A Family Christmas Ch. 05

The food was equally impressive with a menu prepared according to historical recipes from the late 18th century era. The courses of the dinner were served during the concert intermissions to avoid interruptions to the musical performances. We were served terrine of veal and oranges with mulled wine pear and a cream soup of potato and truffle with St. Peter's own rustic brown bread with local butter. Breast of roasted capaun filled with creamy quark and herbs on glaze of red wine with potato gratin and vegetables from Pater Prior's monastery garden. To finish there was a semi frozen parfait of honey with winter berry coulee. As Julia had a long drive back to Innsbruck and Domonique from Ohio was a tee-totaller we elected to buy a single bottle of Grüner Veltliner white wine for the table and each of us had locally produced apricot schnapps with our coffees.

In all it was a beautiful and memorable evening and Julia and I left at about ten-fifteen replete with good dining and fine music, Julia clutching one of the decorative menu cards as a memento. By the time we had been collected by our taxi and driven back to the car it was close to eleven o'clock. We quickly changed out of our concert going clothes into our warm outside boots and comfortable thick pullovers even though the car was well heated, the temperature had dropped to minus nine and flakes of snow started to fall as we joined the autobahn and approached Salzburg Airport on the homeward trip.

"Thank you so much, James dearest," Julia said was we headed towards Innsbruck, the strains of Mozart once again streaming from the car radio. "That was such a super, super evening... And you were super, super company... even if I did have to split you up from that Trans-Atlantic redhead to remind you who your date was..." So that was what the changing seats thing was about.

The drive back to Innsbruck took nearly three hours as snow had started to fall quite heavily by the time that we were passing Oberaudorf on the E45 reducing visibility by at least half and dropping our average speed to 40 kph. So that it was almost 02:45 before we eventually pulled onto the Tirolerhof car park.

We let ourselves in through the night-time guest door and went through to reception only to find that in spite of the late, or early, hour there were a number of guests stilling drinking coffees or chocolates, probably having returned from a night out at the night clubs in Innsbruck. We had not had anything to drink since leaving Salzburg except for some sips of bottled water and I for one was quite thirsty.

"Would you like a coffee or a drink before going up to the rooms?" I asked Julia.

"Oh yes, James." She replied. "That would be perfect... I would really love a big mug of hot chocolate... And get them to put a lashing of whipped cream on the top and some sprinkles of chocolate..."

She dragged a couple of comfortable leather club chairs together by a small bar table and flopped into one of them whilst I went to the night porter's counter to order the drinks. When I returned I saw that her head was nodding and her eyes half closed, she must have been tired it had been a long day and she had driven the 300 kilometre round trip on her own in poor weather without taking a break on either leg of the journey. I was beginning to feel a bit whacked and I was a fit young man. It reminded me of mother's strange comment earlier about looking after my aunt. I had sounded as if there was something that I needed to know but didn't... I made a mental note to ask Julia about it in the morning... or telephone my mother and ask for clarification. When old Eric came over with a silver tray containing two large brimming mugs of creamy hot chocolate and a plate of small sugar biscuits I reached over and gently squeezed Julia's arm to get her attention

"The drinks are here, Jules..." I told her softly.

"Oh, I am so sorry, James dearest... I think I was nodding off..." she apologised, "I guess I am more tired than I thought..."

We had both only finished about half of our hot drinks when we mutually agreed that it was time to call it a day and turn in for the night and so I gathered up our bags of shopping and coats which we had brought in from the car and we made our way upstairs in the rattley old lift. We were only a few steps from the door to our suite when Julia seemed to stumble and sag at the knees grabbing onto my arm for support. This was the same thing that had happened in Windsor Park on Christmas morning, only this time she appeared to be on the verge of passing out... her face had drained of its colour and if I had not put my arm around her waist I think she would have slid to the ground.

"Oh bugger!" She murmured but her eyes were half closed and she seemed a bit dazed and disorientated.

