Story: The Secret Slave. Part 19.

by SW

It was on the journey in a hired carriage from the town-center slave auction to the leafy coastal district (and the Morgan residence there) that Sophie learned that her new owner was not, in fact, the man who had made the highest bid for her at the sale.  Her master said:

“Well Sophie, it seems that your mistress regretted selling you to Mister Johnstone. She couldn't attend the auction and so asked me to act on her behalf - your papers are made out to her.  She will collect you in a week or so and you will then, once again, be Madam Deveraux's slave.  How do you feel about that girl?”

“Oh Massa! Thankee Massa! I is glad to be goin' home to my missus.  I nevah wanted to be sol' off suh!” and she began to sob once more.  She felt as though she had been rescued from some dark and bleak abyss and the tears of relief flowed freely from her eyes.  It seemed that her journey into slavery, entered into just a few months previously - though not quite altogether - innocently, had come full circle and for all that she was ruined as an aristocratic young lady of quality she felt immensely grateful to be journeying back to the safer situation at the Morgan's place where it had all begun.  That Elizabeth had, somehow, obtained the information, and found the means, to save her so quickly was not lost on her and her bosom filled with pride and love for her friend.  Whatever lay before her it would be under Elizabeth's care and protection and she felt the luckiest girl alive.  For Sophie, the journey from the miserable auction yard to the splendid Morgan household was one of redemption and salvation.  She hoped and believed that the recent traumas of her experience in bondage were finally behind her, and thus, she resolved to be a good house maid at the Morgan house and attract no attention or trouble.






It was something like 2 of the clock when Felicity Morgan received Sophie's return to the house with a short and private conference in her drawing room.  After being ushered into the splendid apartment by Martha the Housekeeper - who grinned with pleasure to see Sophie - the Mistress had greeted the new, temporary maid, with a slight nod and smile and then said firmly:

“Well girl, we have you back, though for longer this time.”

“Yes'm Mistiss F'licity Ma'am,” replied Sophie with a curtsey and a smile: “An' mighty glad I is to be back heah Ma'am.”

Felicity Morgan nodded her approval, “You shall do as before, and as you know your way around this house we expect you to give good service from the start.  See that you do well girl, your Mistress will want a report on your performance.”

“Oh yes'm Mistiss, I is goin' to serve yo' an' Massa good Ma'am!” nodded Sophie with vigor.

“Very well and I believe you shall.”  Felicity Morgan cast her eyes over Sophie's rumpled green silk gown and added disapprovingly.  “I see that Mister Johnstone had you tricked out as a fancy, well you won't need that dress here.  It shall be washed and set aside for your mistress, you are here for house work until you are collected, you are not here to look pretty.  Martha has made up work dresses and a serving uniform for you, I shall expect to see you in uniform and serving at dinner in three hours time.” She paused for a moment before adding, “Now, go get cleaned up and have Martha feed you and then you may rest, I suppose the auction was something of a trial for you.” Felicity Morgan then clapped her hands and Sophie replied “Yes'm,” curtseyed deeply and after thanking the mistress she hurried to the kitchen.

The petite maid Milly's delight at seeing Sophie again moved her deeply and as they embraced in the kitchen both girls began to cry with joy.  The girl, thought Sophie, was even lovelier than she had remembered, and her heart filled with warm emotion as they clung tightly to each other.

“Dat's enough yo' two gals,” admonished Martha, though through laughter, “plen'y time fo' yo' ter show how yo's missed each othah latah, fo' now dere's work ter be done.  Milly!  Go help Sophie git on cleaned up an' den yo git back heah.  Yo' gots ter polish de table silver.” And giggling with pleasure Milly grabbed Sophie's wrist and hurried her off to the ante-room where Sophie stripped down to allow Milly to douse her with cold water.

“Oh my.  Gal! Yo' ran from yo' mistress?” Remarked Milly when she saw Sophie's brand. “That why yo' got sold off?”

“Yes Milly but I ain' runnin' no mo'.  I ain' nevah wan's to be flung in jail, branded and sol' again.  I is goin' to be a good gal fo' missus now,” and she meant what she told the little black maid.

