Kate Educates Jacob #30
Untangling a web of secrets
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“You’re pushing me very hard this morning, Jacob.”
“You’re stepping it up brilliantly, Kate, and a personal best for fifteen hundred meters on the track two weeks from now is definitely possible.”
She stretched her legs hard for the final two hundred metres of our five-mile run, matching my sprint finish to the stables. Kate’s progress as an amateur runner was little short of a miracle and whilst I could still beat her, that was only because of immutable gender differences between us.
I watched with pride as she crossed an imaginary finish line, snorting steam violently through wildly flaring nostrils like her favored stallion, Beauty. Kate knew I loved watching her run and tolerated the naughty reason I stayed a yard behind whenever the track narrowed, even encouraging me by wearing the most figure hugging running pants and t-shirts.
She turned, wagged a finger at me, and chuckled.
“Did you get a good view, Jacob?”
“Always Kate.”
She jogged slowly in a wide circle, recovering, so I joined in beside her.
“Do you really think I can PB on race day?”
“Sub four minutes thirty is attainable, but you must run your own race. Don’t get pulled too hard by the front runner in lap one. They’ll drop off at the midway point and it will be the usual slog to the finish line once everyone has kicked too hard before the final lap.”
“You’re like a coach to me.”
“You’re mine too, Kate.”
She hugged me, then used my shoulder, steadying herself with one hand while stretching muscles and sinews that might otherwise tighten and become injured.
“Why did you want to finish our run at the stables, Jacob?”
“Can I leave you to stretch alone, please, darling? I want to see Tiffany and this is when she finishes her morning ride.”
“Oh, Jacob… I’ll need to keep my eye on you. You’re getting far too quick off the mark.”
She winked and nodded while I reached inside my jacket pocket for the keys to a house I knew Tiffany wanted but wouldn’t ask for. I pecked my fiancee on the cheek and jogged slowly towards the main stable building a hundred metres away.
Inside the stable block, Tiffany was brushing down a three-year-old feisty filly called Gypsy with whom she’d bonded. Since riding her, the young horse wouldn’t allow anyone else on her back, and because Kate enjoyed that same dynamic between animal and rider, she assigned the pair to each other.
“Hey Tiffany.”
“Oh Jacob… umm, I wasn’t expecting to see you… err. I-”
“I just wanted to deliver your new house keys.”
She stared at the keys that I dropped into her palm. I noticed Tiffany’s bottom lip tremble and her eyes widened in disbelief.
“These keys are for the lake lodge.”
“I know.”
“It’s your lake lodge, Jacob.”
“It’s yours for the next five years, renewable thereafter, so long as you still work for Kate. I’ll give you the morning to explore your new home, then meet you there this afternoon to sign off on lease and inventory. Hopefully then you’ll explain why you’ve been avoiding me.”
“Okay, Jacob… umm, sorry, I didn’t mean-.”
I held a finger up to my lips, smiling to salve Tiffany’s anxiety, pointing at the horse.
“Enjoy your time with her. We can catch up later, okay?”
“Yeah, Jacob. Thank you. I’ll see you later.”
She looked sheepish but beamed like a kid in a sweetshop and I felt good about helping. Tiffany’s resurgence was little short of miraculous and Kate was pleased with her assistant’s work.
With four double bedrooms, Richard’s lodge wasn’t our biggest property, but it was the nicest. He kept it for himself as a peaceful retreat beside a trout and carp lake of sufficient size to row around in an hour but small enough to be delightful and a discreet place.
Catherine had passed the property to me, but I already had my nirvana with Kate in our apartment.
I’d spotted Kate’s shadow at the stable entrance during my exchange with Tiffany, suppressing a smile when I reached my fiancee where I’d left her.
“What was that all about, Jacob?”
“Oh, nothing, sweetheart. I was just arranging to meet Tiffany later.”
“Bloody liar. I don’t know why I can’t witness my fiancee doing wonderful things for people. It makes me proud of you, and us.”
She elbowed me and giggled.
“It’s important that other people know they can deal with me without worrying about what you think or might say, Kate. You’re the power in all things at GD and on the estate, and that frightens some of them.”
She held my hand, and we strolled back towards Granger Hall, where breakfast would be served soon. Kate spent a great deal of time deep in thought these days, and this was one such occasion. I knew she wanted to enjoy moments like the one I’d had with Tiffany, and it pleased me to make her proud.
