Mirisa looked into Meek’s eyes and realized that what Dominic just did was deliberate. Mirisa believed that even though all three may have been willing, she also knew that it was like a bully who dangled something you wanted just long enough for you to almost touch it before pulling it away. Dominic’s passion for her was so tied with the fact that she had never been taught anything about men and he was dangling her daring them to respond. Dominic instinctively knew that she was now fully aware of what was happening tonight and the result was strictly for his pleasure. He had brought her completely into their world with no warning.
She looked at Meeks, turned and looked at her husband. She held out her hand and he put down his glass and walked out onto the floor. Garnett started a very beautiful melody and all three watched in amazement as she took the game to a level that made it hard to even consider looking away. At the end of the dance, Dominic kissed her softly and told her that she was everything he loved.
She walked over to the mantle and finished Dominic’s whisky and poured another before she turned to face them. “All of you might want to think real hard before you play with me again.” She turned to leave the room and they all silently watched her. She stopped and turned around. “Dominic, you might want to say good night.” She had her hand on the door when she turned back to them. “And if any of you think you will get off easy for this then think again.” Mirisa left the room.
Meeks poured a shot and played a little song with one hand. “Dominic, I don’t know about you but I think the consequences are going to be bad.”
“I’ll let you know in the morning.” He left them at the piano.
James sat down to play. “Nice piano but I think I need to head to town.”
Dominic almost made it to the door before she came back into the room. James stopped in mid-key. The only sound was from the grandfather clock as it struck and vibrated through the house.
“I don’t know what any of you truly want and I don’t know if I am just for your sexual entertainment. I could honestly be married to any of you and be happy. I could easily sleep with all of you and I would happily bear your children. I am not a notch in your gun or a challenge to prove your manhood. I am a woman who is so in love with all four of you that there will never be a time I do not have those feelings no matter how many times you hurt me.” She stopped but none of them moved. She was so damn beautiful at that moment. “Dominic.”
He hadn’t taken his eyes off of her but knew not to respond. She bit her bottom lip. “If you want to climb into my bed tonight or for that matter any other night, you better have a damned good excuse for what you just did and you better be able to convince me that your love is genuine.” Mirisa turned and left the room.
James hit a key and they all turned and looked at him. “Well, that’s about as frank as you get. Dominic, I believe your wife doesn’t like your game.” He hit another key. “You know I think I much preferred the time we were pinned down by Indians in the Rockies and ran out of ammunition.”
Dominic walked over to the mantle, took off his jacket and picked up the bottle. They watched him leave and since he took the whisky they changed clothes and headed to town.
Garnett came downstairs in the morning to find Dominic standing at the window of the library drinking a cup of coffee. He went over and poured a cup and sat down in front of the fire. Garnett couldn’t tell by looking at him what the outcome was or even if he was successful at defusing her.
“She was absolutely breathtaking last night.”
James walked in and fixed a cup of coffee. “Where’s Meeks?”
“He went out riding early this morning.” James nodded. “Is there anything we can do?”
Dominic smiled and shook his head. “I don’t know what to tell you because I am sure Mirisa will address each of you in her own time. She did say this was the last time she would warn me. Actually she said a lot about my behavior and my inability to be sensitive and really just about trashed my entire personality and life. Then she said to let all of you know that backing out of Virginia was definitely not going to happen so not to even think about it.”
“When are we leaving for Virginia?”
“Monday. I was going to wait until we were closer to Christmas but I think right now riding would be safer.”
Mirisa walked in with Matthew and poured a cup of coffee and sat down next to James. Matthew climbed up on Garnett’s lap and asked when breakfast would be ready. He looked like he was still asleep. Garnett stood up and told him they would go check hoping to avoid confrontation with Mirisa. James started to apologize and she put her hand on his lips and stopped him. Dominic knew she held only him responsible for everything because basically she spent half the night telling him exactly how she was feeling. She broke at least a dozen things in her anger and afterward she spent the rest of the night making him apologize. Of course, that part they both enjoyed. And even though he knew it was wrong he still found it extremely erotic to watch her interact with other men and he really wasn’t sure how he would control that impulse or even if he wanted to. She was wearing a dark blue skirt with the brown lace up boots. He just wanted to take her back to bed.
When they went into the dining room Matthew was already eating breakfast and Meeks was sitting at the table talking to Garnett. Dominic held out her chair and you wouldn’t have known anything happened because she seemed normal. After breakfast she spent hours at the piano with Matthew playing and trying to teach him the keys. She finally put him down for his nap. She came back down and Garnett was sitting at the piano playing a new piece.
“I’m not familiar with this piece.”
“It’s a piece I composed a few years ago.” She sat and watched him play. He stopped and showed her the keys helping her with the tempo. After a while she was playing it from beginning to end. Meeks stood up against the door frame listening to them play. He knew she was going to let them stew waiting for her response to their behavior.
