her head
pressed against his chest, listening to the rapid
beating of his heart, “I know you wanna keep
yo’word, but they ain’t gone let you – won’t be long
now. I guess I – shud’ah let you have me-…”
“Suga…” Quinton trailed off, wishing to
promise her so much more, but how could he be
certain that he would deliver? What if she was right,
what if he lost this battle and lost her? He knew what
he had to do, it would be a gamble, but it was one he
was ready to take – because the reward at the end,
was what he wanted most – he knew that now; and
because she was preparing herself for the chance,
he may not win – he would keep the promise to
himself until he could be sure of delivering, for now
anyway. He repeated her name once more, “Suga…
you have to trust me – say that you trust me?”
Her arms rose to wrap around him, wanting to
hug him back; standing so close, told her a lot about
what she felt for him; she’d broken her mother’s first
rule, never have feelings in your heart for your white
owner; certainly not the feelings she had, her mother
said, it would seal the promise of a broken heart, to
be broken, over and over again. She brought them
back, trying to break away from him as wel .
Quinton felt his innards squeeze to discomfort,
“Suga – I’l do my utmost, I wil …”
“We got – things t’do – no time fo’foolishness,
c’mo.”
She pushed back until he had no choice but to
release her. Quinton swal owed the lump in his
throat, fol owing her out the door, his arms feeling
heavy, yet empty. He’d never in his life had met a
woman like Suga – everything in him – wanted her.
No matter how risky the deed, he would disclose his
identity – once they knew, the gamble would be
made, they would mock him, humiliate him or punish
him for what he was.
It was not overly stated that those of the new
colonies
hated
the
nobility.
Peasants
and
commoners were more than welcome to join them in
the new land to escape the very poverty they
accused the gentry of subjecting them to by charging
high taxes, by claiming ownership of the Lion’s share
of the land and then, charging them high rent to dwel
there. Talk from some that he’d stood in the midst of
listening in on, gave him ample warning that the last
thing he should ever do, was state that he was in
possession of thousands of acres of land, with 13
estate managers, hundreds of market booths and
thousands of tenant farmers – some – paying rent
and tax to him.
If that were not enough, his deceased father
had also left him in possession of a thriving
ironworks and coalmines in England and in
Scotland; where anyone could find back in his history
Irish and Scottish slaves who worked those mines.
He’d kept so much from the people he’d settled
in with, but he would take a chance and risk it al if it
meant him being able to hold on to Suga.
It was time they knew the truth, that back in
England, he was addressed as, Earl of WhistHirst,
no longer Viscount of WhistHirst, now that his father,
the Marquis of WhistHirst, had passed – thus al that
he had, went to his first born son.
WhistHirst’s Earl - Quinton Thaddeus Caine
Chapter VII
The deed of disclosure was easy enough to
manifest, it only required him sending an official
missive to his estates back in England, which would
bear his name, his title, and his seal.
Within, a request that he be attended to by the
list of servants named, along with a list of things they
were to bring and do, and lastly, they were to depart
post haste. Of course he knew that it would not be
received on the other side any sooner than a month,
no later than three – but it was sent. He would have
to hold his own until their arrival.
Word got around, as he knew it would.
To quel his anxiety, while waiting for them to
make their move, he stepped up Suga’s lessons,
intensifying them. Teaching her the very
Zoe Winters
Hermann Hesse
Barbara Freethy
Christopher Sherlock
Crystal Blue
Hilary Storm
Colin Falconer
Stephanie Perry Moore
G. J. Walker-Smith
John Russell Fearn