The Owls Club

The OWLS Club

The story is about a group of people, an actual place, and a dream. While having a none too subtle dig at society in general. This is a work of pure fiction. None of the characters are real people, nor do they represent real people. It is a slow burn, a lot of romance and some gratuitous sex for those who need to get off on it. It is based in Australia so I have used local language. There is some Italian and French conversations, so if you want to really become attached to the characters I strongly recommend you use a google translator. It will help with the flow of the conversations. As I use the Queen's English, I will apologise in advance to my American friends for the correct spelling of some words.

Some of the place names are correct.

There is no underage sex involved.

***It has been pointed out to me, on numerous occasions that the inclusion of French or another language, is somewhat distracting from the flow of the conversation. I will leave them in the story, [I have now included the English translation after each French conversation, in brackets] as I want you, the reader, to engage with each of the different characters, form a bond with them. So please, use a French to English translator [I use Google] it adds to the story.***

Chapter 15 -- a ménage à trois or A work of Art.

We stood around waiting for Terry to return from making a simple call to the Police, thinking they will be sending someone to pick up the gun powder and that would be that.

Terry came back and was shaking his head, "Nothing is straight forward for some people. They want us to evacuate the building they are sending the bomb squad to collect it. Honestly, some people are hopeless."

"I'll get everyone out, you find Mia and give her the good news, I'll try and find the Foreman and get him organised." I told him.

I grabbed Louie by her arm, "can you and a couple of your mates, put this crate somewhere safe?" Pointing to the guns.

She smiled, "I have a ute, we can take it anywhere you want me to." I smiled, "when Michelle reappears she'll show you the way to my place, there is a garden shed down the back."

And right on cue Michelle came running down the stairs, "Mistress, good news. The paintings can be seen by experts that authenticates Toulouse Lautrec's work. They are going to contact you direct Madam."

"That's wonderful." I told her. "Now I have another job for you, show Louie where we live and get them to put this box in the garden shed, for me please." I handed her a small key to the shed then reminded her. "Make certain you lock it up afterwards. Then bring me the key OK?"

"Oui Madam." She looked at Louie and the other labourer, she smiled at them then looking at Louie, she wet her lips and opened her eyes widely.

All of this right in front of me. "Michelle, behave and do not distract them from their work."

"Sorry Madam, I was thinking of something else."

"Yes I know what you were thinking Michelle, everyone knows what you were thinking, my sweet. You are very obvious." I reminded her.

She pouted at me, shrugged her shoulders and said "No madam I am very discreet."

"No Michelle, you are not, you try but discreet you are not, am I right Louie?" Putting her on the spot.

"Errrr I got your message Michelle." She said as she and her other mate picked up the crate and manhandled it up the stairs.

Michelle and I watched them move, looking at every minute twitch of every muscle, and as soon as they were out of sight, she turned to me, grabbed my arm and head-butted my shoulder, "Oh madam, isn't she so adorable, I think I shall have her before she has a shower, I need to take in all of her aroma's I think. Would that be OK? Do you think."

"I think you are one very excitable girl and yes you should make it very memorable, for you both. I think she likes the way you are dressed today. très sexy." I told her

She then ran out of the room and up the stairs to catch up with her soon to be new conquest.

Terry was just back into the room when Michelle whizzed passed him, "Where is she going in a hurry?" "Doing me a little favour." I told him.

"I am moving the crate of rifles to my garden shed. I didn't want the police to see them and then get them caught up in some bureaucratic red tape crap." I explained

"Kathleen, we are going to have to declare everything we find down here you know." He said.

"I know and we will, but of a time of our choosing. Which reminds me, did someone make an audited account of what was down here?" I enquired.

He looked at me, cocked his head to one side, it is an Ambrose thing, then told me "Erica and her girlfriend did."

"Her girlfriend?" I looked at him with a cold stare.

"Yeah, aren't they a couple?" He asked

"Not that I know of" I told him. Nodding my head at the same time.

"Mia is organising the evacuation by the way. I could tell your hands were going to be busy."

"I was wondering where everybody was."

It was then that we heard the sirens approaching from a distance, we looked at each other smiled, looped arms and marched ourselves back to the site office.