“I’m willing to bet that Tiffany fears me because of you, Kate.”
“That’s ridiculous. She’s been with me for years.”
“Yeah, but right now you haven’t formalized her role or even explained what it is. You’ve taken responsibility for her care, exercising that through your mom, and she has a great life here.”
“What’s your point, Jacob?”
“She believes one word from me could end all of this for her.”
“I wouldn’t do that. Not even for you. You wouldn’t expect me to, either.”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t know that.”
“Okay. Is that what you’re going to explain to her this afternoon?”
“Yes. You have great hearing, Kate, considering you were a hundred meters away.”
“Always remember that, Jacob, darling.”
“Gifting her the nicest house on the property is the right thing to do. It’ll give Tiffany stability. I recommend you consider how to do the same for her role. Being part of GD and working for you is a career now. She’s not just a personal assistant.”
Kate went quiet, and I hoped a boundary hadn’t been crossed. She left her hand in mine, became inscrutable, and I saw the cogs whirring around in her mind. When we reached Granger Hall, I felt it might go one of two ways.
When my fiancee gazed at me calmly, conveying her appreciation, I knew she settled on the usual Kate approach of kindness, fair play and sincerity.
“You’re right, Jacob, and I need you to keep coming at me with these challenges and insights. I really enjoyed watching you help Tiffany because I felt proud and it validates my belief you are the finest man.”
“You went a bit quiet there for a while, Kate.”
“I was processing, darling. Sorry if I caused any tension.”
“I worried you might feel I was being critical of you.”
“I could never feel like that. Everything you said was on point and respectful.”
“I’ve also included plans for construction of a paddock and lean-to at Tiffany’s lodge. It will allow her to keep Gypsy near home occasionally.”
“That’s a good idea. I noticed she loves that filly.”
“I’m glad you think so Kate, because the funding proposal is on your nightstand for sign off.”
She smiled while we ditched our running shoes in a covered container inside the front porch. I followed her upstairs, becoming aroused by the gorgeous, soft twin pillows leading me along and astray.
“Don’t you have a budget for any of that sort of work on the estate?”
“All budget is allocated to maintenance. I have no latitude to spend a cent aside from what’s in Richard’s safe.”
“You can’t pay a contractor with a sliver scraped off one of those bars, Jacob.”
“No.”
“I’ll have some budget allocated to you. Let me know how much you need.”
“Okay sweetheart. I’ll talk its through with mom.”
As we entered our apartment, I was already peeling off my fiancee’s running gear, sucking and chewing her sweaty nipples, while gripping both ass cheeks tightly. Kate gasped when I sucked hard on her neck before kissing and licking gently, planting kisses up to her ear.
“You can fuck me on one condition, Jacob.”
“Oh. What’s that?”
“You must stop referring to things as belonging to Richard. Dad wouldn’t like it, and I certainly don’t. It feels like you have one foot out of the door.”
“Sorry Kate. I promise to stop doing that.”
“You’re going to atone for it right now, babe. Spanking first, pussy afterwards.”
I stripped off as though it were my living. I loved when Kate’s eyes lit up, feeding my ego with her desire and delight. We’d settled into a loving female led relationship that felt so good to me. We’d had no fights of a sort you might consider normal from two people that recently moved in together. Any disagreements we’d had, Kate fixed by negotiation, compromise and direction if needed.
I enjoyed a morning thrashing because it calmed me for when I had to deal with assholes or the general vicissitudes of a normal working day. Kate lay on the floor watching me undress, smiling like a cat that got the cream.
“Did you get a good view, Kate?”
“Always Jacob.”
“How should I position myself?”
“Stand like my Roman Centurion with your feet beyond shoulder width apart and lean forwards, placing both palms on the wall. Try to point your ass up proudly.”
I loved getting into a position to receive Kate’s discipline. My sexual and psychological hard wiring was easily accessible to her, and I conveyed an openly displayed contentment.
“You look so beautiful that I could eat you, Jacob.”
“Not while I’m this sweaty.”
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
I knew to keep my silence while Kate spanked me. She preferred this time to be about meditation and the clarity of her instructions, something that made my life much easier.
“I’m very serious about you making your mark on the estate, Jacob. If that doesn’t improve, I shall be cross.”
“Understood darling. It won’t happen again.”
It really won’t.
“Good boy, now buckle up for some harder than usual strokes to make sure my message is remembered later.”
