"They Call Us Gypsies" (closed)

[DeadManTyping]

"I'm not sure that Jake wants children right now. He's never been much interested in babies or toddlers.”

Gregor was conflicted about Grace’s response to his question about why she and her husband didn’t have any children or -- because they hadn’t been married long -- didn’t simply have one on the way.

Grace’s culture was so different that his. There were only two kinds of Romani women in the Family: those who already had children and those who hadn’t yet had them but soon enough would. Children were more important to his people than even money, though Jake and his kind might not think that possible. Hell, even Marla had a Romani man eagerly waiting to marry her and fill her belly with children once her body and talents no longer served her.

"Jake has dreams.”

Gregor listened to Grace’s description of her husband’s career goals, and he had the same thought that she was having: Grace was living for Jake, not for herself.

When she explained her existence before Jake, Gregor really began to feel for her. It seemed as though she had spent her entire life serving others. She had a love for her siblings, that was obvious. But there was a difference between loving others and slaving away for them.

"I begged Jake for a while to let me bring Sarah and Maudie to our home. He never liked the idea."

“You could bring them here if you wished,” Gregor said without hesitation. His tone was serious and sincere. He smiled to Grace as he waited for her to meet his gaze. “Little’uns fantasize about running away with the circus. We’re like the circus, in a way. Gypsies.”

His smile became a bit more flirtatious … suggestive. “Would you like to be a gypsy, Grace? Run away?”

Gregor almost said Run away with me, but he knew that would sound not just too forward but ridiculous as well. He may have been ready and eager to have Grace in his life, but … well, he was a gypsy! He and his life weren’t the things about which a grown woman like Grace fantasized.

*****************​

”Papa."

Jason flinched and spun to find the woman for whose hand he’d just asked standing behind him. His eyes grew and his face went white as she addressed Connie…

"Uncle."

How much of their conversation had Inga heard? Well, it didn’t really matter how much. Fact was, the last thing out of Jason’s mouth had been his asking for her hand.

"Give us a moment, Jason."

“Of course,” Jason said.

He backed a step, half turned, looked between the three, then turned and walked swiftly back toward his home. He glanced back over his shoulder at the trio as Inga addressed them. He wished he could hear what was happening. But surely, Inga would come to him with the gist soon enough

"I have payment if that is what you will demand.”

Papa Don gave his granddaughter his full attention. He had known, of course, that Inga -- like many of the Romani -- had squirreled away a small fortune over the years. Cash was king among the gypsies, just with non-Romani, and ready money was more often than not the best way to take the greatest advantage of spontaneous situations.

It wasn’t really the money situation that concerned Papa Don the most, and as if knowing what was filling his mind, Inga continued…

"And I understand that this is sudden, that it's unusual for a Romani to want to settle down, but he does make me happy. Perhaps more happy than I've been in a long time."

Papa Don was happy to hear that. And while he had had full faith in his granddaughter’s choices in the past, he questioned whether or not she could make such an important decision after such a short time.

“Happiness is fleeting,” Papa Don said cryptically. “You say this man makes you happy … and I believe this may be true. But … to leave the Family … to become a plantă înrădăcinată...”

Despite Papa Don -- and many others in the Family -- having abandoned their First Languages, be they Romanian, German, Greek, or otherwise, there were still certain words and phrases that all the gypsies retained and understood. And rooted like a plant -- this Romani Family’s phrase for people like Jason who were bound to the land, for better or worse, was one of those sayings.

He continued, “Is this truly what you want, child?”

He used the last word to remind Inga that -- compared to him or, even more significantly, to his 18 years more senior Connie -- she was still so young.

 

[heartofcourage]

“They aren’t mine to help run away.” Grace said softly, knowing that he was speaking in jest. “And their mother does love them very much. She wouldn’t be lonely without them around.”

“And an adult does not run away from their responsibilities, even if things haven’t turned out how we had imagined.” Grace murmured, glancing over at Gregor as he asked if she wanted to run away as well. “I do want my marriage to work. I take those vows very seriously. If things don’t work out...well, I’m not so sure I’m brave enough to ever leave this little town behind. It’s all I’ve ever known.”




Inga chuckled as her grandfather asked her if she really wanted this choice. She knew it was a huge change and decision, but she was positive that Jason wouldn’t be so fickle as to grow bored with her.

“Papa, you were the one who told me to dream of adventure. To aspire to be something more than my mother and father ever were. This might not what you had in mind, but I see this as a great adventure.” Inga declared, moving to cup his cheeks in her hands as she looked into his aged features. “And I know that if things didn’t work out, you’d welcome me back home with open arms.”

She often wondered what he saw when he looked at her. Was he haunted by the daughter that he had lost so many years ago? Her father, Demi, had been a rogue. The wild one of the Murtorovanni Family. He had seduced her mother, wedded and bedded her, and then bolted when he could after she had died. She needed her Papa to know that Jason wouldn’t do that.

“I know it’s sudden, and you can have your fun at Jason’s expense if you wish, but I will pay for my own freedom. I trust my judgement.” Inga whispered.

"Besides, you haven't needed me to care for you in a long time. You're off on your own with your lover more often than not. You could take my vardo back all to yourself if I stay with Jason." Inga glanced over towards Connie as he rocked idly in his chair. "And Uncle will make sure that you stay out of trouble."

 

[DeadManTyping]

Gregor listened to Grace's response to his invitation to run away with him, displaying conspicuous disappointment but then smiling politely to show that he respected her words.

As they reached the little descent from the field's plateau to the stream below, Gregor offered Grace a hand down the short but steep slope. She continued...

“I do want my marriage to work..."

That wasn't what Gregor wanted to hear from Grace, of course, but it didn't surprise him. She was desperate to make things work with Jake, despite his obvious lack of reciprocation, in Gregor's mind. How could a man treat a woman so horribly as this man had Grace. (Of course, Gregor had no idea just how horribly Jake had treated her. He knew that Jake had forced himself on his wife in the back of their Ford that first night of the carnavale, but he had no idea that Jake had not only raped Grace yet a second time but then had put the match to everything that was importance to her back at their home!)

"I respect your wish," Gregor told her with so few words, unsure of exactly how to get his feelings across to her. "I will not get in the way. I respect your desire to make your marriage work."

Gregor stopped her with a gentle hand upon her arm, then turned to face her ... and step a bit closer, to a nearness that was just barely within what might be thought of as too intimate.

"I will do for you all you wish or not do, as you see fit," he told her, before adding, "if only you will do something for me."

He neared her just a tiny bit more. He said softly, "Kiss me. Just one kiss. One kiss ... and you will never have worry of me again."

******************​

Papa Don listened to all his granddaughter had to say without comment. He knew she was right, in everything that she was saying. But it was still a hard thing to imagine, not having her here with him every day of the rest of his certain short future.

She looked to Connie and said...

"And Uncle will make sure that you stay out of trouble."

The oldest of the Romani gave her a gesture of agreement, but Papa Don's response was, "Haaa! Connie will lucky to see the sunset, let alone see me stay right and narrow."

Papa Don had been predicting Connie's death daily for more than a decade, and yet the old Romani was still here. Reaching out a trembling hand for Inga, Connie told her, "May you and your man make many, many babies ... and may one of them ... the prettiest girl of them all ... come back to us one day to remind us of the most beautiful child of all."

Papa Don watched the pair for a moment, then laughed. "Well, I guess if you all were waiting for me to make a decision ... we can stop waiting."

 

[heartofcourage]

Inga chuckled as Connie reached out his hand for her and she took it, giving it a squeeze as he blessed her with many strong children by Jason before he asked for a promise that her most beautiful daughter would return to them in time.

"Uncle, there will be many more women out there ten times more beautiful than me." Inga said with a fond smile in his direction, leaning down to kiss his weathered cheek. "Perhaps I'll just buy my vardo from the family. I'll keep it on Jason's land and insist that we use it to travel. We can come and visit from time to time. I'll raise my children to know that traveling is in their blood."

Inga glanced back over towards her grandfather as he declared that they didn't need to wait any longer for his decision. "It was my choice to make Jason come out here to ask you. I wanted everything to be proper, even though I'm well within my rights to simply run away one evening. I couldn't do that to my Papa after everything that he's done for me."

All three of them glanced towards the house where Jason was nervously pacing the dirt in front of the steps that led to the kitchen. It was endearing that he was so nervous about the entire situation. She adored him, had fallen instantly in lust with him, but now she knew that they were about to embark on something much bigger than that first meeting.

"If you wish, we can wait until you are ready to leave to be married. It gives us more time to get to know one another. It would give you more peace of mind as well. Whatever conditions you set forth, I will follow, Papa." Inga offered, glancing back to her grandfather before she caught Jason's attention and motioned him back towards the vardos. "He, of course, don't have to know that."

She heard Connie chuckle at the fun they would have with Jason. She knew that Jason would fight to be with her, but she was sure the other Romani would have their way with him before everything was said and done.



