Unwelcome Arrival

"You're hired." Those two simple words continuously echoed through Kenna's head as she stared out the window of the sleek black car that had been sent by the company. She was under qualified and had only applied for the job on a whim. An interview was the best thing she could have hoped for, and yet there hadn't even been one. Not two days after sending in her resume did she receive a phone call from the Magnuson office stating that she had been awarded the position.

The position entailed successfully ensuring the family home ran in order effectively. She may have to clean occasionally but Kenna's sole purpose was an overseer. It was as though the house was a clock and her job was to make sure it was in proper working condition. And who was she to argue when the pay was enough to allow her to apply for college next semester.

The car came to a halt outside the front of a large house. The peak of the roof nearly disappeared behind the dark clouds that hung ominously in the sky. That should have been her first sign.

Climbing out of the car, the burly man who had driven her collected her suitcase from the back. As part of her contract, she was required to live in the mansion. Kenna quickly thanked the man who was already on her way back to the driver's seat after setting her case down by her side. The stranger grunted in response, then climbed into the car silently.

Turning her head towards the house, Kenna's curious, blue eyes flickered across the window panes. There was a stone path that led up to the double doors, and lush flora that grew. Each branch curved and curled in a seemingly planned pose.

A grumble of thunder growled over her head, prompting her to take hold of the handle of her suitcase and walk up to the door. Gently she knocked on the door, hearing the sound echo through to the other side. She hunched her shoulders forward to huddle further into the warmth of her coat.

Minutes past and yet, no one came to answer the door. Once more she knocked, louder the second time, and patiently waited. And to her dismay, she was left standing outside. Then, pressing her lips together, she pushed down on the handle and pried open the door.

A warm light flooded into her vision, and a wall of heat flushed her cheeks. Hesitantly, Kenna entered the house, pulling her suitcase behind her. The wheels clicked over the threshold of the door and once the door was closed, she stared in wonder.

Kenna tread down the hall cautiously, her eyes drinking in the sight of large house. The ceiling loomed high over her head and the walls were littered with old, traditional portraits. She stood at the base of a grand split staircase adorned with a ruby red carpet and golden railings. Above her head hung a glittering, crystal chandelier that winked in the fading light. Kenna clung to the handle of her suitcase, her lips parted in awe as she marvelled the lavish sight.

"You're in the way," spoke a weary voice from behind her. She pivoted on the ball of her foot to meet a petite male with ringlets of messy black hair that fell into his eyes.

"Huh?" The boy sighed, tilting his head to the side, which caused his oversized clothing to slip down one of his shoulders. His collarbones protruded his skin, peeking out from underneath the thin shirt. His attire seemed to be a long shirt that rested on his thighs.

"I'd rather not repeat myself. Just, who are you?"

"Kenna Grey," she introduced, holding out her hand in front of the boy. "I'm the new housekeeper, I just arrived." The young male glanced down at her outstretched hand but made no further movement.

"Mh...that was today?" then ignoring her hand he ran his fingers through the dangle of his dark hair. He hummed quietly to himself in thought before proceeding to brush past her in order to walk up the staircase, feet baring mismatched socks.

"Wait, where are you going?" she called out after him. He paused on the steps mumbled beneath his breath.

"What a waste of my energy," he muttered. He peered over his shoulder, his expression stoic. "Let me spell it out for you Miss Grey, I have no desire to converse with you. I'm tired, and you're taking up my precious time. Goodbye." Kenna opened her mouth to speak as the boy made his way lethargically up the stairs towards the left.

"Don't mind him," spoke someone from the right side, "I don't." Turning her head, Kenna's gaze rested upon another boy who wore an amused smile. His arms were folded, resting upon the railing as he looked back down at her.

Kenna wasn't sure how long the boy had been standing there for, but he clearly had overheard the brief conversation. The boy ran his fingers through his curly hair, twirling a piece between his fingers.

"Gamon Magnuson," he informed, "And that stubborn brat would be Senri. He's not a people person; fortunately, he may not resurface for some time."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kenna Grey," she stated. Gamon started his journey down the stairs, shoving his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket.

"Ah, yes of course. The housekeeper father hired," he mused. "No one met you at the door?" One look at Kenna's expression told Gamon all he needed to know. "That must have been my responsibility. Well, anyone can make a mistake," he added with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Is it a normal occurrence?"

"I'm not about to get scolded, now am I Miss Grey?" He rested one of his hands on the railing, swinging around it before partially jogging down the remaining steps to stand in front of her.

He was about the same height as Kenna, with warm honey eyes. A handful of freckles were splashed upon his nose and his lips were pressed into a thin line. Beneath his jacket, he appeared to be wearing two shirts that were untidily tucked into his faded pants.

"Leave your suitcase and allow me to show you around."

