Chapter 3

“Are you alright?” Samantha asked as soon as I entered the suite. She crossed the room and wrapped me in a hug before I could dissemble and ask what she was talking about. I hugged her back, taking a deep breath and enjoying her scent. I reminded myself that this was what was important; she was what mattered most to me. I pulled back a little and kissed her gently.

Her eyes went wide as the pressure of my kiss increased, but she did not pull back. My hands dropped below her waist and pulled her groin against my own, suddenly wanting her to know exactly how much I wanted her. When we finally parted, we were both a little breathless.

“I’m fine,” I managed to say, my eyes glued to hers. “How did you know?”

She did a little double take and then blushed. “I’ve watched you move for hours and days. I knew it was you. I figured out it was your mother as well. When I asked your father, he said sometimes the clubs were called on to assist the judiciary. After hearing the judgement, it’s no surprise they asked for help since the bailiff himself was involved. Are you sure you’re alright? That couldn’t have been easy.”

We moved to a couch looking out over the harbor and sat together. “It wasn’t easy, but it also wasn’t difficult, at least not physically. I don’t really want to do it on a regular basis, but I guess I am more mentally prepared if I need to perform such duties again. Honestly, I was more concerned about you knowing it was me in the red. Are you okay?”

She blushed again, looking down, and then let her gaze return to my own eyes. “If I’m honest, and I must be, the magnitude of the sentence you administered was troubling, but the act itself made me the opposite of upset. Once I realized it was you, I was proud that my man was performing his duty to the empire, even if only I realized it. Parents are responsible for the proper education and raising of their children. That woman failed her own daughter and our society, as a whole. The fact that her husband was a traitor to his own oath of office was almost less important. Everyone in the square was talking about it. Every parent was warning their children. Every child that witnessed it could see themselves in that girl’s place with just a little imagination. You sent a message to the entire city with your work. I’m proud of you.”

She leaned in and kissed me. Tension and worry fled my mind, washed away by the touch and taste of her lips against mine. Time stretched, and then we parted.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

She gave me a little smile, a tender smile.

“How did your and father’s time at the collegium go?” I asked.

She frowned. “No real insights. The professors remembered them both as fine students. They did write several papers together. We got copies for you to look at, but frankly they were beyond either of us to decipher. Based on the synopsis on them, one dealt with the reduction of neural inflammation with the use of certain plant-based extracts. The other seamed to extend that work with some refinement process. You’ll have to read through them.”

I nodded.

“How did the rest of your day go?” Samantha asked.

I filled her in on the other interviews and we discussed what the next day or two would entail to finish up our review of the managers here. Eventually, Twelve entered the sitting room and knelt at the end of the couch.

I looked at her and nodded for permission to speak.

“Master, Mistress Philippa has invited you and Lady Samantha to dine with her this evening.”

I glanced at Samantha, who nodded.

“What time?” I asked.

“In thirty minutes, master.”

“We had better get freshened up, then,” Samantha said as she rose. “Twelve, come assist me.”

It was my turn to nod. The two women departed, and I looked out across the harbor and thought about my day. A short time later, we were seated with the general manager of the Porto Bari club. She put us both at ease with superficial questions on what we had seen and thought of Proto Bari in general and the club in particular. I deflected her questions as she started asking on observations of specific managers mother and I had met today.

“You run a fine club,” I said. “So far, we’ve just been getting to know your team here. I’m sure you have a better sense than us on the strengths of your managers.”

“I like to think so, but you never truly know until others come to the same conclusions.”

“We’ll meet with you before we wrap things up, but this is really collecting input for potential rotation opportunities. You know how fluid the middle layers of management are within the club. Even if we don’t have specific opportunities, we like to know what people are good at and what they would like to do as opportunities present themselves.”

She nodded, but I could tell she did not like my answer. “Is there someone in particular you are concerned with?” I asked to put her more on the defensive.

