Bombers Moon

The Kenly base had lent them an army truck, which looked particularly out of place when it drove into the estate.It was a bright midsummer afternoon, and the rolling meadows, the little chapel peeping out in the woods beyond, the ranger's cottage, the pond, and the lion reliefs on the gateposts were all veiled in a veil of golden light.The truck drove through an open gate, zigzagged along a path covered in dense tree shade, and finally rattled over the gravel road, trailing a small tail of diesel exhaust, to a windswept Sun-dried marble steps.The gates of the mansion were empty because there was no prior notice, but the hulking military vehicle certainly attracted attention.As soon as Chuck got out of the car, before he had gone up the stone steps, the door opened and an elderly footman in a shirt with a collar poked his head out. His sharp nose looked like it could poke through a plank.He looked Chuck up and down, seeing the dirty shirt and the blood-stained bandages, frowned, and asked him what was the matter.

"I'm fine, thank you." Chuck turned his head in the direction of the truck, "It's your young master who is in a little trouble."

Then there was a rush that lasted for more than ten minutes.The drowsy place suffered two electric shocks and was completely awake. The first time was when he learned that the young master had returned, and the second time when he realized that the young master was injured.Chuck looked at the servants in amazement, not knowing where they came from.The two were temporarily placed in a small side hall facing the garden.Louis didn't accept anyone's help, leaning on crutches, slowly moved to the single sofa, sank into it, and took a long breath.Chuck, aware of his muddy boots on the carpet, stood hesitantly, not knowing whether to back up or sit down.

"Sit down, Sergeant Sinclair," said Louie curtly, turning to the older manservant. "Get a guest room for Sergeant Sinclair, will you? The nursery is fine, and he'll be staying here." a period of time."

"of course."

"By the way get my stuff down, I can't handle stairs now - is mom there?"

"Madame has gone to London today. Be back next week."

"Don't tell her I'm back."

"Do you have any other orders, Your Excellency?"

"No, Roger, thanks."

Roger walked away, and Chuck wondered how he managed to keep his feet on the hardwood floor without making a sound.Two maids in black aprons put tea and snacks on the coffee table between them, quietly left, closed the door of the side hall, and left the second lieutenant and sergeant in the sunshine and brief silence. A breeze with scents of earth and roses.

"I bet Roger is calling his mother right now, telling me I'm mortally wounded, dying any minute, and I'm back with a little playmate." Louie added two lumps of sugar to the hot tea, but didn't drink it. , "No one is more loyal than Roger, unfortunately not to me."

Chuck looked around at the mahogany paneling on the walls, the piano, the brass-rimmed mirror, and the fresh irises in the vase. "This is where you were made."

Louis smiled into the teacup, "Strictly speaking, you still need to include Eaton, but it's true."

"No wonder."

"No wonder what?"

No wonder you're all so sure, Chuck wanted to say, no wonder you take it for granted that orders should be followed, why you never get over the arrogance I sensed from day one.He looked at Louis, and the other stared at him, looking confused, but not looking away.The second lieutenant looked much more relaxed than when he was at the base, as if he had finally broken free from a hard shell and regained his original face and shape.

"It's nothing, I just said it casually." Chuck shrugged, picked up a jam biscuit, and stuffed it into his mouth, "What's the matter with the baby room?"

"You'll see right away."

It was a light blue room, and when the maid led him in, the first thing Chuck noticed was the portrait hanging above the desk, two little boys with light brown hair, almost identical round faces and blue eyes .One is holding a wooden horse, and the other is sitting on the floor, holding a gray and black tabby cat.For a few seconds Chuck felt unreasonably uncomfortable, like accidentally breaking someone's secret.But apart from the painting, there was no trace of the baby left in this room. On the writing desk there were letter paper and pens, as well as wine glasses and a pot-bellied glass bottle containing some kind of spirit, whiskey by color.The beds are covered with crisp linen sheets and light blankets for the summer temperatures.The maid routinely told him where the razors and towels were, and if "Sir needs anything else, please ring the bell," and Chuck thanked her, and the young girl's ears turned red, and she smiled awkwardly, gently Close the door and leave the GIs in this blue chrysalis room.

Louie lived next door, and servants busily moved his assigned books and furniture from the large upstairs bedroom, including a desk and an upholstered couch.A boy who works as a kitchen helper is sent to town and borrows a wheelchair from the doctor.No one thought that in the next few days, the wheelchair would become a tool for the young master and strange visitors to hold childish races, and the corridor would become very dangerous, and the toes could be run over by the out-of-control wheelchair at any time.The servants complained quietly about it in the kitchen, and Roger shut it up as soon as he appeared.

There are unexpected similarities between life in the mansion and the barracks: both places operate according to the same timetable, and use bells to remind you where you are now, except that they are no longer dominated by the bells, but change. Became the one who dictated the ringtone.The doctor comes every two days to change their dressings.The postman came in the morning and in the evening, bringing letters and telegrams, and Louie's reply.Breakfast theoretically starts at eight o'clock, but it doesn't matter what time you go, the bread and yellow peaches are always fresh, and the coffee is always warm.Chuck knocked on the door across the door every morning, helped Louie into the wheelchair—and occasionally put his coat on—and wheeled him into the dining room.

"It's too troublesome, I can completely hug you."

"It's not necessary."

"But very interesting."

