Tim and Luke Kent were twins. At the time of which I am writing they had just had their twelfth birthday. Fortunately for their parents and school teachers, they were not identical. I say that was fortunate because it must be admitted that both were of a mischievous disposition. I think one could be confident in suggesting that, had the boys been identical, they would have taken great delight in confusing their olders and betters whenever identification of a culprit was required before justice could be administered.
Let me try to describe the boys. In build, they were similar. Both stood 5' 4" in bare feet. Both were slim with firm muscles, well exercised on the sports field. Their shoulders were relatively broad, their waists narrow and their legs long. Now for the differences. Tim had a shock of dark brown hair which he tended to keep as long as his parents and school would allow. Luke, by contrast, preferred to keep his blond hair short and neatly combed. Tim's eyes were of a dark brown which bordered on being black. Luke's blond hair was complemented by deep blue eyes. Their other facial features were not so markedly different. Luke's forehead was not quite so high as Tim's and the latter's nose was marginally smaller than his brother's. Tim, also, had a slightly more prominent jaw than Luke. Tims skin was somewhat fairer than Luke's (who had the great advantage of developing an almost instant tan when the sun came out). But both sported dimpled cheeks when smiling (which was a lot of the time) and both had unmarked, clear complexions. They were good-looking boys who would grow into handsome young men.
Their characters are easy to describe. To suggest that neither could experience sadness, distress, loneliness, anger or fear at any time would be to deny their humanity. But all those who knew them would testify to their remarkably cheerful dispositions. If any situation could be turned into a joke, they would be able to do it. When things went wrong for them, they had a seemingly effortless ability to bounce back. I must stress that they were not entirely frivolous. Both, when they put their minds to it, could be serious about their school work (although Luke tended to be more successful in that area than Tim). Both, again when they put their minds to it, were capable of being considerate to others and restraining their more exuberant impulses accordingly. But neither was a stranger to mischief. If having fun meant disobeying a parental injunction that, on its own, would not necessarily put them off. They were not foolish. They would usually calculate the chances of detection and the likely consequences if they were caught and, if the odds seemed reasonable, would just plough on. Since about the age of eight, they had become far too much of a handful for their mother to be able to regulate their behaviour alone. Initially, she had met some resistance from her husband, their father, when she had begged him to play a more forceful part in disciplining his sons. But he eventually had to accept that they needed the firm hand (both figuratively and literally) of a father. By the time of the events which I am shortly to recount, both boys had spent many a painful, but well deserved, session across their father's knee. They didn't resent the punishments. They knew their parents loved them (and they fully reciprocated). They never doubted for one moment that their behaviour had amply justified the pain.
But things were clearly going to have change soon. The boys were getting bigger and stronger by the day. While they accepted that their father's punishments were entirely reasonable, it also has to be said that familiarity breeds contempt and neither was inclined to give active cooperation to him when he felt the need to administer chastisement. He knew that the days of short sharp justice were soon to be at an end. He occasionally found himself wishing that the cane had not been abolished in English schools, but wishful thinking would not get him anywhere. He just hoped that physical growth would be matched by growth in maturity.
There are two other main characters who must be described. Hugh Ramsey was the Kents' neighbours' son. He was just sixteen. He was a great favourite with the twins. He played football with them. He took them swimming in the summer. He let them play with his computer. He sometimes helped them with their homework. He commiserated with them when they got into trouble. He shared their joy when things were going well with them. He was a handsome youth. He was still growing at 5' 9". He had a slim athletic build. He had fine dark hair, well chiselled facial features and dark eyes and winning smile which enraptured all girls. He excelled at all sport. His academic achievements were solid. All in all it is far from surprising that the twins adored him.
