Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2012 12:18:05 +0100 From: Adam Stewart Subject: The Tangled Web - part 2 This is a gay love story set in the late 60s and early 70s when, despite the new legislation allowing homosexual acts between two people, it was still difficult to be open about your sexuality. It is pure fiction and fantasy and none of the characters portrayed relate to any known person. Warning - it contains explicit m/m sex. The Tangled Web 2. "Rupert, my dear brother, are how you?" Ann said as she swept into the library where John and Rupert were still talking. "I am well my dear; and you? You look positively blooming." "I am indeed and the better for seeing you; thank god you've returned home; I've missed you these past five years." "Have you really? I didn't think you'd miss me" Rupert smiled. "Of course I have; life with father has been hellish to say the least" "Has it been that bad?" "Ever since you left he seemed to become more and more pig headed" "Oh dear, I'm so sorry my dear sister but now he's gone and we can enjoy life again" "Yes thank god he is gone" Ann replied rather hastily before adding, "I'm sorry John, you must think it bad of me to talk about my father like this but I believe you too suffer from the same problem." "Indeed Lady Ann, my own father is just as pig headed and insufferable" Brother and sister had now kissed each other and John said he would go to his room for a rest leaving Rupert and Ann to talk some more. "I understand you have been to see Lady Isobel; is she staying locally?" Rupert asked as he sat down again. "She's staying at a friend's house some ten miles from here." "I hear you see a lot of her" Rupert said casually. "We do, we have become very close friends Rupert; it seems our father produced two offspring who prefer their own sex for company and enjoyment" Lady Ann replied with a smirk on her face as she sat down opposite her older brother. "Ah, I didn't realise" Rupert replied slightly surprised by this news although it did explain a lot of things in his mind. "Now that father is gone I can be honest with you dear Rupert" Ann continued, "I've suspected and known in fact about you and John for several years even before you were banished abroad by our father and in that time Lady Isobel and I have ... shall we say, found a similar friendship in each other. To be blunt Rupert, both Isobel and I are trying to avoid marriage as you have done all these years but as you well know it is a difficult situation." "I see, well I am very pleased for you Ann and yes John and I have had a relationship since school days and hope that it will continue but as you know he is under extreme pressure to get married. For what reason his father wishes this, I cannot understand since he already has an older son who is married with children as well as being a successful business man." "Precisely and that is what makes the whole situation even more absurd but I am told by Isobel that John is constantly under pressure from his father to find a suitable wife and she of course is expected to find a suitable husband. You are no doubt aware that the father is in serious financial problems so there is not much money to be given to either of them. It seems the eldest son has the money and he is certainly not prepared to help out his siblings." "Yes, John has mentioned this to me in his many letters when I was abroad and I also understand that the Kensington house is falling down around them." "Absolutely, and of course the father has already sold off the estate in Surrey so it is a difficult situation for both of them and I am not sure what the remedy is to solve it, apart from them both committing themselves to a marriage which will be doomed." "And your relationship with Lady Isobel is serious is it?" "It is but does that bother you Rupert?" "Absolutely not but I just want to be clear before I devise a plan to solve both our problems; so is it fair to say that you are in love with Lady Isobel and she with you?" Lady Ann looked at her brother for a few moments before answering that question. "We are my dearest brother; is that so terrible?" "To the contrary my little sister, to the contrary but before I say more I need to speak with John. Let us continue this conversation after dinner; I understand the new cook that Cecil has appointed is somewhat of a culinary expert so I think we could be in for quite a surprise" Rupert replied grinning. "Yes, I understand you gave Cecil permission to remove all the old staff; I was more than happy to see the back of that awful man Braden and his wife, and the lady's maid which father appointed for me without any consultation, was absolutely useless." Rupert laughed at his sister's harsh words but had to agree with her. "I take it you realise that Cecil is like us as are the members of staff he has now employed so we are surrounded by like minded people." Lady Ann looked somewhat surprised for a moment before smiling. "You sly old dog; he's kept that secret well hidden all these years" Lady Ann finally replied. "Well, Cecil is the height of discretion both in his own affairs and those of others so I do not think we have any concerns on that front. We are also about to remove that crook running the London house and replace him with a similar person but keep that to yourself for the moment." "Has he been stealing then?" Ann enquired wide eyed. "It seems so according to the figures I have been receiving