Retrace bxbxb

Caution

Lord Marksworth gave a content smile and nodded for Harper to rise. "All is well then, please be on your way. They should be arriving at any moment." 

Harper's eyes widened and he jumped up, running out of the room after he gave a quick bow to his laughing lord. He made short work of the servants passages throughout the large home, arriving in the laundering area in time to load his arms with fresh linens. He then made his way to the two neighboring rooms and set to work making the beds. He also dusted the curtains, dressers, headboards and swept the floors. 

The other maids tended to keep the rooms well enough, but Duke Arthur and Rule were two of lord Marksworth's closest friends, so Harper always went out of his way to make sure that their rooms were immaculate. He held no ill will toward either of them for catching him so long ago, like his master seemed to think, but both of them were far too observant. They made his stomach knot with chaste comments about how he acted like a lad, whether it be his posture, speech or eating habits. They picked up on everything so easily that Harper had just taken to disappearing when they arrived for his own safety. He could not be found out. Add to his worry that they were bringing a dog, an animal that never seemed to get along with him no matter what he did, and Harper was eager to finish his duties and vanish. 

He was just about done in the room when he felt something cold and wet press up against the back of his left leg through the worn cloth of his trousers. He leaped, a startled cry swallowed before it could escape his lips as he spun around. A very large, wiry-looking mongrel stared back at him with dark brown eyes, panting with its floppy tongue hanging from the side of its mouth as if it didn't mind that it was drooling about on the carpet it now sat on. 

It likely doesn't. 

Harper's heart was racing as he eyed the beast. It didn't seem to be aggressive like the one's who'd chased and attacked him over the years when he'd lived on the streets, but that didn't mean that it wasn't waiting to strike. 

Deciding to air on the side of caution, Harper began taking careful steps around the animal, moving as far from it as he could while still heading toward the door. He was just about to step out, the beast watching him over its shoulder but not bothering to actually follow, when he felt a gentle puff of warm air against his cheek... right before a pair of lips pressed against the same spot. 

It took everything in him not to turn around and swing his fist at Duke Rule. The man had greeted him the same way each time he'd visited in the past. Harper knew that he just wanted to get a rise out of him, and was glad that he'd finally managed to control himself and not have to incessantly apologize for swinging a punch at someone so much higher station than himself. Putting on his best welcoming servant smile, Harper turned and bowed deeply to the man. When he straightened back up, his eyes rose to quickly assess what Rule was wearing, and his general appearance. He hoped that he would be tired from his travels and wish to rest right away, but as Harper's eyes moved from his perfectly shined black dress shoes, pressed grey trousers, and his fitted white button-up dress shirt and black coat, he could tell just from the man's posture alone that he wasn't anywhere near tired enough to retire for the evening. 

Drat. 

"Hello, sweetheart. How have you been?" Rule purred as Harper finally allowed his eyes to raise and assess the man's face. He had a smooth jaw, no stubble in sight unlike the last time they'd met. His dark blond hair, which almost appeared a soft brown in the dim lighting, was mussed, like he had been driving the horses for part of their trip, and his eyes shone with a steady excitement for trouble. Definitely not tired. 

Forcing back a frown, Harper widened his smile and replied. "I am very well, my lord. Is there anything I can get for you or your dog?" 

A cold nose against his left wrist jolted Harper again, making him stumble to the side and trip on the edge of the rug. He expected a hard landing, but when the back of his shirt was snagged by a strong hand and he was yanked back up to his feet, Harper blew out a relieved breath. When he felt steady again, he turned and bowed. "Thank you, sir." Except, when his eyes rose to meet the other man's, Duke Arthur was the one standing before him, a chuckling Rule right behind him.