Martin's uncle smiled broadly as he looked across line of children presented to him. The eldest at three and a half, Martin's son and heir, Arthur, stood proud under the scrutiny. Beside him, his sister, clutching tightly onto his hand waved over at Martin's man-servant stood by the door.
"Concentrate, child," her nurse, Mary, whispered. She held in her arms their other son, while Charlotte stayed seated, heavily pregnant with their forth child.
"A great continuation of the Crieff name, my boy. Well done! And all a picture of their father!"
Martin, Charlotte and Mary kept their faces straight, while out of his uncle's line of sight the servant's lips twitched and Richardson dropped a silver tray at the other end of the dining table.
The eldest boy and girl kissed Martin good night and then their mother, and Martin called over to Arthur, who smiled at the call. "Arthur, would help Mary take the children up."
"Of course, Sir," he said and led the children out. Martin saw, over his uncle's shoulder, Arthur raise his son and namesake onto his shoulders as the dining room door closed.
An hour later, Charlotte bid Martin and his uncle goodnight and an hour after that, his uncle finished his final glass of wine.
"Your wife has arranged a horse for you at the kitchen door, Sir," Richardson said quietly as he collected their glasses.
Martin acknowledged him with a grateful smile as his uncle got to his feet and announced his intention to turn in. Bidding him goodnight he turned to the kitchens.
The kitchen was still a buzz of activity but Carolyn was there to hand him a packed dinner for Diego. He gave her a cheeky kiss on the cheek with titters from the maids and she smacked him playfully on the arm.
"Off with you. I'll have Arthur collect you at dawn," she said openly with a well humored grin.
He bowed to the ladies and escaped the house and mounted his horse.
The rouse wasn't entirely necessary - Diego had previously slept in their bed, as he usually did, while his uncle had visited.
But his uncle now knew Diego as the gamekeeper after the day's hunt, and a gamekeeper was a little more difficult to explain wandering the house than any other type of servant.
Besides, Martin thought as he came into sight of the hut, windows glowing with warm, inviting lamp-light. It had been a while since Diego had laid him down in the fur.
Fill - Lord Crieff's Lover 15/15
Martin's uncle smiled broadly as he looked across line of children presented to him. The eldest at three and a half, Martin's son and heir, Arthur, stood proud under the scrutiny. Beside him, his sister, clutching tightly onto his hand waved over at Martin's man-servant stood by the door.
"Concentrate, child," her nurse, Mary, whispered. She held in her arms their other son, while Charlotte stayed seated, heavily pregnant with their forth child.
"A great continuation of the Crieff name, my boy. Well done! And all a picture of their father!"
Martin, Charlotte and Mary kept their faces straight, while out of his uncle's line of sight the servant's lips twitched and Richardson dropped a silver tray at the other end of the dining table.
The eldest boy and girl kissed Martin good night and then their mother, and Martin called over to Arthur, who smiled at the call. "Arthur, would help Mary take the children up."
"Of course, Sir," he said and led the children out. Martin saw, over his uncle's shoulder, Arthur raise his son and namesake onto his shoulders as the dining room door closed.
An hour later, Charlotte bid Martin and his uncle goodnight and an hour after that, his uncle finished his final glass of wine.
"Your wife has arranged a horse for you at the kitchen door, Sir," Richardson said quietly as he collected their glasses.
Martin acknowledged him with a grateful smile as his uncle got to his feet and announced his intention to turn in. Bidding him goodnight he turned to the kitchens.
The kitchen was still a buzz of activity but Carolyn was there to hand him a packed dinner for Diego. He gave her a cheeky kiss on the cheek with titters from the maids and she smacked him playfully on the arm.
"Off with you. I'll have Arthur collect you at dawn," she said openly with a well humored grin.
He bowed to the ladies and escaped the house and mounted his horse.
The rouse wasn't entirely necessary - Diego had previously slept in their bed, as he usually did, while his uncle had visited.
But his uncle now knew Diego as the gamekeeper after the day's hunt, and a gamekeeper was a little more difficult to explain wandering the house than any other type of servant.
Besides, Martin thought as he came into sight of the hut, windows glowing with warm, inviting lamp-light. It had been a while since Diego had laid him down in the fur.
The End.