Please read When We Were Young Ch. 10 and this will make a lot more sense.
Special thanks to kenjisato for the editing, whom I cannot recommend enough.
Comments would really be appreciated.
This part contains M/F, M/FFF, and M/M consensual sex.
**
Miss Ruth, Jazz, and Thea stopped and put on knee-length satin robes that had been laying on a chaise lounge, and slippers, then ushered us down a path toward the front of the castle.
"I'm taking you in through the front door, so you can get the layout as it was intended. We usually use the garage entrance these days," Miss Ruth said.
It was a bit of a hike, two to three minutes, to get from the pool, past the garage, and around to the front. We walked up the stone steps at the front and shoved the heavy, wooden front door open.
"Is important to keep door oiled very good," Jazz commented.
The entrance hall was, well, massive. Fifty feet wide, with a ceiling twenty-five feet high, the floor was grey stone, covered by massive oriental rugs, and staircases just inside the entrance led to the upper floor on either side. A walkway ran down either wall, large, grey stone spindles giving a glimpse of the floor above. Stained-glass windows every thirty feet or so let in beautiful, colored light, diffusing some of the heat. A huge chandelier hung at the entrance and large ceiling fans spun slowly as we progressed down the hall.
"The walls jut out twenty feet starting here, and the rooms begin," Miss Ruth said, after we'd gone about one hundred feet. "The eight original bedrooms are on the upper floor, further along, and a ninth was added on this floor when my father fell ill. We took part of the front library and created a large bedroom and bathroom. The back library is on the upper floor between the bedrooms. My kids played and studied there a lot.
"The kitchen is just here, on the garage side," she said, as we entered the room, around twenty feet by forty. Unlike what we'd seen so far, the kitchen was modern, with stainless-steel Viking appliances, a large island, and a breakfast nook that seated four. Copper pots and pans hung above the island, which I always thought was classy.
"The dining room, which seats twenty comfortably, is across the entry hall, though we usually eat here, or in Jazz's and Thea's rooms.
"And here is the entrance from the garage. Also, the best entrance from the pool and children's play area," she said, as we passed a door.
"And here is the front library and bedroom." The library portion was beautiful, with custom-made, two-story bookcases adorning three walls and hundreds of books in this room alone.
"Through that door is the bedroom," Miss Ruth added, pointing out a closed door at the end of the room. "I avoid going in there, if possible," she added.
"Come along," she said, very much the tour guide. Jazz and Thea held our hands, pointing things out to us as we walked along, their loosely tied robes distracting.
Back in the main hallway, we were confronted by a grey, stone wall with three doors, double doors in the middle, and single ones at each end. "The middle doors lead to the ballroom. The doors on either end lead to staircases, or beyond the ballroom to rooms at the back. We'll take these stairs," Miss Ruth said, opening the door on the right.
The stairs, you guessed it, were of grey stone, and beautiful. Looking over the stone railing, we could look down into the ballroom, which was, you got it, massive. I'm going to guess forty-feet wide by one-hundred-and-fifty-feet long, with a twenty-five-foot ceiling.
"All we need is a hoop and a ball," I said to Thea, her smile lighting up the room.
"Do you play?" she asked, excitedly.
"Does he play? Honey, Anthony was a star at State U. for four years," Miss Ruth proclaimed, a twinkle in her eye.
Thea's face lit up. "Were you, really?"
I laughed. "No, Miss Ruth is exaggerating, greatly. I was a walk-on; hardly ever played."
"T loves so much the basketball. She makes me watch, but I do not understand the rules too much. Do you play, Leenda?" Jazz asked.
"No, I played soccer. In Thailand, maybe you call it football?"
"Football. Yes! Many mens play this in Thailand. Not so much the women. Women in America can do many things one cannot do in my old country. But here, anything is possible. Right, Ruthie?"
"That's exactly right, Jazz."
"Yes. I like watch the football. Many cute buns and strong thighs." Holding Linda at arm's length, she said, "Yes, I see now. Strong thighs and a tight ass. You must be very good at the football, Leenda."
"Good? Jazz, last year, Linda scored more goals than any other woman in the whole country," I said, grinning at Linda.
Jazz's mouth was wide open. "This is true, Leenda?"
Linda laughed. "Well, yes, but my university was in Division II, not the really big schools."
"Still, I think you must be very good. Maybe you show how play one day, yes?"
"I would love that, Jazz," Linda said, smiling at our new friend, who grinned and squeezed her hand.
"Here is the first of three bedrooms on this side of the castle, one with a private bath, the other two share a bath," Miss Ruth said, continuing the tour. We peeked inside at a large, well-appointed room with a king-size bed, dresser, ceiling fan, small sofa, TV, and walk-in closet.
"We renovated the bedrooms and bathrooms about five years ago, added air conditioning, and re-wired the whole place. What a job."
"What a mess. Is dust everywhere during this time. I am so happy when this is finished," Jazz added.
"The three bedrooms on the other side are identical, though I use one for an office," Miss Ruth said, as we reached the back of the castle.
"The master bedroom is in this corner, with an identical bedroom in the other corner. In between are the living room, the second library, and a small kitchen. The main kitchen is not very convenient when you want a glass of milk at three AM.
"Linda, come here, honey, I have a surprise, especially for you," Miss Ruth said, taking her other hand.
"Close your eyes," she said, then opened the door and ushered us into the master bedroom. In the corner was a massive river stone fireplace big enough to roast Jazz in. Tears sprang to my eyes and Thea looked at me, concerned, until I smiled.
I went over behind Linda and wrapped my arms around her, my chin resting on the top of her head. "Open your eyes, baby," I whispered.
She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, body shaking slightly. She hugged Miss Ruth hard, then buried her head in my chest, crying, the crying becoming great racking sobs, as she held me tightly to her. I held her and whispered softly to her, her body slowly relaxing and the tears easing to a slow trickle.
The others looked on, concerned, while I smoothed her hair, wiped her tears with my shirt, and kissed her softly. "You okay?" I whispered.
She nodded and stepped back, Jazz appearing with some water and a tissue. "Thank you, honey," Linda said, smiling gratefully.
"Sorry about that," she said, blushing. "I think I'm a little overwhelmed. Between the engagement, the castle, and now this, it's just a lot for twenty-four hours."
Miss Ruth took her hand and they walked over to look at the fireplace, running their hands over the large, smooth stones, while I explained to Jazz and Thea the significance of a bedroom fireplace to Linda and me.
"Linda has these little gold flecks in her green eyes that just sparkle when she's happy or excited. The first night we spent together, Linda lit candles in the bedroom, and when I saw those gold flecks dancing in the candlelight, I said we should always have candles until we could have a home with a bedroom fireplace.
"She told me later that when she was little, her dad made her a beautiful dollhouse for her fourth birthday, and there was a fireplace in the bedroom where mom and dad slept. Linda wanted her dad to build her a real fireplace, but he said she would have to wait until she got married.
