A Family Affair

Authors Note -

Please note that this is Adult Fiction, so should only be read by those who qualify!

This is the third part of this little mini-series, and is probably best looked at after reading episodes 1&2, but for those who can't wait, here's a little précis of events so far...

Paolo Wharton has a hot experience that he'd only ever dreamed of whilst on holiday in Italy. It set him thinking about a very strange, and enlightening, week!

Paolo lives on the outskirts of London, a member of a big wide-spread family that stretches throughout Europe. At the end of his first year at University his family had arranged to spend some time at his Aunt's Villa in Tuscany, but for various reasons the rest of his family had dropped out at the last minute and he'd made the trip alone, but he was looking forward to it still. It was a chance to see Maria again.

At Pisa airport, he'd been surprised to find no-one there to meet him, and had been shocked to witness a passionate re-union between a young Italian couple that had really opened his eyes! However soon after that, he'd had an even bigger shock when his volatile Sicilian Cousin Isobella, 'Izzy', had finally appeared to pick him up and drive him to the Villa where he was surprised to find himself the only male resident after his Uncle Flavio is called away on an urgent business appointment. That leaves him with his cousins Izzy, Ilse, Frieda and Aunt Luisa, but does that matter? The sun's out, it's hot and the girls have organised a tennis party at the families cooler Lodge in the mountains, so what could possibly go wrong with that? Except about everything!

I'm always interested in people's comments if you'd care to leave one, and please vote too. All feedback is useful!

I sincerely hope that you enjoy ...

Duke

*****

10. Back at the Villa

When we arrived back at the Villa, we were all in good spirits, laughing and joking together like good cousins should. Like nothing unusual had happened! It was plain weird!

I mean, this morning I'd been in London, happily preparing for my visit to my aunt and uncle's villa in Tuscany, a welcome holiday reward after a hard first year at university. The fact that my mother and sister had dropped out of the trip at the last minute had been a mere annoyance as I'd looked forward to some welcome sunshine and also the vague possibility of embarking on a long delayed romance! Pisa airport had been full of surprises, including a couple of enthusiastic young lovers who'd livened up the Arrivals Hall no end.

But the biggest surprise had been the appearance of my beautiful, but volatile, Sicilian cousin Isobella, 'Izzy', who had eventually arrived, late as usual, to transport me up to the Villa where it turned out that she too was staying. As were two of my other cousins, Ilse and Frieda who were apparently down from Austria to take get some sun as well. My Uncle Flavio had been called away on business, so by the time I'd unpacked, it was just me, my cousins and Aunt Luiza in residence.

And then my cousins had dragged me up to the family's country Lodge in the mountains to play tennis! I'd had misgivings about the tennis, but there was no way that I'd anticipated what they really had in mind!

Unfortunately, despite my outward conviviality, my inner doubts had returned. What the hell had I got into here? We'd behaved like sex maniacs up there on the lawns of the Lodge and I could hardly say that I'd been forced into it. But with my cousins!? And how would Maria react if she found out? Suddenly my mood was changing.

Still, I'd had to smile at the way that the girls reacted to me after our little love tryst. We'd spent the remainder of the afternoon laying together in our secluded retreat, naked still, but just chatting and enjoying our time out in the open. The weather stayed bright and sunny but in our shady spot it wasn't oppressive, just pleasant. It had been quite idyllic really. There I was, surrounded by shapely, bare female bodies and before long, judging by the occasional glances that I got, it wasn't going unnoticed that a certain part of my anatomy was starting to recover it's zest for life!

But, before anything more could happen, Izzy was checking her watch and announcing that we'd better get moving. Apparently she'd promised Aunt Luisa that we wouldn't be late back, which was vaguely surprising because it was only about four o'clock and traditionally the family didn't eat dinner until eight.

So, perhaps a little reluctantly, we'd pulled on our clothes and gathered up our things to load up the car again for the short journey back to the villa. Even that had almost got difficult! Ilse and Frieda had pulled me towards the rear doors of the big Fiat, evidently intent on carrying on where we'd left off earlier. I was making a mock protest, but actually quite looking forward to some back seat groping on the return journey, but Izzy was having none of it! She'd grabbed my arm tightly and steered me quickly to the passenger door. She was laughing and joking as well, but I could tell from the tightness of her grip that she had no intention of letting Ilse or Frieda anywhere near me on the way back!