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
She really laid into me, getting her message across. I got the fact we needed to be more settled and that meant I must rid myself of guilt and other feelings of inequity in our relationship. I gritted my teeth, tensed my ass cheeks, pointing them outwards and high in a sign for Kate to thrash me even harder.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
After fifteen strokes, I floated off because adrenaline and dopamine coursed through my body, lighting my senses while blood flooded into both ass cheeks, numbing the pain that was stimulating me. I felt alive, excited and loved as Kate counted out my punishment to forty-five.
“Last five, hardest of all, then a shower and a slice of pussy.”
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
{Swish} Smack.
Kate raked her fingernails across my burning flesh, tantalizing me before stooping low and kissing both cheeks. Since she was already naked, I carried her to our wet-room, cradled in my arms like a baby.
The hot water stung my ass cheeks, and I felt the welts carefully with fingers, pleased Kate had raised them on my flesh to make her point. She used a sponge with lemon and lime soap to wash me from head to toe before I did the same for her.
Kate bent over double, touching her toes with soaking wet, long hair reaching to the slate floor and the rainfall shower cascading off her back. Her slit drew a perfect vertical line between two swollen pussy lips and I kneeled to taste the nectar of my goddess as she presented its cup to me.
“We have very little time, Jacob.”
“I love your flavor.”
“I know, baby. Be quick though, please.”
I stood back up with a cock throbbing excitedly from morning wood syndrome. The run was tiring but somehow fired my libido higher, like a blacksmith’s coals fully blasted by powerful bellows.
When I slid my cock deep inside Kate’s tight, warm pussy while gripping her ass, I closed my eyes and imagined the fields of gold, great Roman warriors had ascended to. I fucked her gently, respecting the woman that carried our egg, begging for the seed I would soon decant.
Her pussy squeezed my cock, gripping it hard when I withdrew, massaging gently when I thrust back inside my beloved. She had muscular control like I’d never felt as every fiber of her soft tissue walls worked my cock, milking it.
She orgasmed first, pulling her toes high with powerful fingertips, choking each breath and tossing her head while I fucked Kate’s pussy hole steadily. I leaned down, cupping her breasts when my cock sank inside her pussy balls deep and my cock twitched, spurting the baby making seed we both wanted her to have.
I tweaked Kate’s nipples hard, accentuating her explosive climax, enjoying the shrieks of pleasure that confirmed my achievement.
“I love you Kate.”
“I love you too, Jacob.”
When I knew my semen was fully transferred from me to her, I slid my cock out. Kate didn’t worry about spillage, convinced pregnancy would only take once her birth control fully wore off.
We dried ourselves and dressed while listening to some old R&B classics. When I was ready, Kate realized she was holding us back and combed her wet hair through.
“Wet hair with a pin stripe skirt suit. That’s very London or New York.”
“I have a meeting later and Tiffany keeps a hairdryer in her drawer. Let’s eat, Jacob. I’m famished.”
Kate carried four-inch heels while I brought her work running shoes, preferred for comfort. I thanked the gods that my preparation for the office wasn’t as torturous as hers as I trotted down the main staircase in jeans and a polo shirt.
We arrived at breakfast towards the back end, but once chef saw me, he smiled and sauntered off to make fresh eggs. Kate kissed her mom on the cheek, then slid in beside Tiffany for a work chat, so I sat next to Catherine, who seemed irritable. I said nothing, knowing that eventually, she’d have to engage me in a conversation about what irked her.
My poached eggs arrived, and I beamed delightedly at the twin glistening white pouches of golden protein nestled on wholemeal toast. As I ground black pepper and sea salt sparingly atop them, purring like a contented feline, Catherine had to laugh.
“I don’t understand why you love eggs so much, Jacob.”
“It’s a secret. If I tell you, I’d have to kill you, mom.”
“Oh… and we were doing so well together.”
I split my first egg, waited until the yolk deluged onto my toast, then cut a small corner and ate. As I chewed with my eyes closed, Catherine laughed even more. When I’d swallowed and washed down my favorite breakfast with strong black filter coffee with one sugar, I leaned closer to my future mother-in-law and recently acquired, very good friend.
“When we lived in the Afghan caves, there were no fresh rations. Toast and eggs became a distant memory. Being denied that simple pleasure for so long somehow made it more profound afterwards.”
“You really are a rather delightful man, Jacob. I never wished to be Kate so much as I have since meeting you.”
