Hi all, I hope you all are well and still in a celebratory mood. Last day of 2020...wow! Time sure flies, although, many around the world wasn't and still isn't having fun. Anyway, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours the very best for 2021 and beyond. I wish you peace, joy, happiness, contentment and so much love, you'd have no choice but to share it. Blessings to all of you, always.

Thank you for your continued patronage, well wishes and everything in between.

I do not own Merlin or the characters, neither do I own Truce: The Historic Neighbor from Hell.

"Any idea how the fire started?" Lord Abbot asked, as he poured four glasses of port.

It was now two days later, and the three Pendragon men were clean and wearing freshly tailored clothes, thanks to Worthington's, their family's tailor.

No Pendragon male went anywhere else for his clothes, not since their great-great-grandfather.

So when Worthington heard of the fire, he took it upon himself to start on all the men's new wardrobes. And since he'd already had their sizes on file, it hadn't taken him long.

"My butler thinks it started on the second floor in the hallway. They believe a candle toppled over, or was put down too close to the wall and set the silk on fire," Uther Pendragon explained.

The men took their port and sipped.

Arthur adjusted himself on the uncomfortable chair. Lord Abbot's study was too damn feminine for his liking.

The chairs were too small and dainty. And everything from the silk on the walls, to the upholstery and rugs, was designed with images of flowers.

It was obvious who ruled the roost here, or at least made all the household decisions.

His own old study at the estate he'd sold in Fairfield, had been without question, his domain.

It was easily the opposite of this room.

A large mahogany desk with a large comfortable chair, had taken up one end of his study.

The walls had been plain.

The furniture had been large, solid and comfortable and there had been books lining every shelf.

Unlike this room, where there were only a few books lay scattered about the room, giving him a feeling, that there were for decoration only.

Lord Abbot sat down on a rather ridiculous looking chair, covered in roses and lace and sipped his drink.

"I realize, that you're planning on finding a place to rent, so that you can remain in town while you rebuild, but I think it would be best for you and your family to remain here."

"That's very generous of you. But we don't want to be a bother," Uther said.

Lord Abbot waved it off.

"Please, Uther, we're as close as brothers. It makes absolutely no sense to do otherwise. Besides, Lady Abbot and Lady Igraine would enjoy each other's company. You'd be doing us a favor really. Victoria is leaving very shortly, to go provide companionship for a great aunt and your wife's company would help my wife get over the loss."

Uther cleared his throat.

"She decided not to marry? Victoria, I mean. Poor lass."

"I know. I had such high hopes for her. Thank God I won't have to worry about Gwen."

Henry leaned forward, as did their father.

But Arthur couldn't move.

"She's found someone then?" Lord Pendragon asked.

Lord Abbot waved it off.

"No, I have no worries about that. She'll marry soon I'm sure. She's never been short of courters. No, her godmother left her a….a small estate."

His eyes shifted to the left as he spoke. And Arthur knew then and there, that he was hiding something.

But what?

"So, even if she doesn't marry, she'll have a home and income of her own," Lord Abbot went on.

"Doesn't she need a man to handle her estate? Are you handling it for her?" Henry asked, not bothering to hide his interest.

Lord Abbot and Uther Pendragon laughed.

"No, my dear boy. I don't even handle my own affairs. I have a man for that. No, she handles her estate affairs from her study."

"She has a study?" Arthur heard himself asking. It was probably more feminine than this one, if that was even physically possible.

"Yes, the library is hers. No one ever goes in there but her, so it just made sense to let her have it. I offered to hire a secretary to help her, but she refuses help. I want nothing to do with it, but it would be nice to see the reins of her estate go to a man though. I'd feel more comfortable, knowing that she was well taken care of."

His eyes drifted to Henry as he spoke. He didn't even glance Arthur's way.

'Interesting,' Arthur thought, though not unexpected, after his past history with Gwen and all.

"We may need to be in London for the rest of the season. Are you sure we won't be in the way?" Uther asked, bringing the conversation back to the matter of their stay.

Lord Abbot smiled.

"Of course I'm sure. It will be good for the women...and it'll help you relax. You have enough to handle, without the addition of another house to manage. No, you will all stay here and that's final."

"Thank you, my Lord," Arthur and Henry said in unison.

