Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 03:56:03 GMT From: "tedmack@juno.com" Subject: The Wager: Chapter 4 This story is copyright protected and intended for adults only. To appreciate this story more fully you might want to read about the Vanderkill family in the: The Vanderkill Legacy. The Wager Chapter 4 A Vanderkill Christmas! After Thanksgiving our heroes went on a whirlwind tour of Buffalo, Rochester and the small upstate town of Churchville on Jacob Vanderkill's private jet. It was a particular thrill for the boys who had never been on an airplane ride before. They were taken on an exploratory visit to the town from which they were to say they hailed and then the Rochester home of the great camera company. They were shown farmland in Churchville, the supposed home od their ancestors and an old house that once belonged to their Long gone "Aunt Libby" the matriarch of the clan. Jacob left no stone unturned in authenticating their heritage.They now had papers showing them as descended from real people. A background that would be hard to refute. Society friends of Jacob's who had been snubbed br brother James were prepared to authenticate Jonathon and his son if somehow approached for information.Now back in their Long Island home they were given a few days rest before their tutoring was restarted. "Uncle Jacob" added one more new piece of information much to Johny's delight. His birth certificate had been altered to give him a new middle name- or rather to reinstate his old one. He was now Jonathon Frederick Throckmorten. That meant that to avoid confusion with his father he could now go back to using his real name: Freddy! A few nights after their return little Joey woke up in the middle of the night and called for his brother. When he noticed that Freddy was gone he broke into a panic and started calling for him. Not receiving an answer, in a terrified sweat he nervously made his way into the hall and started banging on Jonathon's door. Startled, Freddy jumped out of his father's bed and tripped over himself trying to put on his underpants. Jonathon reached out and gently put a restraining hand on the lad's shoulder. He then put on a robe to cover himself and went to the door. Jonathon and Freddy had been trying to keeps their nocturnal trysts a secret from Joey thinking that the little boy was too young and had undergone too much trauma to understand about their lovemaking. Jonathon slowly opened the door and tenderly picked up the panic stricken boy. He held him close and kissed him on the forehead. He then brought him over to the bed and gently laid him down next to Freddy. He then went into the bathroom and put on a pair of briefs. Then he returned to his bed and lad down next to Joey and pulled him into an embrace. "I thought you left me. I thought you left me!" Joey kept saying over and over." "I will never leave you I promise." Jonathon said quietly in the boy's ear." And never will Freddy leave you either. Freddy was looking all over for you do you think he would ever let you go?" "Yeah," said Freddy quietly into Joey's other ear. "Your our boy forever now no matter what happens. You can't get rid of us, I promise." Gradually Joey began to calm down. Soon he was breathing evenly. Then his eyes closed and he was asleep. Jonathon looked and Freddy and said, "I think that you are going to bring him in with you when you come from now on. We will talk to him in the morning and get him to promise not to say anything. I don't know how much he will understand but it is either that or we won't be able to make love any more." So the next morning after breakfast they all went to the pool for a swim. First they asked Joey if he had any questions and of course he wanted to know why Freddy kept sneaking off every night and leaving him alone and terrified. Freddy and answered that he always thought that Joey was asleep and that he was sorry if they scared him. They ten explained that what they were doing was very private but since Joey was a part of the family he would be brought along but Joey must promise not to tell anyone what was going on. Then Jonathon added that if Joey had any question he was free to ask and they would answer him as best they could, Just then the bell rang announcing Adelia Vanderkill's arrival. Freddy put a finger to his lips in a shushing manner. So did Jonathon and he was followed by Joey who smiled while making his own shushing gesture. After their etiquette session Aunt Adelia surprised them by staying to watch while Thomas tutored them.She then questioned thomas as to how the sessions were going. Thomas replied that both boys were doing very well and were actually ready to take their placement exams for Stanton Academy. After he left Aunt Adelia told the boys that their was one more area in which they needed tutoring and that to that end a new pool table was being installed. She added that while her generation did not feel that playing pool was proper for young gentlemen the once low thought of sport was for some reason now in vogue and she had heard that her nephew James was considered quite adept at the "sport" and so with the Christmas Eve party coming up it was thought best that the boys learn the game. Freddy was ecstatic! He was a killer with the pool cue and would get to practice. Bring the "evil" boy on he thought. Never the less he was as nervous as the others as the great day approached. On the one hand he and Joey were excited as a real Christmas approached. Freddy had had some great Christmases before his parents had died but joey could never remember ever getting anything from Santa Clause. Their real Christmas would have to wait however. First they had work to do. That work entailed