The very first room Gamon took Kenna to was the kitchen. A plump elderly woman bustled around the kitchen, grey curls pulled back from her face. One look at Gamon and she waved her wooden spoon around.

"Out of my kitchen mister," she informed, her voice gravelly.

"Mmm, what are you cooking," he hummed, hands resting upon the bench. He breathed in deeply, licking his lips. "Don't tell me it's your famous dumplings?"

"They're for later tonight," she huffed. The skin on her cheeks sagged heavily from years of weariness. Gamon stuck out his lower lip, pouting. He propped his chin into the palms of his hands, swinging one of his feet behind himself.

"Oh come now," he whined, "I should taste them before you serve them up."

"One then I want you out of my kitchen." The young male groaned, hanging his head back. He twisted around and leaned on the counter. His arms were promptly folded over his chest.

"Three," he bargained.

"Two."

"Four."

"Two and two for your friend." At the mention of the word friend, the lilt to Gamon's lips fell. He turned his head.

"She's not my friend," he spoke coldly. "She's the new employee father hired. Cook, Housekeeper, Housekeeper, Cook." He pushed himself up from the bench and walked around to where the house cook was setting the freshly made dumplings. Taking a paper towel, then piling half a dozen into his hand, he stormed out of the kitchen.

"Master Gamon!" the cook called, but the curly haired boy had already disappeared from sight. Kenna blinked in surprise. "Little devils, the lot of them," huffed the cook. "I'm sorry. I'm Mrs Bainbridge, you must be Miss Grey." Kenna nodded her head.

"No need to apologise," she added. "Is he always like that?"

"Gamon likes to go overboard," Mrs Bainbridge stated. "All the boys have their quirks. Not trying to scare you off, but we have had a number of housekeepers leave because of them."

"They haven't scared you off?" The old woman smiled, creases forming in the corners of her eyes as a bright smile appeared on her lips.

"Oh no, I've been tending to Mr Magnuson's sons since they were tots," she informed. "They're nothing I haven't seen from them."

"How many sons does Mr Magnuson have?" Kenna enquired.

"Seven," came the answer, "Master Gamon is the fifth child."

"I met another one of his sons just before too," the young girl said. "Senri, I believe Gamon told me." At that Mrs Bainbridge's eyes widened slightly before she nodded her head.

"He's the youngest. The boy barely leaves his room unless he absolutely has to."

"Is he ill?"

"You can't diagnose laziness as an illness."

"Miss Grey!" came the sharp sound of Gamon's voice, ultimately causing Kenna to jump.

"I'm so sorry, I have to go," she apologised. Mrs Bainbridge nodded her head with a warm smile. Kenna darted from the room to join Gamon who stood, tapping his foot against the wooden floor impatiently. One of his eyebrows were arched and the corner of the fried dumpling rested upon his plush lips.

The young male didn't say anything as he continued down the hallway, pointing out rooms, but never venturing into them. Kenna pressed her lips together as she observed him, trying to make sense of the boy. She was thankful when at last she came across the butler who told Gamon he would take it from there.

"I request that you and your brothers join us in the sitting room in an hour. I have some news from your father." Gamon waved him off and left.

And so for that last remaining hour, the butler showed her the rest of the house; at least where the important rooms were. She was required to know where each of the seven sons resided. They were the only rooms that they didn't venture into. Even walking passed the closed doors, Kenna felt the rising sense that she should make as little sound as possible.

The final room she was shown was where she would be staying. The butler had already brought her suitcase up, instantly causing a pang of regret to pierce her chest. Warm blood raced to her cheeks, dying them crimson.

"I'll allow you to freshen up. I'll meet you downstairs."

Once alone, Kenna was able to let out a breath. Scanning the room she was met with a rather quaint bedroom of minimalistic style. She was sure she'd be allowed to change it up to suit her own style soon enough. A small smile spread onto her lips as she viewed the bedroom. The wide bed was made up with a mountain of pillows and the heavy drapes were pulled apart to give her a view of the lavish, rose garden out the back. She stepped forward, glancing out the window.

Rain had begun to spill from the thick clouds by now, droplets rolling down the window panes. Beyond the garden was an open field, encircled by an overgrown forest. The forest stretched on for miles, blurring into the distant mountains. At the present moment, a misty layer of fog hugged the tall mountain peaks, covering it completely from sight.

Trekking towards the attached bathroom, Kenna decided to do just as the butler had suggested before meeting the family. It was daunting. She didn't know much about the family since they were kept out of the public eye, but Kenna was quickly beginning to see why that was. Especially if they were truly similar to the two she had already met.

A few minutes longer and she was making her way down the curving hallways towards what she assumed was the lounge room. Her thoughts were only confirmed by the fact that the butler was already standing, waiting as still as a statue. With a polite smile, she walked to stand by his side.

