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"The Manor has ten rooms in all, three of which are bedrooms. There is a large kitchen, and the study, living room and library take up most of the space on the bottom floor." Jikeh explained as lead Cade from the garden into the house.
Cade nodded slightly, encouraging Jikeh to continue.
The tour went swiftly. Besides the bedrooms on the top floor, was a solarium, an well lit work room and one room that stood empty.
"Master's daughters used this room as a dance hall," Jikeh explained, before shutting the door and leading Cade down a short hall to a flight of steps.
"The servants have a common room in the attic,"
Cade nodded again.
"You will move into one of the bedrooms on this floor," Cade said after a moment's thought. Jikeh looked as if he was about to argue, but he thought better of it, and nodded.
"I'll show you the Master suite now,"
They went back the way they came and entered what was a dreary room. It was dominated by a rediculously large bed, which looked as if it would take three full-grown men to move it even an inch.
The rest of furniture in the room was standard, a closet and a dressing table. The floor was covered in a thick blue carpet.
"Show me the other bedrooms," Cade said and Jikeh moved to do so without commenting.
Though he had tried to only focus on the task, Cade's silence made it easy for his mind to wander. Cade would have to be much older than he supposed; there was no way that a boy of seventeen could have such a serious character.
Nor, could he imagine a boy that age having enough money to buy the manor.Despite himself he was steadily getting more and more curious about his new Master.
The next bedroom was airy, bright and roomy in comparison to the one they had just left. It had no carpet and two large window seats.
"I'll take this one," Cade announced slipping his bag off his shoulder and resting on the side table.
"But this one does not have connected plumbing, only a claw foot tub which must be filled," Jikeh hurried to explain why this was not the bedroom that would be the first choice of a new owner.
"That is more your concern than mine Jikeh,"
Jikeh found himself suddenly embarrassed. It was absurd of course, Cade was talking of him filling the bath not bathing him, so why had his mind flown there? He knew the answer of course but he preferred to not acknowledge it.
"Yes, of course. Well I- I suppose -"
"Hmm?" Cade murmured, sitting on the bed and pulling off his boots, all the while keeping an eye on Jikeh's suddenly semi-pink face.
"I supposed that this is as good a place as any to discuss exactly what you expect of me," Jikeh said evenly, sitting down in the armchair that was closest to the door.
Cade settled his boots neatly under the bed and put in some of the thought necessary to answer that question.
He still had not changed his plans. He would be leaving within a few days, where indeed did Jikeh fit in? The boy was a servant and this was a house that he took care of daily. It was spotless, which was impressive; most boys in Jikeh's position would not have put in the amount of work that was needed to keep a place this size in order. On that, he could offer nothing.
"You can carry on as normal, and in the even that I leave, I would expect you to take care of the manor. Futher - if you ever decide that you persue a different task - find someone suitable to replace you before you go," Cade finished speaking and wondered what in his words had caused Jikeh's face to show such an expression.
"If you leave? Oh, of course. You couldn't have bought here to be a home - why you hardly have any luggage," Jikeh murmured this in a low tone to himself, but Cade heard all of it, due to his exceptional hearing. In a higher voice Jikeh decared, "When you leave, I shall no longer work for you,"
In his mind Jikeh thought: I shall not be left here again.
"So, being a servant has lost its appeal?" Cade asked, his lips quirking upwards slightly.
"It never had any appeal," Jikeh said honestly, "But it was what I was raised to do,"
"Raised to pluck grass and sweep floors? What a drab existence you must lead," Cade said quietly, his eyes lacking mocking or pity - which quelled any indignation that Jikeh would have normally had towards such a statement.
"Not everyone can own a manor, Master Cade," Jikeh said with feeling, "and as long as someone owns a manor, it must be maintained,"
"That is a sensible way of looking at it," Cade said after a moment, "But still, surely you have had some longing to do something else,"
Jikeh smiled and Cade was baffled. His smile held a sadness that did not at all seem self-pitying despite his next words.
"I have never had time to longings, there is always some work to be done,"
Before Cade could think of something to say in response to such a statement, Jikeh gave into his curiosity.
"Who are you really Master Cade?"
"Who am I? I am Cade," came the instant answer.
Jikeh refrained from rolling his eyes. Just.
"I mean, where do you hail from, what do you do, what is your family name?"
Cade laughed heartily, curling his toes into the soft carpet beneath them.
