Chapter 5
Chudleigh was in front of the group, with slightly less than half the invitees electing to come along on the tour. Geoff, who presumably also knew where they were going, took up the rear with Alex and Julian.
The couple didn't know where anything was, they just liked hiding in the back where no one would try to talk to them.
"The main part of the house, which we're in now, was the original manor and had very little done other than some refreshed paint and wallpaper," said Chudleigh, leading them all toward a big pair of double doors.
"This hallway leads to both wings, though the East Wing is mostly occupied by family and servant quarters, as well as the kitchens and such, so we'll just visit the West Wing today. "
He led them through the doors to a hallway that smelled of new wood and renovations, the scent faded enough that it was pleasant rather than overpowering.
To the left, a series of doors led off to several corridors, including one that opened to reveal both a staircase and a maid in her uniform, who bustled through a different door on her own business, heedless of the group.
To the right there was an open archway that led to a long corridor, with a set of stairs just off the archway to take people to the second floor.
"This first floor is mostly rooms for practical use by the family, including a drawing room, a den, and a conservatory down at the end," said Chudleigh, sounding like he'd practiced.
"The corridor runs along the front of the house, with large windows to let in light, while the rooms are all on the back of the house.
This first room is a drawing room, which has been completely refurbished. "
They filed into the room, which had large windows, now curtained, and furniture that looked slightly more on the comfortable side than the stuff in the big parlour.
It was big enough to hold everyone there but not too many more, and had two conversation groups as well as a harpsichord and a card table.
Julian had a feeling a lot of people would be spending time in here, especially the ladies, as the conservatory was bound to be freezing.
Polite commentary was made on the colour and fabric choices while Alex hummed quietly to himself and listened instead to the choices of household spells.
Julian piggybacked on his senses, holding hands to get the full effect through their bond.
There were spells on the furniture for durability and stain resistance and even a few for comfort, though not on everything in this room.
The curtains had spells to resist fading and keep out unwanted weather like the cold storm going on right now, and the fireplace had its own battery of standard safety spells.
All in all, it was a normal wealthy person's parlour, with the underlying hum of the house wards and blessings harmonising and supporting the homier magics. Alex's no-pest charms were there, too, distant but clear as the two charms were designed to cover the entire household.
The rest of the rooms went much the same way.
The den had a more comfortable feel to it, with cushy leather furniture and more comfort charms, as well as more robust sturdiness charms. It shared the fireplace with the drawing room, or at least a chimney, as there did seem to be a back wall preventing people from peering into the room next door.
Next, there was a well-appointed study, a library that was much more full than Alex and Julian's fledgling effort, and finally the conservatory, with white drifts piling up against the extensive windows and even on the sloped glass ceiling.
That room was magically climate-controlled and had an assortment of lovely plants and even a few trees, though the whole thing had an air of dark and cold thanks to the wan winter light, already fading even further behind the implacable clouds.
It was set up for one big group, with cushioned, backed benches and scattered small tables to hold teacups or cool drinks.
They finished up there more quickly than before, and though Alex was finding the spells on the conservatory's glass-and-iron framework fascinating, Julian tugged and he followed along.
They could always come back out here to contemplate the construction, sturdy and well-warded, but different than Julian's truly outdoor greenhouse.
This was still a room in the house, with wooden floors and a small windowsill that ran around the room at about knee height, except where French doors were closed up tight.
"Storm's really raging," commented one of the men on the tour as they filed out into the hallway and to a smaller back staircase leading up to the second floor.
"We won't be hunting tomorrow, that's for sure," said another, sounding disappointed. "Forecast said it's to go all night and into tomorrow."
"We'll make our own fun," said Chudleigh. "I won't let you all languish in boredom."
As if one could get all that bored with a house full of books and warm places to read them.
Julian was second to last up the stairs, admiring Alex's form under his clothing while Geoff followed along, quiet but supportive of his boyfriend.
Upstairs, the hallway was more inward as well as narrower, with doors alternating on either side indicating smaller rooms.
"Up here is all the guest rooms, you'll see yours for yourselves soon enough," said Chudleigh.
A servant waited near their end of the hall and offered, "I can show any of you your rooms if you'd like, so you can freshen up for tea."
"Is it that time already?" said Chudleigh, checking his pocket watch. "So it is. Go ahead and spruce yourselves up, and I'll see you back down in the big parlour for our tea. Formal dinner's in the dining room, of course, but I thought we might like something more casual for tea today."
They might all be seated according to rank in the dining room, which Julian was curious about.
He and Alex seemed to actually outrank everyone there, so they might get to sit up with their friends instead of down in the middle as they might at a different sort of dinner party.
