CHAPTER 8

Sitting in the Grantham Arms, they looked like two men just having a drink and a chat. A few locals recognised them as staff from the 'big house' but few spoke to them other than to nod in greeting. One of the tenant farmers came over and expressed his condolences at Matthew's death, asking that they convey his sentiments to His Lordship and Lady Mary. The woman from the post office lingered for a moment to say that she'd thought the funeral service had been touching and dignified, and to please tell Mr. Carson that she would send her boy up to the house in the morning with a bag of letters and condolence cards that had arrived for Lady Mary. Thomas agreed with a nod, but doubted he'd remember to seek out the old butler once he got Jimmy home for the night.

"One more?" Jimmy asked as he tipped the remainder of his drink into his mouth. They had spent the last few hours talking and having a few pints, happy to be in each other's pleasant company.

"No, that's enough," Thomas replied. "I want you tipsy enough to be relaxed, but not so drunk that you won't remember it in the morning."

He took a deep draw on his cigarette and dropped it into the bottom of his glass where it hissed and fizzed and finally went out in the dregs of his drink.

"Time for bed," he winked at Jimmy as he exhaled a long trail of smoke.

Walking back along the track to the house, they passed the woods where Thomas had taken Jimmy in his mouth that afternoon. He heard the small murmur that escaped from Jimmy's lips as he remembered it too and he leaned in, his mouth close to Jimmy's ear.

"It's going to get a lot better than that," Thomas whispered.

"We'd better hurry then," Jimmy grinned, jostling Thomas up the path towards the great house.

0o0

Jimmy went straight up to his room, but Thomas was stopped in the corridor by Mr. Carson who said he wanted to have a word. By the time Thomas came up, Jimmy had bathed and brushed his teeth, and spent the best part of half an hour nervously pacing the floor of his room before he quietly knocked on the under-butler's door.

The door was opened by Thomas fresh from his own bath, a towel wrapped around his waist and droplets of moisture still clinging to his chest. The toothbrush in his mouth prevented him from speaking, but his eyes conveyed the smile that his lips could not. He pulled Jimmy into the room and closed the door behind him before disappearing back into the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth.

"What did Carson want?" Jimmy asked when Thomas came back into the room.

"Nothing much, just wanted to discuss the arrangements for the next couple of weeks. His Lordship wants the house as quiet as possible, Lady Mary is not to be disturbed and no guests are to be admitted without first speaking to Carson or the Earl. They want to give Lady Mary as much peace and quiet as she needs to grieve. And there's a new nanny coming next week apparently."

"Do you think this house is cursed?" Jimmy asked suddenly, "There's so much tragedy here, Little Sybie lost her mother the night she was born and now Baby George has lost his father too."

Thomas shook his head. "No," he said. "There are wonderful things that happen in this house too."

He pulled Jimmy to him and kissed his shoulder, working his way up his neck and along his jaw until their mouths finally met. He felt Jimmy's hands slide down his sides to his waist where they worked the towel free and dropped it on the floor. Thomas pushed his hands down the back of Jimmy's pyjamas, cupping the firm flesh of his behind and squeezing it with groping fingers. There was a subtle shift in Jimmy's posture as his body suddenly tensed. Thomas pulled back and looked at him.

"Will it hurt?" Jimmy asked.

"Not if we're careful," Thomas said softly, "But it's alright if you've changed your mind. We don't have to do anything at all, just tell me what you'd rather do instead."

"I do want it," Jimmy replied, feeling suddenly foolish and shy. "I've never done this before, I'm just a bit nervous that's all."

Thomas reached for Jimmy's hand and lifted it to his mouth, gently starting to suck on his fingers. He wanted to take him back to that afternoon in the woods, to make him remember the blissful pleasure they had shared, the promise of more exquisite sensations to come.

"Come and lie down," Thomas said when he felt the tension in Jimmy's body start to dissipate. He gently led him to the bed and pulled the covers back.