during the past five years" "My, my Rupert, you have been a busy boy!" "Anyhow, let me speak to Lord John and then we can speak later my dear" Rupert said getting up and leaving his sister wondering what her brother had in mind but she knew that even as a child he was always the one who came up with plans and ruses to hide what they had been up to as children. Rupert went up to his room and found the adjoining door to John's room ajar. He pushed it open to find John naked on the bed waiting for him. "Ah, now that is a sight I rather like" Rupert grinned as he sat on the bed beside his naked lover. "I hope you are going to join me" John said with a sly smile on his face. Without further discussion on the matter, Rupert divested himself of his clothes and joined his lover naked on the bed. "I take it you have been catching up with things with Lady Ann" Lord John commented as he casually caressed Rupert's nakedness. "I have and I wish to speak to you about what we have spoken of" "Ah, I take it she has told you about her and Isobel then?" "She has but I didn't think you were aware of such a liaison" "I was not until quite recently and it was something I had every intention of speaking to you about but I decided to leave the matter until it was more suitable to do so." "Do you have any objection to Lady Isobel and Lady Ann having a liaison, which incidentally I believe is more than just a friendship?" "Oh yes, it is certainly more than that and in fact is as sexual as our own, but no, I don't have any objection. Do you?" "To the contrary" Rupert laughed, "in fact I think it could resolve all our problems in one go". "How so?" John asked and sat up to look into Rupert's eyes. "Lady Isobel strikes me as being an attractive woman is she not?" "Absolutely" John replied nodding. "And do you consider my own dear sister, Lady Ann to be an equally attractive woman?" "Quite so but I do not see the relevance" "The relevance my love is that if I married Isobel and you married Ann, we could then all live here since you say that the Kensington house is falling down round your ears. For the world outside we are two happy couples living in married bliss but in reality you are with me and Ann is with your sister. This house is large enough to accommodate all of us. We could take over the west wing once we have modernised it and removed any vestige of my father's and Ann and Isobel could occupy this, the east wing. We have a butler, a chauffeur and groom, a cook and a houseboy who are all of the same persuasion so I am sure we could rely on their discretion and if the ladies wish to employ a maid for their use and delight then that can be arranged as well." "You are a genius my love; I always knew you were devious but this is the ultimate plan; and as for the ladies employing a maid, my sister already has a young girl in her employ at Kensington who I understand is more than willing to join my sister in bed whenever she wishes so it would be perfect." John was so thrilled at the idea that he immediately jumped up and ran round the room naked with his appendage swaying and swinging as he went. "Yes, although I say it myself it is a cunning plan" Rupert giggled. "And what are Lady Ann's thoughts on this proposal?" "I have not yet put it to her but have said I needed to discuss it with you first but I have told her we will discuss the matter in more detail after dinner this evening." "Oh Rupert, you are brilliant" John said rejoining his lover on the bed and immediately going down on Rupert's flaccid organ. Soon it was growing and not long before it was hard enough to give Rupert a glowing feeling in his loins. "Just think John, if this plan goes ahead we will be able to do this every day and night" Rupert chuckled whilst John brought him to a climax. Having brought each other satisfaction, they lay on the bed going over Rupert's plan in more detail. They must have been laying there for a good hour or more when Rupert heard Cecil's voice at his bedroom door. He had left the interconnecting door open so that he could hear anyone knocking. "Would you like me to run a bath sir in readiness for dressing for dinner?" Cecil asked once Rupert had told him he could enter. "Yes please Cecil that would be good" Rupert replied standing naked by the connecting door which he had just closed behind him. Cecil just glanced at his master's nakedness as he picked up the clothes strewn on the floor where Rupert had discarded them in haste earlier. "Sorry Cecil, I should have picked those up" Rupert said as he watched the butler collect his clothes and without making any move to cover his nudity. "It's quite alright sir" Cecil smiled, "sometimes the moment is more important than thinking about such things" he replied glancing at the interconnecting door and assuming that Lord John was the other side in the same state of undress. "Would Lord John also like a bath do you think?" Cecil asked before leaving Rupert. Seeing that Cecil wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed or concerned, Rupert opened the interconnecting door and asked John if he too would like a bath before getting dressed for dinner. He said he would so Rupert told Cecil they would share one. "It might be a bit tight for both of you together" Cecil replied grinning. "Yes, I think it would" Rupert grinned in reply, "I think that is something we may have to address do you not think Cecil?" "Absolutely sir, absolutely" he replied chuckling