“No. Thomasin is the wing manager I worry most about, but you’ve seen how well he is doing. All the other wing managers have their jobs well in hand and have years of experience here and elsewhere. Most of our trade is in the core membership and guests coming into the white, green, and blue wings. We have less traffic in the red and almost none in the black, which I guess speaks well to for our city.”

Something in her voice caught my ear, but Samantha asked a question before I could.

“Is less traffic in the red wing unusual?” She asked. “I have to admit that I’m very new in learning about the clubs, but I always assumed the red wing was an attraction to patrons.”

“In most clubs I’ve worked in, the red wing traffic was about fifteen percent of visitors for any given ten-day, with blue and green accounting for about twenty each and the bulk of the remainder coming for the white. Here, we seldom see more than ten percent of our visitors in the red.”

I knew traffic to the black was less than even one percent of any club’s trade.

“Why do you think that happens here in Porto Bari?” Samantha asked.

“The red usually appeals to three types of patrons,” Mistress Philippa said. “The domination and submission crowd are what outsiders assume are the backbone of the wing, but really represent less than five percent of the patronage. Forty percent or so are a mixture of voyeurs and exhibitionist who want to see and be seen in provocative acts. The balance are people that want the private, exclusivity the red wing offers. Outside of regular patrons, the red wing has an allure for guests seeking a thrill, but that doesn’t drive sustained traffic.”

“Is the mix really a problem?” I asked. “I mean, your overall revenues and patronage are strong from the reports I’ve read.”

I think she was pleased that I was aware of her operating tempo.

“I just compare it to other clubs I’ve worked at. The blue and red wings are what set us apart from other inns and entertainments in the city. I don’t know if we are missing an offering in the red wing or if the people, we would expect to come here are going somewhere else. That makes me wonder if my people are doing something to limit the appeal of our offerings, through neglect or ignorance. Hence my questions about what you’ve seen so far.”

It was my turn to nod. “I’ve not yet talked to most of the managers in the red. We’ll meet with them tomorrow and the next day. I’ll see if I can probe on your concerns, but I’m mostly interested in getting to know them a little better.”

“Of course,” Philippa said. The rest of our dinner conversation shifted to more personal questions about Samantha and me as the general manager deftly sought to get to know us personally. I spotted several of the conversational gambits grandmother had taught me as Philippa drew out small facts about how we met and what we were studying. She put us both at ease while trying to learn more about us as people. By the time dinner was over, it was clear she was a masterful manager herself, able to put people at ease but still get what she wanted or needed from them.

“That turned into an enjoyable inquisition,” Samantha said as we walked back to our suite.

“Philippa is the most recently promoted general manager for a regional club. With that in mind, she understands that she will likely be the senior general manager for most of my tenure guiding the organization. She wants to know what I’m like. I venture to say that tomorrow she’ll dine with mother and father, if he’s still here. All the GMs know the internal politics and structure of the organization. They know we manage more than just the normal clubs. They are all capable and ambitious. It’s not surprising she wants to know more about us.”

“But she can’t run the clubs. That’s your birthright, not something she can be promoted into, right?”

I shook my head. “The GMs know our normal club operations. They know how we support the judiciary to a certain extent. They know we have eyes and ears throughout the empire, but they don’t manage those folks. They know we have inns and accommodation outside the clubs. They know some of our people move out to manage those. They don’t get the full picture of how everything connects. That we keep sperate.” Part of our dinner conversation came to mind. “I suspect Philippa was planting a seed for me to chase down. Our other assets in the city can tell if the people that we would expect to come here and visit the red wing are going elsewhere.”

Samantha chuckled as we entered the suite. “And by bringing up the topic as she did, she lets you know that she knows there are other lines you can pull to get answers, without coming out and asking. She is clever, if that was her ploy. Will you do her bidding on this?”

I considered it. “I think I’ll look into it, but not until after we’re done with our primary job here. I’ll talk to father or grandmother and see what our network knows, then follow up with a note to Philippa after we leave, assuming we find something.”

“In that case, I guess we could start interviewing some of the night managers,” she said with a glance at the bedroom.

