. 01-05

Many thanks to Kristen2928 for editing this story and for her wonderful support, very much appreciated.

All characters are fictitious and all characters engaging in any sexual activity are over 18.

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CHAPTER 1. ANNELISE

Monday 3rd January

The first thing that saved Karen and I, was my taking six months long-service leave and seeking somewhere quiet to finish writing a book. The second thing that saved us, was that the friend of a friend wanted a caretaker to look after his almost self-sufficient country retreat, while they were in Europe for six months.

So, a couple of days after celebrating the New Year, we packed up the car, left suburbia and drove for seven hours to the small rural town of Callanup. Population 5032, according to the sign at the town limits. After a leisurely coffee in the café, we phoned Richard and drove to the property along a narrow winding bitumen road. Spectacular views of forested hillsides, rushing streams and the occasional small cleared fields were a welcome change from city life, as the road climbed and curved its way up into the range.

Richard met Karen and myself at the roadside, holding the gate open. Once we had entered, he mounted his quad to lead us to the house. A white crushed stone track led into the property. Tall trees cloaked each side, and we climbed still higher into the forested range. Finally we turned and entered a grassy meadow. Ahead we saw a large, two storey villa with pale grey stone walls and a high peaked roof. One end of the villa was dominated by a three storey high, round turret with a conical roof. The ground floor of the building was concealed by a four metre high grey wall with small stubby round towers in each corner. Both the towers and the wall were crenelated for added decorative effect.

Karen laughed softly, "You did not tell me we are going to be living in a castle."

I replied, "Anthony did say that Richard wanted to bring Scotland to Australia. Well it looks like we won't get disturbed."

Richard waved us through a gate house. We paused and followed him along a paved stone driveway, surrounded by manicured lawns with a helipad on the left. Forty metres beyond the gatehouse we parked near a manicured garden leading to the entrance where an elegant middle aged blonde woman waited on the steps. The driveway kept curving around to a squat eight door garage.

Richard introduced us, "Mark, Karen, please meet my wife Megan."

"Thank you so much for offering to look after our home, I do hope your journey went smoothly?" She took each of our hands in turn, gently grasping them.

"Richard, we should quickly show them around, then they can freshen up."

Megan directed, "Karen and Mark, would dinner at 7 suit? And do you eat fish? We have some local trout or we have chicken if you prefer?"

"Oh we both would love the fish, thank you so much." Karen replied.

Richard showed us around, with Megan commenting on features in the rooms. To the right of the entrance hall, we passed through into a large formal dining room with polished red brown jarrah floor, a massive marble fire place next to us and crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. The curving wall of the dining room incorporated the base of the tower. An elegant wooden staircase spiralled up the centre of the tower to the next level. Round tables and their chairs were covered with white dust covers. We turned away towards an elegant, richly-carved wooden bar. As we passed it, Megan pointed out the stairs disappeared down into a cellar.

"Please help yourself to some wine, there is a section of more expensive bottles which is locked for storage, but you are welcome to sample the others."

Then discretely hidden behind two arches, a passage and a large kitchen. A contrast to the dining room and bar, it was all stainless steel, efficient and functional.

As we left, Richard turned to us.

"I suggest just keep this wing of the house closed off, we often leave it buttoned up for six months or more between functions here. Then we get cleaning staff in just before we have the next function."

He continued along a passage, "The only rooms you are likely to need on this side of the house is this room with the control equipment for the solar system and batteries, and the laundry here."

We crossed the entry hall at the back of the house and passed a wooden staircase leading up.

Megan showed us the kitchen and smaller dining room in the left side of the house. Across from the dining room, a bathroom and a gymnasium with exercise bike, treadmill and other bits and pieces. Then next to the dining room, an indoor pool about 12 metres long with a couple of tables next to an open bar. The bar extended into a carpeted room with leather chairs, a covered pool table and a huge TV screen.

Richard entered the room at the front corner of the house, a cosy lounge room. It was dominated by lush red-brown leather armchairs, lounges, rosewood display cabinets and thick carpet and rugs. Beautiful paintings and sculptures decorated the rooms and hallways.

