Canuk

The problem is age is so intertwined with experience. I was ancient between 12 and 28( i.e 70's- mid 80's) , but somehow between 30 and 40 I was young-with-experience. Now things could hardly be better, but i certainly don't feel "young". so when does "young " stop", I think you can only tell in hindsight and it's terribly individual.

Gathan has never been my favourite character and in this chap I have to agree with PrivateTim, he's not nearly mature enough to follow the path he has set himself. Scarily it's all a bit autobiographical for me - in my case the olds were ultimately right; it just took 10 years and 90% of what I owned for me to see the light, as it were. In fact the entire Hendrickson/Kristin/Gathan soap just somehow doesn't work for me. either there is something much bigger behind it all or just about everyone is behaving more like drama queens than sentient humans. Perhaps things are different for the moneyed classes in mittel america????

I share your addiction and there are people like us out there so the boyfriend issue shouldn't be a huge issue. I know because I found one (we have been together 12 years!) and he collects books as much as I do. Fortunately half his are in French, which limits the duplications..... But you know you have too many books (well, too many for the outside world to call "normal") when you come to move house. We advised the moving company that we had 120 shelf metres (that is 120 metres (think yards) of books). The company called back twice: first question - did we mean 120 books?, second time they called back and asked if by "120 shelf metres" did I mean that the combined height of the books was 120 metres (I will admit to laughing at this question - I have never thought to measure the height of my books! ) Even then they only bought boxes for half the number...... So we may be seen as a mad bunch, but there are more of us out there than you may think..... As for cook books, you are right; they don't count (because if I counted them it would look like boasting!)

Holy F, good god man what an episode. To win, win so well, but lose, lose in so many ways. Really really well written. I am in awre of your control of that chapter. it will be awesome to se the fallout.... just hope our hero is OK and that he hangs on to Steven through this. I gather the bitch is, if not dead, then a little unwell...... congrats!

why are their costumes so bloody unsexy......

kevinD, I couldn't agree more!! The tension is bloody killing me! CJ - well written. the desperation in my and other's posts must tell you that!

never thought of John Hobart shaving.....

Grainger is in one hell of a tight spot - and not the sort of tight spot we usually associate with him. Mark (Yeh! my 'puter has generously let me use the little folk again!) you certainly know how to make our hero's life complex between the politics, the sex, the Dons, the sex, Nelson, the sex and sailing a squared-rigged ship while missing bits of vital string holding the entire contraption together you have not set him an easy task. Oh! almost forgot, he also has to sail without Roberts and with what looks to be a love sick sailor. ....... He must be seriously wondering if he'll ever get to plungie into his wonderful bath back home! great story, seriously engaged in this one. C NB had to edit almost immediately after posting - somehow the posting process stripped out every second vowel and made my grammar even worse than usual!

Grainger is certainly getting some interesting lessons in politics. I feel Ramsay is not there to do good. he worries me. As for him "entertaining" the Spanish Don, sus, very very sus. Mark, (just pretend that the little bowing bloke is inserted here - my 'puter won't let me put him in), at sometime in this story could you point out the str8 bloke on this ship? A bit like "Where's Wally", I am having trouble locating him!! great chapter - I'd give you stars if I knew how!

You have created one very scary girl. Conner, I think I'll join you in therapy; this is just scary as.. I like Steven's character dev too. The big bright bloke that has to exude self-confidence, but has areas where he is lost and confused. I worry that he'll end up colateral damage. congrats

Nice to see the good guys getting at least SOME of the story right!! great read - thanks

interesting "resolution" of the gathan/hendrickson issue. I'm hoping that they are not depending on that trust fund for their future happiness.... As for Will's confession: eithe his Dad is the most laid back father ever or Steph had given him a talking to first. His reaction semed way too calm. I don't consider myself to be a particularly high strung father, but had one of my boys come home with that story I would have needed some "calm down" time before I could finish the discussion. interesting to see what happens in Bakersfield ......

they need smiting. the "notifications" of your new chapters arrive randomly for the two stories of yours that I follow. yesterday I recieved a notification for a story "just posted" - unfortunately it was a for a story posted almost 12 months ago!!.....

you are one hell of a writer! I am the first to admit stories about gay school/college kids are no my thing. But this, what you have written, has me enthralled! I have just read all 5 chpaters in one hit and to say I am eager for more is an understatement. Your description of college life is close enough to everyman to make it recognisable, but extreme enough to make it a facsinating read. I'm hooked! Congrats!

