The last week of term before Christmas followed its traditional pattern with the school play, a musical this year, The Boyfriend , which Carl, Magnus, Rufus and Michel and his mother attended on the Saturday. The usual lunchtime gathering in the remote corner of the dining room continued, which incidentally the boys in the school had now nicknamed 'Queers' Cove', a name the diners bore with pride. In addition to Eddie, Oliver Cholmondeley had become a permanent diner there. He at least lent some respectability as he could be perceived as eating with his brother. With the loss of his virginity, something he made no effort to conceal, Eddie became more outrageous. All Olly would say on the matter was that it wasn't the first cherry he had stolen. In his quieter moments Rufus thought back to the sobbing, cringing wretch he had found behind the bicycle sheds a few weeks earlier near the beginning of term, who had grown into this happy extrovert ambassador for the gay community in the junior part of the school. In those quieter moments, and encouraged by Michel, he took the credit for saving the boy and his transformation into a well liked and well adjusted member of the school community.

After Tuesday lunch Eddie held Rufus back and said he was after a big favour from him and Michel.

"I'm compiling my Christmas list at the moment and I was wondering if you would take some photos of me and Olly and get the divine Michel Ledivin," and he pronounced his name in the sexiest French accent he could muster, "to make some posters for me?"

"I don't mind taking the photos," said Rufus. 'In fact I rather relish the idea,' he thought. "But I shall have to ask Mike first."

"Oh, I think he will say yes and I'll pay him for them. Otherwise they're not a present from me. He'll do anything for me," he added tartily and batting his eyelids. Rufus just said that he would see what he could do – no promises – and it would have to be after school broke up. 'Where did he learn all those manipulative body language skills?' he wondered as he went off to his afternoon lessons.

The school carol service was the next big event. Hugo deigned to attend, but without mother as it turned out. He and Magnus sat with their father and brother. Michel was working late, which was probably just as well. After the service the Hurdle family came up to Lindstroms over coffee and mince pies to thank Rufus for all he had done to help Eddie settle in his first term.

"The only time he's not talking about you, Rufus, is when he's talking about Oliver Cholmondeley," said Mrs Hurdle. "We'd be delighted to join you on Boxing Day and Edward would like to come to your New Year's Eve party."

"It's all right, Edward," said Rufus, mimicking Mrs Hurdle in the way she had said 'Edward', Tobias and Oliver have already accepted their invitations." The parents were beginning to disperse and Carl decided it was time to go home.

And so the long gruelling Autumn Term ended with a three week break before the beginning of the bland Spring Term.

Rufus arranged with Eddie and Olly, chaperoned by his big brother, to take the required portrait photographs, the usual dressed and undressed poses, and Eddie insisted that on one the mole should be significantly displayed. Rufus e-mailed them to Eddie who selected two and Rufus forwarded them to Michel.

"I've started, but not got very far, mainly because the family is so difficult this year. I want something special for Dad because he has been such a brick over the last few months. Then there's my mother. I don't honestly feel like spending a lot of money on her. My only thought is a double dildo and I don't think she will appreciate the thought behind that."

"Then there's the twins. Earlier on I'd have given them some bondage equipment, but since the broken wrist everything's gone quiet on that front. It's all neatly packed up in their room as I left it in October. I thought of a wrist strengthener for Hugo, but he'd probably take that the wrong way. For my gay schoolmates I've already decided. A Durex variety pack, a gaiety pack as I call it."

"I don't know if you were thinking of giving me a present and I don't want you to answer the question…"

"The leather collar you use in your bondage sessions is a slave collar, but I was thinking of something more sophisticated. The theory is that we give each other a necklace which is locked on and the giver keeps the key. It's a sign of our attachment, except it won't quite work like that because I'll have to take it off for professional reasons."

"Ideally we should have the same design. Remember? Corporate identity," said Rufus.

