by ML BINELLI
"No, we are from the central part of Portugal. We have no links with anyone from the north," Barbara hurried to say.
"Where are you from again? I don't think we ever talked about that."
"We came from Coimbra. Do you know the city, captain? Vidal replied, praying that the captain did not know the city because he had never been there himself. If he began to discuss local matters, they were doomed.
"No, I don't know it but I know it's halfway between Porto and Lisbon. Have you heard of the wine?"
"Yes, it's very famous. Tell me, captain, does anyone plant vineyards around here? It would be a profitable business, would it not?" Barbara tried to change the subject. Why the hell was he bringing up this story now?
The captain was thoughtful and scratched his chin. Barbara realized that her ploy had worked. The man's most inner thoughts were all about profit.
"That wouldn't be a bad idea. We can use a part of the plot of the mill for an experiment. What do you think? I could acquire some grape seedlings in Portugal." Vidal smiled and the captain noticed. He scratched his head a little awkwardly.
"Look, let me tell you something. I'm giving you the impression that all I can think of is profit, isn’t that right?
Vidal laughed out loud. "That's exactly what I was thinking, captain, if you will forgive my sincerity!"
The captain turned his back on them for a moment and turned back.
"Do you know why I worry so much about money? My daughter. I have a vision that torments me." Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "It's a dream, a nightmare. My ship is sinking, my last thought is about her and I am desperate because I think of what will become of her if I am not around. Yes, I look for profit and wealth. Only then will I have the true freedom that only few men have.”
"What freedom is that, captain?” Barbara asked, supposing that the captain was referring to leaving his European family so he could start another family in New Orleans without leaving the two women in England penniless.
"The freedom to die, Mrs. Barbara. The freedom to die depends on the economic situation of the family. As long as I'm not sure their lives will go where they should, while my daughter is not married to a good man who looks after both as I do, until this day comes, I'll be a slave. Yes, a slave to them. Do you understand?" The captain lowered his head in their direction and grinned. His hands were held behind his back, as if he were a teacher lecturing two students about life.
"What do you think of that, Mr. Vidal? Could you die here, right now, leaving your beautiful wife in difficulty?"
Vidal looked straight into Barbara's eyes and she looked back at him with a beautiful smile and an arching eyebrow. She began to twist her body from side to side with her hands held behind her, arching her breasts toward him as if she were a little girl who had committed a misdemeanor while she waited for his answer. Vidal felt the weight of the blood rushing down his body.
"Captain, who cannot die between us is Barbara. I would be the helpless one. But as for the matter of servitude, I am her slave as you are to your wife and daughter!" He took a step, embraced Barbara and kissed her.
"Good answer and very sincere!" said Barbara in a mocking tone.
The captain laughed at the situation. "Come on, come on, we have to disembark. I am in a hurry to show you my house!"
32. James
As soon as all three disembarked, they were welcomed by a mulatto.
"Welcome, captain! How were the seas? Calm?" he said.
"How are you, James? The sea was calm this time," stated the captain. James looked at Barbara.
"Let me introduce you to my fellow travelers. This is Mr. Vidal ... sorry sir, I do not remember your surname.
Vidal took a step toward James and shook his hand.
"Bueno, Vidal Bueno. This is my wife, Barbara Bueno."
James shook hands with Vidal and took Barbara's hand to kiss it. When they touched, Barbara felt a chill run down her spine. She even blushed in James' presence.
"Pleased to meet you, ma'am."
"The pleasure is all mine ... James, am I right?"
"Yes, James Heliantus at your service," and he bowed. She felt a warm feeling creep up her belly. His black eyes fixed on hers. She looked him up and down, a very handsome man, hair as black as his eyes, strong arms and legs and broad, muscular shoulders. Both seemed not to notice the world around them, as if time had stopped. Vidal was not comfortable with the situation and felt as uncomfortable as any man would in the presence of an alpha male. He leaned into Barbara as if wanting to protect her from a potential threat, to protect his property. The captain noticed the awkwardness of the situation and decided to put an end to it. He approached James and took him by the arm.
"So, James, what's new? Are we good in quantity?"
James awkwardly disengaged himself from Barbara's gaze and walked alongside the captain. Vidal cast a fierce glare at Barbara who smiled and looked to the floor. The captain turned to them.
"Come on you two. You do not need to worry about the luggage, it will be taken to the house." The couple followed both men to the carriage.
"Climb in, please," James said, "it is ours!"
"Is that so, James? Who told you to buy a carriage?" the captain said jokingly, "but I know this carriage! Is it not the carriage of our neighbors, the Chermont family?"
"Yes, but the old man passed away!"
"Don't tell me, James. When did that happen?"
"As soon as you left captain. His old heart stopped beating while he slept. A pity. The wife was desperate, they were always together. She decided to sell everything, the clothing store, the house, the carriage ... that's why it is now ours."
"But why is she getting rid of everything?"
"She decided to go back to France. She says she wants to die over there, with her sisters."
"But what about the children? Will they go with her?"
