Mr Night

𝟐𝟑| 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬

-𝐇𝐄𝐑-

My fingers felt weak as I held the heavy object in my hand. I felt his burning eyes scorching my skin and his breath tickling the back of my neck. I was more aware of how he was standing just behind me than the instrument in my hands.

"C-can you show me again?" I asked him breathily. All of a sudden my mind seemed to have numbed and it felt like I was starting to forget how to speak.

There was a brief silence as I felt his eyes burn more on me before he quietly took the instrument from my hands. My nerves quickened when the tips of his fingers lightly brushed against mine as he took the cernier valliper from my hands.

"This Vernier Calliper has..." He began as he again demonstrated to me how to measure a bolt. This time, I tried my best to concentrate on what he was speaking and doing instead of only paying attention to how close he was standing behind me.

His voice was much lower now as he talked. I'd feel his eyes lingering on my face now and then. I didn't dare look at him at that moment because I was afraid I'd say or do something stupid. Instead, I concentrated on his long fingers which had brushed against my hand just a few moments ago.

My eyes lingered particularly on the veins on the back of his hands. His hands were much bigger than mine. Those masculine hands seemed to be carved by the best sculptor, just like the rest of him but these hands were very special.

There was something about those hands that suggested that they worked a lot with those kinds of instruments which he was showing me how to use. It seemed particularly so because of how confidently his hands held and worked with that instrument. They were firm but at the same time, there was this gentleness in his hands with which he touched and carried things. It was unlike mine.

It was fascinating to watch his hands at work because I'd never gotten the opportunity to closely pay attention to his hands because most of the time they were hidden under those black leather gloves.

My eyes soon caught something even more interesting— a ring on the fourth finger of his left hand. I didn't know why but my eyes burned particularly on that ring.

Was that a wedding ring?

I couldn't tell. The ring seemed to be made of silver... no, it wasn't silver. It seemed like some other metal I didn't know because I'd never seen something like the way that unknown metal reflected the light whenever it fell on it.

I caught something written on the ring though it didn't seem like I'd understand whatever was written on it because it was in the same language that the books in his library were written in.

"Did you understand it now?" He asked, making me snap out of my train of thoughts.

"Yes," I blurted.

"Then measure this nut the same way I measured the bolt," He told me before handing me the instrument again. I gulped and took it from his hand before holding the nut. My hands were still shaking and I was having short breaths but I somehow concentrated on the nut and the instrument.

I started measuring the bolt with the same process he'd just taught me. Of course, I made mistakes in the way I was holding the instrument and my calculations. He waited patiently before correcting me.

I resembled a statue as his huge, beautifully masculine hands closed over my small delicate ones before he showed me how to properly use the big beak on the left side of the ruler.

As he talked, he seemed to inch closer to me and his voice seemed to drop as well. I could pay very little attention to what he was teaching me and more to the way he seemed to edge closer to me and how his voice sounded so husky and velvety as it dropped to almost a whisper right above my ear.

I could feel his breath teasing a golden lock of my hair tugged behind my ear. Something fluttered in my stomach while I felt my cheeks growing hotter.

I was deliberately making mistakes at this point because how couldn't I?

After he'd done explaining the whole process to me two more times, I was completely familiar with the process and could measure the nuts and bolts without making an error.

"Any questions?" He asked, stepping back after I'd measured the bolt the correct way. I instantly felt a little bit disappointed. I looked up at him to find him watching me pensively.

"Yes," I answered.

"What is it?"

"Where are you going to use them?" I asked.

"Your work doesn't require that knowledge," He told me curtly, taking another step back and retrieving his hands in his pocket. His eyes lingered on me.

"Any other question?" He asked.

I pondered before asking, "Are you building a clock?"

He pressed his lips in a thin line and looked at me gravely.

"No," He answered curtly.

"Are you building a big clock?"

"I said no,"

"A grandfather clock, is it?" I pressed.

"Miss Maynard," He spoke in a business-like manner this time, "Do you have question particularly about the process I taught you?"

"Erm, no?"

"Get to work then. I will see you in two hours," He ordered before he was gone. I watched as the tip of his tailcoat dissevered outside the door of LEVEL 1.

I sighed deeply before turning my attention back to the two boxes, the strainer and the instrument. Several small trays were laying raked up behind those boxes. I instantly realized that I needed to put nuts and bolts and screws in them after sorting. A parchment, some ink, and feathers were resting further away on the table.

So, I got to work instantly. First, I strained the small screws out of the big ones before moving on to the nuts and bolts. The nuts and bolts were of different sizes. I separated them on the trays first before sorting them out the trays neatly.

I was done sorting them in half an hour. After making sure that everything was sorted, I started measuring them and then arranging them on the trays accordingly. It took me another half an hour to do so.

He'd given me two hours to get the work done. I had completed the work in one hour. So, you might ask me what I did next?

I went looking for him.

Further downstairs.

In LEVEL 2.

_

Author's Note:

I didn't update this book on Saturday last week because I was bust with some work. I will try to give you extra chapters sometimes later :D

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