Finally Christmas Day arrived. This year it was not the best of days for the Lindstroms, but it ended up by not being the worst of days. There was never any doubt that Hugo would spend Christmas Day with his mother. Magnus compromised: Christmas Day with mother, Boxing Day with father. There was no way that Rufus was either going to desert his father or spend the day with his mother, or any other day of the Christmas holidays. He naturally wanted to spend time with Michel and so Brenda Dwight offered the perfect answer. Carl and Rufus were invited to spend the day with her and Michel in their home. Christmas might not have been so grand but it was certainly homelier and Brenda said it was a pleasure to have company on the day.

The atmosphere on Boxing Day in the Lindstroms' house was entirely different, jollier, more festive. Rufus enjoyed being in charge. Ostensibly he was in charge of preparing the buffet with Michel's help. In truth the bulk of the kitchen work was done by Brenda Dwight while the two boys did the fetching and carrying and looked after the guests and the drinks. In the end there was quite a guest list: the Dwights, two McLarneys, two Hurdles, Jimmy Leadbeater, Mrs Inglestone, neighbours from either side, Magnus for the day, and his conscience must had pricked him for eventually Hugo showed his face for the buffet.

Everyone was enjoying the spread when Rufus heard a 'psst!'. He looked round and sat Eddie beckoning him.

"Rufus," he whispered and motioned with his head for him to follow him out into the hall. "I want to give you your Christmas present, but you mustn't open it in front of everybody. Is there somewhere private we could go?" Rufus put his wine glass down.

"Why didn't I think of that?" grinned Eddie. Once in Rufus's room he pulled out a small packet wrapped in Christmas paper and handed it to Rufus who unwrapped it carefully to find a packet of three and a small tube of gel.

"Now I'm looking forward to receiving your Christmas gift." Rufus was a little non-plussed at hearing this, plus the fact that the glass of wine he'd been drinking and was not used to was just reaching his head.

"Oh, yes, but this is something extra." At which Eddie dropped his trousers. Rufus's first thought was that he was freeballing again. Now he was kneeling on the bed presenting his bare butt with an encouraging slap of his butt cheek. By now Rufus's brain had removed itself from his head and was firmly and stiffly lodged between his legs and without a further thought, and as if on tramlines, he lubed up Eddie's butthole, had his own trousers off, slipped on a condom and was gently probing Eddie's rosebud until he finally sank in up to his non-existent pubic hair.

"We'd better get downstairs in case they start to miss us as the glasses get empty," said Rufus. They cleaned up the excess gel and other mess and Eddie pulled out a clean slip from his trouser pocket which he put on before pulling on his trousers.

"Michel just bummed me." Rufus started. "But he was good. Not as good as you, though."

"Oh, there you are, Rufus," said Michel. "I just carried on keeping the glasses filled."

"Fight you for who tops," said Rufus as he rolled over on top of Michel and buried his tongue deep inside his mouth.

The next day Michel was back at work. They were working on Easter advertising campaigns and he was due to feature large in M&S's menswear comeback. Carl's practice was closed until after the New Year and most mornings he could be found on the golf course. All of which left Magnus and Rufus alone in the Lindstrom house. Over breakfast Magnus was having a big whinge.

"It's Hugo. He insists on staying at Mum's and won't stay here. He's taken a stand and won't climb down."

"I am. I'm getting plenty at the moment. I haven't jerked myself off since school broke up."

"Not really. I'm off swimming with the lads. Anyway, the days of you twins exploiting my body are over. Sex is different when you've got a proper boyfriend, but then you two wouldn't know anything about that."

"Sorry, but after seeing how Dad's been treated over the past few months, it's hardened my attitude." Magnus sulked. "C'mon, Mag. It's not like you to sulk. It'll soon be time to go back to uni and you'll get as much as you want."

"Unfortunately I think you are right. Perhaps I'm going to have to start looking around when I get back. Hugo's changed. You know, it's odd being in a lesbian household. Hugo doesn't think so, but I do. Though it's helped me understand a bit how Mum felt living here. Pass the butter."

