Butler's Apprentice(On hold)

Chapter Nine--Mr. Clause

Amber, Johnny, Tanaka, Finnian, Bard, and Mey-Rin all lined up as Sebsatian opened the front doors to the manor. He stepped to the side and let Ciel Phantomhive go past him down the steps to the horse and carriage that waited at the bottom.

Amber watched through the door as the carriage door was opened. A older man stepped out. He had grey hair tightly pulled back in a small ponytail and tucked underneath a hat. He greeted Ciel, or so she supposed, since she could only hear the hum of their voices from where she was. 

Mr. Clause patted Ciel on the head, ruffling his teal-black hair. The boy reached up and flattened it. As the walked up the stairs, she heard Mr. Clause say, "That was rude, Ciel. You certainly haven't changed, I see." Ciel grunted.

"Neither have you."  As the pair stepped into the entrance hall, everyone bowed and said in unison.

"Welcome!" Mr. Clause looked at them all in pleasant surprise.

"Well, Ciel, you seem to have a few new faces." He looked at Amber, Johnny and Finnian. The little blonde offered to take his coat and the older man thanked him and shrugged it off, handing it to him. He also took of his hat and plopped it in good nature on Finnian's head.

Sebastian swept his arm back toward the door. "If you would please follow me to the garden, dinner will be served presently." A surprised look pasted over Ciel's uncle's face. He and his nephew followed the butler back outside. 

Amber hurried after them after a hesitant pause. She didn't know if she was suppose to or not.

"Magnifico!" Mr. Clause exclaimed when he saw the garden. Even Amber was surprised, even though she knew what Sebastian had done to it. The once barren garden was now covered in rocks that had been racked into a elegant pattern. Purple irises bloomed everywhere, filling the cool evening air with their faint scent. A thought struck her: how had these flowers grown so fast? Hadn't Finnian just gone out and bought them a few hours ago? She was puzzled.

Sebastian pulled the chair out for Mr. Clause and Amber hurried to do the same for Ciel. After they were both seated, She retreated to stand beside the cart that held the evening meal on it. Finnian, Bard, and Mey-Rin her stand there as well. The butler began pouring their tea.

"Ooh. You even have green tea. You seem very taken with the Japanese style." Mr. Clause complimented him. He smiled.

"I am not worthy of such words." The Italian man chuckled.

"Well, I'm looking forward to the meal." Ciel and his uncle began a conversation that Amber couldn't quite hear as they were talking in a lower tone of voice than he and Sebastian had been. Mr. Clause handed Ciel a box. A few minutes later, Sebastian interrupted with their food.

"Pardon the interrupting. This is the evening's meal, prepared by the head chef, Bard." Bard had a  proud look on his face even though all he'd done was slice up the meat he'd earlier tried to cook, unsuccessfully, with a blow torch. "Beef Donburi."

Mr. Clause looked at the bowl in front of him."This is the evening meal?" The butler nodded, then glance sideways at him, seeming to sparkle. That was frightening.

"Mr. Clause, don't you know?"  The man looked at him in confusion.

"Eh?"

"Since ancient times, Donburi has been used as a feast to show gratitude to laborers!" Sebastian's sudden outburst startled everyone. "It is a dish for a person who has rendered a great service....Donburi!" He flourished his hand in the air while one was press against his chest, fingers splayed.

Everyone stared at him.

"I though you might have grown tire of the rich Italian food." Mr. Clause laughed loudly.

"This is most wonderful, Ciel!" Ciel gave him a smug-looking smile and leaned his chin on his knuckles.

"I'm honored."

Now it was time for the wine to be poured. Amber silently willed the clumsy maid not to spill it. A shaking Mey-Rin walked up to the table and started pouring the liquid. She,Finnian, and Bard all gaped in horror  as the rich red wine spilled onto the pristine white tablecloth and started to fall into Mr. Clause's lap. In a flash of movement, Sebastian whipped the cloth neatly off the table, leaving everything on it undisturbed. Amber shivered, a sliver of her earlier fear sneaking into her heart. She rubbed her arms.

Looking down at the table, Mr. Clause blinked. He looked up at Ciel. "Where did the tablecloth go?" Sebastian gave him an apologetic smile.

"It was blemished, so I had to remove it." He walked over to us and Finnian fawned over his, his eye wide in admiration. Johnny tailed after the blonde boy, like a puppy.

"You're like a hero!" The butler gave him an closed-eyed smile.

"No, I'm merely one hell of a butler."

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Hey, guy! Thanks to you, this story already has almost 100 reads. Thank you!

I'm sorry this chapter is so short. I didn't have much room for creativity in this chapter because, as you can tell, I followed the storyline very closely. I might have even used similar wording. I'm sorry if you don't like it.

Well,

Happy reading!