The Adventure continues...

[mistresshuette.livejournal.com]

Emergency babies, with one day or less!!! Please help????:






The Story:

The next weeks were filled with the hubbub of activity.

The security consultants came and submitted their recommendations and bids. Piatrus brought one back the next day and, with the proviso that he start immediately, hired him on the spot. The man was very much in shock. He was used to working with town councils and committees, where decisions were made after weeks or months or even years of arguing and political infighting. He certainly wasn’t used to working with a man who knew what he wanted when he saw it and was willing to pay for it immediately. He started work the next day. He also advised Piatrus as to where the best place was to hire guards, especially guards that could be trusted with his family’s lives.

When the new guards arrived, the leader, Captain Quinton and Piatrus spent many hours together working out schedules and plans. One of the things that Piatrus emphasized was that the men should bring their families with them. This way, the men would be more trusted to guard efficiently, and less tempted to betrayal, if the lives of their loved ones were part of the deal. Once the men and their families were housed and taken care of, the Captain started a daily arms practice, using one of the paddocks. Donal was one of the first volunteers to join them.

With the influx of new people, housing became short, and it was decided that Donal and I and my family would stay in the guest wing, and make it our home. There too came a lot of noise and building. Several rooms got turned into a nursery for Loysa, Jayzon and the coming babies. Celianne finally got a room of her own, as did Reuel, but the twins insisted they stay together and they shared one of the larger guest rooms. Several of the daughters-in-law told me privately that this was not going to be pleasant for me, because Piatrus has a reputation for being grouchy and snappish when he was annoyed by too much noise that only crying babies and loud playing children can make.

I took these concerns to Piatrus, especially since he had been the one to decide where we were going to live. “Sir,” I started as firmly as I could. “It has come to my attention that you have, and rightfully so, a need and desire for a quiet house to live in. And yet you have decided that the best place for my family to live is in your house. While I think that I have some very well behaved children, they still are children and they are going to be making noise. And babies are babies. Crying is their only way of communication. With two more coming soon, are you sure that you are going to be able to handle all the noise that a young family makes? Wouldn’t it be better if we had a place of our own, so that we can make our noise without restriction and not upset you?”

Piatrus sighed. “Rosa is right as usual. I have been getting too curmudgeonly of late. I am sure that it was my daughters-in-law who brought this up to you first. Not that they would ever say so to my face. Only you, and my sister Rosa, have ever brought up my behavior to me personally. I like your gumption, girl!
You have spunk! Yes, they are right; in the past I have barked and bitten heads off because of crying babies and innocent childhood play. But I see now that I have pushed more people away than I have brought close. At first, it was after I lost my wife. I took her death hard. When my daughter (Donal’s mother) died also, it hit me even harder. I have been very unhappy for a long time and making everyone around me unhappy also. Perhaps it was Donal coming back from the dead, so to speak, that made me reflect on my life and my effect on my loved ones around me. I have much to make up for. And many grandchildren to get to know better.” Piatrus sighed again. “I doubt that I will make an overnight change. I am sure that old bad habits don’t change quickly. I do, however, plan to try to improve.

“And while I am improving, I will move my personal offices to the other side of the house, so as to be far enough way from the noise as I can get, when I need to get away. I hope that will be satisfactory for you?”

“Yes, thank you, sir, I really appreciate your candor. I think that we will do well together.” I stood up and went over and kissed him on the cheek. It surprised me very much to see him blush.

“Yes, well, enough of that…” he declared covering up his discomfort. “I am your grandfather now, by right of marriage, so you and your children have permission to call me ‘Pahpey’ just as Donal does. No more of this ‘sir’ business. Sir is for underlings and business rivals. You must call me ‘Pahpey’ from now on!”

“Yes … Pahpey!” I gave him a quick curtsey and then kissed him on the cheek again.

I was about to leave when Celianne came tearing into the room. “Mama! Mama! Please come quick! The new nursery maid is waling into Loysa something fierce and we can’t get her to stop!”

When I ran into the nursery, I saw the new maid, Ruti, holding Loysa down on the changing table, her left hand holding her by the hair and her right hand whipping her with a brush. Poor Loysa was screaming at the top of her lungs, her poor little behind a mass of ruby red welts.

“STOP THIS! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW! DO NOT TOUCH MY CHILD ANY FURTHER!” I screamed as loudly as I could master. I pushed her hard as I could, even though I weighed less than half she did, and she fell sprawling onto the floor. I then quickly picked up Loysa and held her carefully in my arms. “How dare you touch my child in anger? HOW DARE YOU?”

