Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 13:16:09 -0700
From: R B <castoryteller@hotmail.com>
Subject: Summers End Epilogue

This story is a work of FICTION. The events described are my own invention.
Any similarities to actual events or persons are strictly coincidental. The
author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story.
You may not publish it or any part of it without my explicit authorization.

This story contains depictions of consensual sexual acts between teenage
males.  It is intended for mature audiences only.  If you find this type of
material offensive or if you are under the legal age to read said material;
please stop reading now.

Comments are always welcome at: castoryteller@hotmail.com

Summers End
Epilogue

Sixteen Months Later

Alec

We didn't see much of Summers End last summer.  Thomas spent his time on
the campaign trail with his father and step-mother and where Thomas went I
followed.  Thomas, the consummate worry-wart, was concerned he'd be a drag
on Henry's campaign, that the story of how they became a family would seem
scandalous.  He was sure it was an issue that could be overcome but he
needn't have worried.  He couldn't have been more wrong about the reaction
he got from voters.  The people loved Thomas.  He was a sweet orphan boy
who turned out to be a prince.  It was the kind of thing fairytales were
made off and it didn't even matter that he was gay.  That was another
surprise of the previous summer.

My mom finally decided to give up the life of the roving journalist when
Henry asked her to be his communications director.  It was a great
opportunity and gave us a lot more time together.  When she did have to
travel it was with the candidate and if his son was along for the trip, so
was I.  Things worked out perfectly.

The "incident," as we've come to call it, happened on a campaign swing
through the Midwest. We were overnighting in Chicago and while everyone
slept, Thomas and I snuck out of the hotel to go to a concert.  We thought
we were so smooth the way we slipped right through the blanket of security
the Secret Service threw over the campaign but our departure wasn't as
covert as we'd thought.  A photographer spotted us exiting the hotel's back
entrance and decided to follow us.  We were enjoying the concert, not
really paying attention to anything but the music and then we kissed.  The
next morning the story was splashed across the pages of the tabloids
complete with picture.

Thomas was mortified.  My mom knew I was gay but Thomas hadn't told his
parents yet and this wasn't the way he wanted them to find out.  There were
some tears and some tense moments but Thomas's parent love him and accepted
him without reservation.  The funny thing was the reaction of the voters.
They were furious, but not with us.  No one seemed to care that Thomas was
gay.  They cared more about the underhanded newspaper publishers who felt
compelled to violate the privacy of a teenage boy.

"Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, we're beginning our descent into
Hyannis Port.  Please take your seats and prepare for landing," said the
pilot.

"Thomas, wake up," I nudged him in the ribs.

"Huh, what?" he yawned.

"We're landing."

"Already?  Geez, I can't believe I fell asleep."

"Me either," I replied as I buckled my seatbelt.  Who falls asleep the
first time he rides on Air Force One?

Thomas buckled his seatbelt and looked out the window as we came in low
along the coast.  Once we landed we could see the three Marine helicopters
that would take us the rest of the way.  The airport on Nantucket is too
small to accommodate a 747 but with the number of people who traveled with
the president now, switching to a smaller plane wouldn't have been
practical.

A Secret Service agent came back to collect Thomas. He and his parents
would depart the plane and pose at the top of the steps for a picture while
the rest of us filed out the back.  I found my mom and escorted her to the
helicopter we'd be traveling in.  She'd been working with the White House
speech writer the entire flight north, putting the finishing touches on the
President's remarks for an important speech he'd deliver at the United
Nations on Monday.  Not for the first time she reminded me how lucky we
were to be sharing this experience and I had to agree.  I kept a journal
throughout the campaign and planned to continue it as I enjoyed my time
with Thomas in the White House.

When the trio of helicopters landed at Summers End I quickly found Thomas.
When traveling with the candidate or now the President, he's the star.
He's the one everyone wants to see, then there's his wife and sometimes his
son.  I learned to step back when I needed to but Thomas had asked me to
stay close to him when we departed Washington that morning.  This was a
homecoming for Thomas but it was bittersweet.  We weren't here to soak up
the sun and spend our days biking along the coast or sailing.  We were here
to say a final goodbye to Mrs. Lodge.

Mrs. Lodge waited until Thomas was settled in Washington with his father
and step-mother before she told anyone about her brain tumor.  The doctors
gave her 6 months to live but she stunned them all when she was still going
strong at 14 months.  When Henry made the announcement he was running for
president, his mother swore she would live long enough to see him sworn in.
On Inauguration Day, Thomas and I helped Mrs. Lodge to her seat on the dais
and together we watched Henry Allen Lodge take the oath of office as the
45th President of the United States.  The smile never left her face.

