We were in the process of moving into The Laurels. I was busy overseeing the men as they brought in the furniture when Emily our maid came to me and said, "Misses, I was just putting some stuff away in a cupboard and I found this right at the back of the top shelf."
She handed me a rather beautiful leather bound book and across the front of it in gold letters was inscribed "My Journal," with a date some ten years back.
I had a brief glance at the first entries and they seemed to be those of a young man who had recorded a cruise on board one of those floating Taj Mahals they call "Cruise Liners."
I put it into the drawer of my bedside cabinet, intending to read it later. It takes a while to settle into a large house like The Laurels and so it was not until several days later I got back to the journal.
I'd slept alone ever since my husband John had died, and so I wouldn't be interrupting anyone's sleep. I took the journal from the draw, and sitting up in bed began to read.
What I read captivated me and I spent most of the night reading.
Since my husband's death I often resort to this internet site to help me with my emotional difficulties, and so I decided I'd like to share with other users of this site some of the pleasure I gained from reading the journal.
I have changed the original names, using pseudonyms as the fancy took me.
It began with an undated preamble that I think sounds rather angry.
The Journal.
How typical of father. He always assumes that everyone will go along with his plans for them.
Tonight over dinner he announced, "Adrian, since you're finishing school in a month and a half and you've done well, I've decided you and your mother will go on a luxury cruise for a month. I've made the bookings and there are some brochures on the reading desk in the library.
I glanced across the table at mother. She gave an almost imperceptible shrug, smiled faintly, but said nothing.
"Typical," I thought, "we all do what father wants, no argument."
I was not so naΓ―ve as to think that he really wanted to reward me for doing well at my studies. He'd packed mother and me off on other occasions, but never for a month. "This one must be a top class fuck," I thought.
I often wondered why mother stayed with him and I'd even asked her. Reluctantly she said that she owed him something because he'd pulled her out of pretty poor circumstances and married her. There's quite a story there but I won't write it down now.
I took a look at the brochures and they told me just what I'd expected. "A Floating Palace" was one description; another said, "Why Wait, Experience Heaven Now!"
Again typical of father, he thought he could pay us, or anyone else, off with a bit of overcooked luxury.
Well, I suppose mum and I are stuck with it, and I can think of worse people to spend a month with.
10th December.
Came on board today. It's just as I thought it would be. Everything that passes for the "Good Life:" Luxury cabins, cinema, bars (4), cabaret entertainers, gyms (2), swimming pool and spa pools, dance floors, shops, chapel and you name it, and everywhere grinning staff waiting to do your slightest bidding. Sickening. I'd much rather mum and I were doing some hang gliding or mountain climbing.
11th December.
Arid, that's what it is. Everywhere I look there are wrinkles and crinkles. Some of them seem like dad, filthy rich, but most of them look as if they're having their first and last superannuation splash in first class, before sans eyes, sans ears, sans sex, sans brain, sans everything, that's what I'm stuck with.
I've never had sex so I'd hoped I might lose my virginity with some girl on the loose during the cruise; no chance.
I believe there are some younger people on the lower decks, but we don't go down there. I might sneak down there though and see if I can do any good for myself.
12th December.
Went with mum to the cocktail lounge for the cocktail hour; I think for most of them cocktail hour is ever hour of the day.
Had a strange experience; there was a woman sitting near us and she kept looking at me. Apart from mum she looked to be one of the youngest women around, I estimated about fifty. When I looked back at her she gave me a quirky sort of smile.
She was wearing a shirtwaister dress in multi-coloured Indian cotton with three buttons at the neck undone, and I could just see a bit of her cleavage which was made more prominent by contrast with her large breasts. I've never seen naked breasts but trying to compare hers with other's I'd seen partially revealed by bikini wearers, I thought hers to be huge.
After a while she rose and made her way towards the exit, and at the exit she turned and stood there for a full half minute looking at me, then she left.
13th December.
I had a swim in the pool today while I made up my mind whether to make my foray to the lower decks. I was sitting at the side of the pool when the woman I'd seen in the cocktail lounge came and sat beside me.
Feeling I ought to be friendly and make some conversation I said, "I saw you in the cocktail lounge yesterday."
She smiled and said, "So you remember me?"
"Yes," I replied, and trying to be affable I added, "You'd be hard to forget." Of course it was her boobs that were hard to forget but I didn't say that.
"That's a lovely thing to say," she almost cooed.
She was sitting very close to me and without making it to too obvious I tried to weigh her up.
I could smell a subtle but seductive perfume and see fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and the flesh of her neck was showing signs of sagging, but she had the sort of face that I usually associate with a cat-walk model, with its high cheek bones, long, and slightly concave nose, wide, full lips and dark eyes deeply set under strong brows.
Her long blonde hair, probably dyed, was held back by two combs, and it fell over her shoulders. I could imagine her when younger posed, mouth moistly open, hips jutting and staring at the camera with that apparently obligatory look of arrogant resentment models seem to favour.
I wondered if when younger she had been a model, but I thought that they don't go in for such big breasts in that business, so perhaps not.
After a while she stood and said, "I'm just going to have a swim, don't go away."
She was wearing a colourfully striped beach robe, and when she took it off I saw she was wearing a bikini and my idea that she had huge breasts was confirmed. They were almost spilling out of the cups, and yet they didn't look as if they would sag without the cup support; in fact it was almost as if her breasts supported the cups rather than the other way round.
Despite what I estimated to be her age, I started to get horny.
My school education had been at an exclusive boys' boarding school and I remembered what the guys had said about older women. They'd come back after the holidays boasting about their sexual conquests; this included endless screwing with cousins, sisters, mothers, and in one case a grandmother.
I didn't believe most of these tales, but in the case of the grandmother it was possible because it was Wanker Price who told that story.
In the dormitory our beds were divided off by thin screens and Wanker made no secret of his nightly masturbation. He'd yell out, "I've shot my load five times and I'm trying for a sixth."
He claimed he'd surpassed himself with his grandmother, "I came into her eight times in one night."
The woman came out of the pool and her bikini was made of the sort of material that becomes semi-transparent when it's wet. I could see her nipples though the cloth of the cups, and that got me even hornier.
When she'd dried herself she put on her robe and sat beside me.
"We'd better introduce ourselves," she said. "I'm Angela Stern."
"Adrian Sturt," I replied.
We shook hands and she held on to mine for a bit longer than a normal handshake requires.
"Who was that lovely lady I saw you with in the cocktail lounge?" she asked.
"My mother."
"You're mother! I thought she might be your older sister or even..."
She didn't complete the sentence as her voice trailed away. For some reason she looked rather pleased.
"It must be rather boring for you being among so many older people," she said quietly.
I laughed and managed a bit of flattery.
"Everybody's not old, there's you."
"What a lovely young man you are," she said, "how old do you think I am."
I hate that question, but I suppose I'd brought it on myself. I played it as safe as I could and said, "Oh, I'd say about thirty nine or forty."
She laughed lightly and laying her hand on my thigh she said, "I think you're trying to flatter me."
I began to protest but she interrupted; "Now I don't usually tell people my age, but as you're so sweet I'll let you into the secret; I'm fifty three."
That was roughly what I'd estimated, but I put in my protest, "No, you're kidding me," etc.
"Well, if you come to my cabin I can show you my driver's license and a few other things," she said.
I was just about to agree when mum came looking for me.
"It's time for lunch darling."
This afternoon I played a few desultory games of quoits with mum. I don't think she's having a good time either. Pity there's not a few young guys around to keep her entertained.