“Or we could get a good night’s rest and start tomorrow fresh,” I replied.

“I like the way you are thinking, but I’m not quite ready for a rest yet.” She darted in for a kiss and then skipped toward the bedroom door, knowing I was going to follow.

“What do you think of Philippa’s questions?” mother asked as we watched the outskirts of Porto Bari flash by the accelerating train window.

We were heading north, then would switch lines to travel west and back to Cardino. The nine hours to the capital and then the fourteen hours across the continent, plus the time having our car switched to the Cardino line would see us home around ten tomorrow morning. Father had taken a commercial berth on the same route two days ago, promising to lay the groundwork for a quiet trip to the Free Cities to see if we could find our cabal of scientists. Samantha and I had finished our interviews and met the management staff at the club while mother had tended to business from a temporary office.

“Father has said he would have someone look into it but noted that our other interests in the city were not seeing issues in terms of traffic, or an unexpected influx of high guilders. Porto Bari is the smallest regional club city with the lowest percentage of high guilders and aristos. I’m not sure their red wing traffic is a fair measure of their market. Based on historic trends, they are in line with our expectations.”

Mother nodded. “It’s good to investigate, but don’t let it distract you. The historical trends are the key here. If we start seeing greater fall-off, then you can dig deeper. Philippa is a great general manager, but she’s ambitious. I know she wants to be promoted to the Capital or San Mateo. I think that is the genesis of her concerns.”

“And by raising them, subtlety, she hopes she will not be blamed if they become more troublesome?” Samantha asked.

Mother looked at her, then nodded. “Very astute, Samantha. That is very likely at least part of her motivation. Well spotted.”

Samantha smiled at the praise.

“Now then,” Mother continued. “When do you plan to discuss your relationship with Samantha’s father, Cosimo?”

I glanced at Samantha. “If he visits Cardino before my trip, I’ll speak with him then. Samantha sent him a note asking that he visit, but she hasn’t heard back yet. If it doesn’t happen before I travel, I’ll go to him as soon as I return. I can’t imagine we won’t talk before third month at the latest.”

Mother smiled. “Would an invitation from my mother prompt him to visit sooner?” she asked.

Samantha shook her head. “When we last spoke, he was worried about the emperor’s health. He missed us in the capital because he needed to resolve some issues on our holdings but plans to stay close so we can have a speedy transition when the time comes. Evidently, Tiberius has approached him for a role, assuming he is raised to the purple.”

Mother sat back and considered the ceiling for a moment. “I thought he was planning on retiring and letting Rhys take your family’s seat in the senate,” she finally said.

Samantha nodded. “That’s what he said during the season, but Tiberius began sounding him out about taking a ministerial role. Once of the Commerce ministries, most likely.”

Mother nodded. “That would smooth the transition of his senate seat and keep some of Tiberius’s supporters close to the capital. What of your other brother, Jeremy?”

“He’s happy running the estates, I think. At least he’s never mentioned wanting to do something more. The holdings keep him busy, as do his wife and children.”

Mother considered for a moment. “Samantha, I don’t want to be rude, but how do you feel about Cosimo and our family? If you two are serious, you should talk to your father sooner than later. He may want to change plans if you two are to marry.”

I felt my own blush matching Samantha’s and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“I’m very serious about your son, Livy. Right now, we have an understanding and are moving forward. I want to learn the business and finish my current course of study at the collegium, but neither of those would prevent us from marrying. I know your mother want’s a great grandchild sooner than later, but I think a year or two after we wed is not unreasonable. Father won’t need to adjust his plans for our holdings, since it was always presumed my husband and children would be outside the main line of the family. Rhys will take the senate seat and be the nominal head of the family while Jeremy will run the holdings under our family trust. One of their sons, probably one of Rhys’ will be trained for future service in the Senate, and another will be brought up learning to manage the holdings. Our family has followed that pattern for generations.”