You might have thought that they would be jealous of the time Hugh spent with his girlfriend. Sally Thompson was also just sixteen. She was, the twins thought and I have to agree, and incredibly attractive girl. It was not just that her slim figure (on the brink of budding into womanhood), her long blonde hair and her gorgeous eyes made her a honey pot to all healthy young men whose tastes ran in that direction (even the pre-pubescent twins felt the occasional stirring). She also had the most adorable bubbly character. She seemed to be laughing all the time. She was also game for anything. She could produce as effective a tackle on the football pitch as the toughest boy. She was always happy to try something new, if others wanted to. She was also just as bright as Hugh (they tended to compete at school in almost all subjects). Like him, she was a responsible and reliable young person.
That is a brief sketch of the main characters with whom we are concerned. More, no doubt, will emerge as the story unfolds.
One critical fact I have not so far mentioned is that Hugh's parents owned a small island off the West coast of Scotland. That sounds very grand, but it was not really. It was about two acres in size. One half was populated by low, windswept trees, the other by bracken, with a few open spaces where the Ramseys and their guests had hacked out camping sites. There were, indeed, no buildings on the island at all. Anyone staying there had to live in a tent. It sounds pretty uncomfortable, but it was a delightful place to which to escape in the height of summer. There was a wonderful sandy beach. There was a boat in which to go out fishing, or simply to visit other, uninhabited, islands. The best thing, of course, was that there were no other people to be seen.
In the year of which I write, it had been agreed that the Kents, together with Hugh and Sally, would all spend a fortnight on the island. The twins, in particular, were desperately looking forward to the holiday as the end of term approached. They made endless plans as to excursions they would make and games they would play. Their parents were also looking forward to the experience, although perhaps with not such eagerness as the boys. Hugh and Sally were hoping for long hours together on deserted islands nearby, when they could get to know each other better without prying eyes watching them. I think it fair to say that their respective parents were not quite so keen on their plans, but they doubted whether there was much they could do to restrain their children's natural impulses.
Then, disaster struck. The twins' parents, who were in business together, were faced with a work crisis. It's not necessary to describe what happened, but the effect was that they could not possible leave home to go on holiday. The boys were distraught. The Ramseys were asked whether one of both of them could go instead, but they had already made other arrangements. There seemed no way out. Then the Ramseys suggested to the Kents that Hugh and Sally were, in their opinion, quite responsible enough to look after the twins. Hugh, in particular, knew the island and surrounding waters like the back of his hand. He was, they considered, entirely dependable. He would never take any risks with the twins' safety and they, in turn, could surely be relied upon to be sensible and follow Hughs instructions.
It was on that last point that the twins' father was not so sure. He quite agreed that Hugh could be relied on, but he did not agree that his own sons could be. If he could have been with them on the island, swift and painful measures could have been employed to correct the boys. Without him there, he suspected that they might be more out of control than usual. But he didn't want to deprive the boys of their holiday. He decided to talk things over with Hugh.
Mr Kent and Hugh were sitting together in the former's garden.
"I would love the boys to go to the island", Mr Kent began, "and I am particularly grateful to you and Sally for offering to take them. I don't suppose having two twelve year old tearaways around is really your idea of a fortnight of peace and quiet."
Hugh interrupted. "Honestly, Jack, both Sally and I would love to have the twins with us. They're great fun and I can't imagine them being any trouble at all. I'd love to show them all the secret hideaways and things that I used to do when I was their age. So, please do say that they can come."
"The thing that concerns me is that I am not at all convinced that you're right when you say that they would be no trouble. Look, you know us well enough to know that they are not exactly little angels. Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. I can just about control them, with the forceful use of paternal authority, but I'd hate to put you into the position of having your holiday destroyed by their antics. I have given all this a great deal of thought and, if you can convince me that you really know what you're letting yourselves in for, I have decided that, on certain conditions which they will have to swear to abide by, I might be prepared to let them go."
"I swear that I know perfectly well what I'd be letting us in for. So does Sally. We've seen the scrapes they get into often enough and we really are going into this with our eyes open."