"Strange questions to ask, after I have already retained your service," he countered, watching with continuing amusement as Jikeh accepted that his word had some weight.
"I wasn't curious then," Jikeh contended, "My fault, but please answer,"
Cade considered Jikeh silently for a long moment.
"Cade Nihen. I'm a tailor by profession and I have a son - my only family."
Jikeh's eyes widened and once again his jaw moved downward but he stopped it quickly. A son? Then this man was married? But then - the son was the only family? So no parent, no siblings and no wife..how strange.. and sad.
"My condolences," Jikeh said sincerely and watched as Cade's features mimicked confusion. He hastened to explain.
"I assumed that your wife is dead, and your parents are at least,"
Cade smirked slightly, but he replaced it with a solemn look in flash - but not fast enough that Jikeh had not seen it.
"Ah, yes. Thankyou,"
Jikeh turned his thoughts away from where they were heading swiftly. If Cade was not sorry that his family was gone - it was none of his business.
"A tailor? You hardly seem the type to sew but I suppose it takes all kinds,"
"I suppose," Cade said, once again amused, "So are you settled then?"
"I-, why yes for he most part. I'm not a bad cook, but you might want to hire one none the less,"
Cade frowned. Cooking? Ah yes, the boy would think he needed to eat.
"Whatever you prepare will be fine," Cade said truthfully; it would make no difference to him as he had no taste sense.
"I predict you'll hire a cook, after dinner tonight," Jikeh said in a light tone, though he was serious. His family had a habit of paling whenever he stepped into a kitchen far less when he put the equipment inside of it to use.
Cade did not answer, his continued to watch Jikeh.
Unnerved, Jikeh made polite excuses and headed for the door. He hesitated there.
"I expect you to dine with me," Cade said with a brief smile.
"Oh - well then, dinner around six?"
"Six is fine,"
Jikeh forced a smile and exited hastily, closing the door softly behind him. He leaned back against it, his thoughts racing. Just now, Cade had looked so - attractive sitting on the bed looking at him. His treacherous urges had surfaced like a demon smelling a fresh kill. What was wrong with him, that he could feel that way about a stranger but had never been able to warm up to the idea of marrying Marybelle - a girl who was kind and nice to look at?
He heard movement inside of the room and he hastened down the corridor. The sooner Cade left - the better, he decided, and his energy would be best spent deciding how he would conduct his left away from the manor.
 Azraella · Thu Jul 02, 2009 @ 12:51am · 0 Comments |
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Jikeh paused and watched the distance figure turn off the main road and start to make their way up the winding path to the gates of the Manor.
From this distance it was hard to pick out anything interesting about the figure and so he knelt down in the brush again and returned to plucking weeds from the ground.
It was a monotonous task.
A minute later his eyes once again sought the figure, whose back was to the sun. The fellow had not made it very far - he was not convinced it was a main as the figure gave no evidence of a skirt.
Once again he stopped and added steadily to the pile at his feet. Sooner than before he looked up again and this time the visitor was close enough for him to tell if he knew him or not.
He didn't - which was good because he didn't encourage his family to bother him at work. The walker, was young - though it was hard to tell if he was in his twenties or his thirties. It was equally difficult to tell if he had come to visit the Master of the house or to ask for a job. His clothing was neither tattered nor new.
Jikeh contemplated calling out and then thought better of it - after all, no matter what the stranger wanted it had little to do with him.
So, back to pulling the weeds he went.
He continued fixedly until footfalls and eventually a shadow looming close to him, made ignoring the visitor's presence a viable action.
Somewhat irritated he turned around.
Up close it was clear to see that the man was a teenager, like himself, perhaps a year younger than his own eighteen years. He was perhaps one of the cleanest men that Jikeh had ever seen, and even as he thought it - he wondered what he even meant by that.
It was true however, everything on this man was in order, and what seemed out of order was in symmetry, and wahat was neither sparkled as if it had been polished - like his cerulean eyes.
They faced off - a slient introduction that went on for about three minutes. Jikeh cleared his throat and straightened his body so that he was at his full height.
"How may I help you Mr-" Jiken bega tentatively, betraying nothing but politeness in his tone.
"Cade," the other man said shortly. His voice was clipped and even tough he only uttered his own name it sounded haughty.
Jiken bristled, pulling his hands free of his gloves and stuffing them in his pants pocket. He used this motion to distract himself from his urge to be rude.
"How may I help, Mr Cade," he said quietly.
