"Jeeves," I said, before the man left me with my breakfast that morning - or rather early afternoon - "prepare luncheon for two."

"Yes, sir," Jeeves said, but he could tell I wasn't quite done with him yet, and he made no indication to leave.

"You know," I continued, "I had dinner a couple nights ago with Aunt Agatha and my cousin Harry and the lot."

"Lord Henry?" Jeeves clarified.

"If you like" - I waved him off. "Well, the aged aunt's new protegé was there, the late Lord Something-or-other's grandson apparently. I thought he'd be a real bore, you know how she likes chaps she can make something of, but we got to chatting and, well, I invited him over for lunch today."

"That wouldn't be Mr. Dorian Gray?"

"By Scott, you know everything, Jeeves!"

"Thank you sir, but if you would pardon my saying so, I would not advise keeping the company of Mr. Gray."

"What? Why's that?" This was still early in mine and Jeeves's association, you see, and he wasn't quite so outspoken as he's become, so such a bald declaration came as a surprise.

"He has accumulated something of a reputation in his short time in society and I have reason to believe it is not undeserved."

"Really? I thought he was a nice, charming fellow."

"I am aware he gives such an impression, but I would not trust it." Jeeves's tone was taking a turn for the defiant. There was an unspoken threat that if I didn't listen to him, he was more than prepared to give me the cold shoulder until I did.

"What's he done?" I asked, insistent on making the decision for myself, after all, a chap must be his own master and being ordered around by his valet is something up with which a man must not put.

"I could not say, sir," Jeeves said, but his displeasure was clear.

"I can't very well shut my door to a pal on some vague suspicion. No, Dorian comes for lunch and what's more I won't hear a word against him unless you have something more solid to say for it."

"Very good, sir."

It was a little after Dorian was slated to arrive that Jeeves went to answer the door.

I heard Dorian before I saw him. "J! I had no idea! What are you doing here?"

"I am employed as Mr. Wooster's valet," Jeeves informed him sternly, sparing hardly any courtesy - if that's the expression - as he took Dorian's hat and coat.

Dorian laughed. "Really? So much for freedom."

It seemed a joke in poor taste, trying to incite rebellion in another chap's home, and one who has invited you for tea no less. But we Woosters aim to be gracious hosts, and one can hardly be gracious if you judge a chap before he so much as steps into the parlour.

So, it was with a welcoming beam that I stood to greet him. "What ho!"

Dorian, I should say, is rather along the lines of what one may describe as a Greek statue. He was of the slight, poetic sort rather than the burly wrestler, with curled golden locks and baby blue eyes and such what. In fact, he looks rather younger than he is, but I have it on good authority that he's really no younger than myself and perhaps a year or two older.

"Bertie, it's a pleasure." He smiled and wrung my hand warmly. "I didn't realize you'd collared J, here."

"You know Jeeves?" I asked, astonished - the chap really does know everyone.

"You could call us cousins."

"Really?"

That was rather more surprising, but by this point I knew Jeeves's family was so esteemed as to include the famous cricketer A.J. Raffles and so it hardly seemed a wonder that he was in some manner related to a chap like Dorian too. I even fancied I could see a bit of resemblance between Dorian and Raffles's pal, Bunny.

"Is 'Jay' an old childhood nickname then?" I asked.

"Oh, you could say that," Dorian said with a rather impish smile, like a mischievous cherub in one of those old paintings you'd find at a stuffy gallery or some-such.

"It has a ring to it!" I declared. "I wouldn't have put it past you, Jay!"

"I would rather you didn't, sir," Jeeves said with distinct frostiness.

"J has always been a bore, ever since we were children," Dorian said conspiratorially.

"Now, just a minute! Jeeves may be a bit stiff at times, but he's a fine valet, the best!"

"How did you end up as Bertie's valet? You're not exactly moving up in the world. Or do you have some ulterior motive?" Dorian seemed to look past me, his gaze leveled directly at Jeeves as though I were nothing more than an intruder, or rather a ghost in my own flat.

"I say, what do you mean?" I demanded.

I spied a rummy glint in his eyes as he glanced between Jeeves and myself, but his tone was all innocence, "J, I'm afraid I've misjudged you terribly."

"My employment is a purely mercenary arrangement," Jeeves said sharply.

It stung to hear it, of course, but one must keep a stiff upper-lip, and it wasn't as though it came as a surprise.

"Oh, you're no fun." Dorian pouted, but it didn't last long. "Bertie, you must come by my place sometime. But shall we have some luncheon? J can wait on us at the table." He seemed a little too pleased with the idea.

"Lunch is served, sir." Jeeves pointedly directed his announcement at me rather than Dorian.

"Serve it up, Jeeves," I said, but without much enthusiasm.

Still, lunch was a sprightly affair. Dorian made for charming company, of course, but there was a tension in the air I couldn't quite forget until he was gone. As soon as the door closed behind him, Jeeves cooly retreated into his lair as I had been expecting him to do so all through lunch, but he had instead preferred to hover by the table.

I remained in the sitting room, first sulking on the sofa, and then pacing restlessly across the room. I could feel that not all was well in the home, and it wouldn't be well until I'd had a word with my man. Finally, I sat down with all of the aristocratic composure I could muster, plucked up my courage, and called for Jeeves.

"Sir?" he said, appearing at my shoulder not an instant after the words left my mouth.

I decided the best course of action was to take the bull by the horns, as it were. "You and Dorian don't like each other, do you?"

"No, sir." Nothing, not even a blink.

"But I say, what happened to earn the chap such animosity?"

"I would rather not dwell on it, sir."

"Jay isn't such a bad nickname you know," I said, in an ill-conceived attempt to lighten the mood. "Better than Stilton Cheesewright or Stinker Pinker, at any rate."

Jeeves winced at the mention of it. "It does not evoke pleasant memories."

I felt like I was swimming rather out of my depths. "Unpleasant memories?"

"Yes, sir." There was a finality to his tone that said I would get no answers no matter how much I pried - and to pry is hardly becoming of a gentleman.

"I'm sure Dorian didn't intend-" I attempted instead, but my protest died on my lips at the sight of Jeeves's expression, and I couldn't very well argue.

Bunny had let the old nickname slip once or twice perhaps, but Dorian said it with relish. I couldn't fathom what had happened between them, but certainly nothing good and what sort of gentleman was I if I couldn't even protect my valet from schoolyard bullies and their ilk.

"Is there anything else you require, sir?"

"Well, that settles it then," I declared, cutting Jeeves off. "I didn't like his tone anyway. Mark it, Jeeves, Dorian Gray is no longer welcome in the Wooster household."

"Very good, sir," Jeeves said, and I thought I may have even seen a smile flit across his chiseled features.

Note: The story continues! Look for other fics with "Part of The Mysterious Mr. Jeeves" in the summary.