I did the only thing that I could think of; I slid the key card out of my wallet and then bent and swept my other arm under her knees and lifted her up into my arms, she really was not that heavy and she was conscious enough to curl one arm around my neck to support herself. I fumbled the door open and carried her straight into her own room and laid her down on the bed dropping the bags of shopping and our outdoor coats in the hall on the way. I sat on the edge of her bed and held her hand then brushed her hair away from her face with the other.

"Jules... Jules, can you understand me? Are you OK, do you hurt anywhere? I asked quietly and calmly. She seemed to be breathing without any respiratory problems and may have just fainted. I was pretty certain that there were no indications of a stroke, or heart attack, I had taken a medical crisis recognition course with the army cadets and wasn't recognising any of the common symptoms associated with either. If we were at home in England I would probably have followed protocol and called the paramedics. In fact she already seemed to be pulling out of what ever had affected her.

"James dear," she grasped my hand tightly... There was nothing wrong with her grip. "I am so sorry, James..."

"Can you tell me what is wrong, Jules... Do I need to call you a doctor? Is there anything that I need to do?"

"No, no, my dear... Please don't worry... This just happens sometimes when I get tired... I shall be fine again when I have had a rest... A few hours sleep..." Her voice sounded a lot stronger and she was regaining some of her colour.

"What can I do Jules?" I asked.

"I just need to rest," She made to sit up and swung her legs over the side of the bed but when she attempted to stand she staggered and had to sit down again. "Still a bit wobbly... legs feel like jelly...and I am a bit dizzy..." She gave a wan grin, "You are going to have to help me undress and get into bed, James."

"Er, yes, OK... If you are sure...?" I stuttered. Suddenly being confronted with the task of helping her undress was causing me a severe attack of the 'chicken liver'.

Julia tugged the bottom of her jumper out from under her arse where she had been sitting on it and drew it up exposing her bare midriff...then stopped and looked at me...

"Don't be a bloody wimp, James!" She scolded with a little laugh, "I haven't got anything that you have not already seen... Now pull this over my head and then undo my bra for me."

I did as she asked. Her bra was silvery pale blue silk with embroidered lace trim and unfastened surprisingly easily considering how badly my hands were shaking. Once undone she simply shrugged it off and handed it to me totally without concern that she was now sitting totally naked from the waist upward. I tore my gaze away from her beautiful breasts and placed her top and bra on the couch then turned back. She had already started to ease her skirt and tight leggings down and was sitting in a pair of matching pale blue high leg knickers with her trousers comically around her knees. She swung her legs up with a grin.

"Well pull the buggers off then.." She prompted, "God, James haven't you ever undressed a woman before?" She was teasing me and despite probably still feeling like shit was trying to be amusing and put me at my ease. But she had inadvertently scored a bullseye... I had never undressed a woman... I had watched Cora strip off a few times but just helping Julia was a completely different experience which I was finding totally awesome. She tugged a plain white cotton nightdress out from under her pillow and shrugged it over her head and then laid back and wriggled beneath the thick duvet.

"Come here, James dearest..." She asked reaching one hand out towards me. I stepped over and knelt down beside the bed our faces close together. I was reminded of how we had sat together last evening in the sauna. Suddenly she seemed very sleepy again but her face had regained its normal colour and looked relaxed and beautiful, her hair covered the pillow in a billowing cloud of silver grey. "Thank you my darling, for being there for me...again..." she murmured, "When you picked me up and carried me... I felt safe and protected... "

"I will keep you safe, Jules... I promise!" I whispered, and meant it. Yet another subtle change had been wrought on our relationship I no longer thought of Julia as my aunt at all... not in any respect.

"I need you to do something for me..." She requested with a smile. "You need to hang my lovely new dress in the wardrobe so that it doesn't get creased... Will you do that?"

