Chapter 26

The next day was Sunday. When Kelly told Mike there were some people coming over in the afternoon, he and Kevin went off together while Katrina came over to Kelly’s. Chris and Bill were in Washington for the holidays.

The doorbell rang. It was Selma Franklin and with her was a beautiful girl who 100 years earlier would have been called a quadroon. Kelly showed them in and was introduced to Camille Franklin, Selma and Horace’s daughter. Kelly continued to look baffled as she introduced the two women to Katrina. Selma held Katrina’s hands in both of hers and looked into her eyes in the same way she had looked into Kelly’s the night before. Camille looked interested but not at all surprised.

Finally Selma said to Katrina, “Would you remove your clothes, please?” Katrina was startled but obeyed, even though she didn’t know why. In moments she was standing in the living room nude. Selma stood behind her and placed her finger tips very lightly on the girl’s abdomen. She stood there for a moment and then smiled a very happy smile. “Thank you so much. You may get dressed now.”

Katrina put her clothes on again. Kelly had noticed how beautiful the girl’s body was now. The only difference from the first time Kelly saw her was that she was now in even better physical condition. There was just gloriously smooth tanned skin and finely-toned muscles. When she was dressed, she looked at Selma with an obvious question in her eyes.

“You’re going to have a baby boy! He will look like his mother with silver-blonde hair and green eyes. He will be fine and sturdy, and your pregnancy and delivery will be wonderfully easy. I’m sure you’ll want an obstetrician, but you really won’t need one. I would be happy to deliver your baby.

Katrina and Kelly were stunned. Katrina said, “But I can’t be! I just had my period.”

Selma smiled and said, “Merry Christmas! My guess is you conceived last night. Don’t worry, Mrs. Murphy. You’ll never know it either in the exercise against the 82^nd or in Central America.”

Camille smiled and said, “Please don’t fight it. I don’t any longer, in spite of now being an MD. Mother’s always right about these things.”

Kelly looked at the girl. She had soft brown hair and blue eyes. She was almost six feet tall like her mother and had a beautifully slim figure with full breasts. She looked at the girl’s mother and then back at Camille.

The girl smiled at her and said, “Don’t worry about it, General. I don’t. You know there are essentially no pure Negroids in the United States. Sleeping with the slave women was a time-honored pastime for years. Every so often there’s a genetic sport like me. My parents are both as black as the ace of spades. People usually think I’m white.”

While she was talking, the girl was casually shedding her clothes. She stood nude in front of Kelly and was breathtakingly beautiful. “I hope you’ll allow me to nurse your little boy,” she said. She cupped her breasts and showed them to Kelly. They were absolutely magnificent with small pink nipples.

Kelly just shook her head in utter disbelief. “I don’t believe I’m hearing what I’m hearing. Your mother said something about your breasts filling with milk. But you’re not pregnant. How can you? I’m totally lost.”

The girl just smiled as she dressed again. “As for the milk, modern science is wonderful. My body can receive motherhood signals without me being a mother. As for my mother, I can’t really explain it. She has certain powers no one understands. My mother doesn’t cause things to happen, she can just tell when they will. Please don’t let it bother you.” The girl smiled a very happy smile that turned into a grin. “Kelly, don’t sweat it. I guess maybe the reason I’m now a doctor is I tried to figure Mom out. I finally gave up.”

The women all took seats and Kelly served tea. Selma produced sweet cakes of a type Kelly had never seen. They were marvelous. Kelly marveled at how relaxed the mother and daughter were. In fact, it seemed to Kelly that Selma was much more relaxed than she had been the previous evening.

Camille continued, “General, here is the way it will work: Mother will be the cook and housekeeper. Dad will act as butler, chauffeur, gardener, and bodyguard. I’ll be the maid and nurse. Of course, I’ll also provide the family medical care. I’m Board certified in Family Medicine. We discussed it and thought that $1,000 a month or maybe a bit more should be about right, if that’s okay with you.”

Kelly looked at her in utter astonishment. “But Camille, a good cook in New York gets at least $500 a week! $1,000 a month is absolutely ridiculous!”

Camille’s mouth formed an “O,” and she grinned at her mother. “Kelly, I’m sorry! I wasn’t clear. The $1,000 is what we pay you! Of course, we’ll also chip in on the food and the utilities and stuff, but do you think that will work?”