Jimmy lay down and let Thomas take his pyjama bottoms off. He swallowed hard, still not sure that his body would be able to accept Thomas' cock no matter how much he wanted it. Over the past week, since the first night their hands had brought each other to climax, he had lain in bed dreaming of this, of finally giving himself completely to Thomas. He had pleasured himself to the thought of it and reached down to insert his finger into himself to test how it might feel. But he'd never been able to get it in further than the first joint before it became too uncomfortable. His finger was small, Thomas' cock was bigger, a lot bigger.

But it wasn't just the possibility of pain that he shied away from. Jimmy was out of his depth here, stepping into territory he had never entered before. The calm self-assurance he usually exuded was missing. This was a new feeling for Jimmy. He was used to being the worldly wise one, the one confidently teaching Ivy the foxtrot while bumbling Alfred watched with envy, and got hopelessly lost trying to copy the steps. Jimmy wasn't sure he liked what it felt like to be one of the inept Alfreds of this world.

His thoughts, scattering in all directions were suddenly pulled back together when Thomas traced a finger down his throat, and gently stroked the hollow at the base of his neck. He turned his head and looked into Thomas' serene grey eyes, saw the tender smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

"We'll go slowly, alright?" Thomas said.

Jimmy nodded. "Tell me what to do."

"You can start by kissing me," Thomas whispered, his hand sliding up Jimmy's neck to cup his face and pull him closer.

They kissed for a long time, slowly and gently, then with more passion. Jimmy relaxed when he realized Thomas wasn't going to do anything startling or sudden. He let Jimmy set the pace. Only when Jimmy responded and seemed to need more, did Thomas give it to him. It wasn't long before Jimmy was shedding his inhibitions and the lusty boldness of the afternoon was returning to him. Thomas was making him feel good, and the better he felt, the less he worried about what was to come.

"You look absolutely gorgeous when you're aroused," Thomas purred, his hand dipping back down Jimmy's throat and his fingertips fluttering over his chest to find a nipple, which he caressed in slow circles.

"That feels nice," Jimmy sighed as Thomas' fingertip continued its teasing of one nipple while his mouth found the other, his tongue slowly lapping at it.

Thomas was thorough in his exploration of Jimmy's body, paying careful attention to the places that elicited a gasp or sigh of pleasure, and lingering there longer. His own cock was already hard and he smiled with delight when he felt Jimmy's shaft start to fill and lengthen against his thigh. He moved his leg slowly, rubbing against it gently. Jimmy murmured with desire and turned on his side to face Thomas, his arms sliding around him to hold him close.

"Ready for more?" Thomas asked as he kissed Jimmy deeply again.

"Yes," Jimmy nodded. His body was tingling, his skin wonderfully sensitive to Thomas' touch. The growing ache in his cock felt delicious.

"Let me sit up for a moment then,"

Thomas reached over to the bedside table and picked up a small hand towel and a little glass jar. When he opened the jar, Jimmy caught a pleasantly floral scent.

"What's that?" he asked.

"This is the magic that makes it all feel wonderful," Thomas said with a wink as he scooped up some of the thick, opaque substance.

He started to massage it slowly into Jimmy's cock, drawing small cries of pleasure from him. The heat of Thomas' fingers and Jimmy's skin made it melt, becoming slippery and slick. Thomas coated his own cock then wiped his hand on the towel and lowered himself on top of Jimmy.

"We'll just do this for now, nothing more. Relax and enjoy it," he whispered against Jimmy's lips as he pressed his pelvis into Jimmy's and began to slide slowly against him.

Their slick cocks, trapped between them, slipped gloriously against each other. Thomas' movements were slow and deliberate. It was blissful. Soon, Jimmy was lifting his hips, moving his body, trying to create more friction and adding to the incredible sensation. All the while they kissed and their hands explored everywhere they could reach. And then Thomas was rolling them, twisting them until he was underneath and Jimmy was on top. He reached down, pulling the footman's legs apart so that Jimmy was straddling him, his legs folded on either side of Thomas' body. Thomas guided his hips, starting a steady rhythm of sliding and rocking that Jimmy continued. This new position spread his legs, opening him and he purred with unexpected longing as Thomas' fingers slid down his back and dipped into his cleft to caress his hidden entrance softly.