As the clock chimed, figures began to trickle into the room. The young males took a seat without a word, or even a glance. The silence was uncomfortable and long as they waited. A quarter of an hour past and it was clear that everyone was growing restless.

Before her sat four out of the seven siblings. It was well past the designated time. Slouched on the floor was Gamon, who was more interested in the playing cards that were in his hand instead of what was going on around him. On the couch behind him was a boy who had straight, brown hair that fell down the back of his neck and ears. His eyes were closed but he repeatedly tensed his narrow jaw.

Sitting on the other side, directly across from him was a rather tall male with sleek, platinum blond hair that fell neatly across one of his shoulders. One of his feet was propped on his knee and his arms were comfortably stretched out across the back of the chair. Of all the brothers, he took more care in his appearance, opting to wear a stunning jade coat.

By the jade jacketed male was a boy, just shorter than himself with arms folded over his chest. Kenna wasn't sure if he was annoyed by being there, but the look in his eyes reflected hostility. She glanced up at the butler who stood next to her, unfazed by the ambiance of the room. Instead he was staring at the door, quietly shaking his head.

"Where are the other young masters?" the butler directed towards the brothers. Each in turn, the boys looked between one another. They shared what could only be seen as a knowing look before settling themselves back down. "Master Elis?"

The annoyed boy, with short, yellow blond hair scoffed quietly to himself. He refused to look at the older male. His actions only caused his brother beside him to widen the ever growing smirk on his lips.

"Master Percival?" The other boy lifted his gaze, coal black orbs trained on the butler.

"I fear they won't be joining us. Senri has locked himself once more in his bedroom and the other two aren't home." As a regular occurrence, the butler merely pinched the bridge of his nose, then excused himself from the room.

Kenna stood with her hands folded in front of herself. Her eyes darted across the four boys, only Percival looking directly back at her. The tall male then rose from the couch and walked over to her. His dark eyes shamelessly flickered across her body before settling on her face. He took a breath and clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Father must be desperate," he said. He leaned down so that his face was inches away from her own. "Don't you know what you've gotten yourself into, little girl?"

A frown furrowed her brow. Huffing, she placed her hands on her hips. A low chuckle escaped his curled lips.

"Elis, what do you wager? Our new housekeeper will make it to the end of the month?"

Elis remained tight lipped, the scowl painted across his face appearing like it was a permanent fixture.

"Wren?"

"Shut up, Percy," spat the brown haired male with his eyes closed. The platinum blond straightened his back and brushed down his jade coat.

"No matter, I'm always right," he boasted.

"I don't have any intention of leaving any time soon, Master Percival -"

"Please, just Percy. I wouldn't want to make your job too difficult. It'll be hard enough remembering the schedule without all that."

"Ah hah!" Gamon suddenly called out, holding up one of his cards.

"Do be quiet," Wren muttered.

"Must you be so -"

"Careful Gamon, you wouldn't want to make our dear younger brother mad," teased Percy. Wren rose to his feet quickly and shoved his hands into the depths of his pockets. With his eyes now open, Kenna realised they were just as dark as Percy's.

"If there is no point to this meeting other than 'welcoming' in another housekeeper, I'm leaving," he declared.

"Master Wren," returned the voice of the butler. The older man stood in the doorway, his shirt no longer tucked in nearly and his blazer creased. "Please, return to your seat."

"I suppose Senri refused to come down," Percy laughed with mirth. He ran his long fingers through his hair, pushing it back from his face. "I don't know why you bother, Mr Maisano. Senri doesn't care much for rules."

"Take a seat, Master Percival."

"Are you going to beg?" he pondered out loud. He strolled over to the man standing by his side as though he was going to pass him. "I'm not particularly in the mood to follow your orders. Nice to meet you Miss Grey," Percy added over his shoulder. Mr Maisano seized Percy's upper arm, to which the taller boy promptly snatched his arm free. His eyes were like the smouldering coals left from a fire. He brushed his hand along the sleeve, then made his way down the hall.

A scoff came from Elis. He rolled his eyes and slouched further back into the cream coloured cushions of the couch. His hair flopped against his forehead, into his green eyes. Mr Maisano's head dropped slightly almost in defeat.

"There doesn't seem to be any point in this meeting, you're free to leave if that is what you wish," the butler informed them. Elis and Gamon made quick movement to leave the room. Wren on the other hand shook his head.

"Waste my time again and there'll be hell to pay," he bit. His face was growing red with rage. Mr Maisano bowed his head forward as though he was saying 'sorry'. "And you," he barked at Kenna. "Keep out of my way if you know what's good for you."

As he left, Kenna quickly began to doubt the level of simpleness of her job. Just what had she gotten herself into?