Reaver's Servants
Gifts That Keep Giving
"Oh, how adorable!" shouted Miss Sarah as she opened up the gold wrapped box.
Lakeview Manor's dining room was almost filled to capacity with guests wandering around and gifts piling up next to the happy couple seated in the dining room. While Miss Sarah barely knew most of the people attending the bridal shower, she still appreciated the gifts nonetheless. Barry sat beside her, pretending to be impressed by the mountain of gifts that seemed to get bigger by the minute and extravagant by the second. Most of the people attending the shower were wives of a few of Reaver's business associates that the couple had only met at a few of Reaver's parties.
The dining room table had been scooted toward the far end of the dining room near the door to Reaver's hallway and the food for the party had been placed there. The servants, having finished serving the wine and setting the snacks on the dining table, took their places among the other guests.
"Before we begin, I want to thank all of you for such lovely gifts!" Miss Sarah gleamed happily as she opened the first gift.
Barry, pretending to be interested, nodded and glanced over at the nearby grandfather clock to check the time. In his opinion, bridal showers were for women and men were only there to help bring the gifts in. His only concern was whether or not his fiancé was happy and he was satisfied that Miss Sarah was beaming ear to ear. But at the current moment, Barry had other things on his mind. The wedding was in a few days and he was still in the middle of writing his vows. Reaver, who had already finished his best man speech, wasn't focused on the party at all.
Reaver's involvement with the overall wedding was minimal. Though he allowed the party (he was initially against it) and even allowed the wedding to be held at the front garden of his house, Reaver still took on airs as if he were the one getting married. Reaver had walked around the manor and the front garden shouting orders at decorators when Mrs. Hatch wasn't around, and undermined any ideas Miss Sarah or Barry had about their own wedding.
Along with pretending to care about his place in the wedding, Reaver oversaw the party's formation from the decorations, the placement of the chairs, and even had the servants take pour cheap wine into empty bottles of his finest wine. He may not have thought much of Barry and Miss Sarah getting married, but he still wanted to keep up appearances. He deduced any party held at his manor should still be a classy event the town talks about. At least until the classy stuff ended and the depraved debauchery could begin. That was Reaver's favorite part.
Though usually the life of any party, be it a royal gala, wedding shower, baby shower, or even a funeral, Reaver seemed to be concentrating on something. The servants were a bit surprised by this, wondering if their boss had come down with a cold. Reaver, dismissing the worries of his servants, sat in a chair on the far side of the dining room. His mind wasn't on the chattering of women or how he can somehow upstage all these gifts. If there was one thing Reaver was good at, it was making himself look better. Reaver had a gift in mind for Barry and Miss Sarah, but it was too big to be given at the bridal shower. But this idea had to take a back seat for the time being.
Like a hungry beast, Miss Sarah attacked the gift in front of her and tore it open almost immediately. All the women cooed at the fancy towels that Miss Sarah cautiously took out of the box. The towels looked soft and made from expensive material. "Barry, feel these towels! They are luxurious!" Miss Sarah fawned over the towels, rubbing them against her cheek with a smile. Barry, who thankfully decided not to wear gloves today, took one of the small rags from the set and pretended to be impressed by the feel.
Reaver could sense Barry's lack of enthusiasm for the gift and motioned for Willa to bring him a drink. Willa ran to the table and poured some punch into a small glass. She then ran to Reaver, who took a small flask of mystery alcohol from his jacket and poured a bit into the drink. Willa then ran to Barry and presented to him.
"Compliments of Mr. Reaver." Willa whispered, handing the drink to Barry.
Barry nodded appreciatively and started to take a sip when Miss Sarah's hand took the drink from him "Nothing to drink until we're done opening gifts; I don't want you spilling anything on any fine materials." Miss Sarah scolded, placing the drink on a nearby table. "Now, which one should we open next?"
Ignoring Reaver's soft laughing in the background, Miss Sarah picked a gift from the pile and looked at the tag. "That one is from us, Miss Sarah!" shouted Beryl, with Rosie and Willa joining her at the front of the crowd of women. "We put our money together and got you something both of you can enjoy!"
