Chapter 10

CHAPTER10

“It’s time you were thinking of marrying again, Genevra, you can’t keep operating the Tavern on your own, it’s not seemly,” said her stepfather, cutting into his mutton.

Genevra clenched her teeth and counted to ten before she answered. “Thank you for your concern, Sir, but I am doing very well, and it is no burden I assure you.”

“Nonsense. You’re in serious debt, need I remind you? Why don’t you let me appoint a manager to take over the day to day running? You can come back here and help your mother, she will appreciate a hand around the house, won’t you Miriam?”

Her mother glanced apologetically at Genevra and mumbled something that could be an affirmative.

Beth, her youngest sister toyed with the food on her plate and surreptitiously fed bits of it to the dog under the table. Genevra noted her pallor with a worried frown and wished she had the means to provide her sister with a much-needed holiday at the seaside, or perhaps a sojourn in Bath to drink the waters would benefit her? She could stay with Great Aunt Maddie.

Her stepfather, put down his knife to take a sip of wine and regarded her over the top of the glass. “Genevra if you will not obey me, I may be forced to demand the repayment of your debts in full, immediately. Do I make myself clear.”

“Hiram!” protested her mother.

“My dear it’s for Genevra’s own good. While Jacob’s whereabouts were unknown it was reasonable for Genevra to remain at the Tavern, but now that we know he is dead, she should either remarry or return to the family home. It is a scandal for her to be living by herself in a Tavern and hobnobbing with men all day.”

“I am not alone!” Genevra interposed. “Mrs Bell stays with me, and during the day Joe and his boys are more than adequate protection.”

“My point exactly!” Said Hiram Robinson, with the superior air that never failed to put her all on edge. “The truth is my dear you are not capable of running the Tavern on your own. That is not your fault! No mere female can be expected to shoulder such burdens-”

Genevra, who had heard enough, slammed down her knife and rose. “Mama, I refuse to sit here and listen to this twaddle!” She rounded on Hiram. “I am perfectly capable, and I shall continue to do so!” She turned to gather up her cloak and reticule.

“Genevra please!” said her mother rising from her seat.

“I am sorry, Mama, but I will not be subjected to this nonsense!”

“Genevra, do not speak to your mother like that!” Hiram too had risen from his seat, the only one still at the table was Beth, who was doing her best to pretend the rest of them didn’t exist. Genevra flinched internally for her delicate sister, but she was too angry to moderate her behaviour.

“It is best if I leave sir, as I cannot bite my tongue when you insist upon treating me like a helpless ninny! I am no such thing!”

Hiram wiped his forehead with his napkin, his colour considerably heightened. “I make every excuse for womanly megrims my dear, but this is the outside of enough. Your intemperance is all the evidence I need that you are not fit to run a business alone. As I have a considerable stake in your business, I need to ensure that it is profitable. To that end I will be appointing Josiah Neeps to manage the Tavern on my behalf. You can expect him next Monday. Be prepared to turn over the books to him.”

“No!” Genevra stared at him in horror. “No, you can’t do this!”

“I can and I will!”

“No, no! Please! I will pay you the money I owe you, I promise! I am paying it. When have I missed a payment?”

“You have not,” he conceded.

“Well then? Do you wish me to pay you back more quickly? I will undertake to increase the monthly sum, pay you weekly if you like?”

“How can you afford to do so?”

Genevra smiled. “We are beginning to turn a profit. I believe I can increase the payments.”

Hiram shifted, clearly uncomfortable with this turning of the tables. “Very well. I shall expect a ten percent increase on the monthly repayment.”

Genevra suppressed a gasp, doing calculations in her head to figure out how she could meet that demand.

“Very well sir.”

“But I warn you, any default will result in a foreclosure. I shall put in my own manager to extract the funds. And-” he added. “I want you to seriously consider the topic of remarriage. While you continue to be unmarried, you remain my responsibility and your current conduct is an embarrassment to the family.”

“Yes sir,” said Genevra swallowing her wrath.