as he left to go and run the bath. "Come my love, Cecil is running us a bath so I'll give you a good rub down!" Rupert giggled patting John's naked buttocks. When they'd finished their meal, which everyone agreed was divine, Rupert asked Cecil to call Ralph from the kitchen so they could congratulate him on the excellent food. "Ah, come in Ralph" Rupert said smiling as Ralph crept into the dining room, "since this is the first meal you have prepared for us I just wanted to say how much we all enjoyed it so congratulations." "Thank you my lord, it is my pleasure" Ralph replied looking slightly embarrassed. "Yes it was absolutely delicious and so much more palatable than the rubbish we have had to endure for many a year" Lady Ann added. With that, Ralph made a hasty retreat but feeling very pleased with the compliments. He had a good feeling about working in this house. Not only was he with his boyfriend Jacob and his good friend Cecil but he liked Lord Rupert and Lady Ann. It was a massive change from the last house he had worked in where he had been the assistant cook and had to endure the wrath of a battleaxe of a cook and a miserable butler. "We will have coffee and brandies in the library please Cecil" Rupert said once Ralph had left them. "Certainly sir" Cecil replied before saying quietly to Rupert, "and thank you for congratulating Ralph; it means a lot to him". Rupert smiled and patted Cecil on the shoulder, "I always give praise where praise is due Cecil but thank you." Once the coffee and brandy had been served and Rupert had told Cecil they would not require his services anymore that evening, Rupert, Ann and John settled down to the discussion they were all wanting to conduct. Rupert detailed his devious plan to Lady Ann who just sat there listening intently. "So what do you think my dear Ann, would you be willing to marry John purely for show?" Rupert asked when he had finished. Ann looked at John and smiled before answering, "I take it you John have no objections to such a sham marriage?" "None at all Lady Ann provided you are willing" John replied. "And would we be required to consummate the marriage?" Ann then asked with eyebrows raised. "Not unless it was your wish to do so Lady Ann" John replied smiling, "but if it was, then I am sure I could rise to the occasion" he added grinning. "I am sure you can Lord John but for my part it will not be necessary since I certainly do not wish to have any children and I assume you do not either." John confirmed that he was of the same opinion so that was one hurdle over in their minds. "And what about Lady Isobel" Ann then continued, "do you think she would be willing to take part in this charade for the public perspective?" "I believe she would" Lord John replied, "I certainly know she is trying to find a way out of her predicament". "Well, my dear brother, it seems you have produced the ultimate plan; all we now need to do is convince Isobel to go along with it." "Knowing her as you do my dear, do you think she will have any objections?" Rupert asked. "Highly unlikely" Ann replied, "especially when she realises she can live here with me and be away from that abominable father of hers; I'm sorry John I didn't mean to be rude about your father but you know what I mean" Ann quickly added. "There is no need for apologies Lady Ann, my father is a pig and a brute as well as being abominable so I agree wholeheartedly with your views." "Excellent, so all we need to do is put the plan to Lady Isobel" Rupert said finally, "in the meantime, let us raise our glasses and drink to the future". "The future" Lady Ann and Lord John said in unison as they raised their glasses and clinked them together with Rupert's. "Is your sister attending the funeral the day after tomorrow John?" Rupert then asked. "She is" "Then why not give her a call and invite her to stay here tomorrow night and also see if she can stay for a few days. Ann can then put the idea to her and if she is in agreement we can discuss the detail" Rupert said. "An excellent idea" Ann replied, "I shall go and give her a ring now". "Do not mention any of this to her yet Ann" Rupert said as she quickly stood up to leave, "I think it best to tell her when she is safely here do you not think my dear". Ann agreed and sped off to make the call. "Well, that seems to have gone well so far so it is now all down to your dear sister" Rupert chuckled once Ann had left them. "Oh I do not think Isobel will have any objections Rupert; let us face it, you are a catch in whatever guise you come!" "True, although I do say it myself" Rupert giggled, "I am good looking and rich; what more could a lady require?" Rupert giggled. "Well, another lady to love and desire perhaps?" John replied laughing as he moved over to where Rupert was sitting and gave him a kiss. "Mm, that is nice" Rupert said pausing the kiss and the locking of their mouths together, "you are getting me excited". John slipped his hand down onto the tightly clothed bulge in Rupert's trousers and gave it a squeeze. "Mm, so I see, perhaps we should do something about that" John said before going back into the passionate kiss. They had just parted when Lady Ann returned from having spoken to Lady Isobel. "Isobel is delighted to visit tomorrow and thanks you Rupert for your kindness in inviting her; she is also planning to stay for a few days after the funeral." "Excellent, excellent" Rupert replied smiling at his sister. "If Rupert's