BOOK 2

TREASURES

CHAPTER 7: LOVE'S MANY GIFTS

Robert led Mandy to their rooms. Erin and Fiona were rocking the babies to sleep. Erin walked to Mandy. Little Abby was not falling asleep. Mandy took her from the free woman's arms. Erin was a young girl Robert had saved from execution for trying to steal some bread. She was a run away slave and was unusually dark skinned for a girl whose father was he white Master.

Mandy had seem she was injured and talked Cornwallis into letting her live. All she had tried to do was feed herself from a set picnic basket of a wealthy lord officer. Stealing was not a crime of death. To appease the indignant officer Erin was sentenced to 20 strokes of a lash. A third of what was normally required.

She took it as she had times in the past. Mandy winced everytime she herd the whip fall f the young flesh already riddled with cross-crossed marks from the horrors of slavery.

Rumor had gotten out about her and her master, a loyalist demanded her return. Erin, however, had chosen her friends well and Amanda begged her husband and Cornwallis not to make her go back. Cornwallis's mind was on Yorktown and so preoccupied he agreed to pay half of what she would sell for. Robert paid the rest. He saw the value in the young woman and for her freedom she remained loyal. She still was a slave by deeded contract, but Robert held it as a reminder that she was a servant, not a slave. He would never raise a whip to anyone.

In fact one day while she was doing wash a man tried to attack her. He had a whip and bound her. He would take her refusal out of her hide. He ripped the back of her dress and exposed her back as he tied her to a tree. Robert came and before the first blow fell he stepped in and took it on his arm. It hurt, but saved the girl who was weeping for she thought she would never be treated like this again.

Robert struck the man away and drew his knife. He freed her and kept himself between them. Being dressed casual the man did not know he was an officer and moved to punch him. Robert simply let him and then another man of the Legion came and restrained the man. Robert had the loyalist Sergeant flogged for striking a superior officer twice. Erin sobbed in his arms for sometime in relief.

Fiona was as Scottish as they came. Though quiet she often had worthwhile things to hear when she did speak.

Fiona laid the sleeping Will in his crib and moved back as Robert came forward to touch his son's soft head tenderly.

Mandy gently sang to Abby. Slowly her eyelids began to drop.

Hush now my baby,

Be still, love, don't cry

Hush and listen to my lullaby

For I will be in your dreams

Mandy laid the yawning baby in her crib and bent down to kiss the tiny temple. She moved to Will as Robert came to his tiny daughter. She still fit within the crook of his arm easily. Amanda finished and watched him as he touched her tiny body with his huge, yet gentle hands.

When he was done the two walked out into the common room. The maids shut the door behind them as they began to get ready for bed.

Robert smiled at the back of his lovely wife's head as she slowly moved away from him. He came forward quickly and scooped her into his arms without warning. She gasped in surprise as he walked confidently into their bedroom and shut the door with his foot. He set her down as he locked the door. He turned to her and grinned. She looked so beautiful in the firelight. A fire was in the hearth and candles were in the room.

Outside the rains still fell against the glass in sheets. She looked up at him with those eyes he adored. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms about her waist and looked down at her.

"Now wife where were we before we were interrupted?" He asked as he bent forward and began to kiss her neck. He worked to her ears and began to nibble them.

She laid her hands on his arms. "You are incorrigible." She said

He smirked lightly as he bent and put his hands on her little bottom and lifted her against him. She could feel his growing desire through their cloths as he held her to his hips and walked. She wrapped her legs about him. She kissed him passionately as his hands worked up and began to untie her laces.

When they were undone he let go and her dress pooled about her waist. His hands worked up and down her back. His mouth found her bosom. He teased the pebbled surface of her nipple with the tip of his tongue before he drew it into his mouth and he suckled her. She had milk for him as he did it. It was a curious taste as he always found it, but it always made him think he was her baby. The only negative affect was the warm milk that he suckled from her tended to make him sleepy.

He dropped both of them on the bed. Mandy was moaning in pleasure. He lifted his head from her other breast after giving each equal attention. Both nipples were wet and shiny from his saliva and the white fluid he had drawn from her. He looked down and grinned at her as his hand worked on pulling her dress down all the way.

She looked up at him with desire in her young eyes. She reached for his shirt as he looked down at her naked perfection before him. She tugged on it. He smiled and pulled it over his head. He dropped it off the bed and let her explore his body with her hands for a couple of moments.

Then her stood up and removed the rest of her clothing slowly for her view. She watched him with a smiled on her face. He grinned when he stood tall and ready at her side. He crawled on her and leaned on his elbows and knees above her. He grinned down at her as he sank into her with one deep languid thrust. His hips rested on hers for a moment. His body hovered just above her as he held himself up on his elbows. There was so much desire and love in his eyes. He bent his head down and kissed her. He pushed his tongue between her soft lips and caressed her mouth in an age old dance. His hips began to move as her hands went and caressed his back. His mouth moved in the same slow passion driven rhythm the rest of him was moving at as he devoured her lush sweet mouth and stifled her moans of pure pleasure.

He moved slowly and time seemed to stand still. Finally his wife seemed frustrated at his deliberately slow torturous movements and she arched beneath him. Her hands went to his buttocks to lure him deeper and faster into her body.

He was more than happy to comply. He lifted himself up on his palms and began to pump deep and more quickly. She groaned. Her eyes met his for a second before she leaned her head back. His lips found her exposed throat and he kissed her there.

Finally with a rush of passion and a powerful climax Robert buried himself deep within her and emptied his seed within her. She had already been climaxing and her clenching about him caused the on rush of his own.

He collapsed partially on her as he breathed hard. She laid there gasping for air. When he ad recovered enough he rolled on his side at her side. His hand trailed down her body and came to rest on her hip as he gently rolled her to him.

"Hummm. I love you my wife." He said as he tenderly kissed her lips.

She allowed it for a moment then shoved him back as she tried to breathe. He smiled with amusement and drew her body to him.

She smiled softly at him. "I love you."

"I know and my heart rejoices."

He nuzzled her neck and settled back trying to drew her closer to him.

"What do you think of my family?" He asked softly

"Georgia doesn't like me."

"She doesn't like anyone. She was raised to thing the English were bad. She comes from Northern Ireland." He sighed. "It was reinforced when her father was shot dead when he walked across the street."

She looked at him. "Then she does have reason." She snuggled down. "Jessie and Joerg are sweet. Joerg seems to like children."

"He is keeping with tradition. He is very Catholic as most of my family is."

She leaned back and looked at him. "How many children do you want?"

He smiled tenderly and kissed her. "As many as God will grant us." He said softly. He nibbled her ear. "We can work on it more." He suggested his breath warm against her ear's tender shell.

She giggled and let him pull her on top of him.

"Oh dearest I adore you." He whispered looking up at her