THE BEGUILEMENT OF KID CURRY - Chapter Four

Amy gave a quick look towards the door and listened. Her ears strained to hear anyone coming down the long hall. She held her breath and heard nothing. She reached a hand out and laid it lightly on Heyes' bare chest. She watched to make sure the touch hadn't woken him. She ran her hand slowly over his chest, feeling his silky chest hairs under her fingers. Amy looked at his mouth. She would have liked to touch his lips...maybe even kiss them to find out what a real kiss was like. Her one and only kiss with a man was when she had first found the Northern soldier, John McBurney, injured deep in the woods. As they crouched in the bushes as the Confederate soldiers searched for him, he had asked Amy her name and how old she was. Nine she had replied. Almost ten. Old enough for a kiss he had told and kissed her so quickly she hadn't had time to feel repulsed. She realized he hadn't been a kiss of any kind of affection or gratitude, it was merely to keep her quiet. That had been okay at the time but as she grew and matured, she imagined at times what it would be like to kiss a man with passion. There hadn't been too many opportunities, as the only men that appeared on the property seemed to disappear as quickly as they appeared. She felt Heyes' breathing change under her hand, so she quickly and reluctantly stopped and slipped out the door.

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The girls scurried around preparing for lunch as each girl performed their assigned daily task. In unison they stopped to stare at Kid, who stood in the doorway. Their view from the upper story windows as Kid worked had been hindered by trees surrounding the property. But they did manage to catch glimpses. Up close, he was even more handsome. Once Miss Martha had left them unattended as she went to bring lemonade to Kid, they had hurried to the open windows. Miss Martha had not missed the girl's attention from the windows.

"Ladies!" Miss Martha said, admonishing the girls.

They quickly resumed their duties. When they had all taken a seat, and passed the food around the table, Miss Martha said, "Ladies, this is mister...I'm sorry Thaddeus I don't recall you telling me your last name."

"It's Jones Ma'am." Kid said, as his stomach growled loudly causing the older girls to smile. The two younger girls giggled with delight. Miss Martha gave them a stern stare which caused them to quickly drop their heads, and looked innocently at their laps.

"We will make proper introductions after our meal. I think someone is hungry,"

Kid had spooned food into his mouth when Miss Martha closed her eyes and bowed her head, "Bless O Lord, the food we are about to eat. We pray that it will be good for our body and soul; and if there be any poor creature or person hungry or thirsty walking along the road wanting, send them to us so that we can share. Amen."

Kid froze. He held the food in his mouth, not daring to chew or swallow. "Amen" Kid mumbled before he quickly swallowed his food.

Kid was introduced to each girl. Emily and Alicia were the youngest. Although not sisters they were best friends. They looked to be about nine or ten. Marie was fourteen and very shy, refusing to look Kid directly in the face during their introduction. Grace, Olivia Charlotte, Ellie, were all in their mid teens and lastly Amy, who pretended like they had never spoken.

Kid could feel all the girl's eyes on him as he ate, even though they were trying to be discreet and only giving him slide glances, fearful Miss Martha would reprimand them for being rude.

The conversation was awkward and Kid wished Heyes was at the table to do all the talking.

"So what do you and your cousin do?"

Kid shrugged, "Whatever comes our way. Joshua and me-"

"Joshua and I." Miss Martha said, cutting him off and correcting him with a smile.

"Yeah...Joshua and I," Kid stammered, "Don't like sitting in one place for too long."

"That's truly a shame. We could use some help here at the school. We certainly appreciated the work you did today. Didn't we ladies?"

The girl's nodded their heads obediently.

"Perhaps we could entice Mr. Jones to stay longer." Miss Martha addressing the girls.

"I-I'm sure Joshua-" Kid started before Miss Martha cut him off.

"Are you done?"

"Ye...Yes."

Miss Martha nodded her head to Amy who quickly stood up and leaned close to Kid to retrieve his plate. Kid felt her breast briefly brush against his shoulder. She paused, with plate in hand, and gave Kid a smile. Kid pushed away from the table and stood up quickly, "I appreciate the meal but I need to tend to Joshua."

"I've set some broth aside for Joshua."

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Kid reached behind Heyes' head and readjusted the pillows. Using his arms Heyes worked his way into a more upright position so he could eat. Taking a seat beside the bed. Kid watched as Heyes dipped the spoon into the bowl and slowly brought the food to his mouth.

"Heyes…"

There was a puzzled look on Kid's face.

"Something wrong, Kid?"

"Yes."

"Can you be a little more specific?"

"Miss Martha."

"Miss Martha?"

"There's something not right. The way she looks at me..and the way those girls…"

"That Kid Curry charm."

"Charm? Damn Heyes, she could be my mother." Kid snorted, "There are times I feel if she had a knife...She's not who she says she is."

"Like we are?"

"Just hurry up and get better so we can get the hell out of here."

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Miss Martha knew she was clinging to a past that would never be the same again. Not after the war and what it did to her beloved South. The social status of wealth defined by marriage, land and possessions including slaves, lay in ruins. She had been a dismal failure. The pinnacle was within her reach when she married the handsome doctor, but she never could give him the children that were required. No matter how many times and how many ways she surrendered to her husband's will and desire, it was never enough. She learned the reality of that one day when she walked in their bedroom and found her husband and sister together. They haven't even tried to hide it. No embarrassment. No apologies.

She had backed out of the bedroom not believing what she had seen. Her hand clutched her chest as she gasped for air between heart wrenching sobs. She thought surely her husband or sister would come out to apologize, beg for forgiveness, but the door remained closed.

She had her answer.

Moments later Martha opened the bedroom door and shot until the gun was empty. She continued to pull the trigger, until Hattie, one of the black servants, eased the gun from her hand without a word. She had wondered when Miss Martha would finally find out the secret that everyone knew on the plantation.

Once the war was over and the slaves declared free, there had been no protest from Miss Martha. Hattie suspected the main reason was because of the bodies buried on the property. The story was that her husband had been killed by northern soldiers and her sister had left. Miss Martha would be more mortified if the truth had surfaced that her own sister had bedded her husband. The shame would have been more than she could bear. Hattie saw relief on Miss Martha's face as she gathered her meager possessions and left. She was the last witness to the murders, including the death of the Yankee soldier Colonel McBurney. The property had become more of a cemetery, rather than a school and Hattie was more than glad to leave it behind before she joined the two lustful men and one despicable sister six feet under.

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The girl's daily routine began with a light breakfast and the start of early morning chores. Because of the oppressive heat of the day, work was restricted to the morning until lunch and the brief hours before dusk. Afternoons were lessons of latin, french, music, literary works and proper etiquette.

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While digging through one of the sheds for excess lumber, Kid came across a pair of old crutches pushed into a corner behind some old boards. The man who had used them had been very tall, well over six feet. If he made some adjustments, Heyes would be able to use them. Kid put them across two sawhorses. There was a reddish brown stain on the lower part of one of the crutches. He rubbed a cloth across it but it appeared to be permanently stained. If he didn't know better he would say it was blood.

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