Chapter 7

"Asher." Sir Barrington pointed to the guest with his glasses. Lucas was leading them to the dining hall when they met the Master at the doorway. "Surprised to see you here. My home welcomes you at any time. How's your father?"

As Sir Barrington continued to chat with Asher, he took them to their seats. John appeared at the other end of the dining hall with Claire and his Father.

It was rare for the Head Butler and his family to dine with the Barringtons. Only on special occasions do they all get to sit together with disregard to the status of Master and servants.

Sir Barrington sat at the head, Asher and Lucas at his sides. On Asher's side were the Head Butler and John. On Lucas's side were Abigail and Claire. For some reason, it is customary for married couples to sit across from each other at a formal table.

As soon as everyone was seated, Sir Barrington made a toast welcoming Claire into the family. He had always been good with speeches and Claire felt everyone's warm acceptance. The smiles on all their faces radiated the room as they raised their glasses to Sir Barrington's finishing toast.

Well, all except one.

"Lucas." Sir Barrington's tone was calm but absolute.

Lucas clenched his jaws and shot daggers straight at the person in front of him. He raised his glasses nonetheless.

Asher apologized for Lucas's rude behavior.

"It seems he's still mad at me," he smirked.

Abigail tensed up beside the second most powerful person in the room. His moods had repercussions that could result in everyone around him in constant fear. For some reason, she dared to look at him through the corner of her eyes and immediately regretted it. He saw her and set his cup down.

While the rest of them drank and she brought the rim to her lips, she could feel the awful feeling of Lucas looking at her.

Lunch commenced when the maids rolled in seven carts covered in large stainless steel domes. The first course was a delicate creme brulee au foie gras.

"I supposed this is when I congratulate you on the wedding." Lucas spread his serviette on his lap. "How have you been, John?"

The question could not have sounded less sarcastic as he did not care one bit.

"Never better. Sir Barrington had decided to open a few chains of restaurants. I had been managing them, so I kept myself busy. How's New York?"

John's face winced from his pretend smile.

"Americans," Lucas growled.

"What about us?" Asher urged.

He shot him a pair of inflamed pupils. "Loves sex. And alcohol."

Asher squinted with a forced grin. He's not using this time to get his comeback, is he? How embarrassing is the topic of sex on a lunch table?

"How's your tech firm?" Sir Barrington leaned back and wiped his mouth.

Lucas cleansed his palate with a chug of his champagne.

"I'm opening a new office in Washington D.C."

"You said you would only do that if the Huxtable brothers sign?"

As soon as Sir Barrington finished, he'd already answered himself and his eyes sparkled. What couldn't his son accomplish?

"They signed last month. With Asher's friends and friends of the Huxtables, we can have a little manpower to start up security guards. Who wouldn't want to hire Navy Seals to protect them?"

Asher mouthed something slick from across the table.

"That's wonderful news indeed. I assume you have enough capital?"

"I have many investors interested. They would help fund the new developing programs to improve my first protocol."

His father sucks on his cheeks. "The protocol that backed up your data? I thought it was unsuccessful in real time?"

Lucas explained that he'd increased the speed with a simple matrix equation and upgraded the coding. Turns out, that's all it needed.

The intelligence he held was impressive.

Sir Barrington chuckled at something he said.

"Once we start talking business, it's hard for others to understand. Let's move to other matters. I don't suppose you slept well last night. I had Abigail change your sheets. How long will you be staying?"

The second course arrived and it was a golden soup a l'oignon. As the dishes were swapped, a ringtone disturbed the soft clinking of the plates.

Lucas searched for this phone and excused himself from the table without answering his father's question. He would most likely be finishing his meal in his quarters.

As soon as he left, Abigail could finally comfort Claire in low whispers. She had seen her future sister-in-law struggle trying to figure out which of the five spoons to use. She had nudged the disoriented girl and showed her the first spoon. And now, she slowly picked up the second one so Claire could follow through.

The rest of the meal included small talk about Claire's work and the couple's honeymoon right after. John was adamant to keep the trip quiet to avoid any assistance from Sir Barrington. There was no offense taken because believe it or not, Sir Barrington knew when he should dabble and when he shouldn't. John was more than adequate to pay for his own honeymoon trip to the Maldives.

Asher didn't stay the night. He had booked a room somewhere in the city and wouldn't tell anyone where.

"So the bad guys won't catch me," he answered with a wink before stepping into his vehicle.

The Head Butler had a small wing on the first floor for his family. The wing included two living rooms, two offices, a kitchen, and three bedrooms with their own private baths. They were the only servants living in-house while the others commute. In fact, the Campbells had been loyally serving the Barringtons for generations.

Claire just stopped by to drop off some stuff and returned. This was the last night she would spend as a single person and she would rather spend it with her family.

Abigail was let off her duties early tonight. She was requested to get a good night's rest in order to perform her best tomorrow.

Before Abigail hit the showers, she brought a glass of her Father's favorite tea and set it on his desk.

"Nervous?" He flipped through some pages without looking up from his chair.

"Hm? I'm not the one getting married tomorrow." She pressed her lips together.

Her Father finally stopped his hands and looked at his daughter. He was a very busy man and had missed a few of his children's important moments, but his love for them was no less than Mr. Barrington's.

As the Head Butler, many responsibilities befall him. He could cover for others, but no one could do what he does and that kept him preoccupied.

"Abigail, you must assess the relationship between you and your brother now that he's getting married. He has a duty as a husband now."

She picked her fingers, not sure where this conversation was heading.

"Nothing's going to change between us, Father. What are you implying?"

He gave it a good thought before voicing it.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Her eyes went large.

"Father! Why of course not!?" She almost jumped out of her skin at the thought of it. "Did John put you up to this?"

Her Father broke into laughter. It was rare for him to have such an intimate conversation with his daughter. If only his wife was still alive to divide the burden and share the accomplishments.

"Your brother cannot put me up to anything." He paused as if thinking about something. His smile subsided halfway. "Your mother would be so proud of you two."

It pains for her Father to talk about her Mother because her death was a tragic accident. As she grew older, she came to realize that a part of him still missed her and kept himself busy from thinking about it. To save his lonely soul, he rarely mentioned his late wife.

"Forget what I said. Go prepare yourself for bed." He reassured her with a smile.

Abigail left her Father's office. Her room was at the end of the hallway. The bedroom was plainly decorated as she didn't require much. She had a dresser right by the entrance door on the left and further down was a small sofa. Around the dresser on the other side of the sofa was the bathroom. A queen bed sat in the middle of the room on the other side of the door. Two windows are on either side of the mattress. The left side of the bed had a nightstand and after that was a desk.

It was a strange habit but Abigail loved opening her windows at night. She was used to the cool breeze as they kiss her skin and bathe her in the moonlight. Very few did she wear a nightgown to bed as she hated how the skirt would rise up her legs. Instead, she wore an oversized t-shirt with shorts, or a buttoned-down shirt and undies.

Snuggling under the sheets was also the best feeling. It's just the thought of being so alone in such a massive place that made her heart feel so empty. She yearned for her cottage in the woods, for her vegetable garden, and her waterfall.