"No, no, they decided to stay. Sad, isn't it? A family separated in this way."
"Are you married, Mr. James?" Barbara asked, approaching the two men ahead and leaving Vidal behind.
"No, ma'am. No one has yet stolen my heart," he said, smiling at her as she looked to the ground again to hide her blushing cheeks.
"What about the house? Was it sold? Or will one of the children move in?" The captain intervened once more when he noticed the fury etched in Vidal's face as he walked up to them.
"No, sir, it's for sale under Mr. Jean's responsibility. Why? Are you interested in it? If so, we can make a proposal."
"Not for me, but there may be an interest by these two. You are in luck. Poor Mr. Jacques. I will miss our chats and chess games, although the old man hated losing. Once he threw the board far away and the pieces ended up on the other side of the street. I will miss the mad, old bloke. But come on, let's climb in and enjoy our newest acquisition."
Vidal helped Barbara up. Then the captain and James got on. The order was given for the driver to leave.
"Tell me James, how is the business? Do we have any new customers?"
"Yes, three more farmers are using our mill.”
"Sorry for interfering, but do you rent the mill out for others to use? Does that not cause problems?" asked Vidal.
"We do not plant the sugar cane, we simply press it in exchange for some of the production. That is the most we can gain from a small facility, or we buy the raw material. But as I told you, we have a stretch of land to start our own plantation, but James here would not be able to manage both developments at the same time. For that I would have to move over here. For now, that is not possible but the situation may change."
"How's that? Did you convince your wife to move over here, captain?" asked James.
"No. Unfortunately, I have not yet achieved this miracle but let's leave this topic for the dinner table. Will you have dinner with us tonight, or do you have an appointment?"
"I did, but I canceled it. When I was told that the ship was entering the port, I made arrangements to spend some time with you.
How many days will you stay this time?"
"Only enough time to unload and reload the ship again. We can't waste time, can we, James? In about three days, I'll be back to my second wife, the sea!
"Captain, you must settle down here soon. The dangers of these trips are immense."
"Don't worry, boy! The heavens protect me and it's no use thinking about that when we have a job to do. Don't you agree, Mr. Vidal?"
Vidal was absorbed in his thoughts, distracted by the houses and shops on the side of the road. He turned to the captain and nodded without acknowledging what had been said so he could return to his thoughts. Barbara could not look away from James, his hands, his nose, his thick lips. Her nostrils could smell his strong, sweaty scent. In order not to raise anyone's suspicion, she would turn her head from time to time to the street and look at him from the corner of her eye. Her thoughts kept turning to the man next to her. She began imagining his hands touching her. Her breathing changed and she was struggling to control herself her body.
"How much did you pay for this carriage, James? I hope you have not used up all our funds!"
"Don't worry, captain. It is in good condition, almost new and we paid only half what it is worth!"
"Good lad," smiled the captain. "Well, we're here. This is my humble abode. Let's climb down."
When they stepped off the carriage they found themselves standing in front of a very elegant two-floor house. The ground floor featured four Roman-style columns and the second floor, had four more. Huge glass windows with light-colored curtains stood between the columns. The front door, on the lower half, was on the left and the windows on the right. Next to the door, the house extended at its midpoint to form an L-shaped building.
A wall with an ornate iron gate surrounded the building. The straight lines of the roof stood behind a leafy tree, whose canopy reached the first floor, casting a shadow on the building. The overall impression was of a very comfortable home.
"Captain, what a beautiful house. It is very large!" said Barbara.
"It is true. Didn't I tell you that you would not be in the way at all? We may never meet inside!" said the Captain, laughing.
"I actually built this place for my whole family. There is a separate wing that accommodates a second house. My intention is for my daughter to live with us when she gets married. That way she won't leave my sight!"
"Well thought out, Captain!" said Vidal.
"This part of the house is being used by James. You'll stay in the front with me, while I'm here. We have two rooms to the front and one more to the side, as you can see. But let's go in. You probably wish to bathe and rest before lunch. What about you, James, will you give us the pleasure of your company for lunch too?”
"No, I cannot, captain. I need to leave now. I must get back to the mill. A shipment of sugar cane has just come in and I have to be there to organize the arrival.”
"What a pity! Well, we'll expect you for dinner!"
"Did you bring my order?" whispered James to the captain.
"Yes, I did, enjoy it! These are the last Pallister bottles you will drink."
"Why is that?"
"I'll explain why at dinner. Start looking for another brand!"
James shook his head. One of his pleasures was port wine, but he never drank it excessively. He knew that consuming too much port wine with meat caused gout. He knew this well. He remembered how he had suffered in the past because of his excesses. His big toe became incredibly sensitive. A slight draft of air, no matter how small, caused unbearable pain. He could not cover his feet at all. The simple weight of a sheet felt like needles being inserted between his flesh and his fingernail. After he was told that the culprit was port wine and meat in excess, he diminished the amounts he was consuming. Sometimes he cursed the captain for having given him his first bottle. He remembered the story of the gout epidemic that occurred in England. A terrible thing. After saying goodbye to all three of them, he walked towards the carriage. Suddenly he turned to the captain.
