Story: The Secret Slave. Part 4.

by SW

Sophia was given some rice and beans to eat and left alone in the kitchen but, not long after she had finished the unfamiliar and rather coarse repast, the house maids Ruby and Rosa, who had helped the two mistresses to change, stepped to the kitchen to collect their trays and deliver the soup course which Jane was then dishing up.  Jane told Sophia to go with them to their work but she said that she had received orders from Mistress Caroline that Sophia was not serve on her first evening there; she was to watch the girls and learn the manners and routines of dinner at the house.  

Sophia followed the slaves and took position in a corner of the room where she stood in proper pose and hoped that Mistress Caroline would ignore her - she had no relish for another one-sided confrontation.  She observed how the girls served and instantly retreated to their places on light feet - each standing by the wall and behind each lady.  Both maids wore blank expressions and looked ahead but they had to be discreetly vigilant, Sophia noticed how Mistress Caroline didn't instruct service with a spoken command; it seemed that the girls had been trained to read the merest glance, slightest movement of hand, or indeed, inclination of their mistress's head, to know what was required and they attended at once and in silence.  

She hoped she would be given some allowance when the time came for her to serve table as she couldn't possibly be expected to learn these signals during a short visit.  Dinner went off without any incident and, after the ladies had been assisted from table by their attendants, Ruby opened the dining room door and followed them to the drawing room.  Sophia breathed a sigh of relief and helped Rosa clear the table and went with her to the kitchen.  Uneventful though it had been, Sophia did learn from the ladies' conversation that the senior Cranstones had left for their town house in Savannah earlier that week.  Mistress Caroline's father had been very unwell with a prolonged fever and he required sea air for two weeks to recuperate.  She had gone on to tell Elizabeth that he had been reluctant to leave the plantation as the cotton harvest had begun but that her mother and his physician had insisted.  

Sophia also learned that Mistress Caroline's brother Philip would, in two days hence, be returning from plantation business with their bank in Atlanta.  She had added, “Mother and Father have taken the butler, cook, footman and a house maid with them and I am pleased that you have brought your own slave, Elizabeth.  We are so very badly depleted of servants.”

Sophia did not see either Mistress again on that evening of arrival; after dinner Jane had shown her around the remainder of the house and given her detailed instructions of the daily routine work required in each room.  Following the tour, she had been taken back to the kitchen and assigned various chores including the preparation of vegetables for the next day's cooking and polishing table silver which she did under 'Miss Jane's' direction.  The housekeeper was reserved - distant even - and the woman grumbled frequently about having to take on kitchen duties in the cook's absence.  For the most part, the two other girls were occupied elsewhere; Ruby waiting in the drawing room and Rosa with a great heap of ironing that she did in an ante-room that shared the open fireplace with the kitchen.

Sophia had hoped to be called to attend Elizabeth for some respite from the tepid company of Miss Jane and to have the opportunity to talk freely with her friend, but when Ruby was released from the drawing room she came to the kitchen and said, “Mistiss Caroline says I has ter see to yo' Mistiss fo' bed gal.  She goin' up early and my Mistiss says it bes' if yo' Missus takes me 'cos yo' don' know the room proper yet an' wheah things is kep' an' what's what.” she smiled and added, “yo' Missus was quite partic'lar that she wanted yo' but my Mistiss insisted, an' there ain' no arguin' with my Mistiss, not even fo' white folks,” she turned to the housekeeper and asked, “ain' that righ' Miss Jane?” and in answer the housekeeper readily agreed.  After an evening spent mostly at work in an uncomfortable silence with Miss Jane in the kitchen, Sophia was eventually allowed to bed.

She slept the first night at Cypress Hill plantation in the house quarters where she had been given her own room.  It was small and had a few sticks of furniture - quite similar to Milly's little cell at the Morgan house and the bed, she found, was equally uncomfortable.  It was some time before she fell asleep; she felt lonely and anxious and her thoughts turned to Milly and how she wished the lovely black girl could be with her there to comfort her.  She was troubled by Mistress Caroline too; the woman seemed stern and unforgiving in character and Sophia suspected that behind the beautiful face lurked a passionate and dangerous temper.  She had tried to talk to Miss Jane about what she might expect as a 'Cranstone slave' but the housekeeper had again been guarded and diffident.  In fact, she found all three slaves at Cypress Hill to be reserved and cautious and not very warm toward her - not at all like Martha and Milly and the other Morgan slaves - all of whom had been kind to her.  