"Well, you'd better hear what my conditions are before you commit yourself. The most important one is that the boys have got to understand that you have absolute authority over them while you're on the island. They must faithfully promise me, and you, that they will obey every order you give them without any hesitation at all. If, at any stage, you consider that their behaviour is such that your or their safety is endangered, you must promise me that you will take them straight back to the mainland and put them on the next train to London. Finally, I am not prepared to let them go unless you give me your word that you will be prepared to punish them for any misbehaviour which falls short of being so serious as to lead to their being sent home. I know you're not much older them and the idea of punishing them cannot be attractive to you, but I can assure you that unless they know that they will be punished, they will have no hesitation in doing whatever they want. In practical terms, there can only be one type of punishment open to you. If all this goes ahead, I will provide you with a suitably hard and flexible slipper which I will expect you to apply firmly to their bottoms if they step out of line. I am sorry to demand so much, but I really do not think it would be fair to you unless I did."
Hugh was not nearly so put out by these conditions as Mr Kent may have thought. He knew enough about the island to understand fully that he would have to be accepted as the leader of the group. Indeed, he had already impressed on the twins (and they had accepted it) that they must never question any instruction he gave them when on the island. He was not concerned about the threat of having to return them to London. He was quite sure (and I think he was right to be) that they would never get themselves into so much trouble that the whole enterprise would have to be called off. Anyway, whether it was a condition or not, he would certainly not be prepared to let them stay on the island if they behaved so irresponsibly as to risk life or limb. The only condition which came as a surprise to him was the requirement that he should undertake to slipper the boys if they misbehaved. If the truth be told, the idea was not nearly so unattractive to him as Mr Kent clearly thought it would be. What aroused him most these days was the thought of Sally and all that they could do together, if she would only agree. But he had never been entirely immune to the pleasures of hearing the sounds of the occasional spanking from next door and he had quite enjoyed listening to the twins' descriptions of their punishments afterwards. Once or twice he had fantasised about having them across his knee and giving their bottoms two or three hard smacks, but he had never dreamt that he would ever actually be encouraged to put the fantasy into practice. What is more, he thought, the chances of their not getting into some scrape at some time during two weeks away from their parents were pretty remote. No, if anything, the licence to slipper them made the prospects of the holiday even more promising than they had been before, though he would certainly not exercise the licence unless the circumstances clearly merited it. But it would obviously not be sensible to seem to jump at the proposal.
"I've got no concerns about most of those conditions, but I'm not sure it could really be appropriate for me to punish them in the way you suggest. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting for one moment that they should never be spanked or slippered. I would have to be pretty unobservant not to know that you've had to punish them like that on more than one or two occasions, and I've always thought you were right to do it. But I'm only four years older than them and I just don't think it would be right for me to treat them in the same way."
Mr Kent suspected, whether or not the idea gave them any _s_e_x_ual pleasure, that most sixteen year old boys would not be averse to being given permission to spank the twins. He suspected, from the odd conversation between them and Hugh which he had overheard, that Hugh, to put it at its lowest, was not uninterested in their past punishments and would be quite happy to be given the opportunity of being more directly involved in future ones. He considered it likely that making it clear that the holiday would be called off unless Hugh agreed would not be all that risky.
"I'm sorry Hugh, but I really have to insist. It is the safety of the twins and you and Sally which must be of paramount importance. Unless I can be confident that you will administer swift and effective punishment when needed, I am afraid that the twins will not be able to go."
Hugh considered that that was enough to enable him to give in gracefully.
"Well, I suppose if you put it like that, I will have to agree. With any luck the situation will never arise, but if it does I give you my word that I will carry out your wishes."
"Thank you Hugh, there is certainly no one else of your tender years to whom I would dream of entrusting the twins' safety. But I'm confident that you will look after them just as well as most people twice your age. I am not so confident, I fear, that you will never have to put the slipper to use, but time will tell."
Mr Kent's next interview was with his sons. He saw them later that evening in his study. They were relieved to be told to sit down (if told to stand in the study they could be pretty sure that the interview was going to end up being painful).
