Powerless (5 page)

He crawled into bed, determining that he would pack in the
morning.

~*~

Sheamus stepped out of the carriage and was directed to the
front door by the driver.

“You’re to report to Mrs. Bartow in the kitchen, sir. Hurry
or she’ll snap your head off and serve it for supper!” Kevin chortled so hard
his cap fell off the messy brown hair it rested on. “I’m kidding, of course.”

Sheamus raised an eyebrow at him. “I’d assumed.”

The young man rolled his eyes and snapped the reigns.
Sheamus supposed he had meant to mutter “arsehole” under his breath, but it
came out loud and clear. Sheamus replied, “I heard that.”

Kevin’s peals of laughter filled the air, and Sheamus headed
towards the main building. The door to the kitchen was easy to find—it was
propped wide open and the smell of a stew floated through the air. The woman he
assumed to be Mrs. Bartow stood at the table, chopping vegetables.

“Good day, ma’am,” he greeted her, carefully laying his
things far away from the splattering stove.

She looked him over, peering down a nose as sharp as her
knife. “You’re the violinist then?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Very well. You are to report to the east wing, second
floor, third door from the end on the left.” She pointed towards a door on the
opposite side of the kitchen. “Well, off you go!”

Sheamus stared at her for a moment, and then shook his head
disbelievingly. “Could you repeat that?”

She snorted. “And the master said you were a smart one.
Kevin!”

“He headed towards the barn with the carriage.”

She glanced at the door and shook her head. “Take a seat at
the table till he arrives. I’m too busy to be showing people around.” Sheamus
sat down and watched her work. She bustled across the room to grab an onion,
which she chopped and tossed into the stew. As she was slicing a potato, a
young man entered the kitchen. Mrs. Bartow turned and smiled at him. “Richard,
darling, your tutor has arrived.”

The young man pressed a kiss to Mrs. Bartow’s forehead,
stealing an apple from the bowl on the counter behind her. “Thanks, Mum.” He
turned to Sheamus, palming the apple as he did so. “Hello—Mr. Flynn, was it?”

“Yes.” Sheamus stood and held out his hand. “It’s nice to
meet you, Mr. …?”

“Bartow—” Richard shook his hand “—but please call me
Richard. My father is Lord Riverside’s butler, so I go by my given name to
avoid confusion. And if you’ll excuse me, I’m due at a small event. Riverside
likes to lend me out to his friends for parties; he says it’ll help me make
connections among the ton.” Richard grinned. “Of course, the only people who
try to connect with me at these things are pretty young girls, not that I’m
complaining.”

Mrs. Bartow shook her head. “Stop telling stories. Now get
out of here before you end up late.”

“Yes, Mum,” Richard headed out the door, taking a large bite
from his stolen apple as he walked.

“He’s a bit spoiled, I know,” Mrs. Bartow shook her head,
“but he’s my only child. I couldn’t have any after him.” She smiled fondly
after Richard, then snapped, “Kevin!”

Sheamus jumped, startled, and noticed the boy who had been
sneaking through the room behind him.

Kevin whirled around towards Mrs. Bartow, standing at
attention immediately. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!’

Mrs. Bartow pointed her knife at him. “Take the violinist up
to the room next to Richards.”

Kevin’s eyes grew round. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll do it right now,
ma’am.” He grabbed Sheamus’ bag before he could protest and almost snatched up
the violin case too, but Sheamus quickly took hold of it. “Follow me, please,
sir!”

They passed through a small dining room and into a hallway,
walking up what appeared to be a back staircase. Kevin jabbered as they went.

“These here are the old master and mistress’ rooms, though
they aren’t being used right now. Our current master sleeps down this hall. His
rooms are at the very end, and your room is across the hall from his.” Kevin
stopped before a door next to a rather scandalous painting of a group of
half-naked water nymphs. “Richard’s room is next door to you, and this is the
room his tutors usually use.” He pushed the door open to betray a sumptuous
interior.

Sheamus glanced between the boy and the room for a moment,
his mind reeling. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

Kevin shook his head. “No, that’s about it.”

“Will you take me to Lord Riverside? I’d like to make his
acquaintance.”

“I would if I could. The lord is away right now.”

Sheamus frowned. “When will he return?”

“Within the week.” Kevin hauled Sheamus’ bag into the room,
dropping it onto the edge of the bed.

Sheamus followed Kevin inside. There was actual carpet on
the floor, not merely a small rug but wall-to-wall carpeting, and at least
three pillows on the bed, which was twice the size of his own. Testing the
pillows, he found they were stuffed with goose down. “Very well. I will… spend
the time tutoring Richard, unless he has left me instructions.”

“All he said is that we are to welcome you and show you
about the manor.”

How strange. When Edward didn’t have Sheamus playing he had
him practicing or working around the manor with the rest of the servants.
Servants without orders were a waste of resources. “That’s fine. What time will
dinner be served?”

“Half past six, sir. We take it in the small dining room.”

Sheamus blinked. Servants eating outside of the kitchen? The
master of this house was odd indeed. Sheamus couldn’t decide whether he wanted
to meet the man or not. Sometimes different was good… and sometimes it was
very, very bad.

“I’ll be down for dinner,” he said softly.

Kevin bowed, then rushed off.

Sheamus tidied up the room and placed his own things in an
empty drawer in the dresser. Peeking through the wardrobe, he found a man’s
silk garments and a velvet robe. He sank onto the edge of the bed. If the
things had belonged to a woman, he would have assumed he had been taken to the
mistress of the house’s bedroom on accident.

Riverside’s deal with Edward was rather strange. With the
start of the season, all the gentry had returned to London, and Edward’s manor
was a short ride from Riverside’s. There was no real reason for Sheamus to be
living here, not unless he had been contracted for more than his skills as a
violinist.

Sheamus might have been thrown head-first into a situation
every bit as horrible as his previous one.

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