Part 2


Robert sighed as he entered the plant.
Dinner had been a bit of a strained affair and all the children knew it but didn’t know why. Even the sex after the children were put to bed was off. Oh, Mellie had been as enthusiastic as she was every night since he had broken her in 6 months before but back in the master suite Susan had been cold if dutiful. All in all, not nearly the good nights sleep he had hoped to have before starting a new project.

As he entered his office, he hung up his jacket and poured his morning coffee before greeting Stephanie.

“Good morning Steph! What’s on the agenda today?”

“Good morning Master! You have a meeting at 10am with Master Jacob Miller from Miller’s markets to discuss meat pricing in the coming quarter. Nothing is booked for the remainder of the day. Shipping has requested maintenance on the loading door it appears to be sticking. And Thompson Equipment will be arriving at 1pm to service the saws in secondary processing.” Stephanie said all this with a cool efficiency that was slightly out of Character. And had she called him “Master”? she hadn’t called him that since the day he elevated Susan from slave to wife.

“Ok Steph, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong Master. All plant functions are within normal parameters.”

Robert groaned, he should never have set her up with an outside line, but it was so important to the sisters to be able to stay in touch.

“Well I see you have been speaking with Susan.”

Suddenly the old Stephie was back. Robert braced himself as she started in.

“Mellanie? Really Robert? You would seriously make a little girl do this job? She barely knows what she wants out of life and you’re gonna take away all her choices?”

“I’m Not taking away her choice. I asked her if she would do it and she said yes. She wants to do it.” He said.
“Robert, she adores you. She would do anything you asked just to make you happy. Shit if you asked her to skin herself just to make you a new set of gloves, she would do it with a smile and make them herself. YOU asking her is the same as telling her to do it.” Stephanie said with an angry snarl.


“Look Steph, this isn’t just some whim. I have been looking into it for some time. At first I was just going to buy a girl to do it but Damn it Mellie is to smart to end up on end up on our production floor, or some spit at a friends party, or raffled off for a school fundraiser. At least this way her intelligence will be put to use.”

Stephanie’s anger evaporated on an instant. Now she knew what this really was. Robert may be her sister’s husband, but Stephanie was his confidant. All the things he couldn’t tell Susan he told her.

“So, this is because of Karen.” It wasn’t a question. Robert looked at his sister-in-law. She could see it in his eye before he spoke.

“She was so bright, she had so much potential. Lost to buy a new basketball hoop. A few textbooks for girls who would rather be meat than artists or even just a wife. Now Mellanie is going to be going to that same school where they care more about the budget than the girls they are supposed to be educating. I won’t let that happen to Mellie.” Robert stood up with a determined look and wiped away the tear that threatened to escape his eye.

It had honestly been years since Stephanie had last missed her arms but now, she wished she could hold him like in the old days.

“There has to be a better way than this.” She said.

He sighed heavily and looked Stephanie in the Eyes. “Believe me I know it’s not a perfect solution for her or any of us. But it’s the best I can do to make sure her talents aren’t wasted like so many others are.”

Stephanie sighed an odd sound since there was no actual breath behind it. Lights flashed on the console in front of her as she quickly researched the possibilities.
“Bobby?” she said softly “If it has to be done. Let ME choose the shop and make the arrangements.”
OK Stephie
Robert looked back at her and tried not to sound suspicious, “Why?”

“Because I love her too. This… thing we’re doing to her. It hurts Bobby, it hurts a lot. And if Mellie must go through it, I want her to have the best chance of coming through it and being able to be at least semi happy.” There were tears in her eyes. Robert didn’t even know she could still cry.

“ok Stephie, Set it up. Try to get a booking for the initial tests this afternoon. I’m going to check the floor.” He stalked out of the office and she watched him on the monitors as he passed the production floor and went to the feed lot were the girls waiting to be processed milled around and played in the sun. for the millionth time she wondered how a man could be in this business and still be so sentimental about his own daughters. But she was happy and proud that he was.

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