The Reinvention Of Rudd Carter. A Western Action Adventure Novel by R.L. Davis

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