The Seahorse and the Spice 🪼🎩✔

29: Flashes

"Won't you look suspicious bringing us here?" Bastion asked me.
"I'm sure I will, but Salem told me to, so that's what I'm doing."
"What do you think he'll make us do?"
"Probably clean the gutters and the chimney shoot." Eadric grumbled.
"I wanna sweep the chimmy!" Xerxes said.
"It's chimney... and you'll get soot all over you." Eadric said.
"I know." His brother said with a giggle.
I smiled at him and opened the back door to the servant's quarters. The head maid looked at me and put her hands on her hips.
"Who do you think you are bringing those youngins in here?"
"I was told by Duke Barma to do so. I'm taking them to him right now."
The head maid watched us parade through the kitchen and I headed to the guest room.

****************************

Salem
"Duke Barma... Duke Barma, you have some slight guests." I heard Uma say.
I groaned and turned over, not happy to see her face looking at me.
"What?"
"I said you have some slight guests waiting for you."
I frowned. "How do you have 'slight' guests?"
"It is a maid from this house but she has brought guests that seem to be with her so... they are guests but one of them isn't."
I blinked at her and rolled out of bed, not ready for her silly games. I assumed it was Minerva and her children that she had mentioned yesterday.
"Duke Barma, I have heard rumor that you are replacing me." Uma said.
"Yes. You'll be the head housekeeper now. You can direct all the maids. It's what you're best at doing and you do it pretty much anyway."
Uma smiled a little. "I understand why you do not want me as your personal servant anymore, Duke Barma. I'm not angry. I do wish you would have just told me to my face instead."
"I thought you'd be mad. I'll remember to tell you if I make any other decisions about your livelihood next time."
Uma nodded her head and left the room. That went much better than expected.

*************************************

I walked into the guest receiving room and was met with four pairs of eyes.
"Good morning, Ms. Cavensold."
"Good morning, Duke Barma. As requested, these are my children."
These kids looked very, very familiar to me. Especially the oldest one.
"What are your names?"
"I'm Bastion and this is my younger brother, Eadric-"
"And I'm Xerxes!" the little one exclaimed, pointing to himself. "You can call me X."
"That I'll do." I said with a smile.
"You gonna make us sweep the chimmy?" he asked with a turn of his head.
"Xerxes!" Minerva growled, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
"It's chimney!" the middle child growled.
I laughed a little. "Is that what you would like to do?"
"I wanna get snoot on me." He said with a smirk.
"I see..."
"Forgive my youngest, Duke Barma, he's... rambunctious."
"I can see that." I suddenly felt an earsplitting headache form in my head and I put my hand to my head. "Ugh..."
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine just... a massive headache seemed to just overtake me." Just like that, it was gone though. I shook my head. "Wow... um... Anyway, your mother is going to be my new personal caretaker but to do that, she has to live in this house with me. When she told me she had children, I wanted to see you all to see if you had the ability to work. The two oldest can work with the head butler."
"What about me?" Xerxes asked.
"I'm not quite sure what to do with you yet." I said with a smile. "I will have to discuss some of this with your mother I think. You'll all be in the same room though, with your mother. Since she will be my caretaker, she gets a room of her own. The rooms are big enough for her and three children. Is that alright with you?" I said, looking at the two oldest.
"It's no different than home as it is now... except fancier." Eadric said with a roll of his eyes.
"Thank you, Duke Barma, we are happy with that." Bastion said with an elbow to his brother.
"I get to sleep with Mummy!" Xerxes said, hugging Minerva.
"That's debatable, sweetness." Minerva said with a chuckle. "If Duke Barma needs me in the night then you three can share the bed. A personal caretaker doesn't stop when the sun goes down."
"Aw..."
"Don't worry, X, your mother won't be worked too hard." Another headache sliced through my brain and I cried out that time, leaning over.
"Duke Barma?"
I held my eye, what felt like a sharp hot poker jabbing into it from inside my head. I saw Minerva coming up to me and touch my hand softly.
"Are you alright?"
"This headache..."
"Why don't you lie down?"
"No, I'll manage... Either way, I'll have Uma show you to your new room. Did you bring any belongings?"
"Us." The oldest said with a sheepish smile.
"We don't have that much and most of it would be provided by the household." Minerva said with a sheepish smile herself.
"Right... I'll ring for Uma."
"When will I start my duties?" Minerva asked.
"I'll call for you when I need you. Uma can tell you the logistics of the position. You replaced her."
"Won't she be angry?"
"Ironically she seemed alright with the idea."