Rosa came sweeping in a minute or two later, followed by several of the guards. “Young woman! I only hired you because you were recommended to me by friends. It seems that they were very wrong about you. You are dismissed immediately! Guards, take this creature to her quarters and pack her things for her. Make sure that she doesn’t take anything that doesn’t belong to her. Then escort her off the estate. She no longer works here.”

“I am sorry, ma’am,” said the other maid, Vitha, “I was bathin’ little Jayzon here an’ Ruti was bathin’ Loysa. She started yellin’ at the poor little girl, things like, “Stop splashin’ me!” An’ “Stop pullin’ my hair!” The next thing I know, she’s started to whip her! I tried to stop her. I really did! But she just pushed me away. Your oldest girl comes runnin’ in and tries also. But she weren’t stoppin’ for nuthin’, she weren’t.”

“We understand, Vitha,” replied Rosa, “You are not to blame. Please get me some of the unguent from the medicine cabinet?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Vitha bobbed a small curtsey and then ran to get the unguent, bringing it back quickly.

Loysa had a tight grip on me and was crying as hard as ever. She was almost inconsolable.

“Come on, Sweeting, please? Let go a bit? Here is Tauntie Rosa. You like Tauntie Rosa. She has something to make you feel better. Please?”

But no persuasion worked, so we found a compromise. Rosa smeared the unguent on Loysa’s little bottom as I held her upright as possible. Then the two of them put a clean fresh diaper on her and placed some extra padding on the back, just in case. Rosa told the maid to change her every three hours, giving her more unguent every time.

I then walked over to the nursery rocking chair and rocked and soothed her and kissed her and sang to her. It took an hour for her to stop crying, but another hour for her to fall asleep, even though she was exhausted.

While I was there, Pahpey, several of the daughters-in-law, and Donal all looked in to see how things were going, but left again when I indicated that I was trying to get her to sleep. A few minutes after Loysa fell soundly asleep, having finally loosened her death grip on me, I finally managed to place her on her tummy in her crib. Rosa returned with a pretty young blonde girl [were there any brunettes in this family? I wondered], a couple of years younger that I was. “This is Nell, Brian’s youngest daughter. She has been married to Bayard conMiros, one of Piatrus’ finest ship captains, for two years now. He is off sailing to the Archipelagoes on a merchant trip and won’t be back for several months now. Poor Nell here is expecting their first child and hasn’t seen her man in months. She has been fretting herself with worry. So, we thought that it might do her some good to help out here. Help her keep her mind off things, you know. And I am sure that she will be grateful for the practice for when her little bundle comes. If you don’t mind, that is, Patra? This way, we can be more careful and screen our new maids much better. It will only be until we find someone more permanent.”

“Of course, Nell! Thank you! It will be a big relief to me to have you here!”

“Anything for family.”

“Thank you! So how far along are you?”

“Four months. Bay set sail before I knew. He doesn’t even know yet. He’s going to come home to find me as big as one of those whales that he is always talking about. But I think he’ll be pleased. He’s been talking about having babies practically since the day we were married.

“Now, Patra, please go off knowing that things are going to be in better hands. I am sure that Vitha and I can get things worked out fine. Go have yourself a good long bath. You are looking very tired, and it is not even noon yet!”

I let Rosa pull me away and take me to my room. There, Rosa ordered my personal maid, Mahli, to draw me a bath. Within minutes, I was luxuriating in the steaming warm water, every muscle relaxing. I felt weightless and floating. A few minutes later, Donal came walking into the bath room. “Hmmm…. That is how I like my women … naked and pregnant. You look so delicious …” It took a bit of effort by I did open my eyes long enough to watch Donal strip bare. He was already very excited when he entered the bath at the other end.

“Donal, we shouldn’t …”

“Shhh, Patra! Aunt Suthi told me about this position before we were married. She said it would be safe.”

“Aunt Suthi?”

”Yes, Uncle Farrell’s wife. She’s a mid-wife. She and her family have been mid-wives for many generations. She is training her daughters to be mid-wives also.”

“Yes, we have talked. I forgot.”

“So, just lay there and let me do all the work.”

I was already so relaxed that I didn’t want to move anyway. Donal kneeled in the tub before me, between my legs. He pulled me forward towards him and impaled me onto his lap. I went from entirely relaxed to aroused in very little time. He kissed me, caressed me and touched me all over. I was in ecstasy and never wanted to leave there. Taking me by my hips, he slightly lifted me up and down and turned my ecstasy over the edge. It was only then that he allowed himself his pleasure and soon we lay panting together in the warm bathwater.