plan does proceed, do you think John that your father will agree to the match?" John laughed, "The old fool will have no option; he knows his money is rapidly running out and that the Kensington house is falling about him so I do believe he will be more than happy to agree; not that he will have much say in the matter in any event knowing Isobel." "And the other thing Rupert" Ann then started saying, "Isobel has a lady's maid who is ... shall I say disposed towards our situation and would be of great value to us here if that was possible." "I see no reason why it should not be Ann; who you employ to tend to your needs is up to you my dear" Rupert replied with a slight smirk of understanding. "Thank you that is most kind of you" Ann replied before asking, "When is the solicitor going to read the will?" Rupert told her that he had arranged for young Stephens to come back to the house after the funeral to save them both travelling to London to his office. Rupert did not elaborate any further since young Stephens had already told him the main points in the will and he knew his sister would not be pleased with what she heard. The three then made their way up to bed. Once inside Rupert's room, he and John undressed each other before settling into bed together. "I would like to take you before we sleep" Rupert said as he kissed his lover. "You know I am always happy to feel you inside me my love" John replied as he lifted his legs in preparation for Rupert's insertion. "Oh yes, that always feels so good" Rupert exclaimed once his long shaft had made its way right inside John's flesh, "It seems so perfect does it not" he added smiling into John's hazel eyes. "A perfect fit" John chuckled feeling Rupert's hot organ fill him up and hit that special place inside him each time Rupert thrust the length back and forth. John always knew when Rupert was about to reach his climax. His eyes would glaze over and a contented smile would spread across his face. He could see that look now so knew that any time now he would feel Rupert's hot seed shoot inside him. He loved drinking the seed or even just watching it ejaculate from Rupert's organ but the feel of it inside him was even more special. He placed his hands round Rupert's naked buttocks and gently pulled them closer so that the organ moved even further inside him. It was not long before Rupert's gasp was emitted and he could feel the creamy semen leaving Rupert and being deposited inside of him. Just before lunch the following day, Lady Isobel arrived. She looked radiant and Rupert told himself that if he had been disposed to women, she would have been a perfect specimen to choose for marriage. She was gracious and kind and Rupert could tell from the way she looked at his sister that there were strong feelings. It reminded him of his feelings towards John. "It is so lovely to see you Lady Isobel" Rupert said as she entered the hallway, "I trust you had a comfortable journey". "Fortunately I did not have to travel far" Isobel replied, "and it was gracious of you to send your car to collect me." They kissed each other's cheeks and Rupert smelt the sweet perfume she was wearing. "What a sweet smelling perfume you are wearing" Rupert said as they finally dropped each other's hands. "Thank you Lord Rupert; it is my favourite and one which your dear sister gave me as a gift" she replied as it flashed across her mind that only a man of Rupert's persuasion would say such a thing. She liked the gesture and squeezed his hand again to confirm her comment. "Come, let us go and dine" Rupert then said to the assembled crowd, "I believe luncheon is ready to be served is it not Cecil? Unless Lady Isobel requires a short rest before we eat" he added quickly. "It is my lord" Cecil beamed as he indicated for the party to go on into the dining room and Lady Isobel had said she had no desire for a rest. After lunch, Ann took Isobel into the library whilst John and Rupert walked out in the garden to enjoy the weak afternoon sunshine. "These are beautiful gardens" John was saying, "I imagine they must need a lot of maintenance to keep them as such". "In fact no" Rupert replied, "as you will see most of the garden is laid to lawn which I believe young Jacob and Joseph look after, and the tubs of flowers are tended by Ann; she adores gardening." "And is the gazebo still in existence?" John asked remembering back to their younger years when they'd crept away and made love to each other inside. "I believe it is" Rupert replied, "we shall have to explore some time and see but if our plans come to fruition I thought we would divide the garden off so that we have our own private space to do as we please and Ann and Isobel have theirs. It is plenty large enough to do that I feel do you not think so?" John agreed it was and looked forward to being able to make love to his lover beneath the open sky without the risk of being caught as had been the case in previous years. Having walked round for some thirty minutes or so, they decided to go back into the house to see if Ann and Isobel had finished their little discussion. Rupert had agreed with Ann that she would simply test Isobel's reaction to the idea of marrying Rupert to enable her and Ann to be together. If that went well then John and Rupert would join them for further discussion. "She is delighted" Ann was saying as they re-entered the house through the French windows leading off the drawing room into the