* * * *
At night, Ayaou started to help Robert take short walks. It was slow progress at first. By the middle of August, the pain left and his appetite returned. As the long days progressed, he resolved that whatever it took to keep Ayaou from Ward, he’d do it. If there was a way, he was determined to find it. Maybe they could flee to India, but how would he earn a living there? If he returned to Ireland, his parents would never understand a Chinese girl like Ayaou. Besides, Ayaou wouldn’t be able to adjust. She would be lost outside China. This was her country. It would be selfish to take her away from her people.
After one long, exhausting walk, he propped himself against the inside wall of the hut. Ayaou sat beside him. “Move closer so I can put my arm around you,” he said. “I like holding you. It reminds me of why I want to stay alive.”
She leaned over and fed sweet, pale-yellow pieces of baked yam into his mouth. He didn’t question how she got the yams. She must’ve stolen them from someone’s kitchen. After all, they couldn’t risk a fire, and they didn’t have money. What other way did she have to get cooked food?
She touched his hair. “I love your funny accent. You are everything an ordinary Chinese man thinks ugly—big nose, hairy body, and pink skin, but I can’t have enough of you. In China it’s stupid for a woman to dream, but I dared to dream of belonging to you. I wouldn’t mind being your foot warmer in the winter and a cool breeze for you in the summer.” She cast her eyes downward. “I miss my sister, Shao-mei. It was bad luck that she had to be sold to a man like Captain Patridge.”
Robert stiffened. He’d forgotten Shao-mei. He felt heat filling his face and knew it was turning red. Why couldn’t he hide such a response when he felt guilt or shame?
“Are you all right?” Ayaou asked, concern showing in her eyes.
“We have to leave for Shanghai,” he said.
“You’re not ready.”
“We have no choice. We must go.”
“What’s the hurry?”
“It’s for Shao-mei. I must speak with Captain Patridge.”
She shook her head. “My sister’s fate has already been decided with Lan’s. They belong to Captain Patridge now.”
“No, Shao-mei isn’t. Not anymore.”
Ayaou blinked. “What do you mean not anymore?”
“Stick that roll of cloth behind me, Ayaou.” She did as he requested. “I’m going to tell you a story.” He had no choice. He had to tell her about Shao-mei even if it meant losing her.
After she helped prop him up, he took a deep breath against the dread growing in his stomach and started. “After I failed in buying you from your father, I was crushed and fell into a depression. Captain Patridge wanted to cheer me up. He offered Shao-mei to me for the price he paid.”
“Did you accept?” Her voice was calm.
He couldn’t read her expression. It frightened him. For a moment, his tongue didn’t want to work. He glanced away from her not wanting to see any hurt in her eyes.
“So, you bought Shao-mei to replace me.” She stared at him. Her face stayed unreadable. Robert’s heart constricted with fear and felt as if it were attached to a heavy anchor that had just been dropped into the sea.
He grabbed her right hand and held it in both of his. “I offered three times as much for you. I was willing to pay your father more. However, you were already Ward’s property. I would never have accepted Captain Patridge’s offer if you had been available.”
“I understand,” she muttered. She took her hand back. Her eyes avoided his.
Robert thought she was collapsing and was desperate to pull her back. He didn’t want to lose her. “I have not had Shao-mei,” he said. “You are thinking I did.”
With tears rolling down her cheeks, she said, “Look what you’ve done to me. You’ve spoiled me with pleasure to have me discover that I don’t deserve it.”
“Ayaou, Ayaou…” He found himself unable to respond.
“I lied to Ward about my monthly cycle,” she said. “And then you were there at the house asking for me. I couldn’t believe it. I thought you were planning to steal me away from him.”
“Are you telling me that Ward hasn’t touched you yet?” he asked, feeling thrilled that no other man had been with her but him. As quickly as the words left his mouth, he felt terrible. He had always hated people who lived a double standard. It wasn’t right to have such thoughts. Hadn’t he been with many women? Hadn’t he had syphilis? Not that he wanted her to contract a disease from having intercourse with other men. That wasn’t what he meant. If Ward had already used her, Robert would still have forced himself to make every effort to take her away from that monster. If he could’ve stuffed his spoken words back onto his mouth, he would have.
“Not yet,” she said. “But he’ll soon learn that I’ve already been kai-bao, peeled like a corncob. He’ll toss me to his men. He’ll demand his money back from my father. He’ll beat me to death himself.” She moved a few inches away from Robert. Her eyes glowed like a cat’s at night. “I am not sorry. I could’ve lived and died like a hen. I’m glad that you have Shao-mei.”
“Shao-mei now has a chance to avoid life with Captain Patridge,” Robert said, grasping at slippery strands of straw.
“Yes.” She turned to him. “Keep her. She’ll be good for you. I’m happy for Shao-mei. Fate will tear us apart, because Ward will not let me go. He is a powerful man. How can anyone stand alone against him?”
“I’ll hide you from him.” His thoughts were stubborn and unyielding. Robert knew he’d do anything to keep her.
“That will not work,” Ayaou said. “Once Ward knows you are alive, he will send someone to ask for me.”
“I’ll handle that when the time comes. Right now I’m concerned about Shao-mei. If Captain Patridge thinks I’m dead, he will take her back.” He had doubts about handling Ward, but he wasn’t going to let her know that he was worried.
She looked at Robert with gentle eyes. “You care about my sister?”
“Why not? Unless you have a problem.”
“No, you don’t understand. My sister and I are like an arm and a foot of the same body. When sisters are sold or married off, they seldom see each other again. It is common for a man in China to take sisters of the same family to be his wives or concubines. If you …”
“No, Ayaou, you do not understand. We will save Shao-mei and find her a good man to marry.” Her words gave him hope. He didn’t want to lose her. If he didn’t succeed, he’d tear his tongue out.
“No man is going to be more decent than you, Robert,” she said. “Shao-mei is a prize. She is more beautiful than I am. All my relatives wanted to adopt her.” Ayaou put her hand over Robert’s mouth to prevent him from arguing. “If I am your happiness, by having her you will achieve double happiness.”
“Ayaou, you are thinking crazy.”
Ayaou got down on her knees. “Robert, if you love me the way you say you do, take my sister as proof. I want her to belong to you.”
“I don’t want Shao-mei as my concubine.”
“But you aren’t going to give her back to Captain Patridge are you?”
“No!”
“I can’t give you enough, Robert,” she said, pressing her lips to his, which aroused him to the bursting point. She gently pushed him down, pulled his trousers off, stripped, straddled him and took his erection inside her. She stretched her arms above her head pulling all the muscles in her body taut and remained still as if to preserve the moment. The sight of her naked body in that pose excited him. His hungry hands reached for her breasts.
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