Brimsley & Reynolds

3

Brimsley sat up in his bed trying his hardest to push away his first thought of the day, Reynolds. He stood up and dressed himself. He stood in front of the mirror and straightened his vest so that it would not have even one wrinkle. Once he was satisfied with his appearance he headed to the dining room to break his fast where he took his seat once again with the other servants. However, for the first time, as the servant placed his food in front of him, his mouth did not water. The only thing that occupied his mind was the King's man, the tall blonde man.

He got up from the table when he was half finished with his meal and set off to the third part of the gardens. Every step he took felt lighter as he neared the third entrance to the gardens. He felt giddy like a child as he approached the tall stone arch, this one covered in ivy.

There he was, standing tall in his blue waistcoat, Reynolds. Not even the wisteria and cherry blossoms could take Brimsley's eyes off of him. His face showed no emotion, as usual, but the sunlight still made his eyes gleam. It was a sight Brimsley would never be able to get used to.

They greeted each other, both trying to suppress a smile. "Today," Reynolds cleared his throat, "we shall tour the third portion of the gardens and make our way indoors."

They walked through the gardens and greenhouses as Brismley learned the lay of the land. This day was quite warm and it felt as though he were to melt at any minute. It was obvious that Reynolds felt the same way as he had taken off his white gloves and stuffed them in his pocket. Brimsley did the same, secretly wanting to feel Reynolds without the glove on. It was wrong, though, he should not be thinking like this. Brimsley tried distracting himself with the fresh smell of oranges as they entered that part of the garden where the oranges grew.

After half a day touring the last portion of the gardens, they finally went inside, making sure to put their gloves on before they stepped through the doors.

They made their way to the largest library which stunned Brimsley as it seemed to be even larger than the one in London. He was unable to suppress a smile looking at the number of books before him. Every which way he turned, he faced hundreds of year-old books: perhaps first edition Shakespeare or even Machiavelli. "How I do love The Prince!" Brimsley laughed, "I read through it in one night! I was not able to put it down." Brimsley turned around, meeting eyes with Reynolds who was smiling at Brimsley. Reynolds quickly noticed and wiped the smile off his face.

"Indeed," he agreed, "it is a very interesting book." Reynolds met Brimsley's gaze once again but this time, not looking away. He stepped closer to Brimsley and raised his gloved hand, almost touching Brimsley's until the guard in a red waistcoat by the door sneezed. Brimsley had not noticed the guard by the door and immediately stepped back.

"I should start dining. It is later than usual is it not?" Now Brimsley's face was wiped clear of emotion.

"Yes, of course. I shall be off as well," Reynolds headed towards the door, "We shall be here tomorrow morning."

"I shall see you then," Brimsley nodded, "Good night."

"Goodnight, Brimsley."

Brimsley walked off, carrying out his regular evening routine: dinner, bathing, bed. However, he could not sleep. Two things kept him from rest: Reynolds, of course, and the heat. He was sweating like a pig in his cotton sheets. His window was opened to get the breeze in but even that was not enough. He pulled off all his sheets so he lay in his bed with just his sleeping clothes. He did not expect the next few nights to be any better so, with the best he could, he calmed his mind and eventually dozed off.

He awoke, not once nor twice but three times that night due to the sweltering heat. Finally, he decided to get up when the sun was just coming over the horizon. He dressed, unwillingly putting on his waistcoat. Making his way to the dining room, he hoped for a cold meal. If he was served any warm food on his plate, he was sure that he would not eat it. Fortunately, he was served fruit and yoghurt. He thanked the lord for not having to eat anything warm.