Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Charlotte was sitting in the spacious parlor, wearing in a dark purple dress. The color made her hair impossible to miss- the same deep red as Callum's.

The only difference between the two was that hers was neatly arranged in a fashionable hairstyle, while Callum's had begun growing longer again.

She was watching the rain, falling quietly outside.

Oliver paused at the entrance. He'd seen her, even though it had been briefly before, and not only in Tennyson's mansion, but that was the first time he'd seen her like that- by herself, oblivious to the presence of someone near and Callum's striking resemblance to her gave one a pause.

The thought that one of the reasons behind Tennyson's behavior could be the fact that Callum took so much after his mother passed Oliver's mind for the first time ever.  He wondered how it had taken him so long to realize it.

He waited for her to notice him and smiled once she turned to him.

"Ah. Mr. Abram. I didn't see you come in."

"I didn't want to interrupt you."

"What could a woman think of on a rainy day that couldn't be interrupted."

"I don't think it's the weather that affects our thoughts."

He said and took the seat she offered him opposite her.

"I beg to differ." she said "Nevertheless. You're my son's valet, I'm afraid we've never had the chance to speak to each other alone before."

"Yes, madam. I just...expected Lord Callum would be here."

She didn't answer the implied question and instead said.

"My son has taken a very big liking to you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought you here."

"I'm his valet, I assume taking me with him was a necessary decision on his end."

She tilted her head- the same way Liam had when he'd seen him that first time- and the Lady  said

"I'm grateful, he definitely needed a ...an efficient valet."

She smiled and looked back away. Her eyes returned to the rain outside and she asked.

"How is Charles?"

"Lady Charlotte?"

"You worked for him, correct?"

"Yes."Oliver decided it's pointless to play the oblivious servant and said "He's well, he's coming back to England soon."

"Please end him my regards once...I mean if- you see him. "

"I will, Lady Charlotte. "

"How do you like Easterwel, Mr. Abram."

She asked more cheerfully.

"It's a beautiful place."

"Very. It's the reason why I spend so much time here. Unfortunately for some reason, Lord Tennyson avoids coming here at all costs. "

Oliver noticed how she didn't refer to him as "my husband" or anything a woman would call the man she was married to.

"Perhaps he's busy elsewhere." He offered politely. One of the maids came in, bringing tea and Charlotte said simply.

"He always is. "

The maid eyed Oliver- he was sitting opposite the Lady, not as a servant, but more like a guest. Yet, the girl smiled politely at him and retreated.

She almost ran into Callum, who was angrily fighting with his black cravat. Oliver got up.

"Allow me, Sir. Why didn't you call for me."

"Nonsense. "

He gave up on the cloth and pushed past Oliver to take one of the sweet rolls from the plate on the table.

"And spare me the Sir in front of my mother. She knows you've been helping me. "

Oliver looked nervously between the two and sat back down.

"Is there any news about Edward?" she turned to Callum and asked, concerned.

"Xiao says he's fine," he said between chewing. "But still- that was a few days ago. Although I think he's keeping to being in one place for now. "

Callum finished the roll he'd picked up and went for another one.

The lord had probably noticed the questioning look in his mother's eyes at the information he’d shared and said.

"Xiao is Edward's friend. "

Charlotte sat straighter

"I don't know if I like where this is going."

"Well, he is my friend too now."

"A friend?"

"Yes."

"Who is this person?"

"He's been helping me. I would've never had a chance to find Edward if I hadn't tried to find his friends here first. "

"This is unbelievable. How long has this whole thing been going on for?"

Charlotte sounded alarmed.

"Around a year. We began looking for him around..."

"I'm not asking since when you look for him. I'm asking about your friendship with that person and how long has it been going on for."

"Uhh..." Callum took a bite and looked at the biscuit he was now holding.

"Who makes those?"

"Don't try this with me, Callum. I am your mother and I know you better than you know yourself."

She glanced at Oliver and he could swear the look she gave him meant to say "I know about you too." before she turned back to her son.

"The only thing I can tell you is what I've already let you know. " Callum said "I could never find my brother in the middle of nowhere if I hadn't associated with his friends here. That's all."

She closed her eyes and asked, "Does Liam know about this?"

"Kind of."

"Elaborate on ‘ kind of’."

Callum took the empty plate

"He's doing other things, you know that. I'll go for more biscuits."

He got up and his mother stopped him.

"Call for the maid. "

"No, I need the walk.

"You...uhh.."

He never looked at Oliver even once and headed out.

Charlotte turned to Oliver

"And you thought bad weather doesn't affect us. I'm absolutely in a worse mood now. "

She pouted, crossed her arms, and looked away.

Charlotte looked much younger, even though she couldn't be much younger than his own mother had she been alive.

And while she was very feminine, she'd kept the casual beauty of the gestures young girls made unconsciously.

Oliver had never been attracted to women - in any way. But seeing  Charlotte now he had a better explanation as to why would someone want her, and be ready to risk everything because of her.

****

The rain had stopped and Charlotte announced she would get a carriage to the nearby manor to meet a friend.

Afternoon visits and soires were quite popular among the ladies and Oliver escorted her to the carriage.

He found Callum on his way back, smoking. The lord hadn't taken a coat and it looked like he'd just finished taking a stroll in the rain.

"Do you need me to bring a coat?"

Callum took an angry drag and said "I thought it was 'Your Lordship'. Or whatever you were calling me last night. "

Oliver's favorite mood of Callum's was the one he was in now, so he said

"It's My Lord. Did you walk around in the rain?"

"No, I'm getting hard the moment you're too close to me, so I'm trying to distract myself. "

The gardener passed by and greeted them, hurrying to gather the things he'd left before it began raining again.

"And I can't really afford walking around like that."Callum continued, his eyes following the man " They’ve seen the worst, considering what my family's like, but that would be too much even for me, don't you think. "

Callum was so different when he was ...what? More like that, although Oliver didn't have a name for the mood he was in yet.

"Did my mother question you?"

"I don't think she wanted to know something more outside of she already did. "

"You're most likely right. Whenever there's something she wants to know, she goes directly to the person who holds the answer."

"She reminds me of someone. "

"No, not me." Callum smiled "Is this why you didn't stay with me last night."

"What ?"

"Because my mother and more people would be here today."

"I just thought it would be more complicated. I wasn’t sure if servants came to your room in the morning, or walked around at different times."

“Yes, well…”

Oliver moved closer and said, lowering his voice

"Besides, I thought we needed to be clear on where you stand with provoking me."

Callum inhaled and said after a short consideration.

"I went to bed and thought of you while fucking my hand for I lost count how many times.

Then I thought you'd come. When you didn't I thought maybe I should come find you. Then I decided against it again, because it was already really late. "

Oliver tried to focus on something else and not the vision of Callum doing all that when the lord said

"So I returned to my bed and thought of you fucking me while fingering myself. "

He turned to look at Oliver and made a face "Ridiculous."

"You might have had a better time without me, Cal."

The Lord turned deliberately to face him, dead serious and pointing at him with the cigarette still between his fingers "If you consider ever leaving me like that again, I'll never speak to you. "

Oliver tried not to laugh out loud at the childish, at the same time absolutely adorable retort of the lord and said.

"I will keep that in mind."