Chapter 14 - The Host
"Good evening, Mein Herr," Will began, experiencing an unsettling feeling of déja-vu as the cottage door swung open.
Wilhelm had no idea what about the scene felt so familiar, but he half expected Weiss to answer the door. As it were, the circumstances were entirely opposite from their last lodging plea; Jacob was fully-conscious, the sky wasn't in the least bit overcast, and the face that met the two brothers didn't look at all interested in entertaining guests.
"Good evening," The copper-haired man replied in irritation. "Your names and purpose, please," He added, assessing the two brothers with mild disinterest.
Taken aback by the man's directness bordering on rudeness, Will froze his smile in place and continued. "I'm Wilhelm Grimm and this is my brother Jacob," He explained with a small gesture to his brother, "And we're in dire need of lodging," Will added.
"Is that so?" The young man responded coolly as Will noticed his distinct aristocratic drawl, "And?"
"And we'd like to request lodging from you, Mein Herr," Wilhelm said through clenched teeth. "We can pay," He added, thoroughly annoyed with the man's haughty attitude.
"Really?" He retorted languidly, "Colour me surprised, you two don't look like you can afford to pay much of anything, but I…" The man paused and glanced from Will over to Jacob. "Are you two scholars?" He asked, for the first time seeming interested in their conversation.
Wondering what had caused the sudden change of subject, Will glanced over at his brother who had once again pulled out a small leather bound book and was flipping through it, completely oblivious to the other two men. "He is," Wilhelm answered with a sigh, resigned to the fact that they would be sleeping out under the stars tonight.
"Is that so," The man acknowledged, taking another speculative look at the two brothers. "Herr Lehrer," He introduced himself curtly, taking a step backwards and swinging the door open in invitation.
Wondering whether that meant they could stay, Will paused uncertainly.
"Did you want a place to sleep or not?" The other man asked with a smirk, "Put your horses in the paddock and come in," He instructed.
"Welcome to my humble abode," Herr Lehrer stated with a curt gesture.
While not exactly humble, the interior was most certainly welcoming. The walls were paneled with dark polished wood and the floors were lavishly tiled in pale golds and deep reds. Once again, it seemed that his brother's choice of accommodations was impeccable, Jacob noted as he carefully wiped off his boots and followed their host down a short hallway.
As their host instructed them on where to leave their baggage, Jacob found himself watching the copper-haired man carefully. The first thing that struck Jake about the younger man was his skin; it was pale and spotless, not a scar or blemish to be seen. If his manner of speaking hadn't given away his status, then his well-kept appearance surely did. In contrast, his hair was wild and untamed, glowing copper when the light shone on it. Like his hair, Herr Lehrer's eyes seemed to come alive as the light illuminated them, almost resembling those of a cat as they turned a dark shade of gold. Jacob noticed, only as an afterthought, that not unlike himself the other man wore glasses; though unlike his own, these were spotless and rectangular.
It was only after their host had stopped talking and turned to look at him pointedly, that Jacob realized he'd been staring. Feeling foolish, he gave the other man a small smile and turned his gaze towards Will, who glared back.
"As I was saying, the spare room is at the end of this hallway," their host indicated with a curt gesture, "If you need me, I will most likely be in the study, which is up those stairs and to the right. We can discuss payment in the morning." Stifling a yawn, he abruptly turned on his heel and left.
Grabbing their baggage, Wilhelm brushed past his brother and stalked down the hallway. Noticing Will's annoyance, Jacob followed at a much slower pace.
"Are you trying to get us thrown out?" Wilhelm asked as his brother stepped into the room, gently pulling the door shut behind him, "I don't think it would have taken much for him to turn us away."
"No," Jacob answered quietly. "I wasn't. I didn't mean to," Jake replied, stumbling over the words as he resisted the urge to fidget with his glasses. "I wasn't paying attention, sorry," He finished, inspecting the floor intently.
"Weren't paying attention?" Will echoed. "You were paying attention, very close attention, to Herr Lehrer that is," He snapped. "What about him…?" Wilhelm wondered, his anger slowly giving way to curiosity as he studied Jacob.
"Why was I staring at him?" Jake continued cautiously. "He… reminds me of someone," Jacob said lamely, wishing that his brother would let him go to sleep in peace.
"He does?" His brother responded thoughtfully, pausing to think. "I had the same feeling."
"It's maddening because I can't place it," Jake replied, feeling relieved as he realized that this argument hadn't escalated.
"I'll tend to Kastanie and Fee if you take care of the luggage," Will offered, as his brother grabbed one of their bags.
"Okay?" Jake answered hesitantly, unable to recall the last time his brother had offered to help with anything.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," Will added as he left the bedroom.
'What's Will supposed to do for fun? There isn't a tavern for miles around,' Jacob thought to himself with a grin as he spent several minutes searching fruitlessly through their luggage for his books. Realizing that he'd no doubt left them in his saddlebag, Jake abandoned his search and headed towards the front door.
Hearing the guestroom door open and shut, Herr Lehrer let out an exasperated sigh and listened intently. He heard the heavier set of boots walk briskly down the hallway, pausing as their owner fumbled with the bolts that flanked the main entrance's doorway. Lehrer smirked to himself in satisfaction; after all, he was the one who'd installed the locks. His smirk faltered when he heard the door finally swing open, but then recalled the fact that locks were meant to keep people out, not in.
Hearing a second, softer set of boots make their way out of the guestroom and down the hallway, he silently stalked out of his study.
Author's Note: Thank you for reading. This is the updated version of Chapter 14, uploaded on 02/2023.