garden. "What, she is in agreement you mean?" John replied excitedly. "Well, she hasn't said no that's for sure" Ann grinned. With that, the three of them joined Isobel in the library, shut the door and sat down. "So, do I take it you are in agreement with marrying me Lady Isobel as described by my sister" Rupert asked starting the conversation. "I'd be delighted to Lord Rupert" Isobel replied grinning, "what woman would not want to marry such an eligible bachelor and to be able to live alongside your darling sister so that you can live alongside my dear brother, I cannot think of a better solution." "Excellent, excellent" Rupert replied somewhat relieved that his idea had gone according to plan, "and unless you particularly wished for the marriage to be consummated I have no particular wish to force that upon you in the circumstances." "You are too kind Lord Rupert; I agree it would not be a necessary requirement since I do not wish to be burdened with children and I assume you are of the same opinion." Rupert confirmed that was the case and that the marriage would be purely for public viewing only so that when they were required to socialise they could present themselves as man and wife as could John and Ann. "I cannot think of a better solution to our predicament" Lady Isobel exclaimed excitedly "and I cannot wait until our father is told. I am sure he thinks that neither John or I will ever marry, not that he has any inclination as to the reasons why" Lady Isobel added chuckling. "So, is everybody happy with that arrangement?" Rupert then asked the assembled crowd. When they had all nodded their approval he moved forward to kiss his intended. "And may I say my dear Isobel that I am absolutely delighted that you and Ann have found each other's love and wish you much happiness together." "Thank you Rupert" Isobel replied having no longer seen the need to use his title, "and may I add that I am delighted you and John are able to continue your love for each other because I know it means a lot to him." "Thank you Isobel" Rupert replied before kissing his sister and then John fully on the lips. Having done so, Isobel kissed John and then Ann with much more than just a peck on the cheek! They spent the rest of the afternoon discussing the finer details such as when should they make the announcement and how, and when they should hold the double wedding which Rupert said should be held in the local church followed by a reception at Brylands. "Fortunately we do not have a large family so apart from a few dear friends it can be a relatively small affair as far as I am concerned" Isobel stated. "Likewise" Ann replied, "in fact apart from one elderly uncle and another equally elderly aunt who both live in Cornwall, I don't think we have any family do we Rupert?" "No, thank goodness" he chuckled. "And do you think your father will attend?" Rupert asked Isobel and John. "Knowing what an old misery he is" Isobel replied, "probably not and to be honest I hope he doesn't but our brother James will undoubtedly do so". "And does he know about ... you know ... you and John's sexual preferences?" "Oh my goodness no" Isobel replied hastily, "he is very much the butch heterosexual man of the house" she added. "I think he may suspect something about me" John added with a coy grin. "And what makes you say that?" Isobel asked looking at her brother. "Well you know, brothers talk about girls and things and I've always jibbed at answering such questions so unless he's a complete fool, which he is not ... I suspect it would not be that much of a surprise to him. Not that I intend telling him!" John added quickly. "Possibly" Isobel grinned, "but he would be surprised to know about me though" she giggled. Rupert laughed and said he too was surprised when he first heard. "Good, that means we can carry this charade off then to everyone's satisfaction" Ann added. Having finalised all the details it was agreed that Ann would travel back with John and Isobel when they returned to the Kensington house and John would inform his father of his intentions regarding Ann. Rupert would be invited a few days later to state his intentions regarding Isobel, although it would be more in the form of a request rather than a statement just to keep the old fool happy. "When do we tell the staff here?" Ann then asked. Rupert said he would call the staff together once the funeral was over. "I am sure they will all be more than pleased and keep the true situation within these four walls" Rupert added explaining to Isobel that all the staff were of their persuasion. "And your lady's maid" Rupert then asked, "Can she be relied on?" "Without doubt" Isobel replied, "although she is only eighteen, she has been with me for three years now and is very reliable and discreet. If she had not been so, neither of us would have remained under my father's roof." "That is certainly true" John giggled. Dinner that evening was very jovial but they all managed to make no reference to the plans whilst Cecil was serving another excellent dinner, not that Rupert had any concerns about Cecil but he wanted to speak to him privately about the matter before he spoke to the other staff after the funeral the next day. After dinner the four of them eventually went off to bed. John to share Rupert's, and Isobel to share Ann's! The following morning, the hearse duly arrived and Rupert and Ann drove in the principal car whilst Isobel and John travelled in the