Returning Home

Returning Home By Adam Stewart

Author's note: The sequel to 'Life at Readen Hall' which follows Walter's new life with Brendan.

When they arrived at Beech House, Walter put down the bag he'd carried from the car and stood in the hallway for a moment. The smell of new paint and new carpets was still evident and everything looked perfect. He still couldn't quite believe he was about to start a new life with Brendan as his lover and partner and that he was a joint owner of the house as well as a partner in the photographic business they would be running.

"You okay?" Brendan asked once he'd closed the front door behind him. Walter nodded and wrapped his arms round Brendan. "What's wrong my love? Not having second thoughts are you?"

Walter shook his head. "Of course not; I love you". Brendan gave a sigh of relief. He knew this was a big step for Walter who for most of his life had served others and never lived with someone as an equal.

"I love you too; in fact I love you more than anything in the world; you've made me so happy" Brendan replied after giving the man of his dreams a big kiss. "Everything will be fine and I'll look after you".

Walter nodded. He knew things would be fine and he trusted Brendan with his life. It was just so new to him and he knew it would take time to get used to the idea but he so loved the guy who was now holding him but had never imagined anything like this would ever happen to him. Life so far had been difficult for him even though he'd loved working for Lord Readen at Readen Hall but now all that had changed. He was no longer employed but an equal with a man who in normal circumstances was way above his station in life.

They were just about to pick up their bags and take them upstairs when there was a knock on the door. Walter automatically opened it and found a guy standing there.

"Hi, I'm Robin, your neighbour; just thought I'd pop in to introduce myself; it's great to see this house occupied again and from what I've seen you've done a lot to improve it; hope I've not come at an inconvenient time."

Walter smiled and offered his hand. Robin was in his late twenties and rather good looking with a dark complexion. "Hi' I'm Walter and this is my partner Brendan". Just hearing the words lifted Brendan's heart as he loved hearing his lover refer to him as that.

"Hi, nice to meet you, come on in"

"Are you sure? Don't want to disturb you; know what it's like when you've just moved in".

Brendan assured him it was fine and explained they'd been moving in over the past few days but from now on they'd be living in the house.

"Wow, you've really done this nicely" Robin exclaimed as he looked around him.

"Would you like to see the rest?" Brendan asked. Robin said he'd love to so Brendan showed him round whilst Walter made everyone a cup of coffee.

"Wow, I love the kitchen; makes mine look a real dump". Brendan then took him upstairs and showed him the new bathroom and the bedrooms. "Oh my, a wet room, I'd love to do that to my bathroom, and a Jacuzzi bath, god this must have cost a fortune". Brendan just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. It had cost a lot, far more than he'd originally thought but he had the money and he wanted everything perfect.

By the time they came back downstairs Walter had made a pot of coffee so they sat down in their new living room that had a dining table at the front in the bay window and two large sofas at the other end that led into the glass conservatory where they planned to sunbathe when the weather was warm enough. Fortunately the back was south facing so they reckoned on being able to enjoy the sun most days during the good weather. The conservatory was also private so they could sunbathe in the nude if they wanted as the garden was overlooked by neighbours, Robin being one of them.

"It's good to have two more gays in the road; I've felt like the only gay in the village for ages since my boyfriend dumped me just over a year ago."

"He must be mad" Brendan chuckled looking Robin up and down. He was certainly very attractive and somewhat sexy.

Robin grinned. "Yeah well, he found someone else so that was the end of me but to be fair most of the neighbours are perfectly comfortable with having gays around, especially the lady opposite, she's really sweet and seems to think us guys are not capable of cooking so she's always bringing over pies and cakes she's made; I expect she'll be doing the same for you once she's sussed you out."

"Walter is the culinary expert in our relationship thank goodness" Brendan chuckled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Robin enjoyed seeing the love between the two guys and looked forward to being neighbours.

"So where have you guys come from?"

"My home is near Worcester but I've been staying with Lord Readen at Readen Hall for the past few months and Walter also lived there."

"Wow, Lord Readen" he exclaimed, "From all accounts he's quite a dish isn't he?"

The other two laughed and agreed Jeremy was very attractive.

"We're having a house warming party next Saturday and he's coming so perhaps you'd like to come too so you can meet him." Robin's face lit up and immediately said he'd love to attend. He'd always wanted to meet the man, especially since he'd heard that he was gay despite being married.

"Well, thanks for the coffee and the tour but I'd better get out your hair and let you guys get on but if there's anything you need or I can be of assistance don't hesitate to let me know".

When Robin had left, the pair took their bags upstairs and unpacked them. Once done, they hugged and kissed. Brendan was tempted to strip his lover there and then and take him to bed but decided he'd wait until later. He then saw the present Jeremy had given Walter and picked it up. "You haven't opened Jeremy's present". Walter took it and tore off the wrapping paper. When he saw what it was he gasped.

"Oh my god, look at this" he exclaimed and held up a very expensive watch. Brendan smiled and helped Walter put it on his wrist. He'd thought of buying a new watch for his lover but he knew Jeremy had bought this so decided not to. "It's beautiful" Walter gasped and felt tears of joy form in his eyes. "He's so generous".

"He loves you very much so wanted to give you something you'd remember him by". Walter looked at Brendan and collapsed into his arms.

"I don't deserve either of you"

"Don't do yourself down; you're a lovely gentle, caring guy and I'm just grateful you accepted me because I'm sure if he'd not been married he'd have grabbed you first."

Walter looked at him amazed. He'd had no idea that Jeremy felt that way about him. He'd always liked Jeremy very much but he'd been his employer so had never thought of it more than in those terms.

"Come on, we'd better make a list of what provisions we need" Brendan said pulling out of the hug. Walter looked at him and grinned.

"The cupboards and the fridge are all stocked up" he giggled.

"When did you organise that?" Brendan gasped. Walter said he'd done it the day before, ordered everything on line and had it delivered in the afternoon. "God you're so organised; I feel so useless."

"No you're not useless; besides, without you I'd certainly not be here; I just happen to be more organised than you that's all" Walter teased.

"Ooh you're asking for a good spanking" Brendan giggled.

"Ooh, can't wait" Walter laughed as he ran from the bedroom and down the stairs with Brendan running behind him. They were so going to love living together and having fun like this.

That night they went to bed early. They wanted to christen their new bed so they had a long session of passionate lovemaking. Before they'd finally settled down to sleep, they'd penetrated each other and both had reached a climax more than once. They loved their sex and the more they had, the better it got. Both had ideas of what else they wanted to do with each other but they had plenty of time ahead of them for that.

As Robin had predicted, the lady opposite was soon knocking on the door to welcome them. She was very sweet and gave them a freshly cooked apple pie. "I think it's lovely to see two men in a loving relationship" she said, "There are some around who don't approve but just ignore them" she added with a twinkle in her eye. She then proceeded to tell them all about the few who didn't and the old lady who'd occupied the house before them. She too loved the kitchen and when Brendan said that Walter was the cook, she was very impressed.

"We've got our first customer coming this afternoon" Walter reminded Brendan a few days later, "It's a guy called Tom and his partner coming".

"Gay do you think?" Brendan grinned. Walter said he didn't know so they'd have to wait and see.

On the dot of two, the door buzzer to the annex sounded so Walter went to open it. Standing there were two young guys who didn't look much older than him. One introduced himself as Tom and the other as Dane. He welcomed them and invited them in. The pair looked slightly nervous so he offered them a drink which they readily accepted. Brendan then came through and introduced himself. "So, what is it exactly you'd like?"

The two lads looked at each other. "Well" Tom replied, "We'd like a standard photograph of the two of us first of all so perhaps we could do that before we discuss our other requirement".

Brendan smiled wondering what the other requirement involved. He first got them to take up different poses sitting, standing and kissing each other. He also got them to lay down on a platform he'd set up and with one nestled in the other's arms. When he'd finished he uploaded the shots onto his computer and showed them the results.

"They're brilliant" Dane exclaimed, "especially those lying down". There was then a pause as the two guys looked at each other again as if trying to decide how to say what they wanted. Brendan and Walter sat and waited.

"Was there something else you wanted?" Brendan eventually asked.

"Well, yes" Tom replied, "but...it's a bit embarrassing and if you can't then we'll fully understand".

"Try us" Brendan grinned, "We don't mind what you want so just say".

"We'd like to have some shots taken with us both naked; would that be possible?"

"Of course" Walter replied feeling a stirring in his loins, "We've done plenty of naked shoots haven't we Brendan".

Brendan smiled and put on screen some of the shots he'd done of Walter by the lake and those he'd done of him and Josh.

"Wow, they're brilliant" both guys exclaimed.

"If you guys would like to strip off then we'll get started" Brendan said in a matter of fact way as if this was perfectly normal work for them. The two guys looked at each other and grinned before stripping off their clothes. Once naked, Brendan suggested a pose to adopt which had one lying across the other. He then told them to make love whilst he photographed. It didn't take much encouragement for both guys to start kissing and loving each other and they soon formed erections but neither seemed bothered by this time. When Brendan decided he'd got sufficient shots he stopped them. He had a feeling they'd be having a full on session of sex if he didn't, not that he and Walter minded but they might.

He again uploaded the shots onto the computer and the two guys looked at them getting very excited.

"We want to use them on a gay website that accepts erotic pictures" Dane explained "but what've we've produced so far wasn't good enough quality".

"Fine, you can use them how you like; it's your bodies on show" Brendan grinned.

"Would you be willing to take some full frontals with us like this?" Tom then asked indicating his erection.

"Sure, whatever you want" Brendan replied smiling. Tom and Dane grinned at each other and nodded so each of them posed full frontal showing off a full erection. When they saw those on screen, they became really excited. Walter could already feel his own arousal inside his trousers and from what he could see, Brendan had the same. He also noticed that both guys were still rock hard as they looked on.

"Have you ever done any porn films?" Dane suddenly blurted out.

Brendan and Walter looked at him before answering. "No, but that's not to say we wouldn't if you were interested in doing one".

Dane looked at Tom and they grinned. "We've always fancied doing one and putting it on the same website" Dane explained, "Would you be willing to film us having sex?"

"Sure, provided you're willing to pay; it would cost more than photographs you know" Brendan replied having an eye to making money. Tom said money was not a problem and that they wanted a good quality product.

"We've got several scenes we'd like to play out if you're willing and we'd like to do some out in the open if you know somewhere we could do it".

Walter looked at Brendan and smiled. "Yeah, we could organise somewhere I think".

Both guys said that'd be brilliant so it was agreed they'd come another day to do the first one in the studio. Brendan said he'd get a thin mattress for the platform to make it more comfortable.

"Oh, just one other thing" Tom then announced, "We don't use condoms so it would be bareback sex; is that okay?"

Brendan said that was fine. "To be honest, we're the same" he grinned.

"Fucking brilliant can't wait" Dane said excitedly and gave his organ a long hard stroke.

"If it goes well" Tom added, "we may have some friends who want to do the same" he grinned.

After they'd gone, Brendan and Walter sat down and looked at the photographs they'd taken. The lads had chosen which they wanted so Brendan said he'd tidy them up and put them onto a memory stick and print off the ones they'd selected. It seemed they lived in their own place and wanted to adorn their walls with naked photographs of themselves plus the clothed portraits.

"If we do much of this kind of work I'm gonna have to wear something different because I'm rock hard" Walter laughed. Brendan agreed and had a feel since he too was fully aroused. Within minutes, they'd undressed and were sucking each other off on the platform where Tom and Dane had performed. "We must have a supply of lube in here I think" Walter grinned in between sucks but for now all he wanted to do was taste his lover.

They'd decided to hold the house warming party on the Saturday lunchtime so Walter spent most of Friday and the Saturday morning preparing the food. He wanted to cook as much as he could rather than just buy everything. Brendan helped him and Walter was pleasantly surprised at how competent he actually was when it came to culinary matters. He was nowhere near as useless as Jeremy had made out. So far the only thing he'd found Brendan had no idea about was how to operate a washing machine or use an iron but he was a willing learner and enjoyed being taught these things by his lover.

"Okay, that's it" Walter sighed when he'd finished the final canapés.

"They look wonderful my love; you're such a clever poof" Brendan giggled and gave Walter a big wet sloppy kiss.

"I just hope there's enough for the number we've invited" Walter pondered as he counted yet again each item he'd made.

"There's only seven of us my love; there's plenty; now come and get yourself ready otherwise you'll be in your birthday suit when they arrive".

Walter giggled. He doubted any of those coming would be that bothered if he was but he ran upstairs to change into his finery. He so enjoyed wearing the beautiful clothes Brendan had bought him. His biggest problem was what to wear with what but Brendan was good at knowing what went with what so he generally took his advice. Having been so used to only having a few items of clothing it had never been a problem so far in his life and most of the time he had been required to wear what he'd been told by his employer.

"Robin's here" Brendan called.

"Just coming" Walter yelled down as he checked himself in the mirror. "Yeah, you look gorgeous" he giggled to himself before running downstairs to welcome Robin from next door.

"Oh dear, am I the first?" Robin said seeing the living room empty. Brendan said the others would be arriving shortly so it was fine. "As a matter of fact, I wanted to ask you if you'd be interested in doing some photography work for my company; we're redoing our catalogue and need people and products photographed".

Brendan said they'd be delighted to take on such a commission so arranged for Robin to come round the following week to discuss the job. "What business are you in?"

"We are a men's clothing distributor; anything from sexy underwear to suits which we source from around the world and then supply retailers. We buy in bulk so can compete with the large retailers who have their own buyers."

"Wow, sounds impressive" Walter grinned.

"It's a nightmare at times but I enjoy it; especially when I have to select gorgeous guys for modelling the items."

"Who's done your photographic work in the past?" Brendan asked. Robin explained that he'd used the same company for several years but they'd put their prices up so much that he could no longer afford them so he was looking for a new photographer.

"If we can agree a good price then there'll be plenty of ongoing work for you" Robin said, "And from what I've seen so far I like your work".

Brendan looked enquiringly since he wondered what work he'd seen to make that assessment.

"The photographs on the walls in your studio" Robin grinned, "I take it all those are yours".

Brendan laughed and said they certainly were. He'd forgotten they'd hung various items in the studio to make the space look more interesting.

A few minutes later the four guys from Readen Hall arrived. Robert had driven them in the Rolls which would make the neighbours sit up when they saw that parked outside. Brendan introduced everyone to Robin and noticed Jeremy's eyes light up when he shook Robin's hand. Hunter followed Walter into the kitchen to offer help but Walter said everything was organised.

"So I can see" Hunter grinned moving up in front of Walter to kiss him. "So how's your new life going? Is everything okay?"

"Brilliant; he's such a kind, loving guy; I still can't really believe he's chosen me". Hunter took him into his arms and said he was pleased to hear that. "How are things back at the hall?"

Hunter smiled and nodded. "Yes, okay; Josh is settling well into his new role but we all miss you". Walter felt a twinge of sadness shoot through him. He'd so loved working at the hall and the guys he'd worked with but he also loved Brendan and his new life. "Anyhow, I'm so glad everything is working out okay and you look very happy."

"Thanks; I shall never forget you guys; you know that don't you" Walter said as a tear started forming in his eyes.

"Are you guys going to stay in here all day?" Brendan laughed peering into the kitchen. Walter grinned and rushed up to him.

"Sorry my love; just catching up on things"

"Is he telling you all the bad things about me Hunter?" Brendan laughed.

"Yes, but from what I've heard he can kick you into shape" Hunter laughed.

"Mm, he can kick me into shape anytime" Brendan giggled as he pulled his lover into his arms and kissed him passionately whilst Hunter looked on smiling to himself. It was good to see Walter so happy and that he really was loved by Brendan.

"Tim's here" Walter announced when the door bell rang.

"Hello darling; how's my gorgeous client" Tim laughed as he walked in and took Walter into his arms before giving him a hard kiss on the lips. Walter slapped his backside and told him to behave himself which only encouraged Tim even more but both guys knew he was only playing around. He then sashayed into the living room and everyone looked round. Tim always had this effect on people when he entered a room.

"Hello darlings, I'm Tim" he announced before Brendan or Walter could introduce him.

"Tim is an interior designer and helped us with Beech House" Brendan announced before introducing everyone.

The party went well and as it progressed, Walter noticed that Jeremy and Robin seemed to become very friendly. He also overheard Jeremy arrange for Robin to visit Readen Hall and could see they fancied each other. Finally everyone left leaving Walter and Brendan alone.

"That went well don't you think" Brendan said as he watched Walter collect up empty glasses and plates. Walter nodded and grinned.

"Yep, I think everyone enjoyed themselves and they all loved the house".

"Are you okay my love?" Brendan asked and took Walter into his arms. "Do you wish you were still living with the guys at Readen Hall?" he asked knowing that Walter had loved the place and he still worried that he might be pulled back there; in fact it was his worst nightmare.

"I'm fine" Walter smiled, "and no I don't wish I was still living with them; why should I when I've got a gorgeous, kind, generous guy who I love with all my heart".

"Oh god; I love you so much" Brendan exclaimed. Tears of joy were pouring down his face, his heart was racing and over spilling with love. "Come on, leave this; I want to take you to bed and show you how much I love you".

Walter grinned and let his lover lead him by the hand upstairs. Once there he just stood and let Brendan seductively undress him kissing each bit of naked flesh as it was uncovered. When he was naked, Brendan gently lay him on the bed, hastily removed his own clothes and then commenced licking and kissing every part of him working from his feet up to his lips. By the time he'd reached those, their erections were bouncing up and down with excitement. Walter lifted his arms and grabbed hold of the headboard behind him leaving his naked body for his lover to do whatever he wanted. Each kiss was passionate and their tongues fought with each other as they did so. Walter could feel their erections rubbing against each other and he had to work hard to hold back his climax. He wanted this to last for a long time.