Grace was slightly startled when Gregor asked for just one kiss. She turned and looked at him, her gaze both curious and hesitant. She had only kissed two boys in her entire life: Jake and his brother Jason. She had never told Jake that she had kissed Jason when they had first met and she was certain that he had never mentioned it to his brother either. It was all so innocent until Jake had laid claim to her. Now, she was being asked for something so simple from a man that was not her husband.

"One kiss and you'll never ask again?" Grace asked softly, knowing that it was better to take the risk and give him what he wanted than to have him hound her as she tried to repair things with her very jealous husband. "Can I trust you to keep that promise?"

Of course she could trust him. It was a silly question, she thought to herself. If he had wanted to try something with her, he would have done it back in the wagon while she was asleep. Something about Gregor, in spite of everything that Jake tried to tell her about Gypsies, made her want to trust him with every part of her being.

Grace gave him a slight nod, closing her eyes and tilting her chin to receive a kiss from him.

 

[DeadManTyping]

Jason was pacing to and fro, watching the trio intently, looking for some indication of whether or not he was about to marry a gypsy. Marry a gypsy. How the hell did this come to be? Jason chuckled to himself, shaking his head. If only his mother and father were here to learn about this!

Then a thought hit Jason: what was his brother going to say about this? It wasn't devastating enough for Jake to have his wife fleeing his home as a result of an entanglement with a gypsy, but now his brother was going to marry one! This was going to either crush the man ... or send him over the edge.

Jason caught Inga looking his way, then waving him to return. He hesitated a moment, drawing and exhaling another anxious breath before heading their way. He stopped close to Inga, almost reaching out to take her hand but then hesitating. Until he knew what had been decided, shows of affection toward Inga before her elders just seemed like playing with fire.

"You have my permission to take my granddaughter as your wife," Papa Don announced to Jason with a formal, matter of fact tone. He watched the farmer's face fill immediately and conspicuously with both relief and delight. "However..."

The emotion in Jason's face began to fade, anticipating the worst. Papa Don gestured to his granddaughter to help him rise from his chair, and once standing winked to Inga. He began spinning a tale about how the Romani had a generations old tradition designed to protect the Family from plantă înrădăcinată who would steal away their lovely, young daughters in times of financial need with the offer of coin or goods.

"This tradition has a rather long name," Papa Don told him. cât timp îl putem conduce înainte să realizeze că ne-o tragem cu capul lui."

Behind him, Connie chuckled but very quickly turned it into a feigned cough. Papa Don looked to his elder, smiling without Jason catching him. Connie waved innocently to them, saying he was fine. Papa Don turned back to Jason, finding a scrutinizing expression on his face. Did he realize that the two men were screwing with him? What would he have said if he'd known that cât timp îl putem conduce înainte să realizeze că ne-o tragem cu capul lui meant how long can we run him about before he realizes we are fucking with his head?

Papa Don reached for Jason's arm, turning him toward the interior of the camp as he continued, "Inga is not just my granddaughter. She is family ... to the entire Family. Her loss will be felt by each and every member. If you wish to take her away from the Family ... from her family ... from these people..."

He swept a hand before him, indicating the dozens of men, women, and children scurrying about serving the afternoon crowd or preparing for the evening one. He continued, "You must do a favor ... or perform a chore ... for each of the men and women of the Family."

Jason's eyes opened wider. He asked with obvious surprise, "All of them?"

"All of them," Papa Don said, his tone still serious.

"How ... how many favors ... chores?" Jason asked. "What I mean is ... how many men and women are there in the--"

"Fifty-eight," Papa Don cut in.

Jason's mouth fell open. "That ... that could take ... days!"

"Is she worth it?" Papa Don asked.

Jason's mouth went shut. He again drew and released a breath, realizing how asinine his question had been. He turned to look at Inga, still standing near the now once-again-passed-out Connie. He smiled, saying with a sincere tone, "More than worth it."

He turned back to Papa Don, nodded to him, and with a smile asked, "Where do I start?"

****************​

"One kiss and you'll never ask again?"

Gregor repeated, "One kiss."

"Can I trust you to keep that promise?"

"I'm a gypsy," he said with a smirk. With a chuckle, he said, "Of course you can trust me."

He smiled broadly, certain that even without the trust a gypsy comment, Grace would shake her head and tell him no. And yet ... she gave him a slight nod, closed her eyes, and tilted her face to await the kiss. Gregor moved closer still, now less than an inch separating his muscular chest from Grace's rounded breasts. He wanted to take her into his arms and hold her tight against him yet didn't. Gregor feared that Grace would fear he was going to take more from her than his promised kiss.

He leaned his face into hers slowly, stopping so close that he could feel her breath upon him, as he assumed she could with his. He hesitated a moment, then just barely touched his tongue to his lips to wet them ... then ever so gently pressed their mouths together. It was meant to be intimate ... oh so intimate ... but not erotic at all.

Gregor would leave his lips against hers until the end of time if Grace allowed it ... and he would follow her lead ... pulling back if she pulled back ... parting his lips if she did the same ... pulling her in if she made any indication that she wanted him to hold her...

 

[heartofcourage]

Grace was a bit startled at how different men kissed her. Jason had been hesitant and excited. Jake was aggressive and demanding. Gregor...Gregor was gentle. He was making sure that the kiss was intimate, but not filled with all consuming passion. Still, she couldn't help the way that her toes curled in her boots as he took such an intimate liberty with her. No man had kissed her like that before. Like she mattered.

She was pulling back after a few moments, looking up at Gregor as that realization passed through her. He was respectful and kept his distance, even as she squirmed and broke his gaze, looking down at the dirt beneath her feet.

"So, you won't ask for another kiss now?" She asked, making sure that he was going to keep up his end of the deal.

 

[DeadManTyping]

Grace had allowed Gregor's lips to remain against hers far longer than he'd expected. He would have loved for it to last longer ... to last forever. But what she's given him before she pulled back was heavenly.

"So, you won't ask for another kiss now?"

"No," he said without hesitation. "I'm not going to ask for another kiss."

He studied Grace for a moment, wondering whether she'd found the moment as magical as he had. Then he smiled. His head cocked playfully to the side as he said with a sly smile, "Of course ... you could always ask me for another kiss."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I can’t.” Grace said quickly as he teased her about asking for another kiss herself. “At least not right now.”

Grace actually blushed as she said that, the words getting slightly jumbled as soon as they left her lips. Had she wanted to ask him for another kiss? She had no idea but it was a very dangerous thought, especially with Jake still such a major part of her life. Knowing Jake, he probably already knew her thoughts and wouldn’t be pleased when they saw one another again.

 

[DeadManTyping]

“I can’t.”

Gregor's lips spread in a tight smile. He hadn't expected her to ask him to one again press his lips to hers, but ... it had been worth a try, harmless, and -- most importantly -- not a violation of his promise to Grace.

“At least not right now.”

That made the man laugh -- just a short, one off bit of humor that showed both his surprise and delight at her words. She turned a bright red, and he chucked again, softer and kinder. Offering out his hand, Gregor said, "Come ... I'll take you where you want to be ... where you should be."

Gregor knew neither whether Grace would take his hand nor have the slightest idea where it was that she would want to be: Jason's house, her house, the Romani encampment where she'd been having such fun earlier ... or even right here, walking the stream bank with him. But wherever it was that Grace felt she needed to be -- wanted to be -- Gregor was going to get her there ... and, hopefully, remain at her side for as long as possible.

**********************​

"... höher, Nein, höher... da, links, mehr Links..."

The Romani teen standing at the bottom of the ladder laughed and told the nagging woman beside him in English, "Mama, he no speaks German. English!"

Jason looked down from on high with a panicked look in his face. The 15 foot tall ladder upon which he was standing could barely be called a ladder at all. The Romani had chopped down two saplings -- his saplings he would later realize -- and then used a lot of rope, likely borrowed from a local retailer, and tied up half a dozen horizontal cross bars to suit the climber. Well, it wasn't suiting Jason: he was sure that any moment the thing would give way and he'd come crashing to the ground.

He was onto his, what, tenth or twelfth task for the Romani. He'd milked a goat that both kicked and bit him; he'd washed a bucket full of nasty diapers; he'd squeezed the zits on the back of what had to be the biggest woman he'd ever seen in his life, Romani or otherwise; and, while their mother got a much needed nap, he'd read a nursery rhyme book from cover to cover -- 18 tales in all -- to a pair of toddlers who'd babbled and wriggled and cried through the whole thing ... and the book had been in German ... and as his current task masters were well aware, Jason didn't know any German!

Currently, he was replacing a strip of wood at the top of a vardo, a task that mama had said her son shouldn't do because -- yeah, you guessed it -- the ladder was unsafe and she didn't want him up there. The old Romani -- who would thank Jason later with one of the best pastries he'd ever eaten -- suddenly hollered, "ja! Genau dort!"

"Right there," her boy translated, telling Jason to sink the nail. "And come down before you kill yourself."

He finished and descended cautiously, yet forgot the small box of nails atop the roof. In a flash, the boy ascended the ladder with the skill of a squirrel climbing a tree, snatched the container, and -- without the use of his hands -- descended once more to thank Inga's wanna-be betrothed.