“And sit down and eat your dinner!” he added resuming his own seat.

Genevra sat and forced down several mouthfuls. She caught Beth’s eye and the younger girl grimaced in sympathy.

An hour later Genevra left in a hackney to return to the Tavern, still fuming and under the anger, severely rattled. Hiram couldn’t force her to the altar against her will, but he could foreclose on her. She needed to pay off his debt as fast as possible so that he no longer had leverage over her. It was a timely reminder that allowing any man to have leverage over her was fatal. She swore that once she was clear of these debts: Hiram’s and Garmon’s, she would never let a man control her destiny again.

She reached the Tavern just as Joe was closing up. Once he and his boys and the bar maids had gone, she finished the last chores of the day and dashed upstairs to change. She was weary after the day’s events and the argument with Hiram, and for the first time she was not particularly looking forward to seeing Garmon.

She was exhausted from five nights in a row of broken sleep, to say nothing of the strenuous exercise they had indulged in and the emotional upheaval of it all. Much as she loved how he made her feel, Garmon was demanding, and she was bone deep tired of men controlling her life.

* * *

One month ago

Jacob rolled over in the bed and winced, his breath catching with the pain radiating out from his wound.

“Are you alright?” came the soft voice beside him.

“Yeah, just catches me if I move suddenly.”

“Can I do anything to help?” she rolled towards him, her hands landing on his chest.

He reached for her warm body, she smelled of soap and something earthy that tugged at his cock. His hand found one generous breast through the fabric of her night gown. He squeezed it hard, and she made a noise he took for appreciation. He moved his head to snare her mouth with his and kissed her. She opened her lips to take his tongue and he shifted to roll her under him, using a knee to push her legs apart. But the movement pulled at his wound and made him gasp and curse.

“Fuck!” he dropped his head to the pillow willing the sharp pain to subside.

She stroked his hair. “You’re not better yet.”

“No, but when I am, I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll scream your pretty tits off!”

She giggled and ran her hand over his shoulders. “I hope so.”

He groaned and shifted again, scrabbling to get under her gown, palming her between her legs. He shoved his fingers in her, she was wet and took him easily, better than Genevra, who was always dry and reluctant. Maggie squirmed and panted as he thrust his fingers in her.

“You like it rough, don’t you?” he grunted, moving his hips to thrust against her belly. The pain this caused made him howl and curse. “If I could fuck you now I would, but it bloody hurts too much to move like this,” he panted. “Get your cunt up here and fuck my cock with your mouth.”

“Oh!” she moved to obey him and after a bit of painful rearrangement they found a position that minimised his discomfort. With his fingers inside her and her mouth on his cock, he groaned, this time more pleasure than pain.

He couldn’t wait until his body was strong enough to get her under him, his mind roved over the possibilities as her tongue laved and her mouth sucked. She was much better at this than Genevra. All the same, memories of Genevra’s tight cunt haunted him as he resisted the urge to thrust into Maggie’s mouth to minimise the pain it caused.

Frustration made him growl and grip her bottom tighter, pinching hard. She yelped and he smacked her rump hard. “Fuck me bitch!” he mumbled, licking her haphazardly.

She redoubled her efforts, sliding up and down his cock and he groaned, excitement building. Fuck yes! He jabbed her harder with his fingers, all four stretching her, his thumb rubbing her furiously. Genevra hated this, but Maggie seemed to love it.

He fought to keep his hips still, frustration warring with slowly building excitement. Finally, yes! Fucking yes! His muscled tensed up as he felt the trigger pulled, and he lost his load in her mouth with a loud groan. “Buggering fuck that’s good!” he moaned, his muscles going lax in the aftermath of bliss. No pain now!

She squirmed and panted, sitting up a bit as she finished herself off with a cry and her cunt squeezed his fingers hard. He smacked her arse lazily. “Good?”

She nodded, panting and moved to slide back down beside him. Subsiding with her head on his shoulder.

“It’ll be better when I can fuck you properly,” he murmured, sleep over taking him.