Without saying anything, Brendan reached for the bottle of lube, prepared himself and then slicked Walter's long hard organ before lifting his body over it. As he looked into his lover's eyes he slowly sank down on the long thick shaft letting it slip inside him. Walter held on tightly to the bed head. He could feel his shaft slowly filling Brendan up and it felt just wonderful. Brendan slowly rode him up and down as he gently massaged his own hard organ. He too wanted this to last.

After several minutes of riding him, Brendan lifted himself off and opened Walter's legs wide apart. He then lifted them up over Walter's chest and guided his rampant organ into him having dribbled some lube over the puckered entrance. Walter groaned and moaned with pleasure as the hard organ breached him and slowly filled him up.

"Mm, fuck, that feels so good" he groaned. Brendan smiled and increased the pace of his thrusts until he was slamming in and out. He knew Walter loved this and could take it. As he did so, he continued to massage Walter's excited organ which was now dribbling pre-cum.

After several more minutes of thrusting in and out, Brendan gasped as his climax reached its peak.

"Oh fuck, fuck, yes, yes" he yelled at the top of his voice. Suddenly his whole body shook as his seed erupted. As he filled Walter up, he increased the speed of his massage and soon Walter was spewing his seed all over his chest. Wave after wave of creamy cum shot out; it never ceased to amaze Brendan the volume that his lover produced every time. It looked just beautiful.

Finally both bodies calmed and they grinned at each other. Brendan leaned forward and took Walter's head into his hands to kiss him.

"That was fucking beautiful" he grinned when the kiss had finally ended, "Thank you for making me such a happy man".

Walter nodded unable to speak. He was too choked with emotion to do so. "And you me" he eventually managed to say before pulling Brendan into another passionate kiss. He so hoped they'd always love each other like this since he couldn't bear to be without this wonderful guy now. "You will always love me won't you" he said more to himself than out loud.

Brendan took Walter's face into his hands and looked into his eyes. "Of course I will, why do you ask; I love you and always will; nothing will ever stop me from doing so; you've got me for life my love whether you like it or not" he added with a giggle. Walter smiled and mouthed 'thank you' before letting the guy he loved kiss him yet again. Life was so perfect and he couldn't believe things had worked out like this.

"Let's have a soak in the Jacuzzi; I want to continue holding you and making love to you" Brendan giggled after a while of kissing. Walter chuckled but he liked that idea so they climbed off the bed and walked into the bathroom. Soon the bath was ready so Brendan climbed in and Walter sat between his legs. Both were still aroused so he could feel Brendan's hardness pressing against his back. Brendan took hold of his which was bobbing up and down in the water and gently massaged it. He then pressed the button to start the Jacuzzi. The bubbles bathed their nakedness and it felt wonderful. Walter leant back onto Brendan's shoulders and turned his head so they could kiss some more. Both felt so happy and relaxed. Nothing could upset how they felt for each other.

Walter was just enjoying the afterglow of being brought off to another climax and watching his cum float away, when they heard Brendan's mobile phone ringing in the bedroom.

"Fuck, who's that I wonder" Brendan exclaimed not wanting to move.

"You want me to get it?"

"No, let it ring; whoever it is can leave a message; I've got more important things to occupy me" he giggled as he wrapped his arms round the naked man sitting between his legs.

Eventually they climbed out and dried off before walking naked into their bedroom. Brendan picked up his phone and saw the missed call had been from Maureen, his stepmother. "What the hell does she want?" he muttered to himself as he pressed the button to retrieve the message she'd left.

"Oh Brendan, I'm sorry to bother you but your father is asking to see you again; he's upset that you haven't come following Trevor's call last week; could you call me please."

Brendan cursed. "What does the fucking bastard want with me" he shouted.

Walter took him into his arms to try and calm him down. "Why not call her back and ask her my love".

Brendan nodded. He knew he'd have to go and see the man despite not wanting to do so. "Why does he have to spoil everything? For once in my life I'm feeling so happy but the bastard always has to ruin what's been a lovely day."

Walter kissed him and held him in his arms. He knew how his lover felt when it came to family and from what he'd heard of the man, Brendan's father was far worse than his had ever been. All he could do was support him and make him feel wanted.

Brendan slipped on his briefs and sat on the bed before picking up his phone to return Maureen's call. Walter decided to sit beside him just in case he needed more comfort.

"Hi Maureen, it's Brendan; what does he want with me?"

"He's not a well man Brendan; he's had two minor heart attacks and the way he's going he's leading up to another but he keeps saying he wants to see you; when I ask why he just shouts at me so I have no idea why I'm afraid; could you come, please".

Although Brendan had no real love for his stepmother since she'd done nothing to make his life any easier when he'd lived at home, he did feel for her and realised that his father treated her just as badly as he'd treated his only son. "Okay; I need to come and collect the remainder of my things so I'll come tomorrow" he replied. "Oh by the way, I shall be bringing my partner with me but we won't be staying".

Maureen gave a sigh of relief and said she looked forward to seeing them. She was on the point of inviting them to stay for lunch but decided against it since she doubted Brendan would want to stay longer than absolutely necessary knowing his father. Why she'd been persuaded to marry the man was a question she asked constantly but she was stuck now so had to put up with it.

"I'm sorry my love" Brendan said as soon as he'd ended the call, "I'll have to go and I'd like you to come with me if you would".

Walter said of course he'd accompany him; besides, he was intrigued to see his lover's home and to meet the man who'd clearly made his life such a misery.

Walter could sense that Brendan was feeling tense as they drove to the estate near Worcester where his father lived. When he drove along the winding drive towards the house and it came into view he gasped.

"Wow, some house; how big is it?"

Brendan looked up having been pulled out of his thoughts. "Twenty bedrooms and four reception rooms although most of the house is shut off since only my step mother, my father and his man servant live there now."

Walter parked the car outside the front door and for a moment they just sat there. He placed a hand on his lover's knee and patted it. "It's okay, I'll be beside you".

Brendan turned and smiled. "Thanks my love; come on then, let's get it over".

They rang the bell beside the large front door and heard it ring inside. It seemed ages before an old guy eventually opened it. He glared at both of them and Brendan walked briskly past him without saying anything with Walter quickly following on behind. It was later that Walter realised this was the man who'd shopped Brendan over the matter of the young gardener he'd taken to his bed which resulted in his father banishing him from the house.

The man servant said nothing and disappeared from wherever he'd appeared but as he did so, Maureen, Brendan's step mother appeared. She at least seemed pleased to see them and welcomed both of them with a smile and a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Your father is in the living room" she said leading them into the large room at the back of the house.

"Why didn't you come last week as I instructed?" his father shouted across the room as soon as he saw his son enter. Walter was stunned at the outburst for a moment but Brendan continued walking up to his father who was sitting in an armchair beside the fireplace. He looked thinner than he'd last seen him and clearly not well but Brendan wasn't going to ask how he was with that introduction.

"I'm not your dog that comes running at the slightest call" Brendan barked back, "Besides, I was busy last week; what do you want to see me about?"

Walter moved up to where his partner was now standing just a few feet away from the man who was glaring at both of them.

"And who the hell is this pathetic creature?" his father shouted. Again Walter was stunned at the anger shown and involuntarily stepped back. Brendan stepped forward and almost shouted into his father's face.

"Firstly he's not a pathetic creature you ignorant bugger and secondly he's my partner so I asked him to accompany me."

For a moment his father was taken aback at the sudden show of anger from his son who'd always previously cowed down to whatever his demands had been. "What do you mean partner? Partner in what?" he eventually responded with a similar level of anger in his voice.

"I always knew you were stupid but hadn't realised you were a completely ignorant bastard. Can you not work it out?" Brendan shouted shaking his head in disbelief. His father just looked and said nothing. "We are in love and we live together". Brendan finally added with a contemptuous look on his face.

"Well get out now; I don't want perverts in my house" he shouted at Walter who stood looking stunned.

"Don't you dare talk to my partner like that you homophobic bastard" Brendan shouted moving even nearer to his father and pointing his finger into his face.

"It's okay Brendan, I'll leave" Walter whispered tearfully and turned towards the door. Brendan took hold of his arm and pulled him into a hug.

"No my love, I'd like you to stay and hear what this ignorant bastard has to say to me". Walter felt his lover's heart racing and saw the pain in his eyes. He knew he couldn't leave him to face this vile man alone so he nodded.

"So, why did you want to see me?" Brendan barked at his father who'd looked on with disgust at the display of affection between the two men.

"I thought perhaps you'd have come to your senses by now" he replied with a sneer.

Brendan laughed mockingly. "Are you so stupid that you think someone wakes up one morning and decides 'let's be gay today' and then another day 'I'll be straight again'; I am what I am and since you're my father you are partly to blame". His father looked at him with disgust but had no response to that. "For the first time in my life I've found someone who loves me and who I love" he continued, "You don't know the meaning of the word love; you never loved my mother, you certainly never loved me and I doubt you've ever shown any love towards Maureen. In fact you hate everyone and everyone hates you including your only son."

"How dare you. Get out of my house; get out right now" his father shouted waving his hand and sending crockery that was on a side table nearby flying onto the floor and smashing into pieces. His face was also bright red and looked as if he was going to expire any moment.

"Calm down dear" Maureen said rushing forward from the other side of the room where she'd witnessed what had taken place, "You know what the doctor said; if you keep on shouting and getting angry with everyone you'll have another heart attack which could kill you".

"Oh shut up you stupid woman; I'm tired of your continual winging; get out, I'm sick of seeing you" he shouted at her. Maureen was shocked and burst into tears. She knew he was a difficult man, always had been but he was now virtually impossible to deal with. She ran out of the room without saying anything.

"You really are a fucking racist, homophobic bigot aren't you; it's not surprising everyone hates you" Brendan said as he placed an arm round his lover who still had tears running down his face.

"And you're a pervert who has no sense of duty towards his father who's in ill health and possibly dying".

Brendan turned round and laughed in his face. "No sense of duty? Don't make me laugh; you never showed any towards me or my mother when she was alive, in fact you never even attended her funeral so I certainly don't care a toss about you, in fact the sooner you go the better."

Brendan was now shaking with rage as Walter led him out of the room and although his father couldn't see, tears were streaming down his face. Having slammed the thick oak door behind them, they paused in the hallway.

"I'm so sorry my love; I'd no idea he'd be as bad as that; are you okay?"

Walter nodded and pulled his lover into a big hug and a kiss. "Yes, I'm fine; how about you?"

Brendan nodded and led them into a smaller lounge at the front of the house where Maureen was sitting still crying.

"I'm so sorry Maureen" Brendan said trying to comfort her.

"It's okay Brendan, I know what he's like but I hadn't realised he hated me like everyone else; you're quite right of course, he hasn't an ounce of love in his body and he's never shown any towards me; I was the biggest fool allowing myself to be bamboozled into living with him."

"Why do you stay with him?" Brendan asked, "Why not just leave him to stew in his own juice?"

"He needs someone to look after him"

"I know that old fool he employs as his manservant is useless but he can afford to pay a housekeeper"

"I would leave him if I had the money"

Brendan pondered for a moment as he sat down beside her. "Has he explained to you the legal situation with regards to the house and the estate?" Maureen shook her head. Her husband had never mentioned anything about that. Brendan then explained that the estate used to belong to his maternal grandfather and when he died it passed to his son and daughter, the latter being Brendan's mother. Brendan's uncle never married so had no children; in fact he was thought to be gay, so he arranged for the whole estate and house to be put into a trust on his death since the title died with him as he had no male heir. Soon after the trust had been set up Brendan's mother married his father so when his uncle died, the trust gave her and her husband life tenancy of the house as well as a considerable sum to Brendan when he reached the age of twenty five.

"So, strictly speaking I own the house and the estate and when my bigot of a father dies I take complete control. All that will come to you Maureen is his personal wealth but nothing that is connected to the estate or this house."

Maureen went white. She'd no idea that if Brendan's father died she'd be homeless and she had no idea how much money he had since he always handled all the financial affairs. Seeing her concern, Brendan patted her hand. "But don't worry Maureen, I'll make sure you have sufficient income to live on and have a sum to buy a home of your own. Do you have any idea where you'd like to go?"

Maureen thought for a moment somewhat relieved that at least Brendan was a decent man. "I've always fancied going to the south coast, perhaps Bournemouth".

"Then why not take a trip down there and see what you can find. Once you find what you want, let me know and I'll arrange for funds to be released from the estate; even though he's still alive he has no control whatsoever on the estate or this house since he's only a tenant so cant' do anything to stop you."

Maureen gave a sigh of relief. She knew after today's outburst that she could no longer continue living with the man and the way things were going she expected him to have a major heart attack any minute which would kill him off according to the doctors. "Thank you Brendan, you're very kind".

Brendan smiled at her and stood up. "Come on Walter, let's fetch the remaining things from my room and get out of here". He then led Walter up the grand staircase to a room at the back of the house. It smelt musty as soon as they walked in since nobody had been in there since Brendan had left several months before. Every surface was also thick with dust. Sitting on the floor were several boxes of personal items that Brendan had packed up before he'd left. He then pulled out of the wardrobe the remaining clothes he wished to take leaving those he didn't want. Within half an hour they'd packed everything into the car and were on their way having said goodbye to Maureen who was still sitting in a dazed state in the smaller lounge. There was no sign of the old manservant who was keeping a low profile.

The journey home was spent in silence with Brendan thinking through what had taken place. What worried him most was how Walter felt about things. He'd seen the look of horror at the shouting match that had gone on between him and his father and wondered whether Walter was now having second thoughts about living with a man who was capable of treating his father that way. He knew he'd lost his temper and that years of anger had spilled over. Walter said nothing and nor did he as they made the journey home. It was well past lunchtime but neither had suggested stopping somewhere. All he wanted to do was get home and take the man he loved with all his heart into his arms and give him some tender love and care.

As soon as they reached home and had unloaded the car, Brendan did just that. He took Walter into his arms and hugged him tight. "I'm so very sorry my love; I should never have submitted you to that; will you forgive me?"

Walter looked into his face frowning. "It wasn't your fault my love; from what I saw he's an evil man so anyone would have reacted as you did; there's nothing to forgive."

"I want you to know that I'd never ever shout at you or treat you like that my love, never; you do believe me don't you because if you left me now I don't know what I'd do."

By now both had tears pouring down their faces and hugged each other tight. "I know and of course I don't want to leave you; I love you. To be honest I thought my father was a bastard but compared to that man he's a saint; how you managed to live with him for so many years beats me; you deserve a medal my love."

Brendan grinned and kissed him passionately. He so loved this man and would do anything for him. "Lets' leave this stuff and go upstairs; I want to have long passionate love with you."

Walter giggled and pulled him into another kiss. Already he was feeling aroused and couldn't wait to get his lover naked and in bed. "I sometimes wonder with men like that how they ever managed to have children; it certainly can't have been as a result of tender love could it; what do you think your mother saw in him?"

It was a question Brendan had pondered on numerous occasions but from what his mother had told him even as a child and from what he knew had happened with Maureen, his father was very persuasive and got what he wanted; the only difference on this occasion is that he didn't and his son had stood up to him.

For the next two hours they lay in each other's arms kissing and caressing. Both needed to feel the other close to them. They chatted some more and Walter tried to understand the difficult life Brendan had endured after his mother had died when he was thirteen. Up to then he'd led a happy life despite his father's lack of love towards him but his mother had provided enough for both of them. From thereon, just when a son needed a father even more to help him through the difficult years of growing up, he felt so alone.

"Did your father really not attend your mother's funeral?"

"No" Brendan replied and felt tears in his eyes. Even now he still missed his mother.

"Why?" Walter asked trying to understand why a husband wouldn't attend his wife's funeral.

"Said he was too busy and what was the point"

Walter was shocked and hugged the beautiful guy beside him even tighter.

Eventually both were feeling hungry since they'd missed lunch and it was now late afternoon. They quickly got dressed and went downstairs. Whilst Walter prepared their evening meal, Brendan unpacked the things they'd brought back. Amongst them was a painting which he'd always loved.

"It's beautiful" Walter said as he admired the water colour, "Who did it?"

"My mother; she loved painting and did this one when I was six; see, that's me in the foreground playing in the garden."

Walter moved closer and looked at the happy little boy playing on the grass. He then recognised the garden which he'd seen from the window of Brendan's bedroom. "Let's hang it in the living room; it's a beautiful painting and should take pride of place".

"Are you sure?" Brendan asked somewhat surprised that Walter would want to have such a picture on display.

"Of course; assuming you'd like to; I feel I almost know your mother from the way she's painted you playing happily in the foreground."

Brendan took his lover into his arms and hugged him tight before giving him a passionate kiss. "What have I done to deserve such a wonderful guy as you; I'm so happy and I'm damned if I'm going to let that bastard ruin my life anymore so yes I'd love to have the picture in the living room to remind me of my early life when I was as happy as I am now."

With that decided Walter stopped what he was doing in the kitchen, pulled out a hammer and a picture hook and took the picture into the living room. Within minutes they'd decided where to hang it and had done so. It looked perfect.

"I think I'd better call Trevor and arrange to meet him to discuss estate matters" Brendan said whilst they ate their meal, "I feel I've let things fall by the wayside since I left home and I don't trust my father".

"From what you've said he doesn't have any claim or control of the estate, does he?"

Brendan smiled. "No he doesn't but my father is just as likely to push his nose in and he can be very persuasive so I want to pre-empt him. Walter agreed so immediately after their meal Brendan called Trevor even though it was a Sunday evening. When he came off the phone he was looking angry again and Walter rushed to his side to console him.

"Just as well I called Trevor; my bastard father called him immediately after we'd left and said that I had relinquished all control of the estate and that Trevor was now to put everything through him. I'm going to the estate to have a meeting with Trevor tomorrow; would you mind driving me or shall I take the train?"