He nodded and continued to sip his port, happy that was done.

Just then, a scratch at the door before it opened, let them know they had company.

James, the Abbot's butler stepped inside the office.

"A Mr. Hartford for Mr. Pendragon, my Lord," he said with a respectful bow.

Arthur stood.

"That would be my secretary. Is there a room I could use? I'm afraid that I have a few things to go over with him, since I'm going to have to stay in London longer than I had originally planned."

Lord Abbot nodded.

"Of course, use Gwen's study while you're here. She won't mind."

'I wouldn't bet on that,' Arthur thought.

He was sure that it would irritate her to no end, to share a study with him.

A slow smiled spread over his face, at the thought of annoying the little pain in the ass.

"Thank you, my Lord. That is very generous. If you're sure it won't bother her?" he asked congenially, although, he hoped it would bother the hell out of her.

Her father chuckled.

"Go on. It's still my house after all."

The other men laughed as well, knowing Gwen wouldn't like it one bit.

After the other night, when Gwen had finally managed to escape the old music room...and Arthur was still curious about that...she'd marched into the dinning room, where he'd been eating with the rest of their family.

He'd been minding his own business, when she'd snatched a glass of red wine from her mother, as she'd stormed passed her and proceeded to pour it over his head.

But that hadn't bothered him as much, as when the little brat had reached over and snatched up his plate filled with apple tarts and turned around to storm off with his precious treats.

When he'd made a move to rescue his delicious morsels, his father, brother, Lord Abbot and every available footman in the house, had tackled him to the ground, probably thinking, that he'd meant to kill the little brat over the wine.

But he could have cared less about the wine.

He'd very much cared about the fact that, she'd stopped in the doorway to shoot him a smug look, as she ate one of his apple tarts, while he'd been helpless to stop her.

And at that moment, he didn't care if he had to work on a desk covered in pink lace. He would use that room just to annoy her.

It was a sick pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless, to aggravate her.

James led Arthur to an ordinary white door.

Arthur opened it and had to bite back a gasp of surprise.

The room was very masculine and very similar to his old office.

The desk was actually bigger than his. The books looked well read and there was nothing dainty in this room. Actually, everything looked rather new.

'Did Guinevere decorate this room? Impossible!'

Mr. Hartford, his man of affairs, was already seated at a small desk in the corner, working. But he stood, upon seeing him enter the room.

"I was sorry to hear about your family's misfortune, sir."

Arthur was still looking around the room.

"It's no matter. My family will rebuild, but I'm afraid that we'll also stay here for the remainder of the season, Jefferson."

"You're staying, sir? I thought you were to sail for America in three weeks."

"Change of plans. Do you think that you'll be able to manage?" Arthur asked.

He nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Let's get to work."

Arthur moved behind the desk. It was clean and well organized.

He pulled back the chair, sat down, and sighed loudly.

It was the most comfortable chair he'd ever sat in.

He leaned back.

It was perfect.

He was going to have to find the maker and have one made for himself...or steal this one, he decided.

He looked up to find Jefferson watching him, with a bit of a frown.

"Good chair," he simply said. Jefferson nodded knowingly and returned his attention to the ledgers.

Arthur stretched his legs out before him.

The space was deep and wide.

He ducked his head to have a look beneath the desk. It was also covered, probably a good idea for a woman, so that no one sitting across from her could see her ankles.

He rather liked it.

"Comfortable?" someone asked.

Arthur looked up and grinned at a very irritated Gwen.

"Very much so. Thank you," he said.

Jefferson immediately jumped to his feet and gave an awkward bow.

"My Lady," he mumbled nervously.

Gwen smiled pleasantly in his direction and scowled in Arthur's.

He chuckled freely, earning a haughty glare that she couldn't quite pull off.

Then, she practically marched around the desk, until she stood in front of him.

Not in the least intimidated, Arthur leaned back rather comfortably.

"Yes?" he drawled, amused by her expression.

Gwen sighed.

"You're in my chair," she said.

Arthur looked pointedly around him.

"Hmm, I don't see your name on it."

She groaned.

"You know bloo-darn well that's my chair. Now, are you going to move?"

"Hmm…no."

"Move," she insisted.

"No."

"You're annoying!"