At length she fell asleep and after what felt like a blink of an eye she was up with the dawn and put to work after a cold wash in a wooden tub and a meager breakfast.  She had found fresh under-garments in her room and had to struggle for quite some time to get the bandeau in place over her breasts.  She had to twist and then pull the material tight to allow a sufficient length of strapping to be knotted at the back - all done without assistance - before putting on a work dress, apron, work shoes and bonnet.  The early morning went by quickly though and at nine the mistresses emerged from their chambers and came down for breakfast accompanied by Rosa and Ruby who had assisted them to wash and dress.  

Sophia had been told by Miss Jane to change into serving dress and observe proceedings at table, just as she had done at dinner the evening before.  She had been waiting in the breakfast room when the ladies entered and she curtseyed to them as they neared the table; saying quietly, “Good morning Mistisses,” but she received no acknowledgment in return though Caroline Cranstone immediately remarked to Elizabeth, “My dear, I hope that after breakfast you will take care of what we discussed last evening.”

The morning meal was soon over and as she rose from table Elizabeth said, “Sophie, to my room girl, come along.”

Sophia followed Elizabeth upstairs to her chamber and was glad for the chance, at last, to speak to her friend, but, she was surprised when Elizabeth stopped at the door and waited for Sophia to open it in the customary fashion - both knew that there was no-one else around to see Elizabeth open it for herself.  Once inside and with the door closed Elizabeth turned to Sophia and said gravely, “We have certain things to discuss.  You must listen very carefully.”

Sophia nodded and said, “Go on Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth cleared her throat and looked away, she was, clearly, very uncomfortable thought Sophia.

“From this moment until we leave, you are to be, in every respect, my slave girl.  You will address me as 'Missa' and Mistress Caroline as 'Mistiss'.  You will, as you agreed and, indeed, as you volunteered, serve as my slave, not only in public, but similarly so in private, and I will expect and demand the same service from you as my slaves provide at home and your own maid gives you.  Is that clear Sophie?”

Sophia began to giggle but her friend immediately raised her hand and said firmly, “Hush!  Your Mistress Caroline thinks you haughty and above yourself and we must curb those tendencies for your own protection.  It is my duty to safeguard your welfare and that is best achieved by establishing good practice and habit.  Can you imagine the uproar if your Mistress Caroline overheard you speak to me in any other way but as a deferential and respectful slave?  What if you let slip my name, or she came in here and found you sitting with me for tea?  The consequences for us both would be unthinkable.” She paused and looked at Sophia's startled face and continued, “You will work, behave and speak as a slave should.  No more airs! This is for your own good, trust me.”

Sophia was utterly shocked and taken aback at her dearest friend's words and she said, “Elizabeth! You are surely taking this far too-” but Elizabeth slapped Sophia on the cheek - though not overly hard - and stared hard into her eyes and then, reaching out and clasping Sophia's chin, she whispered, “Do as I say, for your own sake.”

For an instant, Sophia wanted to run from the room and the house and find her way home, but then she felt an intense arousal start up between her legs - the now familiar feeling that compelled her to demean herself; that made her want to act as a slave, to feel like a slave.  The excitement was indescribably delicious and a hundred times better than she had ever experienced by merely stimulating her sex in her lonely bed at night.  It was overwhelming, consuming, and it took her breath away.

Elizabeth released Sophia's chin and said,  “Well girl?”

Sophia lowered her head and staring at the floor with shoulders slumped and, quick rage instantly replaced with absolute submission, she heard herself mumble to her dearest friend, “Yes Miss 'Liz'beth Ma'am, I'll be a good gal for you Missa.  I promise.”