Walter said of course he'd drive him and in any event he was interested in meeting Trevor and finding out more about Brendan's estate.

"Fortunately Trevor knows the legal situation so he didn't believe what my father had told him so had no intention of consulting him but it seems I've got to get my solicitor to send a very strong letter to him to tell him to keep his nose out of things; the bastard just won't lie down."

Walter caressed Brendan's back and told him to calm down. "Don't let him rile you; that's what he wants; that's what my father used to do with me and like an idiot I let him do it; what you need to do is play him at his own game".

Brendan nodded. Walter was right; he shouldn't allow the bastard to get under his skin.

First thing on the Monday morning they were once again driving to the estate near Worcester. Walter had a feeling he was going to be doing this journey a lot from now on but he didn't mind. It was on the right side of Worcester for them so was only about an hour and a quarter by car provided the motorway was flowing well. This time they drove past the entrance to the large house and down another narrow road that led to the estate office where Trevor worked and lived. He was a guy in his mid forties and clearly liked Brendan by the way they hugged and shook hands. Brendan introduced Walter who was welcomed and accepted without any sign of disapproval. Walter was so pleased that at least Brendan had someone at the estate who accepted his lifestyle.

"I knew he was lying as soon as he tried to convince me that you'd given him complete control" Trevor said once they'd sat down to discuss matters, "since I knew you would have spoken to me before doing anything like that."

"Don't trust the guy or believe anything he says; in fact just ignore him" Brendan replied.

"Don't you worry Brendan; to be honest I hate the guy and don't trust him as far as I could throw him; I'm just so sorry that he's your father."

"As far as I'm concerned he's no longer a member of my family and I have no intention of ever seeing him or speaking to him again; in fact I'm going to see whether there is any way of getting him out of the house but that may be difficult."

"The way he's going I don't think he'll be with us much longer in any event" Trevor replied, "When I said I'd need to speak to you before I could accept what he was saying he went mad, shouting and swearing at me so if he goes on like that he's on his way to another heart attack soon which from what I hear will kill him."

Brendan nodded and was tempted to say 'Sooner the better' but thought better of it.

Over the next hour they discussed various issues in connection with the estate and Brendan approved several changes Trevor wanted to make to improve things. Walter made notes as they did so and acted as the secretary. It made him feel useful and it was a natural thing for him to do. Afterwards Trevor drove the pair round the estate to look at various things. Walter felt like the grand owner of an estate as he walked along side his partner and various employees they met acknowledged them as the boss.

By the time they returned to the estate office it was almost lunchtime so Brendan invited Trevor to join him and Walter for a bite to eat at the local hostelry. The three enjoyed each other's company and by the time they made the journey home they felt so much happier than the day before. Brendan agreed that he'd visit once a week to keep up with things and maintain contact in between. Even though he never intended living in the main house ever again because of past memories, he loved the estate.

Later that week they undertook interviews for a cleaner. Walter had placed an advert in the local paper and they had selected three people to see. Two were female and one was an eighteen year old. The two females were older women and it was very clear from the first one they saw that she didn't approve of two men living together so she was quickly despatched. The second woman was more like a mother and although she was accepting of their lifestyle they weren't sure they could put up with her mothering instinct. She seemed to think that two men were not able to manage the usual things when it came to household matters despite being told that they looked after themselves.

The eighteen year old was a guy called Thomas. He was delightful and both Brendan and Walter took to him immediately. He had limited experience of work but he seemed very keen and was prepared to do anything. He lived at home in the next village and planned to cycle to them each week. The more they questioned him on his home life the clearer it became that he was not happy and Brendan wanted to know more.

"Are you able to talk about why you're unhappy at home Thomas?" Brendan asked. Thomas lowered his head to look at his hands for a moment before answering.

"You've made it clear that you two guys live together and asked whether I was comfortable with that" Thomas eventually replied. "As I said I have no problems with that and I assume you are both gay; am I correct?"

Brendan smiled and confirmed that they were. "Are you gay Thomas?" he asked having guessed what the problem could be at home. Thomas nodded without saying anything. "And do I take it that your parents don't know about your sexuality?"

Thomas nodded again and then quickly added "Well, I'm fairly sure my mum knows from what's she said but my dad doesn't and nor does my older brother".

"And how do you think they'll react if they find out?"

Thomas suddenly held his head in his hands and burst into tears. Walter immediately rushed over to sit beside him and placed an arm round him to console him. "It's okay; we both know what it's like to have fathers who don't accept our sexuality".

Thomas looked up at Walter. "My dad and my brother would kill me if they ever found out but I can't go on much longer living a lie; it's killing me."

Walter hugged him and looked at Brendan. This scenario seemed never ending. "Why can't family just fucking accept who we are?" he shouted angrily. Thomas looked up startled at the intensity of Walter's remarks but felt at last he was with guys who understood. So far he'd felt so alone and not found anyone to talk to about his predicament. Even his best friend made caustic comments about gays so he hadn't dared indicate he was one.

"Have you thought about leaving home?" Brendan asked moving nearer to where Thomas was sitting. Thomas looked at Brendan and said he'd often thought of doing so but without regular work in no way could he afford to rent somewhere and support himself.

"I hated school because I was always being bullied; I think even then I knew I was gay but never accepted I was; other boys were always making comments and pushing me around so I left having no qualifications and nothing to offer."

Walter felt sorry for him and wanted to help in some way but the question was how. "Do you have any practical skills?" he asked Thomas trying to see if there was anything else he could do to earn a living. Thomas thought for a moment and then said he was good with his hands and frequently did maintenance jobs at home and for other people.

"Have you thought about setting yourself up as a maintenance man offering to do small jobs that bigger companies aren't interested in doing? I'm sure there'd be a market in the local villages around here" Brendan said. Thomas again thought for a moment before answering.

"I'd love to but I'd need to buy tools, a small van of some kind and find somewhere to live and operate from; I just don't have that kind of money and I know my dad wouldn't help me."

"If you had the money and somewhere to live would you be interested in doing that?"

"Yeah, of course but how; a few cleaning jobs are not going to make sufficient money for that outlay; my parents don't even know I've applied for your job let alone planning to do any others".

"And do you have a driving licence to drive a small van?"

Thomas said he did and frequently drove his father's car. Brendan moved his chair nearer and took hold of Thomas's hands. "I'd like to help you Thomas if I can". He then detailed what he had in mind which included finding a farm cottage somewhere to rent nearby, and he already had an idea about that since he happened to know that Jeremy at Readen Hall had such a cottage that was currently available but needed work done on it. "I'd loan you the money to buy what tools you needed and find you a small van to use. Walter would I'm sure help you advertise your services and give whatever assistance you needed with regards to managing your small business, wouldn't you my love". Walter nodded vigorously. He liked Thomas and was willing to give him whatever help he needed.

"In return" Brendan continued, "you would come here once a week and do our cleaning so you'd need to keep one day a week free to do that otherwise you'd be free to do maintenance work as required. I also know Lord Readen at Readen Hall who I'm sure will know of people who could use your services. Once your workload has increased to such an extent that you can't meet our cleaning obligation we'll come to some other arrangement so basically I will give you an interest free loan in return for your cleaning services and you pay back the loan over a longer term."

Thomas looked at Brendan dumbfounded. He couldn't believe that a total stranger was willing to do this for him. "I don't know what to say; I can't understand why you'd want to do this for me" was all he could say.

"Simple" Brendan smiled, "Both Walter and I know what you're going through, we've both been through it and my father threw me out of my home when he found out I was gay; Walter like you decided he couldn't continue living in denial so left home but once his parents found out they rejected him. I have the money to help you make a new life for yourself and both Walter and I would like to help you but go away and think about it if you want and let us know. In the meantime, we'd like to offer you the cleaning job in any event, wouldn't we Walter?"

Walter nodded enthusiastically and smiled at his partner.

"So, if you decide you don't want to accept our offer of help then we'll pay you the rate of pay for the cleaning job and say no more."

Thomas looked at Walter and then at Brendan. He liked the two guys and felt comfortable with them. He'd often thought of leaving home and trying his hand at being self employed but didn't have the funds to start off so this would give him that chance plus he'd have two friends who it seemed would support him.

"Could I make my decision here and now?" he asked. Brendan nodded waiting for his response. "In that case I'd like to accept your kind offer so where do we go from here?"

Walter was overjoyed that Thomas had accepted and immediately hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Brendan shook Thomas's hand and also kissed him on the cheek. Since it was almost lunchtime Walter invited Thomas to stay for something to eat so they could discuss things in more detail. Brendan smiled at his lover's enthusiasm but knew he'd be a great help to Thomas which was why he'd suggested the plan. The money that he estimated would be needed to set him up was small fry to him even if it was never repaid and he knew who had a small van that would suit Thomas perfectly. All he now had to do was speak to Jeremy to see if he'd be willing to rent Thomas the small cottage that was available on his estate.

Whilst Thomas helped Walter prepare a light lunch, Brendan slipped into the small room in the studio he used as his study to call Jeremy. Fortunately he was available so was soon back in the kitchen where the other two were setting the table for lunch.

"Right, I've spoken to Lord Readen and he'd be delighted to let you rent the cottage I spoke of but he says it's in need of decoration and a good clean out since it hasn't been used for a while; however he's sure one or more of his staff at the hall would be willing to give a helping hand."

Thomas gasped and ran into Brendan's arms to hug him and thank him. As he did so Brendan looked at Walter and grinned. Walter blew him a silent kiss and said 'thank you'. He also guessed that Brendan would have told Jeremy that Thomas was gay and had no doubt offered the services of Josh and possibly Robert to help make the cottage inhabitable. He knew of the cottage which had in days gone by been a gate lodge beside the east gate which was no longer used for regular traffic to the hall.

"If you've got nothing arranged for this afternoon I said we'd drive you over to have a look at it before you finally decided".

Thomas said he'd love to do that and had nothing on that afternoon. Besides, this was far more important than anything else in his life and he didn't care what the cottage was like provided it had a roof on it. Just the thought of leaving home and sticking two fingers up to his dad and his brother was worth any amount of work to make it liveable and it would give him good experience.

Over lunch they listed what tools and equipment Thomas would need for the kind of work he had in mind and Walter said he'd get prices to calculate the overall cost. They also discussed how Thomas would manage in the interim until he found work but Brendan said he knew an interior designer who'd love to use someone like Thomas to do small decorating jobs and simple carpentry work which Thomas said he could do. He was certain Tim would wet himself when he met Thomas and would find him work.

When they'd cleared away the lunch things, Walter drove them to Readen Hall. It felt odd driving up to the front door and ringing the bell as a visitor. Hunter opened the door and immediately took Walter into his arms kissing him and hugging him whilst Thomas looked on somewhat amazed. Brendan quickly explained that Walter used to live there so he was well known by everyone.

When Jeremy met Thomas his eyes nearly popped out of his head. The guy was cute to say the least which was another reason why Brendan had come up with the idea. Thomas would charm his way into any job just on his cute appearance. All he hoped was that the guy had the skills he said he had but Brendan had a shrewd idea he did. Thomas was far from pompous or bigheaded about his abilities and if anything tended to undersell his skills.

Having given Walter the key to the cottage, Jeremy left the three of them to go and see it. They all agreed it needed a good clean and redecoration throughout but that could soon be done. The kitchen and bathroom were more than satisfactory for what Thomas needed and he loved its setting with views over the land belonging to Readen Hall. The entrance gate would need oiling to make it open more easily and a coat of paint in due course but that could easily be done when he had time. The cottage consisted of a small living room and kitchen downstairs and a bedroom and bathroom upstairs. Attached to it there was a brick garage which would house the small van and any other equipment or materials Thomas would need.

"It's just perfect" Thomas exclaimed as he excitedly ran from room to room. "Are you really sure you want to do this?" he asked Brendan when he finally came to a halt.

"Of course so when do you want to start?"

Thomas said he'd love to start as soon as he could, so it was agreed Brendan and Walter would draw up an agreement for them to sign and Brendan would speak to Trevor about the small van he knew was available. "Why not come round to us tomorrow afternoon and we'll finalise things".

"And stay for an evening meal if you like" Walter added glancing at Brendan to see his reaction. Brendan smiled and nodded. It was great to see his lover treat their home like that rather than feeling it was Brendan's alone.

After Thomas had left to go home, Brendan called Trevor about the van. He was more than happy to let it go since it was surplus to requirements. He agreed to transfer the ownership into Thomas's name and arrange insurance. Brendan said they'd drive Thomas over to collect it the following week by which time everything else would be in place.

The following day Thomas arrived full of beans. He was so excited about his new venture and his new life. In fact he had to keep pinching himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming it all. Walter had typed out an agreement and once Brendan had gone through it with him they both signed it. Walter had also priced up the items Thomas would need and been in contact with the supplier Readen Hall used for building materials and got them to give him a discount. Thomas was speechless and kept looking at Brendan and Walter not sure what to say or how to thank them. "Thank you so much" was all he could say as he read through the list of things he would use in his new life.

"Have you told your parents yet?" Walter asked. Thomas shook his head saying he wanted everything in place before he did so.

"I know my dad; he'll tell me I'm mad and try and persuade me not to do it so I want everything ready to go so I can just say I'm off".

Walter couldn't blame him and said they could go and purchase all he needed as soon as he wanted. Brendan told him about the van and that too would be ready the following week.

"And Josh and Robert have agreed to help with cleaning and decorating the cottage and I will too" Walter added. Thomas leaned over and kissed him which did nothing to reduce Walter's aroused state but that would have to stay hidden.

By the end of the following week they'd collected the small Ford van, purchased the tools and equipment Thomas had listed and cleaned and redecorated the cottage. The four guys had thoroughly enjoyed themselves doing it and the others were impressed with Thomas's skills. He'd even built some shelving in the garage for his tools and materials using his carpentry skills. Jeremy had also agreed for new carpets to be laid throughout since they needed replacing. By the Saturday everything was complete and Thomas was ready to move in. All he now had to do was announce to his parents that he was leaving home. He wasn't looking forward to doing that but knew it had to be done.

It was agreed that he'd tell them that evening and pack his things ready for Walter to collect him in the van on the Sunday morning. So far the van had been parked at Brendan and Walter's house since he didn't want his parents asking awkward questions. He knew it was all underhand but it was the only way knowing how his father would react.

"You're raving mad" his father shouted once Thomas had dropped his bombshell, "And where's the money coming from to live on?"

Thomas briefly explained he was setting himself up as a general handyman and would earn his living that way.

"Well don't come crawling back here once it all goes pear shaped" his father replied.

"Fucking stupid if you ask me" his brother commented.

"Well, it's my life and I'll do what I want thank you very much" Thomas retorted. "I didn't expect to get any support from you lot anyhow" he added as he stormed up to his room to start packing. The only person who'd not commented was his mother so a while later she went up to see him.

"Is there anything you need?" She asked before telling him she was proud of him for what he was doing. "I take it you've found someone to help you get set up have you" she added. Thomas nodded and said a friend who knew Lord Readen had organised the rental of a cottage and loaned him the money to start him off. She was impressed and gave him a kiss to wish him good luck for the future. He agreed to keep in touch but didn't say where he'd be living since he didn't want his father or his brother sticking their oar in.

The following morning Walter arrived and they loaded up the van. His father and brother had gone off to a football match so had not said goodbye. He kissed his mother and left with little feeling of regret.

"Brendan, your father has had another heart attack" Maureen phoned to say a few days later, "It was a massive attack this time so he's in hospital and on life support" she added with little emotion. "The doctors say he won't recover so they need family permission to switch it off; do you want to see him and make that decision?"

"No" Brendan replied without any feeling at all, "To be honest Maureen I don't care a toss so as far as I'm concerned you can tell them to switch it off but what do you want to do?"

"I'm sorry Brendan but I'm afraid I feel the same as you; he's lost any love I may have had for him after that last row with you so I'll authorise them to go ahead. What about the funeral arrangements?"

Brendan said he had no intention of attending his father's funeral since he couldn't be bothered to attend his mother's; besides, it would be hypocritical of him to do so since the man had thrown him out. "But I'll come tomorrow to make the necessary arrangements to save you doing it; I assume you don't want to." Maureen was grateful for him arranging things and thanked him for his kindness. "Have you been down to Bournemouth to look for anywhere yet?" Maureen said she had and in fact was down there when she received the call that his father had been taken into hospital. It seemed Simpkins, his manservant, had found him and called the ambulance.

"I've found a small house I like very much but perhaps I'd better wait now until everything has been sorted out do you think"

"You go ahead and make the offer Maureen; just send me the details and I'll arrange for the money to be made available; I imagine you want to leave the house as soon as possible."

She paused for a moment. "Yes, I would like to do so; as much as I like Ripley Manor there are too many bad memories here". She then paused again before continuing. "Would you think me heartless if I didn't go to the funeral either?"

"Of course not Maureen; the man was a complete bastard and doesn't deserve any respect even when he's dead; I'll tell the funeral director to arrange a simple cremation with no service; can you think of anyone who'd want to attend?"

Maureen chuckled. "I can think of plenty who'd like to stick a knife in his coffin but I doubt any would want to pay their respects apart from the joy of seeing him finally gone". Brendan laughed. Although he was surprised in one respect, he realised now that she'd been a victim of his father like everyone else.

The next morning Walter drove Brendan yet again to Ripley Manor to collect the documents from Maureen before going to see the Registrar in Worcester. She seemed very calm and almost relieved that it was all over; at least she could now move on with Brendan's help.

"I've invited a friend to stay over until after the funeral and then she's going to help me pack up and take me back to her place in Bournemouth until the house goes through. My offer has been accepted and it's a short chain so should go through fairly quickly."