Jason could only laugh at the sight ... and laugh again when he suddenly recognized the teen as being one of the Family's afternoon acrobatic performer. "You're the man on the stilts."

The Romani nodded his head in acknowledgement, telling him in a thick accent and broken English, "Come, I take you to next."

As he followed the young man, Jason recalled watching the teen's act. The Romani had somehow stood atop 8 foot tall stilts, crouching and then throwing his weight upwards, lifting the stilts with him to ascend a set of 6 wide steps, a stairway essentially, built of wooden boxes that -- at any other time -- would have simply been used for containing the Romani's possessions for transport across the land. Then, he tossed one of the stilts away and balanced atop the single foot peg of the remaining stilt ... almost 20 feet above the ground atop a rickety wooden platform ... using his free hand to catch coins tossed to him by the amazed and appreciative crowd. It had simply been ... incredible to Jason.

When they'd arrived at another vardo, the boy spoke in a combination of his broken English and -- despite being German himself -- the Romanian with which he felt entirely comfortable. He introduced Jason to the couple there, told them he was wanting Inga's hand in marriage, and explained that Papa Don had tasked him with fulfilling their tradition of cât timp îl putem conduce înainte să realizeze că ne-o tragem cu capul lui.

The man was beginning to smile wide even before the teen had finished, and his wife began to giggle. Jason had seen variations of this response repeatedly all afternoon. He knew there was something more than a Romani cultural thing going on here, but ... he was determined to earn Inga's hand, so he just kept keeping on. Soon, so that they could have a quiet moment talking in their vardo, the married couple had Jason playing rodeo with their three small children ... and he was the horse! As they climbed on his back and urged him to buck with kicks to his sides, Jason soon realized that the sounds coming from beyond the wagon's door were anything but quiet. He couldn't help but laugh, knowing that any moment they were probably going to be conceiving another one of these little rascals.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Where I want to be." Grace said softly, thinking about that for a moment, not considering that Gregor was offering her the world. "I suppose I want to be at the stream. It's where I'm happiest."

She loved the water. She always had loved the water, including swimming on hot summer days. However, she barely got the chance to go there when Jake was with her. He didn't like the muddy banks or the algae that gathered on the edges of the water from time to time. It made her contemplate how far away from his roots Jake had truly gotten since he had left home for college. She still didn't mind wading in the water and enjoying a little moment to herself.

"You don't have to stick with me. I know that you probably have a million other things to take care of today than to babysit." Grace said honestly, looking up at Gregor as she took his arm anyway, her hand settling in the crook of his arm. "Not that I don't appreciate a sympathetic shoulder, but I know you have a life that I've pulled you away from."



Inga had watched from the front steps of her vardo as Jason ran around the camp like a madman, trying to complete all of his tasks so that he could properly ask for her hand in marriage. Connie and her Papa had enjoyed watching him, laughing after the farmer as he got through a good number of people before he seemed to slow.

Inga chuckled as he came her way finally, a bit broken down by the last task of entertaining a group of children while their parents enjoyed their own brand of entertainment in their vardo. He seemed tired, but so incredibly eager.

"You know they're having a bit of fun with you, right?" Inga asked as Jason paused at her side, watching as she lit up a cigarette and blew a steady stream of smoke into the air. "I wouldn't tell you just yet or let you figure it out on your own, but you seem to earnest and headstrong about the entire thing."

 

[DeadManTyping]

Jason took a break from the work, saying he needed something to eat but really just needing to get away for a moment. He was a single farmer with no permanent hands to help him, so long hard days were no stranger to him. And yet he was beat, both mentally and physically.

He was actually heading for his house initially, but then seeing Inga sitting at her vardo and Papa Don and Connie still at the former's -- all three of them currently watching him with interest -- Jason turned the direction of the woman for whom he was slaving. She asked him...

"You know they're having a bit of fun with you, right?"

Jason had, of course, suspected this, but without certainty -- as well as fearing that if he was wrong Papa Don would turn him down -- he'd continued to work away as hard and as fast as he could. Now, though, Jason turned to look toward the two elderly Romani. Knowing that the jig was up, Connie's head slumped quickly to the side feigning sleep, while Papa Don diverted his gaze to the sleeping man and feigned being in deep conversation with him.

"I wouldn't tell you just yet or let you figure it out on your own, but you seem to earnest and headstrong about the entire thing."

Jason shook his head and laughed. He looked back to Inga, watching her send a cloud of cigarette smoke into the air high above her. He let his eyes take a walk over her form before reaching out to snatch her by the hand had pull her to her feet.

"C'mon," he said, smiling to her. "I need a bath ... and I need someone to wash my back."

 

[heartofcourage]

Inga laughed as Jason snagged her to her feet, pulling her up as he looped his fingers around her wrist and she was soon pressed against his side. When he insisted that he needed someone to wash his back for him, she shook her head no.

"Last time we tried that, we made a mess of the bathroom. I'll make you dinner while you get cleaned up. A specialty of mine. Goulash." Inga promised, giving him a grin as she leaned into his side. "And then we can speak about who you still need to help before you can truly make your offer to Papa. He might have been teasing you about all of this, but he'll deeply respect you if you carry on with it. You might even earn some money from him in the end."

 

[DeadManTyping]

"Where I want to be."

Grace spokes the words as if she wasn't certain -- as if she had no idea -- of where that might be. Quietly within the bounds of his own skull, Gregor was thinking Don't care where you choose, just choose to be there with me.

Except for possibly saying I want to be in your bed with you, Grace continued with about the next thing...

"I suppose I want to be at the stream. It's where I'm happiest."

She gave Gregor an out with...

"You don't have to stick with me. I know that you probably have a million other things to take care of today than to babysit."

Gregor smiled and waited for the beauty's eyes to look up from the nowhere at which her gaze had been set to him instead. He crooked his arm in invitation.

"Not that I don't appreciate a sympathetic shoulder, but I know you have a life that I've pulled you away from."

He wanted to tell her You are my life now, Grace, but he'd already scared her in so many different ways during their few moments together over the past few days. Instead, he told her, "I have nothing to do at the moment."

It was, of course, a lie. There was not a moment of the day when he didn't have something he should be doing for the good of the Family, the Treasury, or his own little box of coin hidden under his bed in his and Connie's vardo. But life wasn't just about slaving away. And the Romani were versatile, which meant that there would someone at the camp -- male or female -- who could cover for the missing Gregor ... and, of course, claim his portion of any profit to be made from the work.

By now the afternoon portion of the carnavale was in full swing, with children and their parents enjoying the arts and crafts and jugglers and magic shows and food and drink and all the gypsies had to offer. Gregor should have been providing some manual labor or perhaps assisting one of the performers with a little extra muscle. But they would make it through the day without him.

As they walked along the edge of the stream -- sometimes side by side, sometimes with Gregor stepping ahead as the path narrowed to assist Grace -- he responded to her comment about the life from which she was pulling him. "I have always been a gypsy ... a Romani traveler. It is all I've ever known. It is all I will ever know. This life ... these people. The Family, these people ... each of them, each and ever one ... they are more than friends ... they are Family ... my family. They always will be. We take care of one another ... and ... when there is need ... someone will always step up."

They arrived at a crossing in the creek that once had had a foot bridge. A heavy rain and flood had washed the crossing away -- its wreckage could be seen several yards down the creek -- so, without letting her know it was coming, Gregor suddenly swept Grace up into his arms and waded out into the knee high water.

The feel of Grace in his arms was incredible. Oh, it wasn't like his hands were groping her ass or curling around to feel the curve of the distant breast or anything like that. But, just to hold her ... to see her face so close to his ... it was still enough to cause him to begin swelling down below his belt line.

He laughed at her response, and after reaching the other side set her feet on the higher bank and assisted her to height again. He scrambled up the rise, wiping his dirty hands upon the green grass and then again on the backs of his pants before offering his hand, rather than the crook of his elbow. Which would she take, if either at all? He didn't care. He was still with her, and that was all that mattered.

"I was a little boy when my mother died," he continued his tale of how the Romani took care of one another. "Four, I believe. My father took care of me alone for a while ... teaching me much of what I would need to know ... before he died. I was eight. Again, I believe. We don't celebrate birthdays, the Romani, so. My father, he was very good with his hands, like me. He fought in the ring. He also picked pockets."

Gregor smiled, then chuckled. "I should probably be ashamed of this, but ... I was very proud of my father for that last. I remember following behind him through a thick crowd one night ... watching him closely ... watching his hands. From one side of the carnavale to the other ... then back again ... with the skill of a magician -- not a pull-the-rabbit-out-of-the-hat magician, but ... how do I say ... a wizard! Once through and once back across the carnavale, I watched ... and when we arrived at the back of our vardo, he had eight wallets, four pocket watches, a purse, and a gold chain."

Gregor reached into his shirt and pulled out the chain he wore at all times outside of the fisticuffs ring. He showed it and the intricately carved pendant hanging from it to Grace. "This chain is the one my father claimed that night. The pendant ... it was my mother's. My father carved it for her."