“Thank you, mom. Also, though, and this is very important too. Chef makes this bread fresh every morning, and the eggs come from our coop. I run past the chickens with the love of my life while one of the kitchen brigade collects the eggs.”
“And therefore, breakfast has added significance to you, Jacob?”
“It really does. The only people I love that aren’t at this table right now are my parents and sister.”
Catherine placed a hand over mine, squeezing tightly. She looked about to cry, and I wasn’t sure if that was an emotional reaction to what I’d said or something else.
“What’s annoyed you, Catherine? May I know, or is it a private matter?”
“I’m angry with the feed supplier, Jacob. The carrots she delivered today are almost rotten and I’m certain she’s short changed us on oats and dry feed too.”
“I’ll put her on notice and tell her to replace the carrots by lunchtime.”
“Just like that?”
“Yeah. We’ll do it together by conference call while explaining we’re going out to tender to other suppliers for a yearlong contract.”
She eyed me suspiciously, but in good nature.
“What’s going on?”
“Kate’s giving us a budget to run the estate. Everything is going to be contracted from now on. Volumes, quality standards, pricing, documentation, and delivery timings will be legally binding. If a contractor cannot deliver, they will be replaced.”
“Oh, Jacob, that’s priceless. I’ve got to watch you sack Mrs. Marks.”
“Ten horses stabled full time, another two at any one time on temporary livery. I’d say we’re a client worth satisfying.”
“You’ve made my day. If Kate doesn’t marry you, I have another daughter for you to consider, or there’s always me.”
We both laughed, almost rolling off our chairs. When I glanced at Kate and Tiffany, I saw they’d been watching our comedy show.
“You two are like co-conspirators and no mom, you can’t have my fiancee.”
“I think there’s enough of Jacob to share, sweetheart.”
“Not happening, although you’re welcome to ask him.”
I curled my bottom lip and shook my head in sorrow at Catherine, taking our fun to its conclusion. She slapped my hand gently and her mood change seemed complete. We left shortly afterwards because my mother-in-law couldn’t wait to deliver Mrs. Marks the good news.
An hour later, the equine master reported a fresh load of carrots were delivered and the missing feed was mysteriously discovered on our supplier’s truck. Catherine sat in my office on the chair from which she had advised her husband, looking happy but slightly discombobulated.
I judged her mood, trying to decide how to play my cards. Catherine was not a woman to be trifled with, but she valued honesty and directness.
“Do you want to tell me about your hidden file on me, mom?”
She looked shocked initially, but recovered her composure quickly, shooting me a wry grin.
“I should have said something already, Jacob. I’m very sorry.”
“I would have done the same thing.”
“Would you really?”
“I’m sure I will one day. I’ll send the best private investigators to look into anyone linked through a romantic relationship with our children, so I can’t blame you for doing the same.”
“You knew it was me who ordered the investigation?”
“Of course. Richard knew about it, but you’re the risk averse one.”
She eyeballed me with the same piercing blue truth detectors my future wife had.
“I enjoy our chats, Jacob. I understand why Kate is enchanted by you. She’s quick witted and intellectual, as are you. It’s a match made in heaven.”
“I love our chats too, Catherine. I know you were the cautious one, and Richard was an adventurer.”
“Oh, tell me about it.”
Catherine rested back, entirely comfortable in my presence, reminiscing about the great times she and Richard had shared. I watched her rub the brown leather chair’s right arm while delighting in her recollections. She’d worn out the patch long ago and I noticed its frayed leather tips.
“Shall we talk about Richard, the treasure hunter?”
The color drained out of her face while her body stiffened. At that moment, Kate strolled into the room wearing a smile that turned into a downward curl and frown on noticing Catherine’s discomfort.
“Are you okay, mom?”
“Yes Kate. I’m just getting a few shocking revelations from my son-in-law.”
“Jacob’s not that yet, but may I know what’s going on, please?”
“I think Jacob can explain this better than me.”
The two women stared at me, one in complete shock, the other mildly bewildered.
“You’d better sit down for this, Kate.”
“Okay sweetheart. I feel like a juror waiting to hear trial.”
They sat comfortably while I stood up, popped one after another capsule into a one shot coffee maker, handing both ladies an espresso that passed well enough for a quick caffeine infusion.
“Will we need more of these, Jacob?”
I smiled at Kate and would privately confess to feeling a little smug.
“I’ve been sleuthing through the office, computers and the internet. I think Richard wanted me to discover the truth, which is why he left a breadcrumb trail.”
