The Beauty of Coincidence | manxman | (Historical Fiction)

XXIX - Moth

The waterway was lively as it usually was most days out of the week. The ship docks were bustling with burly and unkempt men, shouting and hollers filled the noise all around, and the splashing of the river brought along a sort of tune to the eccentric atmosphere. From the first time Victor had been given the opportunity to travel and see the offerings of the city, he'd grown quite fond of it. The dine-in eateries were rather splendid and catered to his tastes, especially with their desserts, there were events from time to time he enjoyed sitting in on, and he was glad to be able to enjoy them without the pestering of those who may bother if they were familiar with his face.

Although it was known that a Ramsey now called the limits of Banemount home, the true owner of the Upton Estate hadn't been fully disclosed by many. So, as he enjoyed the poetry readings, the musical performances, outdoor dining, and quaint galleries he'd had the pleasure of viewing, he was given room and the privacy to enjoy such events without fear of interruption.

Today, as he knew Reynold was awfully busy with his duties, Victor took it upon himself to go for a stroll about the waterway. With the company of Todd directly at his side, Gabriel kept a small distance at the rear. For Gabriel, he couldn't help feeling a bit nervous when Victor insisted upon these walks, but he also knew the young lord would lose himself if he were confined to the manor without necessity. What felt like so long ago now, when the young lord first moved to the quaint city, he'd been confined to his wheelchair, leaving him unable to enjoy the mere notion of venturing from the walls or perimeter of his home.

Now that he was well enough, especially now that even his limp had gone down just about completely, these wanderlust days had become a bit more regular - even more so now that Reynold Deighton stayed true to his duties that kept him away for several hours. Almost, Gabriel wished Master Norman would fund a workforce that could take over a greater portion of Deighton Craftsmen's load to free up more time for Reynold. Even as he could be viewed simply as a footman with a paid duty under his belt, Gabriel had worked beneath the Ramsey title for so long... that he couldn't help feeling more attached to them than what would be expected of a mere butler.

Many years ago, when he'd been but a servant who worked beneath the name of Clayton Ramsey, Norman's own father, Gabriel followed each heir through their toughest years. For Victor's grandfather, the most daunting moment in his life had been the loss of two previous son's had before Norman finally graced the earth as the healthy and strong boy he'd grown into. Gabriel could still recall those nights where Clayton Ramsey and his wife Jane had sobbed endlessly until Lady Jane at last delivered Norman into the world.

For many years they'd treated their son a lot like how Norman treated Victor nowadays. The only difference was, by the time Norman reached his tenth birthday, they'd finally settled into the belief that they'd sheltered him enough and he would never be lost to them due to sickness or a possible freak accident. In Norman's twelfth year, that had been the moment Gabriel's personal duties to Clayton Ramsey moved down to his son.

Gabriel recalled a time from long ago when the master had been at his most rebellious. Clayton's final order to him had been to keep Norman out of trouble and remain ever watchful over him, but that didn't mean stopping the young boy from discovering who he was, where his morals lied, and how he chose to map out the rest of his life. Of course Gabriel had worried greatly when young Norman Ramsey fell into the web of love that'd been weaved so earnestly and beautifully by a girl named Louise Marchal.

For the young master, it was uncommon, impractical really, for a lord to aspire so greatly to marry a woman viewed as far lesser. Clayton's warnings; however, had always fell upon deaf ears. Clayton had been a man who stuck close to tradition, never strayed from the path laid out by even his father before him, but dealing with Norman's consistent denial of the betrothal he'd already been locked into at birth, the constant war waged between father and son, Gabriel couldn't help feeling as if he'd been stuck in a crossroads in that time. He hadn't directly encouraged Norman's choices, but he'd stayed back and remained true to being at least a voice of reason and became a sort of ear who would gladly listen to the young master's dreads and regrets. Norman hadn't wanted to disappoint his father, but his heart had been so consumed by the love he'd carried for Louise, that straying from his father's words through the years had also remained constant.