Chapter Four

Pip pip, all! Thank you again for all of the wonderful favourites, subscriptions and feedback I'm receiving for this. Here we have a slightly shorter getting-to-know-you chapter, in which Jack and Ianto assess each other and Jack moves quickly onto his next potential fiancée. I think he's more like the Jack we know in this chapter. I'd love to hear if you agree - reviews make the world go round! And let me know whether it's all flowing nicely. I have so many ideas for this story, it's ridiculous.

Yet again I'm going to plug my canon Jack/Ianto story - You Shouldn't Be Here. I hear it's good.

This chapter is dedicated to wanda1969, who is possibly an even bigger Wodehouse fan than me and has been extremely encouraging. She's also generally lovely to chat to.

Ianto Jones observed his new project with the interest of a scientist over the next week in Mr Harkess's employ. The man appeared to live by a very specific pattern; rise at ten, leisurely breakfast, long grooming session, leisurely lunch at the Torchwood Club, afternoon tea at the flat, murdering the piano for a while, leisurely supper, drinks at the Torchwood Club, rolling back in at 2AM – and repeat. If he didn't go to the club in the evening, he sat in his living room sipping whiskey and reading, and often invited Ianto to join him.

Of course it was the role of a gentleman's personal gentleman to acquiesce to anything the gentleman required, but forming a friendship was not something obligatory or often wanted. After the fourth day, it dawned on Ianto that despite his overwhelming popularity, good looks and wealth, Jack Harkness was lonely.

Sometimes, he wondered if Jack realised he was in the room, as he slid between doorways silent as a wraith and caught the other man frowning into nothingness with a look that made his eyes look immeasurably too old for his face. Other times Jack seemed to have the hearing of a bat and his features were suitably adjusted to normality before Ianto could see through him.

For all his modesty, Ianto could never deny that he himself was incredibly astute. Penetrating Jack's front, though it took a few days, had been somewhat of a breeze – though having met a fair few of the people he associated with, he couldn't bring himself to feel surprised that none of them had seen this, or that he hadn't wanted to show them. As soon as it became clear, Ianto started looking for it seeping through, the real man behind the ego. Unfortunately for Jack, he would never have the skill to mask himself that Ianto had.

One thing Ianto noticed was that his new employer had yet to check up on any of his references, consult the agency, anything. In the times that they were alone, Jack asked him questions about HIM – how he came into this line of work (answer: "following my father, sir"), where he was from (answer: "Newport, sir"), whether he had anybody special (answer: "nobody, sir), and his opinion on absolutely everything. But previous jobs, education, even his first name – these were never mentioned.

Jack had apparently put absolute trust in Ianto already, and for that he couldn't help but feel distinctly pleased as he slid out of his Jones uniform each evening and became Ianto for the night.

If asked, Jack could pinpoint the moment he became completely reliant on Ianto to that triumphant smile of his on the train back from Ystradgynlais. The young man had a manner that made Jack feel as if he didn't have to pretend, whilst at the same time remaining afraid to let his guard down for fear of losing his new valet.

He watched him daily; quietly performing his tasks with an efficiency that would have been robotic were it not for the blatant pride he took in his role. Every time he asked the young man to stay in the living room and talk with him, he would blink slowly as if mildly startled, before nodding. Jack couldn't decide whether he didn't really want to and was just humouring him, or simply whether he wasn't used to company – particularly that of an employer.

Jack was used to keeping the help at arm's length, and if he was going to look for another valet after the last one (which he was planning to, he just hadn't got around to it), he was prepared to be distrustful. The last two were thieves and the one before that used Jack's flat as a gambling den whenever he was on holiday. And they had the nerve to call him 'beyond help'!

Yet, this Jones fellow had wormed his way into his life with no effort whatsoever and Jack felt himself relaxing. Within a fortnight he was leaving the bathroom door open when he bathed so that he could talk to his valet about all kinds of nothing, while Ianto strolled in and out of the room performing his duties, completely unfazed. It was rare that Ianto asked him anything that wasn't to do with whether he wanted the collars of his dress shirts starched or permission to bury Jack's red braces in the park (reply: a traumatised 'NO!'), but he didn't seem to mind his employer discussing any topic of conversation with him that sprung to mind. The man was unshockable, and a childish part of Jack took that as a personal challenge.

"I don't suppose you know of the Costello family, Jones?" Jack asked one evening as he held his wrists at chest level, Ianto fastening his tiny silver aeroplane cufflinks.

"I do, sir. Why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking about the daughter, Susanna" Jack grinned, eyes and teeth sparkling as he reminisced. "Knew her a few years back. Lord, but she was a forward girl… she seemed unnervingly sweet when we first met, then as soon as we were alone, she was all over me like a springer on heat! I was thrown out of the house of course, but it was worth it for the shame I supposedly brought on the Harknesses. She could do exceedingly exotic things with her tongue…"

Ianto's impassive expression cracked momentarily, at least long enough for him to meet Jack's eye and raise a brow as he straightened his employer's collar.

"She sounds a most agreeable… lady, sir" he replied dryly, and Jack could have sworn he saw a flicker of a smile.

"Damn it all Jones, are you completely unflappable?" Jack sighed, rolling his eyes in mock exasperation.

"I fear so, sir. Apologies for spoiling your attempts at moral corruption."

"I could think of more direct ways of corrupting you" Jack said before he allowed himself time to think about what he was saying, fixing the accompanying leer in place even as embarrassment set in. Sometimes, just sometimes, he loathed the natural flirt in him. Save that talk for the girls, he sternly reminded himself. Reputation, remember?

Ianto did that slow blink of his, before straightening his own pristine jacket and brushing a final few specks of dust from Jack's shoulders.

"Careful sir, that's harassment" he said in all seriousness, and Jack couldn't help but let out a deep belly laugh as the tension was dissolved.

"I've heard that before" he smirked, before turning on his heel and heading towards the hat stand and his precious frock coat.

"Might I enquire as to where sir will be spending his evening?" Ianto asked as he stepped behind Jack and slid the heavy wool over his waiting arms. Jack smiled to himself – that was as close to a personal question as Ianto would ever ask.

"At The Hub tonight Jones, a little jazz place, with a beautiful woman draped across me if I have anything to do with it" Jack answered with no small degree of smugness. Ianto gave him an enquiring look just as he'd hoped, and he took that as permission to spill his news.

"Lady Toshiko Sato. A date with Lady Tosh, Jones!"

"An extremely gratifying situation sir, I'm sure."

"Gratifying indeed, Jones. This could carve a whole new path for me" Jack beamed rather cryptically, appraising himself in the mirror as he completed the look with a dark grey fedora.

He glanced at Ianto's subservient expression in the reflective glass, standing just behind his right shoulder as usual, and provided his valet with one of those American expressions that he knew the other man silently detested:

"Don't wait up!"