second. Jacob drove the staff in the Bentley despite only Cecil having known the Marquess of Tyndale but it was considered proper that they should all attend. Apart from Braden, the previous butler, and his wife, and young Stephens the solicitor, nobody else of note attended the service at the local church so it was a very small party that eventually gathered round the family vault in the local churchyard. Even the vicar had hardly known the old man. It suited Rupert and Ann since the whole matter was quickly dealt with and they had soon returned to the house. Fortunately Braden and his wife had declined to come to the house afterwards but Rupert did manage to have a quick word with them. He thanked them for their loyal service and hoped they would enjoy their retirement. Braden told Rupert that with the severance pay he'd kindly given them, they planned to go and live with his sister in Spain so they were more than happy. Feeling somewhat relieved that there was no bad feeling, Rupert rejoined the others waiting by the car. "Are you sure that is correct?" Lady Ann asked with disbelief when young Mr Stephens had read out the will to both her and Rupert. "I am afraid it is Lady Ann" he replied seeing her disgust. "The miserable bugger" she exclaimed, "I knew he did not like me which was mutual but I did not realise he hated me that much and only leave me my mother's jewellery". "I am so sorry Ann" Rupert said patting her hand, "but be rest assured that I will arrange an annual income for you and of course you will always have a roof over your head in this house. I will also arrange with Mr Stephens for my will to be such that if I predecease you then you will inherit half of the estate. I think that is only fair do you not think Mr Stephens?" Young Mr Stephens nodded not really quite sure what to say in the circumstances but having met the Marquess of Tyndale on three or four occasions since his appointment he was not the slightest bit surprised since he too had found the old man to be very disagreeable and not at all like his kind and considerate son Rupert but perhaps that was because they were of the same persuasion when it came to men. "That is very kind of you Rupert and I know you will look after me but considering I was the one who had to put up with his ranting and raving for the past five years and to some extent nursed him in his final days I would have thought he could have been more considerate." With this, Lady Ann stood up and proceeded out of the library. Seeing she was very upset, he asked young Mr Stephens to hold on for a moment whilst he followed her into the drawing room and asked John to look after his sister for a moment. "I just want a quick word with Mr Stephens so will return shortly" he said as he hastily went back to the library. "I would like a word in confidence with you Mr Stephens if I may and ask you to keep what I am going to tell you strictly within these four walls." The young man confirmed that anything his client told him was in the strictest of confidence so sat back whilst Rupert told him about his and Lord John's forthcoming marriage. The solicitor immediately congratulated Rupert and then looked at him. "Excuse me asking my lord, but am I right in assuming that these marriages are purely for convenience?" Rupert nodded and the young man grinned. "An ingenious plan" he grinned, "I knew of course about you and Lord John but I didn't know about Lady Ann and Lady Isobel. I think the Marquess would turn in his grave if he knew, do you not think?" he chuckled. "Quite so but we need to keep the arrangement confidential in view of the general attitudes of those around us despite the recent changes in legislation." "Absolutely although it is my dearest wish that attitudes will eventually change in years to come since I am also in a position in which I cannot be open about my own preferences." "Mr Stephens senior does not know about you then?" Rupert asked with raised eyebrows. "Indeed not and it must remain that way for the time being since if he knew I too would be out on my ear. I envy you and Lady Ann that you have managed to find a convenient way round the problem; I only wish I could too." "You are very kind Mr Stephens and I trust you will eventually find some way to be true to yourself" Rupert replied taking the young man warmly by the hand. They then arranged a suitable date within the next few days when Rupert could visit the solicitor's office to arrange his new will which he felt was even more important now to rectify. Having seen the young man out to his car in the driveway, he returned to his sister, Lord John and Lady Isobel. "Are you calm now my dear sister?" Rupert asked as he went into the drawing room. She looked at him and smiled, "Why am I surprised? He really was a bastard was he not?" Everyone nodded. "I have told young Mr Stephens about our plans and he extends his congratulations to all of us and wishes us well for the future. In fact I believe he is envious of what we have managed to achieve!" Rupert added chuckling. Rupert then suggested that Ann and Isobel look round the east wing to decide if they wanted any alterations done to the accommodation they would be occupying. The house was not as large as some country estates but when it had been built in 1800 during the Regency period, it had been arranged with two wings of accommodation on the first floor. The west side contained the master suite which consisted of a small