“I don’t remember how long it has been, Donal, since we last …”

“Three months. I know that the times haven’t always been right for us. I have been trying to be patient and find the right moment. However, finding you here, floating like a goddess in your bath, I couldn’t think of a better time than now.”

After a few minutes of lazing together in the afterglow, Donal got up out of the tub. “There was actually another entire reason I came in here for, my little siren of the bathtub. Piatrus has invited some more consultants here for lunch. He wants to build a school in the compound, and a play area, and a child day care are for the children of the servants while they are working, for those children too young for school. He would like you there, if you feel up to it, to give your opinions.”

Mahli came into the room and they both helped me up. She dried me, dressed me and fixed my hair to a presentable style, while Donal quickly redressed.

Comments

[ahavah]

Well what on earth happened with the maid?

[mistresshuette.livejournal.com]

Sigh. I was hoping it was kind of obvious that the abused became the abuser, but in my haste to get through this part [it wasn't easy to write] I probably should have given more clues.

Of all of Patra's children currently born, Loysa is the most trying child. With the exception of Jayzon, who never met his father, the other four have been affected by their father's neglect and abuse. While they were rarely beaten by their father, they were enough to scare them spitless into being obedient children. They also noticed that when they were bad, Mommy was always beaten, so they tried hard to be obedient to protect her Loysa is a very natural child. Not bad, but occasionally willful. She got most of the spunk, while Patra got the passivity. That is how she managed to live through most of her life so far, but she is learning to be less passive, with each and every challenge.

The difficulty I am having is that I have to tell the story from Patra's viewpoint. Things that happen outside her knowledge, she is unaware of, unless she seeks out the information or someone tells her subsequently. In this incident, Rosa has hastily hired new nursery maids to help with a sudden influx of babies/toddlers. Patra didn't ask her to do this, but Rosa thought it would be a big help, especially since two more babies are on the horizon. Rosa made a mistake, and since this story is all about the rules of unintentional consequences [or has been for a while], the consequences are that 1) Rosa will be more thorough in her hiring practices, and 2) Piatrus will stop being the human dragon he was and start to evaluate his family's needs and start spending some of his enornous wealth to help secure them and protect them for the future.

[trystan830.livejournal.com]

i agree with ahavah - what was up with that one maid??

[mistresshuette.livejournal.com]

Sigh. I was hoping it was kind of obvious that the abused became the abuser, but in my haste to get through this part [it wasn't easy to write] I probably should have given more clues.

Of all of Patra's children currently born, Loysa is the most trying child. With the exception of Jayzon, who never met his father, the other four have been affected by their father's neglect and abuse. While they were rarely beaten by their father, they were enough to scare them spitless into being obedient children. They also noticed that when they were bad, Mommy was always beaten, so they tried hard to be obedient to protect her Loysa is a very natural child. Not bad, but occasionally willful. She got most of the spunk, while Patra got the passivity. That is how she managed to live through most of her life so far, but she is learning to be less passive, with each and every challenge.

The difficulty I am having is that I have to tell the story from Patra's viewpoint. Things that happen outside her knowledge, she is unaware of, unless she seeks out the information or someone tells her subsequently. In this incident, Rosa has hastily hired new nursery maids to help with a sudden influx of babies/toddlers. Patra didn't ask her to do this, but Rosa thought it would be a big help, especially since two more babies are on the horizon. Rosa made a mistake, and since this story is all about the rules of unintentional consequences [or has been for a while], the consequences are that 1) Rosa will be more thorough in her hiring practices, and 2) Piatrus will stop being the human dragon he was and start to evaluate his family's needs and start spending some of his enornous wealth to help secure them and protect them for the future.

[trystan830.livejournal.com]

I was hoping it was kind of obvious that the abused became the abuser, but in my haste to get through this part [it wasn't easy to write] I probably should have given more clues.
ahhh, i understand now....

and yes, i agree about the first-person POV dilemma - when the author knows more about the plot and backgrounds that her character does not.

[ahavah]

I don't know. Maybe I just read it differently. It wasn't about any of that. I grew up with abuse myself, so I kind of got why her children were so well behaved. I was more wishing the maid thing was gone into more detail. If her daughter had to run and get her, then they ran to the nursery, and the woman has the baby by the hair and is beating her with a brush the whole time? I just wanted to know what on earth Loysa did to set her off, and why she would possibly do that to a baby. Patra going to take a bath just kind of confused me, I think. It seemed like a pretty violent scene for her to just be fired and sent away.