Miss Sarah nodded softly and opened the small gift. Inside the gift, packed under fancy papers, was a gift of questionable proportions. Miss Sarah blushed and lifted it up for all to see. The red lace nightgown was made from good material and left nothing to the imagination. Barry, trying to hide his blushing face, could hear the soft giggles of all the women directed at him. Miss Sarah, who seemed to like her gift, tried to show Barry, but couldn't get him to look at it.
"You should wear it tonight." said one of the women. "Give Mr. Hatch a little bit more…practice for the big night!" All the women shouted in agreement with raucous laughter.
"From that glowing smile and bow-legged walk Miss Sarah has in the mornings, I don't think Mr. Hatch needs anymore practice." Willa whispered to Beryl and Rosie. Beryl giggled while Rosie tried not to show her amused face. Reaver heard them, even from his spot over by the entrance, and laughed loudly in agreement.
Over the loud laughter and dirty jokes aimed at Barry, the servants heard a soft knock at the foyer door. "Well, you are going to go get it, right?" Reaver asked, looking somewhat indifferent to all the excitement going on. "This may be a party for Miss Sarah, but you're still servants. Now, go see who it is and while you're at it, go bring up some more wine. These lushes drank all the cheap stuff I had you pour into the nicer wine bottles." Reaver uncrossed his legs and placed his left leg over the right.
Willa, Beryl, and Rosie left the dining room as the next gift was being opened. When they arrived in the foyer, Gordon was already at the front door signing for the package. Gordon had been in the garden, tending to some rose bushes that "accidently" fell from their planters that morning. The girls knew the truth, but from the tortured look on Barry's face, they didn't blame Gordon for not wanting to be anywhere near the party as it continued. Gordon tipped the delivery boy and closed the front door.
"A late arriving gift for Miss Sarah?" asked Willa.
Gordon looked at the tag on the finely wrapped gift and then at the gift itself. The box he recognized as one from a fancy boutique Mrs. Hatch usually shopped at. He had been forced by Reaver to accompany her on a few shopping trips recently. But the expensive looking box and where it came from wasn't what caught Gordon off guard. "It isn't for Miss Sarah." He murmured, looking at the tag to make sure he was seeing the name correctly. "This gift is for Rosie."
Rosie, somewhat surprised, walked up and took the box. "Did you order something from that boutique?" asked Beryl. "I've thumbed through the catalog Mrs. Hatch leaves in the study sometimes, but I didn't think you'd be interested in those outfits."
Rosie shook her head, though somewhat offended that Beryl didn't think she liked girlish things. "I can't afford anything from that boutique. Those dresses cost more than we make in a month." Rosie took the gift into the study and sat it on the table. Rosie looked at the gift tag and saw that it only said her name. "It doesn't say who it's from."
The girls giggled and watched the gift closely. "Rosie, someone sent you a gift!" Willa shouted happily. "I bet she has a secret admirer."
"Bad timing, though; it being the day of the bridal shower and all. Whoever sent it must not have a sense of promptness." Gordon mumbled, trying not to sound jealous. Gordon folded his arms, only glancing at the girls as they fawned over the package. "Besides it's probably from that buffoon, Ben Finn. Trying to worm his way back into her life, more than likely."
Though the sounds of the party were still audible from the study, the servants tried not to get distracted. Someone had sent Rosie a gift on the day they were supposed to be giving gifts to Miss Sarah and Mr. Hatch. Rosie seemed a bit uneasy by the gift. "Well, open it!" Willa and Beryl shouted to Rosie.
Rosie took a deep breath and started untying the ribbon. When the silk ribbon came off, Rosie slowly lifted the lid, revealing packing paper with the boutique's logo on each one. Under the silky paper sat a dark burgundy dress, neatly folded and awaiting its new owner.
Lifting the dress gently, Rosie could see it was definitely crafted from fine materials and hand sewn, not like most clothes nowadays which utilized a machine of some kind. It was a floor-length matronly dress that still had an air of refinement and femininity to it. It looked tailor-made, for no one else but Rosie. The girls looked on in awe. Gordon looked inside the box and found there was more to this dress. He picked up a small envelope that said, "To Rosie" in handwritten ink.
"Mr. Finn can't afford anything like this. Besides, he's not romantic at all. Remember that half-eaten box of chocolates he gave her one that one?" asked Willa. "He said he got hungry on the way to see her."