"One has to make sacrifices. I didn't want to send you to the supermarket by yourself on the bus."

"Let's start with the guest list. Then we know how many we're catering for. You and me, the twins…"

"No. The twins are going to the Square with their old schoolmates to see the New Year in." A resigned look came over Carl's face.

"How could we forget him?" said Carl. 'What does he know that I don't?' thought Rufus.

And I've invited Jimmy Leadbeater. So that makes an even number. By the way, Jimmy will be staying over for the night."

"That won't be necessary." Rufus raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything Carl continued. "We'll leave at nine-thirty. It shouldn't be too crowded at that time. Now you and Mike are still happy about doing the cooking? It's not too late to get someone in."

"No, that's fine. It's only going to be a roast, but I do want to go to the butcher's for the meat. I can choose what I want rather than what the supermarket wants me to have."

"No, Dad. He's far too heterosexual, a breeder as we would say. Let's get down to the shopping list."

Within five minutes either way of seven-thirty on New Year's Eve the guests had arrived, the young ones being dropped off by Mum's or Dad's Taxi Service. They had all accepted the formality of the evening seriously and looked extremely smart in jackets and ties, which in themselves lent them a different kind of sexiness that their casual clothes didn't. Jimmy, up to now an outsider and unknown, complimented the young guests on their appearance. Dinner had been organised comparatively late to shorten the time up to midnight. After greeting the arrivals, and an aperitif, Rufus and Michel excused themselves as they had something to see to in the kitchen. At a quarter past eight the assembled company was bidden to table and everyone was impressed with the setting, down to the lavender napkins and the floral centrepiece, although Michel would not readily confess to his flower arranging skills. Carl and Rufus were sat at the top and bottom of the table with Jimmy and Michel next to them respectively while William and Toby were put on one side and Eddie and Olly on the other. The conversation was animated, but remarkably urbane for people of such a young age. Obviously their training at the school lunch table had rubbed off. However, there were some red faces when it came round to discussing Christmas presents given and received.

Michel commanded silence at which Rufus entered carrying a joint of roast sirloin on a meat platter which he set on the table in front of Carl. Michel brought in the warmed dinner plates and then the two boys placed dishes of various vegetables including roast potatoes and roast parsnips on the table. Carl began to carve and the guests could see the beautiful pink interior of the sirloin. They burst into spontaneous applause and congratulations.

"Rufus, you'll make someone a lovely husband," said William at which remark all eyes fell upon Michel. His normal face of alabaster white quickly coloured up. The conversation ranged from golf, where Jimmy had some interesting tales of his games as Carl's golf partner, to school, mentioning how fortunate they were to go to such a school where they were tolerated and where they could be so relaxed about their sexuality, to Michel's more bizarre experiences as a model and also, for those who didn't know, an account of how he and Rufus had met. It somehow became known that Carl was regarded as the 'godfather' of the gay community in the school, which he quietly achieved by networking with the parents of gay pupils and the Headmaster and exchanging experiences. He felt embarrassed that his cover had been blown, but the boys had much to be grateful to him for.

As planned, the evening's slow pace meant that by a quarter to twelve all had been cleared away and the dirty crockery and cutlery loaded into the dishwasher. The company retired to the living room and the television was switched on so that they could await the chimes of Big Ben. Rufus ensured that everybody's glass was charged and at a minute to twelve Carl rose and spoke.

"I want to thank everybody for coming tonight and making this such a happy evening. I am going to propose a toast to all of us, wishing not only a prosperous New Year, but a happy, loving and successful one," and as the toast was drunk the chimes of Big Ben came through to herald in the New Year. Carl raised his glass. He had his glass of whisky at last.

As the first chime died away there were shouts of 'Happy New Year' and much hugging and kissing despite the lack of mistletoe. As the excitement died down, people looked around to see Eddie sitting alone on the sofa, sobbing his eyes out. But this time they were happy tears.

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The Sins of the Father

by N Fourbois

Chapter 42