THE WEEKEND went by quickly and on Monday they rose before sunrise and packed up the horses. Mirisa got Matthew up and despite his protests bundled him up. She hoped the weather would hold out until they got across the pass. Matthew was so excited when they were in the mountains that he didn’t stop asking questions as he rode. It took a week to descend into the lower Virginia valley and fortunately they only had light snow one day. The trip across Virginia to her parents’ plantation put them in town right before Christmas.
Dominic wired ahead to change their reservations at the hotel and made sure their trunks would arrive before they did. It was a beautiful old brick hotel that seemed to be set across the street from the most beautiful town square and the river ran on the edge of the town. In the center of the square was a statute of Thomas Jefferson with a large bandstand.
Mirisa took Matthew up their room, stripped him down and sat him in front of the fire to warm him up while she prepared a warm bath for him. After Dominic took care of the horses, he came up to find him sitting in the middle of the bed wrapped in a big towel eating dried fruit with a cup of hot cider. Dominic took off his jacket and hat, unbuckled his holster rolling it up placing it on the wardrobe out of Matthew’s reach.
“Where’s your mother?”
“She’s in the bath with all the bubbles.”
“You need anything?”
“No.” Dominic smiled at his son. He took off his shirt and went into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub. He reached down and ran his finger down the front of her causing her to open her eyes.
“Is there room in there for your husband?”
“Always but I have to warn you that you will smell like a girl if you do join me.”
Dominic bent over and kissed her before taking off his jeans and climbed in with her. Mirisa dressed Matthew before putting on a dark green skirt and blouse with her black boots; brushing out her hair, pulling it back at her temples so that it curled down her back. Dominic was surprised that she had not brought more of the eastern style clothing
from the plantation but she said that most of her clothes were outdated and she would just buy a new wardrobe when they arrived in Virginia.
Dominic and Mirisa walked into the dining room at little after seven with Matthew who ran to the table when he saw Garnett, James and Meeks. The dining room was filled with town people enjoying an evening meal. She made it about ten feet into the room when someone called her name. She looked at the older couple and stopped to talk to them. She introduced Dominic who politely shook hands with the gentlemen before excusing himself to join the table. By this time everyone in the dining room seemed to realize who she was and Dominic finally ordered for her since it appeared she would never make it to the table. He had already sent word out to her father that they were at the hotel but didn’t expect to hear from them until tomorrow. How wrong could he have been?
“Mirisa!” She turned as three tall men came through the door. Before she could respond, one of them picked her up and twirled her around before kissing her. He no sooner put her down before the other two picked her up and kissed her. Matthew climbed down out of his chair and ran to her wrapping himself around her legs. She bent down and he hugged her and told her not to cry. She picked him up and introduced Matthew to her brothers. They snatched him like they did her and his little lip started but she just smiled. She walked over to the table and all four of them stood as she introduced them all to her brothers. They were almost identical in looks.
“Can you join us for dinner?”
“Are you kidding? Mother sent us to get you and said we were not to return unless you came with us. She has been an absolute terror for over a month.”
Mirisa smiled but they could tell by her eyes that the response would be good. “Then I guess we shall have to get you a room in the hotel.”
They all laughed, pulled up chairs and sat down. They talked easily and unlike the rest of her family seemed to have no issues with Mirisa being married.
“Jed, who are you marrying?”
“Christy.” He smiled as he said it.
“She’s here?”
“She’s out at the house and wanted to come with us but we told her that she would monopolize you way too much. I think she was pouting when we rode away.”
“Mirisa.” She turned to Dominic. “If you want to go out tonight...”
“No, I’m tired from riding all day and I want to get Matthew to bed early.”
“Alright, we’ll tell mother some great story so no matter what she says tomorrow just go along with it.” They all shook hands with everyone and left with as much noise as they came in with as the waitress came over and put the chairs back where they belonged so they could serve dinner.
James poured another shot. “Are they always like that?”
“Yes, it’s why my father had to build another wing on the house because the noise was more then he could handle.”
“Is your mother going to be upset with you?”
“No, my father will get the brunt of it because he should have made me come right out.” She put Matthew’s napkin on his lap and asked James to push his chair in a little closer. “Can we play cards tonight?”
“Well it’s a lot safer than playing the piano.” Meeks looked directly at her and she smiled.
“Maybe, maybe not.”
They had a great dinner except that they were interrupted every five minutes by someone she knew and who said they would be at the house for Christmas. No one said anything about the fact that she was with four men but the raised eyebrows would make them the talk of Christmas. It was quite obvious that her life in this town was totally opposite of the years with them. Dominic picked up Matthew to take him upstairs and Garnett went down the street to the saloon and bought several bottles of whisky. Their room was connected to James so they put Matthew to bed and set up cards in James’ room while Mirisa changed clothes.