“Okay Jacob, I’m getting impatient. Please, honey, tell us what’s going on.”
“Your dad kept fastidious journals, Kate. The last twenty years’ worth of entries were directly typed on a password locked computer, and before that they were hand written diarized notes. He had those transcribed by a service provider about five years ago.”
“So his whole life experience is journaled on his computer?”
“My computer, Kate.”
“Oh touché, Jacob. I feel so proud right now.”
She giggled at our private joke, but Catherine looked quite sick.
“The great thing about Richard’s diary system is that you can query it. For example, I can state a year and list all the places Richard went, or I can type in a country name to find out when he visited.”
“Okay Jacob, but why is any of this making my mother agitated?”
“Richard visited the Philippines regularly until 1988. I mean twenty times a year for five years by private jet.”
“We don’t have any holdings there.”
“That’s what I was looking for. A country where your father had no assets to forfeit and where legal jurisdiction couldn’t apply because he had no residency or other permanent status.”
“You’re frightening me, Jacob.”
“There’s nothing to fear, Kate, but I have to explain my theory carefully in case I’m wrong.”
“Go ahead, please.”
“Your dad stopped visiting the Philippines in 1988 because he’d accomplished what he wanted. Am I right Catherine?”
“Yes, Jacob.”
“The gold in that safe was hallmarked in Switzerland at the back end of 1988. That’s how I narrowed down your dad’s journal to a year and his activities over that period.”
“Are you saying the gold is from the Philippines?”
“Yes. It’s part of a treasure known as Yamashita’s Gold.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“I worked in the jungles of Philippines on an International task force tracking illegal loggers for a year while in the Royal Marines. The Filipino special forces lads were fearless, and it was a great time, doing worthy missions. In the evenings, under the forest canopy, we’d sit around the campfire and they would spin the dits. That means telling tales for civilians.”
“And they talked about Yamashita’s Gold?”
“Yeah. Yamashita was a Japanese General accused of looting six thousand tonnes of gold from the Philippines during the second world war. Legend says he hid it underground in caves and tunnels. There are loads of treasure hunter claims, some written in books, others passed around in bars. President Marcos was linked to converting the gold and there are even suggestions the USA filtered all, or at least some, out.”
“Do you think my dad was involved?”
“Yeah. I think he went there treasure hunting and stumbled across a find. I don’t believe the six thousand tonnes was ever in one place because, most likely, it was plundered from mines and bank vaults all over the archipelago, then hidden nearby in hundreds of caches. Richard found one.”
“Was my father’s empire founded on stolen gold, Jacob?”
“No. Richard never spent it. I’m sure of that. His journal records payment to a Swiss bank in 1988. I think that was money to refine and hallmark the gold so he could store it and decide what to do for another day.”
“How much did he take? Just the two hundred bars in his safe?”
“Based on refinery and hallmarking costs back then and the shipping costs he paid, I think Richard retrieved a little over one tonne.”
“Fuck! That’s a thousand bars.”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure GD isn’t founded on stolen money, Jacob?”
I saw tears well up in Kate’s eyes and her bottom lip quivered while both hands trembled. Catherine reached over with a reassuring hand, clasping her daughter’s. I went to her, kneeling in front of my fiancee, locking eyes with hers.
“Absolutely not, Kate. There is no evidence Richard spent any of that gold. My working theory is that he only considered the morality of what he’d done when sat here staring at the surplus he couldn’t hide elsewhere.”
“He hid the rest too?”
“Yeah, and Catherine knows where it is.”
I glanced at Kate’s mother while my fiancee stared at her. Catherine looked much happier, as though a huge weight was lifted.
“Is Jacob right, mom?”
“Yes. I told you before, Kate. Your fiancee has a brilliant mind. Much more than daddy and perhaps equal to yours.”
“Did my father want Jacob to discover all of this?”
“We both did, sweetheart. It was a test of his intelligence, character, and commitment to our family. He’s passed with flying colors, taking two days to discover what we thought would take at least a month.”
“Do you know where the rest of the gold is, mom?”
“Yes dear. Jacob is quite right, daddy couldn’t spend a penny. In fact, he never even used it as collateral.”
Next Chapter:
Yet another superb episode in what has become an erotic thriller par excellence Kate. I think you are ready to become a full time writer whenever your personal circumstances allow. I would certainly buy evert one of your books.