"Storm's really raging," commented one of the men on the tour as they filed out into the hallway and to a smaller back staircase leading up to the second floor.
"We won't be hunting tomorrow, that's for sure," said another, sounding disappointed. "Forecast said it's to go all night and into tomorrow."
"We'll make our own fun," said Chudleigh. "I won't let you all languish in boredom."
As if one could get all that bored with a house full of books and warm places to read them.
Julian was second to last up the stairs, admiring Alex's form under his clothing while Geoff followed along, quiet but supportive of his boyfriend.
Upstairs, the hallway was more inward as well as narrower, with doors alternating on either side indicating smaller rooms.
"Up here is all the guest rooms, you'll see yours for yourselves soon enough," said Chudleigh.
A servant waited near their end of the hall and offered, "I can show any of you your rooms if you'd like, so you can freshen up for tea."
"Is it that time already?" said Chudleigh, checking his pocket watch. "So it is. Go ahead and spruce yourselves up, and I'll see you back down in the big parlour for our tea. Formal dinner's in the dining room, of course, but I thought we might like something more casual for tea today."
They might all be seated according to rank in the dining room, which Julian was curious about. He and Alex seemed to actually outrank everyone there, so they might get to sit up with their friends instead of down in the middle as they might at adifferent sort of dinner party. They hadn't yet been subjected to the Queen's hospitality outside of individual teas, but there was an underlying promise that she might someday make them come out and play nice amongst the true elite. Dukes and Earls wouldn't care much about Viscounts, after all.
Not that Alex or even Julian cared much about Dukes and Earls, which was probably what kept the invitations away.
"How are you holding up?" Julian asked quietly, as the servant led people one by one to their rooms.
"I'm just glad to have you and Geoff here," said Alex. "I do want to drag you back down later to look at the conservatory, though, that glass was interesting."
"I know," said Julian with a chuckle. "I could barely pull you away."
"What's interesting about it?" asked Geoff.
"Different spells than my conservatory, to do the same kinds of things," said Julian. "You know Alex, he always wants to learn the alternatives, even if he'll never use them."
"Knowledge is never wasted," said Alex with a prim, fake little huff.
Julian giggled at him.
A surprisingly loud meow sounded down the corridor.
Alex and Julian exchanged looks. "I think our cats are calling us," said Julian, moving to the front of the line. "We're coming, darlings!"
"You brought cats?" said Bruce Camellia, an esquire of some sort, Julian thought. Also kind of a swot, he seemed to recall from ages past.
"We have fairy cats," said Alex, moving up with Julian. "They help us magically, and we spoil them in turn."
The servant looked very amused at this reaction. "We fed them as your note requested, but they've been trying to get out and find you all afternoon."
"We'll let them roam with us later, perhaps. They're too smart to make any real trouble," said Julian, following them down the hall to their suite. It was really just a bedroom and bathroom, which made sense for the layout of the hallway, but it was spacious enough for the two of them, even with three cats loudly scolding them now, standing just inside the doorway.
"Yes, I know, we left you in the room," Alex was saying, while Julian smiled apologetically at the servant, who seemed to be trying not to laugh.
"I'll just get the next person to their room," they said, instead of any commentary on the two lords being resoundingly harangued by a trio of cats. Kittens, really, as they weren't even a year old.
"Can you let us in, please?" said Julian, stepping a little closer.
There were more loud meows, but the kittens did move back to go flop on the one bed.
The images they'd sent through their limited bond were all of boredom and confinement, so at least nothing had happened to draw their ire. They were too used to being free to roam thecottage or apartment, and annoyed at being left behind for so long when there was a whole new house to explore.
"Fine, yes, we'll make sure Lucas is okay with you guys roaming the halls, but watch out. Apparently the brother collects snakes," said Alex, sending an image of the viper to them in its tank.