"Yeah, of course," I grinned. "Petticoat priorities, eh...? You've just scared me totally fucking shitless and all you are worried about is not getting your clothes creased..."

"It's important!" She sighed with a wide smile, "I am being taken dancing by my handsome young Beau tonight... I need to look presentable for him..."

"OK then..." I chuckled, and made to stand up when her hand snaked out and stopped me, "And... hang your jacket up as well... Men are such slobs..." She added to her instructions. "Then go to bed... We both need to get some sleep... I have a busy day planned for tomorrow... Er... today."

"Shit, you are as bad as my mother at times," I teased.

"I am NOT your mother..." she growled and pulled my face nearer to hers laying her cheek alongside mine and then drawing her lips down and across my lips in something that resembled a kiss but in fact was more of a caress and highly erotic. "I'm tired now... Go away... Sweetheart.."

I rescued the shopping and our coats from the hallway and perhaps driven by some instinct put the DO NOT DISTURB notice of the suite door and dropped the deadlock. I thought about making a cup of coffee but settled for just hanging up the clothes as ordered... when I crept back into Julia's room she was fast asleep so I just returned to my own bedroom changed into my sleeping shorts and tee-shirt smoked a cigarette and then went to bed.

I don't know how long I had been asleep but my travel clock showed the time as being four-thirty when I was awakened by a perceived call breaking though my unconscious state.

"James, dearest... are you awake?" I cracked open my eyes and immediately saw Julia standing in my bedroom doorway, the hall light on behind her turning her thin cotton nightdress opaque so that her naked body was clearly visible... a vision of erotic loveliness.

"Julia... Are you OK? Do you feel ill...?" I asked swinging my legs off the bed and going to her.

"I feel fine now just very tired... I just don't want to be alone tonight..." She stated softly and leaned forward to place her head on my shoulder.

I breathed a sigh of relief that she was not unwell. "OK... Shall I make a pot of coffee? We could sit and read..."

"No, I don't want coffee...you idiot!" she said and pummelled my arm gently with her fist. "I want to sleep... but I want you to come back to my bed with me... Just for company... Like we did last night..."

There was no way that I could possibly refuse, even if I had wanted to. She was pressed close against me with only the thickness of her night dress and my silk tee-shirt between us, I could feel her soft breasts against my chest the nipples little hard points burning into my flesh. I could have stood there all night but Julia took my hand and led me across the hall to her room and her big soft bed.

I awoke in the morning light, for the second morning running, spooned against her back with my arm thrown across her waist and my face buried in her fragrant hair. Julia was still sleeping, her chest rising and falling gently, one shoulder strap of her night dress had slipped down to expose a breast. The aureole was dark but quite small and distinctly pimpled and the nipple was tiny but looked very firm much as I remembered from the sauna. It was so tempting but I resisted the temptation to touch although my finger hovered over that pale globe for a moment.

I suddenly realised what had woken me... there was the sound of a vacuum cleaner roaring in the communal hallway outside the door to our suite... I glanced at my watch, it was nine-thirty, thank God I had put out the DO NOT DISTURB card, how embarrassing for Julia would it have been if the maid had discovered us in bed together. I desperately wanted a cup of coffee and a cigarette. Breakfast finished in the dining room at ten... But there was always room service.

My movement must have awoken Julia because she rolled over to face me and gave me one of her fabulous beaming smiles.

"Good morning, James," She greeted me softly. She looked gorgeous, bright and well this morning. She adjusted her nightdress and then sat up next to me. "I wouldn't have minded, you know..." she said, "If you had touched me..."

Fuck! She had been watching me in that bloody mirror again.

To be continued...

*****

NOTE TO THIS CHAPTER: The descriptions of places and events in Austria are as they were in 2007 if a restaurant is mentioned it was there and the food was as described. The exception is the Tirolerhof Hotel, there is no hotel of that name in Innsbruck at the time of writing but the fictional hotel is based upon a similar establishment which sadly closed some years ago.

GF

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