DUSTING

"What are you doing?" 

Selena stopped when she heard the voice, she knew who it was, Selena had checked a second ago and there was no one in the living room. Alfred's sudden appearance had surprised her. 

"Don't touch that" Alfred spoke again as he walked closer to her. 

Selena moved away from the painting with her head down, she had just been caught in an act. She wondered if Alfred would report this to Damien. 

"I'm sorry" Selena spoke with an apologetic tone as she watched Alfred pull the blankets back up, she wasn't able to get a glimpse at it but she was sure that it was a large portrait. 

"What may I ask are you looking for?" Alfred asked as he folded his hands and watched her. 

Selena could tell that the man did not appreciate her presence here, she had noticed it from the first day, Alfred always gave her that look when ever they talked. And he would only talk to her if it was needed.

"I know you don't like me that much but"Selena paused as she looked at the painting behind him and then she continued. "I was just curious to know what was behind the blanket" Selena said with a smile as she hoped he would tell her something but the look on Alfred's face was still hard as he looked at her. 

"Why don't you like me?" Selena asked breaking the ice, she had to ask, his whole attitude around her was not comforting at all. 

"Who says I don't like you?" Alfred asked back as he looked at her with disinterest before walking away. 

Selena paused as she watched his retreating back, for an old man he still got it. 

"Hey wait up" Selena said as she hurried after him, it didn't take long before she caught up with him. 

"So why are you always strict with me, you are nice and playful with everyone else but me" Selena said as she looked around the hall they were walking by, she had never really had the chance to walk around the down floor. 

"I'm not" Alfred answered as he picked up his duster and continued with his morning chores. 

"Let me help" Selena offered as she picked up another dusting brush and walked to the next object. "So you guys have a museum down here?" Selena asked as she looked ahead and realized that they were so many other objects lined up on each side of the hall. 

"Don't break anything?" Alfred warned as he moved on to the other side of the hall to clean something else. 

Selena was happy that he was allowing her help him, at least this was better than sitting upstairs all day. 

"So he's a collector?" Selena asked as she admired the piece, it was a statue of a bird, a baby bird with small feathers. 

"These are not his" Alfred answered knowing fully well who she was referring to. 

"Whose are they?" Selena asked and then she noticed the silence, Alfred didn't say a word for a few seconds and just continued with his cleaning. Selena thought that perhaps she was pushing her luck. 

"The lady of the house..." Alfred spoke followed by a pause. 

Selena was silent as she waited for him to continue talking, since the topic was about Damien's mother, she guessed that it was hard for him to speak up. 

"She would always take pictures, she was fond of the outdoors, so whenever she had the chance to go on adventures, she would take pictures of whatever she found interesting" Alfred said as he gently dust a small closed box. 

"She would take pictures and then they would turn them to statues, really beautiful piece" Alfred added as he moved to the next object. 

"Well she has good taste" Selena commented as she picked up the bird and observed it. 

"She did" Alfred added as as he continued with his cleaning. 

Selena carefully dropped the bird back on the stand before she moved to the next object. 

"Too bad Damien didn't get any of her good qualities" Selena said and one could notice the change in her tone when she talked about Damien, she was still upset with him . 

"Well the young master use to accompany her on her journeys, they would disappear for days without telling anyone" Alfred spoke as his mind drifted to past thoughts. 

"I didn't take him to be the type who loved sight seeing" Selena spoke as she paused and leaned on the wall, she could hear the sound of her tummy grumbling, she had almost forgotten that she had not eaten. 

"Well, things change" Was all Alfred said as he moved on to the next object. He was silent for a while as he focussed on cleaning, he noticed that the girl was silent but he thought perhaps she was thinking of what to say next.