Sir Arthur

• Forty-one

Loud laughter came from the Heather's manor as three ladies ran around the backyard and two other men sat in their midst sipping their mid-morning tea.

Sir Collins and Gerald basked in the morning sun smiling at the girls as they fooled around in a game they had no idea about making them look like babies.

"Faye, you'll hurt your feet." Collins called out noticing her breathlessness as she ran to catch Kim. He was almost up from his seat when she stumbled over a small rock.

"So," Gerald rose his brows at him a smirk on his face then motioned in the direction of Faye when he pretended not to follow the conversation.

"I've not approached her yet about it." Collins stared at the patterns on the small table between them. He still hadn't found the right time and he wasn't sure how people were going to perceive them with their social differences.

"Have you?" He countered back lifting his gaze on Gerald. The man was practically attached to Lily even going as far as sneaking out of the palace to meet up. It would be a surprise if they weren't together.

"Man, you wouldn't even believe Lady Arthur thought we were married." Gerald grunted placing his cup down after a long sip. It was embarrassing yet endearing how sweet the words felt to him.

"She wasn't wrong anyway," Collins mumbled under his breath briefly looking at the girls. More like out for Faye. Would she really agree to his proposal if he posed one?

"By the way, do you know a Lord Matthews?" Gerald asked when he remembered the conversation with Matteo's mother. They had mentioned about neighbours from Collins' hometown.

"Not exactly, why?" The name didn't ring a bell especially since he was still new here. "He's from your hometown." Gerald filled in relaxing back in his seat when he saw the girls coming over.

"Ooh, I know of one. Their son is called Wayne?" His interest piqued up hearing about someone from his hometown. He missed home especially after being away for quite sometime.

"Didn't get the name," Gerald spoke already distracted when Lily patched herself beside him and he clocked out of the conversation.

"Do you know Wayne?" Kim asked having overheard their earlier conversation. She immediately thought of Matteo and how she wished he'd be here.

"He's Sir Arthur's friend and neighbor." Kim filled him in when he nodded to her previous question. "They are from Sui, my hometown." Kim nodded along listening as he told them about his origin.

"I'll bring more tea," Faye stood up to fill up the empty mugs but Kim pulled her down. "How about you catch up with Collins here?" Kim held back a grin at their similarities as she skipped to the kitchen and fetch the tea. Apparently Faye was from Sui though she didn't know of any relatives.

"Kim dear, did you need anything?" Lady Heather who'd been in the kitchen asked noticing her jovial look. "Just the tea!" Kim grinned further when she spotted the kettles.

"When is my knight coming over?" Kim's smile dropped when her mother came to stand beside her near the cupboards. How whiny she'd get when father wasn't around.

"He was here days ago," Kim squinted her eyes at how attached her mother had become to Sir Arthur. She always asked of him too often. "That's not important, you should perhaps pay him a visit." Kim grumbled filling the tea into a larger mug.

"We just began courting!" She tried to counter her mother's words that were full of suggestive ideas. "You'll soon move in with him after all." Kim ran out of the kitchen after that, her cheeks as red as ever.

She served the two pairs glad they didn't pay her much attention. Kim was also glad that Faye and Sir Collins could sort out things out and they'd eventually work out in their favor.