Elizabeth sighed with great relief and gently caressed the cheek that she had just slapped, then suddenly, she drew Sophia to her and they embraced very tightly in silence and for a long moment.  When Elizabeth broke away she said gently, “I want to hear you speak in a better fashion from now on Sophie.  'Morning' is 'mawnin'', 'Yes Missa' is 'Yes'm Missa'. I don't need to tell you, you know what you must do to please your mistress don't you girl?” and as she spoke she replaced a loose tress of Sophia's curly black hair and adjusted her serving bonnet.  Then she gently lifted Sophia's chin with a cupped hand and held her head high for a moment before releasing her.

Sophia curtseyed very low and said, “Yes'm Miss 'Liz'beth Ma'am.”

Elizabeth said, “You may look at me,” and when Sophia raised her eyes she saw that her friend, now mistress, was smiling.  Elizabeth said, “Good girl Sophie.  Now run along, I'm sure Miss Jane has chores for you.”

Sophia felt her juices causing a stickiness in the little rag covering her cleft and she curtseyed deeply again and said softly, “Yes'm, I gets to work righ' away Missa.”

Sophia's mind churned for the rest of the morning as she went about her assigned cleaning tasks.  She tried to unravel her conflicting thoughts and emotions.  It seemed likely that Mistress Caroline had, indirectly at least, instigated the profound change in her relationship with Elizabeth but, she couldn't help but wonder if Elizabeth had needed much encouragement.  Sophia rationalized that there was good reason and logic to support these surprising strictures - there was, as usual, wisdom in Elizabeth's decision - that could not be denied.  But, she suspected that Elizabeth was not acting solely out of concerns for her safety; she had the feeling that Elizabeth, perhaps, took pleasure from having things that way - for them to be mistress and slave - even in private.  She also tried to understand why she had become so aroused.  She had been deeply humiliated by her friend and it had made her weak-kneed with desire for her!

After lunch, Sophia had been polishing the hall floor when the front door flew open and Mistress Caroline entered - she had been out to check progress of the cotton harvest with a field overseer.  Sophia stopped her work and immediately rose to curtsey and Mistress Caroline said bluntly as she swept past her, “Girl, when you finish that, go tell Jane to put you to the laundry - you'll need to learn how we do it here,” and as she reached the stairs she added, “Oh, and put fresh flowers on the dining table - pick mostly red and yellows for today I think.”

Sophia replied, “Yes'm Mistiss Caroline Ma'am,” and as she got back on her knees to work she heard the mistress give a little giggle of delight.

The laundry work was demanding and Sophia, learning under Ruby's instruction, found that there was a strict routine to be adhered to; the mistress's gowns were washed first and after those the water had to be changed for their nightgowns and petticoats and drawers and so on.  Once the mistress's clothes had been hung for drying, more water had to be drawn for the bed linen and towels.  Lastly, the girls attended to the slave clothing and Sophia learned, interestingly, that each of the girls had a different color of ribbon on their breast coverings and that the bandeau and tiny drawers should be tied together with the ribbons before being placed in the slave wash basket.  In this way each slave would know who's garments belonged to whom.  Sophia had never considered how much labor it took to take care of a household wash and, as she worked, she regretted the times at home when she had chastised the family house girls for taking too long at laundry.

When Ruby and Sophia were hanging the last of the slave dresses to dry on the slave line there came a call from an open window above and looking up they saw that Mistress Elizabeth stood watching them:

“Sophie, wash your hands and come up here, I want you to tend my hair.”

Sophia wiped sweat from her brow and still looking up she curtseyed and shouted, “Yes'm, I be up in jes' a moment Missa.”

After quickly stripping and washing her body, face and hands with a wet towel then changing into a clean work-dress, Sophia ascended the stairs and wondered if Elizabeth might speak quietly, and normally to her at all.  When she entered the room Elizabeth said, “I told you to wash your hands girl, not to take a swim in the creek.  What kept you?  I don't expect to be kept waiting.”

Sophia replied, “I is sorry Missa but I washed good, I reckon yo' don' wan' yo' gal drippin' sweat ovah yo' head.  I been workin' hard out in the sun with the laundry Ma'am.”

