A/N: I was planning on making another Jeeves story but I had no inspiration but I eventually came up with this 'little' thingy. ^^
I happily enjoyed my morning tea in bed when Jeeves entered with a telegram for the young master. I watched him approach the bed and took a sip of my tea. Now, you all see i wasn't worried about the telegram for i have learned by now that it probably was an aunts' call for the last of the Woosters to come by.
"A telegram for you, sir." Jeeves said as he handed me the paper of doom. It read:
'IN NEED FOR YOUR PRESENCE STOP DEPART AT ONCE STOP NO NEED TO BRING JEEVES STOP AUNT A.'
I say! Why shouldn't i bring my man with me? I'd done so every time i headed for the countryside or anywhere else.
"Jeeves, the old dragon's blowing fire in our direction." I said with a heavy sigh.
"Indeed sir?" Jeeves asked in no surprised tone.
"Indeed, Jeeves." I confirmed. "She wants me at bumpleigh hall." I dare say she has a new 'suitable' young woman waiting there for my person.
"Shall i pack, sir?" Jeeves asked. I drank the rest of my tea and set it down on the tea-tray.
"I smell women, Jeeves." I said screwing my nose in a disgusted looking manner.
"Perhaps she is planning your marriage, sir. I wish you luck." Jeeves said unjeevesianly, i gaped at my man with my mouth opening and closing without words coming forth.
"Jeeves! Was that my imagination or was it actually you who said that?" I asked not believing my own ears.
"Yes, sir. I was merely joking." He replied. I've heard bad jokes before but this...this...there are simply no words for.
"Good lord, please never do that again." I said sighing with relief.
"Very good, sir."
"It scared me no bit."
"Most distressing, sir."
"You may joke Jeeves, like the ones that sometimes hurt the young master and offend any of my ties or hats because i've noticed the readers love your dry jokes." I replied.
"So i have observed, sir." Said Jeeves. In the meantime Jeeves had begun to pack.
When he exited the room for something or other, i threw the old legs out of bed and headed for a small box beneath it. I felt my way along the ground until my fingertips touched the little box. I took said box and laid it upon the duvet of my bed. Opening it slowly and with care as if it might be of gold, i took out a brightly looking tie, it had several colors and it would offend Jeeves badly but i really like those colors on the t. So I hastened over to the still open suit case and sought for a forgotten space where i could place my rainbow-tie.
I quickly dug the tie somewhere in the case, hoping Jeeves wouldn't notice the crinkles in the other clothes and the gap leading to the tie between said clothes. I slapped my forehead, but there wasn't enough time to reorganize for my faithful valet stood behind me with a waist coat.
"Ah...er, just ah...looking if you pack the right things, you see?" I explained stuttering nervously. "May i...?" I asked nodding towards the waist coat.
Jeeves handed me the w. c., i didn't trust him going through the suit case with the rainbow tie visibly in sight. "Just learning how to put things right in a suit case, Jeeves, that's all." I lied with a wide grin that would betray everything if grins could speak.
"Very good, sir." He said suspiciously. My grin widened and i closed the case.
"So off i go i think." I said.
"Would you want me to company you, sir?" Jeeves asked. I totally forgot about that!
"Yes and no." I said unsure and in a small voice.
"Sir?" For a well trained eye such as mine i saw a little confusion in his eyes asking what i was up to.
"The aged A. Requested i'd no need to bring you with me but i want you to go with me, Jeeves." I said somberly.
"Perhaps she does not realize you can't drive all the way alone, sir." He said. It needed time to sink in and before i knew i shouted:
"You're right, Jeeves!" But a thought occurred to me just then. "But we actually never switched places, Jeeves." It's true, sometimes i would depart before Jeeves did and he would come sometime later with our bags.
"Very true, sir. But do you think she isthat clever, sir?" He asked
"I guess not, Jeeves." Of course not! No one is as clever as him, only to think that there is in fact someone out there like him would be a shame. He's unique! "Pack your things and off we go." I was not worried at what to expect at steeple Bumpleigh because i already knew what awaited me there, Aunt Agatha who'll throw a girl to me, Jeeves who'll fish me out of the soup. Nothing that Bertram can't handle.
