do so. But there is a greater good that I seek to serve and know that you wish to help as well.

I have no doubt that when your harvest is complete and the time is right that you intend to address the business we discussed last time we met. I hate to have to press you on this, but a hasty end to the matter in hand is becoming more crucial by the day. Anything at all, my love, that you can do to help our cause with this matter will be greatly appreciated by me, of course and by others at the very highest of levels.

Your everlasting love

F

"Damn, damn, damn, damn him and all men" she groaned after reading the elegantly phrased, but overall demeaning to her letter. 'It's almost an instruction from him and those of the highest of levels to let Strand fuck me' she thought, again wondering just who knew that she had slept with the monster and how far up the chain of command it went? 'I bet even old doughface knows' she thought using the nickname for the President who she had met many time when he was the US Ambassador to the Court of Saint James in London.

She hated doing it, but tingled as she did. On a shopping trip to Meldrim she telegraphed Strand.

My Dear Sir,

Please forgive me being forward, but I am most keen to learn if there have been any developments with our mutual venture. I would be delighted to receive a telegram to advise me or, if you prefer, to attend on you to discuss the matter further.

My kindest possible regards

Your obedient servant

Amanda Williams

She had only been back at the plantation an hour or so and was just taking tea with one of the engineer's wife when she saw the courier arrive. Moments later Lucy a junior housemaid delivered the telegram to her on a silver tray.

"Excuse me Mary I do need to read this" she said fighting hard to stop her hands shaking as she opened the envelope.

My Dearest Missus Williams,

It was as delightful as it was precipitous to receive your message earlier this afternoon.

There have indeed been some developments and I was just about to contact you to invite you to meet with me to discuss them. They are fairly complicated and may require us consulting with lawyers and possibly a land surveyor as well as having detailed discussions. I was hoping, therefore that you would be able to arrange a two day visit to Savannah at your earliest possible convenience. I shall be in Savannah for the next ten days and can make myself available to you to meet your schedule. I would, though, urge you to arrange this for the earliest possible date.

Your most willing servant and friend

Oliver

"I have to go to Savannah for a few days," she told Adam after she had been into Meldrim and exchanged telegrams with Strand arranging a convenient date the Monday of the following week. She explained that it was to do with the sale of the plantation.

"Shouldn't I be there too?"

"Well Strand insisted I come alone."

"Hmmm, I wonder what he wants?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well you saw a lot of him in Washington and quite frankly Amanda, he is known as a notorious womaniser."

"Is he, I didn't know that?"

"Oh come on, you must have heard about him," he said sulkily.

"Well now you mention it Jayne Essington did rather hint that he has propositioned her."

"And others, you included I imagine."

"Actually Adam, whether he has or hasn't really is not your business is it?"

"Yes sister dear, it is, it's partly my plantation, but you go and fuck him if you think that will help sell the plantation" Adam snarled storming out.

Amanda felt a lick of heat inside her body. That was precisely her plan. They had made arrangements to have dinner together on the Tuesday, the day she arrived, when Strand had advised it will be a 'dinner a deux a la Washington' clearly implying that was when he would first take her.

In the lengthy telegram exchange between them setting up their meetings they had been highly discrete using vague phrases and near codes to explain their points. He had implored her to leave the Monday afternoon and evening free adding very undiplomatically and cheekily 'night as well' for her to meet some more of his friends. Amanda knew that he wanted to impress her by showing how popular and well-connected he was and at the same time show her off to them and illustrate what a rake he was, for she was positive he had told some or all of his cronies, de Bow included, that they were lovers. That made her wonder just how many men from both camps were aware of her loose drawers.

As usual when in Savannah Amanda stayed at the Eliza Thompson guest house. That was now run by Eliza's daughter Megan, a fifty year old spinster. She provided an outstanding and extremely confidential service in her small, exquisitely appointed and scrupulously clean facility as well as providing wonderful food. Amanda had telegraphed her booking to the guest house and Megan welcomed her like an old friend showing her to her usual room that had a balcony with floor to ceiling windows overlooking Oglethorpe Avenue and Yamacraw Village. As Milly unpacked all the clothes and stored them away Amanda rested for what she knew was likely to be a very tiring, both emotionally and physically, visit.

