164 Closer (1)

'Will we witness a clash of butlers?' Caleb thought.

Alfred might be older but he wasn't as fragile as he appeared. It was a big shock when Alfred once joined the men in training and was able to keep up. Instead of being a butler for so long, Alfred could have been out fighting to protect the kingdom. It wouldn't come as a surprise if Alfred had a secret story to tell about once being a fighter.

Edgar entered the home with his right hand in his pants pocket. He didn't bring along any work to bother himself with so all he wanted to do was lay around and do nothing. However, from the footsteps he could hear upstairs that no doubt belonged to Alessandra and Sally, he predicted he would be dragged around to do all sorts of things.

"I need a drink," he muttered.

"The first thing you need on vacation is not a drink, Edgar. It's to have fun with your wife. You should be the one showing her around instead of Sally. I, on the other hand, will find a quiet place to read a book," Alfred patted the front of the book he began to read on the ride here. "I should also do some gardening. I wonder-"

"Alfred, I wasn't joking about tying you to a chair," said Edgar.

"Gardening is not work. It was a fun way to pass. Gardening for me is like sword fighting for you."

"Do whatever," Edgar gave up. "I can only keep track of one of you at a time and you're going to find some way to work while you are here. Calvin," he called to the butler bringing in the two bags he placed on the ground a moment ago.

"Yes, Duke Collins."

"My wife and I will have the side with the master bedroom. Assign a room to everyone else on the other side of the home. Try not to disturb us as much as possible. Unless it is Alessandra, do not disturb me. I am going to get a drink," Edgar walked off to find the bar to have a glass of wine to start his vacation.

"Lunch will be prepared shortly for all of you to fill your stomachs after such a long journey. I will need someone to help me identify the bags so I can have them placed in your rooms. You," Calvin picked Caleb as Alfred was not meant to do any form of work. "It will only take a moment."

"Alright. I have nothing to do anyway," Caleb followed the butler outside.

On the second floor, Alessandra and Sally opened each door they passed by to see what was on the inside and then closed it. The maids were confused by how they casually walked around the house but then remembered the butler had informed them of the Duke visiting with important guests.

"The decor is the same as back home. I wonder if he used the same person with all his homes. I will make it a goal for us to visit all of the homes Edgar owns. Have you ever been to this town before, Sally?" Alessandra asked while she closed another door.

"Only once before but I don't have a good memory of it. I believe I had an uncle here but I passed away when I was young so there was no reason for us to visit after his death. One day I will save up enough to bring my parents back to this town," Sally replied.

"I think it might be a bit insensitive that I have never asked what your parents do. After what happened, are they alright?"

Sally felt uncomfortable being asked about her family at first. Normally when anyone brought them up, it was to make fun of the position they were in now. She quickly relaxed as Alessandra did not have any bad intentions. "They are doing fine. My father works building houses and my mother works for my aunt. They both live with my aunt for the time being."

Alessandra found it odd how Sally rarely visited her parents but she talked so fondly of them. Alessandra offered for her to take time off and visit them more with her pay not being affected but Sally rejected the offer and visited them once since coming to work for Alessandra. Letters were normally sent.

As Sally had helped her out a lot, even if it was because it was her job, Alessandra wanted to return the favor by helping Sally. However, she didn't want to pry into Sally's life or force Sally to tell her what was happening. Alessandra understood how it could be hard to ask for help and want to handle everything yourself. She could only wait for Sally to open up to her.

"Since you were tortured while riding with Alfred and Caleb, how about I buy you anything you want when we explore the town later," Alessandra said to shift the conversation back to being fun.

"You are an angel," Sally laid her head against Alessandra's arm. "If I made the smallest sound inside the carriage, Alfred would look up at me from his book and I could feel him scolding me without having to say anything. Then there was Caleb constantly asking me questions about the type of man I want to be with. He completely ignored Alfred's death glare and kept asking me questions."

"I slept for the majority of the ride so I did not have a bad time. Before we continue with our exploration, I need something to drink and eat. It might have been a mistake to sleep through the ride and not have something to eat. We'll take a short break."

"Duchess," Sally slowed down before they could reach the stairs to take them back to the first floor to where everyone else was. "Shouldn't you start spending time with the Duke instead of walking around with me? The two of you didn't have a honeymoon so you should make the most of this time."

Sally continued to say, "Before you object, think of how little time you and the Duke had together recently. When will you be able to have so much time like this again? You've been meaning to find a gift for the Duke for everything he does for you. How about you get some wine and surprise him with it? I can bet he would enjoy the surprise of you asking to spend time together. I can find snacks too."

"I did plan to spend time with Edgar. I suppose his surprised face would be entertaining. Very well, secretly ask the butler about drinks and a light snack for us to enjoy. I will look for a spot to quietly spend time with Edgar. We're always cooped up in our bedroom back at home. There must be somewhere outside," Alessandra looked out a long window right by the stairs which allowed her to see outside.

"Leave it to me," Sally said. During this time, she wanted Alessandra and Edgar to become closer than they already were. If no one were to disturb the two of them during this trip maybe Alessandra could end up pregnant.