Megan spread her arms and smiled, "Welcome to Richard's fantasy Victorian gentleman's club."

In the corner of the lounge room, a dark red carpet ran up polished wooden stairs which spiralled up the interior of a small grey stone tower. Another door opened onto the hall that led back to the front door. Passing it we saw a couple of offices and an elegant study. We climbed the stairs in the small tower. At the top we emerged into a sitting room, then Richard led us into a hall with several ensuite bed rooms. The first closed door was Richard and Megan's bedroom suite.

Then Megan showed us into our room. "We do hope you will be comfortable. Of course use any of the other rooms too if you need more room or a separate room to write in."

Karen gushed over the ensuite room with its plush dove-grey carpet, massive wooden king-sized bed, polished wooden and marble furniture. Through the window there was a beautiful view across the front lawn and valley. Beyond the wall ridges of the forest were lit up by the setting sun. I smiled, this bedroom was almost as large as the first flat we had lived in.

Megan quickly showed us several more ensuite bedrooms, some smaller bedrooms with a separate bathroom and the entrance to a long narrow gallery with beautiful paintings. Near the gallery, this level of the circular tower contained three more bedrooms to the east while the portion facing the south was another lounge area.

Richard waited in the lounge and pointed up the broad spiral staircase.

"The top floor of the tower contains another formal dining room. Eat up there if you wish to carry food up but even if you don't do that, I can recommend the view from the balcony that runs around it."

Then we turned to head back towards our bedroom. A doorway near the fireplace lead to a beautiful sunroom above the entry hall at the front of the house. It was light and airy with white furniture and decorations, and opened onto a narrow balcony beyond the glass windows.

"I mentioned a pair of Danish university students would arrive the next week to help with the house and grounds didn't I?" Richard queried.

"Yes, you mentioned that on the phone." I nodded.

"We had a couple who were looking after the property. He was a gardener and she did some cleaning and cooking but they left six weeks ago. They were in the cottage in the back garden. Rather than employ another couple the daughter of a friend in Denmark will come and stay. Annelise is a quiet girl and good with animals and gardens. She has previously worked on organic farms as part of a W.W.O.O.F. program between studying. I have met her friend Hanne too who is coming with Annelise. I know their fathers and can vouch for them personally, they are good girls."

I nodded, "Yes I am sure we will get on fine."

"They will stay for three months. When they leave I will arrange for other help with the property."

Karen responded, "It is beautiful, we shall love staying here."

We brought in our luggage to the luxurious ensuite bedroom and I set up my computer in a spare bedroom. The combination of cool spring water and solar heating provided a delicious hot bath. Dinner was delicious, making good use of the vegetable garden along with the trout. Richard mentioned they were caught locally.

Afterward we retreated to our room. I lay on the feather soft, yet firm bed, exhausted after the long drive yet my eyes were drawn to Karen's tall svelte form as she stood facing away looking in the mirror. Thirty three and still as gorgeous as when I married her twelve years prior. She brushed out her raven black wavy hair and took off her jewellery. Then she turned and smiled, catching me watching her. Large brown eyes and soft cheeks. She walked over and kissed me slowly and tenderly with her soft full lips. Then straightened and cheekily leaned back to flip off her black lacy bra.

She stood smiling, her back arched emphasising her slender form, firm breasts and high erect nipples standing out proudly.

Taking some body lotion she smoothly rubbed it into her cheeks, neck, arms and then her breasts, watching me as she did so.

"Thought you would be too tired for any fun tonight", she teased, as she slowly drew down her black lace panties.

I smiled, "You would bring the dead back to life looking like that."

She frowned, "Mmm, not quite what I had in mind. We did not ask if there were any ghosts here did we?"

Karen lay across the bed next to me, nuzzling my ear and cheek as she pressed her body next to me.

"I think you are wearing too much."

I started unbuttoning my shirt, while Karen helped with my belt and fly. Then she got distracted from the undressing, teasing me with her fingers. The lotion made her hands even softer.

She looked up and grinned, whispering, "I don't think it is as tired as the rest of you is."

She eased my trousers and boxers down, gently squeezing and stroking my cock.