their first meeting with the James Vanderkill family. This was the sole purpose of their sudden rise from poverty to wealth. If they were to have a bright future they would need to get through this night unscathed. They approached the door with false confidence. They got through the introductions unscathed. Jacob's son Jesse who had befriended them on Thanksgiving took them in hand. While Jonathon was lead off to the Lion's den Jesse took the boys into the hornets nest. As expected "Daniel" greeted them coldly and tried his best to ignore them. Daniel's younger brother Jeffery on the other hand seemed to take to the new boys right away. In the big play room were three pool tables Daniel seemed to be holding some kind of a tournament. He and a friend were taking on partners of their choice. No one seemed able to beat them. Freddy went over to the third table and joined Joey and Jeffrey. He played with them quietly while keeping an eye on the first table. Daniel and his partner had just defeated Jesse and the British boy Sydney and were looking for a fresh team to conquer. Freddie looked at Jeffrey who appeared to look left out and said "Let's take them on' in a loud voice." "No way!" said Daniel. We only take on qualified players. Sydney responded "What are you afraid that the new boy will beat you?" "Are you crazy," daniel responded. "He doesn't even belong here. He is not part of our set." Jesse shot back, " he is my friend and Sydney's friend and his father is a close friend and associate of my father's so if you won't play him and your younger brother- who you just called a nobody- Sydney and I will play them and you can go play a game with two boys you already defeated but I doubt that they will play you again so you two can keep playing each other and we will have our own tournament on another table." Gradually the other boys wore Daniel down and he reluctantly agreed to play Freddie and Jeffery. The game was on! Daniel took the first shot and rattled the balls around. A striped ball fell in the side pocket. Daniel was over anxious on his next shot however and and nothing went down. Freddie let Jeffery go next and the nervous boy scratched. Daniel's partner managed to get two more striped balls in the pocket and then he scratched so Freddie took over and take over he did. Carefully walking around the table he looked the balls over. He had what seemed to be an impossible shot before him. Three striped balls sat between the cue ball and all of the solids that were still on the table. Finally he settled down to shoot saying as he did so" You know eight ball is all right for amateurs but real pool players play Rotation. I tell you what. I'll make a friendly wager with you. If you two win Jeffery and I will go to another table and not bother you again. But if we win then you Daniel must agree to play me in a game of rotation." Looking at the table and seeing that he and his partner were sure to win Daniel haughtily agreed. As soon as Daniel nodded his head Freddy leaned in and cleaned off the table making seemingly impossible shot after impossible shot. Looking on and cheering were Jeffery, Joey and Sydney with his brother Thomas. Daniel slammed down his pool table ready to stalk out of the room only to find his father standing in the doorway. Now James Vanderkill may have been a snob but unlike his wife and older son he was a fair man and he had seen the whole thing. "And just where do you think you are going young man?" "This nobody just cheated. I don't even know what he is doing here!" daniel pouted as he walked right into his father. "In the first place the lad is your guest and while we do not know him his father is a friend of your uncle Jacob and you will treat him with courtesy in this house. Now I think that you agreed to play a game of rotation so I expect you to do so politely and without making an unseemly scene in your own house. Do you understand." then turning to Freddy he said, " I am James Vanderkill welcome to my home and Merry Christmas to you." "Thank you sir, I am Jonathon Frederick Throckmorton. I am pleased to meet you. They call me Freddie so as not to confuse me with my father." And so James watched as Freddie cleaned off the table again. He then went to shake Daniel's hand and with his father watching daniel reluctantly responded. "I am going to have to keep my eye on this boy whoever he is " Daniel thought. Freddy had similar thoughts. "I am going to have to be careful with this one. I shouldn't have made him my enemy, but it was worth it and at least I know I have Jeffrey on my side. Going to school with them will be difficult- but fun. Uncle Jacob said that it will not be easy and it won't." After refreshments were served every one said "Merry Christmas" to each other. Every one but Daniel and Freddy. They just avoided each other.Soon Jonathon and his boys were on their way to their limo. Uncle Jacob went with the. "That went better than I expected." he said. You may have gotten Daniel a little angry but that is nothing new. You won't have to face him again until after the New Year but then I believe that you will be in the same class with him and Jesse. I have spoken to the Head of school and he told me that you both passed your tests. You particularly Frederick. He was talking about skipping you ahead one class but I talked him out of it. I told him that you have friends in the fifth grade and that is where you would be happiest. It might have ruined every thing if he had put you ahead. Well you have a Merry Christmas and we will see you tomorrow for dinner at three P.M." With that our trio happy but tired headed home. Joey was determined to stay up to see Santa Claus but he was asleep before they arrived at home.