" "I can't keep her chained to the kitchen sink, Matthew. Awoman's work is never done, as they say." "Luke, you've got to train her to be goo...d. What did out Pado when we was bad?" said Matthew. "Whupped us good, with a strap." "Well, you got to show Lucy who's boss. Teach her a goodwife don't run away like that. Give her a whuppin' she won'tforget," suggested Mark. He put Lucy's purse on the kitchencounter. "She's got $57 in there, Luke. She stole from you." "Lucy,". "Nevertheless, I don't doubt she will be punished if she doesn't perform them properly," the Emir interjected, to general amusement."In the mean time she can stay with us in the Ruby Palace, if my Master pleases," the Princess continued.What Jaida thought of this prospect, nobody could tell, as she was properly covered by an abaya, but in any case her opinions were of no importance. The Major Domo led her from the dais to where the Earl and Countess were sitting and she dropped into a. Her hands gripped the counter top almost painfully, until she could assemble the strength to take a step backwards and break the spell that had her entranced. Why was she thinking that kind of thoughts about the neighbor girl? Was she becoming some kind of dyke? Her thoughts were conflicted, guilty.The guilt didn’t abate over the next days, because each time she looked out the windows in the mornings, the girl would be there, nude on her deck chair, and even the shortest glimpse of her skin. Say something, take another drink, something...Tammy's eyes, her face, seemed to be getting bigger. Closer. God, was she leaning in to...No.Tammy wasn't moving.Nona was.Her head jerked back, eyes wide, half empty glass dropping from her hand to the rug. A growing patch of blue carpet turned purple.Tammy let out a breath, seeming to deflate. In that moment, the entire atmosphere of the room changed. Something ... had been lost. Something Nona wanted. Needed.And had rejected."I'm sorry, Nona..