My family have lived in the same town, for more generations than anyone can remember. The house in question, is a large three storey, red brick, Victorian house. The middle one of three. It had been a terrace with more houses. The ones either side, had been bombed out during the war. It looked rather incongruous. Three tall houses, now flanked by more modern looking, lower buildings. Even how I came to be here is odd.
My My grandfather had died, some time ago. My parents would in the normal run of things, be in line to inherit the house, when grandma passed away. However, Dad had taken early retirement and he and Mum had emigrated. They told Gran, they didn't want the house. So, she had changed her will, to leave the house to me, as the only remaining, direct relative. I had no wish to go with Mum and Dad. I'm not good in the heat. The thought of spending the rest of my life, baking in the sun, didn't appeal. With nowhere left to go. I had brought what few possessions I had and moved in.
My name is Terry. I'm an only child. Nothing unusually had happened to me, as I grew up. I worked hard at school, went to university and got a job with a firm of architects, in the town where our family live. When I moved in, she had a companion living with her, a lady about her own age called Victoria, presumably named after the deceased queen.
I was around thirty when this happened. Gran greeted me when I arrived. Her name is Stella, born in the early years of the twentieth century, the Edwardian era. Her father had been the person responsible, for building what had then been a terrace.
I was given a bedroom on the middle floor at the back of the house, overlooking the garden. Grandma was in a large room over looking the road at the front. There was a bathroom and another room on this landing, which I presume belonged to Victoria. Rather cryptically, grandma had told me, that the house had lots of secrets, some I would find, others she would show me. That sounded interesting. I was curious. I began methodically exploring, when I had time.
I began at the top. The attic space was dusty and hung with cobwebs. It didn't look as if anyone had been up there for decades. A lot of toys from the 1960s and 70s. I suppose these must have belonged to my Dad. Old suitcases and trunks deep in dust. I went through them one a time. Some were empty. Others contained old blankets and sheets. One trunk took my interest. Really old female underwear. Stockings, the type held up by garter belts rather than suspenders. About half a dozen of said garters. Numerous corsets of different types. These weren't the sort, just to keep the figure constricted. They were silk and satin, with elaborate decoration. Not something to be covered by clothes. Did these belong to grandma? Apart from a few old chairs and table lamps, nothing of interest.
That was enough for one day. I needed a shower. Sadly, what I was faced with was a large cast iron roll top bath. Oh, well. At least I could get clean. I almost bumped into grandma as I came out.
"Are you getting used to it here?"
"Yes, a bit more old fashioned than where I came from but it looks nice. A shower would have been good but the bath gives you room to stretch out."
I didn't have time to look around more, until the following weekend. Nobody was using the top floor. However, it was still fully furnished. It didn't look as if anything had changed, since the house was built. Four rooms, all with Victorian furniture, mahogany and velvet everywhere. Unlike the attic, all of the rooms were spotlessly clean. I found out that, grandma had a cleaner come in once a week, to dust and vacuum. As with most rooms of this era, they were over full, compared to modern taste.
Initially, I didn't find any of the secrets I had been told about. All of the rooms looked as if a middle class Victorian family, had just left for the day. The most interesting of the rooms, was the one at the back, directly above mine. Similar to the others. Thickly embossed wallpaper in red. Long velvet curtains to match, hung beside the window. There was a wardrobe, a long button back day bed and a leather armchair. Most interesting, a wooden tripod, holding a brass and wooden camera. In the wardrobe, similar to the things in the trunk, elaborate satin dresses. Well, not exactly normal dresses. The skirt portion of three only covered the the back and both sides of the wearer. Two more, the front and two sides. Was the wearer's pussy or arse meant to be on show. A box in the bottom had lots of pairs of elbow length black silk gloves in it. There were several pairs of buttoned ankle length boots. The type that are done up using a hook.
I was curious. There were outfits, which hinted at something more than family portraits. Yet I'd found none of the pictures, which had been taken with the camera. Definitely a secret. Something for another day. I went down to the ground floor.
"Make us a pot of tea would you."
I went to the kitchen and put on the kettle. No mugs and teabags here. A pot, cups, saucers, a milk jug and sugar bowl, all carried on a silver tray.
"Having fun, looking around?" Gran asked.
"So far, yes. The attic was really grubby. The top floor is spotless. Is all of that down to you?"
"All of the furniture and decoration is from my parents time. A cleaner comes in from time to time, to keep it tidy."
"I do some dusting and polishing." Victoria added.
"Who do all of those dresses in the top floor wardrobe belong to?"
"They were my mother's." Gran said.
I raised an eyebrow. I must have looked rather shocked.
"One secret revealed. I'll let you find out more yourself. Keep searching." She said.
Not something I would expect from my grandmother. She was certainly not phased by what I had found. I had a thought, did my Dad know about this? He seemed pretty old fashioned and quiet about anything remotely rude or risqué. So perhaps not. Grandma's comment seemed to imply, that there may well be photographs. I just had to find them.
The following weekend, I resumed my efforts. The room with the camera didn't reveal anything. There was no indication of a hidden panel, or secret drawer in the wardrobe. The room above Gran's looked more promising. It was set up as a gentlemen's study. A leather armchair, a large desk and chair, plus several book cases. I had searched the desk drawers. Only what you would expect, sheets of paper, pens, ink and envelopes. Probably where my great grandfather wrote his letters. I had taken a quick look at the bookshelves. Lots of leather bound books. Novels, books on exploration, nature. Everything you would expect. I scanned each row and the structure of the bookcases. Ha!
A book with a single word, Mary, on the spine. The name of my great grandmother. I pulled it out. Leather bound like the rest, it looked like a hand written journal. I was just about to start reading, when something in the shelf caught my eye. A gold coloured ring, behind where the book had been. I removed the two books either side and pulled the ring. A whole section of the case moved. Three rows high and about three feet wide. I took hold of the wooden sides and pulled. I lifted out the section and placed it on the floor. Behind it, three large leather bound volumes, about twelve inches by nine and quite thick. I took them out and placed them on the desk.
I knew, from the fact that they were hidden, that this wouldn't be a series of family portraits, sat stiffly looking into the camera. Other than that, I didn't know what I would see. The books were numbered, so I opened number one. The pages, felt like cardboard, a paper frame, with a large photo slid behind it. The first three pictures, an almost naked lady. Just ankle boots stockings and garters, just above the knee. A nice body, well rounded, perhaps forty years old, difficult to tell. Her hairy pussy visible in the front and side shots. A nice bum in the rear shot. As I went on, she was dressed in the outfits I saw in the wardrobe. In some the top of the dress undone, holding her breasts towards the photographer. I'd no idea what my great grandmother looked like but from what gran had said this must be her.
People always assume that people in the Victorian era were reserved and starchy. It looked as if there was an undercurrent of sexual behaviour, in some places. The second album was a bit more shocking, than the first. A naked man, combed back hair and a handlebar moustache. A decent erection displayed for the camera. As the album went on. He was pictured sucking another man's cock and getting fucked in the arse. He was also pictured with what I assumed was my great grandmother, she sucking his cock and getting fucked in her pussy and arse. The resolution from these large plate cameras was pretty good. Certainly better than most cheap modern SLRs. So if that was great grandfather, he was bisexual.
Album three started with a young woman, naked in the same three poses as the first album. Smaller breasts and bottom, more sparse pubic hair. Moving on, she was bent over, anus on view. Great grandfather, his penis doing her anally, followed by an even older man doing the same. The final few shots, what looked like three generations. Presumably the older man's wife, with great grandfather in her arse and pussy. Behind me,
"Not going to have a wank."