“Yes, but you know your father loves you. He likely has plans you are not fully aware of to make sure you and yours are taken care of. Those are the plans he may want to adjust. When you marry, you’ll fade from one family, and rise with another. Our whole society is built for sustaining itself over the long-term. I just want to make sure you both are being candid with him.”

It was my turn to nod. “If he can’t come to us before I travel, I’ll visit him with or without Samantha, mother. I love Samantha. We should be engaged before I travel. Maybe not for the sake of her family and the upcoming succession, but because I want her and I to be committed to each other.”

Samantha beamed at me and squeezed my hand.

“You’ll need to be firm with your own grandmother, Cosimo. Don’t let her convince you to put it off due to other business she wants you to look after. Remember our conversation about our true duty. This is more important than chasing down the traitors for the empire.”

I could only nod my agreement and understanding.

We all seemed to decide at the same time that we needed to relax a little on this leg of the trip and mother suggested some cards. Twelve joined us for a four-handed game, with mother partnering first with Samantha and then with Twelve. She was not pleased when I beat her in both rounds and claimed fatigue before and adjourning to her cabin and leaving us in the lounge section of the car.

Samantha smiled and motioned me to the curved couch looking out at the countryside streaming past as we raced north. She snuggled next to me, deftly pulling my arm around her as she wiggled close.

“Are you really going to go and talk to my father?” she asked softly as Twelve busied herself straightening up the seating area we had played cards at.

“Yes. I love you. I want to be with you now and always,” I said before kissing her inviting lips. Her tongue darted out to brush mine and her hand pulled my hand to cup her breast through the loose blouse she was wearing. My fingers traced along curve of her breast, following the contour of the lacy bra I had seen her don earlier, then feeling a stiffening nub of nipple as she moaned into my mouth. She pushed her chest out, against my fingers as her own hand dropped to my waist. I deftly undid her buttons and reached inside to caress her hot skin.

“I love you, too,” she finally said. “And I want you. I’ve been waiting, holding back and getting to know you, but now I want you to make me yours,” she said with a husky whisper.

We had given each other pleasure with our fingers, lips, mouths and tongues, but had yet to have intercourse. Samantha had come close, several time, but then pulled one of the girls in and had me take them instead while she watched and played with herself, as if imagining being in their place. This time, her voice and obvious passion made me think it would be a different outcome.

Her hands tugged at my belt, opening my pants with a sense of frantic need. In a flash, she dropped her head to my lap and slurped me into her mouth, sucking me gently, but quickly to hardness. As she knelt over my growing member, she hiked up her own skirt and I watched her push her panties down her firm, tanned legs. I was fully hard in a moment, and she nearly ended it all with a long, strong suck as she lifted her head from me and swung a leg over my lap to straddle me.

“Put it in,” she insisted as she grabbed my shoulders to balance herself.

I fumbled between us, pulling the head of my cock through her folds until I felt it catch at her opening. She settled slowly until the head of my dick was wrapped within her hot, tight, entrance.

“Do you love me, Cosimo?” she asked in a whisper as she looked into my eyes.

“You know I do,” I said.

She settled lower.

“Are you going to ask my father to let us marry?” she asked.

“You know I am,” I said as I began to sense her game.

Lower.

“Are you going to fill me with your love and give me the family we both deserve?” she said softly as she lowered fully onto me.

I felt my dick twitch at the thought of pumping into her over and over until I came. I pulled her lips to me and kissed her fiercely. My hands dropped to push down at the tops of her buttocks and grind her against me. I could feel her hot moisture soaking us.

“I’m going to make you mine, and we will have a full, loving household,” I said as I lifted my hips to thrust into her and kissed her hard.

She leaned into me, riding up and down slowly before leaning back and opening her blouse. I ran my hands up under the thin fabric, freeing her breasts from the lace encasing bra and leaned my mouth down to suck a nipple in. She moaned and ground her hot pussy against me.

“Oh, my gods,” she said. “You make me feel so good. Why was I waiting?”