sitting room and a large bedroom with its own bathroom. The rooms overlooked the gardens and had south and west facing windows. The other two smaller rooms on that side were used as guest bedrooms. The arrangement on the east side was similar but not quite so sumptuous with the main room that Rupert was currently using, also facing the gardens. The second floor was now occupied by the four live in staff leaving the attic rooms, which originally had been occupied by servants, as storage rooms. The ground floor accommodated a large dining room with the kitchen and staff parlour at the rear on one side of the hallway, and a library and drawing room on the other. It was a compact house and very comfortable to live in so Rupert was sure that everyone would have sufficient room to do as they pleased. At some point in time, each of the first floor wings had been closed off with sound proof doors which Rupert always imagined had been to keep the rooms occupied by the Marquess free of noise from the remainder of the house. Such an arrangement certainly suited their intended use! "I am going to speak to Cecil now about our plans" Rupert said as he left the drawing room to seek out the butler. When he had found him he asked Cecil to join him in the library. Having asked Cecil to take a seat, Rupert then proceeded to inform him of the forthcoming marriages and the reason why. Cecil immediately appreciated the reasons why and congratulated Rupert on his plan. Rupert then asked him how he thought the rest of the staff would react to such an arrangement. "Oh without doubt my lord they will fully understand and I can assure you they will keep such knowledge to themselves; they too need to keep their way of life within these four walls and are extremely grateful to work for someone such as yourself who understands fully the implications of not doing so." Rupert thanked Cecil for that and asked him to gather the staff together so that Rupert could tell them all directly. Within a few minutes, Jacob, Ralph and Joseph were assembled in the library with Cecil standing to one side. "Please, everyone have a seat" Rupert smiled to alleviate their immediate concerns as to why they had been called together. Rupert then explained as he had to Cecil about the plans. As soon as he had finished, three happy faces smiled at him. "Thank you for taking us into your confidence my lord" Jacob said, "I am sure I can speak on behalf of all of us by saying such information will never go outside of this house". "Thank you Jacob, I appreciate that since if it did the consequences for all of us could be serious in view of the attitudes of the general populace towards people of our persuasion. Now does anyone else have anything to say?" Rupert added. They all shook their heads to indicate they had nothing to add. "And you young Joseph, are you comfortable with keeping this information to yourself?" Rupert asked him as he put a hand on the lad's shoulder. "Err, yes my lord, thank you my lord" the lad stuttered not being used to being spoken to directly by someone of Lord Rupert's standing. "There is just one other thing I want to say" Rupert continued. He then went on to explain that he and Lord John would be occupying the west wing and Lady Ann and Lady Isobel the east. As he said so, he realised that nobody had shown any sign of surprise at the news about Ann and Isobel. "May I ask a question my lord?" Jacob then said looking at him. "Of course Jacob, was is it?" "You may be aware sir that Ralph and I are ... how shall I say?" "A couple?" Lord Rupert interjected immediately sensing Jacob's hesitance. "Yes sir, a couple and I was wondering if it would be agreeable to you if we shared a room on the second floor; at present we have separate rooms." "Of course it would; I had not got round to reviewing the accommodation on the second floor as yet but I do not see any problem in that do you Cecil?" Cecil confirmed he had no objection but was not sure which room would be large enough. Rupert then said that from memory there was the nursery which had an adjoining room previously used by the nanny. Cecil nodded to confirm the fact. "Then we will arrange for those two rooms to be made into one so that the two of you have a good sized room to use; would that be acceptable?" Both Jacob and Ralph grinned and nodded their agreement, "Thank you sir" they both replied. "And how about you young Joseph; is your room satisfactory?" Joseph confirmed that he was more than happy in his room so Rupert asked Cecil if he was happy with his. "Very much so my lord; as you may remember the previous butler had a larger room for himself and his wife so I now occupy that." "Excellent, excellent" Rupert replied smiling at all of them and indicating that the talk was at an end. He then asked Cecil to remain behind for a moment longer whilst the others left to resume their duties. "They seem to be a good team Cecil; I congratulate you on your choice." "Thank you my lord" "Now, tell me, did the Marquess use the Regent room up to his death?" Cecil explained that several months prior to the old man dying his bedroom had been moved downstairs because he could no longer manage the stairs and that since he had insisted his bed be moved as well, the Regent room, which was the master suite in the west wing, had been refitted out with a new bed. "Ah, so that room is empty then?" Rupert commented smiling. "Completely my lord, all the clothes and personal