14 comments/ 23433 views/ 4 favorites Wanted: Young Man with Red Hair By: CAP811 Into the most mundane of lives can come unexpected adventures, offering no clue as to how they will play out. Consider the case of young Adam Wylie. On that warm May afternoon in 1887, he rested, at peace with the world, on the front porch of his Aunt Sophie's farmhouse where he had lived most of his life. A cabriolet, with a plume of dust trailing behind, appeared in the distance and approached the house. Adam could see that it was drawn by a bay horse and was carrying two men. Must be drummers, he thought idly. But they were coming not to offer goods; rather, the most remarkable experience of his life. The carriage pulled into a space beside Aunt Sophie's white picket fence. The two men got out, opened the gate, and came up the flagstone walkway. His aunt's black terrier barked furiously at the intruders from the safety of the porch. The man in the lead, who sported a white handlebar moustache, removed a derby hat. In a no-nonsense voice he said, "Do I have the pleasure of addressing Mr. Adam Wylie?" "That's me. Come up and have a seat." The two men mounted the porch, the older one saying, "My card, sir." As he handed the young man his card, he went on, "I am William Davis, Attorney at Law over in Bardstown. This is Mr. George Kenton, a photographer and my assistant for today." Adam rose and shook hands with each, saying, "Pleased t' meet you fellows." Aunt Sophie appeared at the front door, wiping her hands on a dish towel. Both men gave her a polite bow as she came onto the porch. Adam then introduced them to the woman. Aunt Sophie was in her mid forties, her rich mane of russet hair tinged with gray. She gave each man a nod, saying, "Well now, what in the world brings you gents out this a' way?" Davis took a seat in a cane chair, saying, "Our business is with Mr. Wylie here. I have been retained by a client who is looking for a young man, unmarried, with red hair. To use the specific terms in the request, bright red hair, preferably curly, with a light spray of freckles as well." "My secretary Gleason saw Mr. Wylie, who of course fits that description, in Bardstown several days ago. He made inquiries, learned where you live, and suggested we contact you." "Red hair?" said Aunt Sophie. "Why is your client lookin' for a red-headed fellow?" "I have no earthly idea. I am only instructed to obtain personal data on a young man who matches that description, and to provide photographs. If you are agreeable, Mr. Wylie, I will pay you a half-eagle for a short interview and a few photographs. Fair enough?" "Well, sure," said the young man. Five dollars was two days wages for a laborer; it seemed the best of luck to earn that amount in far less time. He could not have known to what it would lead. Mr. Davis withdrew a notepad from his briefcase, took out a pen, and then put on a pair of bifocals, saying, "Let us begin." He looked at the young man. "Well, sir, you do have a fine head of red hair. Hmm, hazel eyes, I would say, about six feet tall." He scribbled in the notepad, then continued. "Are you sound of health? No debilitating diseases?" "Reckon not. Able to put out two acres of good Kentucky burley tobacco down yonder." The visitors glanced down to a field near a creek. Emerald green tobacco, knee-high at this time of year, gleamed in the sunlight. Turning to Aunt Sophie, the older man went on, "He doesn't appear slow-witted. Does he have a quick mind? And what of his education?" "Oh, he's smart in what counts. He quit school as soon as he could do farm work. Let's see, how far did you get, Adam?" "Sixth grade." "But he can read and write, and studies the Bible. Law, you should hear him recite the Psalms! Knows several by heart, don't you dear?" "Yes Ma'm." "So, you would say he has moral character? Doesn't engage in idle talk and gossip? Also, is he good-natured? Given to fits or violent displays of temper?" "No, no, just a regular fellow. I tried to raise him good after his folks died in that awful cholera epidemic when he was a little tot. Say again, what's this all about? Who is your client?" "My client desires to remain anonymous, madam. Now that I have information on the young man, perhaps we may take those photographs that were requested. Mr. Kenton has even purchased a new-fangled camera .. what did you call it, George?" "A Lancaster Instantograph, sir," replied the younger man, pleased that he owned the latest in photographic technology. A few moments later, Adam stood before the clapboard house, his straw hat beside him, as Mr. Kenton set up the bulky wooden camera on a tripod and took half a dozen exposures. The men shortly after returned to their cabriolet and departed. The young man and his aunt stood on the porch, watching as the carriage disappeared in the distance. "Well now," declared Aunt Sophie, "if that don't beat the Dutch. What on earth do you reckon they were up to?" Tossing his half-eagle into the air, Adam replied casually, "Can't imagine. All I know is I got some spendin' money out of it. I doubt we'll ever see 'em again." Unaware that a chain of events had now been set into motion, the young man went on with his farm life routine. Three weeks later, Mr. Davis once again pulled up to the farmhouse just before noon, this time alone. After the perfunctory greetings and small talk, he settled into the cane chair and got down to business. "Well, young Wylie," he began, "it seems you have piqued the interest of my client. That person desires you to travel to New York City. I am told that you may be there for up to a month or longer. Again, are you agreeable?" "Heck no," Adam replied. "Not until I find out what this is all about. B'sides, I got a tobacco crop to tend, a Jersey cow to milk twice a day, and all my other chores. I can't leave Aunt Sophie a'tall." "Your loyalty is commendable. However, I have already engaged one of your neighbors, a Levi Rayfield, to assist your aunt full time while you are gone. I have also purchased for you a one way ticket to New York on the New York Central Railroad. You will receive ten dollars for each day you are away from home. I am authorized to advance you the sum of $100 now. The