Cade took his time in answering. The boy before him was far too emotional, he concluded. Though his voice betrayed little, his eyes told the whole story. He was a servant, that wasobvious - but he had an animal like alertness. He rocked back slightly on his heels, no retreating but effectively making it easier for him to do so.
He was as defensive as a Mother protecting her chicks over this small Manor in the middle of a remote village, which employed him.
For a nothing he was beautiful. His features young and unremarkable - but appealing to the eye. His ribbon thin bands of energy refused to yield to his presence. Ah yes - this boy was interesting -
And agitated. He had placed hands in his pockets to hide the way they contracted in response to the silence.
Cade looked passed him to the manor, a two story brick structure with a thatched roof and surveryed it for signs of life. It was still.
"So you are the only servant that remains," Cade said, his eyes settling on the boy again, this time sliding from his face to the pile of weeds at his feet.
"A gardener?"
Jikeh was startled. This man knew that he was the only person currently employed here, the others had left with the Master, destined for this main residence. He had been willing to go, but the Master had not been willing to take him. It still stung to be unwanted, even if the Master had said that it was the extent of his good character and work ethic that had prompted him to entrust him with the Manor.
Jikeh turned away. Why ten was this man here, he would have to know that the Master had left. Was he here for ill reasons?
"No, I'm not the gardener," Jikeh said, turning back around. He preferred to be facing the unknown, "What do you want Mr. Cade?"
Under Jikeh's surly gaze, cade extracted a document from the bag on his shoulder and handed it to Jikeh.
The boy took it, scanning it first intently and then was disbelief.
"The M-manor? S-sold.. to you?! But it has been in the Isok family for generations! How could Master do this! It flies in the face of his ancestors!" Jikeh said angrily, though his face was almost expressionless.
"He needed money," Cade said in a semi-amused tone which earned him a poisonous look from Jikeh which he ignored.
Jikeh read the document once more, then breathed deeply and handed it back over. The next moment he spoke.
"I'll gather my things and leave with in the hour,"
His tone was flat. After speaking he knelt again and began to gather the heap of weeds into a cloth bag he had aside for the purpose.
Cade returned the document to his bag and watched the boy struggle with the simple task. The emotions which he was battling with, though he kept them disguised robbed him of his coordination.
Jikeh's mind was racing. Without this job, what would he do? He had never tried to bee good at anything else. He family had worked for the Isok lineage for generations, and now it would end with him. He felt bitter towards the Master and this, Mr. Cade who had bought the Manor.
Cade waited until Jikeh had risen again to speak.
"I had no intention of you leaving. I have no knowledge of people in this area, and no inclination to fix that. I do not mind housework, but a house this size I have not enough time for. You may stay on,"
Jikeh stared blankly at Cade for a moment, then laughed richly. Whether noble or peasant - the man before him was amusing.
"I work for the Isoks, no one else," Jikeh informed him bluntly, "And in the future - don't buy a house that is too large for you to clean alone, especially if mingling with others long enough to hire help, if beyond your scope,"
Cade smiled, unfazed by Jikeh's words.
"I bought it sight unseen," Cade put forward, "And though I'm sure you have some wisdom to impart about that, spare me it please. I'll pay you three hundred rounds a day,"
Jikeh eyes widen compulsively. He was sure that his jaw had almost broken loose, given how suddenly it had dropped open. Three hundred a day? That was twice his yearly salary.
Either this man was senile,he was lying or he was too rich to have good sense. None of the three were favorable.
Just as Jikeh was asking himself why would this stranger put forward such an offfer, the stranger was asking himself the same thing. He had only planned to rest here for a few days at the most - he had bought the manor as a favor to one of his favorite muses, nothing more. And he had visited it only on a whim.
He had not spared a thought for servants.He did not like company.And no one could clean, cook and organise to his exacting standards.
However, he liked this boy. It was a gut feeling - and a surprisingly pleasant one.
Jikeh came to a decision. It was dangerous to deal with this unknown, but with that money he could go to the academy. And with an education suddenly in reach, almost anything was no little sacrifice.
He breathed and stood at attention before bowing politely.
"Jikeh, at your service, Master Cade,"
It was Cade's turn to laugh. He had not expected it to be so quickly - but then for norms, money was a great motivator.
"Very well then Jikeh, give me a tour of my Manor,"
"Of course," Jikeh said briskly, pushing his wariness aside and embracing the present.
Azraella · Wed Jul 01, 2009 @ 11:27pm · 0 Comments |
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