February, 1941, The Baron's Austrian Castle
Bryan, now reverting to Paul for the trip, wasn't sure what reception Timothy and he would receive at Baron Von Holst's mountain chalet; it had taken time and effort to establish that that's where the baron could be found, although Paul hoped it would be, as it was closer to the Swiss border than his castle was. Paul had pitched Timothy on coming along, promising to fix him up with a permanent, wealthy partner when they returnedâand he had agreed even when Paul told him that it was dangerous and what he would have to do.
The all-important question wasn't where the baron wasâit was where Paul's mother was and if she still was with the baron. He had kept tabs on her as best he could without letting her know where he had gone and what he was doing. The trip would be meaningless if she wasn't there. She had still been with the baron the last he knew, though.
To his relief, he found that she was there when he finally was able to place a call that he was coming to visit her. The baron was off skiing, she said, though. She was delighted he was visiting, although she sounded strained on the telephone. It remained to be seen what the baron would think.
The last time Paul had been with the baron, the baron had wanted to own and fully possess him. Paul was thirty-six now, and even though he had no trouble maintaining his sex appeal for men, there was no telling what the baron, now fifty-two, would feel about it. Paul thoughtâand hopedâthat the baron's arousal was for younger men. That was what Timothy was going along for.
As was the case decades earlier, a sleigh, this time driven by the woodsman of old, older certainly, but still as massive and still with eyes for Paul, awaited them at the train depot in the village at the bottom of the mountain. And, as decades earlier, snow lay heavily on the ground and was still coming down from the sky.
The baron, older, but, if anything, more distinguished of aspect and just as muscular as before, was the first one to greet them in the foyer of the chalet. The shock for Paul was that the baron was wearing the uniform of an SS officer. The Nazis had taken a firm grip of AustriaâPaul had been able to see that as the train moved across the countryâand Baron Von Holst had obviously embraced the new order. Paul shuddered at the thought that men like the German General Steinman, who had brutalized him the last time he had been here, were now at the helm of this countryâand supported by men like Von Holst.
As he feared, when the baron set his eyes on him at the door, Paul saw the familiar old arousal, lust, and intent to own in them. But as he hoped, when he turned and brought Timothy forward and introduced him, the baron's interest immediately refocused on the younger manâa young man who was very much like the Paul of the Venice resort that the baron was so smitten by that he took his virginity by force.
Lady Elizabeth, now fifty-six, but still a beauty, if in a more mature way than before, emerged from behind the baron and fell into Paul's arms, pelting him with questions, few of which he intended to answer. This gave the baron a chance to move closer to Timothy and engage him in conversation, which suited Paul just fine. Timothy had been told to charm the pants off the baron, and he was doing a very good job of it.
Even though they'd been parted for over fifteen years, Paul was distressed to see that his mother was tense and had developed a nervous tick. He discovered one reason for this when, coming into focus from behind her, he spied a younger, beautiful woman in a Germanic way, standing in the foyer.
"This is Anna Marie," the baron said, introducing a woman who couldn't be anything but the female bait the baron was now using for his munitions deals more than he was using Elizabeth. Paul didn't mind; it should make it easier to convince his mother to leave before that no longer would be possible.
"And this," the baron said, calling forth a young man of eighteen or nineteenâa very handsome and perfectly formed young man, "is Erick, my son."
Eureka, Paul thought. This was better than he ever had thought it might be, especially since the young man was looking at him with interest and shyly lowering his eyes in embarrassment, as if the man before him could discern that the interest was a sexual oneâbut one still trapped in unfulfilled emotions and not experienceâwhich, with Paul's background, he was adept in translating. He knew that look and those struggling emotions of wanting something but being afraid to grasp it. Those had been his own emotions that summer when the baron has initiated him.
This young man wanted to be fucked by a manâand he was attracted to Paul. Paul quickly discerned this. He wondered if the baron knew, but turning and looking at him, with the baron's eyes busy devouring Timothy, Paul didn't think so. Otherwise the baron should have sensed some danger of Paul being here, but that didn't seem to come across. The baron was busy with an arm around Timothy and whispering to him. Schooled in his purpose here, Timothy was egging him on, and was touching the sleeve of the baron's uniform, nodding his head and giving out "yes, Baron, anything you want; any time you want it" signals. Paul gave the baron less than two hours before he'd have his dick in the young man. At least it wouldn't be Paul. Paul needed to talk with his mother. He also could see that he might want to show some attention to Anna Marie. He definitely wanted to get close to the baron's son.
And he'd already made an assignation to meet with the woodsman in the hayloft in the stable. He had plans for the woodsman. If he had to leave without the approval of the baron, he would need allies in the stable.
There was much work that Paul could do hereâpayback workâif he was clever enough. But first he had to convince his mother to leave with him.
"If you don't mind, Josef," he said to the baron, "I will withdraw with my mother before we meet for drinks before supper. There is much catching up we need to do."
"Yes, of course, you must," the baron said. But though he was speaking to Paul, the baron's attention was on Timothy. And his palm was on Timothy's buttocks. "I'll just show your young man around."
I just bet you will, Paul thought. And you probably do think I am fucking Timothy. That would give you an added thrill in taking him away from meâshowing him, like you did me, that he really wants the rough, all-consuming fucking you provide.
As the baron escorted Timothy back toward the bedroom wing and Erick and Anna Marie withdrew to wherever they were going, both with longing looks back at Paul, Paul and Elizabeth moved to a heated sun porch, where they would watch the winter wonderland while they talked.
Elizabeth wasn't as effervescent as she had been when Paul was last with her. It was natural that age would take the edge off that, but it was more than that. She was nervous and melancholy. It didn't help that Paul would not tell her anything about his life since he had escaped the chalet other than that he'd gone to school in New York, lived there now, and was a journalistâhere for that reason, but . . .
"I'm here for another reason, a greater one, Mother. Europe is collapsing. The Germans are already here. England has been at war with Germany for two years. The Germans are bombing England. America will come in on the side of England any day now. Your background is America and England. It won't be safe for you to stay hereâespecially because I see that the baron is wearing an SS uniform. He won't protect you."
"He will. He will stand by me," Elizabeth protested. "He loves me." She didn't sound like she could convince anyone about that other than herself.
"What is Anna Marie doing here, Mother? Has the baron married you? Is he sleeping nights in your bed or Anna Marie's?"
"He sleeps alone mainly," she answered.
"All right, then who is the baron fucking?"
"Paul! Watch your language."
"You know he has used you, Mother. I know he has pimped you out to men he wants something from to fuck."
"Paul!"