Lord Hartshorn did not return to Hartshorn Hill for a long time after Jarrod's death.
Word had quickly spread of Jarrod's demise. Lord Hartshorn was forgiven his transgression and welcomed back into society. He had spent some time in the city, catching up on the affairs of government that concerned him. Then he had spent some time at this other holdings before working his way back to the Hill.
When he arrived there, he delayed going to his chambers as long as possible.
He faced the inevitable and arrived at his chamber door. Every trace of Jarrod's existence had been neatly and carefully removed. And yet, Jarrod is all he saw when he opened the door. He quickly closed it and turned on his heels, walking as far in the Hill as one could away from his chambers. He threw open a door and stepped inside it, surveying the interior of the room.
Satisfied, he stepped out of the chamber and stopped a passing house slave. She was a pretty thing, pale skin topped with rosy cheeks. Large breasts that threatened to spill out of the top of her modest slave dress. Dark hair piled neatly on the top of her head. "You, girl, what is your name?"
"I am called Druesha, Master," the girl responded, eyes kept low.
"Fetch Hetty and bring her to me," Lord Hartshorn ordered.
The girl took off on light feet to do his bidding. Shortly, Hetty, his housekeeper stood before him and he gave her his instructions. His chambers would be moved here. While the slaves attended to that, he went to his study to attend estate business.
The genealogy of all the estate slaves was kept on record. These records were kept in his office. Slave breeding was a serious matter to the Owners. He investigated the genealogy of the slave known as Druesha. Satisfied at what he learnt, he returned to the bookkeeping of the Hill. Some hours later, Hetty appeared and advised him the moving of his chambers was complete. He closed the journal he had been working on and made his way to his new chambers.
It was acceptable. The work had been done to his satisfaction. His personal belongings had been moved. These rooms were now his chambers. There would be no painful memories of Jarrod to dwell on. He could move forward from the past and return to living. A small smile crossed his lips.
He ordered Hetty to send the girl Druesha to him and return to her own duties. She nodded her acknowledgement of these orders and backed gracefully from his room.
With his research he had done on Druesha he had discovered a few items. First off, she had just turned 18. Secondly, she had been born on the Hill, the product of slave breeding. Also, her sire had been a breeding purchase and her mother was the bastard child of his cousin, Demetri Hartshorn. That explained her dark hair, so like his own. Druesha had been raised in the nursery with the other slave children and given training in service. She was not considered a pleasure slave so the largest part of her training was in the care and cleaning of the estate. However, all slaves, male and female, were trained in the rudimentary arts of sexual pleasure. It was never known if they would be called upon to please the Master or one of his guests.
When she appeared in the doorway, a faint flush of embarrassment upon her cheeks, Lord Hartshorn smiled. He beckoned her to enter and she did so, gracefully falling to her knees at his feet. "Rise, girl," he ordered.
