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That day had rolled around again! Surely it couldn't have been an entire year since last time but the barely legible challenge had been sitting on his desk waiting for him to come from Cumberland and the Day of Judgment was upon them. Standing in front his troops Jarvis surveyed the motley crew; Johnny shifting about from foot to foot was their somewhat pathetic twelfth man and he hoped against hell and high water that he was never called on to play or the opposition would laugh them off the pitch.
"Mr Forest when you are quite ready!"
The Butler's terse tone quickly brought the Taplow's captain back to his senses. "Right now, do your best, no pressure but remember you are fighting for the honour of Taplows."
"Yeah and his lordship's fifty quid!" Fred snorted behind his hand.
Choosing to ignore that comment the butler cast his eye over William and Joe, they seemed almost eager for the fight, but of course they were there was a fiver in it for the man of the match. He just hoped it didn't go to that blasted blacksmith like last year the footmen had been fuming, it had been weeks before they had stopped grousing about it and concentrated on their work. "So let's go out there and do our best?"
"Hear Hear!" George echoed slapping Will firmly on the back as the team trooped out into the courtyard.
"So Johnny boy you going to show us that infamous upper cut you've been working on!" Fred sniggered teasing the young boot boy.
"Alright!" Johnny snapped snatching the bat from the footman's grasp and whirling it round in a perfect stroke but unfortunately for him there was no open field to aim for and instead his bat connected with the side of a certain cocky first footman's head. Sprawling to the floor Will landed like a sack of wet sand, the rest of the team crowding round until Jarvis pushed them out the way.
"Give him some air…Mr Forest….Mr Forest can you hear me?"
"Just five minutes more mum…I won't be late for school I promise!"
"This is not your mother you bleeding idiot although I will tan that hide of yours if you don't pull yourself together!" Jarvis hissed, the horror of having to declare racing through his mind along with his Lordship's predictable temper.
"It's no use Mr Jarvis he's out of it he cannot play!" George piped up and Jarvis cursed under his breath he knew the lad was right. Scanning the crowd for someone young and fit enough his eyes landed on the chef who was surveying the gathering with a mixture of both concern and amusement.
"Ah M Kraus…Felix you're already in whites soo."
"Oh no Mr Jarvis." The Chef cut in before the butler could finish.
"But Felix we'll be playing short and Johnny is fine as a runner but he cannot take Forest's place."
Shaking his head the Chef held up his immaculately manicured hands , flexing his long artisitic fingers. "Do you see these hands these are the hands of a craftsman...an artist...They do not indulge in this vulgar barbarism you call a game." And with that he turned and stalked back to his kitchen muttering quite loudly that the lot of them were philistines.
"Fine then." The butler muttered turning to face the assembled group. "Someone get Mr Forest inside he is making the place look untidy."
"But Mr Jarvis we cannot play and man down we'll be annihilated."
"Well it is good for you then that you won't be." The butler retorted picking up the bat and giving it a few practice swings, careful to avoid any more members of his team. He just hoped it all came back to him quickly.
It was with a surprising amount of applause that the Taplows team was clapped off the field as they broke for lunch. There had also been a surprising number of visitors from the village this year but then again as he watched them all line up eagerly by the refreshment table that was hardly surprising, news like that of Flora Ryan's sponge cake traveled fast. His Lordship had also generously provided a barrel of ale for the competing teams something to quench the thirst and hopefully addle the brain of the opposition. A strategy that Jarvis wholeheartedly approved of, as despite the respectable score he and others had managed to strike up there were still in danger of being out played by the village team.
Nodding politely in his lordship's direction Jarvis noted with relief that both the Earl and his friends all sat up on the terrace seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely, Mrs Ryan's maids fluttering around them like delicate butterflies tending to their every whim. Looking for the lady in question his spotted her standing behind the refreshment table keeping a strict eye on the portions her sculleries were dishing up. Taking his place in the line he couldn't help overhearing the loud joking and bragging of his footmen as they tried to cajole the girls into giving them a slightly larger slice of cake then the visitors.
"Oh come on now Mary you saw me out there…I was working my arse off I was, well someone had to stop old Jarvis from making a fool of himself, I kept him from getting out by the skin of my teeth I did, if it wasn't for me being so fast when he made those daft calls…" Fred's bragging quickly came to a halt when a red faced George elbowed him in the stomach on catching the Butler's furious expression.
"Oh no offence Mr Jarvis, you played great…" Fred tried to fudge before an embarrassed George dragged him away to join the rest of the men who were basking in the sunlight, a few having even stripped off their shirts trying to rid themselves of the lily white pallor that working indoors caused.
Pacing over his plate he watched as the girls filled it up with all manner of delightful treats yet his eyes kept drifting over to his housekeeper, who seemed to have been hemmed in by the visiting Captain, the same Blacksmith that had won the Man of the Match award last year and having now faced the man's bowling first hand Jarvis could certainly understand why.
"You certainly have a fair hand at cake making Mrs Ryan….Why fair hands indeed." He added trying to reach out and catch the housekeepers' delicate hands in his own large calloused ones. "I would be honoured if you'd take a turn with me around the ground…Perhaps you could share you secret?"
"For your wife?"
"Oh no." The man replied obviously embarrassed. "I wouldn't expect you to know but I'm a widower…No one to bake for but me and my boy so you see I could use all the help I can get…"
Sensing an embarrassed impasse the Butler stepped in quickly, muttering his apologies he quickly whisked his stunned housekeeper away making the excuse of household matters to attend to.
