Until Forever (Complete)

Chapter Thirty Nine

His clothes smelled of sweat and dust and while he knew it to be impossible, he could have sworn that it possessed the scent of fatigue. He shrugged his coat off of his rigid body and pulled off his hat before handing it to the maid who stood by the side in anticipation of receiving the garment.

The second the maid scurried away, he turned his attention towards making his way up the stairs and to his bed chamber where he suspected that a bath would have been prepared for him. He climbed the stairs of the familiar building, breathing in the scent of freshly polished wood. His hand held firmly to the railings as he continued his ascent up the stairs until he was pushing the door to his bed chamber wide open.

He was greeted by the sight of his bed. The large furniture and clean sheets beckoned to his aching body but he resisted the urge to respond to it, knowing fully well that he not only needed a bath, he needed to feed the beast that was his stomach.

He peeled the clothes off of his body, and sank into the warm water bath. The second his skin made contact with the water, a satisfied sigh escaped his lips as his clogged pores opened up and it almost became easier for him to breathe. He soaked in the feel of the water for a few seconds, before focusing his attention on scrubbing his skin clean. When he finally climbed out of the bath and changed into a clean shirt and trousers, he felt like a brand new person.

With his body clean, he turned his attention back to the door and pulled it open. He made his way back down the stairs and the second he walked into the dining room, his senses were assaulted with the scent of soup, potatoes, freshly baked cake, and chicken. He spotted a bottle of wine on the table and stumbled towards it.

It was ironic how he could never have been capable of eating this much food in the past. Today however and considering how hungry he was, he ate what he was certain would have been food meant for a family of five. He downed the food with a generous amount of wine and leaned back heavily against his chair, his eyelids pulling shut briefly.

He waited for a few more minutes for his stomach to begin digesting the meal, before pushing himself to his feet in anticipation of the freshly made bed that awaited his body.

“My Lord?”

He halted in his tracks and turned his attention to the voice that beckoned him; his butler. The butler turned his attention to what appeared to his tired eyes, as an envelop.

“Yes, Eric?” He answered, impatient.

“An important message, My Lord.” Eric said, holding the envelop out to him.

He fought the urge to groan out loud before reaching forward and retrieving the envelop from the butler who dipped his head.

Without bothering to dismiss Eric, he turned his attention back to mounting the stairs. Once in his room, he tossed his shoes aside and climbed his bed. It didn't take more than a few seconds for his eyelids to close and for the sound of soft snores to fill the room.

His eyelids parted slowly as he forced himself to sit upright. He turned his attention to the brightness of the sun that fought to make it's presence known in the room but was held bound by the curtains and he immediately knew that he had slept past the morning and into the afternoon. He blinked twice and shook his head, forcing his eyelids to stay open.

There was a soft knock on the door as he climbed down his bed. He grumbled a command, giving the intruder the permission to enter. Eric appeared.

“Visitors, my lord.” Eric announced, his brown eyes focusing on the floor.

He nodded, dismissing Eric. Once the door was closed behind Eric, he shrugged off his night clothes and pulled on clean ones. He made for the door but his attention was drawn to the envelop that was handed to him by Eric the night before. Halting in his tracks, he turned and made his way to the bed side where the envelop sat on the floor. He picked it up and tore it open; a note sat inside.

Unfolding the note, his eyes rested on what appeared to be scribblings across a white sheet of paper. He would have discarded it as gibberish if it didn't seem familiar to him. On further inspection, he realized it was. His eyelids grew a notch, chasing away every inkling of tiredness as he read it.

Nicholas,

I have found Bailey, my butler, to be my grandson. I do not know why I am certain of this, but I am. He is to inherit my fortune as I am certain I may not live beyond tonight for I am being poisoned by Chloe, Edwards wife. You have my will, I expect it to be executed properly.

Goodbye, dear friend.

Gary.

Copyright © 2017 Lily Orevba All rights reserved.

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A/N

I decided to post two chapters in compensation of not posting one yesterday. So, please remember to vote (especially if you didn't vote on the first one, please go back and vote☺).

Thanks for reading!