Freedom: A 1862 London Gay Romance

By Dick Powers

In 1862 London homosexuality is not just a sin but also a crime. James Micheals is a gay man and must hide his feelings and desires everywhere he goes lest he be arrested and hung from the neck or, worse, sent for reeducation. This is a story of one man's experiences as he finds freedom, fulfillment and romance in a world where gay is definitely not okay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lunatic Ink Publishing
• Release date: Sep 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005483593

Dick Powers

Dick Powers writes gay erotic fiction. He writes heterosexual erotica under Sophie Sin.

Book preview

FREEDOM: A 1862 LONDON GAY ROMANCE

Dick Powers

Copyright 2020 Lunatic Ink Publishing

Find more at Dick Powers' Book List or enjoy his male-female erotica at Sophie's Book List.

All characters consent and are over 18yrs.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Normal Day

Afternoon Temptation

Weeks Later

A Sexual Experience

The Next Day

The Worst Thing That Could Have Happened

Bedlam Asylum

Treatment

An Intense Experience

Rewarded

Soccer

A Very Odd Evening

A Simple Plan

What Looks Like An Orgy

Hanging

Abroad A Ship

A NORMAL DAY

It was a normal day at work. The twang of the teller’s coin drawers springing open with the usual aged vigor and the customers demanding as loudly as usual their funds with the pronounced snobbishness that only noblemen could manage filled his ears.

James Mathews stood at his station behind the line of six tellers that fronted the Bank of England and waited for his chance to move from the strict straight backed stance that his boss - Thomas Dixon - demanded of all those that served the bank’s customers.

Note! number 3 called.

Taking his lock box from the desk that held the various tools of his trade, he walked over and put it down on the little desk that sat between the service counters of number 3 and number 4.

How many pounds will be withdrawn? he asked number 3.

Five.

James pulled the key for the lock box from his the side pocket of his vest and twisted it in the lock. He glanced around after doing so. There had been a robbery attempt where a man drew a knife and attempted to steal the notes from another note teller’s box and that had only been a few months back. Since then James had been carefully. He was the second replacement for the man that was injured and the last man had left the job due to the irregular amount of strictness that the bank manager applied to his staff.

He took the crisp white monochrome printed note and checked it carefully. Signature, date and details were accurate. The note was also unsmudged, sturdy and in good order.

Is this acceptable, sir?

The customer was a tall man with a straight back and looked like he had served in the military. James carefully kept his eyes from the man’s broad shoulders and pointedly maintained polite eye contact.

It is.

James handed over the note and packed up his things. He went back to his station and the customer strolled among the crowd that had assembled for their morning bank run. It was a struggle not to look towards the door as the man left. He had not been handsome, but that had stopped mattering to James a long time ago. When one was as restricted in their options as he was by the very nature of his homosexuality, anyone would do.

His eyes trailed to the desk and the box on it. He took up his polishing rag and rubbed it over the wooden box. James did not want to feel as he did right now. His body was responding to the thoughts of sex and for a gay man in London in 1862 that was a death sentence if he was found out. There was no leniency for the gay - legal or social - in England. None at all.

AFTERNOON TEMPTATION

The interior of the bank was quiet this afternoon. The high domed ceiling above let in a little light from the cloudy day outside and the tellers behind their wooden counters were lazing back in their seats with a sense of calm boredom that was as unusual as it was welcome.

James was standing at his station waiting for a customer to serve when Mr. Dixon’s assistant strolled over.

The manager wants to see you.

It’s not yet time for our daily meeting, James said. Do you know what it is about?

I’m not sure, the assistant replied. He’s not in a good mood.

I see.

James had many things to worry about in his life, but Mr. Dixon was pretty close to the top of the list and he suspected the man wanted to scold him again for no good reason other than he wanted someone to scold.

For a second he looked to the clock near the door. It was 2:24pm. There was the whole afternoon ahead of him before the bank closed at 5pm. This wasn’t going to be fun.

I will go now. Should I get someone to replace me?

No need. There’s no customers anyway.

James put his lock box into the lowest drawer of the desk and locked that with a key from his top pocket. He then walked through the back door that led into the back area of the bank. The Bank of England was a large building compared to many other banks that situated themselves in London. James took the stairs to the top floor and walked through the office of the management team of the bank to come to the back and knock on the door to the bank manager’s office.

Come, the man inside bellowed.

Opening the door, James stepped inside. The first thing that he noted was the young, slim, very well dressed blond man standing next to the large desk of the bank manager. There was an immediate feeling of strong discomfort in James as he drew his eyes away from the young man. He was handsome - far too handsome - and James could feel the old temptations growing in him. The risk of revealing his sexuality was too high for him to view the man for a single second, he realized. James drew his eyes to Dixon and firmly kept them there.

James, this is Jonathan Harper. He will be establishing a second notes desk down on the floor and I would like you to show him the ropes.

James looked once to the young man. His eyes were blue and piercing and his face smooth and chiseled around the cheek bones. He had a small dimple in his jaw and an intense look on his face that was softened by a small smile that occupied his lips.

I see, sir. I would be happy to help.

Dixon looked at Jonathan. The young man didn’t change his expression and only smiled wider.

Go with James and learn his trade, Dixon ordered. I have high expectations of you.

James turned to go and Jonathan joined him. He was in much better clothes