Gregor studied the pendant as he continued, his eyes glazing a couple of times as he continued. "He was a poor man when they met ... he had no gold band for her to wear ... no dowry to give my grandfather, her father, for Mama's hand. With both of them standing below, my father climbed to the top of a sequoia -- that's a very tall tree in California -- and he cut off its crown with a saw. The wind was blowing so hard that the tree swayed to and fro, and my mother cried in terror ... certain that he would fall to his death."

Gregor chuckled, looking to Grace as he explained with humor, "I wasn't there to see this, obviously ... but ... Father ... Connie ... he had told me this story a thousand times and will certain tell it a thousand times more."

He slipped the pendant back inside his shirt and looked off over the rolling hills of both Jason's land and that of the neighbors. "When he returned to the bottom, my father spent two days carving the pendant, then took it to my grandfather, telling him that he would work a million times harder to protect and care for his daughter, my mother, if only he was given the opportunity to be her husband."

Gregor smiled as he looked to Grace, adding, "A year later, I was born."

He stopped the two of them, realizing how far they'd gone, and turned them toward a trail that would take them back along this side of the stream. It was a slightly different direction due to a slough that arched out a bit and it would take at least twice as long to get back. But then, Gregor was in no hurry for their walk to conclude ... or his time with Grace to end either.

He decided not to tell Grace about how his father had died of wounds received during a beating after -- this time -- getting caught attempting to steal a wallet. Gregor was afraid it might turn off Grace about this romantic Romani life about which he was speaking. Instead he told her, "After my father's death, his parents cared for me. But then, they died, too. They were very old ... not well.

"Connie took me in. Did you meet Connie? Constantin Vidraru, my mother's mother's father. He is the oldest man in the Family. He and Papa Don are the only one's left from the Old World. When they are gone..."

Gregor went silent, his eyes looking off into the distance at nothing in particular. He smiled as thoughts of his upbringing and his fun moments with Connie and the others came to him. He looked to Grace, studying her for a moment, before looking off into the distance again.

"Connie would like you," he said with a happy tone. "I will take you to meet Connie ... have dinner with him. You would like him. He's not like me ... he's a flirt."

Gregor looked to the beauty at his side with a wide smile.

********************​

At his suggestion that they get naked and climb into his filled bathtub, Inga told Jason...

"Last time we tried that, we made a mess of the bathroom."

He laughed at the memory, remembering how many towels it had taken to dry the floor of the water their love making had spilled to it.

"I'll make you dinner while you get cleaned up. A specialty of mine. Goulash."

"Goo-losh...?" Jason asked with a suddenly doubtful expression filling his face. "Doesn't sound ... appetizing. Sounds like something I would feed to the hogs."

He laughed at her response, and as she leaned into him, he put an arm around her and held her tight, walking her toward what was now his and would hopefully soon be her home.

"And then we can speak about who you still need to help before you can truly make your offer to Papa. He might have been teasing you about all of this, but he'll deeply respect you if you carry on with it. You might even earn some money from him in the end."

"I don't know if I will survive it all!" he told her, not entirely joking. "I may have to exchange my vows with you from my death bed ... dying of exhaustion ... but ... I will exchange--"

Jason went silent, then stopped suddenly. As he looked Inga in her eyes, he said, "I ... I didn't actually ... I mean, when we ... you and I, we spoke of..."

He knew what he wanted to say. He just couldn't get it out. Jason reached into his pocket and withdrew a small object. He dropped to one knee and held it out: Inga would certainly recognize the braided, ring of fine silken thread as it had been crafted by one of her Romani Family members. Jason had seen a woman making them during his afternoon of slavery and told them they could go get one of his fryer rabbits in exchange for the one made of gold and silver thread.

"I know this is premature, 'cause I am still earning your hand," Jason began. He elevated the ring, held in the fingertips of both hands, as he finished with an intentionally playful over exaggeration of her name, "Will you marry me, Inga Murtorovanni?"

 

[heartofcourage]

The ease with which Gregor interacted with her and told her the story of his birth was a breath of fresh air. Jake never spoke about his childhood. What little she knew was from Jason, whom had very fond memories of his growing up on that farm. It was nice to have someone willing to confess their secrets to her and to trust her without hesitation.

“You take pride in stealing from people?” Grace asked, a little confused that he seemed so excited to share his father’s story. “I know you work hard as well, but thieving isn’t honorable.”

She remembered when her brother, Benny, had stolen from the local grocer. The Sheriff had carted his scrawny self to her father’s farm and her father had told the Sheriff that he wanted Benny to learn his lesson. At 16, Benny had a record and had spent time in the local jail until his debt had been repaid. Walter had made his son sleep outside for another couple of months before he was finally welcomed back into the house. All of the Evans children had been threatened that if the Sheriff picked them up for any reason, there would be hell to pay.

“But I suppose you have to do what you can to survive.” Grace said softly as Gregor suddenly mentioned his great-grandfather. “I’m not so sure dinner is a good idea. I don’t want Jake to get the wrong idea of word gets back to him.”

She knew her husband’s reach was long and while he probably would never know that she had been having dinner with another man while they were spending time apart, it wasn’t really a risk that she wanted to take.



Inga watched with a neutral expression as Jason got down on one knee and presented her with a handmade Gypsy ring. He looked so earnest doing it, his blonde hair tousled and that silly little boyish grin on his face. She leaned in and kissed his lips gently, giving him a little smirk.

“First, you’ll try my goulash.” Inga said, not saying yes or no to his proposal. “Then we’ll discuss where we’ll keep my vardo. Then, and only then, will I let you try and convince me why I should marry you right away.”

 

[DeadManTyping]

Grace asked...

“You take pride in stealing from people?”

Gregor peeked the woman's way for a moment, then turned his head away and smirked. It did sound a bit inappropriate when he considered it from Grace's point of view.

“I know you work hard as well, but thieving isn’t honorable ... But I suppose you have to do what you can to survive.”

Gregor didn't know how to respond, so he didn't. To excuse the less legitimate ways of his people would not score him any points with Grace; to tell her he himself would stop his criminal activities would score points if she could believe him, but -- he knew -- there was no way she was going to believe that; so, the best option seemed to simply keep his mouth shut.

She turned him down for dinner, fearful that her husband might find out. He told her he understood. Still, when they reached a fork in the path, Gregor turned them back toward the camp rather than Jason's house. "Lunch, then. Maybe a jagnięcina płaska żytnia ... lamb in a flat rye wrap ... no yeast, what is it called ... unleavened?"

He took Grace's hand and slipped into the crook of his arm again, smiling. To reassure her that all was well, he reminded her, "Not dinner. Just a sandwich."

*******************​

"What the hell are you doing about this, Sheriff?"

Barlow Barker leaned even farther back into his squeaking chair, telling Walter, "I'm doing it."

Grace's father stared with wide eyes at the man who was sitting with his feet up on his desk. "Doing what? What the fuck are you--"

"Language, Mister Evans," Barlow said softly.

Walter went silent for a moment. He was an adult man with children old enough to have children of their own, and he was getting chastised for using profanity...? And yet, the farmer settled himself down before he continued, "What are you doing, Sheriff? It doesn't appear as if you are doing anything."

"I'm waiting for him," the law man said, nodding his head toward the office door.

Walter turned to find his brother-in-law just entering the office, one hand filled with loose papers and thin file folders both. He barely acknowledged Walter's presence, instead moving right up to Barlow and dropping the papers with a light slap onto the desk.

"That's everything you need, Sheriff," Jake told him. He looked at Walter for a quick moment -- again, barely acknowledging that he knew the man -- before turning back to Barlow and demanding, "I want my wife back in my home before nightfall."

"What is all this?" Walter asked his son-in-law as he gestured to the papers Barlow was perusing. "How will this--"

"Please excuse me, Mister Evans," Jake said with a cold, professional tone as he circled around the man for the door. Before he left, he looked to Barlow one last time and said with a more serious tone, "Before dark, Sheriff. Or, I make a call to the Governor."

Walter watched Jake disappear down the Department's hallway, shocked that his daughter's husband had shown him so little attention, let alone respect. He turned back to Barlow, who was reviewing the pages that laid out more than three dozen charges the Romani could face. The lawyer-turned-judge sure knew how to write up warrants and writs.

"What is that?" Walter asked. "What did he give you?"

Barlow slipped all of the pages into one of the folders, stood, and moved to the gun rack. He rarely had the need to carry one of the Department's shotguns, but today he was going to have one close. Not because he actually thought he would use it, but because the Romani didn't know he wouldn't.

"Go home, Mister Evans," Barlow told the older man. When the farmer began to object, Barlow gave him a harsh look that pushed him quickly to silence. He said calmly, "Go home, Walter. Let me take care of this."

*******************​

"First, you’ll try my goulash. ... Then we’ll discuss where we’ll keep my vardo. Then, and only then, will I let you try and convince me why I should marry you right away.”