"Yes." He chuckled. "You'll just have to get used to it."

"Why?" she asked cautiously.

His lips tugged up slowly into a huge grin.

"Because, your father has decided to take us in, until our house if fixed."

"W-what?" she asked, unable to hide her surprise.

"Looks like we'll be sharing an office," he said with a wink, before he pointedly looked down at his papers. "Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do," he said, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

Gwen rolled her eyes and turned to face Jefferson, giving Arthur a rather nice view of her backside.

And just like that, he had trouble swallowing, as he remembered all too well, how that particular part of her body felt in his hands.

Did she know what she was doing to him?

"You, sir, have my deepest sympathies," Gwen said to Mr. Hartford.

"F-for what, my lady?" he nervously asked.

The man always had problems talking to women, even his own wife. So a beautiful woman, would damn near kill the man with sputtering.

Arthur pitied the man, for surely any attention from his minx, would send him to an early grave.

"For being saddled with the likes of this man," Gwen said, pointing to Arthur.

Jefferson swallowed loudly, not sure how to respond.

He didn't want to upset Gwen, but he definitely did not want to offend his employer.

"Mr. Pendragon is an excellent employer, my Lady."

Gwen looked over her shoulder at Arthur, with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

'What is she about?' he wondered, as she turned back to Jefferson and gave him another view of that beautiful bottom, that he desperately want to touch again.

"What is your name, sir?" Gwen asked.

"Mr. Jefferson Hartford, my Lady."

She nodded and smiled, as though the name pleased her.

"Mr. Hartford, I find myself in need of a man in your position. What do you say to coming to work for me, for, let's say, an additional two pounds a month?"

Arthur jumped to his feet.

Trying to steal away a good employee was considered rude, but to do it in front of the current employer was a slap in the face.

"What the hell?" Arthur snapped, not caring that he was swearing in a woman's presence, or that Jefferson was leaving his service in a matter of weeks anyway.

Jefferson looked nervously between the two of them. "M-my Lady, I…"

"Five additional pounds a month. I assure you, sir, this is a real offer."

"But you know nothing of me, my Lady," he said, shifting nervously.

"Ten pounds," Gwen said without batting an eye.

Arthur stepped in front of her.

He knew with an offer like that, Jefferson would have to be a fool to refuse, especially since he had a child on the way.

Mr. Hartford looked at Arthur pleadingly.

He didn't know what to do, but Arthur saw that he was tempted.

'Damn it!'

He was not about to lose the best employee he'd ever had to Guinevere Abbot.

"I'll match the offer," he said, giving Mr. Hartford a meaningful look, to let him know, that he'd make sure his father...who he was pretty sure would hire him...would match the offer, once he left for America.

Hell, the man was worth it.

He'd already planned on giving him a good size raise soon, anyway, because of the baby.

"I'll give you that plus one week off a year with pay," Gwen said in a bored tone.

"I'll match that and add a week," Arthur said, almost desperately.

He was not going to lose, damn it!

Jefferson's face reddened.

"But you have to agree right now, not to leave my service and especially, not for her ."

"I accept, sir. Thank you, sir," Jefferson said, struggling not to smile.

"Good. Then there will be no more of this nonsense."

"No, sir."

"Good," Arthur said rather smugly, as he turned around to rub it in Gwen's face, but she was no longer standing behind him.

She was sitting in his seat with a smug smile of her own.

"Looks like I just got my chair back," she said with a grin, shooting Jefferson a wink.

'The little minx winked!' Arthur thought.

Then, it hit him what she'd done.

She'd never planned on stealing Mr. Hartford from him.

In one swift move, she'd taken her chair back, humiliated him, and cost him an extra ten pounds a month, at least for the next month or two.

He looked over his shoulder, to find Jefferson smiling in her direction.

It appears, the damn man had figured it out as well.

Gwen turned around, sighing happily, in her chair as she pushed aside Arthur's papers.

"If you don't mind, Arthur, you're in my light and probably in Mr. Hartford's light as well. If you want the poor man to be able to work, then you should really move."

When he didn't respond she got nervous.

She looked up slowly, to see him practically shaking with rage.

She gulped.

Then giving him a tentative smile she asked,

"Too far?"

And slowly, he nodded.

Stay safe! Happy New Year!