remainder will be paid when you return." Adam gazed in astonishment at the lawyer, who returned his look impassively. Finally the young man spoke in a low voice. "Look here, just what are you up to? I don't want no part of nothin' shady, hear? Now spill it, sir." In an even tone the man replied, "I am giving you all the information that has been offered me. But I have corresponded with a colleague in New York who assures me that the lawyer handling the request on that end has an impeccable reputation." He gazed off into the distance, then went on, "I will tell you, Mr. Wylie, my impression. Namely, that your presence in New York is a matter of great interest to some very important people." "I have the feeling that they are people who travel in the highest circles; whose lives are as different from yours and mine as that of royalty. I cannot imagine why they would be interested in a country bumpkin like you. Yet they are, and seem quite insistent that you heed their call. I strongly advise you to do so." "Nope. I reckon I'll stay here where I belong." "As you wish. May I leave the train ticket and this check with you for two days? Perhaps on further reflection you will change your mind. I will come back one last time on Thursday to retrieve what I have proffered. However, if you feel up to what just might be a most singular experience, I myself will carry you up to Louisville to begin your journey." "Don't count on it. But mebbe I will think it over." Adam did so. The ordinary train ticket soon took on a fascination. Up to now, the young man's universe had been a tobacco farm in a quiet corner of the world. New York City seemed a mythical place to him, scarcely more real than the fabled cities of Cibola. The little cardboard ticket proved that it truly existed. Someone there knew of him; awaited his arrival. In every young man lies a restiveness; a desire to know what is over the horizon. Why do they want me to come to New York, he asked himself. Who are they? It was a refrain that would not leave his head. With each passing hour the ticket beckoned to him. It promised a faraway adventure, one that would unfold if Adam had the audacity to take one step and then another. There was only one way to solve the mystery: to go to New York. When Mr. Davis returned in his cabriolet two days later, Adam was waiting in his Sunday suit, a straw boater hat atop his head. He held a small traveling valise in his hand. The lawyer gazed at him, a half smile on his lips. "I assume you will be using that rail ticket after all, Mr. Wylie. Say goodbye to your aunt and let us be off. It will take a while to reach the train station." Adam affectionately kissed his aunt goodbye, who shed a few tears for good measure. He mounted the cabriolet beside the lawyer and was then rolling down the lane away from home. He glanced back at Aunt Sophie, who stood waving to them from the porch. What awaits me in New York? he wondered. What am I getting into? ******* On a rainy morning two days later, Adam Wylie's Pullman car arrived at Grand Central Depot in Manhattan. Thoroughly bewildered by the mob of people and the cacophony of noise, he got off the train, valise in hand. He remained on the platform, at a loss as to what to do. After a moment a man in a top hat approached and stood looking at him without saying anything. Then he shook his head, saying, "Remarkable. Quite amazing. You are surely Mr. Adam Wylie, of Bardstown, Kentucky." "I am, sir. And you?" The man was well dressed in a dark overcoat, waterfall tie, and satin vest. He seemed late middle aged, with a trim moustache and dark hair just now turning white. "Call me Norris. Please step this way." Adam followed the man into the station. He drew Adam to an out-of-the way corner and began to speak. "We cannot have you looking the hayseed you are, Mr. Wylie. In this envelope is one hundred dollars cash. You will leave the station and go by hansom cab to the Algonquin Hotel, where you will take a room. Then go to Wilby's clothier nearby and request that he outfit you in proper gentleman's attire. Do you understand?" "Yes sir. Aren't you comin' with me?" "Certainly not. Now, heed what I say. Tonight you will dress in your new clothing and take a cab to Delmonico's restaurant, arriving promptly at eight. You will stand with the maitre d' for a moment making small talk, then request a table on the right side of the dining room. Take whatever repast you choose. When you have finished, return to your hotel and await further instructions. Are we clear?" "No, I don't understand any of this! Who are you? What kind of game are you playin'?" "A very serious game, sir!" Norris replied with some heat. "One that requires your strict obedience with no questions asked. Who I am is of no concern to you. If you cannot follow my orders to the letter, I advise you to get back on the train." "Mebbe I just will!" "Your choice, young man." Adam, however, had come too far to back out now. Taking a deep breath, he took the envelope of money that Norris offered. The older man turned and quickly disappeared into the bustling crowd. At eight that evening, Adam entered Delmonico's restaurant, slack-jawed in amazement at the plush surroundings; at the clientele bedecked in the latest fashions. Adam himself had been transformed. Beneath his outer gray frock coat could be seen a dark green waistcoat. For the first time in his life he was wearing a white shirt, with a high collar and a navy blue bow tie. He removed his new top hat and gazed around the room. Upon the maitre d's polite, "Yes sir?" Adam murmured, "Not just yet, fellow." After a few seconds, he indicated his table as Norris had instructed. Shortly afterward he read the menu, again astonished. Turning to the waiter, he said, "You serve terrapins? And charge folks two bucks fifty!" "Quite, sir." "I swear, nobody's goin' to believe this back home. Guess I'll have the passenger pigeon with peas for a dollar. Pretty steep if you ask me!" "Any other vegetables, sir?" the waiter asked in an even voice. Adam shook his head. "Twenty cents for new potatoes. I never! Bring me that too. Folks must have to be millionaires to eat here!" "Yes sir. Some in fact are," the waiter