The days passed uneventfully for Sophie and as she settled into the routines of the house she found herself thinking less about the horrors of the past and more about the future with Elizabeth and she wondered what that might hold.  She also began to enjoy her station again and serving the Morgans soon became pleasurable for her.  Her duties excited her once more; serving at table, fetching refreshments, and even the work of keeping the house clean aroused her.  Felicity Morgan, in particular, kept close watch on her slaves, demanding their best manners at all times, and Sophie found that the simplest order to attend the mistress's needs brought her sex to respond with warmth and tingling pleasure.  Release to her desires came at night when, after a long day of chores, Milly would slip into Sophie's bed – for they had been quartered together as before – and the slave girls would 'comfort' each other.  Milly would massage Sophie, sensually and slowly and, after bringing Sophie to a point of burning, needful desire, she would slip a delicate black finger into Sophie's moist pink purse.  The caresses were tender but eager and purposeful - that the girl was expert could not be questioned - and in her little pallet bed, Sophie was obliged to cover her mouth to stifle her moans of delight from being heard in the adjoining slave rooms.  It was curious, thought Sophie, that Milly did not seek similar attentions in return and the girl would content herself with working her fingers on her own spot with one hand while the other explored Sophie's cleft and the little nub of delight that lay within it's velvety folds.  The girls very quickly found themselves becoming very close and loving to one another in emotion, and not just during their pleasures in the slave bed.  After the violation brought upon her by the hateful Johnstone, Sophie found herself desiring solely feminine closeness and pleasuring; masculinity had lost all of its sensual interest for her and she craved, then, only the gentle caress of her own sex.   

And so proceeded the long hours spent in daily domestic service to her temporary owners until Elizabeth would come.  The Morgans were strict and demanding - though fair and never cruel - and the tensions occasioned in the servile and dutiful performance of her duties were later joyfully released in her quarters.   Her emotions and hopes further raised when, after two days and with grateful relief, her menses came and she knew that she did not carry a monster's child.  For the most part she was able to put recent events far from her thoughts and she considered what the future might hold.  It would be Elizabeth who would decide the nature of arrangements and Sophie would accept whatever she, Elizabeth, decided was for the best.  She had, she knew, caused her dearest friend a great deal of worry and trouble - not to say anything of the money she had spent at auction to secure her - and Sophie would simply accept her friend's decisions.  She harbored secret hopes for how things would be, but, she resolved not to try and impose her will in any way.  In short, she would place herself willingly and completely in Elizabeth's hands and accept her terms - whatever those might be.

Sophie did worry about Milly however; in her time at the house she realized that she was coming to love the girl and the thought of their parting troubled her greatly.  It would hurt them both very badly and it was this, to no small degree, that tarnished her otherwise desperate eagerness to be returned to Elizabeth's care.  After another delightful pleasuring by the soft and seeking hand of her lovely slave companion on the night before Elizabeth's arrival she held Milly tightly and wept quietly; it was a great pity that to gain Elizabeth she must lose Milly.

oo0oo

Elizabeth had gone directly to the Morgan's place after releasing her entire savings - a sum of some eleven hundred dollars - and, having concluded the arrangements there, she had proceeded to Belmont Plantation.  Any fears she may have borne about the delivery of her news to Pryce evaporated as quickly as a drop of water in the hot Georgia sun when Pryce threw his hat in the air and gathered her to him; he was, without doubt, going to be a very proud father indeed.  The family too accepted the circumstances and, though with a slight regret, they took matters in hand with a pragmatic energy; certainly, they would have preferred a prolonged and decent period of engagement before marriage, but they saw at once the need for an immediate wedding and they involved themselves in the hurried plans and arrangement with great vigor and full blessing.  Elizabeth had made a very favorable impression upon them and though, perhaps she had been rather incautious in becoming pregnant so soon, they were, never-the-less, delighted that their son had found an excellent match.  