"Thank you Mr Jarvis."
"No need Mrs Ryan and it was probably for the best, I mean we can't risk having you being purloined by the opposition."
"I see!" Was the housekeeper's only rather frosty reply, and for the first time the Butler realized just what that must have sounded like that he simply didn't want her talking to them and possibly letting out valuable secrets.
"What I meant was that it would be nice if all the Taplow's staff ate together show some solidarity…And yet I must admit I cannot bear the idea of sitting with the footmen if I hear one more...well who'd have thought the old duffer had it in him jokes…"
Nodding her understanding the housekeeper suggested that instead he might prefer a walk round the lake. "Or if you'd prefer to sit we could find somewhere in the shade after all I don't really have the complexion to sit in the sun all day long."
So they settled a little way off from the other's taking shade under the branches of an old oak tree. Turning round the Butler waved at the chef to come and join them but Mr Kraus shook his head quickly making his way back up to the house and the comforts of his beloved kitchen far removed from the inanities of these Englishmen and their sporting obsessions. It was with his departure that Jarvis suddenly found himself alone with Flora Ryan having hardly spoken two words together to her since before they left for Cumberland they could try household small talk. However the housekeeper suddenly broke the stall mate.
"I surprised at how well you played." She blurted out, clearly embarrassed at her faux pas but before he could remark that not everyone agreed with her she had continued on. " I know you don't want to hear any more of the footmen's comments but in all seriousness you did keep that one quiet all these years."
Flushing slightly in embarrassment the butler shrugged aside her comments secretly quite chuffed that she had bothered to watch him play at all. "Oh well I used to play when I was younger, not much just for the local team and then for my house side…Oh but it's been years."
He trailed off and silence descended once more as the pair enjoyed their lunch and the fine weather. It would be so easy to simply lean back against the tree and let the warm summer's day ease him off to sleep he hadn't felt this well rested and fed in ages, as the fair at the Cumberland house was nothing if not dull and meager. Glancing back over at the refreshment table the butler squinted, wondering if he could get away with another slice of the housekeeper's famed sponge cake, it had been one thing he had missed but it seemed that it had gone down a little too well and none was left. All that was other than the slice that lay temptingly on the housekeeper's own plate. Tearing his eyes away from it lest he was caught drooling he flushed in embarrassment when Flora Ryan's eyes met his, knowing she had followed his gaze and undoubtedly guessed his thoughts.
"I don't suppose you would like this Mr Jarvis…I am a little full and it would be a shame for it to go to waste?"
Shaking his head gentlemanly the butler insisted that she should have it herself, after all she had made it and the rest of the marvelous spread it was only fair.
"Oh well if you cannot manage it I am sure Mr Sanders…That is the Blacksmith's name is it not? Well I am sure he could oblige me…"
"Well if you are certain?" Jarvis quickly cut in his hand hovering to retrieve the slice before she could change her mind. Taking a large bite he savored the light airy texture, the richness of the double cream and the sweet fruity tang of the raspberry jam. At the rapturous expression on his face the housekeeper struggled to stifle her amusement setting for a smirk as she nibbled delicately on her cucumber sandwich. Finishing the cake quickly the butler got his feet and stretched his aching arms and legs; it had been quite some time since he had used some of those muscles and they were reacting violently to the exercise.
"Er Mr Jarvis!" The housekeeper called out as he began to head back to the refreshment tent for his complimentary pint, her eyes wide as she rubbed futilely at her chin confusing him greatly.
"Don't worry Mrs Ryan I will be right back I wouldn't leave you un-chaperoned whilst there is an amorous blacksmith about!" He quipped, snorting in amusement at his own joke.
"But you don't…" She snapped before deciding that he was impossible and simply grasping his elbow and dragging him back behind the tree.
"Mrs Ryan!" The Butler squeaked, his eyes wide naturally very startled and wondering what on earth she was doing especially as she stepped closer. For a moment a flicker of panic crossed his features the prospect that he was about to be debauched in public by Mrs Ryan of all people. When suddenly she reached up and brushed her fingers lightly across his chin, pulling them away he immediately spotted the cream and jam from the sponge cake and relief set in as he realized the piss taking she had undoubtedly saved him from. Yet he couldn't help wonder whether he was more relieved or disappointed that he wasn't about to be ravaged.
He was about to thank her when he suddenly became aware of how close she still stood to him and both their eyes were drawn to the dollop of cream and jam that still graced her long pale fingers. It seemed like madness but he couldn't help the urge that ran through him to lean forward and lick the mixture off of those delicate digits. Yet before he could move the housekeeper raised her fingers to her waiting lips and began to slowly lick the cream off them. Glancing up she caught his rapt expression a smirk tugging at her lips as they closed round her fingers before she pulled them out slowly, prolonging the torture.
Smiling widely at his expression she muttered huskily. "Welcome home Mr Jarvis." Before turning and sauntering off leaving behind a slightly astounded butler whose eyes were locked hungrily on her figure as she made her way back to the house.
"Mr Jarvis sir." Johnny's sudden voice drew the butler out of his daze. "Mr Jarvis are you ready to play?" He added frowning in confusion when the butler practically growled out his reply.
"Why not let the games begin."
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