Page 52 of Longing for Liberty
“Mrs. Fitzhugh!” I had nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. My face flushed as her eyes raked down my uniform to my bare legs and feet. Thank all that was holy that she couldn’t see the adornment her husband had put into my backside that morning. “He’s not here,” I rushed to say.
But she didn’t seem to hear my words. Her entire face, which was just as beautiful as on television, was twisted into a scowl.
“Where are your stockings and shoes?”
And my underwear. Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God.
“I…” What should I do? Throw Amos under the bus?
Mrs. Fitzhugh rushed forward, and it took all of my willpower not to back away or raise an arm in defense as she slapped me hard across the face and shouted again, “Where are your shoes and stockings?” The sound of thewhapreverberated in my ears as my cheek stung. But worst of all was the humiliation.
I hated that I cowered in that moment, but all of my guilt and horrible feelings welled up as I stood there. “I took them off, ma’am. I’m sorry.”
The penthouse door opened loudly, and Fitzhugh walked in, his eyes immediately searching and finding his wife. His face was stoic as if he expected to see her.
Jane Fitzhugh put a hand on her hip. “Two whore maids in a row, Amos? I walked in to find her prancing around half-naked! I’m going down there to speak to whoever is in charge!”
“There is no need.” He moved with aggressive strides to stand in front of her. “The new maid was limping around, and I allowed her to remove her shoes while she works if I’m not here.” He looked at me and cocked his head toward the bathroom. “Go make yourself presentable.”
“Yes, sir.” I rushed past them and scooped up my clothes, speed walking to the bathroom, but I could still hear their voices nearby as I pulled on my panties and stockings with unsteady hands. My cheek tingled with heat.
“What are you doing here? We agreed on this weekend.”
“That’s two days from now! I’m ovulatingtoday.”
“You’ll still be ovulating two days from now. Do you really expect me to drop my duties and come running when you text?”
“Well, you did, didn’t you?” She let out a cruel-sounding laugh. “And it’s a good thing, or I wouldn’t have known what was going on here.”
Amos sighed. “Nothing is going on here other than two people being interrupted from their work. Come back Saturday, as planned.”
I moved closer to the door to hear her voice as it lowered. “I am getting fucked today. If not by you, then?—”
“Do notfinish that sentence.” His voice lowered into something dangerous-sounding that raised the hair on my arms. “How dare you threaten me? You’re lucky I don’t have you in the stockade.”
“You would never put that stigma on your family name. Although women love a poor, sad man who’s been cuckolded.”
“Enough!” It sounded like his teeth were gritted. “Liberty!”
Oh, no.
I opened the door and practically wobbled out on shaky legs. I stood facing them with my head down, hands clasped in front of me.
“You hit her?” Amos said, apparently seeing my face.
“As is my right. Her name isLiberty?” Jane Fitzhugh said snidely under her breath.
But he ignored her, instead saying to me, “Take the rest of the day off.”
Shock went through me, and I looked up to see the same shock on his scoffing wife’s face. “Well, that’s hardly necessary?—”
“I swear to Moses, Jane,” he warned, his voice lowering to a menacing mutter. “Not another word.” He pointed down the hall where the bedroom was as he glared at her. Mrs. Fitzhugh’s eyebrows went up, and she gave him a triumphant grin as she sashayed away, unbuttoning her dress as she went.
My stomach dropped with a gross feeling. I shot a glance up at Amos, who met my eye with a fierce darkness and rigidly set jaw, whispering, “Go.”
I turned without looking back, my mind awash with everything I’d learned, and didn’t realize I was still wearing the plug until I was rushing down to the bus.
I wished I could say I went home and relaxed or did something productive, but after taking out the plug, washing it, and hiding it in my purse, my entire system shut down from shock. I lay in bed like a worthless lump for hours, tense with a headache, until it was nearly time for Jeremy to get home. I knew I had to pull myself together and try to hide the massive emotions I felt.
