The Price of Freedom Read Online Free PDF Page B

marry
her?”  Richard challenged. He knew that Charles admired Ann and if it
wasn’t for the plantation at stake, he would be the first to encourage a
marriage between them, but fortunately Ann was besotted with him. To be honest
he really didn’t know why; he offered her no encouragement.
    Charles scowled at him in reply
and took out a ledger and started to work.
    Ann was a pleasant girl, if
somewhat spoiled, but she certainly didn’t stir him to passion. Her glossy
reddish brown hair and turquoise eyes were attractive, but her inane
conversation was a source of aggravation for him.  She seemed to have no
interest in anything beyond the next new dress she would get from England or the
next party she was going to.
    After being with her for any
length of time, Richard was sorely in need of the relief he got from visiting
his mistress, Anise, a French woman whose family had moved to Charles Town in
the late 80’s to escape the persecution of the Huguenots in France. She
obviously no longer followed their faith and apart from her other talents, she
could at least provide him with good conversation or quietude, depending on his
mood. 
    It was a pity he couldn’t marry
her, but since her father did not own a plantation, what would be the point.
Just as well that he was ruled by his head and not his heart. That was not to
say that his heart was involved where Anise was concerned; no it was definitely
something else that made him seek her out regularly. Realizing that he’d been
so busy he hadn’t seen her for more than a week, he picked up his hat and
headed for the door, telling Charles that he was going out.
    “Where are you off to?” Charles
called after him.
    “To see Anise.  
I haven’t seen her for nearly two weeks.”
    “You’re incorrigible!”
    “Women love incorrigible men,”
said Richard with a smile.
     

     
    “Richard, I have missed you, chéri ,” declared Anise with a pout, her French accent
distorting the English words in the way that Richard loved.
    “Why have you not come to see me
recently?” she demanded with her hands on her hips. Her black hair was piled in
an elaborate style high on her head and her sparkling blue eyes challenged
him.  As beautiful as her face was, his eyes couldn’t help their downward
trek to her magnificent bosom that threatened to spill over the low neckline of
her satin gown.
    “I was busy Anise.” He reluctantly
pulled his gaze back to hers. “I’ve been putting things in place so that I can
visit my uncle’s plantation in Barbados at the end of the month.”
    “You’re going to Barbados? 
Take me with you.  I will keep you company on that long journey.” She
purred, drawing closer. 
    “Tempting, my love, but I don’t
think my aunt would approve of me bringing my mistress to stay at her house,
especially when she knows that I’m engaged.”
    “I can’t believe you are going to
marry that girl, Richard.  I have seen her in town and I don’t know what
you are thinking. She seems attractive enough but I can’t imagine she will
satisfy you.” She stepped back from him.
    “Darling, that’s why I have you.
I’m thinking how profitable her father’s plantation will be when I convert it
to rice. She’s the older of two girls, you know, and her brother died in
childhood, so her daddy wants to make sure there will be someone to run the
plantation when he passes on.”
    “That’s what I like about you,
Richard.  You don’t pretend to be anything other than what you are; an
opportunist.”
    “It takes one to know one, my
love,” he returned, taking the pins from her hair so that it fell down her
back. He ran his fingers through the thick tresses, drawing her closer. “As
much as I love to converse with you, I didn’t come for conversation today. It’s
been almost two weeks since I saw you.”
    “And whose fault is that, chéri ?”  
    “I confess that the fault is mine,
but I intend to make up for my absence,” he promised nibbling her