Chapter 8

He was walking outside in the sunny garden. An orange-yellow cat was lazily sleeping by a nicely cut bush and the furry ball registered his presence by only moving an ear.

Oliver searched his pockets for a cigarette, although he wasn't sure if it would be appropriate to light one here. 

He didn’t see anyone around, so he decided it was safe enough and he could afford it.

Oliver was just taking a cigarette out  when he heard someone come. And he always heard when someone was coming his way. 

He turned and saw it was the girl he'd meet the other day- Della. She was carrying something in her hands, coming his way. 

The girl glanced at the cigarette in his hand and Oliver said

"Sorry, I just..."

"Oh, no, please, don’t mind me. "

He put the roll back in his pocket, hoping he won’t crash it and he could save it for later.

 The girl passed him one of the sweets she was holding and Oliver looked at her questioningly.

"Uhh...It's for you?" she said.

"For me?"

"Yes, I ..."

Oliver turned and smiled at her. The girl had the bad habit of not finishing her sentences. 

"I came to thank you. "

"What for?"

"For...for the other day. Thank you for not telling the master that Jenny had asked me to cover for her. "

Oliver remembered what had happened in Callum’s study and thought Jenny likely had many things the others were keeping secret for her.

"That? He said, “No, I told you not worry about this. " Oliver looked back at Della’s outstretched hand. He took the small piece of what looked like something covered in sugar and tasted it. 

Oliver didn't really like sweets but at the same time he didn't want to upset her by refusing it, so he took it, whatever it was he was offered. 

"Thank you. " 

She smiled and he took another bite from it. 

"Oh, it's...it's different."

"Do you like it?" 

She asked hopeful and Oliver nodded. 

"Yes, very much. I haven’t tried those, thank you. "

He had no idea what “those” meant, or if it was good or bad. It was just foreign. Yet seeing her lighten at his words, he decided saying it was good was better than being honest. 

"I'm glad you like it.The chef is...he’s very good, it was something he was making for the dinner tonight and I snatched a few biscuits."

She beamed and looked down, fixing her eyes on something in the green grass. Della looked nervous, although Oliver still  wasn't exactly sure why.

Seeing her nervous made him feel uneasy too, so he opted for saying something safe like,

"It's a nice day."

She smiled surprised at the turn in the conversation and looked up at the sky.

"Yes, and the ...garden is very beautiful at that time of the year. I sometimes come here for a walk when I'm not with the Lady. I’m her first maid."

“You are, right. I remember Jenny told me. “

“She did?”

The girl asked and Oliver nodded.

"Yes. Do you spend a lot of time here, then?" 

He guessed, although he doubted any other personal servant spent that little time with their master the way he did. Della said shortly

"Well, occasionally.”

“And when you don't cover for Jenny? "

"I don't have anything else much to do. "

He laughed. 

"I can't say I spend much time with the Lord, either. "

"No, but..." 

She frowned and fumbled with the sleeves of her uniform.

"But?"

"Lord Calum is probably not really used to it. To having a servant like you."

"How so ?"

"I ...I haven't been here for very long, but I know he doesn’t have personal servants. I don't know if he had a valet before. Which we all find a bit strange. "

"Strange? Why?"

She looked at him as if he'd said something really peculiar. 

"Well, because...considering the status of the family, it would be unusual if he didn't have one. "

"Yes...yes, of course."

Oliver was beginning to think the reason behind it was because the Lord was often gone for days, anyway. 

And if rumours about his mistresses and gambling problems were true, he doubted he’d really pay any attention or mind to personnel. 

"Although...they all are very nice to us. “ Della said “Even Master Tennyson, but they all have their own valets."

"Nice? You mean the old Lord?"

"Him, yes. "

She said all serious.

"I haven't really spent much time with him but he seems quite...strict."

"He is, but...but he’s also treating us fairly. He gave me a chance when I first came here."

"He gave you a chance to work for the Lady?"

"Of course, it's a ...great honor for me."

She sounded honestly proud of it and happy, so Oliver felt obliged to confirm.

"Yes, me too."

“When I first came here, i didn’t have much experience, but the Lady said she liked me and the Master didn’t try to persuade her otherwise. Although I’m sure there were hundreds of other more suitable candidates. I was just lucky.“

Oliver nodded and she said “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. “

“We are just talking. Besides, everything you’re saying it’s true, many people would trade places with us in a heartbeat. “

Well, not with me, really, Oliver thought but decided to go with the flow.

“Are you getting used to everything?" she asked.

"It's a bit..." 

"What?"

He searched for the words. "No, let's say I haven't gotten lost yet, so I think I am managing. And everyone has been quite helpful, so far."

"You can always count on us, or if there's anything I can do..."

"Thank you, Della. I most likely will."

Oliver returned the smile that had started spreading on her face. 

                                                         ****

It was way past nine and Oliver assumed today would be another day when he wasn't going to see Callum. 

And he was getting restless. 

At the same time, he couldn't exactly take a carriage and go out for longer or much further away from the Manor. He was supposed to stay here, in case his master finally decided he might need him. 

The two hadn't even exchanged a word after what had happened in the dressing room a few days ago. 

Not that Oliver spent any time in the Lord's company for them to exchange any words. 

So he got dressed and went out in the yard. The weather was fairly nice and since there wasn't any sign of rain coming, he hoped he could stay outside for a bit longer. 

Oliver saw a man around his age and a maybe eight-year-old boy in the back yard. And paused- it was the man Jenny had been in Calum’s study with.

The boy was holding a wooden sword, while the man was holding a knife. 