replied. Adam took his dinner alone. He waited in vain for someone to approach him or strike up a conversation. Although several young ladies cast admiring glances, no one came to his table. He returned to the Algonquin more perplexed than ever. As he crossed the lobby, one of the desk clerks called out his name. Adam went to the man and was handed a telegram. Opening it, he read the message: 'At eleven thirty tonight take a hansom cab to 33 Willow Place in Brooklyn Heights Stop Walk up the alley to the servant's entrance Stop Knock twice and wait Stop. Norris' With no small degree of apprehension, Adam did as ordered. After a long ride through the shadowy deserted streets of Manhattan, across the new Brooklyn Bridge, thence south to Brooklyn Heights, Adam arrived at his destination just before midnight. He paid the hansom cab driver and walked up a narrow lane beside 33 Willow. The house itself was dark and silent. He rapped on the servant's door. At once Norris opened it and motioned for him to come in. "Follow me," he said curtly. The two men, guided only by light from a small lantern held by Norris, proceeded down a hallway, then upstairs to the next floor. They entered a well-lit bathroom. Norris pointed to a claw-foot tub that was half filled with steaming water. "Undress and wash yourself thoroughly. Then put on the slippers, and the underdrawers and robe hanging behind the door. Knock on the door when you are ready." Adam threw up his hands in frustration. "Norris, what the devil is going on? None of this makes a lick of sense! Whose idea is it? Are they plumb crazy!" Norris gazed at him impassively. "I can only tell you, sir, that everything is going quite according to plan. Now, do as you have been told." Fifteen minutes later Adam had bathed and was dressed in slippers and the elegant blue velvet robe. Upon his knock, Norris opened the door and looked him over, murmuring, "Good. Come with me." Again with only the lamp for illumination, the two men proceeded to the top floor of the house. By now Adam was quite on edge from events that seemed to grow more bizarre with each turn. Yet where he was nervous, Norris was calm; where he was mystified, the older man was poised. They stopped before a room halfway down the hall. Gesturing to it, Norris began to speak in a low voice. "Now listen carefully. When you enter this room, you will see that all curtains have been tightly drawn, and must remain so. A candle will be burning at the bedside. You will approach and allow the lady in the bed to look at you. She will then blow out the candle, and you will remove all clothing. Then of course enter the bed." Adam was incredulous, unsure if he had heard correctly. "Get in bed? Why? What am I supposed to do?" "You cannot guess?" Adam gave him a puzzled look. Norris sighed in exasperation. "You are a healthy young man, are you not? And handsome enough. Surely you have enjoyed the feminine pleasures of a few comely young wenches back in Kentucky." "You mean ..?" "Of course, you ninny. What do you think I'm talking about?" "Well, I ain't never done that. I've kissed and hugged some purty girls at dances, but if you're talkin' about what I think you are, then I ain't." "Oh for heaven's sake!" the older man muttered in vexation. "A boy to do a man's job!" With a wry chuckle, Norris said, "The one question no one thought to ask!" He shook his head, his white hair gleaming in the faint light from the lantern. "We will have to trust that your manly instincts will guide you, lad. If you cannot figure it out, you are an even bigger fool than you seem." Norris paused, then said, "I will only tell you, Mr. Wylie, that there are men in this city who would give half their fortune to be in your slippers tonight. To have what awaits you on the other side of this door." "Then why not one of them? Why'd you bring me here and go to all this trouble?" Norris sighed again. "Just go, my boy. Be gentle yet manly. Enjoy the treasure now being offered you." Realizing that the conversation was over, Adam turned and opened the heavy door, entering a bedchamber that was far more spacious and elegant than any he had ever seen. One candle illuminated a wide brass bed; in it lay a figure hidden by bedcovers. In the dim golden light, Adam could see no more than a mass of light brown curls on the pillow. His heart now beating fast, the young man approached the bed. The woman rose up; she was wearing a black veil that entirely hid her face. Below that was a low-cut silk gown with the outline of an ample bosom. Adam sensed that however nervous he was, the woman was in fact terrified. She looked at Adam for a few seconds, then quickly leaned across the bed and blew out the candle. Now the room was utterly dark and silent. The young man undressed and slid into the bed. As he did so, he heard the woman removing the veil from her face. When his legs touched the woman, she gave a faint, "Oh my!" Adam hesitated, then said, "Ma'm ..?" "Please!" came a voice in the darkness. "I beg you, say nothing!" The young man waited, feeling as if he had entered some dream world. He could now perceive the woman's fragrance, sweet and feminine. It drew him to her. He leaned forward, unsure where she was. When his lips by chance met her neck, he began to gently kiss her there. After a moment he moved to her cheek and continued to plant soft kisses. The woman lay with her head on the pillow, accepting this affection even as she was breathing hard and trembling like a leaf. Now and then she gave a low whimper. Adam moved his right hand under the bedcover and onto the woman's body. It came to rest on something soft and firm beneath her gown that could only be her breast. The woman gasped but did nothing to discourage Adam when he began to caress her bosom. The gown that the woman was wearing was sleek and thin, unlike anything he had ever touched. Her breast was likewise a mystery. Adam had never touched a woman's body; had never realized how warm and supple that part of her could feel. Continuing to gently fondle her bosom, Adam leaned down and placed his lips on her upper chest, kissing the smooth perfumed flesh there. Again from the darkness came a sigh, a faint "Ah!" Adam moved