Chapter 11

For the next two weeks Carol kept her distance from Cal Hardin. If she saw him coming in her direction she would purposely avoid him. She never ventured near his cabin. She was conspicuously absent when Charlotte passed out the paychecks in her office. She was wise enough to realize Charlotte was looking for little signals, anything that would betray the slightest recognition between her and Cal.

In this short space of time Carol came to understand that she owed Charlotte some sense of loyalty-no matter how contrived. She fully concentrated on her work, driving herself endlessly, making herself as helpful to Charlotte as she possibly could.

She typed volumes of legal work, took endless dictation, filed for hours at a time, made out paychecks, and, when there was no more work, she found other areas where she could be helpful to Charlotte. Whatever Charlotte demanded of her, Carol gave. Every time she went into town she'd return with some silly gift for Charlotte to make her laugh. Anything to lessen Charlotte's suspicions.

Strangely, because of all this, understanding and affection grew between the two. Bound by guilt at first, Carol slowly discovered she was deeply fond of the older woman, and she realized her real purpose for being where she was, for having accepted the rich, new, easy life Charlotte had bestowed upon her.

She was learning-and after all, this was exactly what she wanted. Her life had begun to take on a new shape, a genuine direction. She liked school, the teachers, the other pupils. She reveled in keeping the hectic school and work schedule going full force. Now, to Carol, her life seemed idyllic. There was no time to think of anything else-anything that might disrupt her newfound life.

Carol put another sheet of paper into the typewriter. After making a few corrections in the yellow note pad by her side, she proceeded to type.

From across the room, at her desk, Charlotte studied Carol.

Carol had slipped into a very comfortable living routine with her. Charlotte was surprised at the determination of the girl. She was also surprised at her own role.

For a long time now, Charlotte had been picking up after Carol, cleaning after her, and on cook's night off, even going so far as to prepare meals for the girl. A role unknown to her before. She liked taking care of Carol, and she had to admit the girl was a tremendous help to her.

Yet, in spite of all this, Charlotte felt a restlessness about the girl. Though she seemed to enjoy school and her work, Carol seemed to regard her stay at the plantation as something temporary. It wasn't anything the girl said; it was purely what Charlotte read into it.

As far as Charlotte was concerned, she wanted to be with this girl forever.

Deeply in love with the girl, she came to the point where she was almost too possessive of her. She realized there had been some kind of hanky-panky between Carol and Cal-purely speculation on her part, of course-but she also realized that Carol had more than made up for that slip. And that's what she considered it-a slip. Carol was young and beautiful, and men were bound to be attracted to her. There were plenty of men besides Cal running around loose on the plantation. She couldn't stop them from flirting, much as she loathed that kind of competition.

After much thought, she finally had arrived at a decision. If she wanted to be sure of keeping Carol to herself, then she had better do something about it. She had to put a purpose behind this affair-make it strong-secure-important!

Looking at the girl now, Charlotte wanted to reach out and clasp her hand. Her gaze rested on the firm, audacious breasts. Strange. Carol's face, almost more than her figure, was frankly sexual. Her distinctive flashing eyes, even in their innocence, seemed to be issuing an invitation.

That was it in a nutshell. Men must think this. Men like Cal. Would that happen again? She really couldn't be sure-unless-

"Carol?"

"Mmmmm?" the girl said, busily erasing a typographical error.

"Are you happy here?"

"Sure. Why?"

"I want to know."

"Why wouldn't I be happy?" Carol asked, lighting a cigarette.

"Are you happy all the way around?"

"Yes," Carol answered without hesitation.

Charlotte watched as the girl resumed her work. Right now Charlotte felt secure in their relationship, but how long would that last? She would be very smart if she insured its lasting. And if she did what she was thinking of doing, it would put Carol in her debt.

"You know," she interrupted Carol's work. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. I like the way you work, and I like the way you absorb things. You catch on quick. You have an instinct about this kind of work. You're very smart-bright."

Carol tilted her head and smiled. "Why, thank you, Miss Charlotte," she kidded in an affected Southern accent.

"When we first met, you told me you wanted to make something out of your life. You wanted security and you were willing to work hard for it. That was commendable. But it's hard-very hard. Well-I've decided I'd like to help you do just that."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you should go to college."