"Do you think it would be possible to produce this wine here, on our land?"
"We'll talk about that tonight, James," said the captain, smiling. From the moment they had met the captain had been surprised at how their minds thought alike. They had an odd complicity, like a twin thing. He did not understand why, but it was there. So he knew without having to ask that he was interested in Barbara. But he would have to have a private conversation with him. If they were to become partners, the proximity between the two needed to be limited.
After lunch, Barbara asked for permission to lie down for a while. She claimed to be tired because the day was busy.
"What a pity, ma'am! I thought you might like to walk around the city. Today, as you know is Saturday. Everyone will be out browsing the shops. Would you not like to see our commercial establishments?"
"Not today, captain. I am very tired. May I excuse myself?"
Vidal stood up and walked over to her. He pulled out her chair so she could stand up.
"Go rest, the captain and I will play chess. What do you think, captain?"
"Let's go then. I'll have them put the table outside. It's a little warm in here and let's get the Pallister out. I brought some bottles for my own use."
"Yes, let's, captain. See you later, Barbara," said Vidal, giving her a kiss.
"Marie, come here!" called the captain.
"Yes, sir?
"Accompany Mrs. Bueno to the bedroom. She does not yet know her way around the house. Do me this favor, will you?"
"Yes, sir. This way, ma'am."
When they reached the room, Marie asked Barbara if she needed anything else. After she said no, Marie left, closing the door. Barbara sat on the bed and took off her shoes. She threw her body back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"What happened today? Why did I behave like a child in the presence of that man?"
She went over everything that had happened since they had arrived. The moment she saw James for the first time, she felt like getting closer but she held back. Just thinking about the man, remembering his features, his voice, his scent, the touch of his hand on hers, the respectful kiss he had given her, and which she still felt on her skin, made her blush. She began perspiring. She rose from the bed, went to the window and opened it. She looked out onto the street, children were running in front of the house, couples were strolling down the street, pleased to be out and about. She closed her eyes, enjoying the light breeze that flowed into the room. But it was still hot. She went to the door and noticed a key in the lock. He turned it and went to the closet. She removed her clothes and lay completely naked on the bed and fell asleep.
Her dreams were filled with the image of James. She was in the same room and the door opened and he entered. He walked over to her and embraced her. She tried to push him away but was unable to. He tore her clothes off and threw her on the bed. Suddenly, he was lying naked on top of her. As she lay on her back, he lowered his body to hers. Her body became drenched in perspiration as she dreamed. She woke up startled looking around for him. The dream was too real. She lay back down and closed her eyes, remembering the dream. She reached out to the pillow next to her and wedged it between her legs. She turned sideways and began rocking her hips back and forth. Her hands held the pillow while her thighs moved. She began to moan and imagine James' body over hers, his kisses, his hands caressing her breasts and neck. A kiss on the shoulder, a bite on the ear. Her breathing became heavier and her heart began to race. She felt a warmth in her womb. She moaned louder and writhed like a snake sliding across sand. She felt throbbing between her legs and fell asleep. This time she fell into a dreamless sleep.
She was awakened by loud knocks on the door and she recognized Vidal's voice. She got up quickly and wrapped herself in a sheet.
"Calm down Vidal, I am awake. Wait a moment, please."
She walked over to the door and opened it. Vidal entered in a rage.
"What happened to you? I thought you had fainted! I was ab
out to knock the door down!"
She dropped the sheet. Vidal's rage melted away. He kicked the door closed and took her in his arms. He carried her to the bed with his mouth pressed to hers. They had enough time to make love before dinner but Barbara fantasized that she was being taken by James. With half-lidded eyes she could see only shadows and she filled her mind with her own images. Vidal noticed that she was fierier than usual, moving more, moaning louder, surrendering herself with fury. He did not suspect for a moment that she was thinking of another man. At this point in time, he wouldn’t have cared.
33. Dinner
While waiting for James to arrive for dinner, the captain asked for more port wine to be served. When his glass was full, he pointed it toward a candle to admire its color. He swirled the contents and brought the glass to his nostrils to smell the bouquet. When the liquid washed over his tongue and trickled down his throat, he let out a moan. He slowly opened his eyes and realized that both guests were watching him.
"It is excellent, isn't it? A man can live a long life and have many pleasures. Women, money, possessions and even then he may never know the taste and aroma of this wine. But, even so, it will exist. I fear that in time, it will survive only in the memory of those who appreciated it.”
Barbara felt a touch of pride every time the captain praised the "Pallister Port Wine." If it were not a problem, she would have revealed herself as the owner's daughter. The memory of her father came back to her, his charred flesh on the fire, screaming curses. A smile of contentment appeared on her face.
"What are you thinking of, Barbara?" A happy memory?" asked Vidal.
She shook her head slightly from side to side like a teacher using an eraser on a blackboard. As with the writing, the images were being deleted from her mind. She turned to Vidal.