Not listening to the agreeing murmurs, Rosie refolded the dress and took the envelope as Gordon handed it to her. Rosie, whose glare demanded privacy from the others, was left alone with her gift and the envelope. She opened it slowly and sat down on a nearby chair.
"To Rosie – I hope this sweetens the pot a bit. This is only a taste of what is to come."
The letter wasn't signed, but Rosie knew exactly who it was from. She stuffed the letter into her apron pocket and put the lid back on the box. Rosie had no idea how she was going to sneak this past the party goers without them thinking it was a late gift for Miss Sarah. Rosie decided to keep this gift in the study until the party was over. She didn't want to arouse any suspicions. No one knew of the deal Reaver had offered her, but they did see his attempt to sweeten the deal.
It wasn't that Rosie wasn't appreciative of the gift. It was gorgeous, fancier than anything she had ever owned. But this wasn't the day for Rosie or her problems. It was a day for Miss Sarah and the party didn't need any unwarranted distractions. Rosie decided to bring the gift up to her room when the party was over. Rosie left the study just as Reaver was coming down the stairs. Rosie didn't acknowledge him, but she knew why he came downstairs.
"I heard we have received a package. Who was is for?" Reaver asked with his back turned to Rosie. Rosie stopped before her foot hit the first stair but didn't answer. He knew exactly who it was for and she didn't appreciate him playing dumb. Rosie glanced over her shoulder slightly and saw that Reaver had his back to her, pretending to look out one of the foyer windows. "Such a lovely autumn day for a stroll, wouldn't you say? That party has become so dull that I am in need of a distraction. Rosie, why don't you and I go for a walk while the weather is still nice, hmm?"
Rosie didn't respond. "I…I haven't finished my chores." She mumbled, trying to force herself up the stairs.
"Oh, those can wait, my dear. Why waste a day like this? When will there ever be a time when you actually have permission to slack off? If you want to change out of that maid uniform and wear something a little more casual, you have my permission." Reaver didn't take his eyes off the window, or more importantly, Rosie's reflection.
Rosie's heart began to pound. "I don't want to leave them undone. If I do, I'll never get back to them and I'll have to do them tomorrow. Maybe some other time, Sir." Rosie ran up the stairs as fast as she could, not giving her boss a chance for a rebuttal. Reaver turned on his heels and sighed softly. He wasn't a man to give up and he knew he'd soon have her where he wanted her. He knew the wedding date was coming fast and he knew she had to make a decision.
Reaver decided, despite his boredom, to rejoin the party just as Mrs. Hatch gave Miss Sarah her gift. The box was big and wrapped neatly with baby blue wrapping and had a yellow bow on the top. Reaver sat closer to the party, knowing Rosie would return. She did a few minutes later, holding a small gift wrapped in an unidentifiable paper. She stood away from Reaver.
"Oh, this gift looks so darling! I'm almost afraid to unwrap it!" Miss Sarah cooed, looking over at Barry. Barry's attention was on the box itself. He never questioned where his mother got her money from or why she spent it on nonsensical things.
Mrs. Hatch beamed with excitement as Miss Sarah carefully unwrapped the gift on her lap. "I always believed the best gifts are the ones you make yourself. I've been up for the last three nights carefully knitting these just for you two. I know they will be very useful to you two and don't fret about ever running out. I'm in the process of making more I hope to have them done in time for the wedding. Of course, if you want more after the wedding, I'd be more than happy to make more."
Miss Sarah carefully opened the lid of the box and cocked an eyebrow. Barry, as if expecting this, sat back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. Miss Sarah reached into the box and pulled out one of its many little contents. Miss Sarah held up a little knitted pair of booties and looked inside the box again. "Baby booties and…" she reached inside and took out a little hat. "…a baby bonnet?" she asked, placing the gifts on her lap as she pondered the remaining contents of the box.
"Just in case the wedding night was successful in fulfilling its intended purpose, my dear. You never know when little bundles arrive and it's always good to be prepared. And don't you fret, Sarah dear; Mother Hatch will be there every step of the way in case something does happen." Mrs. Hatch replied with a big beaming smile.
While Miss Sarah's cheeks blushed with embarrassment, Barry's became red with rage. "Yeah, very subtle, Mother!" he shouted. Mrs. Hatch only chuckled as Miss Sarah took out the rest of the knitted baby clothes and set them aside. She nodded her thank you and tried not to cry from embarrassment.