"Poor tired boy", she bent over and kissed the tip, making me jerk at the feel of her so soft lips.

Giggling, she said, "Think it looks ready for fun, you just lie there."

She flipped up onto the bed and squatted, facing me as she impaled her hot, moist, succulent pussy on me. Slowly at first she rose and fell. Sitting up, I took her breasts in my hands. Not overly large but more than a handful, I brushed my palms over her nipples, teasing. Then I took her breasts gently squeezing as she rode me faster.

I traced the fingers of my left hand down her breast, over her taut stomach, down to the soft brown hair of her pussy. Reaching forward with my thumb I rubbed it over her protruding clit, and I softly grasped her hard brown nipple with my other hand. She shuddered and I thrust upwards into her, again and again, her orgasm bringing my own bursting forth inside her.

* *** *

The next morning after breakfast Richard showed us the rest of the property within the enclosing wall.

At the back of the house a spring flowed into water features that ran through semi-formal sections of the garden. Gazebos, seats and fish ponds hid amid shade trees and winding paths. We also met the three dogs. Richard pointed out the solar panels on the stables roof and showed how to maintain the battery bank.

"There is a diesel backup generator which you should run once a month but the property is self-sufficient for power."

A windmill pumped underground water to an elevated tank and to the solar hot water system. For each system I received a display booklet of notes and instructions.

Other buildings included stables, a workshop and the single storey caretakers cottage. The stables were occupied by fuel guzzling rather than grass eating beasts: a fairly new Toyota Hilux, a small tractor and a powerful quad, together with tanks mounted on trailers for weed spraying and fire-fighting.

A chicken coop provided eggs and Megan gave Karen a milking lesson with two goats. A dozen coloured sheep and eight cashmere goats were mainly for mowing duties but were freshly shorn. More display booklets gave instructions for maintaining the grounds and animals.

Richard and Megan left, leaving a further volume of general information, local contacts who would solve anything from sick chickens to broken windmills and the phone number of a business manager who could solve more complex problems or contact them if needed.

A couple of hours later and we had completed the morning feeding and maintenance instructions. I then spent the rest of the morning writing and researching. Later in the afternoon, there were more feeding instructions to follow. Finally we prepared to follow Richard's last instructions of "Relax, make yourselves at home, enjoy yourselves and don't worry about a thing."

The next two days passed similarly. Between the vegetable garden, all the stored food and the cellar, we lacked for nothing.

The Danish students were due to arrive on the 6th January. We drove 30 km to Callanup to collect Annelise and Hanne. Arriving well before the bus we sat and enjoyed a coffee at the tourist centre, also the bus terminal. The bus arrived, several older passengers disembarked, then one slim woman in her early 20s. She was moderately tall with long straight pale blonde hair, wearing pale blue jeans and light pink jacket. We approached as she was collecting a bulging pink backpack from the luggage.

We introduced ourselves to Annelise. Striking bright blue eyes shone from her pale narrow face. Her light pink rosebud lips gave a smile and she shyly shook our hands. Then she explained that Hanne had twisted her ankle a few days prior and hoped to be able to make the flight from Europe in three weeks. I put her backpack into the rear of the Forester and then drove to the supermarket and rural supplies store to collect additional things we needed for the next fortnight. With a loaded car and an exhausted sleeping Annelise curled up in the back seat we headed back to Karen's castle.

After a 22 hour flight from Europe, a four hour wait and then a six hour bus trip combined with jetlag Annelise barely woke when we got back to the villa. Karen helped her up to the bedroom next to ours and we left her to sleep.

The next morning after sleep and coffee Annelise had recovered very well. She was a little shy but full of youthful excitement at seeing the mountains, forest, gardens and animals. We very much appreciated her enthusiastic help with the feeding, watering and maintenance. She fell in love with the dogs and they loved running with her as she explored. Mind you she fell in love with the goats, chickens and everything else too.

So the next few days passed. Annelise helped Karen cook and introduced us to some Danish dishes, a towering treat of Kransekage and a dish of meatballs. My fear she would be a militant vegetarian vanished. She was eager to try a range of Australian dishes.