“Are you wearing silk? I love it when you have little on and I’m standing behind you.” Mirisa stood up and leaned back into James and whispered in his ear as she ran her hand along his thigh. “Mirisa, I have so missed you.”
Meeks poured her a shot, reached over and unbuttoned the top buttons on her blouse before picking up his cards. “Much better.” He lit his cigar and kicked back. Garnett picked up his cards and started to say something but changed his mind. She leaned back and looked at Meeks cards but didn’t change her expression.
Dominic put money into the pot and rearranged his cards. “If you sit over there, Meeks’ will have to provide your bankroll to play.”
James anted and asked for one card. It went around to Mirisa who anted and asked for two cards. Dominic dropped four gold dollars and raised it by three. Mirisa folded and Garnett won the hand. They had played about an hour when Dominic realized her eyes were getting dark. He didn’t know what Meeks was doing but he knew he was doing something to her.
Mirisa went in to check on her son and when she returned she sat down next to Garnett and looked at his cards. “Mirisa, it is bad etiquette to look at another’s cards if you are playing the hand?” She stretched her legs and put them on Meeks lap and he started massaging her feet. “You do know that Meeks loves women’s feet don’t you?’
“Yes, that’s why he does great foot massages.” She turned Garnett’s face so he was looking right at her. “What do you like?”
“I like bad women who love raw sex.” He put his cards down and picked up his drink. “Do you want particulars or do you want to find out for yourself?”
“I’d much rather find out for myself.”
“Is this the whisky talking or is this payback?”
She looked over at Meeks because he was having trouble massaging her feet since she was rubbing her toes across him. Dominic looked from her to Meeks. “Mirisa you are now cut off.” She looked over at him as she chewed on her thumbnail.
“Dominic.”
“Yes darling.” He raised the pot and told James to pay attention.
“Can I sleep with all of your friends tonight?”
“Do you think they can handle you tonight?”
James met the raise and Garnett folded. Mirisa looked at him. “Garnett that was a good hand.”
“So is the one in my lap. I can’t play when you are.”
She looked at Meeks who told her that it would take more than that to sidetrack him and he met the raise.
“Mirisa.”
“Yes Dominic.”
“I think the boys need to go out to play cards and you need to take care of your husband.” She kissed everyone good night and went into their room and closed the door.
“Didn't she just do exactly what she yelled at us for doing?” Meeks stood up shook out his leg and strapped on his gun.
James and Garnett strapped on their guns as Dominic went into his room closing the door. “You know Meeks, it’s not so much that you encourage her as much as he must now spend so much time protecting his marriage.”
“Then maybe he shouldn’t have gotten married.”
Garnett agreed and they headed out to find a good game of cards or entertainment.
THE MORNING was cold and clear. Mirisa wrapped Matthew up in heavy clothes even though the ride was a half hour from town. She had spent the morning standing in front of the Hotel just getting her mind set to actually being home and how much she missed it. Meeks came out and wrapped his arms around her slipping his hands inside her jacket. He kissed her neck before he walked down the steps to help put Matthew up on the horse with Garnett. Dominic and James came out and she went down the steps with them and mounted her horse. They headed south out of town but were in no particular hurry. The hills were gentle rolling hills that you really didn’t notice and the trees were bare. The river ran east of the road and brought a chill with the light breeze. As they rounded the bend in the road they saw the large plantation house sitting in the midst of a well manicured lawn with an extremely long drive.
Mirisa slowed down and fell back behind them. Dominic stopped his horse and came back a
round next to her. She knew they were watching out the windows for them to get there and she dreaded this more than going into labor. They dismounted in front of the house and she no sooner tied up her horse before the doors burst open and it looked like an entire town descended down the stairs as her brothers swallowed her up as though they hadn’t seen her the night before. She finally walked up the stairs and hugged her father holding in her emotions before turning to her mother who turned away, followed by her oldest brother and his wife and the rest of the family. She turned and realized that the last thing the four men and her son wanted to do was to come up those steps. She tried to suppress her smile but they could read her so well. Dr. Eppes came down and welcomed them all to his home but her mother merely turned and went back into the house. Mirisa looked at her father and he just shook his head.
The house was beautifully decorated with Christmas trees in every corner, evergreens lining the fireplaces and staircase as the smell of cloves and cinnamon mingled in with the evergreens and bayberry candles. They went into the great room where there was a large tree in front of the windows that overlooked the river. The maid came in with a tray of hot cider and finger food placing it on the long server. Dr. Eppes offered everyone whisky which they all gratefully accepted. The men sat down and talked while the women retreated to the formal parlor across the hall. The children were sent back to the nursery until lunch was served but Matthew refused to leave Garnett no matter how much they talked to him.
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