screwdriver he sought on his desk. But as he reached for it, he noticed some people walking through the garden. ‘Do we run tours at this time of year?’
‘No, Sir.’
‘Then, who are those people?’ Wade pointed out the window.
Andrew couldn’t see down into the gardens from where he stood supporting the cabinet, but he knew who the people were all the same. ‘Some of the locals cut through the grounds to get to Ashbury. Your grandfather knew most of them, so it never bothered him.’
‘I suppose it’s okay then.’ Wade looked back to the job at hand.
When Talbot returned for the next load of rubbish, Wade asked his permission for Andrew to keep him company this evening. The butler was more than a little reluctant to agree, and asked his son to leave whilst he spoke with the Baron alone. ‘Sir, I realise you may be wanting for company, now that Mr Prescott has left us, but to befriend my son will only lead to his confusion and disappointment in the end.’
‘Why do you say that?’ Wade cocked an eye in curiosity.
‘Well, Sir, what happens when he must return to being your chauffeur, and he forgets his place? He will simply appear unprofessional.’
One side of Wade’s face screwed up as he considered this reason, for he was sure it wasn’t the true one. ‘I don’t think you give Andrew enough credit, Talbot … he’s a smart kid. You manage to shuffle my formal title with another more informal one. Why can’t he?’
‘But I never become personal, Sir, therefore there is no confusion.’
‘Then I’ll fire him as my chauffeur and hire him as my friend.’
‘And will you supply references for that, Sir, when his time in your employ is over?’
Wade’s mouth opened ready to protest, but he found he could not; he got Talbot’s point. ‘All right, you’re right. But I’m going to go insane in this place if I am forced to keep my own company all the time, and Andrew must be going mad, too! Couldn’t we just give it a trial? It would only be now and then, as I work on my computers a lot of the time.’
Talbot found this situation absurd. Here was the Baron begging his leave. It was true thatAndrew was bored most evenings. He had been sent away for schooling, so his son didn’t have many friends his own age close by. ‘Please forgive my suggestion, Sir, but I really don’t want Andrew picking up any expensive habits.’
‘No dope, I swear … just a couple of beers.’
Talbot took a deep sigh. He knew where this relationship was headed before it even began. ‘Well, Sir, I find friendship has a way of defying all obstacles. To try and prevent it would be futile, and possibly quite wrong. Even as his father, it is not my place.’
‘You’re a righteous man, Talbot.’ Wade gently punched the old butler’s shoulder. ‘Thanks for trusting me.’
Talbot nodded, a vague smile on his face. ‘Just don’t get him hurt, Sir, that is all I ask.’
‘You got it.’
‘I still can’t believe you talked him into this. He never lets me have any fun.’ Andrew cracked a can of beer open, took a couple of sips and gave a satisfied sigh. ‘Did you threaten to fire him or something?’
Wade, who was powering up the video, had a chuckle at this. ‘Your old man is cooler than you think.’ He hit surround sound on the stereo andhurried back to his favourite chair, dragged in from the drawing room. ‘All right, we’re happening.’ He rubbed his hands together briskly and was seated, taking the master control in hand.
Andrew was shuffling through all the videos Wade had chosen, and noticed a similarity. ‘Did you realise that every movie here is about a big haunted house?’
‘Not scared, are you?’
‘No, Sir.’
Wade cringed. ‘Can’t you call me by my first name when there’s no one else around?’ Andrew was slow to respond, clearly uncomfortable about the idea. ‘I know! You could call me Baron, but in the context of a nickname. How would that be?’
‘Just …
‘No, Sir.’
‘Then, who are those people?’ Wade pointed out the window.
Andrew couldn’t see down into the gardens from where he stood supporting the cabinet, but he knew who the people were all the same. ‘Some of the locals cut through the grounds to get to Ashbury. Your grandfather knew most of them, so it never bothered him.’
‘I suppose it’s okay then.’ Wade looked back to the job at hand.
When Talbot returned for the next load of rubbish, Wade asked his permission for Andrew to keep him company this evening. The butler was more than a little reluctant to agree, and asked his son to leave whilst he spoke with the Baron alone. ‘Sir, I realise you may be wanting for company, now that Mr Prescott has left us, but to befriend my son will only lead to his confusion and disappointment in the end.’
‘Why do you say that?’ Wade cocked an eye in curiosity.
‘Well, Sir, what happens when he must return to being your chauffeur, and he forgets his place? He will simply appear unprofessional.’
One side of Wade’s face screwed up as he considered this reason, for he was sure it wasn’t the true one. ‘I don’t think you give Andrew enough credit, Talbot … he’s a smart kid. You manage to shuffle my formal title with another more informal one. Why can’t he?’
‘But I never become personal, Sir, therefore there is no confusion.’
‘Then I’ll fire him as my chauffeur and hire him as my friend.’
‘And will you supply references for that, Sir, when his time in your employ is over?’
Wade’s mouth opened ready to protest, but he found he could not; he got Talbot’s point. ‘All right, you’re right. But I’m going to go insane in this place if I am forced to keep my own company all the time, and Andrew must be going mad, too! Couldn’t we just give it a trial? It would only be now and then, as I work on my computers a lot of the time.’
Talbot found this situation absurd. Here was the Baron begging his leave. It was true thatAndrew was bored most evenings. He had been sent away for schooling, so his son didn’t have many friends his own age close by. ‘Please forgive my suggestion, Sir, but I really don’t want Andrew picking up any expensive habits.’
‘No dope, I swear … just a couple of beers.’
Talbot took a deep sigh. He knew where this relationship was headed before it even began. ‘Well, Sir, I find friendship has a way of defying all obstacles. To try and prevent it would be futile, and possibly quite wrong. Even as his father, it is not my place.’
‘You’re a righteous man, Talbot.’ Wade gently punched the old butler’s shoulder. ‘Thanks for trusting me.’
Talbot nodded, a vague smile on his face. ‘Just don’t get him hurt, Sir, that is all I ask.’
‘You got it.’
‘I still can’t believe you talked him into this. He never lets me have any fun.’ Andrew cracked a can of beer open, took a couple of sips and gave a satisfied sigh. ‘Did you threaten to fire him or something?’
Wade, who was powering up the video, had a chuckle at this. ‘Your old man is cooler than you think.’ He hit surround sound on the stereo andhurried back to his favourite chair, dragged in from the drawing room. ‘All right, we’re happening.’ He rubbed his hands together briskly and was seated, taking the master control in hand.
Andrew was shuffling through all the videos Wade had chosen, and noticed a similarity. ‘Did you realise that every movie here is about a big haunted house?’
‘Not scared, are you?’
‘No, Sir.’
Wade cringed. ‘Can’t you call me by my first name when there’s no one else around?’ Andrew was slow to respond, clearly uncomfortable about the idea. ‘I know! You could call me Baron, but in the context of a nickname. How would that be?’
‘Just …
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