Jason feigned a pout pushing his lower lip out, pocketed the ring in his shirt pocket, and stood to move up against Inga. Her wrapped an arm around her, low to the small of her back, leaned in, and gave her a passionate, wet kiss.

"I thought I already convinced you why you should marry me," he said, letting his hand slide down to grope a firm butt cheek. He kissed her again, smiled devilishly, and said suggestively, "This morning ... in the bathtub."

As she was responding, Jason bent at the waist, pushed his shoulder into her belly, and flung her over his shoulder with a laugh. He hurried for the house, calling over his shoulder all forms of inappropriate comments about their naked time and how when they reached the house he was going to do more to, with, and for her ... while all the time wondering what the hell goulash was.

 

[heartofcourage]

Gregor grinned and changed his phrasing, telling her the meal wouldn’t be a full “dinner”. Just something light and kin to a sandwich. She hadn’t had a simple sandwich since she had begun living with Jake. He didn’t eat sandwiches. The thought made her chuckle slightly, shaking her head as she gave him a shrug of her shoulders.

“Well, how can I say no to that offer?” Grace asked, giving him a slight smile and motioned for him to lead the way.


Inga let out a shriek as Jason scooped her up succeenly, her belly draped over his shoulder as he talked loudly about all the things they had done and were going to do. She kicked her legs, telling him that he was a brute as she heard laughter coming from behind them. She’d teach him a lesson when she had the chance, but first she would cook him a dinner to remember.

 

[DeadManTyping]

Grace accepted Gregor's invitation to a sandwich, took his offered elbow, and went with him back to the camp again. And all the way there, the Romani smiled with delight, because for at least a few more minutes, the beautiful redhead was to remain in his company.

*********************​

Jason tried his best to get Inga to join him in the bath: kissing, playfully groping, even trying to get her dress up over her head. He got nowhere and ended up showering instead. By the time he was out, the house was filled with the smell of herbs and boiling tomato sauce.

"Smells delicious," he said as he emerged from the bathroom naked, still drying his front side with a towel that barely hid the family jewels. He continued, "Were you able to find everything you needed to--"

That was when Jason almost leaped out of his skin at the presence of a little Romani girl standing on a chair near the kitchen counter, helping Inga. He should have fled to the bathroom, but panic somehow caused Jason to simply drape the towel before his lower section as he exploded in red.

"He's naked!" the little girl laughed. As the man she was pointing at stood looked back and forth between the two, the little girl announced with no embarrassment on her part, "I'm Stella!"

"Hi, Stella," Jason said nervously, finally getting into the right mind enough to begin backing into the hallway. Seeing Inga's expression, he laughed and -- as he disappeared from their sight -- said, "Bye, Stella."

Jason circled to the downstairs room where some of his clothes were now and dressed. When he emerged again, fully dressed, Jason learned that the little girl -- one of the flower pickers about whom Grace had spoke the day before -- had been running between the camp and the house with ingredients for the goulash and news of interest to Inga.

"I won't let that happen again..." Jason apologized, clarifying, "...coming out of the bathroom naked. I mean ... unless you ask me to come out naked, of course. But ... only if I thought it would make you happy."

Jason would try to sneak a kiss, caress, and grope from the woman of his dreams if he could...

*********************​

"I thought I already had your commitment to send--"

The voice on the other end of the telephone cut Barlow Barker off, and after a moment he simply ended the call with a polite, "Tomorrow night will be fine, Sheriff. Thank you for your assistance."

Barlow set the ear piece back in the phone's holder and stared at it for a moment. It was one of only 14 telephone in the town, half of which were owned by the City Government or the County Courts, while the other half were owned by the townsfolk who were the wealthiest or most important. Of course, Barlow often thought the latter was usually only self importance.

Which brought him to the recipient of his next call. He lifted the ear piece and cranked the handle again, and when the operator answered, Barlow asked to be connected to District Judge Jacob Townsend, giving her the man's home number.

"It's ironic, don't you think?" he said to the Deputy leaning back against the window sill, staring out at the slowly falling sun. When the Deputy asked Barlow what he meant, the Sheriff explained, "Before these new fangled telephones, I used to send you to fetch people. Now, I can just ask some woman in Clinton -- two counties over -- to connect me to their home. Talk to them without leaving my chair."

"I don't understand the irony part, Sheriff," the Deputy said with a confused tone.

Barlow covered the mouth piece as he heard the operator announcing the connection and explained, "It's so much easier to speak to this prick now ... and ... and I really think I liked the old way, because it meant that he had to get up, get dressed, and get here. It was more fun for me."

As the Deputy laughed, Barlow lifted his hand from the mouth piece standing on his desk and explained to Jake that most of the Sheriff's in the neighboring counties couldn't send help -- and extra guns -- over to run the Romani out of town until tomorrow. There was a moment of silence from Jake's end of the line, followed by a crashing that the law man who had dealt with his share of domestic disputes thought sounded suspiciously like a large platter hitting a nearby wall.

"Is everything okay, Judge?" Barlow asked with some humor in his voice. When Jake simply told him yes, the Sheriff went on to say, "I will still be delivering the papers that you delivered to me this afternoon to the Romani a bit later. I'll be taking my Deputy with me."

The Deputy smiled with delight and stood tall. He'd been spending much of his time watching over the Romani or responding to townsfolk reports of them causing problems in town. But he hadn't had an opportunity to actually visit the carnavale ... or its whore tents. Every night since he'd first seen her sitting there on the steps of her vardo parked in the middle of the highway, the Deputy had been beating his pud to the fantasy of having that dark haired Romani woman bent over the fender well of his Model T, screaming out as he slammed his big cock deep into her well-used brothel-whore pussy.

The Deputy had seen the woman a few times from a distance, sometimes up at or near Jason Townsend's home. He could just imagine that the farmer was pounding his own groin against the woman's backside, filling her pussy with his seed so that nine months from now she was screaming out in a different kind of pain as she birthed yet another bastard gypsy whore child.

"Yes, yes," Barlow was telling the other Townsend on the phone, "And I'll have Grace back in your bed to perform her--"

Barlow pulled the ear piece back from his head, and the Deputy could hear the man on the other end chastising the Sheriff with some choice profane words. The junior of the two law men had never heard Judge Townsend come unglued before, not even when an intoxicated defendant pitched a fit in his court room. His Honor had always been so professional here at the offices. The Deputy had no idea just what Jake was like elsewhere ... nor that he was the type who had recently taken to raping his own wife when she displeased him ... or others displeased him and Jake simply needed someone upon whom he could take out his anger.

Barlow returned the phone's ear piece to the stand and told his Deputy, "Get your shotgun ... and a box of double ought, just in case."

"We going out to the gypsy camp, Sheriff?" the Deputy asked with a hopeful tone.

"We're going out to Jason Townsend's place," Barlow corrected, standing and once again retrieving his own shotgun for the second time today. He'd driven by the Romani camp earlier today after following Walter Evans -- who'd come to town on his old tractor -- to ensure that Grace's father did in fact return to his own home as Barlow had suggested. "We're gonna talk to Grace Townsend again, and ... with any luck ... bring her back home without having to point any weapons at other people."

*********************​

With their meal down and Grace looking antsy about being caught in the Romani Camp -- particularly with the fighter who Jake believed was the cause of all these troubles -- Gregor waved one of the teen age girls over from where she and others were trying to sell clothing and other items to a pair of towns women.

Gregor spoke to the girl in a mash-up of German and Italian, her mother and father's respective languages. And all the while the pair were glancing at Grace, who obviously was the topic of their conversation. Finally, the girl grasped Grace by the hand and urged her to rise with, "Come. Come! We make you ready for show! Come!"

The Romani fighter smiled at Grace's reaction to the teen, then explained. "You can't stay here as Grace Townsend, wife of Jacob Townsend. And ... I don't believe that you want to leave yet ... because ... you are madly in love with me and love my attention and company."

He gave Grace a moment to react, unsure of what her response would be, then continued with glances between the two women, "So ... we make you a Romani. No Grace Townsend no more. Dress ... makeup ... hair ... maybe veil..."

Gregor wasn't sure whether Grace -- who had spent less time at the camp than up at her brother-in-law's home -- had seen any of the local women who had come to the carnavale and played dress up in the afternoons. (They didn't do it at night, of course, fearing that they might be mistaken for gypsy prostitutes and be propositioned.) But if she had noticed the local women, she would have noticed that the looked so radically different at times that even their husbands might not have recognized them.

"You dress up ... you have fun ... you not worry about Jake," Gregor said, leaning to reach and gently squeeze Grace's free hand for the briefest of moments. He added with a smile, "And if you want ... I stay close ... watch over you ... protect you, Grace."

*********************​

"My god," Jason murmured shoving another spoonful of goulash into his mouth. He was on his third serving by now and not nearly tired of the amazing flavor. "Now ... you have to marry me. If I don't have you here to make this for me every night, I ... I think I'll probably just starve to death."