Matt K, while I agree, I am not sure you see Dutch bloke's point; he is talking about a tabloid getting the story and as we have seen from the NotW catastrophe, facts NEVER get in the way of a good headline. I think that it would take an awful lot of financial muscle for Steph to keep this "story" under wraps, should it get into the wrong hands.

unfortunately slip-ups still happen even with the best of care/attention. A colleague`s parter had twins despite every test etc and this was in 2003. Unlikely and unusual but not impossible. (I think the colleague was in shock for the week after the birth - he certainly didn`t look good when he got back to work!) I think a set of identical twins could add a twist or two (could identical twins have different sexualities????) and we probably need a girl in the mix but as to the fathers of this brood , no idea - my answers in the poll were just sort-of gut responses!

No, I think on this occaision we need to call a spade a bloody spade - it`s a cliffhanger! :-) great tension, and pleased to see not all always goes to plan, just annoying that it doesn`t go to plan when Nelson`s aboard. Just hope Sabina escapes.......

my aim in life

I agree - this is not about imposing some outdated moral standard, but something that I feel went one step too far. Personally I was laughing and enjoying the story up until where the older man took Will's g-string (or whatever) off and the scene became an underage sex act with him coming on stage. At that point it moved from a kid pushing boundaries to just plain icky. If the story had been, in quick succession: naked on stage/see Grandfather/emabarrassment/leave, it would have worked for me, but from the moment he was naked and using the pole you lost me; my only thought was he's 14. Mark , you are still a great writer and I thoroughly enjoy your writings. And perhaps it's good for you press boundaries every now and again - after all if you don't press them how do we know where they are. For me - this was my boundary and I was as surprised to actually feel this boundary as anything else. I am interested in others' points-of-view. I am a little annoyed at the suggestion that if you didn't appreciate this scene therefore you are against pre-marital sex I agree

I have been on a couple of similar era ships and there is no space! However it seems to be a naval thing: I visited a post-cold-war non-nuclear submarine: I have been in bath-houses that smelled better and were less crowded! And it is not a matter of size (of the vessel, not the men!) I was fortunate enough to be given a tour of the US aircraft carrier John C Stennis. It's huge! but stick 6,000+ crew and pilots aboard and it's bloody crowded despite its size. So perhaps that's the nature of naval living through the ages!!

westie, may I disagree wholeheartedly about your assessment of Will.? If Will did or did not decide to sleep with someone HIV+ it would have nothing to do with any perceived "disrespect" for JP, Steph or anyone else. It would be purely about his own feelings and that of his prospective partner. Will is very level headed, (OK his reaction to events in Paris may be delayed, but so far we have seen no out-of-the-ballpark reaction either way). He knows what he likes and he has obviously had drummed into him the "message" re sex. I know you don't like the "generation" thing, but I must admit that Will as written shows all the admirable qualities of the generation that grew up with a much clearer and more rational view of the epidemic that did so much physical and emotional damage to previous generations. So in answer to Mark's question I think Will would take his prospective sexual partner's status into account in determining what if anything he did, but it would not be the overiding consideration, and it would have nothing to do with the undoubted respect he feels for his family.

Great chapter - Steph's warning about the backroom at the strip club fills me with foreboding......

glad the two of them have their respective acts together. I think this will be the calm before the storm, so they may as well enjoy it! still dying to know what is happening back in Florida. Also hoping that the reporter is asleep under some bar somewhere and bloody stays there! Thanks!

request for a delay noted, but respectfully declined..... no slacking - just write - you have fans; your fans have needs!! great chapter. Thoroughly enjoying this. you are a magician and I, but a humble, and bloody impatient, fan

I am confused by your comment "busy with other things (sometimes life gets hectic)".... Why do you even think you are entitled to another life when you have readers that need to be satified??? Enough of this selfishness......