"Is that alright?" Thomas asked.

"Mmmm," Jimmy replied.

He found himself wiggling against Thomas' finger and sighing happily when he felt the tip of it start to press more firmly against his opening. It felt much better than he thought it would, and so did the sensations building through him as he kept sliding their cocks together and kissing the side of Thomas' neck. Vaguely he became aware that Thomas' hand had moved away from its intimate place between his cheeks. When it returned, it dabbed a blob of the thick, fragrant substance against his puckered hole and started rubbing it in slowly. His heated skin melted it quickly. The pressure of Thomas' finger was there again, this time more insistent, more demanding. Jimmy caught his breath when it slipped inside him. The sensation was unusual but pleasurable, he willed his body to relax as Thomas pushed his fingertip in a little further.

Now he understood why he hadn't enjoyed it when he'd tried to do this to himself. He had inserted his finger dry without anything to ease its way. This was different, this felt good and he wriggled his body back, encouraging Thomas to give him more. But Thomas was focusing on other things, his hips were bucking up against Jimmy, rubbing their bodies harder together. It pulled Jimmy's mind from what was happening inside him and focused his attention on his cock. He started moving faster, rubbing harder, pushing his body back and forth along Thomas' abdomen. He didn't know it, but Thomas had cleverly tricked him into doing all the work, every time he pushed back, he impaled himself further on Thomas' fingers.

All of a sudden Jimmy gasped. He felt a stinging pain like a quick, burning sensation as Thomas moved his fingers. He exhaled through the discomfort and then smiled shyly at Thomas.

"It's okay, you can push your finger in a bit more now, I think I can manage to take it."

"Push it in a bit more?" Thomas grinned, unable to help the small chuckle that accompanied his words. "You've already got two fingers in there. All the way in, and you're opening nicely."

Jimmy's eyes widened in disbelief, and to prove it to him, Thomas pulled them carefully out until just the tips of his digits were clamped inside Jimmy's tightly clasping ring of muscle, then he pushed them slowly back in again, and continued to scissor them as he had just done, opening and stretching Jimmy further.

"Turn over, it'll be easier if you're on your back," Thomas said, and they managed to turn themselves around until Jimmy was on his back, knees raised and legs opened, and Thomas was sitting between them, without his fingers ever leaving Jimmy's body.

With better access now, Thomas moved his fingers faster, scissoring and twisting, thrilled to hear Jimmy's breath coming faster and deeper. With a carefully curling index finger he felt along Jimmy's inner wall until he found the changing texture of the spot he was looking for. He swept his fingertip over it and pressed very gently.

Jimmy's head and shoulders lifted right off the bed, his eyes wide and his mouth open in surprise.

"Oh!" he yelped. "What was that?"

"That," Thomas told him, "Is what it's going to feel like when I'm inside you."

"Crikey, I think my head might explode."

"I'll be disappointed if it doesn't," Thomas grinned, his expression looking like he would devour Jimmy whole.

He raised himself up on his knees, pulling Jimmy's hips closer and pushing his legs upwards and further apart. He had to close his eyes for a moment, the sight of the lovely blond boy, naked, spread and ready for him was too much to take in, his cock twitched and threatened to undo him before he even got it inside.

That first push through tight, resisting muscle was heaven. He heard Jimmy hiss, but the way his hips moved, bearing down on Thomas' cock told him it was more a hiss of pleasure than discomfort. He watched Jimmy's face closely and told him to breathe deeply and slowly as he eased himself all the way in.

"How is it?" he asked, but Jimmy's face had already told him the answer.

"It's good. I feel… full and… stretched, but I like it,"

Thomas kissed him as they began to rock gently together, just a slow pelvic tilt at first to give Jimmy time to get used to it. Then Thomas angled his hips more deeply, and began thrusting slowly, pulling out and pushing in further with each stroke.

"Tell me when you feel it," he purred, his hands running over Jimmy's chest, teasing the sensitive areas he'd found earlier.