Brendan agreed that was a good plan and in the meantime he'd ask Trevor to arrange for a security company to keep an eye on the house.

"Also, what's happening about Simpkins?" Maureen asked.

"Do you want him to stay until you finally leave? Brendan replied.

"God no, I can't stand the man; he's a slimy creature"

Brendan laughed. It pleased him to hear that he wasn't the only person who thought that so he said he'd speak to him when he returned from the Registrar.

When they returned from having registered the death, Brendan spoke to the funeral director and told him to handle everything. The guy was somewhat surprised to hear that no cars or flowers were required and that no family or friends would be going but said the coffin bearers would attend the short committal service which could probably take place within the next two days since it could be done in between other appointments at the crematorium. Brendan came off the phone feeling no emotion at all. His father was at last dead and out of his life for good but what he now had to decide was what he was going to do with the house.

"Would you want to come and live here?" Walter asked.

"I'm in two minds; I love the estate but I vowed never to live in the house again because of the bad memories despite there being one part of it which I wouldn't mind living in if it wasn't for the rest of the place."

Walter wanted to know which part that was so Brendan said he'd show him once they'd spoken to Simpkins. He was so going to enjoy doing that in view of their past history.

"What did you want...sir?" Simpkins asked with an arrogant tone when he appeared in the library. Brendan noted that the sir had been added as an afterthought since the man now realised that his father was no longer the big white chief.

"Take a seat Simpkins" Brendan replied ignoring the arrogant tone. Simpkins looked at the chair in front of the large mahogany desk previously used by his father and eventually condescended to sit upon it. He then glared at Walter who was sitting alongside Brendan.

"Could I have a look at your house keys please? If I remember correctly you always carry them round with you." Brendan asked casually.

Simpkins fumbled in his pocket for the large set of keys he always carried and put them on the desk. Brendan picked them up as if to look through them. "Your father had a duplicate set which I believe is in his safe but I don't suppose you've been able to open that" he added with a smirk thinking he'd got one over Brendan.

"Yes he did and I've removed those" Brendan smiled in reply. "I had the safe installed before he threw me out so know the combination".

Simpkins sat back now wondering why Brendan wanted his set of keys.

"I'll come straight to the point Simpkins" Brendan continued having noted that the man had offered no condolences for his loss, not that he wanted any but it clearly showed the level of disdain he had for Brendan and Walter. "Now that my father is no longer with us we shan't require your services so I am terminating your employment here with immediate effect. Here is a cheque for six months' pay which well and truly compensates you."

Simpkins glowered at Brendan and then at Walter. If looks could have killed, they'd both have died there and then. "But..." he stammered, "Your father assured me that I had a place for life at Ripley Manor. Are you reneging on his promise?"

Brendan chuckled and leant forward. "My father was not in any position to make such an assurance. When my mother died the sole ownership of Ripley Manor and the estate came to me as her son not to my father; he was given a lifetime tenancy to reside here which included any staff he employed for that purpose but now he's dead, the tenancy ends as does yours."

"But...he told me he owned the house and had full control of the estate" he replied angrily.

Brendan again laughed. "Surely during the fifteen years you worked for him you realised he was a liar, a cheat and a conman; he has never owned or had full control of the estate; I have even since he threw me out as a result of your actions".

Simpkins went white having realised he'd been duped all these years. He also wasn't too sure what actions Brendan referred to since he wasn't aware that he knew that it was him who'd told his father about the young gardener in his bed.

"Had you not seen fit to go blabbing to my father about my personal life which resulted in me being banished from the house that I owned, I might have felt a bit more amenable towards you Simpkins but since you did and you have clearly shown your disrespect to both me and my partner I am now telling you to pack your bags and leave this house immediately. Is that clear?"

Simpkins nodded not sure what to say or do. "Your father also said he'd look after me financially should he die before me" he added suddenly regaining his arrogance.

Brendan again laughed. "Are you as thick headed as my father Simpkins? Let me spell it out again. He had no right or power to make such promises and since he's made no mention in his Will of any portion of his personal money to be given to you, he lied to you as with everything else. You may contact my solicitor to check that if you like."

Simpkins was now fidgeting in his seat having realised he was done for. "I'd better call my sister to see if she can put me up then" he muttered as he stood up.

"Walter, would you mind helping Simpkins pack his things whilst I arrange for a taxi to take him to his sister in Worcester."

Walter nodded having already been asked by Brendan to accompany Simpkins since they didn't trust him anymore than Brendan had trusted his father. Simpkins shuffled out of the room and glared at both Brendan and Walter as he did so. He then made his way up to his room on the second floor where Walter watched him pack helping him with heavy items where necessary. Within the hour he was being bundled into a taxi along with his personal possessions.

"And good riddance to you" Brendan muttered under his breath as he watched the man go. "Was I too hard on him do you think?" he asked Walter.

"To some extent but I can understand why my love; the man certainly didn't like you or me for that matter so he's got his just dessert."

Brendan took Walter into his arms and kissed him. It felt wonderful to show his love right there in the main hallway without being worried who would see. "Come on; let me show you the east wing which is my favourite part of the house."

Brendan led Walter up the wide staircase and round to a doorway off the main landing on the east side of the house. He unlocked the thick oak door and went through into another wide corridor. Off this there were five other rooms all of which had been locked since his mother had died all those years before. He walked along to a door toward the back of the house and opened it. The room smelt musty and the furniture was covered with white sheets. He opened the shutters and let the light in. Walter looked out the window and saw the very same view of the garden that was in the water colour they'd recently placed on the wall in their own living room.

"It's beautiful" he gasped, "I can see why you like this part of the house; was this your mother's room?"

Brendan nodded remembering back to the hours of happiness he'd had sitting with his mother in this room and in the adjoining room which was her bedroom. He walked to that door and opened it. That room also smelt musty so he threw open the shutters and opened a window. The large room had the same view of the garden. At the other end there was a bathroom which now looked quite out of date.

"And who used the other rooms in this part of the house?" Walter asked intrigued to see the rest. Brendan led him along and unlocked another door. It was similar to his mother's but faced the front of the house. It too had an adjoining bedroom with its own bathroom. Once inside the rooms it was if you were in a completely separate house from the main one.

"These were my uncle's rooms before he died so they've not been used since then."

"But didn't your father use these rooms? Where were his?" Walter asked very intrigued. Brendan explained that even when his mother was alive they never slept together. He'd often wondered how he ever came into existence but for most of his life all he could remember was his mother using her rooms and his father using a bedroom on the other side of the landing.

"When my mother died I locked these rooms up with instructions that they were never to be used whilst my father lived here; it was another reason why he hated me so, if he needed any more reasons."

Walter moved up to him and took him into his arms. He now realised more than anything how much his lover must have missed his mother having such a horrible man for a father. He gave him a light kiss on the lips which soon became a very passionate full on kiss. As if a break was suddenly released, their hands started to roam all over each other, feeling the flesh beneath their T shirts and then the hardness that had formed down below. Without saying anything, Brendan sank down in front of Walter, unfastened his trousers and released the excited organ. He immediately surrounded it with his mouth and sucked and licked causing Walter to groan and moan with pleasure. In no time he'd brought him off to a climax and tasted the wonderful seed of his lover.

"Beautiful" he grinned once he'd finished draining the thick cock and Walter had come down from his high. He then led Walter back to his mother's suite of rooms, pulled off the white sheet covering the sofa and sat down patting the seat beside him for Walter to join him. "If it wasn't for the rest of the house, which is far too large for two of us to live in, I'd seriously consider moving back here; how would you feel about that my love?"

Walter said he'd love to and put forward ideas of how they could make use of the main house. "How about an upmarket hotel for example or a country retreat for gays; I'm sure you could find an organisation who'd be interested in running it for you".

"For us you mean, because this would be your home as well mine my love" Brendan grinned, "But it's worth considering if you're really interested in moving here".

"As long as I'm with you I don't mind where I live"

"Mm, I so love you" Brendan grinned and pulled Walter into another kiss. "But, I've not shown you the rest; there's more of the east wing to see yet" he said excitedly as he stood up and pulled Walter to his side. When they'd covered the sofa over again and locked the doors behind them, Brendan then led him back down the corridor and through another door. This led onto a staircase, not as grand as the main one in the large hallway but impressive all the same. When they reached the ground floor, Brendan unlocked a room at the back which was a lounge. It too looked over the garden but had a small conservatory attached which protected it from the immediate view of anyone in the garden to make it private. At the front of the house there was a small dining room with a table that sat six people easily. Between the two rooms there was a small kitchen which also needed modernising.

"My mother and her uncle when he was alive used the dining room for breakfast and occasional meals if they didn't want to eat in the main dining room so food would be brought through to this room and served from here. The lounge was used when they wished to entertain people. To be honest I can't ever remember my father using these rooms."

"It would make the perfect apartment if the main house was used for something else" Walter commented as he looked out into the corridor. "And does that door lead outside?" he asked pointing out another thick oak door at the end of the corridor. Brendan said it opened onto a small vestibule with a door to the outside and another to the main hallway. "It's a beautiful house and I think we should seriously consider living here; seems such a waste otherwise."

Brendan nodded; the more he thought about it the more he agreed despite his earlier reservations of moving back when his father was alive but he was now dead and soon to be buried so the ghosts of the past could be swept away with some judicious changes. All he now had to do was think how to make good use of the main house.

A few days after his father's funeral, at which nobody attended apart from the coffin bearers, Brendan received a call from a college friend.

"Hi Brendan, it's Simon; remember me?"

Brendan laughed "As if I could ever forget you Simon". He and Simon had rolled in the hay with each other many a time whilst at college and always enjoyed doing so. "How's Joe?" Brendan asked remembering that Simon now had a partner.

"He's fine but first of all I was sorry to hear about your father".

"Oh don't be; you know what a complete bastard he was and he never changed so to be honest I'm pleased to see the back of him."

"Yeah, don't blame you; he certainly was a pig of a man from all accounts and I shall never forget the interrogation he gave me when I spent that long weekend with you at Ripley Manor; do you reckon he sussed us out then as being gay?"

"Quite possibly but finding me in bed with the assistant gardener was the final clincher" Brendan laughed.

"What was he like? The lad you were shagging that is."

"From what I remember he was a good fuck"

"Do you know what happened to him?"

"I found him a job on the estate and he's still there so I see him every so often but not for any that since I've now got a partner; he's gorgeous and I'm madly in love with him."

"That's brilliant; I'm so happy for you; god you deserve some luck after all that's happened in your life; anyhow, the reason for calling is about Ripley Manor; are you planning on moving back there now or what?" Brendan said he and Walter were seriously thinking of doing so if they could find a use for the main part of the house. "Ah, then I may have a solution for you; are you free to come and meet me to discuss what Joe and I have in mind?" Brendan said he'd be delighted to do that so it was agreed they'd meet at the Manor the day after next.

When Brendan came off the phone he went to find Walter. He was feeling on top of the world and threw his arms round Walter's waist as he stood preparing their evening meal. He couldn't resist moving his hands down into his crotch and giving it a good feel and once he felt an erection forming he hastily pulled down the fly zip, thrust a hand inside and pulled it out to give it a good massage. Walter loved these mad moments of lovemaking so never objected whilst he continued working.

"You're very happy; who was that on the phone?"

Brendan told him about Simon and Joe and that Simon wanted to meet them to discuss some idea or other regarding the main part of house at Ripley Manor so they were going to meet him the day after next.

"Sounds great and that works well because tomorrow we've got Tom and Dane coming to do the first porn film; has he said what he has in mind?"

"Nope, he wouldn't tell me; said he wanted to see us face to face so we'll have to wait and see my love. Mm can't wait to feel this inside me once we've eaten your delicious meal" he added and gave Walter's erection another good massage. If the truth be known, Walter couldn't wait to feel it inside his lover so suggested that once the pie he was making was in the oven they went upstairs."

"Okay, you come up when you're ready" Brendan giggled before running upstairs to get ready.

When Walter finally came into the bedroom he found a naked Brendan sprawled on the bed with his hands fastened to the bed head with self releasing handcuffs. They'd bought these when they had visited Soho several weeks before. The bottle of lube was lying beside him along with the bottle of poppers. He'd even prepared himself with lube so all he now wanted was a long thick cock to penetrate him.

"Fuck me baby, fuck me" he giggled and lifted his knees and opened them wide ready for Walter to do the rest.

"God that looks so hot" Walter giggled as he hastily stripped off his clothes. He was already hard having been thinking about what he was going to do whilst he was preparing the meal so it didn't take long for him to be kneeling on the bed slicking his erection with lube and lifting Brendan's legs in readiness for penetration. He took several long hard sniffs of poppers before holding the bottle beneath Brendan's nose to do the same. He then guided his stiff organ up to the puckered entrance and plunged in.

"Oh fuck, yes, that feels so good" Brendan yelled.

"Yeah, fucking good" Walter yelled in reply as he thrust back and forth gazing into his partner's eyes with love oozing from them.

The following evening, Tom and Dane arrived late afternoon as arranged. The plan was that they'd be filmed making love, have a meal with the other two and then do some more filming if they wanted to. Walter had purchased a thin mattress to cover the low platform to make it more comfortable and they'd covered this with a crimson coloured sheet.

"Okay guys strip off and when you're ready we'll start" Brendan said as he prepared the video camera whilst Walter switched on the lighting.

"Are you happy for me to hang around or would you rather me disappear and leave Brendan to do the filming?" Walter asked.

"We don't mind you watching but would you guys be willing to dress down a bit just to make us feel more at ease" Tom replied.

Brendan said that was fine by them and asked how much did they want them to take off.

"Down to our briefs or completely naked?" Walter chuckled.

"Naked?" Dane grinned. Brendan and Walter said that was fine so they too stripped off.

Once the two guys were lying down and making love, it didn't take long for erections to be flying, including Brendan and Walter's but nobody was bothered. The show they put on was very erotic and included Dane fucking Tom with his legs up high over his head. Brendan zoomed in to capture a close up of the penetration before panning back to watch Dane thrust in and out. Each guy was groaning and moaning whilst they performed which was being recorded for the soundtrack. When Dane was ready to shoot he withdrew and deposited his load of seed over Tom's chest. For the final shot, Brendan zoomed in on the pool of white creamy cum before fading out.

Tom and Dane looked over to the other two and grinned seeing the erections on show. Walter tossed over a towel for them to clean up and indicated where the bathroom was for them to have a shower. Once done, they slipped on their briefs and looked at the result of their show on the computer.

"That is fucking brilliant" Tom exclaimed, "So much better than what we tried to produce with nobody to do the filming."

After their meal, they filmed another show. This time it had Tom fucking Dane with him on his hands and knees. It wasn't as passionate but it was certainly hot.

"Are we still on for doing some outside shooting when the weather gets warmer?" Tom asked. Brendan said he was happy to do that but it would have to wait for a while since he and Walter might be moving in due course. He then explained that he owned a large estate near Worcester that had plenty of places where they could do some filming in the open.

Tom and Dane jumped up and down with excitement. "That sounds brilliant" Dane exclaimed.

The following day they set off yet again to Ripley Manor to meet up with Simon and Joe. Maureen had now moved out and taken most of her personal possessions apart from some odd pieces of furniture that Brendan said she was welcome to have. Those would be moved to her new house once she'd taken possession.

The house seemed very empty when they arrived but once Walter had made a pot of coffee and organised things in the large living room in readiness for Simon and Joe to arrive, it felt more like home again.

"It's great to see you guys" Simon said as he took Brendan into his arms. He'd always fancied Brendan but they'd both moved on so nothing came of their relationship. Once all the introductions had been done they settled down in the living room and talked as they drank their coffee.

"So, what's this all about?" Brendan asked. Simon then explained that he and Joe were looking for somewhere to run a health spa specifically for men, and preferably gay men. It would include full naked massages, hot waxing, hair removal, sauna, steam room, hot tub and ideally a swimming pool plus a small gym.

"In other words, somewhere a gay guy can come and have fun, relax, and be pampered for a few days. There are plenty of places for women but not men only so we thought we'd provide that facility for gays and also offer one day sessions."

"And you feel there's a demand for such an establishment?" Brendan asked.

Simon passed over a copy of their market survey which clearly showed a demand for a high quality establishment. He then detailed how it would be run, the facilities they'd provide and the number of staff they'd need. Although Simon was a qualified architect he and Joe were planning to run the health spa together and he would leave the practice he owned to his business partner. Both Simon and Joe had trained as masseurs and another guy they knew would also join the team to do massage and provide the other services being offered. It seemed they had guys in mind for most jobs with the exception of the in-house maintenance man but Brendan said he knew someone who'd be ideal for that.

"We also feel it would be good to have a quality control person to check that rooms and the general facilities are being kept clean and running efficiently and give individual staff responsibility for doing their own job rather than having managers as such but we haven't found anyone for that role yet."

"You seem to be well advanced with your planning for this venture" Brendan commented, "Why the particular interest in Ripley Manor".

Simon paused and looked at Brendan. "To be honest, we thought we had a venue all sorted so went ahead with further planning but at the eleventh hour that venue fell through. The guy selling knew we were desperate because Joe and I had sold our house so needed somewhere to live. Just at the point of signing contracts he upped his price considerably. The house was okay but needed a lot done to it and it would have to be extended so we decided we weren't going to play his game and pulled out much to his disgust. When I heard about your father dying I immediately wondered what you'd do with Ripley Manor and having a limited knowledge of the place I felt it would be ideal if you were interested." Simon paused again to let Brendan absorb what he'd said before continuing.

"What we have in mind if you were interested is for you to provide Ripley Manor, or whatever part of it you want to free up if you're going to live here, and join the board as Finance Director with Joe as Sales and Marketing Director and me as Managing Director. You're good with figures from what I remember and we need someone to keep an eye on those to leave Joe and me to get on with the actual running of the place and undertake massage.