They finished their dinner, then spent an hour or more talking -- and laughing -- about some of the crazy things with which he'd been tasked doing today for Inga's hand in marriage. "Never in a hundred years would I have thought I'd have to help a woman into her corset. What the hell was that about? Her husband just sat back and laughed ... gave me instructions. And I certainly don't mean to be rude, but ... I didn't know corsets came that big!"

Jason told Inga he had a couple of more chores to do tonight, then he wanted to go to the carnavale. "I haven't really spent any time there ... amongst your people. That first night ... fight night ... well, that was kind of a bust, wasn't it?"

He didn't bring up the fact that most of his time in the camp had been spent in Marla's vardo, between her thighs. Jason was hoping to high heaven that Inga would one day forget that his first real interaction with her Family had been one of filling the prostitute's pussy with his discharge ... four times.

 

[heartofcourage]

Inga had enjoyed Stella's company as she sent her around the camp for the ingredients for one of her family specialties. Jason would think twice about even joking about her goulash in the future. She was the keeper of her family's recipes. She took great joy in making meals for those that she cared about and even those that she didn't. Each time Stella came back into the house, Inga patiently explained what each ingredient was and what it was used for. The little girl helped her, cutting up the herbs and vegetables, helping to grind the meat until everything was simmering in the big pot over Jason's stove.

"Smells delicious," Jason said as he emerged from the bathroom naked, still drying his front side with a towel that barely hid the family jewels. He continued, "Were you able to find everything you needed to--"

Inga looked over her shoulder to where Jason stood completely nude in the doorway, the towel he had been using loosely draped in front of him to hide his manhood. She gave him a grin as he almost leaped out of his skin at the presence of a little Romani girl standing on a chair near the kitchen counter. He should have fled to the bathroom, but panic somehow caused Jason to simply drape the towel before his lower section as he exploded in red.

"He's naked!" the little girl laughed.

"That he is." Inga commented, giving Stella a laugh as she didn't seem the least bit embarrassed about the fact that Jason had entered the room without a stitch of clothing on.

As the man she was pointing at stood looked back and for the between the two, the little girl announced with no embarrassment on her party, "I'm Stella!"

"Stella is my fourth cousin on my mother's side. One of the smartest little girls in the entire camp." Inga announced, laughing again as Jason turned the brightest shade of tomato red and excused himself.

"Hi, Stella," Jason said nervously, finally getting into the right mind enough to begin backing into the hallway. Seeing Inga's expression, he laughed and -- as he disappeared from their sight -- said, "Bye, Stella."

Inga finished up the meal and handed Stella a large bowl filled with the pasta and meat mixture, walking her to the door with a very simple direction. "Take that back to your Mama. Tell her thank you for the meat." She shooed the little girl off them, watching as she scurried away to the camp.

She was just finishing the meal when Jason reappeared, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her before copping a feel of her ass. "I won't let that happen again..." Jason apologized, clarifying, "...coming out of the bathroom naked. I mean ... unless you ask me to come out naked, of course. But ... only if I thought it would make you happy."

"We bathe in rivers together, Jason. She's seen a naked man before. It's not as embarrassing to us as it is to you." Inga murmured, kissing him again and making him take a seat before she served him the wonderful meal that she had made for him.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The meal with Gregor and his little part of the family had actually been lovely. She didn't feel pressured to be anything other than herself, freer than she was with Jake. She had really missed having so many people around, the noise and the laughter surrounding them. Grace actually had to admit to herself that she felt at home. When Gregor spoke to a woman in another language, the other woman was suddenly at Grace's side, pulling her to her feet.

"What? No, I have to go home soon." Grace murmured, trying to apologize for not wanting to go with her, but the girl ignored her anyway, insisting in that same foreign language that she was going to come with her.

Gregor smiled at Grace's reaction to the teen, then explained. "You can't stay here as Grace Townsend, wife of Jacob Townsend. And ... I don't believe that you want to leave yet ... because ... you are madly in love with me and love my attention and company."

"No, that's not it at all." Grace insisted, the woman tugging her towards the stall. "Gregor, this has been very nice but I really do need to get back to Jason's house. I shouldn't be out here much longer."

"You dress up ... you have fun ... you not worry about Jake," Gregor said, leaning to reach and gently squeeze Grace's free hand for the briefest of moments. He added with a smile, "And if you want ... I stay close ... watch over you ... protect you, Grace."

Grace was quiet as he said that, giving her a chance to have some fun. It still felt very wrong, but as she let go of his hand, the woman pulled her to the stall and behind a curtain. It seemed like an eternity before she came back out, dressed in a lovely Romani dress, her hair braided with small pieces of ribbon and lace. She felt so incredibly out of place, but she had to pause when she saw the look of appreciation in Gregor's eyes.

"I've never worn anything like this before." She said softly, so self conscious as Gregor looked her up and down, appraising her.

Jake would have made mention of some flaw by now, telling her that she looked a fool and asking that she change it. However, he said nothing, but the appreciation on his face was very apparent. She actually blushed, almost as red as her hair, pulling at the dress as if she might made it a little looser or a little longer to hide herself from his gaze..

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@


"My god," Jason murmured shoving another spoonful of goulash into his mouth. He was on his third serving by now and not nearly tired of the amazing flavor. "Now ... you have to marry me. If I don't have you here to make this for me every night, I ... I think I'll probably just starve to death."

"So you'll admit that you were wrong to criticize?" Inga asked, giving him a smirk. "This is only a beginning. I have many other recipes up my sleeve."

As they finished their meal, Jason told her all about the adventures he had been on earlier that day and how hard he had worked. "My poor Jason." Inga crooned, teasing him with a smile as he suddenly spoke about going to the carnival. "I can take you there and introduce you to the card games. Or we could get up to mischief in my vardo. Whatever you like."

 

[DeadManTyping]

"Stella is my fourth cousin on my mother's side..."

Jason smiled at the phrase fourth cousin as Inga went on, cooking and explaining both. What the hell was a fourth cousin? He knew what a first cousin was, of course. Second cousin and even cousin once or twice removed weren't unknown to him, though in his relatively small extended family he thought he might only have two of three of them ... of any of them.

It was hard for Jason to imagine having such an extended family living nearby, let alone with you. Jason and Jake had a widowed uncle in the next county over to the west who had a married but as-of-yet childless son; and to the north, they had a pair of cousins, one married with children and one -- a young woman -- who wasn't likely to ever have children because she'd told then-14 year old Jason once when he tried to kiss her out behind that the barn that he couldn't ... because she liked kissing other girls instead of boys.

(Jason had thought that really weird at the time and maybe something he should tell her parents -- for the cousin's sake, of course -- yet he'd kept the secret then and had kept it to this day, knowing that the majority of the populace shunned such women like that.)

Other than those relatives, there were many more: another married uncle to the east, an aunt down south who had become a Catholic nun despite the family having grown up Methodist. With the exception of Jake, Grace, and Grace's family, Jason had no relatives closer than a full day's drive in the Model T. And that was if the vehicle didn't break down along the highway.

When he emerged from the bedroom, Jason was dressed and Stella was gone. He apologized for his flash of nudity, only to have Inga inform him...

"We bathe in rivers together, Jason. She's seen a naked man before..."

He held her close and copped a feel of her tight ass, and as his cock hardened and pressed it conspicuously against her, he whispered, "I could never be a Romani, then ... 'caused I'd be walking around with this thing leading me after you all day long.

*************************​

When Grace finally emerged from the dress up tent in a loose fitting, draping gypsy dress, Gregor stood quickly and simply stared at her with wide eyes.

"I've never worn anything like this before."

Gregor gestured for the pair of Romani women who had assisted Grace to spin her around. It fit her so perfectly ... which, to Gregor, meant that it showed off her delicious female curves wonderfully. Without all those additional layers her regular style demanded of a decent woman, the curves of Grace's breasts and buttocks were do better displayed ... and as was happening to Jason up in his house with Inga, Gregor's cock was coming alive here in the camp as well.

In the German-Italian mix, Gregor spoke to the women as he dipped into his pockets to bring out some coin and paper money. The elder of the two women -- the mama -- waved at her Family member dismissively, telling him in English, "No money. You work off."

"Done," he told the woman, smiling to her and then her daughter. "Make me a list."

The pair fawned over Grace a moment herself. The daughter of the pair added to Grace's hair a flower-like decoration made of bright thread, then complimented her with words she wouldn't understand before heading back to the tent to help with a woman towing twin girls behind her.

The mother of the pair shooed Grace's hands out of the away as the latter was pulling at the clothes, trying to make her curves less noticeable to the man ogling her with great appreciation. Instead, the Romani pulled at the string criss-crossed down the middle of Grace's bosom to make it tighter and better show off those curves. Then, she reached both hands up to innocently grope and lift Grace's breasts, trying to make her otherwise unbridled bosom sit higher within the bindings of the west.

Gregor laughed at Grace's reaction, then -- after the Romani woman spoke to him with words Grace wouldn't understand but a tone that she would recognize as being in the format of a question -- Gregor responded, "Nein, Sie ist verheiratet."

The Romani looked into Grace's eyes, hesitated, then in English said only, "Too bad. Good together. I know this."