Jimmy moved, lifted his hips, rolled them to meet Thomas' thrusts, his heart pounding faster as he suddenly felt Thomas hit the spot.

"There," he gasped. "Right there,"

Nothing had ever felt this good before and he couldn't imagine that anything else ever would. His body was responding in ways that he had never imagined possible. He felt like his entire being and everything in the world around him was nothing but pure sensation and pleasure. They floated together, alone in the universe, safe in the little bubble of love and desire that Thomas had created. And that's when he felt it happen, something in his heart opened and Thomas's soul flooded into it. In that moment, Jimmy knew he had fallen in love.

His body was gliding on the crest of ecstasy, the pain he had feared was drowned by the explosive joy he felt every time Thomas' cock scraped across that wonderful bundle of nerves inside him. The aching burn of the stretch as Thomas pounded him harder and faster, only added to his pleasure. His hands groped at Thomas, touching him everywhere that his arms could reach. They clung to each other, moving in unison, moaning each other's names. Then Jimmy felt Thomas reach for his hand and lace their fingers together. He brought their joined hands to Jimmy's cock and began to stoke him. The feeling of their fingers working together on his shaft was fantastic. Thomas lifted up, giving them more room between their bodies to stroke and pump Jimmy's erection.

"Oh God Thomas, it's too much, I'm going to…"

"Let it happen Jimmy," Thomas growled against his shoulder, teeth gently nipping his skin. "Let go for me, let me see how good you feel."

His back arched, he whimpered and spilled himself over their joined hands, ribbons of seed pulsing from him as he gasped for breath.

"That's it, that's beautiful," Thomas purred as he felt the sticky warmth of Jimmy's climax seeping between his fingers.

The clenching heat of Jimmy's walls clamped around his cock, convulsing, grasping him and releasing as Jimmy's body relaxed before the next spasm hit him. The aftershocks came fast and violent, Jimmy shuddered through them, pulling Thomas to his own trembling orgasm.

He released deep inside Jimmy's body, claiming him, leaving the intimate essence of himself inside him. Shivering, and panting heavily, Thomas collapsed onto the blond's chest and found himself immediately wrapped in tight, loving arms.

Jimmy wanted to speak but there were no words for what he had just experienced. He felt like he had come home, like he was exactly where he was supposed to be, where he wanted to be for the rest of his life, in Thomas' arms, and his bed.

Thomas started to lift up, but Jimmy held him tighter. "Stay there, I like the weight of you on top of me, I like how you feel still lodged inside me."

He lay there while his breathing slowed and steadied, his cock softened and slipped out of Jimmy's body. Then he rolled over and they lay side by side, Jimmy reaching for Thomas' hand and holding it.

"Alright?" Thomas asked.

"More than alright," Jimmy replied with a contented sigh.

They snuggled together sharing kisses and quiet words, until Thomas reluctantly pulled them both up from the bed and led them to the bathroom. He wiped himself down with a warm, damp cloth then helped Jimmy to clean up.

When they got back to the bed Jimmy was half asleep before Thomas even tucked the blanket around them. He felt exhausted and boneless, more sated and contented than he had ever been before. As much as Thomas loved to lie and watch him sleep, he couldn't keep his eyes open either, and soon joined Jimmy in a deep, dreamless slumber.

0o0

It was still dark and the air had a chill in it when Jimmy felt himself being shaken awake. He gave a protesting grunt and pulled the blanket back over his head.

"Come on sleepyhead, time to get up," Thomas said softly, pulling the blanket back.

"Can't be, it's pitch dark," Jimmy grumbled. "What's the time?"

"Just gone half past four,"

"Bugger off then, I don't have to get up for another half an hour."

"Not today Sunshine," Thomas told him, pulling him up from the bed. "You're going to have a nice long soak in the bath, then you're going to go back to your room before everyone else wakes up."

The tub was already half full when Thomas pushed him into the bathroom.

"I'd really rather sleep," he moaned and tried to twist out of Thomas' grasp.

"You need this more," Thomas insisted. "Trust me, the hot water will do you good, you'll be feeling it for the rest of the day if you don't."