Elizabeth rejoined, “Very well, now come over and brush my hair out and then you can make it in a bun,” and she walked to the dresser and sat down.

Sophia knew very well how Elizabeth liked her hair to be styled; they had often assisted each other to make themselves pretty and had always giggled and talked incessantly when doing so.  This time, however, Sophia worked for some time in silence and gave only an occasional, 'Yes'm' in response to an instruction from her mistress as she peered in the mirror.  It was a very strange experience for both women and each, in their own way, took pleasure from it.

After some passage of time Elizabeth said, “My cousin, Master Philip, will be returning tomorrow Sophie, I want you to give a good impression of yourself to him.  You can be sure that Miss Caroline will complain to him about you when she gets a chance and I don't want you to fall foul of the young master as well as Mistress Caroline.  Do you understand?”

Sophia blushed and, continuing with her work, she replied, “Yes'm. I'll make sure I don' give no cause for complaint Missa.”

Elizabeth continued, “Good, and I don't want you fooling with him either.  You will be a good girl and if he wants you to pleasure him you will simply apologize to him and tell him that your owner will not permit it.  Is that clear?”

Sophia blushed again, more deeply still, and looking at Elizabeth's reflection she replied, “Yes'm, I tells the Massa I ain' 'llowed if it be that he wan's ter use me Missa.”

They smiled to one another in the mirror, for Sophia knew perfectly well that Elizabeth was protecting her, and equally, Elizabeth knew that Sophia understood.

Elizabeth went on, “You slaves must think being a mistress is easy, but really it is much harder to be an owner than it is to be one of you.  You only have to do as you are told but we must always think and decide what's best for you and look after your welfare.”

Sophia relied, “Yes'm, Missa. I is grateful fo' the way yo' cares fo' yo' gal Ma'am,” and she thought that Elizabeth blushed a little and shifted uneasily in her chair.  She was well aware that her own sex was tingling fiercely - serving Elizabeth Deveraux was proving to be very exciting and pleasurable for the young and aristocratic Sophia Solano.

After attending to Mistress Elizabeth's hair Sophia slipped into the kitchen where Miss Jane allowed her to have some cooling water as she had been working hard in the wash-room and garden and had then to attend to her mistress.  She had not long sat down and was enjoying the chance to ease her back and legs when the kitchen door opened and Ruby came in, saying urgently, “Sophie gal, Mistiss is in the drawin' room an' yo's ter take lemonade for her an' yo' Missus.  But firs' yo' has ter hang up yo' dress an' apron in yo' room.

Sophia blushed and asked why she would have to strip before going to attend and Ruby replied, “I dunno, but reckon yo's in punishmen' gal.  Yo' bes' move quick.”

Sophia hurried to her room and removed her dress and was very quickly back in the kitchen to collect the tray that Miss Jane had already prepared with the refreshments.  She was very abashed to be seen by the housekeeper and Ruby dressed in her scandalous cotton rags but neither of them made any remark, or even took much notice - evidently, it was not uncommon for a slave to have to strip before serving in the Big House at Cypress Hill Plantation.

She crossed the hall, almost naked, and bearing her tray in a fright.  Her dark face took on a deep, purple glow with the indignity of her costume and she wondered why she was being punished.  Stealing herself she paused at the door for a moment, breathed deeply, and went in.  She curtseyed and dropped her eyes to the floor in shame and crossed to Elizabeth.  The two mistresses were speaking when she entered and she was ignored as she moved to serve, but as Elizabeth took a glass from the tray, she looked Sophia over, up and down, and said:

“Those under things are very becoming on her, thank you for providing them.  I like the white cotton on her dark skin and the pink ribbon is delightful.   She's young, slender and supple, with finely sculpted limbs and good firm titties - as you can see.  She has such a soft and beautiful face. Such a pretty creature don't you think Caroline?”

Sophia listened to this inventory of her physical attributes in deep discomfort and found that having to curtsey whilst dressed in the tiny coverings was particularly demeaning for her.

Caroline laughed and said, “Oh no, Elizabeth.  They can't be pretty - but I will admit that she is a very likely negress.”

