It was starting to look like this castle ran on a staffing system I’d last seen inDownton Abbey when I’d watched that single episode with Jane while she’d been ill. I rubbed my hands over my face, but when I looked up again, he still hadn’t disappeared.
A footman. Okay. He’s really here.
“Thank you, Aaron,” I managed, not even making it sound like a question this time. “I’m W—Jesse, and this is already the nicest way anyone has ever woken me up.”
He smiled again and motioned toward the tray he’d set down. “I’ve brought breakfast.”
I glanced at it, realizing the tray held coffee, eggs, toast, and some fresh fruit arranged neatly on different plates. My mouth practically started watering as I registered it all. “Please tell me that’s for me.”
God, what a way to start the day.It occurred to me then that I’d drawn the curtains last night, which meant he’d even opened them for me.Talk about emotional waking-up support.
He inclined his chin in what I assumed was an enthusiastic nod for a staff member of distant royalty. “Yes, sir. It’s for you.”
“It’s official. You’re my favorite person today,” I said without even having to think about it. “Seriously, man. Thanks.”
Aaron looked amused but didn’t comment. Instead, he straightened the tray slightly while I climbed out of bed and crossed the room, trying to look like this was normal to me. Waking up in a castle, happy to find another dude already in my room.
I ducked into the bathroom to change, relieved that I’d grabbed a shower last night, and when I emerged, he was still there. When I sat down at the table, he took a polite step back and I wondered suddenly how this all worked. I picked up my cutlery, figuring I might as well ask. Before I made a fool of myself outside of the room too.
“Hey, so I met Dudley last night,” I said, spearing some kind of berry on my fork. “He said he was a butler?”
“Yes, sir,” Aaron confirmed, but didn’t give me any further information or call me by my name.
Well, my brother’s name, but still. It looked likesirdid it for him.
“He seems like a very dignified man,” I offered, still trying to make conversation in the hopes that he’d explain how the hierarchy worked around here.
Aaron inclined his chin again. “Yes, sir. He is.”
“I felt like I should apologize for existing when I met him,” I muttered. “How’d he get to be so…”
Aaron coughed lightly when I trailed off. I suspected it was his version of laughing. “Dudley has been in the employ of the Rodericks for many years, sir.”
“Sure.” I popped the berry into my mouth and chewed it, surprised by the burst of intense flavor that followed. “Wow. This is good.”
“Grown right here on the estate, sir,” Aaron said proudly. “The eggs are from our chickens as well.”
Impressive.
After swallowing a bite of the eggs as well, I picked up my lifeblood—coffee—and got back on track. Clearly, there was a lot more to this estate than I’d realized, but I had to start somewhere, and right now, that place was at the people. “Alright, so you and Dudley. Who else is there?”
“Excuse me, sir?”
“Well, I mean, there’s you, the footman, and Dudley is a butler. I’m assuming it’s not only the two of you keeping the estate functioning like a well-oiled machine.”
His chest puffed out a bit. “No, sir. There’s also Miriam. She oversees the housekeeping staff.”
“I haven’t met her yet,” I said thoughtfully. Then I looked back up at him. “Have I?”
“No, sir, but you likely will this morning.”
I nodded slowly and took a grateful sip of the coffee, swallowing and immediately wondering how I’d gone without this all my life. The coffee was as amazing as the eggs and berries—and it’d been brought to me before I’d even woken up.
I could get used to this.“Is there a valet lurking somewhere I should know about?”
“Lord Roderick has one,” Aaron said. “Thomas.”
Lord Roderick? Shit. I forgot how uptight they are about titles around here.