That Evening
When the party finally came to a close and the guests were shooed off, the servants started cleaning up. Miss Sarah, after helping Barry take all the gifts to what was dubbed as "The War Room" by the wedding planners, sat in a chair near the door and sighed. She was exhausted and happy that the party was over. There was a strange feeling she couldn't shake through the entire party that there was more going on than some idle gossip and present swapping.
Miss Sarah leaned back and pondered all the gifts. Barry came up to her with a cup of what was left of the punch. "Some party." He murmured, acting as if he was actually paying attention during the party. "I'm surprised Master Reaver didn't get plastered and do his usual drunken song-and-dance routine. I must admit, that man can dance in a pair of heels better than any Can-Can girl I've ever seen." Barry sipped his own drink and noticed Miss Sarah glaring at him. "…not that, I frequent those things, Lovey…"
With a giggle, Miss Sarah leaned against Barry and pondered all the gifts. "Barry, where are we going to put all this stuff?" she asked, softly. "The wedding is in less than a week and we still don't have a permanent plan. All we have right now is mine and your rooms and both rooms are too small for all this stuff. Most of this stuff is for a home and we live here. What with your mother expecting grandchildren before we've even said 'I do', we barely have anywhere to call our own."
Barry smiled and put his arm around Miss Sarah. "Lovey, I was going to wait until it was appropriate, and now seems a good a time as ever." Barry stood up and took Miss Sarah's hand in his. "I thought about this the last couple of days and I think it's time we struck out on our own. Our life is beginning and it needs to start properly. Sarah, I talked to Geoffrey and I've accepted his job offer."
Miss Sarah blinked once and then a big smile traced across her face. She jumped up and hugged Barry tightly, jumping up and down with excited squeals. The thought of starting her life with Barry in any place other than a cramped room and being closer to her brother was certainly very appealing to her. Barry held Miss Sarah close and kissed the top of her head. "But Barry, where will we stay?" she asked, looking up at her fiancé inquisitively.
"Mother has generously invited us to stay with her until we find a permanent home. She was eavesdropping on my conversation with your brother and butted in just as I mentioned we'd need to find a home as soon as possible." Barry replied. He didn't like that idea, but there were two women he had to keep happy and keeping his mother happy was right up there with keeping his future wife happy. "Sarah, as long as you're next to me, we could live in a tent in the woods. It'll still feel like a castle to me as long as I have you."
A knock on the door stopped Miss Sarah and Barry from going any further. Rosie stood in the doorway with a half-hearted smile. "Mr. Hatch, may I speak to Miss Sarah alone?" she asked softly. It was obvious to them that Rosie had overheard everything. Barry nodded, kissed Miss Sarah on the cheek, and left the room to check on the other servants. Rosie closed the door and looked at Miss Sarah. "I guess my question has been answered." Rosie mumbled.
Before Miss Sarah could say something, Rosie stopped her. "I knew, Miss Sarah. I already knew. I wouldn't call it a prediction, but I think we all saw it coming. You and Mr. Hatch deserve to start your life out right, even if it means it's not here. We all have to do things to keep ourselves happy and safe. I know you and Mr. Hatch will be happy together. I want to tell you, but you still refuse to let me tell you your future. But I do have to agree that if one knew what was going to happen, there would be no point in going on. Which is why I think of my abilities as a curse more than a gift, you know. Miss Sarah, we want you to be happy, even if it means we have to travel all the way to the mountains to visit you."
Rosie handed Miss Sarah the wrapped gift. Miss Sarah noticed the wrapping paper was made from an old advertisement from their circus days. The gift itself was a sepia toned photograph from their last day at the circus. The silver frame Rosie placed it in covered the scorched edges. Miss Sarah whimpered a bit at the entire troupe standing together like a big family. Her tears of joy plopped onto the glass of the frame as she looked up at Rosie. As Miss Sarah threw her arms around Rosie, she knew she made the right choice when picking her Maid of Honor.
Rosie left Miss Sarah to sort through the gifts and went downstairs to where her package sat. Undisturbed on the table, the tell-tale box sat waiting for her. Rosie picked it up and hurried upstairs with it while the other servants were off cleaning elsewhere in the mansion. Rosie plopped the box down on her bed and sat next to it. She forced herself to open it but didn't realize her hand was reaching into her apron pocket to fetch the note.