We were a happy pair actually, although we can't work together we still love each other as brother and sister should. We walked into the office which by now was crowded. There was a high ranking police officer there looking at the drawing and both Mia and Erica were giving her instructions as to what was where. I caught Mia's eyes and very slowly went sshhhhshhhh.

I leant into Erica and Anita and asked quietly. "Did you two make a list of what we found?' neither said a word but I got a slight nod from Erica. "Lose it for now" I told her. She and Anita left the office together.

Cynthia and Miriam came and stood with us and soon after Emily joined us. I turned to them all and said to them that the paintings were to be authenticated, and that I was just waiting on a phone call to arrange it. That brought a smile to every one's face. Mia then waved me over to the desk and introduced me to the police officer in charge of the operation.

"Kathleen Ambrose this is Sargent Briscoe, he will be running the operation today. I will let him explain what they plan to do." We shook hands exchanged pleasantries and he just simply said, that he didn't think there was any real danger, but they won't take any chances. The barrels will be placed into bomb proof metal containers, removed from site and they will dispose of them. They have the Fire Brigade and the Ambo's there just in case.

"What can you tell us about the barrels?" He asked.

"Not a lot really, the building was finished in 1863, probably took a couple of years to build, so the powder could have been there from around the early 1860's. We have no family records from that time to suggest any of this!" I told him.

I smiled but it wasn't convincing. He suggested we vacate and let them handle everything from here on in.

We all went outside to find the street full of people and extra police cars and personal, ushering people back further down the street. TV news vehicles were being set up so I guided the family away from them. I looked at Terry and Cynthia and they took both Emily and Miriam even further away. I rang terry, even though he was only a couple of hundred feet away from me.

"Why don't you take the girls home or if you want to hang around until they finish, head over to the British and wait for us there." I suggested to him.

"Yes the British sounds like good idea, I could do with a drink." He told me.

"We'll see you there shortly." I replied.

I waited until Mia came out of the site office, and we briefly chatted about who is going to say what.

"Mia" I said "We could turn this into our advantage you know."

"Oh, how so Kathy?" She looked at me with a sly grin on her face.

"Well, the TV news teams are going to hound us until they get something. If the police media people are here, let them give the basic details and you speak on the family's behalf about the building renovations and what the plans are for it."

"I mean a little advanced publicity for the OWLS Club can't be all bad." I explained to her.

"She smiled, "I'm not dressed for it, but your Michelle is." She told me.

"No, I think that is taking things a little too far, at the moment. Nice try, but it's you I'm afraid." I put my hand on her shoulder, "Besides, a good chance to plug your new business name. We are having drinkies at the British if you need us."

Smiled, waved her a good bye and went off in search of Michelle. Being the good sub she was turning out to be, she was waiting by my car, talking to Louise or Louie as we have got to know her.

I walked up to them and the first thing Michelle told me was that had made certain the garden shed was shut. I smiled, patted her face cheek, Thanked Louie for keeping her company and asked her. "When are we going to enjoy your company around home?"

She looked at me and said they were just talking about the timing of that, then she said, "If you don't have anything planned for Saturday afternoon, that would be as good a time as any".

I did check my phone calendar, but I was certain Michelle would have already checked. "We are free this weekend Mistress." I was told.

I looked at her with lust in her eyes, then turned to Louie, "Would 3pm be too soon or too late for you?"

"3pm is fine by me," She replied.

"Good, I'll get the spa cranked up, and we can dine outside under the vines." I told them. "Michelle, I will leave you in charge of organising the food. OK sweetheart?"

"We are heading around to the British Hotel for a family chat and a drink." I explained. "So we shall see you three o'clock tomorrow Louise."

I shook her hand and Michelle cheekily kissed her on the lips, and dragged her hand across her cheek and then her chest. I smiled wickedly at her, and told her quietly, "you naughty girl." As we got into the car.

Michelle smiled at me as we drove around to the British, it wasn't that far, but with roads blocked off and police doing their traffic control thing, it took us much longer than I anticipated.

Michelle turn to me and rested her hand high on my leg, "Mistress why do you drive such a small car?"