The fact that he was more than a little tender down there hadn't gone unnoticed to Jimmy, even in his sleepy state, and when he sat down on the edge of the tub, he winced in discomfort. Not that he minded the pain really, it reminded him of the wonderful night before, it was a physical souvenir that told him Thomas belonged to him, and he belonged to Thomas. He watched as the man he now called his lover, opened the small cabinet and picked up a bottle of white liquid and a bar of soap wrapped in delicate tissue paper and tied with a ribbon.

"From my cousin in Bombay," Thomas said in answer to Jimmy's curious look. "He sent them to me at Christmas."

The bath milk filled the room with a heady fragrance as he poured it into the hot water. The soap gave off the same exotic scent when he unwrapped it. Jimmy sighed happily as he sank his body into the perfumed water. The smell was intoxicating, a mysterious mixture of aromatic spiciness and calm, soothing florals. It was strong and every bit as captivating as Jimmy imagined the far flung lands of the Orient to be. He had never smelled anything like it, certainly not in England.

He slid forward enough to let Thomas climb into the tub behind him, then lay back against his chest and relaxed. The sweet-smelling oils in the water soothed him and he felt the sensitive ache between his cheeks begin to ease. They languished in the water as long as they could before Thomas picked up the soap and began to lovingly wash Jimmy, then himself. He dried Jimmy's body, stopping often to kiss him and touch him, trying to drink in as much of him as he could before he had to relinquish him for the day and keep a physical distance between them.

Jimmy was back in his own room before the first of the hall boys began to stir. He dressed quickly and smiled every time he caught a reflection of himself in the mirror, trying to decide if he looked as different as he felt.

The servants were just finishing their breakfast when the first of the upstairs bells began to ring. The lady's-maids disappeared up the stairs with breakfast trays, and the footmen went into the kitchen to pick up the platters that needed to be taken up to the dining room. Alfred manoeuvred through the doorway and around the corner with a tray of kippers and eggs. Jimmy followed closely behind him, carrying a silver tray laden with a delicate, fine china tea set. They met Mrs. Hughes in the corridor coming in the opposite direction. She greeted them warmly and stepped aside to let them pass.

As Jimmy drew near, the air around him carried an exotic fragrance of jasmine, sandalwood and cinnamon. It was a delicious, heady aroma, quite unlike anything Mrs. Hughes had ever smelled before.

"You smell lovely today James," she smiled at him. "Are you wearing a new cologne?"

The young footman shook his head. "No, it's bath-milk and soap from India, a gift from T…"

His eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he realized what he'd said. So few words had given away far too much. His hands began to tremble, the tray with its precious cargo of delicate china began to rattle and shake violently.

Mrs. Hughes stared in alarm, dreading the moment it would all come crashing to the floor, but before the thought had finished forming in her head, Thomas appeared from nowhere, swiftly lifted the tray from Jimmy's hands and kept calmly walking with it, following Alfred up the staircase as if nothing was amiss.

"His Lordship's shoes need shining," was the only thing he said as he turned his head to look back at Jimmy.

The young footman, grateful for the excuse to escape, turned quickly and headed for the boot room.

The scent of the air in Thomas' wake as he passed Mrs. Hughes was identical to the deliciously striking fragrance that enveloped Jimmy. The penny dropped, the pieces fell into place and Mrs. Hughes smiled as it all suddenly made sense.

"James," she called down the corridor after him.

When Jimmy turned to face her, his cheeks were flushed with a bright red blush.

"I'm so very happy for you Jimmy," she said with a soft, gentle smile as her eyes drifted back to the empty staircase that Thomas had just disappeared up. "I'm so happy for both of you. This house has seen too much tragedy of late; it's time that it saw real happiness and love again."

She didn't know what the future held for them, or where their lives would lead them, but she knew that as long as they remained at Downton, they would be safe and protected from an unkind and prejudiced world. They would live in peace and happiness, able to love and cherish each other far away from the prying eyes of the world.

If nothing else, she decided, she would make sure of it.

THE END.