Love Wild and Fair

hidden till his lordship returns!'

'But Susan,' protested the girl, 'ye must hide wi me!'

'I must stay by my lady Cat, lassie.' Susan gently covered her younger sister with the linens and closed the chest firmly down.

Cat looked at her tiring woman. 'They'll rape ye, Susan. I wiE nae be able to stop them.'

Susan looked levelly back at her mistress. 'I’m nae a virgin, my lady, but May is, and it would surely kill her. Besides, ye'll need me.'

There was no more time for talk. The bedroom door splintered under a strong shoulder and burst open, revealing close to a dozen men. Unable to control their terror, the two women screamed, clinging to each other in fright. A huge figure of a man came through the door. He examined them briefly, then said to Cat in guttural Italian, 'What is your name, little girl?'

'I am the Contessa di Bothwell,' said Cat, amazed to find that she still had a voice.

'And the other?'

'My tiring woman, Susan,' she answered him, beginning to shake.

'Don't be frightened, little girl,' said the giant. 'I am Captain Khair-ad-Din of Sultan Mohammed's imperial navy. I have orders to transport you to the harem of our grand vizier, Cicalazade Pasha. Neither I nor my men will harm you.'

Cat's eyes grew wide with a mixture of fury and fear. 'No!' she shouted. It was too much. Three years separation from Francis! A wild flight from Scotland, and James Stewart. Then, at last-happiness. Now it was to be snatched away from her! 'Nooooo!' she screamed. 'No! Noooooo!' And as the giant stepped forward to reach for her, she paled and collapsed onto the rugs.

Khair-ad-Din nodded to one of his men, who picked Cat up carefully and started out the doorway with her. Susan needed no encouragement to follow, but her own heart almost stopped when one of the men asked the captain in Italian, 'Shall we fire the house?' Khair-ad-Din snorted. 'And let the entire district know we're here?' he snapped. 'No, fool!'

As they crossed the garden Susan was glad that Cat had fainted. The women servants lay naked, their throats cut, their limbs twisted grotesquely. Three of the maids had the bloody stain of their lost virginity on their bruised thighs, and Susan silently thanked God that May had not had to suffer this cruelty. That her turn was coming she had no doubt. She was afraid, for she had lied to Cat, and was as virgin as the day she was born.

As they helped her into the little boat that would take them to the great ship anchored off their beach, the men's hands were all over her. They laughed as she angrily slapped them away. They spoke their ribald comments in Italian so she would understand them. Susan gritted her teeth and reminded herself that she was Susan More- Leslie of Glenkirk, and not to be terrorized by a bunch of ragtag foreigners.

Her fears lessened somewhat when she and Cat were put into a comfortable cabin. The sailor who had carried Cat lay her carefully upon the bunk and left the room. The lock turned in the door. Looking around, Susan found a pitcher of water, a silver ewer, and a soft linen cloth. Susan poured some of the water into the basin, wrung the cloth out in it, and lay the compress upon her mistress' head. She rubbed the slender wrists, peering worriedly into Cat's still, white face.

The door behind her opened, and Khair-ad-Din entered the cabin. 'How is the little girl?' he asked kindly.

'Still unconscious, and no thanks to you!' snapped Susan. 'You frightened her half to death telling her she was being put in a harem. Whatever the ransom for us, Lord Bothwell will pay it.'

'There is no ransom. I have orders to convey this woman to the harem of our grand vizier, Cicalazade Pasha. She is a gift to him from his sister.'

Susan looked puzzled. 'His sister? Who is this sister, and what right has she to give my mistress to her brother? My mistress is a freebom noblewoman, and a cousin to the King of Scotland!'

'The vizier's sister is the Contessa di LiCosa,' said Khair-ad-Din.

Susan was astounded. 'That bitch? By God, I’ll kill her myself when I get my hands on her, the jealous whore!'

A great rumble of laughter burst from Khair-ad-Din. 'My very thoughts on the woman, little girL But tell me, why does she hate your lady so?'

'Because,' said Susan angrily, 'the Contessa di LiCosa covets my lady's husband, and he will have nothing to do with the witch.'