"How?"

"I'll send you. Maybe next year. Would you like that?"

"Would I like it?" she asked, her face breaking into a smile.

"And there are other things. I can give you that something else. That security you want and deserve. Long-lasting security. I want you to really learn the tobacco business, Carol. I mean that. Learn it all the way around." She smiled. "You see, you may end up owning it all."

Carol stared at Charlotte. Was she being serious ?

"What do you say to that?"

"I don't know what to say," Carol answered.

"Just realize, Carol, I'm looking out for you. I can give you everything you want and need in life. Things you could never have no matter what kind of an education you had. You see, Carol, to have all this-this plantation-takes many, many years to achieve. It's three generations that built this up. I can hand it right over to you."

"You want to give me this?"

"No. I want you to inherit it. But you must know about it. Prepare for it. Work for it. Appreciate it."

"You ... you really do love me, don't you?" She jumped up and moved to Charlotte's side.

"I'm not one to tempt you, Carol. There are people who might do that, but I intend to do things for you right now. like college. like turning over stock in your name, bonds and etcetera. Actions do speak louder than words. I intend to prove to you by my every act how much I love you and how much I want to keep that love."

What I don't intend to tell you Carol, is that with such an offer there would be too much at stake for you to ever think of cheating. Money can buy anything-even love.

"How come you're so good to me?" Carol whispered, kissing Charlotte on the cheek.

"Because I truly do love you," she answered.

And because you know about Cal, Carol thought. And because you want to hold on to me. Still she had never, never for one instant dreamed that the rewards could be so high. What Charlotte wanted in return was so small a price to pay ... for such tremendous stakes.

When she felt Charlotte's lips against her own, she wrapped her arms around the woman and felt her fall back against the window. Carol returned the woman's frenzied kisses, all the time keeping her gaze over Charlotte's shoulder. Now, for the first time, she looked at the acres and acres of newly planted green tobacco with a new eye. Here, from the window, she could see the vast expanse of rich land. Could this really be true? Would this one day be mine? Did Charlotte really mean it? Maybe it's tip to me to make sure that Charlotte meant it!

"You know I never thought it could happen to me, Charlotte," she whispered against the woman's ear. "But it has."

"What, Carol?"

"This feeling I have." She brushed her lips against the woman's cheek.

"What are you saying, Carol?"

"I'm saying that I love you."

"Oh, Carol," Charlotte breathed.

Carol brought Charlotte's chin toward her to gaze into her eyes. "See? It did happen," she said, her voice soft, her lips moving against

Charlotte's lips. From the window Carol could see outside, walking toward the house, the hulking figure of Cal approaching. She hugged Charlotte closer to her then, reached up and pulled down the shade, shutting him from her sight.

Charlotte took the gesture personally. She smiled at Carol, pulled away, went to the door and latched it. "Just in case," she whispered, pulling her dress over her head.

Carol's eyes slanted. Her hands reached for the zipper of her sweater.

Seconds later Carol stood before Charlotte legs apart, nude, and shockingly wanton. Her hands cupped her own full-formed breasts in an offering to Charlotte.

Charlotte reached for the mounds of flesh, her trembling hands working over the tips.

"Oh, darling, you're so beautiful," she said, kissing the girl. "So very beautiful." Passion surged through her as her lips traveled over soft flesh leaving a tickling passion in its wake.

Burning, slashing detonation vaulted them into uncontrollable frenzy as their gyrating bodies sank to the floor. With a soft sigh, Carol opened her legs permitting Charlotte's hand to slide between, probing, caressing, demanding. Charlotte brought her head down, her hands forcing the girl's thighs even further apart.

Carol lay back, permitting Charlotte to do with her as she wished. Her body rocked, her face twisted in wild abandon. She pulled her gaze away from Charlotte beneath her, let her head fall back and pressed her eyes closed and willed the image of Cal Hardin to appear.

Now her breath came in short, hard gasps. She held onto Cal's image. This was Cal beneath her ... his big, hairy arms around her, his scraping beard against her inner thigh, his hungry mouth eagerly working. She spread her thighs wider apart, wanting her femaleness to consume the woman below. She shoved her body up to Charlotte's face. An intake of breath, then Carol fell back against the carpeted floor, excited beyond control, gasping out her joy.