his hand down the woman's torso to her mound of Venus; she offered no resistance. Now at last the virgin understood: no part of her body would be denied him. Unlike all his previous experiences with women, tonight would see no coquettish flirting followed by a chaste rebuff. There were pressing matters at hand; an assignment to be carried out, as it were. Adam paused; he felt the woman's hand on his neck, then her lips on his cheek. Now the young man and woman embraced, exchanging kisses that became more passionate. Yet even then they could not join their lips together. Adam finally sensed that he should mount the woman. He did so, still unsure of how to achieve his ultimate goal. She spread her thighs in welcome and pulled up her gown above her waist. The tip of his manhood rested against her sex, but the virgin needed guidance. The woman, with yet another quiet moan, took his stiff cock in her hand. She gently drew it forward. Now it was Adam's turn to gasp as he realized that the sensation of heat and wetness on his cock head came from the woman's body. Gaining some purchase with his knees, he made a tentative thrust and discovered that the further his manhood sank into this mysterious velvet sheath, the more delightful it felt. Wanted: Young Man with Red Hair Amid his own faint gasps of shock and the woman's quiet cries of, "Oh, easy, be gentle!" he buried his cock to the hilt. It was a stunning revelation. Never had he imagined that a woman's body could yield the sensations, the ecstasy, which now coursed through him. Adam marveled at the feel of satiny flesh now tightly enclosing his manhood; then, as if on instinct, he withdrew. Now he understood that the greatest pleasure would arise from gliding his cock back and forth in her slick warm cleft. I never knew, he thought, filled with elation. Who would have guessed? He realized that he could, again and again, plunge himself into the woman's secret sheath, and that each thrust would be no less delightful than the first. Soon the woman began to move in rhythm with him, rising up with her hips to welcome his cock. Her entreaties of, "Easy, easy, gentle," caused him to slow. Some instinct told Adam that he must be considerate of the woman even as his own carnal urges became more powerful. With their bodies growing ever warmer, the young man could not resist moving his lips to the woman's and planting them firmly against hers. She at first recoiled, then returned his kiss with only one faint moan. At last he knew the delectable taste of this creature. It was pinnacle of intimacy as they embraced each other passionately. Now was revealed in full the pleasures that a man and a woman may give each other. Adam's senses were overwhelmed as he tasted her kisses; felt her smooth supple body against his; savored the thrill of his manhood buried in her delicious warmth. Only when the tingles of electricity suddenly became bolts of lightning that shot though his body, eliciting more gasps of astonishment, did Adam give in to his base instincts and thrust into the woman with animal abandon. She gamely held on, murmuring, "Oh, easy!" as he felt a great flood of semen gush from him. Afterwards came more soft kisses, his manhood still nestled in its snug haven. The air was now tangy and heavy with perfume and sweat and musk. The scent and feel of her body, the relaxed tingling in his cock, all merged into one wonderful sensation for the young man. The woman in turn held him loosely, breathing deeply but saying nothing. Finally Adam broke the silence. "Ma'm?" "Yes?" "Who are you?" "You may call me Sarah." "Is that really your name?" "No. But I've always liked it. If I could have chosen my name, it would be Sarah." "Can you tell me why I was brought here? I can't make any sense of it." "No. You have been told all you need to know." She paused, then went on hesitantly in a lower voice. "I was so, so frightened, but now I find it not so awful as I imagined. You are a sweet young man." "Can I ask how old you are?" "I will not see twenty-five again; but I have yet to reach the age of thirty-five." "I don't feel a ring on your hand. Are you single, or maybe a widow?" "My marital status is of no concern to you." "Should I go now?" "No," the woman said quickly. "Let us see what happens if we just lie here quietly in each other's arms." Lying quietly in each other's arms soon led to more kisses which became warm and then passionate. That in turn led to Adam mounting the woman a second time and a mutual realization that ecstasy no less than the first time awaited them. Just as Adam once again reached climax and filled the woman with his semen, she embraced him in an iron grip, crying, "Oh my word!" Now came quick thrusts with her hips and torso as she drew the young man's cock into the very depths of her, without restraint and in no way modest or ladylike. For long moments it was Adam's turn to hold on as he thrust in unison with Sarah, who writhed quite out of control, using his manhood for her own carnal pleasure. Once again came deep moans and sighs from her, this time not out of fear, but very different emotions. Her ecstasy rose and fell until finally she released him, gasping for breath between faint cries of "Good gracious!" and, "Oh that was so nice!" In the afterglow, between gentle kisses, Adam said, "What just happened to you?" There was a pause; from the darkness came the woman's voice. "You don't know?" "Not really. Seemed like you were enjoyin' it a whole lot. Can women enjoy it too?" He heard a chuckle. "You are a wonder, young man," she said. "How can you know nothing about a woman and yet have such an instinct for pleasing her?" "Is that why I was brought here? You don't seem that hard to please. Can't nobody in New York do it?" The room was silent for long seconds. Adam felt the woman grasp his arm and squeeze tightly. "Listen to me," came her voice, "say nothing to Norris about whether or not it pleased me. If he inquires, tell him only that I accepted you dutifully. What happened here must remain within these walls. Promise me!" "Yes Ma'm, I promise. But why can't I see you? Why all this secrecy?" After a space of silence the woman said, "Did you enjoy being with me? Would