"I swear, if you—"

Louis couldn't finish the sentence, Chuck picked him up from the wheelchair, and Louis almost kicked over the desk lamp, and subconsciously hugged the other's neck to prevent him from slipping off.Chuck chuckled, hugged him a little tighter, put his arms around his knees, "Look, sir, it's very necessary."

Louis looked at him without saying a word.The two of them were so close that they could almost share their breaths, holding their breaths and waiting for the moment that was not suitable to be explained.With his back to the window, Louis' light tawny hair was even lighter in the sun, almost golden.Very cautiously, Louie grabbed Chuck's open neckline and pulled him closer, Chuck bowing his head obediently until their noses touched.Louie tilted his head slightly and brushed the corner of Chuck's mouth with his lips.

Both startled when the knock came, and Chuck almost threw Louie to the ground.They separated hastily, one struggled to get back into the wheelchair with the furniture, the other tugged at the crooked neckline and opened the bedroom door.Roger the Pointy Nose stood in the corridor like a curmudgeonly vulture.In this weather, when everyone had changed into thin linen shirts, Roger was still wearing shirts, waistcoats and coats.He begged Sergeant Sinclair to "excuse my intrusion," in a cold, unapologetic tone, before asking Louie if he needed to have breakfast delivered to the bedroom, after all "it's taken you so long to Leave the room", perhaps he should be attended to later by the footman, so as not to "trouble the honorable sergeant".

"I don't really mind," Chuck interjected, and Roger gave him a look like he was a talking bug.

"Sergeant Sinclair doesn't mind," Louie said, pretending to be surprised. "Thanks for your concern, Roger. Get a picnic basket, we'll be out for a walk today, too."

The vulture flew away.Chuck pretended to wipe the sweat off his brow in an exaggerated motion. "Don't worry, it's not his fault, it's mother," Louis said, clasping his hands and closing his eyes as if in meditation. "Roger is her eyes and ears. Be careful what you say in front of him. Report every word to dear mother."

"He doesn't seem to like me."

"There's no one Roger likes in this world. Come on, Sergeant, let's go to the dining room."

Breakfast was unusually silent. Chuck worried about the different sizes of forks and spoons as usual, and finally decided to use the medium-sized silver fork to eat all the food, and looked at Louis from time to time.Louie flipped through the paper absently, refusing to meet Chuck's eye.The valet brought a picnic basket full of food, put it on the coffee table, and left quietly.Louie's foot touched Chuck's calf under the table and rubbed lightly, and Chuck sat up a little more and cleared his throat.

The second lieutenant put down the newspaper, "Are you okay?"

"I'm very good."

"Your ears are turning red."

"Because of the weather," Chuck said vaguely. "Can we talk?"

"Talk about what?"

"The thing I didn't have time to finish this morning."

"I don't quite remember what we said." The toe of the shoe slid slowly over Chuck's ankle. "You need to remind me, Sergeant Sinclair."

"You're really good at this, sir."

"I don't understand what you're referring to, Sergeant."

"Then let me make it clear—"

"The weather is beautiful, look." Louie interrupted him, "go out at this time, you should be able to see the larks nesting. I don't know if you have seen the little larks, their nests are on the ground, and the larks are small. Birds grow like they grow out of mud. Grab your picnic basket Sergeant, I don't know how you feel, but I can't wait to get some sun."

In order to avoid the eyes of the gardener, they went all the way to the depths of the woods.The overgrown trails are very wheelchair unfriendly and get stuck from time to time.The dense canopy blocked the sun, and there was even a slight chill in the shadows.The forester's hut appeared at the bend in the path, as if cut out of a fairy tale book and pasted here.Vines clung to the windows, and there was a bit of foggy light deep in the glass.A dog was tied to the fence and was sound asleep. When the two passed by, they shook their ears and did not wake up.

The picnic basket was heavy and bumped against Chuck's legs, and the plates and glasses inside rattled with each impact.He couldn't help asking Louis where they were going now, and the latter replied Xiaoxi.Chuck thought he was joking, but the trail led them, through tangled bushes, to a gurgling stream.There was a little clearing on the shore, where the sun cut through the thick shade of the trees, and in the soft grass lay a hollowed-out dead log.The wild duck basking in the sun looked at the two humans vigilantly. After Chuck laid out the picnic blanket, he decided that they did not pose a threat, and continued to comb the wet tail feathers.

"Well then," Chuck said, sitting down on Louie's left so he wouldn't accidentally touch his injured leg.

Louis turned his head to look at him, the gray-blue eyes seemed to have faded a little in the midsummer sun, more blue than gray.

"Only this vacation," he whispered, moving closer to Chuck, almost touching his lips.Chuck gently pressed the back of his neck, trying to pull him closer, but Louie shook his head and blocked his hand, "You and me, the vacation is over, and so are we. It's business as usual when we get back to base, you Do you understand, Charles?"

"That doesn't sound very fair."

"There's still time for us to each take a step back and pretend this conversation never happened."

"I can not."

Louie laughed, and kissed the last centimeters between the two of them.Chuck grabbed his tie, chasing the kiss.Louie fumbled to unhook his belt and put his hand inside Chuck's pants, and Chuck gasped against his lips until Louie pushed him away again: "You need to agree to my terms, Sergeant."

"I agree, but I would like to state that this was a reluctant decision made under duress."

"I'll put that detail into the contract." Louie took his wrist. "Now, shut up and help me take my shirt off."