The Interview
by BobbyG

 

Chapter 8

Dear Sir Stanley and Lady Emma,

It is my sad duty to inform you that your son, Lt Hunter Huntingdon-Smith, has been missing since 20th June 1944 and after all this time, I regret to say, he must be assumed dead.

The reason for this long delay in informing you was because of the nature of his and another fine officer, Captain Theo King’s, work.

They were sent to France in 1943 to work behind enemy lines and send intelligence back to my group. All I am allowed to say is they carried out their work to an exceptionally high standard in the Normandy region and as a result of their work helped the allied landings and will be credited with saving many lives by their actions.

I have waited hoping for a better outcome as a few operatives have returned after many months “on the run” but as it has been such a long time now, I can only assume this will not be the case with your son.

My sincere condolences to you both and your family.

Your obedient servant.

Lt Col PHD Dowling PhD.

“For goodness sake Stan! The buggers are upstairs still in bed! Obviously they haven’t told this Dowling fella they got back a week ago! Right, I’m going up there and tell them to get to your study.”

“What on earth do I say Em!?”

“Nothing dear, I will.” She stomped off heading towards the stairs but thinking about when they had just walked in while the family were eating the evening meal a week previously.

“Hello mother, father and you lot, move over we are starving. I would like to introduce Theo who is my man so you males keep your hands to yourselves! We have just got back from France and I want my room for us, I assume it’s still mine?” Hunter looked at his parents and nine siblings but there were three extras who turned out to be two boyfriends and a girl friend.

“Yes Hunter, you will find your room as you left it, messy, no one wanted to use it.”

“That’s fine, we will be going to it after this and we do not wish to be disturbed for quite some time, if ever.”

Emma and two others cleared the table and bought in two huge apple crumbles and a gallon of custard. Fifteen minutes later the lot had gone.

“Right, we are off and remember, we do not want to be disturbed. Goodnight.” They left the table with some of them mumbling a “goodnight” in return.

Emma watched them go and knew that whatever they had been through it had taken it’s toll on her son, his face showed it. Meanwhile, back to talking about the game shoot the next day.

“Stanley.”

“Yes dear?”

“Where is my shot gun?” Her husband looked at her not QUITE understanding why she asked that.

“Gun cupboard?”

“Oh YES! Silly me….Where is it?”

Emma banged hard several times on Hunter’s door.

“Who ever you are do NOT come in, we are busy!”

“It’s mother and I don’t care how busy you are! Both of you get dressed and come down to father’s study, you need to ring your CO, but if you don’t, I will. You have two minutes.”

“We need another half hour mother.”

“Why?”

“Theo needs his turn!”

“Oh…..Oh very well, but no more than half hour do you understand!?”

There was no reply so Emma went back down the stairs wondering why on earth they needed all that time!?  “It only takes Stanley five minutes at most for goodness sake!”

Two delightful and handsome men sat in Sir Stanley’s study looking at his wife as she spoke in her own delightful way at them.

“Right you buggers, Stan and me got a letter from your CO telling us you are most probably dead Hunter. Apparently you sods have come back and not been in touch with him, but you are about too.” She handed the phone to Theo and stuffed him up with her next words. “We know what  you two are about and that’s fine with us, but unless you call Dowling now, I will rip both your cocks off and leave you both fuckless!” Sir Stanley, sitting as far as he could from the action turned the Times over a page and tried to read it. He failed!

Theo meanwhile rapidly dialled the number and when he got through spoke to Paul’s secretary. He was not in so he left a message and the Huntingdon-Smith’s phone number.

“May I take your son back to bed now please Lady Emma?”

“Yes you can but I’m no bloody lady, just Emma.”

***

Colonel Paul Dowling left 10 Downing Street, then went to the nearest pub for a pint thinking about all that had been discussed. His role in MI5 would become his life until he retired some years later. It would be vital work now that the so called “cold war” had begun and he would now have a free hand in recruiting good men and women to work with him and his department.