That night I escorted Thomas to the Inaugural Ball.  He was so excited and
frankly so was I.  This was a new and incredible chapter in our lives and I
was grateful I'd fallen in love with the kind of person who wanted to share
every moment of it with me.  He'd asked me to spend the night with him his
first night in the White House and of course I said yes.  It was after
midnight when we returned from the ball and while I changed into my pajamas
Thomas went down the hall to check on his granny before turning in.  A few
minutes later he came into the room with his head down and a single tear
running down his cheek.

"Thomas, are you alright?"

"She's gone, Alec," he sniffled.

I put my arms around him and hugged him tight, "I'm so sorry sweetheart."

True to her word the tough old broad lived just long enough to see her son
take the oath and not a day more.  We'd been dreading this moment for
months and I guess we let our guard down a bit while we celebrated the
inauguration.  There was no question as to where she would be laid to rest.
Mrs. Lodge was as much a part of Summers End as Summers End was a part of
her.  It was as though she were the very foundation of this special place.
Without her it would all come tumbling down.

Thomas took my hand in his and squeezed it gently as we made our way to one
of the bluffs that overlooked both the property and Nantucket Sound.
Mrs. Lodge's funeral had been held at a small Episcopal Church in
Washington.  Most of the attendees had been family and associates of the
president.  As we approached the casket and open grave I noted the presence
of Mr. Russet and his new nurse, the entire staff at Summers End turned out
in their best uniforms and of course the Lodge Family.

It was a cold and blustery January day and the graveside service would be
brief.  We gathered around the grave, the Lodges on one side, the servants
on the other and all of us surrounded by a ring of Secret Service agents.
I looked over at Thomas.  He wore a determined expression on his face as
the wind blew his short brown hair.  I thought he was holding up well
considering how much his granny meant to him.  I tuned back to the grave
when Father Jordan, of the First Episcopal Church of Nantucket, stepped
forward with his Bible.



Thomas

"I am the resurrection and the life, sayeth the Lord.  He who beliveth in
me, shall never die.  I know that my redeemer livith, that he shall stand
at the latter day upon the earth, and though this body be destroyed, yet
shall I see God.  Blessed are those who die in the Lord, for they rest from
their labors..." Father Jordan began.

I can't believe she's gone.  Yes, she was nearly 85 years old but somehow I
didn't think that mattered. She had such an indefatigable spirit. I figured
she could conquer anything, even death.  It was a silly thing to believe
but when someone has been so ever present in your life it's hard to
consider a time when they won't be a part of it.

I feel like I've lost my mother all over again.  Granny raised me, taught
me to be a gentleman and indirectly gave me Alec.  If she hadn't invited
the Carstairs to stay with us that summer I'd never have met the love of my
life.  I wouldn't even know I was a Lodge! When my mother died I was a
little boy lost in the big bad world.  At least this time things were
different.  I'd gone from being an orphan to suddenly being surrounded by
aunts and uncles, cousins and of course mom and dad.  It was a remarkable
difference, grieving together rather than doing it alone.

"Give rest, oh Christ, to thy servants with thy saints, where sorrow and
pain are no more, as a sign of life everlasting.  Thou only art immortal,
creator and maker of mankind, and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and
unto earth shall we return, for so thou hath ordained when thou created us,
saying, "dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return."  All go down to
the dust, yet even at the grave, we make our song, alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia," Father Jordan continued.

I didn't cry.  When my mother died and granny came to claim me, she took me
to the hospital chapel and told me to cry until I couldn't cry anymore and
never to cry for her again.  My mother would have wanted me to be strong.
Granny would have wanted me to be strong too so I held back my tears.  I
couldn't, however, hold back the memories.

The first time I saw Summers End I was afraid.  The place was massive and
intimidating.  It was like moving into a museum.  I was afraid I'd break
something and Mrs. Lodge would throw me out on the streets.  Gradually it
became my home and I wondered what would happen to it now that granny was
gone.

I took in the faces around me and realized they belonged to this place as
much as granny and I did.  My aunt and uncle's spent the summers of their
youth here and brought their children back every year.  The servants came
from around the country and built their lives around performing their
duties to the exacting standards of a fastidious old woman.  Mr. Russet
came to Summers End to teach the piano and stayed behind when he fell in
love with the island and the boy I saw in the mirror each morning began a
new life here when the old one came crumbling down.  This was our home and
always would be.