Her pace picked up then, and she bounced up and down. She flexed her hips and arched her back to rub against me in a very pleasant manner as my finger danced along her sides and under her skirt to cup her muscled ass. Our pace was steady, increasing slowly, and it seemed like we went on for minutes. Her breathing deepened.

“I’m close,” I whispered.

She nodded, approaching her own release rapidly. She leaned back, offering me her breasts again, which I gladly nibbled on as much to distract myself as to help her over the edge. She pulled my mouth to her breast, jerking up the cup of her bra and thrusting her tit to my lips. She held me tightly as her internal muscles shuddered and clasped me, pulling my own orgasm out. She threw her head back and moaned my name as we both came.

I hugged her tight as we settled, breathlessly basking in the afterglow. She leaned her head on my shoulder.

“Thank you,” she said.

“No, thank you,” I replied.

She giggled. “I made you wait months longer than I ever anticipated, but you definitely made it worthwhile,” she said softly. “I never dreamed our first time would be in a train car, riding to the capital, but it was as good as any dream I did have.”

I kissed her.

“Not to be greedy,” she said with a smile, “But why don’t we go to our cabin and try this again, with you doing a little more of the work?”

“I think that’s a splendid plan,” I said with a smile.

“Twelve,” she called. “Come clean your master up so we don’t make a mess out here, please.”

Twelve hurried over, having witnessed what we were up to, and dropped to her knees in the small space between the carriage wall and the couch we were sitting on. Samantha swung her leg over to sit beside me and cupped her pussy to hold my sperm inside. Twelve moved quickly, sucking my dick in her mouth to capture our combined juices. It was only a few moments before she pulled off, and then moved to Samantha.

Twelve looked at me, and I nodded. She pulled Samantha’s hand away and dipped her head to begin licking her mistress’s leakage from its source. At first, Samantha seemed shocked. She looked at me and I smiled before leaning in to kiss her.

Gently, I pulled her knees apart to give Twelve greater access. I watched as Samantha blushed, then put her hands at her side and leaned back to scoot her bottom closer to the edge of the couch. I ran my fingers down her sternum, teasing her exposed nipples and then stroked through Twelve’s hair, giving myself a better view of her tongue lapping along Samantha’s glistening folds.

“Oh shit,” Samantha moaned when I moved my fingers to the top of her womanhood to rub in a small circle.

She arched her back and clenched her stomach as a second orgasm hit her, pushing more of my spend onto Twelve’s tongue.

Twelve sat back, smiling, and waited for instruction.

I smiled, and watched Samantha recover. From our previous play, I knew she had shied away from letting any of my slaves pleasure her with their mouths, only allowing it on rare occasions. She acted as if she preferred the penetration of fingers. If the depth of her breathing and look of rapture on her face were any indication, she would likely be changing that preference.

“That was amazing,” she finally said as she opened her eyes. “Thank you, Twelve.”

“My pleasure to serve, mistress.”

Her words brought another small gasp from Samantha. Until today, Twelve had always addressed her as Lady Samantha. Mistress, from my slave’s lips, had an entirely different connotation.

I stood and pulled up my pants before offering Samantha my hand to stand.

“Twelve, check on us an hour before you wish to serve dinner,” I said as I motioned Samantha to head to our cabin.

“Cosimo,” Grandmother said after the pleasantries of greetings and offers of tea were handled. “You both did well on your visits. Uncovering the fact that there is a missing traitor may make us change our plans.”

“How so?” mother asked.

“It makes his trip more urgent, since we need to find the cabal before they meet with this new traitor. You and Charles are going to need to chase that lead in the Empire while Cosimo visits the free cities to ferret them out. Charles is already in Romanifo getting passenger manifests. ImpSec will have to help. Livy, you need to make sure our official eyes and ears are watching and then Charles will need the dark network looking as well. Until we know the other traitor is not an Aristo, we must assume they are. Cosimo, you need to link up with your father and get sailing.”

“No.” My single word refusal caused her to snap her head up and look at me. “At least not yet,” I amended. “The ships in winter are not as frequent. The line won’t depart for eight days. I have business to attend to here or in the Capital that I want settled before I travel again,” I said with a glance at Samantha.