He ordered his pint and asked if he could use the phone. The barman handed him the set and he dialled his office.

“Good evening and thank you for calling, this is Lieutenant Colonel Dowling’s office, this is his secretary Miss Sandra Trumpton speaking, how may I help you?”

“You have been watching too many American movies and by the way I am now a full Colonel and don’t take the piss. If there is nothing important I am going home.”

“Congratulations corporal, nothing important just a few phone calls which included one from some French bloke, other than that we are both redundant.”

“Did he give a name?”

“Yes corporal, someone calling himself Eugene Rousseau.”

“Yeah fucking Gods! Did you get his number?”

“Of course I did, I am an expert at taking phone numbers and deserve promotion myself and…”

“Stay there!”

He paid the barman and at the same time drank the pint down in one go.

“Bloody hell sir, I thought the war was over!”

“It is, but this fucker is about to begin!”

“Good evening, Huntingdon Manor, who are you?” Emma had not been influenced by watching lots of American films as Sandra had it seemed.

“Good evening Lady Emma, my name is Colonel Dowling and I believe you have a Captain Theo King staying with you as well as your son Hunter?”

“Yes we do, but you can’t speak to either of them just now.”

“Oh fine, I suppose they are out for the evening enjoying themselves. Jolly good for them!”

“Not at all, they are in bed and most definitely enjoying one another! I will make sure they call you tomorrow, but it may take a bit of time to prise them out of bed. Oh by the way, thank you for your letter of condolence but it seems we didn’t need it after all, thank goodness . Good night Colonel.”

Paul put his phone down a very happy man knowing those two had come home safe and it seemed more than well!

“But you fuckers are in for one big bollocking believe me!” He said out loud.

“May I say Colonel, you giving a bollocking is like a compliment from anyone else?”

“Maybe Sandra but I’m going to give them so much shit because they have given me it for months thinking they were dead, but thank God they are back home. They don’t know it yet but they will be with us for the next million years, I want both of them. Theo, Hunter and the MI5 are a good mix Sandra, so are you, fancy a celebratory drink?”

“That would be nice, corporal!”

Paul Dowling was back in his office the following morning and asked Sandra to phone General Black’s number down in Dorset. “I want to tell him personally Theo and Hunter are back home.” Sandra dialled the number and as she did smiled at the memory of the previous evening and night in the company of her boss.

“Good morning General, I have some good news for you, Theo and his friend Hunter are back home and very much alive I am pleased to say.”

“Oh my word Paul! At last some good news. How are they?”

“I have not seen them yet but will be talking to them later today and then arrange a meeting here in my office, I need to debrief them about their activities then offer them a job working with me. It’s all good stuff sir.”

“Why don’t you all come here as my guests for as long as you need? You can enjoy my hospitality and you will be private in your discussions. It will save them going up to London and you getting out of it for a while. How does that sound to you Paul?”

“Thank you so much sir, that would be marvellous, I will let you know what date and how long I will need with them if that meets with your approval?”

“Course it bloody well does, it will be good to have army around me again, I promise I will not get in your way and the three of you will be totally private during your discussions.”

Bang, bang, bang!

“Come on you two it’s nearly 12 o’clock. Get dressed and come down to father’s study, you ARE going to phone the colonel.”

Theo withdrew and after a clean up at the sink they got dressed and found their way to the study. Once again he dialled Paul’s office.

“Dowling here and you had better be Theo King.”

“Hello sir.” He then put the hand set down on the desk knowing Paul would be sounding off for some time.

Stanley, Emma, Theo and the lovely Hunter looked and listened to all the filth coming out of the ear piece while Paul sounded off until he had got rid of his made up anger! Theo picked it up again when it went quiet.

“You finished sir?”

“Fuck off Theo, and yes I have. I will be back in touch, the general has invited all three of us to stay at Abbey House and for me to do a debrief on you two sad fuckers. I will let you know when but meanwhile you two are to write a full report about your time over there and bring it with you and remember Theo, you are both still in the army and all I want are facts. Theo, your report may help others in the future ok?”

