solarium. Gentle, like a whisper. It tapped the glass roof wit
footsteps, overlooked by guests. It was the o
ical circles and dusty aristocratic registries. His life was a string of rules wra
loneliness. But
ince
family's private hiring agency. He was efficient, neat, and quiet - alm
way it spoke louder than any
the calm voi
ray with his morning tea. He wore the navy-blue uniform, pressed to perfe
Adrian said
down on the nearby tab
g lunch in the eas
ated. "I hav
once, not pre
lence with noise - El
ted how much he
-
is lap, unread. His thoughts tangled around the morning - Elias's quiet footsteps, the way he never looked directly into
nappropriate, even. Elias was s
ye
led just enough to reveal the bend of his wrist - some
e it. Because naming
-
Clarissa, had arrived that afternoon. They filled the dining room wit
ing wine and nodding at al
hoping Elias would appear. He didn't. Ano
rriage prospects, her tone teasing, but Adrian barely heard her.
The rain had returned - stronger now, beating
re, tending to the iv
l working?"
"Only finishing up, sir. The ivy was b
nds behind his back. "You
I work in," Elias r
ay he said it - not arroganc
a moment, letting silen
it here?" he
ression remained unreada
ure why that di
iss anything
iss places. But pe
slowly, unsure
a master of the house," Elias a
smile. "And you give unusua
ner of his mouth - not quite
um soon after, but the
-
drawer where he kept a small leather-bound journal. He flipped
y, he
y. But when he does, it feels like th
after
I'm in
nal and slid it ba
didn'
ers idly tapping a rhythm that matched the rain against t
strangely
e like Elias. Someone who had no idea the master of the house thought about
ed low, casting soft gold shadows across the carpet. He wondered
of man who kept his
he hearth. The stor
the drawer again, pulled out the journal, and add
if he s
Then cros
t
time, as though it held something
e, the only sound the faint tickin
self to whisper a name he'd neve
li