answer. “You do not have to,” his gentleman recanted the
offer, which made Will feel even worse. His master trusted in
Will’s opinion as he trusted few others. Will would not break that
trust now.
“Of course I will, sir,” Will agreed in the
most level voice he could manage. The answer did not have any
visible effect on his frowning, silent master. Will brought him a
towel but held it at a distance, keeping his eyes averted. He laid
out the shaving things in the same fashion although he mixed the
lather himself.
“If you are feeling…” Charlie began
tentatively once Will had wrapped a dry towel around him. Will
still could not look at him. “If you do not wish…” There, Charlie
paused and coughed. His voice became more forceful. “If you would
like the day off, Will, you can have it. I will not need you.”
“Day off?” The cup of lather slipped from
Will’s fingers and hit the floor. He should not be surprised, he
told himself as he knelt down to pick up fragments of pottery. The
smell of spilled shaving soap hit him strongly when he was close to
the floor. It was his master’s scent, the one Will had chosen for
him. It was everywhere, on the rugs, even on his master’s feet.
Will felt his face go hot and wiped at it
with his fingers though he knew that would do no good. “Do… do not
move, sir,” he heard himself offering a warning in a voice thick
and wet. Biting his lip to hide the sounds he wished to make did
not stop his mind from reminding him what a failure he was. He
could not serve correctly. He could not even be the one thing his
gentleman wanted him to be. “I am sorry,” he mumbled, his lips sore
from his teeth. His eyes were stinging so he kept his head down as
he crawled over to grab a new towel. He scooped up shards of
pottery as he went, not wishing Charlie to injure himself because
of his mistake. “I’m so sorry, sir,” he whispered again, and
shivered when he felt Charlie’s hand at the top of his head.
“Are you all right, Will?” his master
demanded, that essence of command in his tone that made Will want
to curl against his chest. Charlie had one hand on the edge of the
bathtub so he could lean down to see to Will and Will could not
take it.
“You do not need to help me, sir. I am bad
enough at my job, you do not need to lower yourself!” Will flinched
at his own words but pulled away from his master at the same time.
He gathered most of the pottery into the towel and swept it up into
his arms before bolting from the room.
He heard Charlie calling after him but did
not answer. For the first time in his service, he did not want
to.
~~~
Will returned late, his stomach growling with
hunger and the stench of the public house in his clothes. He had
seen a matinee performance that he could remember nothing of and
then sat by himself, nursing the same pint for hours. He only
returned because time was growing late. He did not know if Charlie
would be home and need dinner.
The lights were on as he came in the
servant’s entrance, even the lights in the kitchen, though there
was no sign of a disturbance. He could hear no laughter, or any
other indicator of a guest, but the flowers must have arrived
sometime during the day, and someone had put them out in the
entranceway. The house smelled of lilies.
Will went to the bedroom first, but it was
early yet, so seeing it empty did not surprise him. Seeing the bed
neatly made did. The bathroom floor had been cleaned as well,
though Will could see dried specks of shaving lather and felt his
shame anew.
With the rest of the house, save the
upstairs, unoccupied, he had one more room to check. He found his
master behind his desk in his study, staring down at an opened
book. He did not seem to be reading at all. He was not even wearing
his glasses.
“Was there anything you needed, sir?” Will
broke into his gentleman’s thoughts as meekly as he could but
Charlie lifted his head and stared at him so intently that
offer, which made Will feel even worse. His master trusted in
Will’s opinion as he trusted few others. Will would not break that
trust now.
“Of course I will, sir,” Will agreed in the
most level voice he could manage. The answer did not have any
visible effect on his frowning, silent master. Will brought him a
towel but held it at a distance, keeping his eyes averted. He laid
out the shaving things in the same fashion although he mixed the
lather himself.
“If you are feeling…” Charlie began
tentatively once Will had wrapped a dry towel around him. Will
still could not look at him. “If you do not wish…” There, Charlie
paused and coughed. His voice became more forceful. “If you would
like the day off, Will, you can have it. I will not need you.”
“Day off?” The cup of lather slipped from
Will’s fingers and hit the floor. He should not be surprised, he
told himself as he knelt down to pick up fragments of pottery. The
smell of spilled shaving soap hit him strongly when he was close to
the floor. It was his master’s scent, the one Will had chosen for
him. It was everywhere, on the rugs, even on his master’s feet.
Will felt his face go hot and wiped at it
with his fingers though he knew that would do no good. “Do… do not
move, sir,” he heard himself offering a warning in a voice thick
and wet. Biting his lip to hide the sounds he wished to make did
not stop his mind from reminding him what a failure he was. He
could not serve correctly. He could not even be the one thing his
gentleman wanted him to be. “I am sorry,” he mumbled, his lips sore
from his teeth. His eyes were stinging so he kept his head down as
he crawled over to grab a new towel. He scooped up shards of
pottery as he went, not wishing Charlie to injure himself because
of his mistake. “I’m so sorry, sir,” he whispered again, and
shivered when he felt Charlie’s hand at the top of his head.
“Are you all right, Will?” his master
demanded, that essence of command in his tone that made Will want
to curl against his chest. Charlie had one hand on the edge of the
bathtub so he could lean down to see to Will and Will could not
take it.
“You do not need to help me, sir. I am bad
enough at my job, you do not need to lower yourself!” Will flinched
at his own words but pulled away from his master at the same time.
He gathered most of the pottery into the towel and swept it up into
his arms before bolting from the room.
He heard Charlie calling after him but did
not answer. For the first time in his service, he did not want
to.
~~~
Will returned late, his stomach growling with
hunger and the stench of the public house in his clothes. He had
seen a matinee performance that he could remember nothing of and
then sat by himself, nursing the same pint for hours. He only
returned because time was growing late. He did not know if Charlie
would be home and need dinner.
The lights were on as he came in the
servant’s entrance, even the lights in the kitchen, though there
was no sign of a disturbance. He could hear no laughter, or any
other indicator of a guest, but the flowers must have arrived
sometime during the day, and someone had put them out in the
entranceway. The house smelled of lilies.
Will went to the bedroom first, but it was
early yet, so seeing it empty did not surprise him. Seeing the bed
neatly made did. The bathroom floor had been cleaned as well,
though Will could see dried specks of shaving lather and felt his
shame anew.
With the rest of the house, save the
upstairs, unoccupied, he had one more room to check. He found his
master behind his desk in his study, staring down at an opened
book. He did not seem to be reading at all. He was not even wearing
his glasses.
“Was there anything you needed, sir?” Will
broke into his gentleman’s thoughts as meekly as he could but
Charlie lifted his head and stared at him so intently that
Similar Books