As in Washington, Strand had a mansion outside the city and a combined house and office in the city in Reynolds Square. These were in addition to his official residence as the Deputy Lieutenant Governor that was in Forsyth Park. He, therefore, had a range of locations where he could indulge his fancies and the location he chose to meet Amanda was his office and house in Reynolds Square; it was just a few minutes carriage ride from the guesthouse.

She was very aware that Strand would expect her to pay a price for the help he had provided. What she didn't know was just what the price would be and what form it would take. That she would have to have sex with him was certain, and while it partly appalled her, in a strange and inexplicable way it also thrilled her, just as it had last time.

Was that something to do with Strand himself? Or was it just the thought of debasing herself like a common whore for money and information that she found so arousing? But then on the other hand, her alter ego told her, it might be to do with the greater good. It could be that the thought of being part of the campaign to stop the country sliding into civil war appealed so much to her that it became like an aphrodisiac. It certainly felt that way and she liked to think that it was at least a contributory reason. The mere idea of being able to give her lover Fairfax Lennon information that could prevent the terrible suffering on the one hand made her feel good, but on the other excited her. After all, her thought processes told her; how often can a woman play a part in history?

*

Amanda arrived by carriage at Eliza Thompson's guesthouse at just after two on the Monday afternoon. It hadn't been a particularly pleasant journey for Casio the driver had to ride the horses fairly hard to maintain a speed where there was a constant breeze, cooling Amanda and Milly and that made the journey bumpy and very hectic. At a nice, leisurely pace the humidity and one hundred degree heat would have been so oppressive that the journey could not have been contemplated by a genteel lady and her maid. The fact that they were using a carriage and four made the speed possible and thus, they were transported from Selby to the heart of Savannah by noon in just over three hours, the quickest Amanda could remember ever completing the journey.

As she had expected there was a number of messages waiting for her. One was from Adam begging her forgiveness, another was from Fairfax, one was from Strand and the other, totally unexpectedly was from James de Bow. It didn't occur to Amanda until later just how de Bow could have known she was expected at the guest house. But then both national and state politics were both full of intrigue and so it seemed everyone had their own information network!

After she had met de Bow in Washington he had sent her a few telegraphs confirming that when she was next in New Orleans she would be most welcome to visit his publishing house and printing press. They had exchanged letters and when he was on his way from New Orleans to a meeting in Charleston just before the cotton harvest he and his wife had spent a night at Selby Bluff. Amanda really liked James and in other circumstances might have been very attracted to him, but not she told herself, that she would have any interest in becoming the fifth Missus de Bow, particularly when he was still attached to the fourth.

The telegram advised her that he understood she was due to be in Savannah this coming week and would she honor him by dining with him.

She wrote her replies, telling Adam that everything was fine and that of course he was forgiven and thanking Fairfax for his good wishes and confirming that she would try her hardest to find out more about the situation in South Carolina and the names of as many Fire-Eaters fighters as she could. She acknowledged Strand's message and confirmed her acceptance of his invitation to tea at his Government office in Forsyth Park at four when, as he put it, 'Hopefully we can fully address the sale of the plantation to leave the rest of our time together for more agreeable pursuits.'

Amanda took longer composing her reply to de Bow for she was sure that he wanted to proposition her; the issue was whether she welcomed that and what her response would be. She thought carefully before replying:

My Dear James,

My most sincere thanks for your kind invitation to dinner. Regrettably I will have to decline for I am likely to have another arrangement. I would, however be delighted to meet you and Missus de Bow for tea on Tuesday if that meets with your arrangements.

Kindest personal regards to you both

Amanda

She had Milly take the messages to the nearby telegraph office and then undressed and removed her corset lay on the bed and snoozed. Milly returned at just after one having waited for replies that came from Strand and de Bow, but not Fairfax. Strand's simply stressed how much he was looking forward to seeing her again and de Bow's read:

My dearest Amanda

Whilst feeling inconsolable at probably missing the delight of spending an evening at dinner with you, I will of course alter my schedule so that I may accept your generous suggestion of meeting for tea on Tuesday; Missus de Bow is not accompanying me on this trip so she will not be joining us.

Sublime though that tea will undoubtedly be, it will of course be of little compensation for the disappointment I will feel when we part after such a short period. I implore you with all my heart Amanda that should your circumstances change and you become free for dinner at whatever time and no matter how late, you think of me and accept my invitation.

