“The master is here!” A footman’s voice rang throughout the manor along with a multitude of following footsteps. I ducked my head back out of the window’s view and peeked out the side of the drapes, where I could see the servants lining up in the entry hall.
Oh, dear…I hope I didn’t miss my opportunity to escape. Anxiously, I glanced at the collection of bodies guarding my exit. My stomach growled, reminding me that I needn’t stay a moment longer if I didn’t want to starve.
I poked my eyes over the edge of the windowsill to get a full view of the other occupants exiting the carriage. As soon as the footman opened the door, the fluffy monstrosity bounded out of the carriage and raced into the grass to relieve himself. The creature was far bigger than I had initially thought. Had I been in front of him, his head might have come up to my waist.
My attention turned back to the carriage as a tall, stoic-faced man stepped onto the ground. He had brown hair and wore a very expensive suit jacket for just coming out of a carriage. His eyes scanned across the front gardens with a judgmental expression, his chin held high. Overall, he looked like a typical noble, yet something about him seemed familiar…
Intently, I gazed at his face, scanning my brain for any relevant memories.What was his name again? Lord Oberon? Oh, that’s right!
Lord Luke Oberon was one of the five judges who sat on the council in Isalla’s court. During the winter, I had witnessed the trial of the queen’s attempted murder of Princess Arabella. Lord Oberon had been present then and ruled in favor of the princess. No wonder his house was so lavish—his family was one of the most powerful in the entire kingdom.
I watched, as the man commanded the dog to his side with a single call. The fuzzy beast trotted over to his master and promptly sat with a proud smile. I couldn’t make out the voices from outside the window, but Lord Oberon appeared to be speaking back in the direction of the carriage. The footman remained unmoved, so there must have been another person whom his words were directed to.
My questions were sated by the exit of another figure from the carriage. This time it was a boy. He stepped out of the carriage less proudly than the lord had, but he took his place directly by the man’s side as the servants greeted them. Did Lord Oberon have a son?
The boy looked to be about my age, or perhaps a little older. He had shaggy chestnut hair and a much kinder face than his apparent father’s. Actually, his face looked entirely different from his father’s. Maybe they weren’t related at all?
The two men were led inside by Lawrence, who opened the door wide for them and the dog. Once the door was held wide, I could finally hear the previously muted conversation.
“Welcome home, sires.” The butler gave a deep respectful bow directed at both men. The dog broke from his position by the lord and gave a sloppy wet lick to Lawrence’s nose while he was bent over. “And welcome to you as well, Bartholomew.”
I stifled a chuckle at the pompous name.Bartholomew? Who named a dopey-looking fluff ball like that something so frilly?I withheld my snickers as I continued to watch the exchange from behind the drapes.
“Thank you, everyone. It is good to be back for the season.” The lord’s voiced boomed over the staff. He clearly knew how to command a space. “Please allow me and my son to rest for a while. We shall be down for lunch at precisely twelve and should not be disturbed until then.” The servants nodded in understanding without breaking form. “You are dismissed.”
As soon as the words exited his mouth, the staff split off in every direction to get back to their tasks. I watched with intrigue as the apparent son made his way up the stairs with a panting Bartholomew on his heels. My attention on the boy nearly kept me from noticing that Lord Oberon was making his way into the parlor with Lawrence. I quickly ducked fully inside the drapery, hoping I hadn’t shaken the fabric enough for them to notice.
“Sir, there is something I need to inform you of before you take your rest.” Lawrence led the master into his parlor, where he promptly sat in a chair.
“Can this not wait until lunch? I am weary from travel and wish to rest as much as possible before the mistress arrives tomorrow.” He leaned back with a sigh into the plush armchair. I watched the exchange with rapt interest through a gap in the fabrics.
“I understand, sir, and I apologize for the disturbance. However, this matter requires urgent attention.” Lawrence’s demeanor remained steady, but it was easy to sense that he was troubled.
“Out with it already, Lawrence. Quit dawdling and tell me what is more urgent than my bed.” Lord Oberon’s patience was long gone at this point. Lawrence, on the other hand maintained his perfectly calm persona.
“Sir, it is your bed…” The master raised an eyebrow at his servant’s cryptic wording. “We found it disturbed upon our arrival yesterday, along with a recent fire in the kitchen and a bowl of porridge.”
I sucked in a silent breath. Oh, yeah… I suppose that would be classified as urgent news for one of the kingdom’s five judges to be aware of. I cautiously leaned back against the wall, trying to make myself smaller. It suddenly occurred to me that my actions were completely outside of Isallan law. Not only that, but if the gentleman in front of me caught me lurking in his home, he could do far worse than send me back to my parents.
“What?” Lord Oberon sharply sat up in his chair. He sounded far more distressed about the matter than I would have liked him to. “How did they get inside? Did you see who it was? Blast it, Lawrence, what else did they get into!?” He wrapped his massive hands around his butler’s shoulders, shaking him lightly.
“We found the bonus set of keys on the floor of your bedroom, so we believe that was their means of entry.” Lawrence kept his eyes locked on his master’s without even an ounce of fear in his tone. “We also believe that the culprit fled through the servant’s entrance upon our arrival. The staff and I performed a thorough sweep of the house and have kept all but the front door locked. Whoever it was is long gone. As for the house, nothing appeared out of place, aside from a slept-in bed and some missing food. It would be my guess that we are dealing with nothing more than a homeless peasant.”
Lord Oberon released his grip on Lawrence and began to pace across the room. He seemed extraordinarily distraught about the news, which was a tad odd to witness. He was a powerful, wealthy man. What harm could a small intrusion do? Even if I had stolen something small, I doubt it would hurt his finances too drastically.
“You’re certain none of the documents were found?” Lord Oberon asked a little quieter, and my interest piqued at the sudden secrecy.
“Yes, my Lord,” Lawrence confirmed confidently. “Each was accounted for, and no disturbance to their location was found upon our arrival.” An audible sigh came from Lord Oberon. The entire room’s dynamic was growing tense when suddenly, a fluffy black blur broke through it all.
Bartholomew came bounding down the stairs and burst into the parlor, unashamed. Lawrence attempted to calm the excited dog, but he seemed far too hyper to follow any commands. It was a rather cute display until the animal suddenly stuck his nose in the air to investigate a new scent. Then his nose turned in my direction… His big black body approached the drapery with purposed strides, causing my body to freeze. I closed my eyes as he grew closer to my hiding spot.
“Bartholomew! Heel!” Lord Oberon commanded his pet firmly, and the dog instantly changed direction to sit in by his master. “Good boy.” He patted the dog on the head before turning his attention back to Lawrence. “Continue to lock the doors for a few more weeks. I would rather not risk anyone stumbling back into my home, whether it’s by coincidence or not.”
“Yes, sir, as you wish.” Lawrence gave a slight bow in understanding as his master turned back out of the room.
“We shall talk more of this later, but for now, I’m off to my suite.” The lord gave a slight yawn as he exited the parlor’s entrance. “Oh, and don’t mention this to Elias or Jenna for now. They both worry too much.” Without looking back, he turned out of the room with Bartholomew close behind him.
Lawrence remained in the room for a moment longer to fluff the pillows that the lord had leaned on. After appearing content with the state of the room, he left out the opposite exit, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I slumped against the wall with a soft sigh.