Grandmother’s stare was cold.

“More important than our family duty?” she asked.

I smiled. “Yes, since it is part of that duty.” I took Samantha’s hand in my own. “I need to talk to Samantha’s father, and I want to do it before I travel, so there is no doubt about my intentions when I return.”

Grandmother’s look softened and Samantha smiled.

“I suppose that is acceptable,” grandmother conceded. “It also explains why I received a note from Michael for a meeting this morning. He should arrive tomorrow morning on the same train you took today. Talk to him tomorrow, before I do. I want you preparing for your trip starting today. You’ll need to prepare Seven and Twelve as well.”

“Prepare how?” My confusion was obvious.

“The free cities have different expectations and standards for slaves. You need to discuss that with Master Geraldo who has some first-hand experience over there. You need to discuss your visit report with him as well. After you talk to him, we need to work on your cover tonight so you can focus on being prepared after you talk to Michael.”

She shifted her gaze to Samantha. “I’m sorry you won’t have the gala you deserve to mark the occasion, dear. I promise to make it up to you during the season. I will be asking you to join Cosimo in meeting with Master Geraldo. Your insights on your trip are as important as Cosimo’s, since you come into the organization with fresh eyes. I also want you to help with Cosimo’s cover for the trip, but we can discuss that later.”

Samantha nodded and gave my hand a squeeze.

“Cosimo, I’ll send Seven up to your apartments to await your return. Please have Ten begin attending me as her replacement. Allia will see to her instruction.”

“What about Eleven?” I asked.

“Let Samantha have her for the duration of your journey. They can begin working on their own relationship so there are no troubles when she is the mistress of your household. Samantha dear, you can decide if you want her at your house or if you would like to move into Cosimo’s apartment. There are benefits to both approaches, so take your time in deciding. Now, run along, children. We’ll dine at eighteen tonight.”

With that Samantha and I stood and took our leave. Mother gave us both hugs and then resumed her seat with her own mother.

Samantha and I detoured to my own apartments to have Eleven and Twelve take her luggage to her home, collect our pads, and went in search of Master Geraldo. It was the first time Samantha saw the sub-basement of grandmother’s home and the tunnels connecting to the club.

“This would come in handy in cold weather,” Samantha said. She was obviously realizing at least one benefit of moving in with me.

“We’ll need to discuss getting you access with grandmother,” I said. “She may have some other duties for you as well. I’d be careful getting lost down here. It can be easy to get turned around if you don’t know where you’re going.”

She nodded as we entered the club portion of the tunnels. Soon we were knocking on Master Geraldo’s office door.

“I’ve read your report on the Capital Club and Porto Bari. Tell me more about Tristan,” he said after we exchanged pleasantries more suited to a social call than junior managers of the organization reporting to their senior.

Samantha took the lead. She clearly relayed the demeanor and confidence we had observed in the assistant manager at the Capital Club. I smiled as soon as I realized she was telling him what was not in the written report.

When she finished, he looked at me. “Anything to add, Cosimo?”

I could sense the test he was presenting.

“He’s trained his staff well. If he moves on, there are ready successors for the assistant manager role. Additionally, his juniors all were very complimentary of his management abilities. Finally, while we did not fully tabulate the accolades in his file from patrons, he is very well regarded by the local membership. He should be viewed as a rising star for us.”

Master Geraldo smiled for the first time in our meeting. “I’m glad your assessments match my and the Grand Dame’s own. We’ll work on moving him here for some final polishing and likely place him in his own club after the season. Well done. Now, let’s talk about the succession plans and whomever else we should move before the season.”

While the imperial calendar set most business cycles, the club moved in time to the grand social season. Clubs with high involvement in the celebrations usually received new staff before the silliness started and then sent well trained veterans to their new assignments once the madness subsided.

We pulled up our notes and began talking. Two hours later, we finished and had a light lunch. Our conversation then turned to my trip.