you like to do so again?" "Heck yes! I never knew a man 'n a woman could have so much fun together!" "You may be with me again, but only so long as you agree to never ask questions. Not tonight, not ever. That is my bargain. Will you consent?" "I guess so." "Then go." Adam rose up slightly, then impulsively sought in the darkness the woman's lips one last time. To his surprise she held him with warm affection, yet again moaning as they shared a long kiss goodbye. Then the young man was up and putting on his garments. He paused; no sound came from the bed. Norris was waiting in the hallway, as if he had never left. "Well," he said gruffly, "I trust you did your duty in a way that would make us males proud." "I believe so." The older man led the way as they returned to the bathroom where Adam's clothes awaited. After he had dressed, they walked to the servant's entrance. Norris then paused, saying, "Return to your hotel and await my next communication. Use your free time as you choose. There are many grand sights here in the city to keep a rustic like you amused." He then took Adam's shoulder. "But sir, make no attempt to return to this house or to inquire who lives here. I will tell you now that trained men may be following your movements. You will not be allowed to come near this place except when bade to do so. Are we clear on that?" "I reckon." He turned to leave, then stopped. "Norris, tell me something. The lady up there in the bed. Was she at Delmonico's earlier tonight?" The older man hesitated, then said, "Yes, she was there. She had to see you." "Is she beautiful, Norris? As beautiful as I imagine her?" Now for the first time the man's eyes grew warm. "She is truly exquisite. Every bit as lovely as you envision. My boy, you must know what an honor you have been given, to lie with such a woman as she." ******* Adam spent the next day resting and walking the streets near the Algonquin. He entered Bryant Park from 6th Avenue and sat on a bench, gazing at the women who passed by. Most were decked out in ankle-length silk dresses and ornate bonnets. Now the young man viewed them through experienced eyes. Each of these creatures has delights I never dreamed of, he mused. Each can give a man the pleasure I took last night. It seemed too good to be true. Yet his thoughts always returned to what had happened in Sarah's bed. He relived every moment, every sensation. With each passing hour he felt a keen desire to return to that bed. On the following day, another telegram was waiting as he came down to the hotel dining room for breakfast. In it was the message he had hoped for. That night the ritual of taking a hansom cab to Brooklyn Heights, of bathing and being led to the woman's bedchamber by Norris, was played out as before. This time no candle burned when he entered. The room was silent; as black as the deepest cave. Adam undressed beside the bed, then whispered, "Sarah?" "Yes?" came her reply. He entered the bed's warmth. This time the young man and the woman eagerly came together. A thrill went through Adam as he realized that tonight she was entirely nude. He was made breathless by the feel of her silky legs entwined with his; by the heat of her torso and her soft yet firm breasts pressed fully against him; by taut nipples that sank into his flesh. When their lips came together in the darkness, there was no hesitation. Once again came the sweet exhilarating taste of the woman. For long moments they kissed hungrily and feverishly, their bodies soon sleek with oily perspiration. Then from the darkness came an urgent plea, "Oh, do not keep me waiting, dear boy!" This time the dear boy knew just what to do. Time seemed to stand still; the stars paused in their movements. Nothing existed for Adam save this bed, this stygian darkness, this woman whose body offered pleasure beyond imagination; whose body demanded complete fulfillment in return. Adam was utterly spent when he finally emerged from the bedchamber, unaware that well over two hours had passed. He was still breathing hard. Without realizing it, he had a tired smile of satisfaction on his face. Norris held up the lamp and gazed at him for a few seconds. In measured tones he said, "You are the luckiest son of a bitch on earth." "What did you say?" "Nothing. It's time to get you dressed and out of here." Adam Wylie remained at the Algonquin Hotel. During the day he toured Manhattan, viewing the lively markets, marveling at the strange languages being spoken. He visited the new copper-colored Lady Liberty statue; explored Central Park; rode the ferry to Staten Island. But in truth he was only marking time. Time until once again he could enter the bedchamber on Willow Place. Until once again he could embrace that woman who now captivated him beyond the power of words to describe. At first he ached to see her; to just once view this superb creature who so thrilled him. After a week he was not sure he wanted that. In the absence of vision, all his other senses were magnified. The taste and feel and fragrance of the woman became wonderfully intense and pleasurable. How does a man come to know a woman's body? Without ever seeing her, Adam came to know Sarah down to the smallest detail. In the darkness his hands roamed over her, making one discovery after another. In he waist, her ankles, her long neck, she was slim and lithe. Yet the contours of her full breasts and wide hips pronounced her to be richly endowed as a woman. Adam came to know with his hands and his lips the heft and curves of her bosom. He learned the texture of her nipples, from soft to fully taut; the soft, swollen feel of her areolae; he knew the bumps that arose on those areolae when they made love. His hands and lips ventured farther below to explore the mane covering her sex. It was like nothing he had ever felt: as soft as corn silk; as plush as the coat of a mink. He savored the astonishing smoothness of her inner thighs; the piquant aroma of her sex as he kissed the flesh near that citadel of pleasure. When he entered the woman, his cock became the source of all physical sensations, creating a starburst of pleasure. Adam became intimately acquainted with the feel of her wet sheath tightly