effects have been removed and stored away until your return." "And what about that monstrosity of a bed he used?" Rupert asked grinning. "I regret sir that it collapsed when it was being moved out of the dining room and the carpenter told me that it was not worth repairing" Cecil grinned in reply. "Thank god for that; so has it been burned?" "Not yet sir but I can arrange for it to be so if that is your wish" "Yes please arrange that Cecil and include his clothes and personal effects; I don't wish to keep anything of his." "I fully understand sir; it will be done forthwith." "In that case Cecil, would it be possible to arrange for young Joseph to move my things and Lord John's things into the Regent room with immediate effect?" Cecil grinned again and said he would make the necessary arrangements immediately. Having made those momentous arrangements, Rupert rejoined John in the drawing room. Ann and Isobel had left to review their new accommodation upstairs so John was on his own looking out at the garden. Rupert went up behind him and placed his arms round John's waist. "I am so going to enjoy having you live here with me John" he whispered into John's ear as he kissed the back of his neck. John pushed himself into Rupert's body feeling the hardness that was forming. Sensing his own reaction to John's body against him, Rupert lowered his hands and took hold of the organ that was now reacting inside John's tight trousers. "Mm, that feels so good" he muttered again as he rubbed the organ until it was bursting to be released. John moved his hand behind him and grasped Rupert's now fully grown organ. "Yes, it does" he said smiling. "When I go to London tomorrow, I must visit my tailor in Saville Row and have some new suits made. I do so like this new fashion of tight trousers that highlight one's attributes" Rupert giggled. John giggled in reply and grasped Rupert's organ some more. "Come, let's go and look at our new accommodation" Rupert then said taking John's hand. By the time they got upstairs they found young Joseph moving Rupert's clothes into the closets in the Regency room. "Ah thank you Joseph that is perfect" Rupert said putting his hand again on the lad's shoulder. The lad just grinned not knowing quite what to say having such affection shown him but he rather liked the feel of the hand caressing his shoulder. "Tell me Joseph, what age are you now?" "I have just turned eighteen my lord" Joseph said proudly. "Ah, such a perfect age to be, do you not think John?" "Absolutely" John agreed smiling at the boy, "the joys of life and love still ahead of you!" "And how are you getting on working at Brylands Joseph; do you like your fellow workers?" "Very much my lord; everyone is very nice and I enjoy the work I do; much better than the other place I was in" he added clearly reflecting on how bad things had been there. "Very good, I am pleased; now is this everything or is there some more to move over from the east wing?" Joseph confirmed that everything including Lord John's items had been moved across and asked if there was anything else he could do. "I think I fancy a bath; how about you John?" John nodded smiling guessing what Rupert had in mind. "Perhaps you'd be kind enough Joseph to run a bath for us please" Rupert said as he started removing his funeral attire. By the time Joseph had filled the bath and come back into the bedroom he found Rupert naked and Lord John down to his underwear. It was the first time he had seen his master naked and for a moment he had to take in the perfect body before him. Rupert smiled and then said "Thank you Joseph, I think we can manage from here on". Joseph quickly regained his composure and left the two men to their bath. He hoped he would again have the opportunity of seeing his master and perhaps even Lord John naked again in the future. He enjoyed the sight and it caused his own organ to respond accordingly. By the time he got down to the kitchen again he was very conscious of the bulge in the front of his trousers. "All done Joseph" Cecil asked as he walked in. "Yes and Lord Rupert asked me to run a bath for him and Lord John whilst I was there" Joseph grinned. "Mm, I see; I get the feeling you are going to enjoy working here young man" Cecil grinned as he put his arm round Joseph's shoulders and pulled him close. Joseph certainly did like his new job and he liked the intimacy of his fellow workers! Upstairs, Rupert and John had squeezed themselves into the bath. It was not really large enough but it was good fun. "I think the first thing we must do" Rupert said adjusting his naked body against John's to release his growing organ, "is to have this bathroom refitted; I think a nice corner bath that is large enough to take both of us more comfortably would be good; what do you think John?" John agreed it would and suggested other changes that would make their bath times together even more enjoyable. "In that case I will ask Cecil to get a man in to quote whilst we are in London" Rupert replied as he lightly sponged John's chest down to his erection. ******* The next chapter of 'The Tangled Web' will be available shortly. I welcome comments so feel free to do so by sending me an email. Don't forget that Nifty needs donations to host stories like these. See the Donate link to make your donation. Thanks. Other stories by Adam Stewart: Moving Forward Love at Last Gary's Story Finding Ryan The Advert Number Twenty Five Life After Ryan