Chapter 61

That evening the Alverez women served dinner. They looked like that they had had a hard day. They were moving slow, but they weren't complaining. Tom caught momma's attention and nodded his understanding and encouragement to her. He noticed that she straightened her back a little and got a little smile on her face. But she kept to her task.

Once dinner was over Tom called all of the warriors, and the women together. He put the Alverez women on the floor in front of him. They didn't know what was going on and huddled against each other. Momma felt that it was going to be okay, as he didn't seem upset at them and he hadn't turned his women loose on them either. She comforted the girls and whispered to them to wait and see what happened.

Tom looked around the room at the assembled people. Once everybody was quiet and still, he then spoke, "Last night I asked the warriors if any of them wanted to claim the Alverez women. None of them did. I fully intended to kill them, but Robert came to me and said that he had changed his mind, and wanted to claim the women. They are now his property. If anyone wants to protest, or challenge for the right of ownership, you may now speak." Tom looked around at the warriors. He saw some surprised looks, but he heard no challenges, or protests. Tom looked at Robert and nodded his head.

Momma Alverez listened with the others. She quickly understood that their life was changing once again, but she didn't know if it would be for the better or worse, but she knew that they now had a new master. She looked at the young man that came forward to claim them. She quickly got the girls up and ready to serve their new master. Robert nodded his head and told them to come with him. He led the way to his room and they followed quickly. Tom watched them go and wondered how it was going to turn out.

Tom told Su to make sure that they got their tea every morning. She nodded her head and Tom dismissed them from his mind, they were now somebody else's problem. With a wave of his hand they all left to attend to their own things.

Tom changed into his robe and made his way to the steam rom. He wasn't there for more than a few minutes before his women were trouping in. He smiled at them and they grinned back. After they had been seated for a few minutes Willard and Melody made an appearance. Tom noticed that she had lost her shy attitude and openly checked out all of their assets, and she didn't seem to have a problem displaying her own.

Tom took the opportunity to go over the house situation with Willard. While the men discussed the business of the house the women started to get to know Melody. She quickly found out that being naked made a difference in how she talked. She found that she was more open and tended to hide things less. She wondered if all people were like that. She also noticed the she felt free any time that she was naked. It was a new experience for her, but she was learning to love it quickly.

Melody had never met anybody like the master of the house and his men. Their attitudes were different and the way that they lived made her heart race. She would never have believed that the stuffy man that she met would turn out to be so free and liberated. She would never have thought that he would take charge of her and give her what she had always secretly craved. The things that she had done since she had come into this house had her head spinning, and she loved every second of it.

Her safe and secure life had her ready to cut her own throat. The idea of marrying a stuffed shirt like Willard was too much for her to bear. She had loved to talk to him, he had a wonderful mind, and it was the only reason the she continued to see him. She knew that when he proposed she would have to call the whole thing off. But then suddenly, he was a different man. He was still the stiff and proper Willard, but he was also forceful and demanding. It gave her hope and she willingly fell into his trap. She found herself drawn to him, and doing things that he demanded of her, that she would have never done. She loved it and she realized that it was the life that she wanted. If he would just spank her, she knew that she would be in heaven on Earth.

She told the women of her happiness, and she whispered her desires. They listened. They made no pretense that they understood her desires, but they each knew that they all had their own things that got their juices running and they didn't laugh at her. Melody was glad to be accepted, even though she felt strange about admitting her secret desires.

Mei slipped away and whispered in Tom ear. She was surprised when he didn't seem shocked. She wondered what else he knew about that she didn't. Tom watched her go back to the women and turned to tell Willard about a little pain slut named Raven. Willard was shocked that Tom would tell him about the personal details of one of his wives. When he was finished Tom looked him in the eye, "Melody has told the women that she wants to be treated like Raven. If you want to make your woman happy, you're going to have to treat her rough. Make her tell you all of her desires and secrets, each time she doesn't, punish her. It will be a game for both of you, and give her what she needs, and the reason for punishment. It will also give her the excuse to tell you if she has any more desires that she hasn't told you about."