Brendan smiled and pondered. It sounded an interesting and attractive proposition. "I take it I'd receive some form of payment for use of the Manor and my services".

Simon confirmed he would and provided brief details of what he had in mind and passed over a copy of the financial forecast for the first two years. Those too looked interesting and seemed easily achievable if the marketing report was correct.

"Sounds interesting" he finally replied which caused big grins from both Simon and Joe. "I think I can safely say that Walter and I will be moving in here won't we my love?"

Walter said he was very interested in doing so since he loved the place. Living in a large country house again excited him even though he liked Beech House but it was nothing like Readen Hall and the Manor was even larger. Brendan explained that their plan was to use the east wing which was almost a separate unit from the main house. "That would leave the main part of the house and the west wing."

"I take it the plunge pool is still there is it?" Simon asked. Brendan nodded. They'd both loved using the small pool when they were younger but it hadn't been used for several years so would need refurbishment. "Our thoughts were that we'd install a small gym, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi leading off the pool area."

Brendan agreed that all sounded very achievable. "How soon were you hoping to get up and running?"

Simon explained that since using the Manor would entail a change of use under planning regulations, permission would be needed but he'd already made preliminary enquiries with the local planning officer and he couldn't see any problem but would need to see the actual proposal and make a visit. Brendan grinned seeing Simon had already done that. "I can see you're very serious about all of this".

"We are and decided to speak to planning first before you since if they'd said an outright no then there was little point in wasting your time. We've been told that planning approval could go through fairly quickly so we're hoping to be open in just over six months."

"Okay, let's have a look round and see if we can do what you want".

Simon and Joe beamed, visibly relieved that Brendan was interested, if not already on board. He and Walter first showed them the east wing and how that was separate from the main house with an interconnecting door to the main house and a separate entrance from outside.

Just as they were about to look upstairs, Brendan's mobile rang. It was Maureen and she seemed to be in a nervous state. "Could I come and see you urgently Brendan?" she asked. Seeing she was not prepared to say what it was about over the phone he agreed so she said she'd get a train that would arrive early afternoon.

"I take it you'll stay overnight" he replied. She said she'd like to do that so it was left she'd get a taxi from Worcester.

"What's all that about?" Walter asked as they continued upstairs. Brendan shrugged his shoulders having no real idea.

Over the next hour they toured the whole house, including the third floor which would provide accommodation for the four staff that would be living in. This had originally been used as staff quarters in the olden days and needed a complete refurbishment. Simon said they'd need accommodation for Nigel who was a qualified masseur, Roberto who would be the chef and Alec who'd be the administrator. Brendan said the guy he had in mind for the maintenance job would also need accommodation.

They decided the west wing would provide the main entrance to the facility and could house a reception and treatment rooms. The kitchen would need to be completely refurbished to meet catering standards and Simon wanted to install a small cinema room in the basement for residential guests where gay porn would be shown. "I want the residential guys to feel they can do what they want whilst here" he grinned. The main lounge area would remain but the snooker table would be moved from the west wing into the smaller front lounge.

"Any idea how much the conversion would cost?" Brendan asked knowing that Simon would already have a good idea since he was a qualified architect.

"We reckon around half a million; we've got half of that but were hoping you could put up the other half to save us going to the bank."

Brendan nodded. The money he had would more than cover that provided he got a reasonable return on it. "Why don't you guys wander around on your own and have another look? You also need to decide which rooms you want to have as your private quarters. Joe said he'd already identified those which was a large room at the back in the west wing that overlooked the garden and had a small box room next door that could be converted into a small lounge area. They'd eat downstairs so wouldn't need a kitchen and there was already a bathroom attached to the bedroom. Brendan knew the room well since it had been his old room. His father's room had been at the front of the house and nowhere near as nice. "If you like, I'll contact a local builder I know and get him to come in tomorrow to have a look at what we have in mind; you guys can stay over tonight if you want, there's plenty of rooms available" Brendan chuckled. Simon and Joe said that would be perfect so they went off to have another look round on their own.

"So, what's you view of all of this?" Brendan asked Walter once they'd retreated back into the large living room.

"Sounds brilliant and very exciting"

"Would you be interested in the quality control job Simon has in mind?"

Walter looked up somewhat amazed but on thinking about it the job would be perfect for him since he was good at detail and he'd enjoy the job. As Brendan had said the photography business would not continue since he wanted to spend more time with estate matters and would have responsibilities in the health spa business, such a job would provide him with his own income.

"What will you do with Beech House?"

"Don't forget you own half of it so it's a joint decision but we could either sell it or rent it out; it will certainly appreciate in value as time goes by so renting is probably the better option unless you want to release the capital sum."

Walter had never owned large amounts of money so he was happy to leave it in the house for the time being and see it appreciate if it could be rented.

Whilst the other two were wandering around the house, Brendan called the local builder who said he'd be delighted to come the following morning. He also spoke to Trevor to ask if he thought Terry, who'd been the infamous assistant gardener, would be interested in taking the job as head gardener at the Manor. Trevor said he was sure he would since farming was not his favourite occupation so it was agreed that Terry would come to the house immediately to discuss the job.

They met Terry at the side door near the kitchen. Once Terry had removed his outside boots he followed Brendan into the kitchen. He looked slightly nervous seeing Brendan again. He'd loved the guy and was really pissed off when everything went pear shaped. He could still see Brendan's father standing in the doorway watching Brendan's naked butt thrust up and down whilst he fucked him.

"So how are you Terry?" Brendan asked once inside the kitchen. Terry said he was well and was sorry to hear about his father. "Don't be; you know what a complete bastard the man was so he's better off dead". Terry grinned. "Come on give me a hug" Brendan chuckled as he took Terry into his arms and hugged him whilst giving him a light kiss on cheek. Walter looked on and could see why Brendan had liked Terry. He was very cute and had a gorgeous smile. He could also sense that Terry still had feelings for Brendan but he knew he was safe since Brendan's love for him was very sound.

"And this is Walter my partner" Brendan eventually said once he'd released Terry from the hug. Terry moved over and shook Walter's hand looking him up and down as he did so.

Once they were all seated, Brendan went through what he had in mind. "I thought you might like to be the official head gardener for the Manor and use whatever additional labour you need from the estate. Terry said most of the time he could more than manage the gardens and grounds without any assistance. The previous head gardener had been an old boy who was pretty useless in any event. Since Brendan's father never found out who sabotaged his orchids, he sacked the old boy as well after he'd sacked Terry.

"And would I be able to use the greenhouse for growing plants and things?"

Brendan smiled remembering back to the orchid incident. "Of course; you will be in complete charge of everything; just keep me informed of any significant changes you want to make or money you need to spend."

Terry grinned. It was the kind of job he'd always wanted but never been able to get because of his previous dismissal. "When could I start?"

"Trevor has said he can release you with immediate effect so why not start tomorrow".

Terry beamed and almost rushed over to give Brendan a hug. "And can I keep the farm cottage to live in?"

"Of course; and you'll get a pay rise" Brendan smiled knowing that Terry had suffered a loss after he'd had to leave the Manor. Terry gave him another broad smile and thanked him. "And how are things with your mum and dad now?"

Terry shrugged his shoulders. "Provided the topic of me being gay is not mentioned, they're fine; I take it you know your old man told them". Brendan did know that and had shouted at his father for doing so but it was typical of the man.

"I'm sorry but I'm glad everything is okay between you".

With everything agreed, Brendan saw Terry out and said he'd see him in the morning when he started his new duties.

"He's very cute isn't he; can see why you fell for him" Walter chuckled when Brendan returned to the kitchen. "What was he like in bed?" he added grinning.

"Not as good as you" Brendan laughed, "although he was a good fuck; are you jealous?"

"No, just commenting" Walter laughed. Brendan took him into his arms and kissed him. The kiss became passionate as usual and hands started to roam all over each other feeling the erections that soon formed. "I presume we don't have time to go to bed" Walter giggled having pulled out of the kiss.

"I think not my love so you'll have to keep this for me until later" Brendan replied and grabbed hold of the long thick organ now filling Walter's trousers.

When Maureen arrived she was looking extremely nervous and Brendan wondered what was wrong. He took her into the small lounge at the front of the house leaving Walter to go and make some tea.

"I need to tell you something Brendan" she said as soon as she'd sat down. Brendan looked at her saying nothing. "Your father and I never actually got married".

Brendan looked at her quizzically, "How come?"

She then explained that when she had first been employed by his father as his secretary, she'd been separated but had not divorced at that time. They then had an affair and when his mother died his father said they'd marry. She immediately filed for a divorce and wanted to wait until it came through but he took her to London and returned two weeks later pretending they'd got married.

"I remember that" he replied and knew his father had been having an affair with her well before his mother had died. "So why didn't you marry once you'd obtained your divorce?"

"I wanted to but your father kept on putting it off saying there was no hurry; I realise now he was just using me; I'm so sorry Brendan."

He looked at her for a moment before speaking. "It doesn't bother me one jot and to be honest I'm rather glad that you are not my official stepmother; not because of you but it makes me feel I'm completely free of him if you understand what I mean."

Maureen nodded. Yes, she could understand that. "That's why I couldn't interfere with everything that went on between the two of you as much as I wanted since I knew he'd tell me in very clear terms that I had no right to do so despite the fact that he hawked me around as his wife. I in fact never adopted the name of Mrs Rogers except when I was with him but I'm not sure it would be right for me to accept any money now either for my house purchase or as an income".

"Don't be daft Maureen; you put up with him for over twenty years so I think you deserve something; besides, think of it as my money now, not his. As far as I'm concerned I'm still happy to give you a lump sum to buy your house and I'll set up an annuity which will give you an income for life."

Maureen looked at him and felt tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much Brendan; you are so different to your father." Just at that moment Walter appeared with the tea and placed it on the table in front of them. He could see that Maureen had tears in her eyes. "You have such a lovely partner Walter; he's the best in the world; you're very lucky."

He looked at Brendan and smiled. "I know; he really is the best" he replied, sat down beside his lover and put an arm round him before kissing him. Maureen looked on and felt slightly envious of the love they had for each other. She'd never felt that way about Brendan's father and he'd certainly never shown such love towards her. She'd been a complete fool but she put it down to being young and inexperienced at the time. Her parents had abandoned her when she was a baby so she'd never known real love and when she met Brendan's father she was in awe of him.

"Which room would you like me to use?" she asked once she'd drunk her tea.

"Your room is still available if you want it" Brendan replied, "but the bed will need making up I expect".

"I'll do it" Walter said jumping up but Maureen told him to sit and she'd deal with it.

When she'd left them Brendan told Walter what she'd come to say.

"The bastard; fancy doing that knowing she'd be left alone at some point in view of the age difference" Walter exclaimed. Maureen was a good fifteen years younger than Brendan's father.

"What's' new; the guy was a complete bastard; it's just as well he's dead" Brendan exploded.

After a while of more kissing and cuddling, they went off to find Simon and Joe. They found them in the west wing busy measuring things up. "How are we getting on?" Brendan asked as they poured over a copy of the house plans that he'd given them earlier. Joe said they'd achieved a lot and had decided on the alterations that needed to be made on each floor. All they now had to do was work out how best to configure the ground floor of the west wing to accommodate everything.

"Will you want any of the furniture in the rooms to remain Brendan?" Simon asked. Brendan said he was happy to see all the bedroom furniture discarded since it was fairly old. Downstairs there were some items worth keeping but nothing that sentimental or of value. "I'd like to keep the main hallway as it is with the family portraits since that gives a feeling of age".

Simon said that would give the place character so agreed.

"That reminds me" Brendan grinned and led Walter back into the main hallway. On the first landing of the main stairs there was a portrait of his father. In no way did he want that to remain so he took it down with Walter's help. They then took it outside and stamped on it until the canvas was in shreds and the frame was in bits. It had never matched the others of his ancestors and always stood out beside his mother's.

"Perhaps you should have a portrait done of you" Walter smiled. Brendan said one had been done when he was twenty five but his father had removed it when he'd been thrown out of the house.

"I expect it's in one of the storerooms on the third floor; come on let's go and have a look"

The pair ran upstairs and Brendan opened the room where lots of other old furniture was stored. Some were good items but not in fashion. After some rummaging around they found the portrait wrapped in bubble wrap. They took it downstairs, unpacked it and hung it beside his mother's. It looked as if it had been hanging there for years with no indication that his father had ever existed. "Perfect" he muttered to himself as he stood back and admired it.

"Fuck, you really were a stunning guy" Walter exclaimed as he admired the painting.

"But not any longer?" Brendan giggled.

Walter realised what he'd said and blushed. "You're still stunning in my eyes" he grinned and pulled his lover into a kiss.

Just then Simon and Joe appeared. "God, these two never leave each other alone" Simon laughed.

"You're only jealous" Brendan giggled and pulled Simon into a full kiss on the mouth whilst the other two looked on.

"Can see we're gonna have to watch these two when we live here Walter" Joe laughed. Walter smiled. He loved the camaraderie between the two guys and wasn't the slightest bit jealous. He too found Simon rather hot so he could see why Brendan did too.

That night Simon and Joe slept in the bedroom they'd chosen to use once they'd moved in, assuming everything went to plan. They were both excited about their new venture and made passionate love.

"This place is going to be just perfect" Simon exclaimed after he'd climaxed inside his lover. Joe smiled at him and pulled him into another kiss. He loved this guy and loved seeing him so happy. He had to agree, Ripley Manor was indeed just perfect for their new venture together.

"Has Brendan said if we can move in here whilst everything is sorted out?" he asked once the kiss had finished. Simon nodded.

"I'm going to tell the other guys I'm taking time off from the business until everything has gone through and then I'll formally leave everything for them to run with me remaining as a sleeping partner."

"Can we afford to do that bearing in mind my contract ends in two weeks so I'll not have any income until this place gets going." Simon assured Joe that he'd allowed for that so they'd have plenty to live on. "Besides, there's still some income to come to me from work in progress".

Joe looked at his partner and smiled. He too had been so lucky to find this guy; he loved him to bits. He pulled Simon into another kiss. Simon was still penetrating him so he grabbed hold of his buttocks to pull them up tight. He so loved the feel of Simon inside him.

"Mm, that feels good" Simon groaned as he started thrusting back and forth again to reach another climax.

Over in the east wing, Walter was doing a similar thing to Brendan. They too were feeling happy with life and looked forward to living at Ripley Manor along with the other two guys even though they knew it would be hard work for all of them in the early days.

The following morning Brendan went to see Trevor at the Estate office. He wanted to let him know that he and Walter were moving into the east wing and the plan to use the rest of the house for a health spa. Trevor was intrigued but thought it a good use of the manor rather than letting it slip into disuse which had happened since Brendan's mother had died.

"Walter and I plan to move in next weekend since Simon and Joe need to vacate their house by the end of the following week and we need to get their rooms decorated."

Trevor said if they needed any help to give a shout. "Terry, by the way, is over the moon about his new job as Head Gardener for the Manor so thanks for offering him that; he's a lovely guy and will do a good job for you."

Brendan smiled; he too was sure that Terry would work his socks off to please so he had no doubts in his mind about him.

The local builder Brendan had spoken to arrived at ten so he and Simon took the guy round to show him what they had in mind regarding alterations. The first and most important was to refurbish the bathrooms that they personally would be using in their respective parts of the house. Some of the other rooms would need en-suite bathrooms installed once they'd received the nod from the Planning Officer since they wanted all rooms to have their own facility, and those that had them would need upgrading. In addition there was the kitchen to refurbish in the east wing and the main kitchen in due course plus the changes to the ground floor of the west wing to make a reception and the other facilities. The builder duly noted everything and said he'd email Brendan a quote for the immediate items by the end of the day. He also said he could do the bathrooms and the kitchen in the east wing within the next two weeks since they were more urgent.

Simon was impressed with the guy's speed and efficiency but the builder knew Brendan's family had put a lot of work his way over the years so wanted to keep him sweet. Brendan also knew that the guy was gay, which was another reason he used him!

On their way back to Beech House Brendan called Thomas to say he had something he'd liked to discuss with him so perhaps he would like to come over for a meal that evening after he'd finished whatever he was doing. Having assured Thomas there was nothing wrong and that it was good news, he relaxed back whilst Walter drove. Thomas had found some work locally but it had been a struggle and he wasn't sure he was cut out for being self employed. He therefore relied heavily on work being put his way from those who knew him.

"Are you still okay about moving to Ripley Manor?" Brendan asked casually as they drove.

"Yeah, can't wait; I love it there" Walter enthused, "My only regret will be leaving the guys at Readen Hall but I suppose we're not that far away and we can still see them, or they can come to us."

Brendan patted Walter's knee and said he could see them whenever he wanted or invite them to the Manor. As he talked he left his hand sitting casually there. Walter placed his hand on top and gently squeezed it. The mere feel of his lover's hand on his knee caused him to have a stirring in his loins. He loved Brendan so much and could never get enough of him. At times he was amazed at the change in his life and how he'd managed to be picked by such a wealthy, good looking, caring guy as Brendan. He squeezed the hand again and gently moved it into his crotch for Brendan to feel the reaction he was causing.

"Mm, nice" Brendan giggled feeling the long thick roll of hard muscle inside Walter's trousers. He slowly massaged it along its length and felt it grow to full size. He could tell that Walter was enjoying the action by the low groans of pleasure coming from him.

"Oh god, you're gonna make me cum inside my pants"

Brendan giggled and continued the massage. He reached for the zipper and gently pulled it open before unbuttoning the top of Walter's trousers. Walter wriggled to allow his jeans to open up and provide access for Brendan's hand. He so wanted to feel his hot flesh against his. Once open, Brendan plunged his hand inside and then felt inside Walter's briefs. The hard naked organ jumped with excitement and Brendan felt the head and slowly worked his fingers across the slit using the pre-cum that was now oozing from it as lubrication. Walter could feel his climax rising. He wanted to reach his peak as he continued driving because it felt so good.