They hadn't yet been subjected to the Queen's hospitality outside of individual teas, but there was an underlying promise that she might someday make them come out and play nice amongst the true elite.
Dukes and Earls wouldn't care much about Viscounts, after all.
Not that Alex or even Julian cared much about Dukes and Earls, which was probably what kept the invitations away.
"How are you holding up?" Julian asked quietly, as the servant led people one by one to their rooms.
"I'm just glad to have you and Geoff here," said Alex. "I do want to drag you back down later to look at the conservatory, though, that glass was interesting."
"I know," said Julian with a chuckle. "I could barely pull you away."
"What's interesting about it?" asked Geoff.
"Different spells than my conservatory, to do the same kinds of things," said Julian. "You know Alex, he always wants to learn the alternatives, even if he'll never use them."
"Knowledge is never wasted," said Alex with a prim, fake little huff.
Julian giggled at him.
A surprisingly loud meow sounded down the corridor.
Alex and Julian exchanged looks. "I think our cats are calling us," said Julian, moving to the front of the line. "We're coming, darlings!"
"You brought cats?" said Bruce Camellia, an esquire of some sort, Julian thought. Also kind of a swot, he seemed to recall from ages past.
"We have fairy cats," said Alex, moving up with Julian. "They help us magically, and we spoil them in turn."
The servant looked very amused at this reaction. "We fed them as your note requested, but they've been trying to get out and find you all afternoon."
"We'll let them roam with us later, perhaps.
They're too smart to make any real trouble," said Julian, following them down the hall to their suite.
It was really just a bedroom and bathroom, which made sense for the layout of the hallway, but it was spacious enough for the two of them, even with three cats loudly scolding them now, standing just inside the doorway.
"Yes, I know, we left you in the room," Alex was saying, while Julian smiled apologetically at the servant, who seemed to be trying not to laugh.
"I'll just get the next person to their room," they said, instead of any commentary on the two lords being resoundingly harangued by a trio of cats. Kittens, really, as they weren't even a year old.
"Can you let us in, please?" said Julian, stepping a little closer.
There were more loud meows, but the kittens did move back to go flop on the one bed.
The images they'd sent through their limited bond were all of boredom and confinement, so at least nothing had happened to draw their ire. They were too used to being free to roam the cottage or apartment, and annoyed at being left behind for so long when there was a whole new house to explore.
"Fine, yes, we'll make sure Lucas is okay with you guys roaming the halls, but watch out. Apparently the brother collects snakes," said Alex, sending an image of the viper to them in its tank.
They all reared and puffed briefly, but calmed again as their humans closed the door and came in to pet them gently, cooing comfort and praise the way the cats liked best.
"I'll text Lucas so he can warn the staff," said Julian, taking out his phone to do so. Lucas, of course, was happy to let the cats roam the halls all they liked, and they went back and forth a few times to make sure someone would be happy to let them back in their room when they were tired.
"There, you're all set. It's a rest time for us humans, so let us take our jackets and shoes off and you can come cover us in fur."
Alex laughed and stood to do so, taking Julian's coat to hang as well. "They'll mostly be underfoot, I suspect," he said, sending the cats a wave of love that Julian caught the edge of, and followed with his own.
"That's okay, lap cats are good conversation starters," he said. "The spells on this set of suits should keep the hair from sticking, no matter how much they shed on us."
The cats gave them the impression that they were going to take this as a challenge.
Nightshade leapt from the bed to land on Alex's shoulder, grace supported by the magic they were learning to use now that they were older. Alex's face suggested it was also supported by claws, but at least she'd made the jump.
"I'm coming to you," said Julian, shoes abandoned at the end of the bed as he flopped in it and got comfortable so that Cinnamon and Sage could climb him and demand the petting that was their due.
Alex joined him soon enough, Nightshade jumping down only to immediately colonise his entire chest, fur spreading violet-dark over the embroidery on Alex's waistcoat.
They were all growing longer hair now, too, though for the most part they still kept it well-groomed.
They did like to be brushed, however, and would sometimes insist the humans spend a good long time going over all three of them until they were satisfied.
"You are so spoiled," cooed Julian, kissing first Cinnamon's cream-and-red forehead, and then Sage's soft lavender greys. The two of them were draped up on Julian's chest with their back ends on the bed so that Julian could use both hands to pet.
They'd been very quick to learn how to get what they wanted, and what things prevented the same.
"All right," said Julian. "Set us some kind of magical timer so we have time to actually freshen up before tea?"
"I don't know when tea is," said Alex. "I mean, specifically today."
Julian huffed. "Pet your cat, then, useless man." He sent a wave of fondness through their bond, getting bubbles of humour and love right back, and settled in for a bit of a rest of his own.