"Right boys, I have been giving some thought to your holiday in Scotland."
"Oh Dad", this was Tim, please, please, please can we go. We'll be ever so good for ever if you say yes".
"Hear me out please Tim. You can have your say later. I have had a long discussion with Hugh and I have now decided that, on certain conditions being satisfied, I am prepared to let you go ..."
"Dad", this time Luke, "you're just the greatest".
"Look, will both of you just keep silent until I have finished. These are my conditions. First, you must understand and accept without question that Hugh is in charge. If he, or Sally, gives you any instruction you are to obey it without any hesitation at all. Second, I have told Hugh, and he has agreed, that if he ever considers that your behaviour is risking your safety, or his or Sally's you are to be put straight back on the next train to London. Third, I have told Hugh, and he has agreed, that if you ever misbehave, but not seriously enough to send you home, he is to promise that he will punish you severely. He was not entirely happy about that, but he is a man of his word and, when I said the whole thing would be called off without his agreement, he gave me his word. So you must be in no doubt that bad behaviour will undoubtedly lead to punishment. What is more, now you are twelve, I think you are too grown up to be spanked", a look of relief came over both boys' faces but it was soon to disappear, "so I am going to give him this slipper", he produced a wicked looking large leather slipper, "with which he will soundly thrash you if you need it. Finally, I must insist that you both give me your word of honour that, if Hugh ever has to punish you, you will put up no struggle at all and you will give him your fullest cooperation. Before you give me your word, you must realise that there are to be no exceptions. Even if you think the punishment to be grossly unfair, you are to take it without argument. I cannot imagine that Hugh would ever punish you without good cause, but if I am wrong about that, you will just have to raise it with me when you get back. Now, what do you say".
Although the prospect of being walloped with that slipper was far from appealing, neither boy had any hesitation in giving his word. With one voice they replied immediately.
"Thank you Dad, I promise everything."
The interview over, the boys rushed out of the house to find Hugh next door. He was in, and just as pleased with the news of the saving of the holiday as they were.
"Hugh", Luke was almost shouting in his excitement, "isn't just the coolest thing ever. We can come to the island. I never thought wed be allowed."
Tim jumped in too. "Hey Hugh, have you seen the slipper Dad's going to give you to whack our bums with? It's massive. It's going to be agony, but it'll definitely be worth it."
"OK, calm down lads," Hugh tried to get their excitement to a manageable level, "yeah, I know it'll be great, but what's all this about how I'm going to whack you? That'll only happen if you don't behave, and I trust that you will be on best behaviour all the time".
Tim had, perhaps, expressed himself rather badly. "Obviously we'll try to be good and let's hope we'll succeed. I, for one, don't want to find out how wicked you are with that slipper. I just meant that, if we forget ourselves ever and you have to whack us, I know we won't mind cos the whole holiday will be worth it."
Luke added his contribution. "Tim's right about that. The holiday is going to be such fun that even if we have to have ultra sore bums once or twice, it'll be the greatest. And we've both given our word to Dad that we will take any punishment without any argument and we'll bend over and all that."
The three of them chatted on for ages. They talked about fishing, rock climbing, swimming, boat trips, barbeques and much more.
When the boys were in bed that night their excited conversation continued. After a while, Luke came up with a concern.
"Tim, there's only one thing that worries me. You know as well as I do that the chances of us avoiding that slipper for two whole weeks are pretty low. I'm not worried about that so much. I mean a whacking is over and done with pretty quickly and I'm sure we'll deserve it when it happens. It's just that suppose Hugh not only whacks us but tells Dad later. I reckon that Dad would be so furious with us that we'd end up being grounded for a year and having our pocket money stopped for just as long. Well, perhaps that's over the top, but you know what I mean.
Tim became sombre. "I hadn't thought about that. What do you reckon we can do about it?"