"Fuck, yes, fuck," he suddenly screamed at the top of his voice. Ribbons of hot creamy cum shot out over Brendan's hand as he reached his climax. Brendan continued the massage causing Walter to squirm in his seat but he was enjoying every second.

Finally Walter was drained so Brendan brought his cum filled hand up to his mouth and licked it clean. "Mm, lovely cum" he giggled before wiping Walter clean with a tissue.

As they were driving into the driveway, Robin came over to have a word. "I just wanted to say I'm ready for the photographic shoot; could we agree a convenient date?"

Brendan silently groaned. He knew he'd promised to do the photography work for Robin but he'd hoped it was a while off yet. Although he'd agreed with Walter they wouldn't continue the photographic studio work they did agree to do Robin's since it would be on an ongoing contract and could be slotted in amongst their new duties at Ripley Manor should the health spa get up and running.

"Yeah, come on in Robin" Brendan replied trying to look enthusiastic, "We wanted to have a word with you in any event".

Robin followed them into the house and they sat down in the living room. Brendan then explained what had happened and that they were moving to Ripley Manor at the end of the week but would still like to take on Robin's contract. As it happened, Robin's company was situated on the east side of Oxford so was easy enough to get to from Ripley Manor. At first Robin was disappointed to hear that the two guys were moving away because he rather liked having them as neighbours. He'd also not realised that Brendan owned a large estate near Worcester and he suddenly had an idea.

"Would there be any chance of doing the shoot at Ripley Manor; it would make the perfect setting both inside and out" Robin asked excitedly. Brendan said he couldn't see any problem so it was agreed Robin would bring the two models he was using over towards the end of the following week.

"We may have some building work going on but the place is big enough to get round that" Brendan added.

"So what's happening to this place?" Robin asked with another thought in his mind. Brendan said they'd probably rent it for the time being and perhaps sell it at a later date. "If you do decide to rent it out, could I have first refusal; I love the way you've done this place and it would suit me perfectly; I have a work colleague who is homeless and in need of somewhere to live so he could rent my place."

Brendan grinned knowingly and raised his eyebrows. The way Robin had talked about the guy he guessed he too was gay.

"Yeah, he's gay" Robin chuckled seeing Brendan's expression, "He's married but his wife has chucked him out having realised she was living with a poof; the guy was an idiot and should never have married her but apparently his family rather forced him into it because they'd been promised to each other as children. Totally mad if you ask me but there you are; anyhow now she's realised he's been having it away on the side and not with her she's chucked him out and he's staying with me but to be honest I don't want him living with me permanently."

Brendan said he and Walter would give it some thought and let Robin know but it seemed an excellent solution provided Robin was prepared to pay the market rate.

When Thomas arrived he looked somewhat concerned despite what Brendan had told him on the phone earlier. Once he was inside Brendan put an arm round him and hugged him tight telling him not to look so worried. Thomas was worried that perhaps his cleaning had not been up to scratch or someone had complained about some job he'd done for them.

"Come and sit down" Brendan said as he led Thomas into the living room. Walter waved to him as he passed the kitchen where he was busy preparing the evening meal. Having offered Thomas a drink, Brendan sat down beside him on the sofa and turned towards him.

"So, how's work going?" Brendan asked to relax Thomas.

Thomas shrugged his shoulders and looked at Brendan for a moment. "What I've got is going well I think but I'm finding it difficult to get new jobs; nearly all the work so far has come from recommendations via you or Jeremy at the hall. Brendan paused for a moment sipping his drink before continuing. He really liked Thomas and enjoyed his company.

"How would you like to be employed as a permanent maintenance man with a steady income instead of having to find your own work?"

Thomas looked at him with his mouth open. Such a situation was his dream because deep down he realised he wasn't really cut out for being self employed but didn't want to have to admit it and be a failure like his father had said he would be. "That would be brilliant but what and where?"

Brendan briefly explained what had happened and about him and Walter moving to Ripley Manor. Although the health spa project was not a done deal yet because of the planning consent required, from what Simon had said it would only be a formality so he decided it was worth the risk. Besides, even if that didn't come to fruition, he was sure there'd be another plan that would which would still need someone like Thomas around.

"It would mean moving to Ripley Manor but you'd have your own room in the house if you wanted to live in and Walter and I would like you to continue cleaning for us although that would only be for our part of the house which is not much larger than here but you'd be on call for maintenance most days because of the nature of the place."

Thomas almost jumped into Brendan's lap to thank him. It sounded perfect and he'd be living in the same property as the two guys he'd come to love. "Yes please, I'd love to" he replied excitedly, "When would I start?"

Brendan smiled at Thomas's enthusiasm which was one of the many things he liked about the lad. He realised he had a lot to learn but he was sure he was more than capable and with judicious training he'd work out fine. He then asked what jobs Thomas was committed to at present and when he realised there was nothing beyond the current week, he suggested Thomas move in with them the following weekend.

"What about my accommodation at the gate lodge? Will I have to give Jeremy notice to quit that?"

Brendan said he'd have a word with Jeremy and explain things. He was sure Jeremy wouldn't mind, especially since he'd end up with a newly decorated place to rent out to someone else. Seeing that everything was decided, Thomas leapt up and sat on Brendan's lap to give him a big hug and an even bigger kiss. It did nothing to suppress Brendan's erection that was rapidly forming as a result of having this Adonis sitting on his lap.

Finally Thomas climbed off and ran into the kitchen to see Walter. Brendan could hear him excitedly telling Walter all about it. When he peered into the kitchen he found the pair hugging and kissing each other. Thomas was so happy and it was good to see.

The rest of the week was spent packing everything up in readiness for the move to Ripley Manor on the Saturday. It was the third time for Brendan in the space of just a few months and when he sat and thought about it he chuckled to himself. "If the old bastard knew what was happening he'd turn in his grave" Brendan chuckled as he and Walter packed things up. They'd agreed with Robin what furniture would be left, which in reality was most items since there was plenty at the Manor house more suited to the style of rooms and he'd agreed with Robin that he'd rent it furnished so couldn't take everything out in any event.

On the Friday they'd gone over to help Thomas pack his few things and bring them back to the house. It was arranged that he'd sleep there on the Friday and follow them in his small van on the Saturday morning. Brendan had spoken to Jeremy and he'd been fine about Thomas moving out of the gate house. He already had someone in mind who'd be interested to rent the accommodation so everything worked out fine. They'd also said their goodbyes yet again to Hunter, Josh and Robert at the hall having told them they were all welcome to come and visit once everything was in order. Yet again, Jeremy and Brendan said an emotional farewell before Walter did the same and he again had tears in his eyes even though in reality they'd not had much time to see each other since he'd left Readen Hall. Jeremy said he definitely wanted to come and sample the health spa once it was up and running so Brendan said he'd be the first to know when it was.

When they arrived at Ripley Manor, they were surprised to find the builder had completed the refurbishment of their bathroom and was in the process of working on the kitchen.

"This will be finished by Monday at the latest" he grinned seeing Brendan's surprise. It seemed he'd had a job cancelled so had arranged with Trevor to come in and start the work earlier in the week. Brendan and Walter rushed upstairs to see the new bathroom which now had a large double shower unit, new basin and toilet and new tiles on the floor and the walls. It looked perfect and just what they wanted having decided they'd prefer to have a shower rather than the bath that was there before. If they really wanted a bath there was always the one in the large bathroom of the main house which was to remain even when the health spa was up and running since all other rooms would have a shower fitted.

The only problem was that the kitchen was now an empty shell, having had all the old units and appliances removed so they'd have to use the kitchen in the main house. Whilst the builder and his mate worked away, the others unloaded their stuff and got settled in. Brendan took Thomas up to the third floor and showed him where he'd eventually be located but that first needed to be decorated. He chose which room he wanted and said he'd decorate that first and then do the others. The bathroom on that floor also needed refurbishment so it was agreed the builder would do that once he'd completed the bathroom for Simon and Joe and made a new doorway to link their two rooms. Thomas said he was happy to do the decoration in each room once the alteration had been made. Having seen the quality of his work, Brendan knew Simon and Joe would be more than happy. He couldn't believe that everything was happening so fast but he knew he had a good team of guys to make it all happen.

"I'm whacked" Brendan exclaimed once they'd eaten their evening meal and cleared away the dishes. Thomas and Walter had worked like Trojans to get everything in place and a meal prepared whilst Brendan sorted out paperwork. There were estate matters to attend to that his father had failed to deal with and there were queries from his solicitor regarding his father's estate. "Think I could do with a long soak in a hot bath" he grinned before remembering they no longer had a bath in the east wing.

"Great idea" Walter said excitedly, "You want to join us Thomas?"

Thomas grinned and felt a reaction down below at the thought of sharing a bath with these two gorgeous guys although quite how they'd all get in he didn't know. "Yes please, if you're sure".

"Come on then" Brendan giggled and started running up the main stairs discarding his clothes as he went. He'd always wanted to do this and now he could without any worry of having a look of disapproval from his homophobic father. By the time they'd reached the main bathroom they were all naked having left their clothes scattered along the way. All three were giggling like school kids and were enjoying themselves.

The main bathroom was still in very good condition and contained a large Victorian bath. As they waited for it to fill with hot water they kissed and hugged each other. By the time it was ready, three erections were on show. Brendan climbed in first and Walter sat between his legs. Thomas then climbed in the other end to face them interlinking his legs alongside the other two. They just about fitted in and enjoyed the closeness of each other laughing and giggling as they flicked water at one another.

After a good twenty minutes of soaking they climbed out. Erections were still on show as they dried each other off and then walked back downstairs to retrieve their clothes. So that Thomas wasn't on his own up on the third floor in the main house, Brendan had suggested he use the spare room in the east wing but first he couldn't resist inviting him into the main bedroom for a bit of fun. He enjoyed watching Walter suck Thomas off to a climax before he went off to his own room.

"He's a happy bunny I think" Walter chuckled once Thomas had left them. Brendan nodded and pulled his lover up close beside him.

"And so am I" he grinned "and I want to show you just how happy I am".

Walter grinned and grabbed hold of the lube he'd left on the side table. He couldn't wait to feel his lover's hard organ inside him so prepared it ready for penetration. He then went onto his back, lifted his legs and offered himself. Brendan grinned and having lubricated the entrance, slowly pushed inside. It felt wonderful and his heart jumped with joy. He was so going to enjoy his new life back where he belonged.

As promised, the builder completed the kitchen by the Monday evening. Brendan and Walter were delighted with it and installed the gadgets they'd brought from their kitchen at Beech House. Over the next week the builder made a doorway between Simon and Joe's bedroom and the room next door which they were going to use as a small sitting room. Whilst one guy did that two others refurbished the bathroom in readiness for Simon and Joe's arrival the following weekend. Thomas meanwhile was busy redecorating the two rooms.

Whilst all this was underway, Robin arrived during the week with his two models for the photo shoot. Both guys were stunning and Robin wanted them to model his latest range of sexy underwear. He loved the setting and decided he'd have a sequence of shots done using the main hall and staircase. The two models just slipped in and out of the garments they were modelling without any concern about doing so in front of Brendan, and Walter who was looking after the lighting side of things. They were both delightful guys which made the whole day go well.

Robin also wanted a range of casual clothes photographed so he decided to do those outside in the garden and in the glass conservatory since the weather was fine and sunny despite it being February. Once done, Walter prepared a light lunch for everyone which was eaten in the main dining room. Thomas joined them and ogled the two models throughout lunch much to Brendan's amusement. Robin and the two models, who were both gay, were very interested in the plans for the Ripley Manor health spa and said they'd love to come and try it out once it was open, assuming planning consent was achieved. Robin said he'd treat the two models to a couple of days pampering since they'd done a good job for him over the years. Brendan guessed the real reason was that he wanted the opportunity to get to know the guys more intimately but said nothing.

When Simon and Joe moved in the following weekend they were both surprised and delighted to see their rooms ready for them. Thomas was now busy working on his own room on the third floor whilst the builder refurbished the shared bathroom on that floor. Thomas was not only a speedy worker but everything he did was done to perfection. He'd also persuaded Terry to assist him since his work outside was limited for the time being and in any event could wait for a while. Terry was a useful mate to do basic cleaning and preparation work in readiness for Thomas to do the skilled decorating work. Brendan also noticed as the days went by that a romantic liaison was forming between the two lads which pleased him since life for both of them had been far from good so far.

Within six weeks they'd received planning consent for the health spa so everyone was delighted. It now meant that work could progress with the necessary alterations. The builder brought in a team of guys to refurbish the main kitchen, install en-suite bathrooms where necessary and refurbish all the others. Whilst this was going on he had guys making the alterations to the ground floor of the west wing to accommodate the reception area, an office, and changing rooms for day guests, treatment rooms, sauna, Jacuzzi and a steam room. The plunge pool also had to be retiled and the sauna, Jacuzzi and a steam room had to be installed by a specialist company. Thomas and Terry meanwhile were busy decorating the other three bedrooms on the third floor for Nigel, Roberto and Alex. Once they'd finished those they set to work on the main lounge, which accessed the glass conservatory, and the smaller lounge at the front which would become the games room.

Brendan was especially happy to see his father's old study disappear as part of the alterations since it took away bad memories. All furniture not required had been taken away and disposed of and new bedroom furniture had been ordered along with what was required for the office and reception area. Brendan wanted everything to look top quality so told Walter, who was managing all the purchases, to spend what money was required. He knew the overall cost would be more than Simon had first estimated but his solicitor had come across an additional million pounds that his father had secreted away in a bank account nobody knew about. Quite where the money had come from nobody knew but Brendan took great delight in spending it on the alterations instead of his own. "Finally its payback time" he commented to Walter one evening whilst they were resting after having made love.

Whilst all this was going on, Joe was busy working on sales and marketing for the health spa, designing a website and arranging for adverts to appear in preparation for the grand opening which had been fixed for mid August. With the way everything was going, they were all confident they could achieve the target. Simon and Walter were project managing the work being done and the pair of them had everything listed in fine detail. Nothing was allowed to slip, go wrong or cause delay, much to Brendan's amusement. Everyone worked as a team and enjoyed what they were doing.

Finally the alterations were complete and whilst the new furniture and equipment was being installed Thomas, Terry and Brendan set to work on cleaning the main staircase and hall. All the corridors upstairs had been decorated so this was the final part to do. When that had been done, they moved into the east wing to redecorate that although because it had not been used for the past twenty years and had been repainted just before his mother had died, it didn't require much done apart from a good clean and the odd bit of painting to spruce it up.

During the weeks leading up to the grand opening, equipment was installed, Nigel, Roberto and Alec arrived to take up their new jobs and Simon and Brendan recruited two cleaners, a receptionist and a couple of guys who'd cover between them the role of night porter since they were required to have someone on duty each night. The two cleaners were twenty year old Polish guys called Cezar and Jakub. Both were gay and very camp. The receptionist was a twenty two year old guy called Johan, also gay and delightful. The night porters were two guys in their fifties called Marcus and Kevin. They'd both been made redundant from a local company so were delighted when they were offered the job. They'd work ten till six each day on a night shift pattern to cover the seven days required.

With everything in place, Simon held a staff meeting in the newly formed meeting room that used the table from the old dining room. The purpose was that all those involved with the operation of the new venture could meet each other and he could go through what he expected from everyone. He first issued the uniform he wanted everyone to wear which consisted of tight dark blue shorts, a white T shirt that had the new Ripley Manor Health Spa logo emblazoned on it and a pair of blue slip on plimsolls. Having been issued with the items everyone opened them up to admire them. Simon, Joe, Brendan and Walter were already wearing theirs to show what they looked like.

"Yeah, very sexy" Johan chuckled, "Can we try them on now?"

Simon said he could if he wanted so Johan immediately stripped off to don his. Seeing him strip in view of everyone the others followed suit. Once they'd all done so, they admired each other. The shorts were tight enough to show off each guy's body to perfection which was Simon's intention. He wanted to give all guests something to look at as the staff went about their duties.

"Is everyone happy with their uniform?" Simon grinned as he looked round enjoying the sight. Everyone said they were so he continued with the other items on the agenda. He first announced that the weekend before the official opening was a trial run with a group of invited guests coming to test the facilities and the services provided. Needless to say he wanted everything to run as smoothly as possible since the success of that would hopefully encourage those attending to spread the word and recommend others to attend. Already bookings were coming in so they'd be busy from the first day of opening which was to be the Monday following the test run.

"The invited guests will be arriving between three and four on Friday afternoon and will attend a champagne reception in the main lounge at four thirty. Full naked massages will be available for those that want one and the plunge pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi will be available. Dinner will be served between seven and eight and breakfast from eight the following morning up to nine thirty. Lunch will be served from twelve till one after which guests will make their way home having completed an assessment form."

Everybody was excited at the thought of starting the new venture and he impressed upon them that even though they had their specific roles they must all be prepared to help out where required. During meal times, Cezar and Jakub would assist Roberto in the kitchen with washing up and keeping the dishes at the self service counter topped up. Their cleaning duties would be done prior to and in between meals. Thomas would also assist with cleaning where necessary as would Terry when he wasn't working in the garden. Alec and Johan would manage the bar, that had been set up at the end of the large lounge, on a shift system during the evenings.

"I appreciate it's going to be hard work for everyone to start with but we need to see how things go before taking on more staff" Simon explained, "but if we all pull together then it will work fine and you'll enjoy yourselves. You will also have rest periods during the day and rest days during the week according to your rota; any questions?"