Kelly slumped back in her chair, utterly defeated. “I give up. I get a retired sergeant major as butler, chauffeur, gardener and bodyguard. I get his wife as a cook and housekeeper. I get his daughter ... a beautiful doctor, for chrissakes ... as a wet nurse and maid, and they pay me!

Camille grinned happily and said, “That’s about it! What do you think?”

“I thought slavery went out about 120 years ago. Why are you doing this?”

Selma spoke for the first time. “Because of you, Kelly, and your friends. You and Katrina are like sisters: the gold and silver twins. You ended the Cold War ... and the short-lived hot one. You achieved freedom for the Russian people. You enabled the reunification of Germany. You’re going to put a big dent in the drug trade. And you’re only nineteen years old!

“If you were a man, or if you were an older woman, we would not be doing this. Instead, you are a beautiful young woman who needs to give birth to lots of beautiful babies who will grow strong and smart. At the same time, Kelly, our country needs you, too. My husband spent his entire adult life in the service of his country. Camille and I just volunteered to help out. We’re ready to start now. First, would you like us to wear uniforms? If so, what sort would you like us to buy?”

Kelly looked at the two women and began to cry softly. Her head was shaking from side to side as her tears started to flow. Selma jumped up and went to the sofa. She sat next to Kelly, took the girl in her arms and comforted her. Then the woman placed her fingers at a particular position on the nape of Kelly’s neck.

Almost immediately she relaxed and went to sleep. Selma got up and seemingly without effort, picked the girl up and carried her up to her bedroom. She removed Kelly’s clothes and looked over her body. Selma winced as she saw the scars that still showed where she had been whipped.

She covered the girl and left the room. Returning to the living room, she asked Katrina, “Captain Murphy, will you and your husband be joining the Callahans for dinner this evening? I sincerely hope you will.”

Katrina had been shaking her head in utter amazement. Finally she said, “You’re sure I’m ... pregnant? I’m going to have Kevin’s child?”

Selma’s smile was brilliant. “You certainly are! And he will grow strong and handsome like his father ... and yours! Field Marshal ... President Solov will overflow with happiness to learn he is going to be a grandfather and he will adore his grandson!”

Katrina looked at Selma in amazement. “How did you know that? Here I’m just known as the other Captain Murphy. How could you possibly know?”

“That you’re the daughter of the President of Russia? I don’t know how I know. I just do. You are, aren’t you?”

Camille smiled and said, “May I call you Katrina? Please don’t fight it. Now, will you be here for dinner? I can tell you as a physician that there is absolutely no reason for you to stop drinking yet! Perhaps we could have a small celebration? And why don’t you take a nap now? You’ve been working very hard?”

Katrina hadn’t felt at all tired until Camille mentioned a nap; suddenly she could hardly keep her eyes open. She lay down on a bed in one of the spare bedrooms.

At five o’clock, Mike returned home and Kevin was with him. Camille greeted him at the door and she said, “Good evening, General, Captain. I’m Camille Franklin, Sergeant Major Franklin’s daughter. I’m working here now. May I take your hats and coats?”

Although Fort Campbell is located right on the Kentucky-Tennessee line, it was a very cold and bitter day. Mike was dumfounded to find this beautiful young woman in his house, but he gave the girl his hat and coat as did Kevin. They went into the living room and found a very cheery fire burning in the fireplace. Moments later Camille returned with two very dry martinis and a plate of exquisite canapés. She told them that the women would be down in a few moments.

A few minutes later Kelly and Katrina entered the room. Both looked lovely. Kelly felt wonderfully relaxed and fully rested for the first time since she had taken over the 101^st. Mike, glancing at Camille’s receding back, asked, “Kel, what’s going on?”

Kelly gave him a rueful smile and said, “Honey, I don’t have the foggiest idea. But give me a couple of minutes. I’ll see if I can find out.”

She went out to the kitchen and found Selma and Camille were putting the last touches on a banquet. The dining room was set for four places using Kelly’s best dinner service. Selma was standing at the range, and Kelly kissed her lightly. “I don’t know what you did, but I haven’t felt this good since my honeymoon. You made one mistake, though. There aren’t enough places set at the table. It should be set for seven.”

Selma turned in shock. “I didn’t know! I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t realize you had invited other guests.”

Kelly smiled and said, “There’s you, Camille, and the Sergeant Major. With us, that’s seven. Now, although you look like you have absolutely everything done, what can Katrina and I do to help?”

Selma looked genuinely shocked. “But General, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! The hired help don’t eat in the dining room!”