Willard looked thoughtful, "Sir, I have always listened to your advice, even when I thought that it was wrong. You have never led me astray, and maybe even saved my romantic life. I will give this a try and see how she responds. I can ease into it, and if she doesn't respond well, I can drop the whole thing." Tom nodded his head and they changed the subject.

The next morning, Tom noticed that Melody stood to have her tea, but she wasn't complaining. He also noticed that the Alverez women were present for the tea party. Robert asked the women to continue watching his women, with the only exception being that the other men were no longer allowed access to them. Tom grinned at the news, but didn't blame him one bit.

Things settled down to a normal routine again. At least as normal as it got around the house. Everybody seemed happy, even Robert's women. They were beginning to adapt to the situation, and found the attention that Robert lavished on them to be addictive. Tom could tell that after a week he didn't need to worry about any of them running. He was sure that they would have to be driven away with a stick. He mentioned that Robert might want to have his women take them in to Chinatown for some new clothes. Robert nodded and left Tom to handle the instructions.

A few days later, while conducting his business at the restaurant, Tom was talking to a chamber maid when he noticed a young Chinese man waiting to talk to him. It was unusual for a Chinese to be selling, or buying, information. It got his curiosity going. When he was finished with the maid, and made his notes, he motioned to the young man to sit. The young man bowed and sat. Tom waited expectantly to see what he had to discuss.

"I am Feng Wo Mao. I came to ask if you would sell me Ho Min Wei." Tom was so surprised that he almost choked on his coffee. He stared a long time at the young man. He examined every inch of him from his hair to his feet. The young man didn't seen upset at the critical examination.

"Why do you think that I would sell Wei to you, and why do you want to buy her?" Tom knew that it was not polite to be so direct, but this was something that required his full attention. Tom turned to Luke and motioned for him to take over for him, then turned his full attention back on the young man.

He was slow to answer and Tom knew that he must have known that these questions were coming. "Wei and I have known each other since we were children. When her time came I went to talk to her father, but he wouldn't listen to anything that I had to say. When my mother found out that I had gone to Ho Min Lu she forbad the marriage. We were destined to be separated, so I married another woman, but I have never forgotten her."

Tom nodded slowly. "You will come with me." Tom rose and put his coat on. He motioned to John and they walked out the front of the restaurant. A couple of minutes later Pat drove the carriage around the corner with John riding beside it. Tom and the young man climbed in the carriage. They didn't speak as the carriage wound its way toward the house.

When they pulled up in front of the house Tom jumped down, and led the way into the house. The wonderful smells of Wei's cooking drifted through the house. Tom realized that it was lunch time. When they got to the dining room Tom stopped to see all of the women sitting around the table chattering like a henhouse. When Mei spotted Tom she sputtered once and quickly dropped her chopsticks. That drew the attention of the rest of the women. There was complete silence at the unexpected appearance.

Tom noticed Wei when she saw Mao. He watched her confused expression turn to anger. "Feng Wo Mao, what are you doing in this house?" Wei suddenly realized that Tom had brought the young man, and she had just embarrassed her master. She dropped to the floor and quickly apologized to Tom for her outburst.

Tom stopped Wei with his words, "Wei, get up and come here. Until I tell you differently, you are to assume that this is your house and that I am not here. I will tell you that Mao came to me and has asked to buy you. I will consider selling you, only if you ask me to. Do you understand what I have told you?" Tom watched as Wei went over everything that he said. He saw her head nod and he decided that this would be a good time to have some lunch. Tom sat at the table and motioned to Jess to fix him a plate, as he sat back to watch Wei's anger build a little higher.

She suddenly turned on Feng Wo Mao, "What do you have to say for yourself, sneaking around asking to buy me? Do you want to make me your whore now? I wasn't good enough to be your wife. Your mother still will not let me in your house. Why are you here?" Tom saw her stand back and cross her arms. He had seen that pose on many women, and knew that Mao had his work cut out for himself. He smelled the lunch that Jess sat in front of him and started working on making it disappear.

Mao also knew that he was going to have a problem, and wished that Tom had just kept this between men. After all it was men's business, but now he had to deal with Wei. "Mother is dead, and what she wanted no longer matters. At your time, I did go to your father but he wouldn't hear me. Now I came to make you my concubine." He smiled at her, but Tom thought that she wasn't buying it.