He was explaining to the boy how to slash properly the straw figure they were now viciously stabbing. 

Oliver approached and heard the boy say 

"I will kill it with that final hit!" 

The kid stabbed the wooden sword into the stuffed guy and the man laughed. 

"Nay, not like that." 

He attempted at the figure and Oliver stopped to watch them. 

Whatever the man was trying to teach the boy, it wasn't it and he was doing an even poorer job with the knife. 

The child noticed Oliver and dropped his hand. The man looked at it and frowned.

"What is it?"  He then turned and saw Oliver, standing not far from them. 

"Ah, hullo." 

He smiled widely and Oliver greeted

"Hello, I was... I was just walking around and saw you were trying to kill the poor man here." 

"We will!" the kid yelled, "He is the evil goblin!" 

The man shushed him and said 

"He's still excited. Those stories Adelia tells him get im, but  I'm also trynna show him how to defend himself. “ The man wiped his hand in his shirt and outstretched it to Oliver “ Aye, I'm Percy, by the way.  And that's little Jay." 

"Nice to meet you, Percy. Hey little Jay. " The kid was still smiling brightly at him "I'm Oliver."

He shook Persy’s hand and quickly took the man in. From this close he saw the servant was close to his age, smaller in build and there was a smile that seemed to never leave the suntanned face.

Oliver thought him and Jenny strangely fit each other. She had the same light, happy demeanor and they both somehow made people around them less tense.

Oliver took his coat off and hung in on the nearest tree. He then returned back to them.  

 "Can I?" he asked as he approached the boy and outstretched his hand. 

The kid dropped the wooden knife which in Oliver's big hand looked more like a knife and Oliver said 

"Thank you. Now,  maybe I could help with that at least. " He rolled his sleeves up and turned to Percy. Oliver gave an explanation to the puzzled look in the man's eyes,.  "Attack me." 

The boy was wide-eyed, clapping excitedly. 

"Woah, a real fight!" 

"It won't be a real one, unfortunately." Oliver tried to maintain the fairy-tale mood the boy was in and not to ruin entirely the expectations of a magical fight  "But that's only because we don't have our armor. However, we can still show you a few tricks. If your teacher agrees, of course." 

"But mine' s a real knife." 

"Doesn't matter," Oliver said and stood against Percy "Attack me." 

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." 

"Okay. But I don't want to hurt you." 

Oliver tried not to laugh out loud  and said "Just be careful and you won't. Come on." 

Percy lunged and Oliver moved to the side.

The man lost balance because he hadn't expected Oliver to dunk the hit so quickly and Oliver tipped his back with the tip of the wooden knife. 

"When you rush towards someone so quickly, you can't react if he moves to the side.Besides it’s difficult in those boots." 

Percy looked down at his feet.

"Right,"

"Also, never turn your back to your opponent. " 

"Aye, right. Let's do it again. " 

"Okay." 

They tried a few more times, the boy was cheering the whole time and Oliver found he was actually explaining more to Percy than to the boy. They continued practicing and as it was nearing lunchtime, it was getting warmer. After a while Percy unbuttoned his shirt and said, wiping his forehead. 

"You ain't bad. You actually move too fast for a man your size, "

"You learn fast too."

"You need a break, got warm?"

"No, not yet. You?”

“Nay. “

“Let's try again,then?"

"Aye, let's'. "

Percy took position and attacked. Oliver switched his wooden knife to his left hand and while Percy was distracted with the move, Oliver acted. 

The man soon discovered Oliver was holding his knife too. 

"Woah." 

He said incredulously and looked at Oliver.

"How did ya do that?" 

Percy was standing in the middle of the yard, empty-handed and close to being in a honest awe. 

"Wow. I didna even see how you did it." 

"Mhm." 

"Damn, I mean, sorry." 

"No, don't be. I'll show you. So let's try it slower..." 

Oliver repeated the move once, and then again. The man was really quick to learn and soon he could par hits better. 

He got braver and lunged, but Oliver stopped him easily. 

"Don't clench the knife so hard." He said after he’s left Percy bewildered with another move.

"Uhh, am I?" 

"You are." 

"How do you know? " 

Percy asked surprised and Oliver only said. "At the same time, try not to lose your grip. If your hand slips when you're stabbing someone, or something and your knife doesn't have a proper handle- like the one you're holding now, you'll run your palm directly over the blade." 

Percy examined the handle and said, surprised again. 

"You're right. I hadn't even noticed the handle." 

Oliver smiled "I know." 

The boy clapped his hands and said " I want to try too!" 

"No, you stay there" Percy laughed and turned to Oliver, "You're the new valet, right?" 

"I'm trying to be." 

"Well, you ain't knife fighting like one." 

"I don't know how a valet normally fights." 

They both laughed at that and Percy said "Aye, me neither. But anyway. What was that thing with the switch, again?" 

Oliver found himself really enjoying their improvised fight. He really had missed moving, even if it was far from what he was normally used to. 

They resumed their stance when the boy fell silent, watching them expectantly. 

But they’d just taken positions when Percy dropped his hand and Oliver turned to see Callum and another man walking, a few meters away from them. 

His brother Liam, Oliver assumed. 

The taller man paused but Callum continued walking, without even sparing them a glance. He was saying something, not registering the servant’s presence in any way. 

Liam nodded a greeting in their direction and followed his brother. 

"Aye," Percy said "I guess he ain't gonna need you soon. Show me how you did the last move." 

"Okay, yes. So you go past me..." 

Oliver explained and they spent almost the whole day outside, with him explaining different tricks. 

No one interrupted them until it started to get chilly and they got tired and had to go in.