enclosing his manhood. As enjoyable as were his thrusts into Sarah, it was no less pleasurable to slowly enter her and then, for long moments, hold his cock deep within her. That most intimate part of her seemed then a living thing. He would savor every ripple and shudder, every contraction and loosening of that flesh that gripped and caressed his manhood. The woman's body seemed a boundless source of carnal pleasure. Adam realized that Sarah possessed a remarkable ability to reach climax not just once but several times before his cock finally withdrew. Up to now he had thought that only a man could take pleasure from sex. Now he felt something approaching envy to know that she could enjoy in succession long moments of ecstasy where his own was just the one time and all too brief at that. But it was Sarah's face that fascinated him most of all. He came to know its every nuance: the wide cheekbones; the tapering chin; the nose that was narrow and straight, a classical patrician nose. Her lips were full and supple, somehow making every kiss unique, different from all others. Her voice, soft and lilting, likewise captivated him. Adam sensed in the voice a smooth confidence that came from having given orders throughout her life; commands that were obeyed without question. One night the wind was whistling around the corners of the house, the only sound he could hear. Having shot his bolt for the second time, he and Sarah lay together. He sensed that he was perhaps good for one more joining of their bodies. "Sarah?" he ventured. "Yes?" "I wish we could talk more." "Why, angel?" "I like the sound of your voice. It's comforting somehow. I could listen to you for hours, no matter what you said." Sarah was idly caressing his torso, occasionally roaming down to his semi-hard manhood. "Even a poem?" she said with a slight laugh. "Sure, that would be nice." "Here's one you might like:" 'Come to me in the silence of the night; Come to me in the speaking silence of a dream; Come with soft rounded cheeks and eyes as bright As sunlight on a stream;' Adam would forever recall it as the happiest moment of his life: nestled in bed with this mystery woman, listening to her melodious voice. Relishing the pleasure she had given him, and the thought of more to come. When Sarah finished the poem, he said, "A good one. Who wrote it?" "Christina Rossetti. Do you know her poetry?" "I'm afraid we didn't get around to it by the sixth grade." After a pause he spoke again. "There's something else." "What, my love?" "Do you know my name? Who I am?" "Yes." "Then why don't you ever call me by my name? You've never once." The woman sighed but said nothing. Just when Adam began to think she would not answer, he heard her voice. "You seem as much phantom as real to me, angel. You come to me in the dead of night, and you thrill me as ... as no man ever has. Then you are gone, until once again in the darkness I hear your voice." "I'm afraid if I began to call you by your name I would become too curious about you. I'd want to know about your childhood; your favorite color. Do you prefer pork or chicken? You would become a real person to me, with likes and dislikes, foibles that we all have. Not the dream lover I so cherish. Does that make sense?" "I think so. It's the same way with your looks. At first I couldn't stand not seeing you. Now I'm not sure I want to." "You never will, darling." She took his hand, placed it on her breast, and then slowly moved it down to her sex. "You shall have to be content with how my body feels. Is that not enough?" "Yes," he smiled as his manhood began to swell. "Somehow that will have to do." ******* Every few nights for over a month, Adam was summoned to the house on Willow Place. Then, on the morning of his 37th day in New York, the desk clerk at the Algonquin handed Adam an envelope. Within was a rail ticket and a note: 'Enclosed find a one-way ticket on the New York Central's Chicago Limited, leaving Grand Central Depot at eleven this morning. Wishing you a safe journey home.' Adam walked slowly to the dining room and ate breakfast. So this is how it ends, he pondered. As abruptly and mysteriously as it began. He thought of strategies to get to Sarah; to learn why he was made her lover. More importantly, to continue those nights of passion. Then he began to realize how great were the powers marshaled against him. They had found him in a remote place and brought him here. They had left nothing to chance, and would now be most vigilant of all. With a deep sigh he returned to his room and packed his valise. When Adam emerged onto West 44th Street to catch a hansom cab, a burly man with hardened face approached and stood beside him. The man hailed a cab, then pointed to Adam as he said to the driver, "Take this gentleman to Grand Central Depot." He then turned to Adam, saying in an even voice, "I will be following to make certain you arrive at the Depot and get on the train ... sir." Two days later, lawyer Davis finally delivered Adam back to Aunt Sophie's tobacco farm. He was scarcely out of sight before the woman began to pepper him with questions. "Well, my boy, tell all!" she insisted. "You were so vague in your letters. Who on earth wanted you to come to New York? And for heaven's sakes why?" Adam loved the woman, but she could no more keep a secret than she could fly. Whatever he told her would soon be known throughout the county. "There was a famous artist there, Aunt," he lied. "He wanted a young man with red hair to pose for some paintings of famous figures from Greek mythology. So that's what I was doing." "And it took a month!" Aunt Sophie said skeptically. "He was a slow worker," Adam replied. For days the woman pestered him with more questions, but he stuck to the lie. It would make life easier than the truth. But the truth haunted him. They say you cannot miss what you have never known. Adam, however, had known paradise. Now, lying alone in his cord bed with straw tick mattress, the nights seemed endless. Sometimes he would awaken at midnight, and for a few seconds feel the soft feather bed in the house on Willow Place; sense the fragrance and warmth of the woman with whom he had shared that bed. What did it