by Bill MacWithey

Sam smiled at Allyson, as they walked into the dining room.  She had come right out and asked him if he and her mother were having an affair!  This was not your ordinary demure little lady, but a girl with a lot of guts!  Not to mention, being quite intuitive.  She surely had good insight in guessing that he was having an affair with her mother. 

When they were seated at the table Allyson said, "Father, Mister Lord asked if I would like to take a ride down to the beach after dinner.  It will be a chance for me to see if he is all the good horseman he's told me he is.  Would you have any objection?"

"I don't think so.  I'm sure Mister Lord is a perfect gentleman." 

He smiled at Sam, as Sam wondered what she had in mind.  She had said nothing to him about taking a ride after dinner, and it had taken him by complete surprise.  He could tell Cecily didn't like the idea, because she ate her dinner in complete silence.  When dinner was finished, they excused themselves and walked toward the horse barn. 

"We hadn't talked about going riding!"

"Do you not want to go?"

"Yes, of course, but you should have asked me ahead of time.  I feel I might have disclosed my surprise to your parents."

"Well, I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

She had a smug grin on her face, and Sam wondered what she meant by the remark.  When they entered the barn, Captain Jack was sniggering at a mare that was in heat, and his erection left no doubt about what he had in mind.

"Captain Jack is a very proud stallion, Sam."

He just made a sound of "Hmmph."

She stopped in the middle of the barn, turned to him and said, "I could not help but notice you are proud yourself."

He couldn't believe what his ears were hearing!

Reading the dismay on his face she said, "Come now, Sam, I’m not a child.  I know the difference between boys and girls, for pity's sake."

He still said nothing.  Sam was accustomed to women being forward with him, but he somehow hadn't expected it from Allyson.  He had assumed she was quite innocent, although, he wasn't really sure why he'd made this assumption. 

Now she surprised him even more when she said, "I think I noticed, because mother couldn't take her eyes off you at times."

"Allyson, you're making me uncomfortable with this kind of talk."

"Sam, I like being a lady, but I am also a woman.  If I embarrass you with the way I say things, it's because I have learned to be honest and not beat around the bush about the obvious.  And, I would think it quite obvious from the way you are built, you've had women falling all over you.  Why is this any different?  Why should I not want you, also?"  She stood in the middle of the barn, her legs slightly spread and her hands on her hips.

 Of course, he had no answer for her, and she said no more, as they saddled the horses.  Once again, his manhood started to show itself.  He had wanted so much to take this beautiful girl to bed, but he hadn't expected her to be so bold as to make the first move.  Sam thought about how strange it was that he would be embarrassed by Allyson’s remarks!  Perhaps it was because he was accustomed to a beautiful woman being more lady-like in their approach.

They said no more during the ride, and it was nearly dark, as they rode out onto the beach.  When they dismounted and tied the horses Allyson said, "I enjoy waking on the beach in the evening.  Let's walk a while." 

He started up the beach without answering, wondering why he felt disappointed by her bravado in telling him she wanted him, also.  Of course, what bothered him and, he realized it, was that he had looked forward to the challenge of getting her into bed, but she had beat him to the punch.  He smiled and thought, "Hell, what's the difference!  As long as I have her, what difference does it make if I take her or she gives herself to me."

He took her hand, as they walked.  The beach was rather wide here, and the huge swells rolling in from the Atlantic reached half-way to the tree line.  For some strange reason, he was glad it wasn't the same place he and Cecily had made love.  Sam was enchanted not only by the lady's beauty, but also by the beauty of the island.  "You know Allyson, it truly is beautiful here."

"Yes, I feel fortunate to have been born on Barbados.  I've seen pictures of many places around the world, but nothing any more beautiful than right here.  I'd like to go to Paris and London and such places one day, but I don't believe I could ever leave Barbados.  But, tell me, is living in London exciting?"

"Living anywhere is what you make of it."  If she only how exciting London was for him!  He had never had a dull moment there.  The only unhappy time he had in London was when he stood in the courtroom being told he was going to be sent away for two years!  "I guess it was exciting in London, but it became rather boring to me after a while.  You may not truly appreciate the paradise you have here, Allyson.  If you lived for a while in the gloominess of London, you would probably appreciate your home here even more.  It rains and is drizzly and foggy so much of the time.  Not to mention so many months of cold weather every year."

"Have you decided to stay here, Sam?"

He gazed out across the ocean as he answered, "I guess I have."

"Have you not gotten homesick for London?"

"Not really, except for missing my dear sister, Gwendolyn."

"Do you suppose it might be the company you've been keeping that has kept you from being homesick?" 

He didn't know just how she meant this.  She could be talking about herself, or she could be referring to his affair with her mother again. 

"Well?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"Sam!  Damned you!"  He was being coy with her, letting her lead the conversation.  "Sam, will you tell me the truth about something?"

"I'll certainly try."

"Did you leave a lady friend behind in London?"

He wanted to laugh.  "Dozens of lady friends, but no serious relationship."

"Then you didn't leave a lady with a broken heart behind?"