Then, as if to establish her seniority in the scheme of things, on the drive back she'd rested her hand possessively on my thigh in between gear changes, occasionally letting her fingers stray higher, no doubt enjoying the way that I tensed under her little torturing explorations. I could hear Ilse making some barbed comments to Izzy in Italian from the back, but I pretended not to hear, and then Izzy spent the whole journey blithely chattering about anything inconsequential that came to mind.

The trip passed quickly, and when Izzy had finally brought the car to a sliding halt in the villa driveway, we all piled out and stood together a little uncomfortably for a few minutes, wondering who might be watching, before simultaneously laughing and joining together in a group hug. So, there was no alternative, and I just pushed aside my reservations and enjoyed the feel of their warm, soft bodies again as they whispered some distinctly un-cousin-like comments into my ear!

Then we headed quickly up the stone stairs, out of the intense late afternoon heat and into the cool, tranquil darkness of the villa. By now, my main priority was to head upstairs and get a cool shower, and I was about to arrange a time to see the girls before dinner when I was distracted by the appearance of Caterina, the villa's housekeeper, from a side door.

"Signor Paolo," she gushed, "have the girls looked after you well? I hope that they haven't taken too much out of you on your first day. That Ilse is such a competitive creature when it comes to tennis, and Izzy too! I imagine that you're exhausted, poor thing."

"God," I thought, reddening slightly, "If only she knew!" I snapped a quick glance back at the girls as they headed upstairs before looking back into Caterina's sparkling brown eyes. They seemed to be studying me rather strangely. "Oh No!" I thought again,"...could she possibly know?!"

But she laughed at my sudden awkwardness, "Never mind Paolo, I'm sure that you'll beat them one day!" Clearly my tennis expertise, or lack of it, had preceded me!

"Anyway," she added with a secret smile, "I'm doing you a special meal tonight to build up your strength again..."

That sounded promising. Catarina's excellent cooking was renowned throughout our family, and my mouth started to salivate at the thought of what she might have in store!

"Oh, and I spoke to Maria today. She's hoping to get back later on Wednesday. She has some things to sort out first at college apparently. She wouldn't say what, my daughter can be so annoying at times!" and Caterina frowned slightly and shook her head a little before adding brightly,"... but she said that she's really looking forward to seeing you here again!" Then she turned away and headed back towards the kitchens, "Dinner at eight, so you need to be down by seven thirty," she added sternly from the doorway.

My mind was still spinning at the mention of Maria's name, and her imminent arrival! Things were suddenly so, so complicated. How was I ever going to deal with all this?

I shook my head in consternation as I headed up the stairs to my room but, after a relaxing shower, I was suddenly standing in the bedroom still confused, still tired and staring at the big bed which suddenly looked so incredibly attractive.

"Well, it's a couple of hours to dinner, so it wouldn't do any harm to just lie down for a quick half an hour's nap would it?" I thought as I settled down on the cool sheets, and rested my head on the welcoming pillow.

11. A Surprise at Dinner

I may have distantly heard the tapping on the door, or my name being called, but I was drifting cosily in a soft, fluffy cloud and was far too comfortable to take notice.

I didn't have much choice though when the voice got louder and something touched my shoulder and began to shake me, hard!

"Signor Paulo! Wake up! It is after seven and you'll be late for dinner!" said Catarina urgently, still shaking me, "...and I've put a lot of effort into this meal so get up...quickly! Your aunt is expecting you."

"What? ...How? ... who?...Oh!!" I spluttered as I finally snapped awake, realising that my 'quick half hour' had extended a bit, and then that I was almost naked on the bed with just my shorts covering my dignity!

Catarina was unimpressed by my sudden cry of modesty, "Oh phut! As if there's anything here that I haven't seen before! Now come on, get moving!" she laughed as she twirled around and headed for the door.

I wasn't so sure about that, but I wasn't going to extend the conversation there and then, so I sat up, shook my head to clear away the cobwebs and checked my watch. I had ten minutes to make myself presentable and be in the dining room for seven thirty!

