It was a late autumnal morning and as Walter Corey sat down at his desk, after one of Felix's excellent breakfasts, he concluded everything was about as perfect as it could get. His lordship had been in a good mood of late, Lady Caroline had been married off over the summer and was now terrorising another household up in Derbyshire; and more importantly he had finally been able to off load Andrew Adams.
That had been his greatest accomplishment over the summer, and it had taken all of his skill and tact to pull it off. The death of old Mr Phillips the McKenzie butler whilst at Taplows had been to Jarvis's mind only a small advantage in the whole affair. After a few well placed suggestions in his lordships ear, who then having taken the idea on as his own brilliant one put it to his daughter and her new husband.
Mr Adams was in his old age finally appointed to Butler and Jarvis took no small delight in the knowledge that not only had he removed the odious Mr Adams from the hallowed grounds of Taplows but he had condemned him to a fitting punishment, in purgatory, or as it was other wise known service with Lady Caroline.
Life since the McKenzies had left had been remarkably peaceful, especially for Taplows, and with the insight that came from years of service the butler knew that this becalment could not last for long; so he intended to enjoy every last minute to the full. Therefore he was in a quandary, did he open his mail now, or sit back and read his paper?
Realising that all each letter would contain was hassle he opted for the paper, scanning through the headlines before heading for his favourite the society pages, or gossip columns. He knew that for a man in his position such a vice would be frowned upon, especially by their whiter than white housekeeper, but he enjoyed the chance to chuckle at the antics of his superiors whilst in the privacy of his own pantry; at times he thought it was the only thing that kept him same.
That and the knowledge that for each month he worked at Taplows his nest egg at the bank swelled nicely due in part to his lordships generosity but mainly due to his own creativity and cunning.
However his peaceful sanctuary was not to remain, as no less than five minutes after he had began reading then the door to his pantry burst open and in barged Flora Ryan!
"Has the civil custom of knocking of knocking before entering completely escaped your upbringing Mrs Ryan?"
The Butler snapped somewhat hastily as he slammed his paper shut, slapping it down sharply on his desk. Finally looking up at the housekeeper and frowning at her, his expression only softening slightly as he took in her stunned expression before he quickly looked away. Fiddling with his pocket watch he purposefully avoided her penetrating gaze.
"Well what was it?"
Pausing for a moment as if trying to decide how to phrase her response the housekeeper finally replied.
"There has been a delivery 'for you'."
"For Me?" The Butler demanded, bewilderment clear on his face. "But I haven't ordered anything, are you sure its for me?"
"Certain, absolutely certain!" Flora replied. "No doubt what so ever!"
"How?"
"Because 'it' said 'it' was for you!" She added indicating to the bemused man to follow her.
Getting to his feet the butler followed huffing in annoyance as he strode out into the courtyard, noting the large number of other servants who appeared to have gathered as if waiting for something to happen. Walking over to the pony and trap that was standing pawing the courtyard cobbles, his eyes skimmed over the small boy to rest on the tanned gentleman beside him.
"I am the butler here…."
"Are you Mr Corey, Mr Walter Corey?" The chap asked hopefully.
"That is my given name but at Taplows my name is Jarvis…"
"Are well it don't matter about that as long as you are Mr Walter Corey, son of the late Walter and Emily Corey and brother of Robert Corey?"
"What has my family to do with anything?" The Butler demanded.
"Everything of course….Why surely you know. I mean the letter was sent a good few weeks before we left Cape town…Oh lord sir…I can tell by your face you don't."
"Don't know what exactly?" Jarvis snapped his temper flaring even in the face of their guests obvious distress.
Rubbing his forehead before answering, sa of somehow the gesture would provide the answer he sought, the traveller looked down at his shoes and then across at the boy still sitting on the cart. "I really wish I didn't have to break this to you sir but your Brother…Well he's dead Sir, these last two months gone…"
"Dead!" Jarvis gasped. "But how…Where?"
"An Accident, he fell from his horse in a cattle stampede, nasty business it was sir, and of course what with his wife being dead and on orphan to boot, well you see there was nobody else…I know plenty of folks who would have taken him but your brother was quite clear about it in his will…"
"Clear about what?"
