polyamorous unit based on dominance and submission. A sort of pack of people that function as a family unit. The ring means he was part of that unit, though I’m surprised he didn’t actually live there.”
“Perhaps he did. Perhaps this Larches place is in Chervil Court.”
“No.” Meinwen took the ring back and slipped it over her finger but it was far too big. She put it back on the table. “Trust me, I know the place. I applied to join once. It was the reason I moved to Laverstone from Aberdovey in the first place.”
“So why didn’t you?” Jimmy took a long swallow of tea. “Join this Pollyanna place, I mean.”
“I moved into the cottage instead. I wanted to experience the place before I committed myself.”
“Sounds sensible.” Jimmy grinned. “They do that with prison an’ all. It’s called school.” The smile left his face when Meinwen didn’t laugh. “So what happened? Didn’t you like it?”
“I didn’t get the chance. The head of the household, the alpha male if you like, was murdered shortly after I arrived and I ended up being asked to investigate. By the time you’ve poked into everyone’s business and discovered all the little secrets they’d rather keep hidden the last thing they want to do is take you in as part of the family. Not for want of trying. Richard, his replacement, offered to honor his father’s promise but he was too young for me to take seriously. I couldn’t see myself on my knees to a lad younger by a decade.”
“On your knees? Why?” Jimmy’s mouth widened into an “O” of understanding. “Ah. Never mind.” He coughed. “Sooo...”
“Not fellatio.” Meinwen laughed. “Well, not just fellatio. Dominance and submission. Wanting to be somewhere where you’re loved completely. Where all you want to do is serve someone. To see a genuine smile of appreciation for service. To hear a softly spoken thank-you that isn’t just words but genuine appreciation. And more than that, to do something to the best of your ability, even if the person you do it for never sees or knows about it, because it’s the right thing to do.” She smiled, looking away to hide her blush. “I can’t explain it very well.”
“I think I get the gist of it.” Jimmy leaned back in his chair to flick the kettle switch again. “It’s a bit like being in the nick. Each block has factions with a chief and his two or three lieutenants and often a boy to take care of things around the cell and there’s a strict hierarchy from the chief to the poor bastard who mucks out the bogs. Everybody knows their place and the block ticks along nicely.”
“Yes, I suppose it is a bit like that. The model for it was the post-War leather scene, where ex-soldiers in civilian life reverted to the hierarchy they had in their platoons. Here it expanded to include straight men and women and all the range in between. Last time I was there the people at the Larches had got it sussed very nicely.”
“And everybody has sex with everybody else?”
“Not exactly, but all needs are catered for, you might say.”
“And you think John was into this?”
“I do. It’s funny, though. I don’t remember anyone else wearing rings.” Meinwen bit her lip. “Mind you, I was never party to the mechanics of joining. All the people living there had this design tattooed onto their necks. It was quite sweet, really. It gave everyone a sense of belonging.”
“Like this one?” Jimmy tilted his neck to display an eagle tattoo, its once-black ink faded to blue.
Meinwen grinned. “A little more discrete.” She pulled out her phone to dial Peters again. While she waited for him to answer, Jimmy picked up her mug and held it aloft, his eyebrows raised. “Yes, please. Anything but the berry.” She almost missed Peters answering, so intent was she on watching the muscles shift under Jimmy’s jeans. “Oh, Sergeant. Sorry. It’s Meinwen again.”
“I know. It comes up with your name on the
“Perhaps he did. Perhaps this Larches place is in Chervil Court.”
“No.” Meinwen took the ring back and slipped it over her finger but it was far too big. She put it back on the table. “Trust me, I know the place. I applied to join once. It was the reason I moved to Laverstone from Aberdovey in the first place.”
“So why didn’t you?” Jimmy took a long swallow of tea. “Join this Pollyanna place, I mean.”
“I moved into the cottage instead. I wanted to experience the place before I committed myself.”
“Sounds sensible.” Jimmy grinned. “They do that with prison an’ all. It’s called school.” The smile left his face when Meinwen didn’t laugh. “So what happened? Didn’t you like it?”
“I didn’t get the chance. The head of the household, the alpha male if you like, was murdered shortly after I arrived and I ended up being asked to investigate. By the time you’ve poked into everyone’s business and discovered all the little secrets they’d rather keep hidden the last thing they want to do is take you in as part of the family. Not for want of trying. Richard, his replacement, offered to honor his father’s promise but he was too young for me to take seriously. I couldn’t see myself on my knees to a lad younger by a decade.”
“On your knees? Why?” Jimmy’s mouth widened into an “O” of understanding. “Ah. Never mind.” He coughed. “Sooo...”
“Not fellatio.” Meinwen laughed. “Well, not just fellatio. Dominance and submission. Wanting to be somewhere where you’re loved completely. Where all you want to do is serve someone. To see a genuine smile of appreciation for service. To hear a softly spoken thank-you that isn’t just words but genuine appreciation. And more than that, to do something to the best of your ability, even if the person you do it for never sees or knows about it, because it’s the right thing to do.” She smiled, looking away to hide her blush. “I can’t explain it very well.”
“I think I get the gist of it.” Jimmy leaned back in his chair to flick the kettle switch again. “It’s a bit like being in the nick. Each block has factions with a chief and his two or three lieutenants and often a boy to take care of things around the cell and there’s a strict hierarchy from the chief to the poor bastard who mucks out the bogs. Everybody knows their place and the block ticks along nicely.”
“Yes, I suppose it is a bit like that. The model for it was the post-War leather scene, where ex-soldiers in civilian life reverted to the hierarchy they had in their platoons. Here it expanded to include straight men and women and all the range in between. Last time I was there the people at the Larches had got it sussed very nicely.”
“And everybody has sex with everybody else?”
“Not exactly, but all needs are catered for, you might say.”
“And you think John was into this?”
“I do. It’s funny, though. I don’t remember anyone else wearing rings.” Meinwen bit her lip. “Mind you, I was never party to the mechanics of joining. All the people living there had this design tattooed onto their necks. It was quite sweet, really. It gave everyone a sense of belonging.”
“Like this one?” Jimmy tilted his neck to display an eagle tattoo, its once-black ink faded to blue.
Meinwen grinned. “A little more discrete.” She pulled out her phone to dial Peters again. While she waited for him to answer, Jimmy picked up her mug and held it aloft, his eyebrows raised. “Yes, please. Anything but the berry.” She almost missed Peters answering, so intent was she on watching the muscles shift under Jimmy’s jeans. “Oh, Sergeant. Sorry. It’s Meinwen again.”
“I know. It comes up with your name on the
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