"I like this car, it's quite a nice car." I told her.

"It is, but it doesn't suit you Madam. I mean you are so Élégant such a beauté. You should have a car like your brother."

I laughed, "No Michelle, I shouldn't. His is way too ostentatious for my taste. Maybe one of those new Ford Mustangs, bright red or yellow maybe?"

Michelle clapped her hands together like a little girl at Christmas, giggled and I suggested to her "Maybe we can go looking this weekend?"

"Oh no Mistress, we will be busy Saturday, possibly too busy even on Sunday as well." She answered with a wicked smile on her gorgeous face.

I laughed loudly "If we're lucky we will be." As we got waved through a crowded intersection by a burly looking policeman.

We met the others at the British, they had a table arranged for us in the Bistro area, and a bottle of wine opened and waiting for us. The wine was waiting for us, they had already commenced.

I waved our hello to the staff there and Michelle went up to the bar and arranged for some water for the table. I gave her a strange look when she brought it to the table.

"Je veux une tête claire pour nos discussions aujourd’hui et pour le reste de la semaine ma Maîtresse" she told me. [I want a clear head for our discussions today and for the rest of the week my Mistress] We had previously agreed for her to keep speaking French when around my family. Emily and Mia were the only ones who knew of my concerns when around the others.

"Bien sûr, vous le faites, il n'y a rien de pire que d'avoir un nouvel amant quand vous avez la « gueule de bois »." I replied to her. [Of course you do, there's nothing worse than having a new lover when you are 'hungover'.]

I explained to everyone that Michelle would want to remain clear headed for our discussion. I shrugged my shoulders at Terry.

He replied to her that he thought she was a wise women.

"Il pense que vous êtes sage" [He thinks you are wise] I told her, she smiled at said "Merci"

"Ok so what do we know, we have some boxes of tea from China, we have a crate of guns, which I have relocated to my place, by the way, ssshhh mums the word." I then turned to Cynthia and Miriam and asked "I forgot about you two, what were in those little boxes."

Cynthia took out her little box and put it on the table. We all looked at it, and then looked at both Miriam and Cynthia. "OK, I'll asked, what's in there?"

Miriam pulled open the box, and all we saw were pieces of stones and rocks. She told everyone that at first glance they look like pretty non-descript stones and rocks. BUT she didn't let on about her thoughts and questions.

"Why would someone hide such small amounts of bits and pieces in a store room hidden in a cellar over one hundred and fifty years ago? What was happening at that time?" She asked.

I looked at Terry and Cindy, their faces were blank, Miriam had a similar look on her face and Emily was busy on her phone. I turned to look at Michelle who played her part and said nothing.

Emily handed her mum the phone. And then she told us "the Taiping-rebellion or the Chinese civil war." We still looked at each other dumbfounded.

"OK, but what's that got to do with the price of eggs?" I asked.

It was Emily who started to put the jigsaw together for us dummies. "What happens in times of war?" She started off. "Confusion, breakdown of law and order etc. The old regime was corrupt, apparently."

"Not much has changed." I told her.

I got that Ambrose look from her. And Michelle giggled. "J'ai déjà vu ce regard de toi Maîtresse." [I have already seen this look of you Mistress.]

"Shush you." I told her.

Emily continued. "At some point in time, someone in the family must have taken payment 'in kind' for some sort of job. If the 'job' wasn't quite legit, it makes sense that the contraband is hidden away. China at one point was the major tea supplier to the old British Empire, so getting a few boxes put aside probably was no big deal. The rum, well I don't have any idea about the rum, or the gun powder and rifles. Now these worthless pieces of rocks and stones." She took a mouth full of her wine. Looked around the table. Took hold of her mum's hand.

"What else was or is China known for?" She asked us as if she were a school teacher. "Gems stones." She exclaimed. "I'm betting that all these boxes contain gem stones in their raw form."

"Mum and I figured it out with grand ma." We all sat there silently, contemplating the likelihood that we were holding onto a significant amount of rare Chinese gem stones.

I looked at Terry and started to laugh. He joined in. Soon all of us were laughing at the thought.

