The Master Finale | manxman | (Book Four: The Master Collection)

II - Not Yet Rosebuds

Jasper pondered on how many lives Timothy could have taken in his thirty plus years on the earth. Ten, one hundred, two hundred? He already looked like the kind of man who didn't take much consideration into others, and the sour mood he seemed to always be in, made Jasper think he hadn't much of a stable mind. Then again, Timothy was always so calm and spoke properly. Aside from the heaviness in his jade green eyes, if Jasper had laid eyes upon the man without knowing a single thing about him, he wouldn't have considered him to be a common man. There was a particular aura that surrounded Timothy that spoke of another side, but Jasper couldn't be sure. Besides, Jasper himself was once viewed as common during his early years as a small lad, when in reality he was a nobleman. Could there be a possibility that Timothy was born of noble blood and then lost it all at some point?

For several minutes, Jasper remained in the tub, rinsing finely scented soaps over his pale skin, and then washed his hair. When he was done, he stepped out of the water and dabbed the wetness from his body, and dried his hair to the best he could. After scrubbing his teeth and freshening his mouth with mint pieces, he entered back into his chamber area. The front half of the room resembled a quaint living space with a few armchairs and a high-backed white and olive green designed sofa. He kept his favorite books up here rather than in the library, and there were empty vases propped up on stands that bore a resemblance to Roman columns.

Without a cloth to cover him, he ventured into the second half of the chamber where his wardrobes stood against the left wall. Taking out his dressings for the day, he took a burgundy outfit from inside and placed it on his bed. Bracing on his lengthy black socks that buckled up around his thighs, he adorned burgundy trousers that hugged just below his knees. When they were buttoned, he slid into a white ruffled blouse and a light gray vest. Once a big red and black bow was tied properly around his collar, he pulled on a burgundy long coat that was shorter in the front and lengthier in the rear. His blond mane was dried by the time he finished dressing, and lastly he stepped into black and tan saddle shoes.

He left his chamber then and entered into the hall. There was a woman carrying two tall curvy vases under her arms, one of the new housekeepers doing a job that Juliette usually took pleasure in; applying flower arrangements about the manor. "Good morning, my lord," she nodded with a curtsy, and when Jasper acknowledged her, she continued on.

The Master descended the left curve of the twin staircase leading to the first floor, able to smell the fresh breakfast being prepared. When he entered the dining room, Darcy and Juliette were already inside. The two Ladies were dressed splendidly in their nice gowns, Darcy suiting a rose gold attire that fit her perfectly, and her sleek black hair had a white band behind the part of her bangs. Juliette, who was beside her lover, wore a green tea colored dress with long sleeves and a black ribbon tied loosely around her neck, brunette hair twisted back into a braided bun. While they were side by side having a lively conversation about the party the other night, the two lovely women smiled towards Jasper when he found his own seat across from them at the long table. "Hello, dear," Darcy said, "You look wonderful! Perchance you are dressed this nicely for a reason?"

Jasper knitted his fine brow, "Why ever would you suspect that?"

"A little someone by the name of Timothy informed me that you invited him to dine with us this evening. Pardon, but I am rather excited for the idea of you spending time with someone."

"It is not as though we will be alone," Jasper said, sensing why Darcy was so intrigued. Three years ago she began speaking of Jasper getting involved with someone in hopes of bringing him out of his preferred isolation, but the Master was never too fond of the topic. Besides, what man could simply walk out the door in search of the affections of another man? That is not how it worked these days. Not that Jasper wanted to hand over his love to any other person. The one he wanted was long gone.