Elizabeth and Pryce's life together started in a whirl of activity; they had no time to find a suitable plantation to purchase before their wedding and so an Augusta town-house was secured in lease for a period of six months; time enough to allow them to establish themselves and look for a more suitable place in the country.  They also traveled to St George's where Elizabeth was able to sell her slaves to the two gentlemen who had hired them and arrange to have her fine house made available to market.  From there they returned the next day to Belmont and just two days later were wed in a quiet ceremony in Augusta.  There was no time for a honeymoon - too many arrangements for their future had still to be settled - but they spent their time together busily and extremely happily and Pryce McGowan's unconstrained joy with his new wife and their expected baby was evident to all who knew them.

Through this somewhat feverish excitement, Elizabeth's only cause for regret and concern was Sophie.  She would have wanted her girl to be present at the wedding - and to have had her serve at the small reception afterwards - but, she knew that Sophie was in safe hands for the time-being and she eagerly anticipated claiming her in the days ahead.  She, of course, worried that she might find Sophie broken and beaten after her time with Johnstone, but she knew her girl well enough, as evidenced after the trails and depredations at the hands of Caroline and the Sheriff, that she was strong and resilient.  Elizabeth had every expectation to find her girl fit and ready to begin her new life as a McGowan house-slave and she anticipated that day with relish.

oo0oo

Pryce McGowan, being detained with some of the many urgent business matters that his new status as a married gentleman demanded - and those of a new home to organize - was, regrettably, unable to accompany his wife to collect Sophie.  Elizabeth, therefore, traveled alone to Charleston and she arrived in time for dinner.  The arrangement by letter was that she would stay overnight as a guest of the Morgans and leave with Sophie early the next day for Augusta.  Felicity Morgan had kept the slaves very busy that day and the house was in perfect sparkling readiness to receive Elizabeth when Morgan later brought their visitor home from the railroad depot.

Elizabeth did not see her girl until dinner was served - not long after her arrival - and when Elizabeth entered the dining room Sophie had to fight the strong urge to run to her and fall to her knees in gratitude.  However, both maintained the decorum appropriate to their relative position and as she walked in to take her place at table Elizabeth acknowledged Sophie - already standing to attention at table in smart black and whites - with a slight nod and smile to which Sophie offered a very deep curtsey and was permitted to say; “Oh Mistiss! Good evening Ma'am, it be real good to see yo' Missa,” without reprimand.

Sophie attended table in the customary silent manner but behind the mask her manifold emotions broiled and frothed.  Firstly, she noted Elizabeth's magnificent engagement and wedding rings glittering brightly in the declining evening light from the windows and from that of the table lamps - and, of course, much of the table conversation centered around Elizabeth's marriage and her new husband.  She noted, too, how radiant and happy Elizabeth looked and her heart warmed to see her friend so contented.  Elizabeth, for her part, stole one or two glances at her girl and was gratified to observe that Sophie looked as pretty and vigorous as ever - whatever travails she had endured had clearly not affected her so badly as to have broken her spirit.

Sophie found that serving whilst her mind tumbled with questions, questions that she could not then ask, to be most distracting and her performance at table was somewhat absent minded.  At last, when Felicity Morgan signaled for a round of refills of wine and the order went unnoticed by Sophie - who's duty it was so to do - her patience gave out and she said firmly:

“Elizabeth, I'm afraid that your girl has been rather inattentive today and more so as the day has proceeded.  Could it be that something ails her?”

Elizabeth frowned and replied: “Please excuse her Felicity, I expect that she is moved by my arrival but that will not do as an excuse for neglect of duty and I shall deal with her later.”

In truth, Elizabeth was very pleased to be given the opportunity to set things off as how she wanted them to continue and, soon after returning to the drawing room from dinner, she commanded Sophie:

“Go up to my room girl and wait for me.  I shall be up directly.”  Sophie curtseyed, replied, “Yes'm Mistiss,” and exited the drawing room and wondered what would follow - she sensed that what was to come would most likely indicate the ways and nature of their relationship from then on.

