Gothic Romance - (LGBT)

Chapter Nine

The days lengthened into summer, heat laying over the grounds in a golden haze, turning the lawns into a meadow and ripening the wheat in the fields. On one particularly hot afternoon, Evelyn pleaded with Jonathan to swim with him in the river which wound it's way along the bottom of the property. 

"There's a swimming hole, I used to go there with Harry," Evelyn told him.  

Jonathan was feeling hot and sweaty. It sounded an excellent idea. He could see no harm in it, as long as he was careful not to let Evelyn over-exert himself or take a chill. The pool was a deeper part of the river, with a meadow on one side and a small stand of trees on the other. It was cool and shady as they stripped off and plunged into the clear water, swirling over brown stones on the river bottom. The water came halfway up to Jonathan's chest and he made sure to keep a watchful eye on Evelyn who was paddling around, rather like a dog, with a joyful grin on his face. 

"What are you doing?" A harsh voice broke into their idyll. 

Jonathan had been concentrating on Evelyn, and had completely failed to hear the sound of his lordship approaching. He stood there now on the bank, dressed in black, his only concession to the heat, the fact that his coat was unbuttoned, revealing the white shirt he wore beneath.  

"Swimming, my lord," returned Jonathan, trying hard not to sound defensive. "We are being most careful. Evelyn won't come to any harm." 

Lord D'Anvers frowned for a moment, and then smiled. "It does look nice and cool," he said, pulling off his coat. "I'll join you."  

What? It was absolutely the last thing he had expected. 

Jonathan swallowed and spluttered as Evelyn chose that moment to splash a large armful of water in his face. Thank god! It gave him an excuse for his scarlet cheeks. Trying to look any where except at his lordship stripping off on the bank, Jonathan found his wayward eyes kept sneaking back for a quick peek. 

D'Anvers had skin as white as his own, except for his forearms which were tanned brown. Long muscles rippled along his shoulders as he took off his shirt, revealing a matt of black curly hair which covered his chest and tapered down towards his trousers. The next time Jonathan looked back, D'Anvers was standing tall and naked. Evidently he had no use for the new custom of wearing cotton drawers while swimming. 

He caught Jonathan staring. His nostrils flared for a second before he plunged head first into the pool, splashing all of them with water. He came up laughing, remembering that much as he could have wished him a thousand miles away at that particular moment, Evelyn was present. 

To Jonathan's chagrin, D'Anvers appeared totally unfazed by the whole episode. He swam and splashed just as any man would, horse playing with his son, betraying by neither look nor touch that he had any inappropriate designs on the tutor. It seemed Jonathan was the only one who felt uncomfortable, who was dreading the moment that he would have to get out of the pool in front of the other man, cotton drawers or no cotton drawers. 

Eventually he saw that Evelyn was looking a trifle blue around the lips. "Time to get out now," he told him. Smiling, he over-rode the boy's half hearted protests and followed him to the river bank. He gave him a heave up, then climbed out himself, pretending that he wasn't feeling a scalding hot gaze, staring right through the thin wet cotton at his buttocks. 

He was very careful not to let his eyes stray back to the pool as he and Evelyn dressed hurriedly, cold now that they were out of the water. 

Only when he was fully dressed, did he glance back at D'Anvers in the pool, to find him, eyes closed, coming up from a dive. Fool, he chastised himself, you probably imagined the whole thing.  

"I'll take Evelyn in for a hot drink," he told his Lordship. "Will we see you tonight, at dinner, my lord?" 

"I expect so." 

D'Anvers waited until they were both out of sight before getting out of the pool. Jonathan had rather a delicious bottom, he could hardly wait to get his hands on it.