"It's true, I haven't traumatised a tech in years," he agreed with an evil smirk.
Julian poked him with his actual elbow this time. "That's because I've softened you up. It turns out being happy makes it hard to be cranky all the time."
Another of the wives had drifted over and was giving Tsukiko an excuse to leave. There was one group of husbands all together in a self-selected single-sex circle, laughing heartily and looking, to Alex's mind, rather absurd.
The wives gathered around Tsukiko's husband weren't any better, really, though there were a few singletons in both groups. Alex didn't know if that made it worse or better.
"Chudleigh, what can you possibly have planned for us in this weather?" said the woman, who Alex couldn't place.
"Dear Lady Johanna, do you doubt my ability to keep you entertained?" said Lucas. This time, he let himself be drawn out into the main room to do his job as host, though Geoff decided to stay by the fire.
"I should really be mingling, too," said Whitby, looking out at the ever-moving crowd of partygoers. "I do have that business thing coming up and I need to look lively if I'm going to get investors."
"I'll stay here and keep Julian company," said Grover, giving Whitby a small, sweet kiss. "It might take two of us to keep Alex from being too feral."
Whitby laughed at that and stood, straightening his clothing and marching out as if for battle, though he immediately let himselfbe drawn into a smaller conversation circle with a laugh that Alex suspected was fake.
"So what have you been up to?" asked Julian, turning to Grover.
"Oh, I'm learning to keep up the household, not the work, you know, but correspondence, answering questions from the chatelaine, that sort of thing. He hasn't got a proper butler through some kind of family tradition, nor a secretary, so I've been helping him out and it's really nice. Plus, you know, he takes good care of me."
"I can see that," said Julian.
"It's good to know I didn't make a mistake, matching you two up," said Alex with a wink. "You're practically glowing."
"As if you two don't radiate it," said Geoff, though it wasn't bitter at all this time, given his own happiness.
They gave up on polite nonsense and talked instead about their real lives, their days, and let that carry their small group until the next person came by to see what they were up to, or warm themselves by the fire, and the next.
Soon enough a chime sounded and Lucas smiled. "Ah, it's time to move on to the tour! Those who don't wish to join us may stay here, or retire to your rooms. The servants can show you the way."
Alex perked up. He'd been dying to see the finished work, as had Julian, so this was finally something of real interest. Talking to friends was all well and good, but the constant interruptions hadmade it less than ideal. A tour would be just the thing to cheer them up before tea.
Chapter 5
Chudleigh was in front of the group, with slightly less than half the invitees electing to come along on the tour. Geoff, who presumably also knew where they were going, took up the rear with Alex and Julian.
The couple didn't know where anything was, they just liked hiding in the back where no one would try to talk to them.
"The main part of the house, which we're in now, was the original manor and had very little done other than some refreshed paint and wallpaper," said Chudleigh, leading them all toward a big pair of double doors. "This hallway leads to both wings, though the East Wing is mostly occupied by family and servant quarters, as well as the kitchens and such, so we'll just visit the West Wing today."
He led them through the doors to a hallway that smelled of new wood and renovations, the scent faded enough that it was pleasant rather than overpowering. To the left, a series of doors led off to several corridors, including one that opened to reveal both a staircase and a maid in her uniform, who bustled through a different door on her own business, heedless of the group.
To the right there was an open archway that led to a long corridor, with a set of stairs just off the archway to take people to the second floor.
"This first floor is mostly rooms for practical use by the family, including a drawing room, a den, and a conservatory down at the end," said Chudleigh, sounding like he'd practiced. "The corridor runs along the front of the house, with large windows to let in light, while the rooms are all on the back of the house. This first room is a drawing room, which has been completely refurbished."
They filed into the room, which had large windows, now curtained, and furniture that looked slightly more on the comfortable side than the stuff in the big parlour. It was big enough to hold everyone there but not too many more, and had two conversation groups as well as a harpsichord and a card table. Julian had a feeling a lot of people would be spending time in here, especially the ladies, as the conservatory was bound to be freezing.
Polite commentary was made on the colour and fabric choices while Alex hummed quietly to himself and listened instead to the choices of household spells. Julian piggybacked on his senses, holding hands to get the full effect through their bond. There were spells on the furniture for durability and stain resistance and even a few for comfort, though not on everything in this room. The curtains had spells to resist fading and keep out unwanted weather like the cold storm going on right now, and the fireplace had its own battery of standard safety spells.
All in all, it was a normal wealthy person's parlour, with the underlying hum of the house wards and blessings harmonising and supporting the homier magics. Alex's no-pest charms were there, too, distant but clear as the two charms were designed to cover the entire household.
The rest of the rooms went much the same way. The den had a more comfortable feel to it, with cushy leather furniture and more comfort charms, as well as more robust sturdiness charms. It shared the fireplace with the drawing room, or at least a chimney, as there did seem to be a back wall preventing people from peering into the room next door. Next, there was a well-appointed study, a library that was much more full than Alex and Julian's fledgling effort, and finally the conservatory, with white drifts piling up against the extensive windows and even on the sloped glass ceiling.
That room was magically climate-controlled and had an assortment of lovely plants and even a few trees, though the whole thing had an air of dark and cold thanks to the wan winter light, already fading even further behind the implacable clouds. It was set up for one big group, with cushioned, backed benches and scattered small tables to hold teacups or cool drinks.
They finished up there more quickly than before, and though Alex was finding the spells on the conservatory's glass-and-iron framework fascinating, Julian tugged and he followed along. They could always come back out here to contemplate the construction, sturdy and well-warded, but different than Julian's truly outdoor greenhouse. This was still a room in the house, with wooden floors and a small windowsill that ran around the room at about knee height, except where French doors were closed up tight.