"Why young Walter your nephew of course." The Traveller replied standing back to wave at the terrified looking boy who still sat on the cart looking pale despite the tan on his young face. His trademark Corey blue eyes locked on his uncle, wide like a deer, panic clear in them, terrified of this last bastion of hope rejecting him.
"Say hello to your Uncle then lad!" The Traveller added, before heaving the young boy down and plonking him on the cobbles. "Well go on!"
"He..Hello Uncle." The boy practically whispered as he gazed in terror at the butler who seemed to loom over him.
"See all's well that end's well…I'll just get his trunk down from the cart, I do have to be getting along, got a boat to catch after all…"
Shaking with barely suppressed fury the butler's temper finally broke. "Wait a darn minute…You have the nerve to stand there and tell me my brother has died and left his young son to my care and then you are just going to leave without further explanation? For all I know you are a pair of impostors and this is some elaborate hoax…."
"Please Mr Jarvis…This is hardly the place." The Housekeeper cut in, to her eyes the family connections were blindingly obvious. "Perhaps if you and Mr…" She trailed off waiting for their guest to supply his name.
"York Madam." Their guest replied succinctly appreciating her quick involvement.
"You and Mr York can discuss this like the civilised gentlemen you are…I'll take young Master Corey to my office, I'm sure he would appreciate a glass of milk and some cake. I'll have tea and cake sent your office for you and Mr York." She added watching as the butler's eyes narrowed in annoyance at being so cleverly boxed into a serious talk with the odious foreigner who had so disturbed his privacy.
"Much obliged to you Madam, Much Obliged." York replied tipping his hat to Mrs Ryan a gesture that she answered with a subtle nod before offering her hand to the still stunned boy. For a moment he remained frozen to the spot staring at the proffered hand; then as if he suddenly unfrozen he leapt forward grasping her hand tightly. Surprised Flora fought the impulse to wince and retract her hand, instead she drew the boy closer and led him past his uncle and the gawping stares of her fellow servants, but at the last moment before she vanished she glanced back over her shoulder and shot the butler a look that even he could not misinterpret, 'Don't mess this up'.
- - - -
It was a good half and hour later and still they had heard nothing!
Sitting at her desk Flora Ryan was quickly realising she had little experience of how to keep a seven year old boy amused. All her attempts of conversation had fallen on deaf ears, answered with only a nod or shake of the head or even on occasion a shrug. Still he had enjoyed her cake, politely nibbling at it at first until she had informed him he could have as much as he liked as long as he promised not to tell his uncle; so far he was on his second large slice and showed little sign of slowing.
"That is something you and your uncle have in common, my lemon cake is his favourite as well, although I never let him have a second slice." She added conspiratorially, but despite her friendly tone at the mention of the butler the boy had gone rigid.
For a moment there was a tense silence as the lad pushed the remaining cake around his plate looking down at his shoes, his brow drawn in concentration before he finally plucked up the courage to ask. "What…What is my uncle like?" He muttered practically under his breath. "He won't send me away will he? To an orphange?"
"No…No he won't!" Flora answered certainly, not sure where the conviction had come from, but deep down she seemed to know instinctively how his uncle would react.
"You're sure…I went to an orphanage once. My Mama had grown up in one and she took me once. I hated it. It smelt funny and all the other boys were mean, and you don't get nice food and you have to share beds…" He added his nose crinkling up in an expression of disgust, an expression so serious on such a young face that Flora had to stifle a laugh more from the startling similarity of his scowl to another Corey male, not a million miles away.
"You won't let him send me, will you Ma'm, I can earn my keep if you'll just me stay."
However before Flora could even so much as open her mouth to reply her office door was pushed open and there waiting on the threshold was Walter Corey Snr.
"Mr Jarvis." Flora greeted him, respectfully rising from her seat and hastily indicating for the lad to do the same.
"Mrs Ryan." Jarvis replied out of habit than from any conscious thought. "Mr York has just departed, I thought it best to come and iron out some details…" He trailed off as his eyes drifted to the now terrified child before him.
