The Lady's Butler

Separation Arc {Part 10}

(Part 10)

"Papa, you must trust me on this." Brandon insisted with his strongest voice, hoping that he sounded as responsible and straight-minded that he was supposed to be. Growing up in the Greaves family, where the dignified attitude was not a must and where family mattered more than their behaviour around each other had made Brandon a child that often took things lightly and easily.

Henry Greaves had always been afraid the Brandon might not be able to survive well in the painful, heartless and cold world when his son came of age, and thus had allowed Brandon to attend school at St. Clair rather than force Brandon back to be home-schooled once more. Still, to have his young son coming back from school one day –a surprise because Brandon had showed obvious liking to be staying far away from home, exploring his world outside –was something Henry was not sure he appreciated. Furthermore, the fact that Brandon was asking for something that could very well threaten the careful relationships that he had spent so much time building did not settle well with Henry.

Henry, as the Head of the Greaves family, knew that making deals and forming working relationships with Crawford was a dangerous things. However, no matter how dangerous it was, it was required of him to maintain the family power. Thus, he had done his best to appease Oscar Crawford despite of the quiet disdain that Henry had about the Crawford Head's bloodthirsty ideals. Henry had been pleasantly surprised when he met Louise Crawford, however, and when Oscar had suggested that Brandon and Louise be wedded to each other, Henry had jumped at the chance.

Henry could easily see that Louise would be a remarkable woman with the appropriate traits that would change his naïve, idealistic son –and he hadn't been wrong. From the occasional phone calls he made to both Brandon and Keyron, it appeared that Brandon had been steadily falling in love and changing over the days, becoming more and more mature. It also appeared that Brandon seemed to begin to understand the painful realities of the world in which his father worked in –that being kind, helping and forgiving required the strength of mind and heart.

"Brandon, you cannot ask Papa to trust you if you don't trust Papa with the source of your information. You don't want us to crumble because we went against Crawford, do we?" Henry answered his son in his most patient tone of voice.

It sounded ridiculous –the fact that Brandon had suddenly come home in the middle of a school day and told his father that he intended to make war with Crawford. He had initially thought that it was his son being childish, but even Keyron was on the same boat as he. And even though Henry might not trust his son sometimes to make the most rational of decisions, Henry trusted his son's butler –Henry's unofficially adopted son –to do it for Brandon's sake.

"I can't. It will put the person in danger. He is already at a very disadvantaged situation right now." Brandon's answer was not very convincing, and thus Henry turned his critical eye upon Keyron, who winced a little at the interrogative stare, but replied quickly with a nod in show of support for his young master.

"Master Henry, what Brandon says is true. We would tell you the identity of our informant if it does not put him at risk. This man can be trusted. I will stake my life to vouch." Keyron spoke up, knowing that his opinion was well valued in this difficult decision-making as well.

Henry frowned. The boys knew better than to interfere with the family's business, and they only offered their opinion when they thought clearly about them. The same thing had happened in the past when Brandon and Keyron were only fourteen. Both of them had come up to their father with the request of letting go of one of the companies under the family conglomerate that was doing rather well. Their vindication behind their request had been weak at best –but it had been due to the fact that both boys were rather weak in their business communication skills at that point in time.