The Garden's End (MLM)

CHAPTER FOUR.

                "It's not as though I asked to do it!" Pip exclaimed for what felt like the hundredth time.

Breakfast had been a nightmare, to say the least. Oliver had not spoken a word, and whenever Pip stepped forward to refill Lord Westcott's water glass, or clean away his plate, or hand him a bread roll, Oliver's eye twitched and his fingers tightened ever so slightly on his fork and knife that Pip feared for the safety of everyone at the table. Except perhaps Mr. Colton.

It was after they had finished that Lord Westcott dismissed Pip to his gardening duties. ("I think I'll get on without you for an hour," Robert had said at his door, not looking at Pip at all.)

Pip had wanted nothing more than to run to Oliver's side, to explain, but of course, the moment Pip had left Lord Westcott's side, he was bombarded with questions, the servants gathering around him in an excited huddle.

"Lord Westcott's never had a personal servant before!"

"He's never asked it of anybody!"

"Did he come to you personally?"

"No!" Pip tried.

Charles clutched his arm nervously. "D-Did he force you?"

"Of course he didn't!" Rose, an older female servant, scolded. "He wouldn't do such a thing!"

"Why ask you?" another servant wondered aloud.

"Obvious, isn't it?" Sebastian smirked as he pushed his blond hair back, a glint in his brown eyes. "Pip is the handsomest of us all."

"Th-That's not why!"

"Why, then?"

"Enough!" Mrs. Mary came, and the crowd separated at once. "Leave the boy to his duties! And you all ought to know better than to linger in the hallway like this! What if Mr. Colton sees you?"

"But Mrs. Mary," Emily started, and was silenced with a glare.

"Don't you 'Mrs. Mary' me! Now go!" Everyone did as they were told save for Charles who clung to Pip's arm.

"But mother!" he said. "What if Lord Westcott has him do unspeakable tasks?! It's bad enough Mr. Reed pulls him in every direction!"

Pip flushed, but Mrs. Mary didn't seem to notice, her hands on her hips. "Honestly, Charlie. Just what do you expect the man to be doing to him? He's in no danger! Pip, are you in danger?"

"Pip is a naïve child," said Charles adamantly.

"I'm four-and-twenty!"

"He will not know whether he's being taken advantage of or not! We should talk to Miss Westcott, she's sure to put an end to this!"

"It was Miss Westcott that asked me to do it!" Pip interrupted, and both Charles and Mrs. Mary looked startled. Two servants with a basket of laundry and a tray passed them silently in the hall, glancing back over their shoulders at Pip and whispering excitedly amongst themselves.

"She . . . asked you?"

"She said," Pip shook his head, unable to repeat the personal request. "Well, never mind what she said exactly, but she was the one that requested it. I could not refuse her."

"Why not?" demanded Charles. "She's not like Mr. Reed, she would've understood!"

Pip glared. "I don't want to hear anyone else insult Mr. Reed!" he snapped. "And anyway, I've already accepted, and Lord Westcott has accepted it as well. It's too late to change my mind!"