“Yes Paul, I get the message, that it for now?”

“NO you sod!” There was a long pause. “Theo, welcome home to both of you, so many did not make it but without them and chaps like you two, we could still be fighting the Hun. Bye for now.”

They went back to bed and just cuddled in very tightly and both thinking of the lovely 17 year old Wyatt.

A week later they had chucked their bags into the back of the war surplus jeep that Stanley had somehow acquired ready to drive to Abbey House and then they went back indoors for breakfast. They did not notice that snow had began to fall as they eat and by the time they got in there was a light covering of the white stuff all over the interior, there was no canvas cover. An hour later both of them were freezing their balls off as they were now driving through a blizzard!

“Hunter!” Theo shouted.

“Yes my captain.”

“Why the hell didn’t we take daddies Bentley?”

“Because he has to drive mother to her bingo club twice a week and she would not be seen dead in one of these.”

“Some people have a tough life!”

James Butler, the generals long serving butler knocked and went into the generals study. “Sir, two mummies have just arrived, I think they maybe your guests! They are in the hall standing in front of the fire thawing out.”

It was four in the afternoon and three inches of snow laid on the ground but still falling. Two hours later it would stop having delivered another two inches bringing most of southern England to a stop!

“Welcome to my home chaps and so pleased you will not be in a tent this time! Let me take you to your room.”

They followed Horace up two flights and eventually were shown into what had been his son’s room, Horace wanted it that way. At the very least his late son would have the man he had loved in his bed at last!

“This is your room for as long as you wish to stay boys and I do mean that. Please be yourselves at all times while you are in my home and I MEAN, be yourselves. The Colonel won’t be here until tomorrow now, he can’t get out of London, two inches of snow up there! Drinks at six if you would care to join me in the drawing room and dinner at 6 30, so plenty of time to relax.”

Horace left leaving his two “boys” to themselves. Five minutes later after unpacking they found the en suite and were in the bath cuddled up and being themselves as their host had asked them to be with Hunter laying against Theo’s chest and Theo’s arms wrapped around him. Even though the bath was full, covering both men up to the chest, Hunter’s hardon still managed to stick up two inches above the waterline like a periscope.

“Theo?” Hunter was kissed on his neck and squeezed tighter in reply.

“Have you thought about what we will do now?” There was a long pause as Theo thought about that and Hunter waiting for his man to come up with the right answer, as usual.

“No idea.” Another long pause.

“Oh… thought you would! Well we have to think about it sometime don’t you think?”

Theo needed to get Hunter from asking more questions he did not have an answer too. He lent forward and took hold of the “periscope” and began to gently stroke for quite some time.

“You do that every time you don’t know what to say and…..Oh shit, don’t stop!” He came the usual bucket load and at the same time forgot the question! Theo hadn’t though. At least he could find work as a mechanic as he was so good and Hunter teaching languages, neither of which would bring in a decent wage packet. But there was the open offer to go back to La Bray and become farmers! Not that either of them had a clue how to become one!

“Your very good health boys and again, welcome home.” They raised their sherry glasses and toasted one another. As they sat Theo noticed the portrait of his late CO Martin Black and his mind went straight back to Norway and the awful time after he had become so badly wounded begging Theo to finish him. Horace saw the look coming over Theo’s face and made up his mind he would talk to him about his son.

It was all very pleasant and they chatted the whole time. After dinner Horace took them for a tour of his huge house which he had planned in the hope the “boys” would go along with what he hoped for and wanted to get his job offer before Paul Dowling got his in.

“It’s far too big for me for goodness sake. What single chap needs ten bedrooms and no family nor many friends now to share them with. No, I’m thinking of converting eight rooms and three other rooms on the ground floor and take in retired officers from all services. All reception rooms will be for residents to use and of course the gardens. I have also thought about converting into a hotel. What do you think?”