"I do not believe we have been properly introduced." He added crossing the room to stand a mere foot from his nephew. "I am your Uncle Walter, but is as customary at Taplows I am referred to as Jarvis, Mr Jarvis or Sir if you addressing me personally."
"Yes Sir." The boy answered automatically his eyes wide as saucers as he swallowed nervously. "Please Sir you're not going to send me to an orphanage are you Sir?"
"No" The butler replied, pausing to gage the relief that flooded the child's face. "I have been able to read over your father's last requests and despite our differences he is…was still my brother and as I am your only living relative I am honour bound to uphold my obligations and I will not shirk from them. However this is not going to be easy to resolve, Taplows is not a place for a child, it is a place of work not idleness, although sometimes I wish my footmen would remember it. We are all here to work, or for some the pretence of it, and that is the only way I will be able to keep you on the estate. I am bachelor and so I do not benefit from the luxuries of the marital state, so you will have no Aunt to keep you looking tidy and respectable, you will have to tend to such things yourself…"
"Couldn't you get married then?" The lad suddenly quipped, causing the butler to stop mid sentence at the sheer audacity of the boy's question and for a moment he had to quell his natural impulse to rebuke the lad sharply with a clip round the ear for his cheek, remembering the recent trauma of his father's death.
"You will find that people at Taplows do not appreciate being interrupted, myself in particular! And in answer to your question, I think it would be a somewhat dramatic and unnecessary reaction to our situation, I am sure another way will soon present itself."
Sighing the boy stared dejectedly at the floor, his momentary flicker of childish innocence and gaiety squashed. "Sus Shame." He muttered to himself whilst distractedly flicking the end of the rug.
"What is the matter now?" Jarvis snapped.
"Well Mr York said I'd have cousins to play with…Do you have any children I can play with?" The Lad suddenly asked turning to the stunned housekeeper.
Startled Flora blushed deeply avoiding both his and the butler's eye. "No I do not Master Corey…I am not married."
"But you're Mrs…"
"Enough questions Walter!" the Butler snapped causing the lad shrink back and silence to fall. "Now I have had your trunk taken upstairs, you will be in one of the guest rooms until I can think of a permanent place for you…Mrs Ryan." He added nodding respectfully at the housekeeper before turning and storming out of her office, the terrified lad followed sucked along in his wake.
- - -
The next few months passed in what for Walter Corey was akin to swerving dramatically from nightmare to pleasant daydream. His nephew, he thought with a slight smile pulling at his lips, was a remarkable boy very bright of that there was no doubt. He knew all his letters and his numbers his handwriting was surprisingly neat for a child who had spent just as much time out with the ranchers as bent over his books and he seemed to have inherited his Uncle's gift for languages. So much so that in a rare gesture of kindness the butler had set aside part of his precious free time to coach the boy in French and during their hours together they had built up the beginnings of a relationship, the lad had begun to learn his uncle's boundaries and in return Jarvis had started to tease out information about his home life in South Africa. Occasionally the pieces of work he set the boy would be the trigger and so far he had learnt about the farm his brother had started, the horse young Walter had had to leave behind and something's about his brother that he never knew.
One thing that he had noticed was the close bond that his nephew had developed with their housekeeper, at first he had thought to discourage this the last thing the boy needed was some overly emotional female fussing over him building up his ego and pandering to his character faults. However the evening he had intended to take the housekeeper aside and thank her kindly to leave his nephew's well-being to his care something had happened that had changed his opinion of her presence in the boy's life.
He had sent the lad to bed as he had been practically falling asleep over his books with a sharp flea in his ear about skiving off his chores to go gallivanting with a certain Mr Boots round his lordship's stables no matter how useful they were making themselves it was certainly no place for house servants especially one who was his nephew. This lax attitude he had decided was undoubtedly due to Flora Ryan's influence encouraging the boy towards inappropriate behaviour so after the boy had retired he had headed to the housekeeper's office.
Mrs Ryan was surprised to see him, she had been settled down by the fire one of her many novels clutched in her hand as she read by firelight so engrossed in her book that she didn't even notice him standing there until his shadow was cast over the pages.