"Give rest, oh Christ, where sorrow and pain are no more.  Into thy hands,
oh Lord, we commend thy servant Helen, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of
thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming.  Receive her into the
arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the
glorious company of thy saints, Amen," the priest concluded.

The casket was lowered and we each threw a handful of dirt on the lid as
was Lodge Family tradition.  With the service over we headed towards the
house.  Granny's lawyer, Mr. May, was waiting in the study for the reading
of the will.  This would be strictly Lodges only, mom and the other in-laws
would gather in the dining room for coffee while we conducted the family
business behind closed doors.

"Doing ok?" asked Alec.

"I'm holding up," I smiled weakly.

"I wish there had been more people here.  It seems wrong that her final
sendoff wasn't, I don't know, bigger," said Alec.

"This is good old Boston, the home of the bean and the cod.  Where the
Cabot's speak only to the Lodge's and the Lodge's speak only to God," I
recited.

"What?" Alec giggled.

"Something granny once told me.  I was 6 at the time and lonely because
there wasn't anyone here for me to play with," I explained.

"What do beans and cod have to do with being lonely?"

"I think she was referring to the Lodge's speaking only to God," I
giggled. "Thinking about it now I guess she was telling me a Lodge didn't
need to concern himself with such things.  It didn't really make sense at
the time, I didn't know I was a Lodge, but my point is, I don't think
granny needed many people in her life either.  She was happy with the ones
she had."

"That sounds about right," Alec agreed.

"I have to go do this thing now," I sighed.  "You'll be alright with my
mom?"

"Please, the ladies love me," Alec grinned his Cheshire Cat grin.  I hugged
him and followed my family into the study.

Some of the furniture in the study had been moved to make room for folding
chairs.  The Lodge Family is one of the oldest and most storied in New
England, we had traditions for everything.  For the reading of the
matriarchs will the first row of seats was reserved for her children, dad,
Uncle George, Uncle Andrew and Aunt Clarice.  Behind them sat their first
sons and daughters and so on and so forth.  The only non-Lodges in the room
were the attorney, Mr. May, Carson the butler and two Secret Service Agents
who took up discreet positions in the corner.

I took my seat next to Roderick and he put his arm around my shoulder.  A
year ago I would have been nervous near him and would have expected his
brotherly gesture to be some sort of ruse but he's changed a lot since my
parents wedding.  Granny really let him have it and when she told Uncle
George what she'd caught him doing, well, let's just say my dear cousin
probably had a little trouble sitting for a couple of days.  Uncle George
is a good man; he set his son, and his wife, straight.  It took Roderick a
little time to see the error of his ways but he's come full circle.  We're
friends again, just like the summer we first met as little boys.

The attorney began to speak but I found it hard to concentrate.  My eyes
kept drifting to the empty wing backed chairs in front of the fireplace
where I'd spent many hours under granny's tutelage.  My ears picked up the
sound of my name when it was read with my cousins, granny had left us each
an equal share of her estate to be held in trust until we reached 21 years
of age.  This really wasn't a surprise.  According to dad it's another
Lodge tradition.  My eyes drifted back to the empty chairs before the fire
until Roderick gave me a sharp poke in the ribs.

"Ouch, what?" I growled.

"Pay attention he's talking about you," said Roderick, nodding towards
Mr. May.

"Huh?"

"...lastly to my grandson, Thomas Dufrain-Lodge, I bequeath the estate
known as Summers End.  It is as much his home as it has been mine and I
trust him to look after it and our people until he passes it to the next
generation of our family," read Mr. May.

I sat there with my mouth hanging open.  This was a break with tradition.
The house should have gone to one of granny's children, not a grandson, but
she was right.  This was my home and she'd left me the duty of ensuring
it's longevity for future Lodge's.  Dad turned in his seat and shot me a
wink.  I doubt he knew what was in the will before-hand but he didn't seem
surprised.

"Congrats dude," said Roderick.

"That's awesome, Thomas," Georgey leaned forward and whispered.  "You'll
still let us use the pool, right?"

"Anytime," I snickered.



Alec

I mingled with the Lodge in-laws as long as I could but ducked out when
Thomas's Uncle Edward, Clarice's husband, started telling me about his
latest business venture.  Something about some new gizmo he was developing
with his Japanese business partners.  I made my escape when he stopped
talking long enough to eat a canapé.  I wandered through the kitchen and
chatted with Cook, she gave me a steaming mug of hot chocolate and I
enjoyed it in a comfy lounge chair outside the door to the study.

