The Reinvention Of Rudd Carter. A Western Action Adventure Novel (10 page)

The morning after the proposal, the Madam awakened her. “Ming Li, I have wonderful news for you. Mr. Chan has offered a great deal of money for your hand in marriage.”

“What do you wish me to do, Madam?” she asked. “I welcome your guidance, as always.”

“Mr. Chan wants to take you to London and educate you so that you can be an aide in his business.” She held Ming Li’s face in her hands and kissed her forehead. “I only want what is best for you, my love. Your happiness has always been my first concern. I think this offer of marriage is a great opportunity for you. I will profit from it now, but later on, you will reap the benefits of such a marriage. I have to admit, however, that it will be difficult to have you so far from me, as I have come to think of you as my daughter these last eight years.”

“If you think it is wise for me to marry Mr. Chan,” Ming Li responded, “then I shall.”

A week after being married, Ming Li boarded a steam ship with her new husband, Lo Chan, and began a six-week voyage to London. On board the sailing vessel, Mr. Chan provided Ming Li with her own stateroom. Because of his advanced years, he did not require her to sleep with him. He was an attentive and caring husband and encouraged her to associate with the younger passengers during the voyage.

Though she was Chinese and only eighteen, she spoke English quite well, and because of her beauty, she immediately caught the eye of several of the younger men on board. One gentleman in particular was attracted to her soft Asian beauty. Whenever encountering him on the deck or in the dining room, she flirted with him, and eventually one evening, he stopped at the Chan’s table. “I have not been able to ignore how beautiful your companion is, sir, so I thought I’d stop by, introduce myself, and offer my compliments. I am Arthur Smythe, of the Carter International Bank,” he said, holding out his hand. Noticing that the old man was having a difficult time standing, he said, “Please, remain seated.”

Mr. Chan shook his hand. “I am Lo Chan, and this is my new bride, Ming Li.”

Ming Li lowered her eyes, smiled sweetly, took Smythe’s hand, and said, “It is such a pleasure to meet you.”

Chan smiled and looked Smythe over carefully. “Will you please join us for a drink?”

Without taking his eyes off Ming Li, he answered, “How kind. Yes, of course, I’d very much like to join you.” He pulled out a chair and sat down.

The waiter appeared, took the drink orders, and left.

“What business are you in, Mr. Chan?” Smythe asked.

“I am in the import/export business. We will be living in London for the next few years. With the help of Ming Li, I hope to develop new contacts for my business.”

Smythe locked eyes with Ming Li. “I’m sure with the lovely Mrs. Chan at your side you will be very successful at developing new contacts,” he said without breaking his gaze.

Not lowering her eyes, she smiled, indicating she recognized his interest and that it pleased her.

Also recognizing Smythe’s interest in his young wife, Chan smiled. “I hope you will join us often. I am an old man and feel fortunate at my age to have someone as beautiful and spirited as Ming Li at my side. He took her hand. “I love her very much, but I recognize that she needs to associate with younger people. I would consider it a personal favor if you would escort her on walks around the deck and perhaps in the evenings be her companion at social events during the voyage.”

Whenever Lo Chan came out of his cabin, Ming Li accompanied him. She ate with him, strolled on the deck with him, and sat in the deck chairs next to him. But after dinner when the old man retired early, Arthur Smythe became her constant companion until late into the evening. He remained a perfect gentleman for two weeks, until one evening, while walking on the deck, he kissed her on the cheek. She sighed and closed her eyes. Taking her hand, he brought it to his mouth. “Forgive me if I’m too forward, but I can’t resist you. I want you, Ming Li.”

“As I want you, Mr. Smythe.” She stood on her toes, kissed him on the mouth, and then stood back. “Or am I being too forward?” she said coyly. “My cabin number is A-17. It’s on the first deck. Knock on my door in five minutes,” she said and walked away.