The grasped Grace's upper arms in her hands, pull her close, and kissed her cheeks -- one side after another -- before reminding Gregor work off cost and heading back to the tent to deal with the next customer.

"Schönen Körper alle jungen berühren wollen," Gregor said, repeating the words the Romani woman had spoken to make Gregor laugh. "She said you had a beautiful body that all the boys want to touch ... then ... she asked me if I was touching it."

He looked to the ground before him as is unsure of whether or not he should continue before doing so. "Actually, she asked me if I was doing more than touching you. I told her no ... that you were married. And ... well ... you heard her answer to that."

Grace only had a moment to react to what Gregor had said before a ruckus suddenly enveloped her. A mass of young gypsies -- as well as some locals in normal garb or costume -- suddenly grasped the newest Romani of the Family, grasping both of her hands and sweeping her into their dancing chain. Accompanying them was a tiny orchestra including Romani playing a fiddle, a concertina, a piccolo, a tambourine, and more, and they hurried Grace away through the carnavale as they laughed and danced and sang.

Behind her, Gregor latched onto the hand of the chain's last member and simply joined in the fun, watching the woman who for now was no longer Grace Townsend as they danced about the field with a sun as fiery red as her hair descending behind the vardo...

*************************​

It was amazing to Jason how different the carnavale was when you looked upon it as he was now. That first night -- not the one during which Marla had paid the rent but the one of fight night -- Jason had been in his brother's tow, basically. Jake had arrived at the farm already hating the entire idea of the gypsy camp being on the family's land, and since Jason had allowed it, the latter was feeling like a dog about to be whipped for something he was as of yet to do wrong.

Now, though, the carnavale was like a dream to Jason. Inga had pointed out some of the entertainment and food he should particularly pay some attention to, as well as show him -- and warn him, too -- about some of the card and dice games taking place before she herself had to go off to catch up on some things she'd been missing during her time away at his house.

"Step right up, sir, step right up!" a man behind a table filled with cards called to Jason as the latter passed. "Win big, my good man. You can do it with the simple turn of a card."

Jason stepped up to the table, remembering Inga's warnings. Not all of the gambling games were frauds and cheats, he knew. But those that weren't had long odds or confusing rules. He listened to the man's instructions, tossed a coin onto the table, played ... and won.

"Winner! Winner!" the Romani called out, wanting all about them to know that it was possible after all. The gypsy begged, "You must let me try to win my money back, sir, please! I have twelve children to feed and three goats ... or ... is it twelve goats to feed and three children, I don't remember."

Jason laughed at the man's humor, as did some of the crowd beginning to gather about him. He played again and lost, played a third, fourth, and fifth time to win each, then lost again. By now, the crowd about him was getting larger, as were the bets on the table. Jason had almost $20 in coin and single dollar bills sitting before him, which might have seemed like big winnings to anyone stepping up now to watch. But he was also very well aware of the fact that much of that cash before him had come out of his pocket. The Romani was simply very good at playing the crowd, and he knew that a big pile of money on the table would bring in more players than a small one, regardless of whose money it was.

"One more," Jason said, feeling like he had the game down in his mind but also knowing that playing much longer would likely end in disaster. "Just one more try."

The Romani shuffled the cards, spread them out before Jason, matched the money on the table with a similar amount of his own, and gestured for the farmer to select his three cards. Jason did, the dealer turned over his own two cards, and the crowd gave out a collective groan as -- despite Jason's more numerous cards -- the gypsy's total surpassed his.

"Oh-h-h-h, bad luck sir," the Romani responded with feigned yet very realistic seeming regret. He tried to encourage Jason to play just one more hand, to win back his money, but Jason waved him off, laughing. The gypsy scooped the winnings off the edge of the table into a pouch tied around his waist and called out, "Who's my next big winner? Who's going to break me tonight?"

Jason was practically pushed aside by the people who'd been watching and were sure that they could do better than the local man who obviously didn't know the game as well as they did. As he faded through the crowd, Jason found himself face to face with Marla, who was clutching the arm of a man whose face suddenly filled with panic. The two of them shared a knowing smirk but exchanged no words as Jason looked to the man Marla was certainly steering toward the tents located in the back corner of the field.

"Hey, Pete," Jason greeted, offering a hand. The other man hesitantly took Jason's hand for a quick shake, and as the latter patted him on the shoulder and passed to continue onward, he said over his shoulder, "Give my best to the missus when you get home. She's due just about any day, isn't she?"

Jason just chuckled to himself as he continued onward, thinking to himself, I hope this never ends...

 

[heartofcourage]

Grace felt like she was in a violent twister, being pulled to and fro by the Romani as they tried so desperately to show her a good time. Gregor spoke as if he had known her intimately, the others treated her just as intimately, and they wouldn’t take no for an answer. They insisted she dance and eat, share with them in everything, including their alcohol.

She had been unaware at first that the drink she had been offered when the dancing had temporarily ended was alcoholic. It was sweet and went down smooth, only burning slightly when she was done swallowing. It went straight to her head, making her feel slightly drunk. She had always been a light weight when it came to drinking, even the fancy wines that Jake had insisted they drink when they were out with friends.

The drink didn’t make her bolder, but it did make her feel less self conscious. And Gregor was there the entire time, holding onto her elbow or guiding her around so that she could see all of the sights.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” She finally asked as they paused beside a vardo. “You don’t even know me. You don’t have to do any of this.”

 

[DeadManTyping]

It was good to see Grace enjoying herself. Gregor thought back over the days since he'd met her, attempting to recall if he'd ever seen her truly enjoying herself. The children. Outside his vardo this morning. That was the one time that Gregor knew for sure she'd been enjoying herself.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

The question caught Gregor off guard. He smiled asking simply, "Why wouldn't I be nice to you?"

“You don’t even know me. You don’t have to do any of this.”

He smiled even wider, then reached out to take one of her hands for a brief squeeze before releasing it. "I do know you. And ... I'm not doing this because I have to. I'm doing it because I want to."

Gregor could see in Grace's eyes the effect of the Țuică she'd been drinking over the past couple of hours. She hadn't had much, to be honest, but the plum liqueur could be at high as 65% alcohol by volume, though the bottle he and Grace had been sipping from was barely more than a third that strength.

Finishing this bottle and another would probably loosen Grace's inhibitions and yearning to preserve her marriage enough to get Gregor in between the redheaded beauty's thighs. But he would never do that to her. He smiled to Grace, then added to his explanation, "I'm doing this because it makes me happy. Does it make you happy, Grace?"

 

[heartofcourage]

“I suppose I’m happy.” Grace said with a shrug of her shoulders, wondering if true happiness was something she might ever achieve. “I’m not cooking a meal and I’m not scared of anyone here, so, yes, it does make me happy.”

She took another sip of her drink, pausing as the glass fell from limp fingers as she saw her husband stalking through the front gates some distance away. Jake looked pissed, something clenched in his fist as he looked around for someone in particular. Grace felt her heart hammering away in her chest as she wondered if she could turn and run before he came her way. Instead, Jake spotted someone else, storming that way.

“I have to go. Now.” Grace said, wondering if she could make it to Jason’s house to hide before Jake made it there.

She didn’t know that Jake had already been there, discovering Inga’s things throughout the house. He had no idea who the woman was, but he was furious at his brother for allowing illicit things to happen near his wife.

“How dare you let whoring take place in our family’s house.” Jake spat out at his brother as he came up on Jason, throwing a pair of Inga’s undergarments in his face. “I’m not allowing it to happen. Whoever she is, she’s gone.”

“It’s not whoring if it’s with his wife.” Inga commented from behind Jake, watching the man’s shoulders tighten as he turned to stare at her. “And it isn’t your house, from my understanding. You paid your brother for it and he owns it solely.”

 

[DeadManTyping]

As he was reaching for the bottle to empty the last of its contents into his and Grace's glasses, Gregor saw the latter's eyes widen and the container fall from her hand. He followed her gaze toward the front gate of the field but didn't immediately see what had caught her eye and caused such panic.

“I have to go. Now.”

Gregor turned back to Grace with the intention of asking why when he suddenly realized who -- not what -- had drawn Grace's gaze. He looked back toward the carnavale's entrance again to see a very determined Jake heading this way. The man's head turned this way and that; he was obviously searching for someone, and Gregor was certain that someone was his wife.



Minutes earlier:

The second Ford entering the Townsend home's driveway arrived faster and slid to a stop, sending up a cloud of dust that swallowed the very angry looking Sheriff Barker and the very confused looking Deputy Parker. As Jacob Townsend hopped out and started toward Barlow, the latter asked with disappointment, "Jake, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to retrieve my wife!" Jake nearly spat out, surging right past the two lawmen toward the front porch.

"No, I'm here to retrieve your wife," Barlow corrected, falling in behind the furious man with his Deputy hurrying up behind as well. "Mister Townsend ... Jacob! Jake!"

But Grace's husband continued, up the steps and through the unlocked house, hollering, "Grace! Grace! Where are you? Jason!"

