Wondrous Master | boyxboy | (alternate happy ending)

II - The Next Day

When the Lord Broderick Thorne awoke the following morning, he found himself in his own bedroom. He couldn't remember going to bed last night, let alone undressing from his formal day clothes, yet, here he was, beneath the cotton stitched covers of his rosewood bed. Given the time on the pendulum clock ticking away on the wall opposite him, Broderick stretched tiredly before crawling out from the warm comfort. It was just striking seven o'clock in the morning, and the sooner he was dressed, the sooner he'd be able to start his schedule. Today he had a meeting with a well-respected land owner by the name Ronald Lancechester. Broderick's father had purchased a sizable patch of property from the man, and hadn't quite held up on his side of the bargain as of late. It was Broderick's job now to mend the trust slipping between their arrangements. If he wound up unable to keep the peace between their families, the Thorne's could lose everything their prominent name had invested into their wine business.

Before that ever stressful meeting occurred, Broderick had to have breakfast in the dining room, get started on his and Jamie's studies, and then continue his piano lessons.

Preferring to dress and bathe himself rather than be waited on, Broderick washed himself off in the bathroom after the heated water was prepared for him. When he was dried, he dressed into a pair of black trousers, a white high stand collared shirt, and a cream colored spencer vest with a silk, rust puff tie tucked at his chest. After he had on lace up boots and his curling black hair was no longer damp he headed out.

It wasn't until he reached the ledge of the stairwell that he recollected the events of last night. There was a stranger in his home. Broderick sighed, not wanting this on his plate as well, but he couldn't just ignore it.

He was able to catch Luna making her way up the stairs before he turned around. She was carrying a pile of neatly folded white sheets in her arms, a smile on her face when she met the Young Master's eyes. "Good morning, my Lord," she said kindly. "Peter has just finished preparing breakfast and it will be served as soon as you are downstairs."

Giving the woman a nod, Broderick said, "Would you go see how the boy is doing this morning? Dress him in whatever you can find that fits and bring him down to eat as well. When you are done, take a platter up to Jamie."

"Right away, my Lord."

Descending the stairs, Broderick was greeted by a few more of the accustomed faces that worked within the manor, always making sure to keep everything in tip-top shape. When he was in the brightly lit dining room, the welcoming aroma of breakfast wafted into the area as well. There were just two large cathedral windows at either end of the room, bathing everything in a bright cozy light. In the center of the long wall behind the lengthy table, there was a massive painting of a wilderness hidden white castle, a long marble topped shelf below it holding expensively crafted vases filled with a cascade of white and yellow roses. As soon as Broderick took his seat at the center chair of the table, five male butlers in their black uniforms entered with silver trays of food. Each of them set their trays down, uncovering them with a bow of their heads before leaving once more. There was bacon, eggs, cold ham, rolls with butter and toast. A steamy pitcher of hot chocolate, and another of tea set beside empty cups.

When Broderick began to fill his empty plate with the savoring's of this morning banquet, the moment he lifted a salted fork of eggs to his mouth, he paused at the worried call of his name from the entryway of the dining room. Luna was standing there with her hands together, head down as if avoiding the irritable gaze of the Young Master.

Broderick set the fork down with a breath of bother. "Yes, Luna?"

"I do apologize greatly, my Lord, but...the boy, he refuses to leave the room if not by your direct order."