I was tending only to catch the news every few days and I had not been paying much attention when I did see it. A fortnight after Annelise arrived, on the 20th January, she mentioned how horrible it was that there were news reports of a highly lethal viral disease causing meningitis in Brazil. Her brother was planning on going there with his girlfriend. I listened to the news with her and there were thirty five deaths known to be caused by the disease in São Paulo and twenty two in Brasília.

The following day, we made a point of listening to the news in the evening. Numerous cities were affected by the meningitis virus with hundreds dead. Many countries including USA, Europe, South Africa and Australia had cancelled flights from South America.

On the evening news of 23rd January it was reported that thousands were dying of Brazilian Meningitis Virus right across South America. Countries in Central America had closed their land borders. The deaths of a family of five in Lisbon who had been holidaying in Brazil were also noted. They had flown from Brasilia eight days prior. Health authorities in Australia had started scanning body temperatures of all passengers arriving by air. All persons who had travelled from South America in the last month were to have blood testing. Anyone with cold or flu symptoms who had travelled from South America was to stay at home and dial a 1-800 number for help. We were now regularly watching the news reports each morning and evening and taking note of the new virus.

We took Annelise with us down to Callanup and stocked the car fridge with meat, and the car with groceries. She brought a souvenir scarf and shirt, then posted them back to her parents. While she was in the post office, I visited a sporting store to buy fishing supplies, a tent, compasses and first aid supplies. Then seeing a compound bow, on impulse I bought it along with four dozen shafts, three dozen hunting points and a dozen practice points.

Annelise could appreciate the scenery between the town and the house this trip. It was remote, the third last property on the road with just a few scattered properties tucked into the hills within 10 km. Much of the surrounding land was forestry or conservation reserves as most of it was too hilly to clear for grazing.

On the 24th January three deaths were reported in the USA from BMV. The three victims had all travelled within the last ten days from either Brasilia and from near São Paulo.

The following days news reports told of increasing numbers of deaths across Brazil, hundreds of thousands at least, possibly millions were reported. However, no further deaths were reported outside of South America. It was a tragedy but a tragedy far away. No sea or air travel south of the Panama was occurring except for emergency relief dropped by air. Perhaps that was more newsworthy than effective. Hopefully though, the virus would be contained.

We watched the Australia day ceremonies on TV and had our own BBQ. No prawns but we had lamb chops and snags. Karen showed Annelise how to make a pavlova. They created a beautiful meringue smothered with a thick layer of whipped cream and decorated with kiwifruit, blueberries and strawberries. After dinner Annelise phoned her parents. They assured her all would be fine and she should stay where she was.

On the 27th January, five days after we had travelled down to Callanup, we quietly settled into the downstairs bar area to watch the TV evening news. In the last 24 hours 450 deaths had been reported from across Portugal and a scattering across Europe. They were all persons who had been in contact with the family who had flown to Lisbon 12 days ago. However as well as passengers, victims included those just working in or passing through the Lisbon airport.

We stared, silent and in shock. South America perhaps had issues with medical quarantine and infection, but 450 deaths caused by a disease in a single day across Europe? Karen comforted a pale, shaken Annelise, bringing her to the couch next to us. She sobbed on Karen's shoulder while we continued looking at the screen in disbelief.

The next morning the TV news reported 653 deaths in the USA. Canada and Mexico had closed their borders to the USA. Australia was placing all visitors entering from America and Europe into quarantine. Temporary accommodation was being set up on all the international airports and flights from America were cancelled indefinitely. New Zealand had announced a three day ban on international air travel with quarantine applied to arrivals by sea.

On the 29th January Australia banned all international air travel indefinitely until disease control measures were certain. That day thousands of deaths occurred across Europe and hundreds in the USA.

By the last day of January the death toll was over ten thousand per day in the USA and Europe. The US Center for Disease Control had identified a virus common to all the victims and the WHO was coordinating research across the globe. They were working to produce testing kits and develop a vaccine. It was being reported that the virus had an 11 to 14 day incubation period. However once headache symptoms appeared it could be lethal in 4 to 6 hours. We comforted Anne that soon a vaccine would be prepared, it would be over and Hanne would be travelling before she knew it.