all mean, he wondered in his naivety, even now as innocent as a lamb. Why did it have to end? ******* It was on another ordinary day almost two years later that the letter came. Adam was cutting firewood, bundled up to ward off the chilly March winds. Aunt Sophie asked him to walk to their mailbox and get today's mail. The letter was postmarked New York. Adam hastily tore it open, the wind ruffling its one sheet on which was written: We shall be at the Baldwin Inn, Louisville, on the night of March 7th. Sarah He had again been summoned. Early on March 7th he packed his valise, including his clothes from New York. Soon he was in a rail car, with that woman waiting at the end. Aunt Sophie had swamped him with questions; he deflected each with a terse comment. She grew distraught, but it mattered little to Adam. He had been summoned. That evening, he entered the lobby of the Baldwin Inn and nervously looked around. A woman in her late twenties, with light brown curls, caught his eye. He walked over to where she was sitting on a divan. She glanced up at him, then away, with no sign of recognition. Adam studied her face. No, he decided, it is not her. I know every curve and feature of Sarah's face. That is not her. He approached the desk clerk. "Uh, I don't suppose any of your guests have left a message for me, have they?" "Name?" "Adam Wylie." Without a word the man handed him a sealed letter. He anxiously tore it open, reading, 'North end of Claxton Park, seven-thirty tomorrow morning.' Adam took a room in a cheap inn nearby. The sun had just risen the next morning, a white globe in the early morning fog, when he entered Claxton Park and began to walk to its north end on a gravel walkway. He saw a gentleman standing along the pathway, gazing off into the distance. As he drew near, the man looked over his shoulder and met Adam's glance. With a slight start, he recognized Norris. The older man gave him a terse nod, then turned away. His heart beating faster than ever, Adam continued on. He saw the woman first as a silhouette in the fog. As in slow motion he neared her, now seeing a wide brimmed felt hat, decorated with lace and feathers. She was wearing an ornate wool dress, ankle length, which swelled out from the many petticoats beneath. Over the dress was a rich velvet cape trimmed in fur. Wanted: Young Man with Red Hair At last the face. Those lips he had kissed so many times were a deep rose pink, the cheeks tinged with the same hue. Sarah's eyes, her one feature about which he knew nothing, were wide and expressive, pure gray in color. They stared at each other in silence. Then he heard her lilting voice. "Hello, Adam. You are even more handsome than I remember." Adam looked at her in wonder, thinking, Have my hands caressed the body of this elegant lady before me? Have I tasted her kisses? Held her as she cried out in the extremes of passion? No, it is not possible. A man like me could never have the pleasure of a woman this lovely, this refined. I surely must have dreamed it. "And I?" Sarah asked after a space of silence. Adam swallowed, still in awe of the beauty before him. "Norris once called you exquisite. But even that word doesn't do justice to you, Sarah." They approached, now within a foot of each other. "Why are you here?" Adam asked. "My sister Margaret and I are traveling to St. Louis to meet our husbands, who are returning from a business trip in the west. She wanted to visit a friend here in Louisville who is deathly ill. I could not bear the thought of being this close to you, Adam, and not seeing you just once more." Then came a sound, a faint cry close by; Adam realized that Sarah had with her a baby carriage. Both glanced over, then stepped to it. Gesturing to what lay within, Sarah said, "Adam, this is my son, Charles Junior." Adam looked into the carriage. The child appeared to be about a year old. His head was covered in rich red curls, of an intense hue even in the soft morning light. When Adam leaned forward, the child gazed up at him curiously. His eyes were hazel; they were not different in the least way from the eyes Adam saw whenever he looked into a mirror. The young man shuddered as at last he understood the full import of what he was seeing. He looked at Sarah, who now had a faint blush on her cheeks. She gave an almost imperceptible nod, murmuring, "Yes, Adam." The young man took a deep breath, saying, "He is a handsome child." Sarah could not resist reaching down and taking the babe. Cradling him in her arms, she said, "Oh, isn't he? My husband Charles and I tried to have children for so many years without success. Then, just as hope was fading, we were blessed with this miracle." Her voice deep with emotion, she went on, "Charles was so surprised, so happy to learn I was at last with child. He too has bright red hair, something he takes pride in. He considers it his signal feature. When the baby came, a boy who also has his father's fine red hair, Charles was utterly thrilled. He dotes on the babe. We both do." "A very lucky child, then," Adam said. "Born into a wealthy family, with parents that adore him." "The luck runs both ways. Charles' family is one of the richest in New England. Textile mills, railroads. His father made it a condition that his two sons would inherit their full share of the family fortune only when they had produced a male heir. But now we have this wonderful babe here. He has assured us our future." "Life seems to have blessed us all," Adam said with a trace of bitterness. "A fine son for you; a fortune for your husband. And me, the pleasure of briefly knowing you." She gazed at him in silence, her look a mix of melancholy and anger. "You cannot know what it's like for a woman, Adam! It is our worst fate to be called barren. And they always blame the woman, never the man! I seemed destined to go through life childless, with Charles and I drifting apart, his love for me turning to pity and regret. Everyone blaming me for being unable to give him what he so wanted." "I was desperate to do something. To give fate some .. assistance. And I did so. Now I have a child that I love more than life itself. And a husband who is so happy, with a healthy son, the family