Beast

Chapter 12

The odd distance Alex had enforced on them continued for nearly a fortnight before Elise gave up trying to figure out what was wrong. She had asked about it and been shot down enough to where it was starting to affect her confidence, but he was always kind but firm in his assurances that there was nothing wrong. One night, she had even begged him to tell her what she had done, and he had just stiffened and told her it was nothing she had done and left his own bedroom to get away from her. He had taken to locking the door between their rooms from that night onwards. He had deposited her sleeping form in her own room at some point and then left her alone, locking the door. Elise had silently cried over that for hours after waking up and trying to go back to him. He was cutting her out of his life and Elise could not find out why. Even Rowan seemed confused with this change in Alex's behaviour, he had tried talking to him about it and was told quite brutally to leave well alone. Rowan had just shrugged at the perplexed look on Elise's face and said he had not seen that side of Alex in about 10 years. And thus began her retreat into the Library.

Rowan spent more of his free time with Elise after this point. Joining her in her Sanctum Sanctorum and relating stories of both he and Alex as young boys. He had been the son of the previous butler who had died just before the accident. He had been a lad of all work at the time, apparently, being groomed as he was to eventually become Alex's Valet he was expected to take lessons from the Duke's Valet whenever the man had the time. These 'lessons' constituted being sent away with stacks of books and diagrams on everything from cravat tying to table etiquette and told to get on with it. Elise found out that there were only 2 years between Alex and Rowan, which was a silly thing to be so excited about she thought. He was younger at 30, he had added with a small triumphant smile which made Elise's lips twitch despite her general sadness. Rowan continued, with a sad smile of his own, explaining that he was always in awe of the older boy. Rowan had said Alex was always so full of fun and mischief; so generous with everything he had, he even had Rowan sit in on his lessons so he would be as knowledgeable as his future master. Alex had argued bitterly to his father that how was someone who didn't know how he was to act ever be able to help him fulfil his duties as a future Duke. His father had finally conceded the point, in an uncharacteristic show of benevolence. Alex had crowed his delight in private with Rowan, though Rowan could not help but think there would be some retribution visited on Alex for his attachment to the younger lad. Rowan and Alex had rubbed along rather swimmingly, until that horrible night when Alex had been nearly 14. Alex had asked Rowan to come with him to the village, but he was overruled by a sharp smack to his face and a snarl from his father about Rowan being a bloody nobody - a bloody servant. Rowan had watched this exchange and shrunk in on himself as he watched his vibrant friend dim a little in the face of such aggressive distaste for their friendship. Alex had put a hand to his face, turned to Rowan and offered a small secret smile, brightening again and then asked to be left to his duties for the night, perhaps the housekeeper needed some help getting provisions sorted and distributed. This has been met with a sharp inhale from his father, but it seemed this was the right of it in the end. The old Duke had clapped his son on the back and said that there would be much to bring to the villagers if they were to keep getting their rent after this ridiculousness. Alex, Rowan had confided, was thinking of helping the people in their time of need, whereas the old Duke had been trying to keep the money flowing with a grand show of benevolence to people he could not have cared less about.

Rowan had skimmed over what exactly happened next, though his did tell some awful stories of the days after poor Alex had been brought back. He talked about the agony, the Doctor's grim prognosis, the old Duke's distaste for his injured heir and the fact that none of the servants were allowed to see to Alex. The old Duke had said that it was the duty of the Doctor and ONLY the Doctor to care for that boy, Rowan had not listened and had often asked the Doctor how to do things for Alex while he was away. He had worked alongside him, to get as used to caring for Alex under the watchful gaze of the Doctor before he was no longer necessary. It was three weeks of working in secret, before the doctor finally announced that he could do no more, but would send over a full time nurse for the rest of the recovery period. Rowan was distraught, but the Doctor had confirmed that he would still visit every week to see the progress, and check the wounds. The nurse was a competent if dispassionate individual. She followed the Doctor's rules to the letter, even down to leaving pain relief for the full eight hours before re-administering, rather than accepting that the phrase was actually six to eight hours.