"What do we do, Sheriff?" Christian asked. When Barlow stopped at the open door, not entering, the Deputy asked, "Are we going to help the Judge?"

"No, we aren't," Barlow said. He lifted the folder full of documents Jake had provided him earlier in the day and, without actually looking to the younger law man, told him, "We've got just about every thing we need in here, Deputy ... except a warrant to enter the premises."

Christian gestured toward the man now hurrying through the house, still hollering out the names of his wife and his brother. "What about him?"

"He's not here as a judge right now," Barlow said, turning to sit in one of the rockers where he would pull out the stub of a mostly smoked cigar and light it up. Jacob Townsend is here as a private citizen right now. Take a seat ... relax ... it's gonna be a long night."

"Maybe I should go over to..." Christian said, jerking a thumb toward the carnavale. But catching his boss's glare, he didn't finish, instead only taking a chair and -- trying to draw attention away from the man rampaging through the hours -- then asking, "So, have you checked out that new blond girl down at the diner."



Now:

Jason was chuckling to himself about his gambling experience. He'd enjoyed it a great deal, despite losing. He'd expected it would cost him a few dollars, and he'd accepted that cost as entertainment. But now as he counted what remained in his pockets, Jason realized just how well the gypsy had played him. With all the money rapidly changing hands -- back and forth, winnings and losses -- Jason had had no idea until this moment that he'd actually lost nearly $40. He divided what remained of his cash on hand between all four of his jean's pockets, having been warned by Inga not to put all of his money in one place while he was walking amongst a people well skilled at picking pockets, even those of their landlord.

“How dare you let whoring take place in our family’s house.”

Jason stopped dead in his tracks at his brother's voice. He looked up just in time to have something soft hit him in the face. He pulled the cloth back to discover they were women's underwear.

“I’m not allowing it to happen. Whoever she is, she’s gone.”

Honestly, Jason didn't recognize the panties. For all he knew, they could have been Grace's, left upstairs where she had taken his bed. But if Jake was throwing this kind of a fit, and if Jake knew every little detail about his wife the way Jason figured he did, then they were definitely not Grace's and were instead, obviously, Inga's. Jason couldn't be blamed for not having recognized them, of course. After all, his attention had been on the womanly features hidden within them.

Jason was about to respond when he heard Inga's voice instead...

“It’s not whoring if it’s with his wife.”

Hearing Inga call herself his wife would have made Jason smile with joy any other time. But right now, it only panicked him. He'd seen how Jake had treated Grace on fight night; he suspected that Jake had treated her far worse than that when there'd been no one to watch or possibly stop him. So, what would keep Jake from becoming violent with a lowly thieving whoring gypsy?

Jason started toward Inga with a hurried walk, a path that would take him close past Jake as well.

“And it isn’t your house, from my understanding. You paid your brother for it and he owns it solely.”

"Jake, listen, let's go up to the house," Jason called as he neared his brother. He was just to Jake's side as he continued, "Just you and me, Jake."

In amidst the tables and tents just outside the circled vardo, Gregor got up and grasped Grace's hand. He pulled her to her feet and away from the situation brewing some 100 or so feet away.

"Come with me," he told Grace, pulling her through the crowd. "I promised you, Grace ... promised that I would protect you."

 

[heartofcourage]

Jake calmly assessed his brother, looking him up and down before he turned towards Inga, staring her down as well. “If I find out that you married her, I’ll kill you myself.”

He was calm, almost dangerously so. Turning back to his little brother, he took in a deep breath before he continued. “And if you don’t produce Grace in the next ten minutes, I’m letting the Sheriff clear everyone off this land and haul them all to jail...where I’ll deal with them in the morning. It won’t be so fun after a few months in the county jail.”

When Jason didn’t move, Jake glanced down at his watch, considering it for a moment. “Nine minutes now.”

Grace was in a wild fright as Gregor took her hand and pulled her out of view. “I need my clothes. Now. I need out of this before he sees.”

She kept glancing in the direction of Jason and Jake, watching as they had a conversation which was too soft to hear. Inga watched them both with her arms crossed, her jaw clenched tightly as she sought to control the anger rising in her.

 

[DeadManTyping]

“If I find out that you married her, I’ll kill you myself.”

Jake's threat was literally meant for Jason, yet the farmer knew that if his brother was to become homicidally violent, it would actually be toward Inga or her relatives. Jason stepped slowly in front of Jake, wanting to be ready to stop the man just in case he turned immediately violent.

If he'd been able to think about anything other than Inga's safety at the moment, Jason would have reflected on the irony of his brother's recent violent behavior. At a younger age, Jake had never been the fighting type. Jason had. He'd thrown his first punch in 1st Year at Primary School, defending a girl he'd like by dropping to the ground a boy who had called her ugly and fat. And it had only gotten worse from there.

Over the 9 years of Primary School -- before he'd quit to work full time with his father on the farm -- Jason had been in between 6 and 16 fights a year. He won most of them, despite rarely being the first to throw a punch. On the rare occasion that he'd lost, Jason had lost big. He'd had a baby tooth knocked out with a baseball bat to the jaw, getting lucky by not having his jaw itself broken. Another time, six boys had ganged up on him as revenge for beating up one of the thugs' brothers for sexually assaulting an older girl who was retarded, a word that was yet to be pushed out of popular terminology.

Jake, however, had had the gift and power of the word, as well as the intelligence to back it up. Somehow, he'd always known either how to push a guy to the brink of violence without actually causing a physical fight to erupt; or he'd been able to argue down an asshole, making him realize that he was so in the wrong that even beating up the brain belittling him wasn't going to make him a winner.

So, how was it that Jacob Townsend, District Judge for Clark County, had grown up to be so horribly violent with his wife. Well, actually, presumably violent. In truth, Jason hadn't seen his brother do anything violent to Grace yet. That day at the fight, Jason had been at Jakes' back and hadn't seen the man viciously grope his wife's tit so hard that she had bruises on it the next day. And -- thankfully, he would have thought if he'd been told -- he'd missed Jake essentially raping Grace in the back of their ford later that night. And obviously, since Grace wasn't about to tell him this, Jason had no idea that Jake had very literally raped his wife at their house the following day.

“And if you don’t produce Grace in the next ten minutes, I’m letting the Sheriff clear everyone off this land and haul them all to jail...where I’ll deal with them in the morning. It won’t be so fun after a few months in the county jail.”

"It's not your land anymore ... brother!" Jason growled at Jake. "Like the lady said ... the lady I'm going to marry!"

An argument erupted between the two -- about whoring gypsies and the farm as well -- that resulted in their faces just an inch apart and their voices loud enough to garner the attention from all directions of Romani and locals alike. It only ended when Jake went quiet for a moment and Jason -- fearing that he might throw a punch at his own brother for the first time in their life -- stepped back a bit and took a moment to settle his pounding heart.

“Nine minutes now,”

...Jake said looking at his watch. He looked back to his brother and growled, "Produce ... Grace..."

If he hadn't believed it before, Jason thoroughly and seriously believed now that his brother was a danger to Grace. And yet ... it was all very assumed on Jason's part. Which made doing what he did next very difficult for him.

"I will find Grace ... and I will bring her to the house..." Jason began, seething at his anger with his brother and his surrender -- figuratively and literally both -- to his brother's demands concerning the missing redhead. He drew a deep breath, exhaled, and finished, "...and you can talk to her there ... with me there ... and there Sheriff."

"That works for me," a voice said from Jason's left. When the farmer looked to him, Sheriff Barker -- who had his Deputy standing near him -- jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the house and asked, "Twenty minutes enough for you, Jason?"

The farmer realized that his heart was pounding with the unexpected and unwanted excitement. He would much rather have been accelerating his heart beat having wild, frantic sex with Inga. Not getting an answer from Jason, the Sheriff asked again with a more stressed tone, "Is that enough time for you to gather Missus Townsend ... and have her in your home, Mister Townsend?"

"Yes," Jason said with a reluctant tone. He looked back to his brother, gritted his teeth. "Yes, Sheriff. I will ... gather Grace ... and have her in my house in twenty minutes."

The two brothers stared hard at one another for a moment ... then Jake's lips parted ever so slowly in a smile of victory. He whispered, "Thank you ... brother."

And then Jake turned away and headed for the gate.

***********************​

Gregor waited in the dark outside his vardo as Grace changed back into her own clothes. He'd flagged down a couple of the Romani males whose muscle sometimes came in handy and put them to task watching the events at the front gate and being ready in case the shit began flying.

Though out the carnavale, the majority of the guests -- those away from the entrance, anyway -- went about their night having no idea that there was anything wrong. Gregor began to think they'd gotten off lucky -- that Grace was going to get away without Jake having seen her -- when Harold hurried up with the bad news.

"Jason needs her at the house," the big Romani said. The door to the vardo opened and Harold looked up to see Grace looking down at the two men. He looked up at her with a sincerely sad expression. He looked back to Gregor again and continued, "Jason would like you to bring Grace to the house. He's waiting for her. So ... so is the Sheriff."

Harold looked up to Grace, hesitating, then added, "So is her husband."