gentleman's servant

This morning, it was not yet five o'clock, and Mr. Gabriel's house was as busy as a festival.The servants hurriedly cleaned the floor and vases that had been cleaned long ago, beat the pillows and curtains, and laid out the new carpets and tea sets that Mr. Gabriel bought specially.All the people were waiting in full force, as if they were going to see His Majesty the King, their faces were tense.

The reason is that Mr. Gabriel, the owner of the place, was so nervous that he walked around the house early in the morning, instructing the servants to clean the windows again, or put a certain painting in order Some.

Today's guest is indeed a big person. The appointed time is this afternoon, but Mr. Gabriel turned off his whole day's work and waited for him at home.

It was not until two o'clock in the afternoon that the gentleman arrived late.

As Mr. Gabriel's butler, I stood at the gate with a group of servants, watching a carriage approaching from a distance.

The carriage was very luxurious, it was a two-wheeled carriage, with two coachmen in front and two servants standing behind.

Suddenly, this carriage seemed familiar to me. As the carriage got closer, I couldn't help tensing up. When the carriage stopped at the gate, I had already forgotten to breathe.

There are quite a few people I know well here, and when I look at them, they naturally also look at me.

A well-dressed valet came out from the back of the carriage. He was Billy, Baron Oscar's valet.He glanced at me after getting out of the car, then walked to the carriage door, raised his white-gloved hand, and opened the door for the people in the carriage.

Then I saw the man.

I thought we would never see each other again in this lifetime.

The Baron wore a black cloak and held a black cane in his hand. He seemed to be in a bad mood, watching Mr. Gabriel bow to him with a gloomy face.

"Lord Baron, welcome to the humble house, please come in." Mr. Gabriel was courteous and decent, which was the result of many days of rehearsal.

Mr. Gabriel had been telling me before that the person who came was a baron, very rich and very influential in the shipping industry, but I had no idea that this person was Baron Oscar.

Did he come here by accident, or... came to find me on purpose...

For a moment, all my courage ran to the Pacific Ocean, and I could only lower my head and try to control my trembling body.

When Mr. Gabriel led the baron into the room, the baron suddenly stopped in front of me, and my cold sweat broke out, and I couldn't help swallowing.

Fortunately, he just stood there for a while, and followed Mr. Gabriel into the hall.

I stood at the door at a loss, until all the servants around me left, and then I followed into the hall.

The Baron and Mr. Gabriel went directly to the study. They had business to discuss. The Baron's servants were waiting in the corridor, and they needed me, the housekeeper, to receive them.

"Come with me, the servants' lounge is here," I told them.

They all looked at me strangely, but no one took the initiative to talk to me.

In order to reduce embarrassment, I said to them with a dry smile: "Long time no see, Mr. Gabriel is my new employer, it's great to be able to receive old friends for my new owner."

"Mr. Eric, why did you leave Delman Manor without saying a word? The baron was so angry that day that he mobilized all the servants to look for you in the manor." A young manservant said.

Billy coughed suddenly, and seriously reprimanded the male servant: "It's really impolite, this is not a place for you to chew your tongue, Mr. Eric is the housekeeper here, you are so unsteady, you are really discrediting the master."

The young male servant was so ashamed by the scolding that he lowered his head in embarrassment, not daring to say another word.

Billy bowed slightly to me: "Then, thank you."

When I was at Delman Manor, I was quite familiar with Billy, but now his attitude towards me is very strange, and I think he has lost his original favor for me.

After all, leaving Delman Manor without saying hello, not only lacks the professionalism of a servant, but also lacks morality and sense of responsibility.

Nobody knows how embarrassed I am right now, I even want to turn around and run out of the house.

The conversation between the baron and Mr. Gabriel did not last long, and soon they left the study.

Mr. Gabriel flattered him all the way, but the baron remained silent, his face so gloomy that he could drip water.

Mr. Gabriel racked his brains, first talking about the most popular art paintings, then talking about the new plays of the theater, and then talking about the uprising in the colonies. He used all kinds of topics he had prepared, but the baron was always lacking in interest.

Soon they are relatively speechless, and when you are confronted with someone who is not interested in talking to you at all, the atmosphere of silence makes even Maria cry.

Mr. Gabriel still has not given up his intention to please the baron. He hopes that the baron will provide assistance for his textile factory. He is not short of money, but he needs someone with status and power to help him increase his market share and invest in maritime trade. The Baron would be the perfect choice for any cotton mill.

Mr. Gabriel, who was already at the end of his skills, had no choice but to cast his hopes on me. He got up and bowed to the baron, "Please wait a moment, I have a few small things to tell my servant."

Then he walked up to me, turned his back to the baron, and asked me in a low voice with an exaggerated expression of wiping his neck and staring at his eyes: "What should I do? What should I do?"