"How friendly do we allow guests to get with us?" Jakub asked, "If you know what I mean" he added with a big grin.

Everyone laughed. "It's a balance; on the one hand guys are coming here to enjoy themselves so you're bound to receive attention, especially dressed as you are, so we don't want to be too unfriendly but if you feel you don't want the attention then just decline politely; if any particular guest is too forceful then speak to me or Brendan and we'll have a quiet word with them."

"I shan't mind" Johan laughed; "they can touch me up anytime". This caused the others to laugh and offered to do just that for Johan.

"Okay guys, calm down; what we don't want is the spa to become known as a knocking shop since that could affect our business so my advice is let a guest be friendly and if you're willing to let them feel you up then that's your choice but I don't recommend you getting into sexual activities with them."

"Are guests allowed to walk round naked?" Cezar asked. Simon said all guests would be told that clothes were optional with the exception of the dining room.

"When in there they'll be expected to wear either a pair of shorts and a T shirt or one of the white robes provided. As I said earlier, we want guests to feel relaxed and if they want to go round naked then I don't see a problem but it's something we'll have to keep an eye on. The place is being advertised as a clothes optional establishment so guests know that before booking.

"Yeah, I'll certainly be keeping an eye on it" Johan laughed before asking, "And if we see guests getting frisky with each other is that allowed?"

"Within reason" Simon replied, "If you see guests starting to have sex in the public rooms then a quiet word is in order; the only place where such action can go on is in the cinema room in the basement where gay porn will be shown all day, the steam room and possibly the Jacuzzi. As you know, the full naked massage will end in sexual gratification in the form of a wank" Simon grinned. Everyone roared their approval and wanted to know if they too could have a full naked massage. "When Joe, Nigel and I are free and willing to do so you all may indulge and of course you can use the other facilities during your rest periods provided guests take first priority. On the Sunday before we open, you will all have the opportunity to check all facilities and services out." This caused another roar of approval round the table.

"Okay guys, let's leave it there but remember, if you have any queries speak to me, Joe or Brendan. See you all first thing tomorrow morning but if you want to have a look round and perhaps try out the facilities in the pool area then please do so."

"The evening meal will be served at seven sharp" Roberto announced, "so don't be late" he grinned.

The staff then left, chatting and looking happy leaving Simon, Joe, Brendan and Walter to discuss last minute points.

"Well guys, we've finally made it so let's hope it's a success" Simon grinned. The others said they were sure it would be.

"I need a drink" Joe laughed when they'd finished.

"Same here" Brendan grinned and led the group through to the newly decorated lounge bar area.

"Thomas has really done a fantastic job hasn't he" Joe commented looking round at the new bar and decoration. Simon agreed and said he was going to be an asset to the business. Brendan was chuffed because he'd taken a slight risk with Thomas in view of his limited experience but he was a fast learner and it was already showing.

Once Walter had served everyone their drinks Simon proposed a toast. They then sat down on the new sofas that had been installed and enjoyed the company of their partner.

"You look really sexy in that get up" Brendan giggled as he rubbed a hand up and down Walter's leg. Walter grinned and placed a hand on top of Brendan's before slowly moving it towards his crotch. Just the mere touch of Brendan's hand was causing him to go hard.

"Do you two ever leave each other alone?" Simon giggled as he watched and enjoyed the show before him.

"Not often" Brendan chuckled, "but don't let us stop you doing the same".

Joe took the hint and felt Simon's crotch. "Fuck, I want that inside me" he exclaimed as he felt Simon's erection. He then slipped a hand down inside Simon's shorts to feel the naked flesh. Simon just laughed and let him have his fun but kept an eye on the door just in case other members of staff came in; not that he was that bothered about being seen with Joe's hand inside his shorts but he was the boss after all. Seeing that Simon was happy to let him have his fun, Joe pulled the elastic top of Simon's shorts down over his erection to expose it. "Now guys, isn't that a beauty?" he giggled before going down on it. The other two looked on with great interest as they watched Joe bring Simon off to a climax.

The following morning everyone was excited about meeting the guests for the trial. Brendan had invited the guys from Readen Hall but only Jeremy and Josh had accepted the invitation. He'd also invited Robin, who was now renting Beech House having rented his house to his work colleague. The other six guests were friends of Simon and consisted of two couples and two guys on their own. This meant that six of the sixteen rooms would be occupied so Simon had suggested that the staff occupy other rooms to try them out to make sure everything was working and up to standard. Brendan had spared no expense in making sure that everything was top quality so they expected it all to be fine.

In order to test reception procedures, all the staff pretended to arrive as a guest so that Alec and Johan could make sure all was well. As expected, everything went smoothly including the newly installed electronic room key system which consisted of a small disc that slipped inside a wrist band. Guests would be told to wear that at all times, so they could access their rooms when required and pay for drinks at the bar. Simon had installed an electronic payment system that automatically charged the guest's bill. Meals of course were included within the basic charge for their stay.

Once the staff had gone through the reception process, they took up their stations ready for guests to start arriving at three. Cezar and Jakub were to serve champagne in the lounge for the reception at four thirty and to make things more interesting Simon had asked them if they were willing to wear a thong instead of their usual shorts and T shirt. Both guys said they'd love to and pranced around showing off their naked butts beforehand.

Gradually the guests arrived and once shown to their room they were left to get ready for the reception. It was their choice as to whether or not they stripped off but they all did. Some wore the shorts and T shirt provided and others wore a white robe. They'd been told that clothes were optional with the exception of the champagne reception and the evening meal. After that they could do what they liked.

Soon all nine guests had arrived and were assembled in the lounge, Simon welcomed everyone and Cezar and Jakub served glasses of champagne whilst Thomas and Terry moved round the room offering canapés. They too had agreed to wear thongs with nothing else, so the guests took great delight in looking at their naked butts and having the odd feel but none of the guys objected.

"Is this going to be the usual mode of dress for staff?" one guest asked grinning.

"Who knows" Simon replied, "but we thought for tonight you'd enjoy seeing their naked butts".

"You bet, they're gorgeous" the guy exclaimed as he gave Cezar another feel on his naked backside.

Simon then announced that if anyone wanted to try out the full naked massage to see Alec to book a slot either before or after their meal. Everyone did, so Simon, Joe and Nigel got to work in the treatment rooms. The three massage tables were alongside each other in one room so that guests could see other's enjoying their massage whilst the naked masseurs worked their magic. The first three guests couldn't believe what they were seeing when they found three gorgeous naked guys waiting for them. All three soon stripped naked and climbed onto their table for the massage to commence. It wasn't long before three cocks were fully erect plus those of the three masseurs. Each masseur let their guest feel them and even suck them when they stood at the head of the table massaging their back. Finally all three were wanked off and groans of pleasure filled the room.

"Fuck, that was brilliant" one of the guys announced as he climbed off the table. The other two had to agree as they went to have a soak in the Jacuzzi.

The steam room, plunge pool and the sauna were also being tried out and everyone agreed that the facilities were fantastic. When it was time for everyone to have their meal all nine guys, along with the staff who were not involved with serving the meal, trooped into the dining room that had been fitted out with several round tables in place of the large dining table that was now in the meeting room. Roberto produced a fantastic meal in the new kitchen and everyone said it tasted wonderful.

After the meal, some guys went to drink in the lounge whilst others went down to the cinema room where gay porn was showing. Brendan popped his head in at odd times during the evening and was pleased to see that guys were enjoying themselves. Instead of chairs, the floor had been covered with a thick mattress covered with simulated leather so that guys could lie down and enjoy each other. He noticed two guys busy fucking whilst another two were sucking each other.

Finally, guests made their way to bed having all enjoyed the facilities on offer. All had experienced the full body naked massage and each one had been brought off to a satisfactory climax. Everybody was sexually charged as they made their way to their rooms. Brendan smiled when he saw Thomas and Terry go into one room to spend the night together. As far as he knew it was the first time they'd done so.

"I think that was very successful" Simon grinned once everyone had gone to bed. The others agreed and made their way to their rooms. Once inside theirs, Brendan pulled Walter into his arms and kissed him. It didn't take long for both to be naked and ready for action. All that a guy required for sex was provided so they grabbed the lube and made good use of it. Soon Brendan had his cock where he wanted it inside of Walter. He thrust with gusto until he'd spilled his load. After a short period of kissing, they reversed roles and Walter fucked Brendan finally leaving his love seed inside him. Everything was perfect as they finally slipped into a deep sleep.

The following morning nine guests gradually appeared for breakfast all looking sexually satisfied. They were told they could use all the facilities until lunchtime, after which they would be leaving. The day had turned out to be a beautiful warm summer's day so several naked guys wandered round the garden admiring Terry's efforts. He'd done a fantastic job of the gardens and grounds with lawns looking like bowling greens and shrubs and flowers blooming beautifully. Several guys sunbathed in the nude to enjoy the sun whilst others took advantage of the facilities. Nigel even offered some more massage sessions for those that wanted one. Down in the cinema room, Jeremy and Josh were with three other guys having a full on session of sex so they were really enjoying themselves.

After lunch, the guests made their way home having completed their evaluation forms. Apart from a few minor glitches which were easily fixed, everything had gone perfectly. Simon called all the staff together and thanked them for a brilliant job. He then told them that once the rooms had been prepared for the paying guests arriving on Monday and the public rooms had been cleaned, they could enjoy themselves.

"And tomorrow will be a day of rest guys, so enjoy the facilities; Joe and I will also give a full naked massage to anyone who wants one so just let us know." Everybody roared their approval and said they would.

Brendan and Walter went down to the cinema room after their evening meal and found Thomas and Terry having a very enjoyable time. They decided to leave them to it and went to their own room to do the same.

"Happy?" Brendan asked once he'd stripped Walter naked.

"Fuck yes; this is a wonderful life". Walter then jumped on the bed and told Brendan to handcuff him to the head board and fuck him senseless. He couldn't get enough of Brendan's cock inside him. Brendan wasn't going to let that opportunity go by so did just that. They were at it for a good hour before finally going back downstairs to see what was happening. When they went into the games room they found Cezar, Jakub, Simon and Johan playing snooker stark naked and having fun with each other as they did so. Eventually Simon told the young polish guys to get off home since they had to be on duty early the following morning. They kissed the others and trotted off home. Fortunately they lived in a small cottage nearby that Brendan had found them on the estate so didn't have far to go.

On the Monday morning everyone was excited about welcoming their first set of guests. Ten had booked for a residential stay ranging from three days to five and four others had booked for a one day visit so everyone would be busy. Walter had checked all rooms including the public areas in his quality control role and apart from a few minor points everything was perfect. Cezar and Jakub were good workers and took a pride in everything they did. Thomas was much the same so he decided his job was going to be easy if it continued like this.

Terry had been to the estate farm first thing in the morning and collected the fresh vegetables and eggs that were to be provided on a regular basis. Fresh meat and all other provisions were to be obtained from a local supplier since Brendan wanted the local community to benefit from the new venture as much as they could. So far, apart from a few minor comments by a minority of people in the village, who were asking why it was for men only, the majority had welcomed the spa at Ripley Hall and the business it brought to the area.

Once the new arrivals had arrived and been seen to their rooms, Brendan went to see Trevor to discuss estate business. He also had a mass of emails to attend to which had piled up over the past few days because he'd spent so much time making sure everything was ready for the launch. When he returned just before lunch he met several guys wandering around enjoying the facilities. He chuckled to himself and rather enjoyed the sight of half naked guys or in some cases fully naked, walking round with just a towel or a robe over their arm. His father would have had a fit which added to the enjoyment.

One of his emails was from Tom and Dane who wanted to know when they could come and do another photography shoot and perhaps another porn film. They especially wanted to do something out in the open air so Brendan sat down and tried to think where would be a good place. He knew of a coppice on the estate which he used to frequent when he was younger and where he went when he wanted to get away from his father. It was very private and well away from public view or from estate workers since there was little need to go there. As it was a nice day he decided to pay it a visit after lunch.

"Are you busy this afternoon?" he asked Walter when he found him checking the lounge area for the umpteenth time. Walter said he had nothing in particular to do since all his checks had been completed for that day so Brendan suggested they go for a walk to have a look at the coppice and see if it would be suitable for a photographic shoot.

Lunch was a light affair since one of the purposes of the health spa was to improve a guy's wellbeing, not make it worse by loads of food, so there was only one main meal a day with salad type things at lunchtime. Once eaten in the dining room with all the guests, Brendan and Walter made their way to the east wing and changed into a pair of slip on shorts and trainers. Since the weather was warm they decided to discard T shirts.

The coppice was a good fifteen minute walk from the main house and required walking along narrow paths, some of which were overgrown from lack of use. Brendan made a mental note to ask Terry to clear them if he was to bring Tom and Dane along this way. Finally Brendan found the place he had in mind and it looked perfect. There was still an open area in amongst a thicket of trees which had remained untouched and where lush green grass was growing.

"This would be perfect" Walter exclaimed as he wandered round in what seemed like a private arena amongst the trees surrounding it. The sun was beaming down on him making him feel lovely and warm. He opened his arms wide, closed his eyes and turned his face towards the sky to feel the warmth of the sun on his semi naked body. Brendan moved up behind him and put his arms round him. Walter giggled enjoying the feel of his lovers arms round him. He felt Brendan's kiss on his neck and gave a pleasurable groan. He then felt a hand slip down inside his shorts and feel his naked organ lying there. His touch made it immediately jump to attention and Brendan pulled the shorts down his legs. Unbeknown to Walter, Brendan had already discarded his clothes so was standing fully naked behind him. Once the shorts had been removed and tossed to one side along with his trainers, Brendan pressed his naked body up close to Walter's.

"Oh yes, that feels so good; did you think to bring any lube?"

"Yep" Brendan giggled and held up the small bottle he'd slipped into his pocket before leaving. He then turned Walter round and knelt on the soft grass. The long thick organ was soon being swallowed down his throat and Walter was groaning and moaning with joy. Brendan then stood, moved behind him and rubbed his rampant organ up and down Walter's crack.

"Oh god, yes, fuck me, fuck me please" Walter groaned as he felt the hot flesh tease his entrance. Brendan flipped open the lube and spread a liberal amount inside Walter. He then gently pushed his hard organ up to the entrance and slowly pushed in. Walter gasped, held his breath and waited to feel it right inside. Once there he relaxed and enjoyed the fullness of it.

Without saying anything, Brendan slowly fucked him with long slow thrusts. With each one he pulled his shaft right out until the head was showing before gently pushing it back inside again.

They must have continued like that for a good fifteen or twenty minutes before Walter sensed his lover's body tense in readiness for his climax. Suddenly Brendan's hot seed erupted inside of him. Even when Brendan had finished erupting, they remained locked together with him kissing the back of Walters's neck. The warmth of the sun on their naked bodies felt wonderful so they stood there for several more minutes to enjoy it.

"Fuck, that was brilliant" Walter exclaimed once Brendan had finally pulled out; "I'd love to film Tom and Dane doing that right here".

Brendan agreed, it would make the perfect setting in addition to several fallen tree trunks at the edge of the coppice that would make the perfect fucking bench. "All we need is a patch of good weather like this" he commented but he'd noted the forecast did seem set for several more days so he'd contact Tom and Dane to see if they were free to come for a couple of days. They could stay with them in the east wing but use the spa facilities if they wanted.

"Yeah, sounds fucking brilliant" Tom exclaimed when Brendan called him that evening. He confirmed that he and Dane could come at short notice so it was arranged they'd come the very next day since the forecast was looking good.

When they arrived the following morning, they couldn't believe their eyes. They'd no idea that Brendan owned a beautiful manor like this. When they were later shown the large hall and the grand staircase plus the new spa facilities, they gasped. They certainly wanted to use everything and have a full naked massage if possible so Brendan booked them in with Joe for that evening. Since the weather seemed even better than the day before, Brendan suggested they waste no time and set off to do some filming. Tom and Dane loved the setting and said it was perfect. Walter had made up a small hamper for them to have at lunch time so they could spend the whole day filming and enjoy themselves so having got everything packed in backpacks, they'd set off wearing shorts and a T shirt.

Tom and Dane first posed naked leaning against trees, lazing on the grass and in a host of other poses, some of which were very erotic. By the time they'd finished the still shots everybody was feeling randy so the four stripped off naked and set to work. Brendan got them first to adopt the pose he and Walter had used the day before and whilst Walter used a handheld battery operated floodlight to ensure there were no dark areas when he zoomed in close, he filmed Tom fucking Dane. Tom told Brendan he wanted to film his load of cum shooting over the entrance before plunging it back inside. As he filmed, Brendan felt his own seed rising and had to hold it back to avoid shooting his own load. Finally Tom reached his climax and Brendan filmed the thick white cum shooting over Dane's entrance.

Having filmed Dane fucking Tom over a fallen tree trunk, it was time for lunch so they lay out on the grass and enjoyed the hamper of food that Walter had prepared plus some cans of beer.

"Wouldn't it be great if the weather was always like this" Dane chuckled, "We could come and fuck everyday".

"This guy thinks of nothing else" Tom laughed and grabbed Dane's cock which was already showing signs of interest again.

Things from thereon seemed to develop into a free for all and the four guys sucked and rimmed each other at will. It ended with Tom fucking Dane and Walter fucking Brendan whilst watching each other as they did so.

Finally they decided they'd done enough filming so they made their way back to the house. "Would you guys like to see the film we've done on the big screen?" Brendan giggled.

"Yeah, brilliant" Dane replied. Brendan said they'd have to let any guests who were in the cinema see it as well since he couldn't close it for a private viewing. The two guys said that was fine by them so when they got back, Brendan downloaded the day's shoot onto his computer, edited where necessary and copied it onto a DVD.