"Well, I've been thinking. It's not all one way you know. Let's think what Hugh will want from the holiday. He's obviously desperate to have it off with Sally, so we could sort of suggest that anything we may see or hear between them will remain our secret if we know that he won't be telling on us. Also, if we give him the idea that we will be completely good if we think there is a danger he'll tell Dad, he's going to think he may be cheated out of the opportunity of trying out the slipper."
Tim interrupted. "But he made it clear that he doesn't want to slipper us."
"Don't be stupid boy. Look, he's only four years older than us. Suppose you had to baby sit for an eight year old boy (which is four years younger than us) and his dad told you you could smack his bum if he was naughty. Are you seriously saying that you wouldn't be longing for the boy to be naughty so you could whack him?"
"I suppose if you put it like that it's a bit different. But he's sixteen. He's going to be grown up in a couple of years."
"Yes, but he's not yet and I'd bet you anything that he's hoping to get the chance of giving us that slipper. I don't mean he doesn't like us, it's just natural to want to try it out. I mean I like you best in the world, but if dad suddenly asked me to whack your bum I'd jump at the idea, and I know you'd do the same if it was the other way round."
"Maybe you're right. So what do you suggest we do?"
"I think one of us should try and make a deal with Hugh before we go. We could say to him that, if he promises not to tell on us, we'll promise not to tell anyone about whatever he and Sally might get up to. We could make it clear that we are going to be unusually good if he won't give us the promise. We could actually offer him a bit more. You know how in the olden days teachers used to whack boys with canes and slippers?"
"Yes".
"Well, from all I've heard, the boys always kept their trousers on for that sort of whacking. Now I was in Hugh's shoes I would want our bums to be bare, so he could see the red splodges appearing. We could add in that, if he gives us the promise, we'll take our trousers and pants down for any whacking he has to give us. After all, it's what we'e used to with Dad and I don't suppose it makes it much more painful. And Hugh's seen our bums often enough when we change for swimming."
"OK, let's give it a try."
Luke was deputed to forge the deal. He had no difficulty. All parties were now happy with the arrangements. The twins knew that their father would never hear of any misdemeanours and Hugh knew that anything he achieved with Sally would not be reported back to his parents or hers. The deal was done.
The island was heaven. The twins fell in love with it on day one. There was so much to do and such utter freedom. All were surprised that the first week passed without any but the most trivial mischief, which once led to one playful smack on Tim's swimming trunks clad bottom with Hugh's hand. But on the eighth day the boys became more adventurous.
Although there were three tents, one for the twins, one for Hugh and one for Sally, Hugh had now achieved quite a lot and he had moved into Sally's tent with her. The twins hadn't yet been aware of any strenuous physical activity behind the canvas, but things were beginning to look quite serious between the couple. That night, when all were tucked into their sleeping bags, Tim started to whisper to Luke.
"Psst, Luke, are you asleep?"
"No"
"I've had the wickedest idea. Let's give Hugh and Sally half an hour to get to sleep (or start having it off if Hugh gets his way) and then we could creep out to the boat and row over to Rock Island for a midnight swim. It would be well cool and we'd never get caught."
Luke and Tim were nearly always of one mind when it came to misbehaviour. Luke instantly agreed. They waited for half an hour. There was total silence from the other tent. Hugh had obviously not got his wicked way yet, but they were clearly asleep because you couldn't move without its being heard in the other tents. The boys slipped out of their sleeping bags, took their jeans and T shirts and a couple of torches and set off to the jetty. Once there, they changed out of their pyjamas into the warmer clothes and crept into the boat. They quietly and slowly rowed off towards Rock Island. It was a warm still night, just perfect for midnight swimming. Once they got there, they tied up and set off for the beach on the other side of the island. They stripped naked and ran into the sea. It was surprisingly warm and they swam and splashed each other happily. After their swim, they realised that they had forgotten to bring towels. There was nothing for it but to try to dry off in the cool night air. They ran up and down the beach, stark naked, playfully chasing each other and practising rugby tackles. Eventually, by about 2 a..m., they were sufficiently dry to get back into their clothes. They returned to the boat and made the return journey.