"Easy!" I thought as I jumped up and started to rummage through my clothes. It wasn't as though I had a lot of choosing to do either as I hadn't bothered packing much, but I knew that my aunt liked to dress smartly for dinner at the Villa, so I'd brought some tidy slacks and a few shirts just in case.

So, with a couple of minutes to spare, I was ready. Dressed in plain grey slacks, matching loafers and a crisp(ish) white shirt I headed for the staircase just in time to see Izzy, Ilse and Frieda heading towards the outside door below me.

"Hey, wait for me!" I gasped as I picked up pace and took the stairs two at a time, but by the time I'd reached the bottom, Ilse and Frieda were already outside. Izzy however had turned and waited for me.

"My, my," she said with a broad smile, "you ARE looking smart. Aunt Luisa will be impressed!"

"But, but, where are you off to? Dinner's going to be served soon."

"Oh, we're heading into the village. There's a fantastic little trattoria that does super pasta, almost as good as Catarina's!"

"But why aren't you eating here ... with us ...with me ..."

"Oh, didn't I say before?" she responded brightly, "Aunt Luisa wanted to have dinner just with you tonight. She said that she had something important to discuss with you..." she added as she turned for the door, "Anyway, got to go now ... ciao Paulo!"

I was left in the hallway, mouth stuck open again in surprise as I tried to get my mind round that conversation...and the fact that Aunt Luisa had something important to discuss. Whatever could that be? For a moment I froze, wondering if she'd somehow found out about our afternoon's love making. But I slowly relaxed as I thought about it more. No-one could possibly know, and surely Izzy and the girls wouldn't have said anything ...?!

Anyway, the delicious smell of food wafting out of the kitchen soon took precedence over my anxiety, and I turned quickly and marched positively into the dining room as I realised how hungry I was. Whatever was going on it wasn't going to put me off one of Caterina's 'special' dishes!

The dining room was quite old fashioned. It had a stone floor for coolness, but was covered in the centre by a long, luxurious orange carpet that brightened the room up no end. There were old wooden chests down one wall that contained cutlery, tablecloths and such like but the centrepiece was a long oak table down the middle of the room that fairly comfortably sat up to twelve people. 'And sometimes many more,' I thought with a smile as I recalled family gatherings squashed up together. Opposite me as I entered there was also a tall, polished walnut cabinet, full of silver trinkets and glassware standing against the far wall. On the bottom section was a silver tray full of bottles of all shapes and sizes that I eyed speculatively, instantly feeling thirsty at the sight!

There was no-one in the room though and something else was strange. On the table were flowers and bowls of fruit, but no sign of any place settings. I paused as I reached the centre of the room, puzzled, and then I noticed that the big veranda windows were open at the far end, the gossamer curtains slowly wafting about in the breeze. Heading that way, I quickly saw that a small table had been set on the veranda. It was a cosy spot, just the right size for two and overlooking a small, 'secret garden', surrounded by high walls and full of lush green bushes and bright flowers with a large olive tree in the centre for shade. It was my aunt's little treasure which she tended personally with loving care. As children we were only ever allowed in after surrendering any balls, or other playthings that could do damage!

I stood next to the small table for a few moments enjoying the peaceful view over the garden, and the delightful fragrance of the flowers, before turning as I heard a movement behind me.

"Well Paolo, so here you are at last. Now, let me look at you...gracious, you never seem to stop growing! Your mother was right. You look positively glowing with health! Now come here and greet your poor old aunt properly!"

I stepped back into the dining room with a wide grin. It was my favourite aunt, and looking absolutely stunning in a long grey evening dress that seemed moulded to her slim figure. She looked the complete opposite to any 'old aunt' that you could imagine! We stepped forwards and wrapped our arms around each other in a warm, intimate embrace, before stepping back, still smiling warmly at each other.

I did my duty, but quite happily, "Aunt Luisa, it's so good to be here, thank you for asking me over. I've been really looking forward to seeing you all again. I'm sorry that my mother and Jasmine couldn't come, I really don't know what was so urgent to keep them back home."