At dinner, Brendan announced to the guests that there was to be a showing of a special film in the cinema that evening and they were all welcome to come and see it. Everybody cheered and said they'd be there so when the meal was over, they all trooped down to the cinema leaving their robes on the hooks provided outside the door. Walter then loaded the film and the screen became alive with the coppice and the sun shining through the trees. The title was 'Guys fucking in the woods'.

After a few moments, the guests realised who was being filmed and roared their approval. Everybody loved it and said it was every bit as good as a professional film.

Tom and Dane became regular visitors to Ripley Manor after that and also spread the word about the spa which brought in a lot more business. Jeremy and Josh also visited regularly and recommended the spa to their friends. As the months went by it was virtually full every day with almost a full capacity for day bookings as well. Guys came from far and wide to sample the delights and word got round that it was a fun place to be. In fact the first year of trading was far more successful than anyone had predicted so Simon and Joe were delighted. Thomas and Terry became lovers and Terry eventually moved in with Thomas to share his room on the third floor. Brendan was delighted to see the two guys so happy and encouraged the liaison.

"Fancy a couple of weeks in the south of France? Brendan casually asked Walter one morning over breakfast. Walter gasped. He'd never been before and in fact had only been to Paris once in his life. Brendan explained that he had a friend who owned a villa which had its own private beach. Walter jumped up and down with glee so Brendan emailed his friend to say they'd love to accept the invitation.

Antoine was waiting for them at the airport when they arrived. As soon as he saw Brendan and Walter walk through the exit gate he waved. He and Brendan had known each other since childhood as their mothers had been close friends for years. Antoine's parents had divorced when he was a child and his father had moved to New Zealand. On finding out about his son's sexuality he'd dropped him like a brick and had never made contact since. His mother had accepted his sexuality without question saying that all she wanted was for him to be happy. She even encouraged him to invite boyfriends to stay at the house and had no problem with them sleeping together. In fact she rather enjoyed seeing two young men show their love for each other and never bothered if they had sex under her roof.

Sadly she had died from cancer four years after Brendan's mother had passed away so they'd both been left with no family to love or comfort them. They'd always been very close and in fact they both had their first sexual experience with each other. Antoine had often hoped that he and Brendan would live together since he'd always loved him but neither wanted to leave their country of birth so they'd remained good friends. Like Brendan, Antoine had gone through numerous boyfriends but had not found that special person. He was therefore happy for Brendan when he heard about Walter even though it meant that door had been well and truly closed.

"Hello my friend" Antoine exclaimed as he wrapped Brendan in his arms and kissed him passionately whilst Walter looked on. After several moments of intense kissing and hugging, the pair broke apart and Antoine looked at Walter. "So you are the gorgeous man who has filled my good friend's heart". Walter grinned and suddenly found that he too was being wrapped in Antoine's arms and given the same degree of passionate kisses. Brendan had told him that Antoine was stunning and he was certainly right about that. He had a dark complexion with almost black hair and his exposed tanned arms almost glowed against the pure white of his T shirt. He was also wearing tight fitting jeans that showed off his lean body and Walter wondered why someone hadn't snapped the guy up long ago. He was truly gorgeous.

Antoine led them to where he'd parked the car, and seeing that the two guys had plenty of news to catch up with, Walter offered to sit in the back leaving Brendan to sit beside Antoine. Throughout the forty minute drive from the airport to his villa they talked continuously; sometimes in French and other times in English. Antoine was as fluent in English as Brendan was in French.

"Antoine thinks you're hot" Brendan told Walter after one particular piece of dialogue in French between him and Antoine. Walter laughed and said he thought Antoine was hot too.

"You are such a lucky guy my friend; I'm very envious" Antoine said in perfect English.

"So you've still not found your perfect man then" Brendan replied, "What happened to that young Brazilian guy you were on about some while ago; I thought he was the man."

Antoine shrugged his shoulders as Frenchmen tend to do. "So did I but he suddenly upped and left so that was the end of him; I think I shall die an old man with nobody to love so you make sure you look after yours Brendan."

"Don't you worry, I fully intend to; I love him with all my heart" Brendan said seriously causing a wave of delight to run through Walter on hearing his lover's comment.

The villa was situated within its own grounds and large wrought iron gates swung open as Antoine drove up to them. From what Walter could see the place looked expensive. Once inside, Walter could see that it backed onto the beach with the sea beyond. It looked idyllic.

"I've put you guys into the large guest room at the back so you can look over the beach; I take it you've told Walter about our beach and what goes on there" Antoine laughed. Brendan said he hadn't and let Antoine explain.

"It's a private beach that belongs to the house but over the years it has become a haven for gays to sunbathe in the nude since they're not allowed to on the main public beach. It doesn't bother me so I've allowed it to continue provided they don't cause any problems but from your room you get a good eyeful at times so use the binoculars provided to see what's going on! Every so often I go and join the fun, especially in the evening when those on the main beach nearby have gone home."

Walter grinned and said he looked forward to keeping an eye out for the fun and games.

"When you guys have unpacked and got out of your travel clothes, come into the garden and we'll have a bite to eat."

Brendan led Walter up to their room and they unpacked their bags. Walter looked out the window and admired the view. As Antoine had said, there were several naked bodies sunbathing on the beach and to one side he could see a couple making love. He picked up the binoculars and zoomed in. One guy was on his stomach with another riding him from behind clearly enjoying himself. Walter giggled and Brendan came over to see. "Mm, nice, perhaps we'll do that later; I love having sex in the open air".

Walter giggled and reached behind him to feel Brendan down below. He was already excited so he rubbed the growing organ some more.

"Come on, strip off and let's go down and find Antoine" Brendan chucked rather enjoying the attention. He then removed all his clothes and picked up a pair of beach shorts but didn't put them on. Walter looked at him wondering why. "Antoine never wears any clothes at home, or hardly ever, so you'll be in the buff most of our time here except when we go out to the local village to buy provisions."

Walter giggled rather liking that idea. He certainly never minded being in the nude even though he knew he'd get an erection whenever either of them came up close and personal.

As expected, they found a naked Antoine sunbathing in the garden.

"Ah, here you are" Antoine said as he looked up to see two naked guys walk out into the garden, "Oh my, he is truly gorgeous Brendan; you lucky bugger".

Walter blushed slightly but enjoyed the admiration being given. Brendan pulled him into an embrace and kissed him. As always it caused his organ to jump with excitement which didn't go unnoticed by Antoine.

"Now, as you guys are not used to this beautiful sunshine you must protect your skin so would you like me to do it for you? Do I have your permission Brendan to rub my hands all over your gorgeous boyfriend?"

Brendan and Walter laughed and said they'd be delighted for him to do so. Antoine told Walter to turn onto his stomach so he could do his back first. Walter then felt Antoine straddle his legs as he commenced rubbing sun lotion onto his back. When Antoine reached Walter's buttocks, he took great delight in rubbing the two globes of flesh over and over and running a finger along his crack. Walter giggled rather enjoying the attention but it was causing his cock to go hard. When his legs had been suitably creamed, which included seductive moves up and down the inside of his thighs right into his groin, Antoine told Walter to turn over so he could do his front. He smiled when he saw the reaction he'd had on Walter and ran his greasy hand up and down the shaft whilst Brendan watched on. He knew Antoine wouldn't be able to keep his hands off his boyfriend but also knew it was all in good fun.

By the time Walter's whole body had been completely covered with sun tan lotion, including his dick, Walter was rock hard as was Antoine. He climbed off Walter and moved over to Brendan telling him to turn over so he could do his back. Walter took great delight in watching Antoine drape his naked body over his lover and rubbing his erection up and down Brendan's crack. Once done, he instructed Brendan to turn over and as expected he too was hard so Antoine immediately rubbed the shaft up and down with a greasy hand.

When he'd finished, he knelt between the two naked bodies lazing in the sun. "I think before we have lunch I need to service these" he giggled and grasped both erections that were flying high. He then proceeded to massage each one slowly bringing both guys off to a climax. Walter couldn't resist taking hold of Antoine's since it was within reach so whilst Antoine massaged the other two guys, Walter brought him off.

After several minutes, all three guys were spilling their load and copious amounts of creamy cum were shooting out. "Beautiful" Antoine groaned as he watched the two guys produce their seed just before his own ribbons shot out. He picked up a small towel and wiped the two guys clean before jumping up to go and prepare their lunch.

"I take it you don't mind Antoine getting frisky with you" Brendan commented once Antoine had gone inside.

"Of course not; he's a nice guy; he's very much in love with you isn't he"

Brendan nodded. "He's tried for years to get me to come and live with him here but I didn't want to leave England. I didn't trust my father with the estate so had to stay in any event and Antoine didn't want to leave France. Besides, I don't think we'd have lasted very long; I love him to bits but we are not right for a long term relationship with each other."

Walter rolled on top of his partner and kissed him. "I'm glad about that because I love you so much". Brendan smiled and wrapped his legs round Walter's buttocks. They loved lying like that feeling each other's organs pressing against each other. Despite having just reached a climax, both were already getting hard again so Walter gently rubbed them together.

"Don't mind me guys, just fuck away whether I'm here or not" Antoine laughed when he appeared with a plate of sandwiches and a bottle of wine, "I love watching guys fuck so please just go ahead".

Walter blushed even though it didn't really bother him but he stopped what he was doing and slid off Brendan. Seeing both erections, Antoine chuckled. "Oh what a waste, don't you want to make good use of those?"

"Perhaps later Antoine" Brendan laughed.

Later that afternoon, Antoine suggested they go for a swim so they made their way to the end of the garden and out through the wooden door in the wall that cordoned off the garden from the beach. The wall meant that the beach itself could not be seen from the garden but had been built some years before to maintain privacy. Antoine had also installed CCTV to monitor the beach which provided many hours of interest since he could zoom in on couples having fun and look back at what action had taken place since it was all recorded. The entrance to the beach from the main public area clearly stated that it was private and a nudist area to put off casual interest.

The door opened onto a small area of sand dunes that led onto the beach itself. Walter loved the feeling of complete freedom since they'd walked out stark naked. The door was fitted with an entry keypad so Antoine didn't even have to take keys with him. As they walked through the dunes they could see odd couples in small hollows clearly having fun. The couple who Walter had observed earlier still seemed to be at it and as they walked past just grinned at them.

The water was lovely and warm and so much different to swimming in the sea in England. Walter loved it and ran into the water with his dick flapping around. As soon as he was in deep enough he set off for a swim. He loved swimming but seldom had the opportunity so this was heaven. Antoine and Brendan walked further into the water and when it was up to their waist they stopped and kissed. Brendan felt Antoine's hand feel down below and grab hold of his cock.

"Am I allowed to do this now you have a boyfriend?" he giggled.

"I'm sure Walter won't mind provided you give him the same attention" Brendan laughed and reached down to feel Antoine who was by now almost rock hard.

"I've so missed you" Antoine sighed, "It's lovely to have you in my arms again".

"You know things would never have worked out between us but I still love you and you're still a very dear friend."

"I know, but it seems very final now that you've found Walter; don't get me wrong, I think he's gorgeous and I'm very happy for you."

"You can come over anytime you know, especially now that my pig of a father is dead and we've got the health spa up and running"

Antoine nodded and said he'd like to come over sometime.

"Why not join us for Christmas" Brendan suddenly announced. Antoine said he'd love to since he had no plans as yet.

"You two seem deep in conversation; you talking about me?" Walter said suddenly appearing beside the other two.

"Yes, I was just telling your boyfriend that I want to fuck you senseless" Antoine teased him.

"Ooh, can't wait, when?" Walter laughed and grabbed hold of Antoine's erection beneath the water. Antoine did the same to Walter and they splashed each other and pushed each other over in the water whilst Brendan watched on. He was glad to see that his partner didn't feel jealous or in any way put out by Antoine's attention towards him because he was very fond of Antoine and loved him to bits but not in the same way as he loved Walter.

When they'd had enough of the water they made their way back to the house. On their way they were stopped by two guys who were lazing in the sun. "Is it still okay to hold our midnight barbecue on the beach tonight Antoine?"

"Sure Henri"

"You guys going to join us; you're very welcome; they'll only be six of us" Henri asked whilst giving Walter the eye. Henri and his boyfriend Philippe were both twenty five and lusted after Walter as he stood waiting. Antoine looked at the other two who said they'd love to do so. Henri said they'd actually be arriving around eleven so to come out then.

On their way back to the house Antoine explained he and Henri had been friends for many years and he liked to hold what he called midnight barbecues on the beach every so often. "In reality it's just an excuse to have an orgy on the beach at night having eaten a few burnt sausages but they're good fun so be prepared for plenty of sex." The other two grinned and said they were always up for sex.

When they got back into the garden, Antoine placed his arms round Walter. "Were you serious about me fucking you?"

Walter grinned and looked at Brendan to see his reaction. "It's okay by me my love, I shan't mind as long as you don't mind watching me fuck Antoine afterwards." Walter said he was okay with that so he and Antoine sank down on the large rug they'd been lazing on earlier and made love.

Erections were soon flying high and Antoine went down on Walter's taking the whole organ into his mouth. Walter gasped and groaned as his manhood was almost swallowed feeling the seed rising. Antoine then moved him onto his back, lifted his legs and told Brendan to hold them over Walter's head. He then gave Walter a rimming like nothing he'd had before. Having got the entrance nicely opened and slicked with lube, he prepared his own erection with the necessary protection and pressed the head against the puckered entrance.

"Oh yes, fucking brilliant" Antoine exclaimed as the large head of his cock slowly sank inside followed by the long shaft.

"Fuck you're big" Walter gasped but enjoyed the invasion.

The action continued for quite some time before Antoine felt his climax rise and his seed shoot out to fill the latex. When he'd come down from his high he collapsed on top of Walter and kissed him. It was very passionate, far more than he intended but he couldn't help himself. Brendan released Walter's legs and moved behind Antoine. He plunged his head into his crack and gave it a good licking.

"Oh fuck, that feels so good" Antoine exclaimed. "Fuck me, please" he implored. Brendan looked over Antoine's shoulders into Walter's eyes. Walter grinned giving him the indication he was looking for. He quickly prepared his erection that was now aching to get inside of Antoine so slicked it with lube. With one thrust he slipped inside just the way he knew Antoine loved it. "Yeah, fuck that arse, fuck it hard" he yelled. Brendan increased his thrust slamming his cock in and out. Each thrust caused Antoine's body to rub against Walter's since he was still collapsed on top of him. It didn't take long for both to form another erection and the two cocks rubbed against each other using the sweat their bodies had produced earlier as a lubricant.

"Oh god, I'm gonna come again" Antoine yelled just as Brendan felt his own climax reaching its peak.

As both guys shot their load, Walter felt his climax rise too and within seconds was shooting his load of cum along with Antoine's.

"Fuck that was good" Antoine exclaimed. Brendan leant over him and pulled his head sideways to kiss him. Their faces were within inches of Walter's so he joined in with a three way kiss. He decided the next two weeks were going to be full of fun.

Soon after eleven that evening they made their way onto the beach again. Walter couldn't believe how warm it still was as they walked naked towards where they could see the other six guys gathering. Henri and Philippe introduced them to their friends and they sat down on the large sheet someone had brought for the night's fun and games. Philippe was busy cooking the sausages so when they were ready he passed them round in a bread roll. It was a moonlit night so sufficient to see each other's naked bodies. As they ate, they played with each other and it wasn't long before nine cocks were showing considerable interest. Antoine had also brought a pack of beers which were added to the others so they swigged those down as they ate. Once the food was all gone, they got down to some serious sex. A good supply of condoms and lube had been provided by someone so it wasn't long before fucking was taking place.

The session lasted until two in the morning when it was decided the orgy should end. One guy was way gone having drunk several cans of beers and taken some drugs. Before the session had ended he'd been fucked by eight cocks so was feeling sore. Once things had been packed up, the six guys made their way home leaving the other three to go back to the house.

"Some orgy" Brendan giggled once they'd got back.

"Those guys know how to enjoy themselves" Antoine laughed before giving the other two a big sloppy wet kiss.

The rest of the two weeks were spent lazing in the garden or swimming in the sea in between sessions of sex between the three of them. On a couple of occasions Antoine took them to the local village to buy provisions but apart from that they spent the whole time naked at home. It was the best holiday Walter could ever remember having and when it was time to go home he felt sad. Antoine insisted on parking and coming into the airport to see them off. Before Brendan and Walter made their way to airside he gave each of them a big hug and a kiss not caring who saw them. "It's been lovely seeing you guys" he said with tears in his eyes, "You will come again won't you". Brendan said they certainly would and looked forward to seeing him at Christmas.

The health spa continued to do well and more staff members were employed to ease the load on the others. Thomas and Terry were still together and as much in love as they'd been at first, if not more. Brendan and Walter decided to enter into a Civil Partnership so the following April had the legal ceremony at the Registry Office in Worcester before coming back to Ripley Manor for a reception with all the staff, the guys from Readen Hall, Robin from Beech House and Antoine.

Simon had closed the spa for the day so as to make it their special day. Jeremy acted as their best man and gave a very emotional speech which had everyone in tears. Brendan replied and said how much Walter had changed his life. Walter by now had tears running down his face. He felt so happy despite not having any family present to celebrate their wonderful day but then Brendan was in the same situation. That night they had wonderful sex, probably the best they'd ever had if that was possible and the following day Simon drove them to the airport. Brendan had booked a two week honeymoon in Rome which was one of his favourite places. Walter had never been so there was much to show him.

"Happy?" Brendan asked once they were finally in their hotel room in Rome.

"Never been so happy" Walter replied pulling his lover into his arms. "You've changed my life in so many ways and I shall love you forever."

"And you mine" Brendan replied gently laying the man of his dreams down on the bed, "and I'm going to show you how much I love you" he grinned.

"Mm, now that sounds an excellent idea" Walter grinned.