I wait with bated breath and am at your beck and call

James.

Amanda felt a surge of excitement as she read the telegram. Firstly, that was because, as she expected, he was inviting her to meet with him alone and secondly due to his quite obvious desire to please and thrill her with his flattering and flowery prose. She was quite sure now that Mister de Bow was pursuing her, something that early middle aged divorcees and widows have to contend with. She decided to play a game.

My dear James,

In light of your situation with regard to Missus de Bow and my circumstances I feel that tea would be more appropriate and look forward to joining you. Do you have a location in mind?

As ever

Amanda

Milly ran her bath and Amanda luxuriated in the warm soapy water before dressing to meet Strand for tea. She wore only one petticoat, her chemise was under her corset, which she instructed Milly to lace up less tight than usual due to the heat. She wore an olive green dress with a high, tight front, which meant she showed little cleavage, but emphasized the fullness of her breasts.

If Strand was trying to impress her with the grandioseness of his official office, he succeeded. From being greeted by name by the two wigged footmen at the entrance, to being accompanied by a red coated page through the long corridors to being shown into Strand's huge office was a series of surprises and massive impressions to Amanda. Although she had visited palaces and government building in London, she was still amazed at the opulence of this State building, which wasn't even the main government facility.

The footmen passed Amanda over to a secretary who again greeted her by name. He was seated outside a pair of double doors. "Good afternoon Missus Williams, the Lieutenant Governor is expecting you, may I announce you?"

"Yes please" Amanda replied duly impressed by the organization combined with pomp and splendor that reminded her of the court surrounding Queen Victoria in Britain.

He tapped on the door and without waiting for an answer opened it.

"Lieutenant Governor, Missus Williams."

Strand was seated behind a huge desk, but quickly stood up and walked the forty feet or so Amanda guessed to greet her.

"My dear how lovely to meet you again," he said taking her hand and kissing it as the secretary left the room and shut the door. Immediately it clicked shut, he pulled Amanda to him and kissed her hard right on her lips.

Between sucking and kissing her lips he gasped. "I have been counting the minutes until I could do this again."

"Pray sir, please" Amanda protested trying to push him off.

"Don't tell me to stop."

"But sir, your office."

"No one would dare enter" he growled, kissing her again.

He was too strong for Amanda to push off and she had to endure his slobbering kisses and bear hug cuddling until he had sated himself.

"It is wonderful to see you again Amanda," he said leading her to a sofa by a large bowed window overlooking a rose garden, a feature that had become popular since the one had been planted in the White House grounds.

He sat across from her and rang a bell.

"What may I offer you, Missus Williams?" he asked in front of the secretary.

"Tea would be lovely please, Lieutenant Governor."

The lacky left to get the tea they had both ordered and Amanda and Strand made small talk as they waited. He couldn't keep his eyes off her, which wasn't surprising for it was only with his most stringent resolve that he was keeping his hands off her.

The intensity of his desire for her had increased with the length of time since he had last seen her in Washington. Since agreeing to this series of meetings his want had increased immensely and he had taken to masturbating at least once a day about her and on the nights he visited a brothel, which recently had become most, it was her who was in his mind when his body fucked the whore. Sitting there waiting for the tea he was once again mulling over in his mind what he would like to do to her this time.

He was becoming erect at those thoughts and as the memories of her full breasts and rounded ass filled his mind. He wanted them, especially the rounded full cheeks of her ass. He wanted to stroke them, kiss and lick them, bite them, spank them, eat them and if he could and most of all he wanted to fuck them.

Amanda could see that his attention was wandering and desperately wanted to broach the subject of the plantation, but etiquette demanded that be left until they had taken refreshment and then had to be raised by the host of the meeting

"So Amanda," he started after the tea had been served in bone china, thin cups from a silver teapot. "Selby Bluff."

"Yes Oliver," Amanda breathed leaning forward so that, unintentionally of course, the material was stretched more tightly across her breasts.

"I have some good news and some not so good news for you. What would you prefer first?"

"The bad I suppose."

"Well that will not come as too great a surprise to you I imagine."

"Good, what is it?"

"The plantation has lost a lot of value due to the stupidity of the Yankees."