“Personally I would stay with the retired officers and other gentlemen’s home Horace. My grandfather converted his mansion to a gentlemen’s retirement home similar to yours in Scotland many years ago. It became very popular and this location will attract many as the whole area is so beautiful and of course being on top of the sea is a huge bonus. Most retired officers could not afford a home as big as this but living here would give them status very similar to what they would have had during their service.”

“Is it still a retirement home?”

“Oh yes. It’s owned by my father and managed by a small team and doing very well.”

“Excellent idea Hunter and I will look into it and get experts in and after they agree with your idea I am going to ask you two to come and run it for me. Don’t give me excuses about not being experienced or qualified, you two could turn your hand to anything and make it a success.”

Horace did not stop talking all the way through dinner and right up until they went to bed and by then they knew exactly what was being offered.

“You would both run the house and also tend the woods and gardens with a team under you including five domestic staff, two cooks and a gardener.”

They would each be on a salary of £2000 PA but paid bonuses depending on income by the end of the financial year.

“You will be rent free and I will turn the room above you into a bedroom so you will have a separate lounge. The bathroom would be changed into a small kitchen as there is an en suit bathroom upstairs. You will be free to take leave as and when you want provided you have organised the house before you go. As for rental to residents, we will have to discuss that in good time but I am thinking of an all in fee of £2000 per year, perhaps you could find out what your fathers home charges Hunter?”

It certainly gave them something to think about, they would talk about it later when they were cuddled up.

“Ah well we now have one option and I actually like what we are being offered, I really fancy being a sort of gardener. You can do all the house stuff while I am outside getting a lot of fresh air.”

“We will both do the house stuff Theo, whatever that is and I want my share being outside as well.”

“Oh very well, I do three and a half weeks a month you can do the rest.”

“Bollocks, it’s going to be 50/50 and as we will be ex army you wont outrank me any more and so Theodore, open your mouth!”

Having Hunters cock shoved in his mouth happily stopped any further debate!

Little did either of them know then but Paul Dowling was about to offer them a secure job with MI5 and a much healthier salary than Horace could offer plus their own rent free flat and a yearly £100 expenses account, each.

“Good morning my dear Theo….dore. Did you sleep well?”

Theo…dore may have just woken up but as he was always alert, even during sleep he, gently, beat the crap out of Hunter then fucked him.

“Good morning my dear Hunter!” They cuddled in and kissed for half an hour while Theo tossed Hunter off then went for a much needed bath before going down to join Horace for breakfast.

They got to the dining room and the first person they saw was Paul Dowling talking to Horace.

“As I am a guest of the general, and I thank you again sir, I will refrain from saying some rather disgusting things to you two and I am sure you will know what I would say. All that’s left is to welcome you both back!” He went to them and they all shook hands. “I am SO relieved you got through lads but you know we have to go through the whole time you were over there, after that I need to talk of other things on my mind.” Paul did not realise it just then, but he would be in competition with Horace to get the two “boys” working for him!

During breakfast Hunter excused himself and went to their room to get the report that he and Theo had written over two days and handed it to Paul.

“There you are colonel, that should keep you busy for a few minutes.” Paul leafed through the 150 pages and looked back up at Hunter.

“This will keep me busy for much longer. May I suggest we meet when I have finished reading?” Horace jumped in.

“That’s a good idea Paul and while you are reading, the boys and I will go for a long walk on the beach. Lets meet over lunch and after that you three have your meeting?”

“It will take longer than that Horace.” Horace was delighted.

“That’s absolutely fine, I will have lunch sent to your room and we will meet at dinner then.” Horace would have the two of them to himself for quite sometime.

It had stopped snowing and the sun was out with no wind, in other words a lovely day for going out walking. Horace would use the time to tell them both about his son. He had thought that he should talk to Theo on his own but after being told by Paul a great deal about the two, this was very small fish compared to what they had gone through in France.

“Good heavens, if I was writing a story there would be one more chapter, this ones full up!”

 

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