Sophia moved to Mistress Caroline and served and then took her position by the fireplace where she stood burning with humiliation.  The ladies talked for what seemed like an age to Sophia while she stood erect, feet slightly apart and hands behind her bottom.  It felt to her as if she was on display for her mistresses and her heart raced and her pretty face maintained an appealing blush.  

At last Mistress Caroline turned to Sophia and said in a very mild voice, “Sophie, do you know why you are undressed?”

Sophia, looking at the floor, answered, “No Mistiss,”

“It is because you are now in punishment girl,” continued the mistress and still with a soft tone of voice, then she added, “for disobedience.”

Sophia looked up suddenly and in a great fright she said, “Disobeedjence Mistiss?” and shaking her head she said with her voice breaking, “I ain' been disobeedjen' Ma'am, I promise I ain'.”

Caroline looked to Elizabeth and said disdainfully, “Well I see that you have cured her of her uppity way of speaking so that is something at least.”  Elizabeth nodded, “Yes, I have corrected that fault, I do believe it has improved her immeasurably and I will see that she sticks to it.”

Caroline turned back to Sophia and continued in the same beguilingly friendly tone, “Well girl, we have achieved something already; in less than one day here too.  But now we must deal with your disobedience must we not?”  

Sophia, her heart thumping, answered, “But Mistiss, I ain' done nothin' wrong Ma'am.”

Caroline Cranstone replied, and now with some menace in her voice, “Oh but you have, I have just been in the dining room and what do I not see on the table?” and then Sophia realized her error - she had forgotten to pick fresh flowers for the center-piece crystal vase.

She looked up in horror, “Oh Mistiss! I is so sorry Ma'am, I wasn't disobeedjen' Ma'am, it's jes' I was busy with the laundry an' then Missa had me tend her hai-.”

Mistress Caroline bellowed, “Be quiet! Did I order you to place fresh flowers on the dining table or not?”

Sophia lowered her head and nodded and mumbled, “Yes'm, yo' did Mistiss.”

“And are there fresh flowers on the dining table?”

Sophia said the words so quietly that they could hardly be heard across the room, “No Mistiss.”

“So, if I order fresh flowers several hours ago and they have not been placed, that means my order was disobeyed does it not?”

“Yes'm, please fo'give me Mistiss. But Missa made me go upstai-”

Mistress Caroline stood up sharply and hissed, “And now you add to your crime with insolence.  You dare to try to blame your Missa for your own fault.  This will not do!”

Sophia looked to Elizabeth for succor, “Please Missa. Please tell Mistiss it jes' that I had to tend to yo' hair aftah the washin' an' then I fo'got Ma'am.”

Elizabeth said calmly but sternly, “Sophie, this is greatly disappointing to me.  You should have told me when I called on you that you had a simple and quick task to perform for your other mistress before attending me.  I am, as you well know, not an unreasonable mistress and I would have allowed you to go.  There can be no excuse for negligence of your duty.”

Sophia stared at Elizabeth in horror and alarm and realized fully that her suspicion had been correct.  Her friend was truly enjoying seeing her as a slave and she would not help her now.

Mistress Caroline barked:  “Move before the fire grate and place your hands on the mantelpiece.  You will bend low with feet apart.  A disobedient slave is a whipped slave and an insolent slave is a whipped slave.”

“Oh Mistiss no! Please Ma'am, don' beat me!” came the entreaty in answer to the order and when she turned again to Elizabeth she saw that, even then, there was not the slightest particle of sympathy.  But she did register the small smile that played upon her dearest friend's lips.  

Sophia gave up all hope of rescue and, too frightened to disobey, she did as she had been ordered. She was taking the same position at the fireplace that she had, on occasion, made her own girl Sally take before she was to be beaten.

As she presented herself to her mistresses she thought the last time she could recall being beaten was by her mother - lightly spanked while clothed when about eight years old.  Tears of fear and degradation and anger began to moisten Sophia's eyes and she wriggled her bottom in anticipation of the blows to come.  And she knew only too well that as her eyes moistened so did the scanty white rag that barely covered her, now hairless, sex and which was now so very much on display for the eyes of her mistresses.

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