A Summer in Olympia Ch. 03

I thought for a moment. "Let me tell you about my father. He volunteered for a Pennsylvania company when he came of age in 1862. His father didn't want him to go, but many young men of the time felt it was their duty, and he would not be dissuaded. After training, he was stationed around Washington, working on the fortifications of the Capitol. Toward the end of the year, his unit marched out toward Richmond, a Union objective every year. They fought in many actions, and found themselves on the banks of the Rappahannock River opposite Fredericksburg,Virginia. It was mid-December and they felt if they broke through they could reach Richmond and end the war. On the other side were high bluffs the Confederates fortified. His unit crossed the river and were ordered up the hill to assault the Rebel position. Time after time they went up that hill, bodies of their comrades falling around them, men screaming in pain and terror from their wounds."

"Did they make it?" Connie asked.

"No. They never made it up the hill. Father fell wounded in the last assault, and was fortunate to be pulled from the battlefield before he bled to death. His body was decimated by what they call Grape shot: a cannon is filled with small balls and dozens of small projectiles follow similar paths. He lost his left arm and left leg: the war was over that day for him."

"Oh my," Pearl said.

"It took him weeks to recover, and he went home an invalid. In those desperate times, he was able to find work in a railroad office, and worked his way upward until he was the owner of a railroad. My mother was a nurse who helped heal him, and they built a wonderful life for themselves. Until the Panic of 1893 took it all away."

"Are they all right now?" Ruby asked.

"Mother passed away of sorrow last year, Father's getting by. He's got a small pension from the army, and he's living frugally. I was able to give him something when I got home from Europe, and see his care was well organized. We have hopes."

Pearl swallowed and said: "Was the Civil War as divisive as we were told? Did brother really fight against brother?"

"Yes, they did, from Missouri to Maryland especially. Men who had graduated together from military academies and fought in the Mexican War found themselves commanding units on opposite sides. Fathers fought sons. Families were divided. You only need reflect on your neighbors here: Missouri was split almost perfectly in half in loyalty, but those were spread almost evenly throughout the state. This place was chaos. The wounds are still not fully healed 30 years later."

There was a long period of silence. "Thanks for coming down, Mr. MacLeod."

"My pleasure, Miss Brougham. Anytime."

As I left, I took a look around the room and came to a realization. All the servants were Mrs. Edwards' children: the girls looked just like her and the boys also resembled her in their coloring. They looked like a decade spanned their arrivals, with Opal being the oldest and Connie the youngest; they were probably about two years apart in sequence. Something else seemed familiar about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it; a mystery for later solution. The only servant that didn't fit into the family was Maurice.

It was an hour and half later when Sir Charles came by my workroom to check on my work and give me the draft of the third act. He was pleased at my progress and asked when I could have the parts ready. I told him it would be a month after finishing the score that I could have the parts all copied and ready. He smiled, clapped me on the shoulder and told me to keep up the good work. I heard the scrape of the viola in the distance, and felt glad Penny had been freed at last from her confinement.

That night was so sultry I lay on my sheets unclad, so when Mrs. Edwards came through the secret door she was surprised momentarily at my naked form lying on the bed. It took her an instant to disrobe and she joined me on the mattress. "Pardon me, Frank, but our Amber has been ill all week and it's taken all my free time to nurse her back to health."

"Amber, I don't believe I've met her."

"She does the sewing and the laundry, mostly. Also waits on the ladies and where else she's needed."

"And how old is she?"

"Sixteen." I took her right nipple in my hand and gave it a soft squeeze, which brought a gasp from her. "I should like to ask you about something else I hear Maurice mention."

"Yes, Maurice?"

"She said something about needing Hesphaestus' help with something."

There was a pause. "I don't know if I should tell you about that." I gave her nipple a pinch, bringing forth a little yelp. "All right, all right; Maurice has a collection of dildoes."

"Dildoes?"

"Objects that resemble this part of a man's anatomy," she said, giving my member a quick, tight squeeze. "The smallest is called Ganymede. . ."

"The one she used on Sir Charles that night."

"Yes, that's right. The next one slightly more than average in length is called Priapus, after the old Roman fertility God, and the largest is called Hesphaestus. I've seen the last one: it's frightening."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Tell me, what do you think we women do when you men aren't available? In my case, it's been quite a while, so Priapus has consoled me on many occasions."

"Oh, I see. It's too bad some similar convenience doesn't exist for men."

Bella snorted in disbelief. "You men will impale anything with an orifice that will accommodate you. The stable hands at Algernon make use of the small flock of sheep in residence; in English boarding schools, teenage boys will bugger each other until they come of marrying age."

"Which would explain something about Sir Charles, would it not?"

"Yes," she giggled. "But I did not come here to talk about the different ways men and women pleasure themselves in each other's absence." She started stroking my prick gently with her hand, to interest it in some activity. "I came here to pleasure you in some way."

"Done," I said, and reached between her legs to tickle her fancy.