All had gone splendidly. They got back to the jetty, tied the boat up and tiptoed back to their tent. Then, horror of horrors, they saw Hugh and Sally approaching from the other direction. Hugh was wearing nothing but boxer shorts and Sally was in a skimpy nightdress. They realised what must have happened. Hugh and Sally had had a similar desire to go on an adventure, no doubt so that they could engage in that strenuous activity which the twins had been listening out for. They hadn't been asleep at all. They had just been elsewhere. The twins quickly jumped behind a tree. They hoped they had not been seen. They watched as Sally and then Hugh got into their tent. Then they crept to theirs. They got in and climbed straight into their sleeping bags without removing their jeans and shirts. They both breathed a sigh of relief. They had got away with it.
Then Hugh's whispered voice from outside their tent: "Boys, I think the sound of slipper on bottom might keep Sally awake, we'll deal with this in the morning. Good night".
Oh no! They had been caught. And this was a serious crime. They had endangered themselves. They had risked losing the boat. They had done it all in the middle of the night. There was going to be some serious pain in the morning. Sleeping was not easy for the twins that night. Hugh, on the other hand, drifted easily to sleep thinking of what he had at last achieved that night and of what the morning would bring.
The twins were not cowards. They rose early to await their fate. They wore their tight blue jeans and white T shirts. Hugh climbed out of Sally's tent and the first thing he saw was the two small round bottoms a few yards away. This was going to be fun. He went to the boys and suggested that they go somewhere out of Sally's hearing. They saw the large slipper in his hand. They gulped and agreed.
The three boys, for that was all Hugh was, set off together to the other side of the island. Hugh looked around and then saw the perfect rock.
"That looks an excellent site. Let's do it there". He headed to the rock.
"Who wants to be first?"
Both boys volunteered. Hugh decided for them. "Luke first I think, drop the jeans."
Luke undid the button and zip and slowly lowered his jeans to the ground.
"Now, bend over this rock please".
Luke did as he was bid. Above his slim, long bare legs there was nothing but his blue boxer shorts. Hugh, very gently, slipped them down to the ground and stood back to size up his target. He'd seen it often enough before, but now, glistening in the early morning sun, it looked out of this world. Then he set to work. He swung the slipper with such force that the watching Tim had to shut his eyes, although he heard the crash as the leather slapped into his brother's flesh. He opened his eyes and saw the already red large mark. Hugh paused and then gave the second stroke. He and Tim were both impressed by Luke's fortitude. Not a sound did he make as stroke after stroke landed. After the full six he painfully rose to his feet and clutched his incredibly sore bottom with both hands. But, somehow, he would never know how, he managed a smile.
"That was wicked, it hurts more than all of Dad's spankings put together."
Tim did not have to be told, he lowered his jeans and took his place on the execution block. His boxers were pulled down. Hugh then paused.
"I'm just waiting to let Luke get over his. It would be very unfair if he was not able to get as good a view as you did."
A minute or so later another slim round bottom was turning from white to deepest scarlet. But Tim took it just as well as Luke. He too expressed his admiration for Hugh's ability as a whacker. Once he had got over the first agony, he pulled up his trousers and pants and the three headed back to camp.
Sally was waiting. "I heard every stroke. It must have been awful for you boys. My tip to you is that you should go straight to the beach, strip off and get into the cold water. When I was younger, that was what I did when I'd been punished".
The boys needed no persuading. They dashed to the water's edge, pulled off their clothes and jumped in, pausing only to admire each other's wounds.
Back at the camp Hugh felt the sudden need to take Sally back into their tent. He was not in the slightest put out when he felt a sharp slap on his slim bottom as he pulled his boxer shorts down.
"You naughty boy", said Sally, "You enjoyed doing that to the twins didn't you?"
His mind was not entirely on her as they gave a repeat performance of the previous nights activities.