I sat there in deep contemplation and asked, to no one in particular. "Do you think the Chinese will want them back?"

"Absolutely." Said Terry, "you know how they get over their historical bits and pieces?" he told us all.

We all looked at each other. I then asked them all at once. "Do we have a moral obligation to hand it over to them? If we do then what about the wine, do we give that back to the French? Are we responsible for what 3 or 4 generations ago did or didn't do?"

I looked at Terry and for the first time in a long time I asked him what he thought.

He took a sip of the wine, before saying, "I know my grand-father had no love for the police or the government. He often use to say to our dad and to us 'Give the bastards nothing'. So I am saying to all of us, 'finders' keepers'. We found it we keep it."

I turned to Cindy, "What do you think sis?" She looked at me strangely as if being included in a family discussion took her by surprise. "I think you and Terry are right, we don't know where it all came from or why, as far as we know, it was nothing illegal, so yes, as Terry said 'Finders' keepers'

I looked at Miriam. "What about you sweetie?" "I'm not sure," She said. "I don't think the people way back then were any better or smarter than we are. We have no idea what it is all worth, and does the worth of it all actually matter if it's a matter of conscience. I really don't know what to do with it."

"Well Emily," I asked. She took a deep breath, "I wish Mia was here." Her mum smiled and hugged her. Then Emily told us. "The last week or so has been both draining and remarkable. I think that the Ambrose family has built its name over many generations, and none of us really knows how it was done. Each generation has added to the previous by their actions, each of us have added to what we have had before. That sounds jumbled." She said, "but you know what I mean." We smiled and were nodding like those creatures with their big heads on springs, people put in the cars. "How did we move from shipping maintenance and building to owning property? And more importantly, why? Why was it all hidden away and no mention of it has ever been recorded? That to me seems more suspicious than anything. This is our legacy from the generations before us, it is up to us to use it wisely, not give it away."

I looked at her and felt so proud that my niece's daughter could be so profound. I looked at Terry and with tears in my eyes said. "Spoken like a true Ambrose." I then told everyone "I am going to ask Michelle what she thinks about us giving the wine back to the French government."

"Michelle, que pensez-vous du fait que nous parlons de rendre le vin au gouvernement Français??"

[Michelle, what do you think about the fact that we are talking about returning the wine to the French government?]

In reply she told us all. "T'es sérieux? Nous Français avons plus de vin que nous ne pouvons en boire, nous n'en avons pas besoin et je ne pense pas que nous l'ayons manqué. Donc, je dirais que vous êtes fou." [Are you serious? We French have more wine than we can drink, we don't need it and I don't think we missed it. So, I'd say you're crazy."]

I smiled and told everyone, "She thinks we are crazy to give it back."

We all took another sip of the wine which was fast running out.

Mia walked into the room, all smiles and looking rather pleased with herself. Emily went over to her and hugged her. Kissed her, in a none too professional way, and hugged her some more. Mia held her at arm's length, and told us, "Oh WOW if I am going to get greeted like this every time I do a TV interview, then I will do them every week."

Emily looked at her. "A TV interview?" She asked. Mia nodded and stood at the table and explained.

"The police media people did the technical stuff about the gun powder being found in an abandoned store room, while there were some renovations taking place. I just basically told them that while doing some routine renovations we came across an unused store room with a few tea chests and some barrels of rum and gunpowder. We got more questions about the rum than anything else. It has all been cleared now. The guys are just cleaning up and the sparky is going to run those lights as far as he can into the tunnel."

Just as we finished speaking and starting to get up, my phone went off. An unknown number so I played it carefully. "Hello Kathleen Ambrose speaking. Yes that's me. Excellent, what time suits you? Yes that's perfect and how long will you need them? And you'll be insuring them while in your procession? Oh good. As quickly as all that? Yes Michelle did mention that but I haven't discussed that with my family just yet. We were hoping to have an opening here within a few months or so. Yes I understand that Paris is only 24 hours away, maybe we can work something out. Can I call you back and what number you are on now? Excellent, let me talk to my family, yes they are all here now. Can you make a decision right away? Well I can see no reason why we can't resolve the situation straight away. OK Au revoir."