And thus we departed as soon we were both ready. Now the usual drive to Bumpleigh Hall is a relaxing one or ought to at least.
With Jeeves in front of the wheel and myself in the passenger's seat, i rested back a bit and fell asleep. Normally I would just sit back and talk to Jeeves but I didn't feel up to it just now. A noise woke me and I opened the baby blue's I gazed around me, the car was pulled over and Jeeves was missing. I jumped out of the two-seater and walked 'round as to seek for my man. We were in the middle of nowhere and the paragon of paragons was not even with me! "Where did you go, Jeeves?" I muttered to myself.
"Not that far, sir." I heard Jeeves' voice from behind me. The voice startled me and I leapt up in surprise.
"Jeeves!" I shouted with my hand covering the only thing keeping me alive, the only thing that Jeeves stole from me, the only thing that beats with pure love towards my man forever and ever, the…the, you know.
"I am sorry to have frightened you, sir." Jeeves said. I turned to him and said:
"It's nothing, Jeeves. Why did we stop?" He fixed his gaze at the two-seater and then back at me.
"I must apologize sir, but when the motor fell still it wouldn't start anymore. I have taken the liberty of looking beneath the motor-cab, sir, and it appeared the carburetor is broken." I just gaped at my man pretending to know what the deuce he's talking about.
"Sure, this carb…carburnator thingummy isn't that necessary in one's car?" I asked.
"Carburetor, sir." Jeeves corrected. "And without it, the car would not drive, sir." Jeeves replied. I sighed looking at our surroundings.
"Any chance it gets fixed?" I asked him.
"I very much doubt it, need to replace it with a new one, sir." He explained in his valet-ish voice. I grunted annoyed and watched Jeeves walk back to the Aston.
"How long until we're in the land of the living, Jeeves?"
"I guess you are referring to a village or town, sir?" I nodded. "After some miles, sir." Now my mouth flew open, but I had to close it hastily or a bug would fly into it.
"Jeeves, two things." I said looking at a nearby bug.
"Yes, sir?"
"Can bugs fly in one's mouth? And what are we going to do?" Jeeves merely gazed at me.
"Sir, I do not know if bugs can fly into your mouth, I never considered testing it." Jeeves told me with a raised eyebrow. Some would see nothing but I could clearly see his amusement but let it pass this time.
"Alright then, the second question?" I asked with a sigh.
"Perhaps if you would agree, sir, I could walk further and seek for help while you wait here in the vehicle." Jeeves suggested. I eyed said t.-s. and sighed again.
"Very well, Jeeves." I began. "How long will it actually take, old thing?" I asked him. He seemed to think for he lifted his eyes over the horizon of the road and then back to me.
"It might take a few hours, sir." Jeeves replied calmly. I'd bet he doesn't mind at all, to walk a few hours that is. Of course such a marvel loves to refresh his mind with a good walk. And I guess he'd like to do so in silence, and with 'silence' I mean without the young master.
"Hours?" It sounded with disbelief but I knew I could believe Jeeves, though if he'd tell me McIntosh could talk…my word, sure i'd call as soon as possible for Sir Roderick.
"I'm afraid so, sir." He said in a monotone voice. Oh…how I would love to hear that same voice say. 'I love you, Bertram' I could spend the whole day dreaming how his voice sounded if he would say such a thing. But I'll only hear his valet-voice.
"Alright off you go." I said waving a hand and turning back to the Aston Martin. "Wait, hours! I don't want to be alone that long!" I thought facing Jeeves again. I yelped, not a very manly yelp but I'll live through, Jeeves still stood there he'd not even moved one inch! He lifted his eyebrows a quarter of an inch skywards. "Jeeves! I thought you'd gone already." I said.
"Not yet, sir."
"I bally well see that!" I exclaimed. "Um…Jeeves, I'd better go with you. You know for some company." I replied with a wide grin appearing on my map.
"Very good, sir. Shall we go?" He asked me. I nodded and off we went.
We'd only been walking for a half an hour when my feet began to hurt, I couldn't see the car behind us and nor could I see an end to this road. So I began to speak for some distraction.