There was a Secret Service agent guarding the door but I didn't know him, I
figured he was new to the president's detail.  I've gotten to know most of
them pretty well because of my relationship with Thomas.  I'm what the
service calls a "known associate," of the First Family.  They even gave me
a codename.

Thomas got a full security briefing when his dad won his party's nomination
and the Secret Service became a fixture in his life.  They gave each of the
people under their protection a codename so they could talk about them
without outsiders being able to glean any information from something they
might over here.  Known associates, like me and my mom, were also given
codenames because we spent considerable time with the First Family and
using our names would defeat the purpose of concealing that of the
protectee.  They designated Thomas MAESTRO in honor of his piano skills and
I got CADET in honor of my status as a former inmate, er, student, at Fork
Union Military Academy.

When the door opened I stood on ceremony.  The president would be the first
one out the door and you always stand when the president enters a room.

"Hey Alec," President Lodge smiled when he stepped out and found me waiting
for his son.

"How did it go, sir?"

"Just fine," he smiled.  "He's waiting for you inside."

"Thanks."

I had to wait until the others filed out of the room before I could squeeze
through the door and when I did an agent closed it behind me.  I found
Thomas sitting behind the massive desk addressing Carson who stood before
him.

"Please inform the staff I'd like each of them to stay on as long as they
like.  They'll always have a home here," said Thomas.

"As you wish, Mr. Lodge," Carson nodded.

"And you'll make the arrangements to have Mr. Russet moved into the
downstairs guestroom?"

"At once sir," Carson nodded again.

"Thank you Carson that will be all."

"Thank you sir.  I must say it's nice to see you seated behind that desk."

"Thanks," Thomas smiled.

Carson gave Thomas a half bow and then left the room leaving me alone with
my boyfriend.

"Mr. Lodge?" It was out of character for Thomas to be so formal with the
staff, especially Carson.

"He insisted," said Thomas as he came around and leaned against the desk.
"I told him to call me Thomas but he said the master of the house should
always be addressed as Mr. Lodge."

"Master of the house?"

"She left me Summers End, Alec," Thomas smiled.

"No shit?"

"No shit," Thomas grinned.

"Honey that's wonderful," I stood up and hugged him.

"She said she trusted me to look after our people," Thomas explained.

"Who are our people?" I inquired.

"The staff, Mr. Russet, the people who've made our lives here what they
are."

"That's really sweet.  I knew she was an old softy."

"Yeah," Thomas agreed.  "Just think, this is where we'll be bringing our
family one day."

"Oh we're having a family now?" I teased.

"One day, after we're married."

"And we're getting married too?" I giggled.

"Depends, would you say yes?"

"I don't know, depends whose asking."

"I'm asking," said Thomas, taking my hand in his.

"Wait, seriously, you're asking me to marry you?"

"Call it pre-asking," Thomas grinned.  "We're a bit young but yes, one day
I'd like you to be my husband."

I couldn't help it, my eyes flooded with tears and I started to cry.

"What's the matter?" said Thomas, pulling me into his arms.

"I love you Tommy.  I just think what a miracle it was for us to meet.
It's all thanks to this place.  This special place that threw us together,"
I sniffled.

"I love you too, Alec," Thomas hugged me tight.  "But no more tears.
Didn't I tell you once that everything would be ok?"

"Yes and you were right.  Every day since then has been better than the
last and yes, one day I will marry you," I smiled.



Thomas

It's amazing; the curves life throws at you.  Most people start out in life
with their mom and dad and grow up to become the person they were meant to
be.  Some of us come into this world under storm clouds and struggle along
life's path until we find out for ourselves who we are.  There are those
who guide us along the way like a stern but loving grandmother, a kindly
old piano teacher and the occasional wizened butler.  Then there are those
you were destined to meet.  People who come into your life, steal your
heart and makes you fall in love with them.

My life has taken more unexpected turns then I can count but granny raised
me to be strong and meet the challenges that await me with a stiff upper
lip and dogged determination.  I don't know what lies ahead for me but I
know I'll never be alone again.  I have a loving mother and father, I have
Alec and I can't help but think granny is watching over us all.

I promised Alec everything was going to be ok and you know, deep in my
heart, I think it will be.

THE END