I glanced at the baron, turned my back and said in a low voice, "You don't have to be so nervous, maybe this lord is relatively silent."

"No, I have to make him laugh, I have to satisfy him, I need him to support my factory."

Want Baron Oscar to smile at you?Is this goal a little more difficult, I thought.

"What should I do? Talk about something? Shall I invite him to see my collection?" Mr. Gabriel asked anxiously.

"Maybe you can talk about the weather," I said.

Mr. Gabriel stared at me with those are you kidding me eyes.

"Did I come at the wrong time?" Just as Mr. Gabriel and I were discussing in a low voice, a gloomy voice came from behind us.

Mr. Gabriel turned around hastily, but the baron had already got up, he held his cane and said, "If it's not convenient for you, I can visit you another day."

"No, no, no." Mr. Gabriel hurriedly walked up to him: "There is no inconvenience, I am explaining about the dinner, I am very sorry for neglecting you, please don't take it to heart."

"You are too polite." The baron nodded towards him: "I hope I didn't make you feel restrained. My friends always blame me for being too dull. If you are an unfamiliar friend, you will definitely be scared by my bad habits. Bad, think that I am dissatisfied or angry. Please believe me, I am honored by your invitation, I am very happy to be a guest in your residence, but I sincerely hope that I have not caused you any inconvenience."

In just a few sentences, Mr. Gabriel's worrisome social hazards disappeared without a trace.

He looked at Baron Oscar, his face full of emotion: "Oh, my lord, I really don't know what to say. To be honest, I was very nervous just now, especially in front of such an honorable person as you. I have never been good at talking to you." When you talk to someone of your status, you will make a big fool of yourself every time you talk, and make people laugh. I didn’t expect you to treat people so sincerely, which is completely different from other gentlemen and nobles I have met."

"You are also a sincere gentleman, otherwise I would not have the intention to cooperate with you." The baron said.

"If you don't mind, I would like to show you my collection," said Mr. Gabriel. "My collection room is a good place to pass the time. I promise you will like it."

So they spent the whole afternoon in the collection room. Mr. Gabriel thought that the baron was not good at talking, so he seized the initiative of the speech in a big way, chattering excitedly all the time, and the more he talked, the more vigorous he was. .

I have been following them, and although I keep my head down, I always feel that there are eyes on me.

This 'friendly' atmosphere lasted until after dinner. Mr. Gabriel, who thought everything was perfect, wanted to show the baron his newly bought paintings, but the baron politely refused.

"I had a good time today, and I'm glad to meet such a cheerful friend as you, but I'm a little tired, can someone lead me to rest?" the baron said with a look at me.

"Sorry, I didn't notice." Mr. Gabriel said hastily, "Please allow me to lead you to the guest room myself."

"You are too polite, just let the servant come." The baron frowned and said.

"No, please don't refuse, you are my honored guest, please let me guide you to the guest room." Mr. Gabriel has already bowed his body and made an invitation gesture.

The baron was silent for a moment, and I read a speechless expression on his face, and finally he nodded: "Then I'm sorry to trouble you, please go first."

Mr. Gabriel happily led the way, talking about the paintings he bought at a large price while walking, the Baron followed behind him without saying a word, his personal valet Billy glanced at me, and followed the two left.

I was finally relieved to stay where I was, and I felt that all the muscles in my body were stiff.Not daring to think about the purpose of the baron's coming here, I ordered the servants to tidy up the living room, extinguish all the candles and the fireplace, and finally check the flames in the kitchen.When everything was ready, I went to Mr. Gabriel's bedroom.

Mr. Gabriel had already changed his shirt and was picking at the closet for the clothes he would wear tomorrow.

Seeing me coming in, he proudly said to me: "I didn't expect that the baron is easy to get along with. I should be able to get support from him. Which outfit do you think I should wear tomorrow? I have never matched it." these things."

I walked over and found a suit of clothes for Mr. Gabriel: "What do you think of this suit?"

Gabriel shook his head: "Find me a more formal one, we're going out to meet guests tomorrow."

After a while, Mr. Gabriel finally picked out the clothes he was satisfied with. Since meeting Lily, he has paid more and more attention to his appearance.

After hesitating for a long time, I finally made up my mind to ask, "Did the baron give you any orders?"

"Order? No, he didn't say anything." Gabriel shook his head: "If you want me to say that this guy is so silent and boring, he must be very unpopular among women."

As he said that, he rolled his eyes, showed a strange smile, waved to me and said, "It's okay, you can go."

I bowed to him and left his bedroom.

Then, holding a candlestick, he walked up the dark stairs.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I reached the corner of the stairs, I saw Billy the valet.

Holding a candle in one hand, he stood there straight, and the moment he saw me, he said to me, "Mr. Eric, the baron wants to see you."