A few minutes later, Ming Li answered a light rap on her cabin door and invited Arthur Smythe into the privacy of her room. Throwing her arms around him, she kissed him passionately. “I want you to undress me slowly.” She ran her hand slowly down the front of his trousers and gently pressed. “Let me help you.” Moving around behind him, she removed his jacket. Folding it, she laid it on a chair and said, “Now it is your turn.” She undid the first two buttons of her blouse and placed his fingers on the next button. He loosened the remaining buttons as she unhitched his belt and undid his trousers. Touching his erection, she could feel him shudder, and his breathing deepened as he fondled her breasts. Thrilled by the feeling of his hands on her body, she guided him to the bed and seated him. She stood in front of him as he disrobed her and tasted each bared part of her body. Pushing him back onto the bed, she took him into her mouth until he moaned, and then she mounted him.

* * *

Awakened by sounds coming from Ming Li’s room, Lo Chan listened until he realized she was with someone. Recognizing the familiar sounds of lovemaking, he smiled, turned over, and went back to sleep.

* * *

Arthur Smythe remained the constant companion of Ming Li for the remainder of the voyage. In the dining room where the two of them ate with Chan daily, not a word was mentioned about Ming Li and Smythe’s sexual liaisons.

Depending on an active social life to make contacts with the wealthy and upper-class of London, Lo Chan hired tutors to help improve Ming Li’s English and instruct her in French, as well as Western Civilization and Philosophy. Not long after, Ming Li became the center of attention at the social gatherings the Chans attended. It became commonplace for Ming Li to be surrounded by men and women three-deep, listening to her speak on worldly issues.

“Mrs. Chan, how do you feel about the British presence in Hong Kong?”

“For the last fifty years there has been a city in China where it is safe to live and conduct business because of the British presence. That is Hong Kong. I hope that it remains so for many years to come.”

Lo Chan’s contacts and business grew by leaps and bounds, and he quite openly attributed his success to Ming Li’s social skills.

Publicly, Ming Li displayed great devotion for her husband, but because of his advanced years, she did not sleep with him. Lo Chan, who loved and admired Ming Li greatly, was sensitive to her needs as a vital young woman and was concerned about her well-being, thus, he encouraged her to continue her secret relationship with Arthur Smythe.

Eventually, a rumor circulated around London society that Ming Li had taken a lover, but because the relationship was handled so discreetly, the lover’s identity was never revealed. The affair with Smythe lasted for five years until Lo Chan’s death.

Surprisingly, Lo Chan had provided no money to pay for Ming Li’s passage back to Hong Kong. Knowing she would not be happy in London by herself and not willing to be her consort publicly and possibly expose their indiscretion, Smythe paid for her passage home. At the age of twenty-three, European-educated and very experienced in the social graces, she entered the prime of her life.

The morning the ship carrying Ming Li pulled into the harbor at Hong Kong, Madam Wang was waiting to welcome her home at the bottom of the gangplank. “At last, my Ming Li is back with me. I have missed you.”

“As I have missed you, Madam,” she gasped through softly flowing tears. “At last I am home with those whom I love.”

Once inside the carriage on the way to Madam Wang’s home, the Madam placed her hands on either side of Ming Li’s face and looked long and adoringly at her. “I cannot believe how you have blossomed. You were a beautiful girl from the first moment I saw you, and now you carry yourself with such grace and have become a lovely young woman. I want you to know that I am here to serve you in any way that I can.”

Moved by her words, Ming Li said, “Madam, I wish to live with you in your home so that I can receive your guidance and wisdom in starting my life in Hong Kong again.”

Within a short time, Ming Li once again became one of the most in-demand courtesans in Hong Kong. With Madam Wang’s guidance, she commanded the highest fees for her services. She wasn’t promoted for her sexual acumen, but for the illusion of class and sophistication she would bring to the stature of any gentleman seen in public with her. In fact, at this stage in her career, she rarely provided sexual favors, not because of her exorbitant price, but because she exemplified the epitome of European class and sophistication. On occasion, if a client especially appealed to her and willingly paid her price, she would spend the night with him.

On one particular afternoon during this period, Madam Wang invited Ming Li to her parlor for tea to meet a client. Greeting her with a warm embrace, she turned to her client and said, “Sui Yen, it gives me pleasure to introduce you to Ming Li. I couldn’t feel closer to her if she were my own daughter.”

Ming Li bowed gracefully. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Sui Yen. How can I be of service to you?”