Elizabeth entered her guest room after Sophie had had an almost unendurable wait of around ten minutes, and in her hand she carried one of Felicity Morgan's crops.  She waved the instrument of chastisement and said brusquely:

“Strip down girl, everything off, and take position by the side of the fireplace.”

Sophie looked at her friend for a moment and blinked:

“But Mistiss, I ain-.” and Elizabeth cut her off.  “Do as told, else I will increase the allowance girl,”

Sophie, fumbling with nervous excitement, took off her serving apron and began to unbutton her uniform as Elizabeth continued:

“You have shamed me at table.  This will not do.  I will expect and demand high standards from you, and so will your new master.  Is that clearly understood girl?”

Sophie, her sex already moistening, gave a submissive and docile nod - her head cast down - and she mumbled: “Yes'm, Ise sorry I let yo' down Missa.”

When the slave turned to take her position for the disciplining Elizabeth's stern expression broke into a smile and she gave a silent sigh of pleasure; the words 'But Mistiss' had already told her all that she wanted and needed to know.

Bending naked by the fireplace and with parted legs, Sophie felt more humiliated than she had expected.  She had been violated by a loathsome man, inspected more or less naked at the auction by dozens of buyers and led onto the block like a mare at a stock auction.  It seemed strange to her then that she should feel such shame in front of her mistress, who after all, had already seen her unclothed many times before.  But, the knowledge that Elizabeth now held legal papers that, effectively, made Sophie her property and, being divested of all clothing for the whip - but not just for a show of supposed firmness for the dreadful creature Caroline - brought her to exquisite and sensuous shame.  Her mistress was whipping her entirely of her own volition and it felt good to Sophie.

She took the first blow stoically though she did utter a sharp “Oh!” as the stiff little whip met her buttocks with some force.  Her face burned not only with the indignity of the beating but also from the awareness that she had already become so moist that her arousal must be visible to her mistress.  Elizabeth let her wait for a moment before applying the next stroke and when it struck she observed, with pleasure, her girl's bottom quiver under the leather and saw the glistening lips of the slave-girl's sex.  Sophie felt that she might collapse - not due to pain or fright - but from the sensual excitement of receiving her mistress's crop.  She was thus obliged to lock her knees and keep her legs firmly straight and so her bottom was thrust even more upward for the punishment.

In all, Sophie received ten strokes of the crop and when Elizabeth threw the instrument onto a chair, and slapped her slave's painful buttocks hard, she ordered: “Prepare my bed girl.”  Sophie straightened stiffly and painfully turned then curtseyed with downcast eyes and replied softly, “Yes'm Mistiss,” and moved to obey.  When she had turned back the upper bed-covers she found, to her surprise, that Elizabeth had not stood waiting to be assisted out of her gown but had followed her to the large bed.  Elizabeth pushed Sophie onto it and made her lie prone and she very quickly joined her on its silken sheets.  Elizabeth smiled and said softly, her voice husky with desire:

“Now Sophie, you have a chance to earn my favor again.  I will show you how you must take care of mistress when your master isn't home.  Do you understand?”

The sensual tension that had been building between the two young ladies of estimable quality for months, perhaps even longer, exploded that evening.  Sophie, now nothing more than a personal maid-slave, learned how she must attend to her owner's pleasure.  Her mistress pulled her close to; she slapped her and chastised her and gave instructions and orders about how the duty should be done.  To all of these 'encouragements' Sophie reacted with humble submission and showed her willingness to please and obey without question.  Then Elizabeth demonstrated by her own acts how her maid must satisfy; her fingers insinuated into the slave's secret parts and soon found her little spot: the rosebud that, with her mistress's skillful manipulation, soon brought Sophie to release and then, at once, to further desire in wave after wave of pleasure.  And it was pleasure of an intensity that not even Milly had made her experience before.  Thus trained in the ways of her owner's desires, Sophie attended to her mistress in similar fashion.  She slipped her hand beneath her mistress's gown and was later guided, by a curious admixture of soft encouragement and firm physical handling, to adore her mistress's sex with her mouth.   It was a long time later before the languidly embracing couple finally parted and their tender and affectionate stroking and murmuring gave way to Elizabeth's stern order:

“That'll do for now girl.  Get up and prepare me for bed,” and Sophie quickly rose to assist her mistress from the bed and thenceforth to ease her from her rich, though by then crumpled, gown and into a soft silk night dress.  That done Elizabeth said curtly:

“Good girl Sophie.  You may be dismissed and go to your room now,” and after curtseying, Sophie replied, “Yes'm Mistiss, I hopes yo' sleep good Ma'am,” and she quietly exited and tripped lightly downstairs to her quarters and Milly's loving embrace.  But, for all her joy and ecstatic fulfillment at what had taken place in her mistress's bed she felt no little sadness when she suddenly remembered that it was to be her last night with the little black slave-girl.

The morning of departure to Augusta, however, was to hold a very surprising and welcome development for Sophie.  At dinner, Elizabeth had mentioned that she and her new husband would have the tiresome business of buying at least one more house slave: Pryce's parents had given them a cook but, with just Sophie to keep house, they would be under staffed.  As a consequence of this remark the Morgan's had had a discussion later and he had said to Elizabeth at their early breakfast next day:

“Elizabeth, would you consider buying our girl Milly?  If so, could we say, well, let's say nine hundred dollars?”

“I declare,” replied their guest, “why would you sell her.  She seems like a good house girl.  Why would you be rid of her?”

Felicity Morgan blushed a little as her husband replied, falteringly:

“She is indeed a very good servant, but we fear that she is becoming rather fond of her young master when he visits and ….well.... we wish to avoid any, shall we say, any awkward developments.”

Elizabeth laughed and said immediately:  “Agreed and I should be glad to have her.”  She turned to Sophie and the smile upon her girl's face showed that she had made a wise decision.

Milly had not been present at table but the moment Sophie had a reason to leave for the kitchen she hurried to Milly and, embracing her warmly, she gave the girl the news that they were not to be separated after all and they both wept copious tears of relief.  

And so it was that Mrs Elizabeth McGowan departed Charleston for her new, if temporary, home in Augusta on the morning train from Charleston.  With her were her two new and smiling slave-girls; both of whom were quite obviously anxious to please and be attentive to their mistress's comfort.   The girls were very smartly turned out and gave every appearance of proud house-maids to a respectable owner and any casual onlooker of the trio would see at once that the two slaves were placed in superior positions within a good house.  On arrival at Augusta, Pryce McGowan would meet the party and convey them to the modest, though perfectly adequate, town house which would serve as their home in the months ahead.  For each, a new life beckoned within that home and each would soon find and settle to their place in it. 

For Milly, perhaps, the changes would seem the least dramatic: she was a slave, had always been a slave, and the change in her ownership was nothing out of the usual way of things for those who occupied her station in life - besides, she believed that she was going to a good home and she would be with her beloved Sophie.  Pryce McGowan would assume the role of Lord and Master of his house and he would accept the responsibilities that his position as head of the family would confer upon him.  He would pursue a political career in the service of the South and he aimed to soon have a new plantation of his own - one in which to raise a family.  Elizabeth was to become a mother and it would be ever more incumbent upon her to see that the household would run efficiently and as free from trouble as she could ensure: with her husband about to embark on a career in politics - in the time-honored tradition for a proud scion of the plantocracy - it would be her duty to see that he was not burdened by trifling domestic matters.  

And what of Sophie; the beautiful, aristocratic young mistress who had, so quickly, become a maid-slave for her closest and dearest friend?  Sophie no longer wrestled with her strange nature and desires - she had simply come to accept them.  When she entered her owner's service in that new home in Augusta, she no more understood what lay in the depths of those desires than when she had first walked into the Morgan house dressed as a house-maid.  She knew that she could never - would never - understand, and so she stopped trying.  Sophie truly knew and thought only of what she felt in her heart: her hatred of the institution of slavery, her love for her mistress and the compulsion to serve her, and too, her love for another slave-girl - the girl who served by her side and was never happier than when pleasing Sophie in her bed after a day's hard work.

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