My aunt could tell that I was annoyed still at being cast adrift at the last minute, but she just took my hand and guided us to the veranda again, "Oh don't worry about it, I'm sure your mother had a good reason, and she was on the phone earlier to check that you'd got here safely." I lifted my eyebrows in frustration. As if I wasn't old enough now to travel safely on my own! But my aunt had either not seen my expression or, more likely, chose wisely to ignore it.

"And I too must apologise Paolo. Flavio called away on business, Guilio away as well. It looks as if we don't want to see you! Still, I'm glad that the girls are here, even if that Izzy is a bit of a handful! I hope that they looked after you properly up at the lodge this afternoon?"

Fortunately she seemed to have switched her gaze to the garden as she said that, so my sudden red colouring went un-noticed as I stammered out some sort of vaguely reassuring reply!

Looking at her in profile, I was struck by how young she looked. I knew that my mother was a couple of years older than Aunt Luisa, but her son Guilio was older than me, so she must have been pushing forty. But she didn't look it! Her raven black hair was pulled tightly back with a silver clasp leaving a couple of strands dangling at the side of her narrow face, and exposing her long, elegant neck. The skin of her face looked smooth and flawless, even under the bright light in the garden. The grey dress seemed to shimmer in that light, clearly with some reflective material embedded in the weave, and hung by two narrow straps from her bare, graceful shoulders. The front and back of the dress was cut quite low, and a large opal in a silver clasp sat nestled in the upper valley of her bosom, hanging down from her neck by a thin silver chain. It was a match for the smaller opal studs that she wore as ear-rings.

All in all, I had to admit that for a 'poor old aunt' she looked quite breathtaking!

I had to quickly drag my eyes away from her as she turned my way again, but maybe not quickly enough as I saw a little smile flit across her face.

"Now then Paolo. Why don't you get us some drinks before Caterina delights us with her 'special' dinner? I'll have a campari and soda please. You know," she added as I headed for the drinks tray, "I think that Catarina has a soft spot for you Paolo, it's not every guest that gets this treatment! Have you heard from Maria by the way? Caterina said that she'd be home soon. You two always did get on so well!"

"Yes, we keep in touch," I responded hesitantly, not wanting to sound too enthusiastic, or to admit that we phoned and 'skyped' each other regularly or that only last week she'd promised me a surprise when we met up again!

As I turned with our drinks in hand, I had the answer to a question that had been in the back of my mind since my aunt had appeared in the dining room. How could she possibly manage to move around in a dress that was practically pencil thin from her waist down? And the answer was that there was a long slit up one side that I hadn't seen before but which parted obligingly as she sat down at our little veranda table, exposing a long stocking clad leg up above her knee. The effect was incredibly sexy.

I swallowed nervously as I placed the drinks on the table and squeezed past to sit opposite her. After the events of this afternoon, I really did have to stop ogling family members! My mother would have had a fit, and the thought of upsetting my aunt was almost devastating!

I needed a quick change of conversation, "Err, Izzy said that you needed to speak to me about something aunt. I hope that ..." I was about to apologise in advance for any shortcoming that she might raise, especially as a slight frown flitted across her face before the smile returned.

"Oh, that Izzy does have a big mouth at times," she said reflectively, "I'll have to have a word with her."

That didn't sound good. The last thing I needed was to make an enemy of cousin Isabella!

"Oh I'm sure she didn't mean anything untoward," I said quickly.

"Well, anyway, it's true that I do have something to discuss with you Paolo. It's ..." she seemed lost for words for a moment, " ...well, more of a story I need to tell really. But it can wait until after we've eaten," she finished dismissively.

"Now Paolo, you must tell me all your news from home. And I mean ALL. I'm sure that sister of mine censors out the juicy bits when we speak!"

So that set the tone for the meal. Catarina soon appeared from the kitchen, bustling in and laden with delicious dishes that set me salivating as soon as the aromas hit me. I think that Aunt Luisa would have made an effective member of the Inquisition the way that she cajoled me into describing events at home, some of which I knew would make me cringe if word got back to England.

At one point, I realised that I'd let slip a really sensitive piece of news about Jasmine's most recent affair, and I had to desperately plead with her to keep the news to herself. She smiled, leaned across the table and took my hand in hers looking me seriously in the eyes, "Of course Paolo, your secrets will always be safe with me. That's the way it has to be. I'm sure that you'll see why later," she finished mysteriously.