“Sui Yen is an officer of the Carter Hong Kong Bank and is here to deliver a letter to you about a proposal for your employment for the next few years,” explained Madam Wang as she handed an envelope to Ming Li. Ming Li opened the envelope and read quietly as the others looked on. When she finished, she slowly placed the letter back into its envelope and paused for a moment. “Sui Yen, I will be most happy to be the Chinese language tutor and mentor for young Rudd Carter, upon approval by Madam Wang.”

“Of course you have my permission, but understand this will be your career, your only career, for the next few years. Sui Yen and I have discussed the financial arrangements, and they are more than generous. You may never have to work again, if you choose not to.”

“When is the earliest convenient time for you to meet Master Rudd?” he asked excitedly. “Perhaps, tomorrow evening at his hotel?”

“Yes. That will be fine,” she answered.

“Good. I’ll stop by for you at eight o’clock.”

1895, Hong Kong

Rudd and Ming Li lived together for almost two years. At the age of 34, she still looked like a teenager to him, and his friends remarked that she appeared more beautiful than ever. She seemed as contented and happy as he was. She made him feel his needs came before anything else in her life, and he never failed to show his appreciation for the gift of having her in his life.

Under Ming Li’s skillful guidance, Rudd mastered several Chinese dialects and was promoted more than once to significantly higher offices at the bank. He found the banking business dreary, however, and often daydreamed of doing something more exciting than sifting through countless documents day after day. Yet, when he considered the fringe benefits, namely his exquisite life with Ming Li and the high standard of living that employment with the bank provided for the two of them, he thought better of doing anything brash, at least for the present. Rudd’s martial arts tournaments were attracting a lot of attention, bringing him local notoriety and personal satisfaction, so he kept his mouth shut and maintained an outward appearance of contentment.

After fighting in a tournament where he defeated three of the best fighters in the region with little effort, Sui Yen came to Rudd’s dressing room. “You threw those guys around like they were sacks of rice,” he said. “There isn’t anyone in the province that’s going to be able to stop you; you’re the best.”

“If you’re right and I’m the best, you’d think I’d be able to pick up a little money fighting, wouldn’t you?” Rudd argued.

Sui Yen thought for a moment. “Would you like me to look into some other career opportunities where you might be able to make good money using your skills? You’re very talented and can do many things. You can ride, shoot, fence, box, and fight like you did tonight. In general, it seems you aren’t afraid of anything or anyone. There are people out there who will pay good money for those qualities. If I arrange an introduction, would you be willing to talk to someone?”

Rudd thought for a moment. “Yes, I would, but talk about what?”

“Let me locate the people I have in mind, first… people who can provide you with an opportunity.”

Several weeks went by before Sui Yen dropped by Rudd and Ming Li’s apartment one evening.

“Rudd, I have some people I think you should meet. They run paramilitary operations against the pirates in Southeast China and Indochina. They are offering very good money for skilled fighting men. You don’t have to commit to anything, just hear them out.”

“By ‘fighting men’, I suppose you mean professional soldiers who get shot at on a regular basis?”

“I mean an elite professional soldier who gets to shoot back and is paid well for doing so. Would you like me to set up a meeting?”

Pausing for a moment, Rudd scratched his ear and brought his forefinger to his chin. “I value your advice. If you think I might benefit from such a meeting, please arrange it as soon as possible.”

In the middle of the following week, Sui Yen stopped by Rudd’s office. “Would you be available tonight for a meeting with the people I told you about?”

“Tonight’s fine. Where will it be?”

“There’s a saloon on the wharf in Macao where they would like to meet. I’ve got a friend who will take us over in his sampan. It’s probably not a good idea to take Ming Li along as it’s a pretty rough place.”

“Are you all right if we skip class tonight and go right after work so we’re not out all night?”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, but we’d better dress appropriately for the wharf. English business suits might be a bit conspicuous.”

“I’ll leave work early today, go home, and tell Ming Li what we’re doing and change clothes. Come by at five-thirty.”

Sui Yen nodded, turned, and walked out the door.

At five-thirty, Sui Yen picked Rudd up. At the harbor, they met with Sui Yen’s friend, who was waiting with his sampan to take them across to Macao.