"Mr Jarvis?" She had gasped her hand flying to her chest which had suddenly beat against the collar of her dress her cheeks flushing with surprise as the butler had loomed over her. "Can I help you?"
Pausing hesitantly the butler had shifted awkwardly from foot to foot wondering how he could approach the subject without causing even more problems between them. "I need to discuss my nephew Mrs Ryan…I appreciate the efforts you have made with the boy, ensuring he is attending all his meals, keeping him clean and well presented and on time for all his household tasks but I really feel his upbringing should be left in my hands alone."
That had certainly knocked the wind out of her and no mistake, the rosey glow from the fire vanished leaving her cheeks pale and her jaw tense and uncomfortable. "I wasn't aware I had interfered Mr Jarvis?"
"I would not say interfered Mrs Ryan, it is just he is my responsibility both as my nephew and as one of the male members of staff and as such I will decide if he can abandon his chores to go play stable hand…Or leave his lesson half finished to take one of his lordship's dogs for a walk, I do not wish for there to be any disparity with the way he is raised, for him to think he can come and hide behind your skirts if I give him a task he does not enjoy. Am I making myself clear Mrs Ryan?"
"Crystal clear Mr Jarvis." She had retorted coldly before standing up from the fireside and he could tell she was barely restraining her temper. However before she could forget her place and snap back at him Johnny had arrived and informed them that young Walter was screaming the down the servants corridor.
He did not know why after all the things he had said she still followed him upstairs, perhaps her concern for the boy was stronger than her concern for his disapproval but in the end he had been mightily glad of her presence. The boy was in a throws of a nightmare screaming out for his father tears running down his cheeks as he wrestled in his sheets. Unsure the butler had stood frozen to the spot unable to act.
"Should we wake him?" He had murmured not to anyone in particular but the housekeeper brushed his comment aside as if he had not spoken reaching out and gently stroking the tears from his cheeks before moving to smooth his sweat stained fringe from his face, an act that seemed to sooth the troubled child.
"Ma ma?" The boy muttered in his sleep nuzzling into her touch his hands tangling in her apron as he tried to pull the housekeeper closer laying his head in her lap as she settled beside him on the bed.
"Shush…It's alright go to sleep." Flora had whispered still stroking the child's hair as he drifted back off into a peaceful sleep. "I thought he was getting better…He hasn't had one of those for weeks."
"He has had those before?" Walter had asked astounded amazed that he had not heard this before; this was his nephew he had the right to know.
"Yes he has…The first night he was here, I heard him as I came to bed by then he had woken himself up and I…Well I got him back to sleep he was so embarrassed the poor thing but then I suppose at seven he considers himself all grown up and far beyond nightmares and other accidents but he is only a child. It is the shock after all it is only now he is dealing with his grief, now he is safe and able to face loosing his father, before life was too uncertain I suppose.
"Why didn't you…"
"Tell you about it? I suppose I should have but then what would have happened, would you have sat him down to talk about it? Drill it into him that he was too big a boy to let nightmares scare him into wetting the bed? All that would have done would be to drive another wedge between you; he looks up to you, admires you even and only wants you to be proud of him. If he knew you were here now he would be mortified." She had added sadly glancing up at him for the first time and keeping his gaze. "Please don't be…"
"I won't mention it." Jarvis had added before she could finish. "If you would be so kind as to keep an eye on him for me and keep me informed I would have no need to discuss this with him directly and as you said he is having them less frequently perhaps the situation will go away with time…" He stopped and headed for the door, pausing with his hand on the doorknob before adding staring at the wooden door instead of turning to face her, his courage failing him. "It seems I was somewhat hasty in my judgement Mrs Ryan…I hope you can forgive me and continue to lend my nephew your support."
Then before she could answer he had disappeared leaving her to cradle the child in her arms whilst he pondered and then promptly tried to squash that strange flicker of gratitude and admiration and something unnameable that had sparked when he saw her look down at the boy like that. After all it was ridiculous, it must have been the strain of the day finally getting to him, he was certainly not jealous.
- - - -