fortune now in his hands." Adam gazed at the woman. Even now she was utterly beautiful in his eyes, yet resentment welled up in him. "Sarah, or whatever your name is, you're playing with people's lives here. A husband who thinks he fathered that child. And you just using me like a horse at stud without telling me why!" The woman shook her head. "How could I have told you? Did you not ever guess?" "Well, I know that's how womenfolk get pregnant," Adam said with some asperity. "But I always thought they had to be married to a fellow before they could have his baby." "You what?" "Well, I did!" Sarah managed a quick laugh. "Adam, what earthly difference could a marriage ceremony make?" "I don't know. But ever woman I know in Nelson County gets married 'n then right away has a baby. I figured that's the only way it worked." Still holding their child, Sarah came to him and placed a gloved hand on his cheek. "Ah, my dear Adam. Yours is such a simple innocent life. How I envy you! For me, life has been unfair, and now I must bear the burden of a terrible secret. But it had to be done. It was the only way." She placed Charles Junior into the carriage and tucked him under his blankets. She again came to Adam and spoke evenly. "But I swear this to you. Not telling you my design was my only deceit. Those terms of affection for you, the passion you aroused in me, all were true and from the heart." "I willingly gave you my body, my all. In that bed you were as much a husband as any man could be. You will always have a part of me, just as I've now a part of you. But I felt compelled to share with you the truth. Can you not forgive me, and let us remember those wonderful hours we shared at Willow Place?" "You always get your way, don't you, Sarah?" Now she was almost touching him. "Lillian," she said in a steely voice. "My name is Lillian." She spoke again as the first tear trickled down her cheek. "Yes, perhaps I do. But Adam, for years I cried every night and prayed to God: please, please bless me with a child. I was willing to risk my marriage, my reputation. With you I had that child; and through good fortune, a boy. Have I not earned the right to be happy?" Adam realized that the passion and anguish now written on her face had made her more beautiful than ever. Nothing melts away a man's anger like a woman's tears, especially a woman this lovely. He was now disarmed, once again under her spell. He put his hands on her shoulders, and in a softer tone said, "Yes, of course, Sarah ... Lillian. I should be happy for you. Just make sure you give our son a good life, a life I could never give him. Always love him." Lillian wiped away a tear, still gazing intensely at him. "Adam .. " "Yes?" "I will love him all the more because he is yours." She hesitated, then spoke again. "Please kiss me. Oh do not keep me waiting! We have so few kisses left!" Now they were in each other's arms. Once again came the taste and feel of Sarah's lips. Yes, Adam now thought, it is her. This is the woman I knew so very well at Willow Place. For long moments the young man and the woman melded into each other's bodies, one kiss followed by another. Then Lillian paused, looking wistfully into Adam's eyes. "Yes, my love. Your kisses are still sweet. But I must go; Margaret will be waiting." "One last kiss, Sarah. One for a lifetime." They joined together again for one final passionate kiss. Then she drew away, murmuring, "I took a grave risk meeting you, Adam. I pray you care enough for me to keep our secret. Tell me you do." "You don't even have to ask." Lillian wiped away one tear, even as she smiled. Then she looked past Adam and nodded to someone. The young man turned and saw the dim shape of a man waiting in the fog. Turning back to the woman, he said, "Sarah, tell me, who is Norris?" "He was the valet to my father, who died when I was ten. Norris was so much loved by our family that we could not bear have him leave our service. Since then he has been like a father to me. Honest and wise, absolutely loyal and discreet. He will do literally anything I ask of him. Anything." The man and woman embraced once more. Even now, each was reluctant to give up the other. Then, with a soft cry, Lillian turned and took the baby carriage. She pushed the carriage past Norris, and soon vanished into the mist. Norris stood watching her, then looked back to Adam as he approached the older man. Adam smiled at him, then said, "Norris, I'm surprised you let the lady meet me like this." "I strongly opposed it, sir. Just as I will do everything in my power to destroy you if you try to use what you have learned this morning to your advantage." "No need for that, Norris. Tell me, how did you do it?" "She and I decided that the father of her child should be someone who lived far from New York. Preferably a healthy young farm boy, of good pioneer stock. I hired a lawyer to contact, at random, ten small town lawyers from the Midwest, to do the search. All responded; from those, my mistress selected you." "And the house at Willow Place?" "It had just passed into the hands of her family, and lay empty as it was being renovated. With the lady's husband on a long business trip to South America, it was our one chance to carry out our plan." Norris paused, then added, "It was your photograph that did it, sir. You bear a remarkable resemblance to the lady's husband. When I saw you that day at the rail station, I felt I was looking at his younger twin. Your looks were your good fortune." "My good fortune?" "Yes." Norris gazed at the young man thoughtfully. "Tell me, Mr. Wylie, if you had known that day at the station what you know now, would you do differently?" Adam paused, recalling those nights of passion with the woman; the taste of her kisses, the feel of her superb body; the gamble Lillian had taken, and its outcome. "No, I guess not. Any man would be lucky to be with a woman like her, if only for a little while." "Yes sir. I neither condone nor condemn what she chose to do. Like all of us, Mr. Wylie, she is only human; yet at the same time she is a remarkable lady. I have always felt honored to be in her service." "That makes two of us, I reckon. We've both served her well, haven't we?"