"Jeeves?" I began. "Um…what was that about lanterns? I remember reading something among the lines:
'… Through miles on weary miles of night
That stretch relentless in my way
My lantern burns serene and white…'
"The rest I seem to have forgotten. Some filly named Joyce Kilm-whatsit wrote it I think." I watched Jeeves as we walked further towards the evening. He thought for a split second and then said:
"Joyce Kilmer, sir?" Jeeves questioned. His eyes sparkled in the darkness of the sunset
' Because the road was steep and long
And through a dark and lonely land,
God set upon my lips a song
And put a lantern in my hand.
Through miles on weary miles of night
that stretch relentless in my way
My lantern burns serene and white,
An unexhausted cup of day.
Oh golden lights and lights like wine,
How dim your boasted splendors are.
Behold this little lamp of mine;
It is more star-like than a star!'
"Ah, yes. You really know everything eh, Jeeves." I smiled brightly. "You know, it was my favorite poem when I was a lad." I told him. I eyed him from the corner of my eyes and saw him staring straight ahead, he didn't seem to care what I was saying but still, I saw some interest creeping in his face when I didn't continue my usual babbling.
"Indeed sir?" He said in an asking tone. I grinned at the memory it left behind. So long ago, so long and I still remember. It's one of the few things I can remember from the past, except the things my so-called friends blackmail me with.
"Indeed, Jeeves. When I was snooping around in the attic in Totleigh towers I found a small box." I could see it all before me like I was back there as a little boy seeking for something to play with. "I opened the box but it only were some dusty papers. Me, as curious as I was, or rather still am, started to unfold one of the papers and I began to read, I saw it was said p. and who it wrote but I also discovered it was mentioned for my mother." I felt tears well up in my eyes but tried to ignore them as best as I could. "When I laid it aside I saw the other stuff in the box and they were from my father so I knew my mother never received the poem." I explained.
"Most distressing, sir." Was Jeeves' only replay. I gaped at the man. Jeeves really sounded like he didn't care! Could you believe it, no interest in the matter, nothing! I sighed and was silent the rest of our 'little' walk, or I would if I wasn't such a 'talkative person' like I'd heard Jeeves describe it. Then I asked a question I was soon to regret, I don't even know if it's alright to ask it but still, I did.
"Jeeves?" I began, "Did you ever meet your parents." I asked in a small voice. I had the chance to meet them but not long after my ninth birthday, they were killed in a horribly accident and I still remember everything perfectly. I'd rather not tell you all now, perhaps in another story.
"Only my father, sir." Jeeves answered. Okay perhaps the next thing was a little rude to ask, but we all know how the Wooster mind works.
What happened to your mother?" I asked, Jeeves hesitated for a while but he talked at last.
"She died after giving birth to my younger brother, sir." Jeeves let no emotions loose when he said it, I felt sorry for him but he didn't seem to be sorry himself. Why? Because I'm here, or because he didn't really feel anything about it? I was eager to learn more about Jeeves, I wanted to know everything Jeeves had gone through, everything he thinks and does or even did. Good Lord! You'll all think I'm obsessed with him don't you? I just love him, nothing more nothing less.
"I'm sorry Jeeves." I told him.
"There's no need for pity, sir." Jeeves informed me. No pity? How can one have no pity with him?
"Jeeves!" I shouted. "How old were you?" I asked very interested in the matter.
"Five, sir." Jeeves said. That's terrible, I have known my mother and he didn't even remember her unless he has a super memory, but I think even he can't go back so far to the age of five. I felt terrible for asking him about it but the words wouldn't lay still on my tongue and they escaped at a bad time, they had never been allowed to ever escape in fact.
The sun switched places with the moon and I looked up, the night was dark as always but now it was dark and cold, the typical weather for England this time a year. It was cold and my breath formed into a small warm gust as did Jeeves'.
We were walking past some trees now; every now and then you'd hear a stick crack like someone was following us. And then something leapt at us and I hid immediately behind Jeeves' broad chest. I saw Jeeves extend his arms a bit in a protective manner but whatever sprang from behind the trees took hold of one of his arms and started to pull.
"Jeeves!" I cried out, I was frightened. Jeeves pulled back towards me and all I could do was watch.
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: Mwahaha, I personally hate cliffhangers but still here you got it!