The captain nodded. Sensing sympathy, Susan said quickly, 'Oh, please sir! My lord and lady are rich beyond measure. Return us, and they will reward ye a hundred times more than ye ask!'

'I wish I could, little girl, for I do not like being part of a woman's war. But alas, I cannot. The man to whom I take your mistress stands high in the sultan's favor. If he learned that I had disobeyed his sister-and he would -I should be flayed alive! I am truly sorry, little girl. You and your beautiful mistress must accept your fates. It will not be so bad. Cicalazade Pasha is good to his women.'

Susan was desperate. She could hear the creak of the ship as it prepared to get under way. ^MOh sir, you do not understand. My lady and her husband are but newly married after many years of separation. She will surely die without him. And when he finds her gone he will tear the earth apart to get her back.'

'That is not my problem, little girl. I must get you safely to Istanbul. Your mistress will not die, for I can see she is of stronger stuff than that Look at her now. She is no longer unconscious, but merely sleeps.'

Susan knelt at Cat's side and saw that the captain spoke the truth. Cat's breathing was regular and even, and the color was back in her cheeks. 'Thank God,' breathed Susan. Khair-ad-Din left the cabin, locking it behind him.

Susan sat by the sleeping woman all day. Cat did not awaken, and Susan knew it was because she was still in shock. That evening Khair-ad-Din returned to the cabin, and his large hand fell on Susan's shoulder. 'Now, little girl, the time has come for you to entertain my officers.'

Susan stood up, her face white with fright 'Please,' she pleaded with Khair-ad-Din.

'I might have let you be taken by my crew in the same way as those girls at the villa were taken,' he said quietly. 'But because you are her servant I saved you for my officers. They will not hurt you, little girl. There are only three of them.' Opening the cabin door leading to the officer's common room, he gently but firmly, pushed her through and closed the door behind her.

Susan stood frozen, praying that if she didn't move the men would not notice her. The three sat across the room around a low table, drinking coffee and talking. Then one looked up and called, 'Why here's the wench! Come here, girl!' She shrank back against the door, her heart hammering wildly as the man stood up and came towards her. He was tall and swarthy, with dark hair and eyes, even white teeth, and a well-barbered black beard. He pulled her away from the door and into the light. Susan cried out, and the man's eyes softened. 'Don't be shy, girl. We want to be friends-don't we, lads?' The two other men grinned at Susan, and she shivered.

'My name is Hussein, and I am Khair-ad-Din's first officer,, The fellow with the bushy beard is Abdul, the second officer, and the beardless youth is Ibrahim, our navigator. Here, you two savages,' he berated his companions, 'give the wench some coffee. She looks cold and frightened.'

Sitting back on the cushions, he pulled Susan down onto his lap. Ripping the front of her nightgown to the hem, he began fondling her breasts. Hussein laughed indulgently when she screamed. 'Come on, little girL don't be foolish. You know why you're here. Whether you cooperate or not the results will be the same. You're going to be fucked. It won't be so bad. You could be one of those poor creatures back at the villa who serviced the crew. We won't hurt you. We just want a bit of loving.'

The tears spilled down her cheeks. 'Please,'' she sobbed, 'oh, please don't I am so afraid. I-I-I've never-'

'By Allah,' said Hussein, 'I think we've got us a virgin!' He tipped her face up to his. 'Are you a virgin, little girl?' Wordlessly she nodded. 'Get the dice, Ibrahim,' commanded the first officer. 'We always dice to see who has the first taste when we have a virgin,' he explained matter-of-factly to Susan, 'Stand still, girl.'

She obeyed, terrified. He towered above her for a moment and then bent and tore the rest of her garment from her, the thin material of her nightgown shredding as she fought to hold onto it. He laughed at her efforts and patted her bottom. Outraged, she rallied and slapped at him, then gasped with shock as he squeezed one of her breasts. 'There she is, gentlemen, and as pretty a piece as I've seen in a long time. Clean… sweet as honey with breasts like summer melons!'

For a moment the three men gazed hungrily at the girL Then Abdul growled, 'Come on! Make your toss! I'm so