The note, slightly crumpled, sat in her hand. It felt more like a warning than a gesture of generosity. Generosity was a word Reaver rarely used, especially around the servants. Rosie picked the dress and stood up, placing it over herself as she looked in the mirror. Rosie placed the dress down and started fumbling around her little vanity mirror. It took a few tries to get her long hair into the bun she was attempting, but she finally managed it.
The dress was beautiful, but Rosie felt out of place looking at it draped in front of her. She did like the dress, though. Her eyes became foggy as she flattened the dress against her stomach. Rosie did manage a small smile that she didn't seem to notice.
Lakeview Manor was quieting down for the night. But the sounds of shoes against the newly waxed floor kept Reaver from finishing his paperwork. His office was the only refuge from the events of the day and he found his paperwork lacking any type of excitement. He recognized the boot sounds as Barry making his final rounds before locking up the house. Barry had a way of walking that Reaver had gotten used to over the years.
A stack of resumes sat on the corner of the desk that Reaver hadn't bothered to look at since they were delivered two days before and a catalog for a boutique sat hidden under the factory paperwork. Reaver had been very busy as of late and had much to do with little time to do it. He shoved the paperwork aside and picked up the catalog again. Reaver, not a man to concede unless the fight was fruitless, flipped through the pages and sat back in his chair.
The study door opened softly, revealing Barry's head. "I'm about to head on to bed, Master. Is there anything you need before I do?" he asked.
"Hatch, which one of these dresses do you think looks best?" Reaver asked, holding up the catalog to a certain page.
Barry stared at the page and then looked up at his boss. "Blue really isn't your color, Master Reaver." He answered, dryly.
"It's not for me, you idiot." Reaver growled, taking the catalog back. "I'm looking for a specific gift for someone. I'm trying to seal the deal with a…shall we say, lady business partner and I want to show her I'm not a tasteless monster."
Good luck with that, Barry thought, standing up straight. "Sarah likes shiny things. I've found most women like shiny things. Stuff they can show off to their friends over coffee or whatever the girl servants do on their night off. Stuff to put in their hair or wear around their necks or on their fingers. Shoes, I know women like shoes. Mother has at least three pairs of the same type of shoe in different colors. Clothing is pretty secondary when it comes to women, I think. Whatever makes their clothing look better is the gift you should buy along with the clothing."
"How do you know all this, Hatch?" Reaver asked, cocking his eyebrow and putting the catalog down.
Barry shrugged. "Mother used to make me help her with her seamstress work when I was a boy. Plus I learned a lot helping Sarah pick out dresses for the bridesmaids. Did you know there is more than one variant of the color white?" Barry cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. "White, off-white, eggshell, pearl, alabaster, snowflake…" Barry listed off the colors as he made his way to the office door. "Are you sure you don't need anything before I head on to bed?"
Reaver waved at Barry dismissively. "No, no, I'll be alright. Hatch, do me a favor though: if Miss Sarah decides to spend the night in your room again, please keep it down. I need my beauty sleep and let's face it, my good man; Miss Sarah is not a quiet woman." Reaver looked up from his catalog at Barry's blushing cheeks. "I don't know how much more punishment that bed of yours can take."
Barry hurried out of the office as Reaver laughed. His desk was scattered with work but he still had much more to do than the evidence on the desk would suggest. He had business to tend to and the date to close the deal was coming up fast.
N'cha, my doves!
This is a little filler I whipped up to tide you over until the next chapter. Lots of stuff going on, huh? The next chapter will probably be the funniest thing I have ever written. At least for a while, anyway. How much trouble can Reaver and the guys get into in one night of debauched drinking? Well, stay turned and find out!
So, I recently was accepted into the final beta for Elder Scrolls Online. My thoughts on that would take up too much of your valuable time, so I posted my thoughts on dA. Let me just say this: I absolutely LOVE the Elder Scrolls series. Anything Bethesda puts out I adore. But this…might not be their best work.
Want to know the rest? Read my journal on dA for the rest.
Here comes the fun part! Let me know how I did and leave me a lovely review. I appreciate all thoughts but let's keep it civil, okie? So, leave me some feedback and let's keep this ball rolling, okie?
Read, review, and be merry!
Reaver and Barry Hatch belong to Lionhead.