Getting to the Elssmith manor, Vitruvion's glorious noble city dwelling, complete with gardens, was an easy feat. Once Vitruvion's initial shock had passed, once he had murmured back the same thoughts as Stare - that he didn't have a brother as far as she was concerned - he had dismissed her. Eagerly she had left, wanting nothing but to be out of that place. He told her to be silent about the mysterious, possible relation, and she agreed, completely willing. Raevin remained quiet throughout the whole proceedings, just thinking her an absolute idiot.
A horse from the Hollow's stables, up and behind the building that hid the entrance, that was also known as the 'Guard House'. A single guard was sent with her - mostly to make sure she did as bidden. Once in she was greeted by a very happy amount of staff. Mrs Deerling, the cook, confessed they had hugely over bought on stock while Stare was away. Jeremy, the stablehand complained that his breaks were all over the place because of a lack of organisation. And Druss, the head butler as of just a half month previous, had completely freaked and forgotten apparently every skill.
Thus, Stare was faced with a full two hours of agitated organisation, the guard trailing her wherever she went. The last thing she did was grab the accounts book and pour over it, grunting when she saw what she had expected - costs all in wrong and the household making a huge loss for the week. It took her a further hour to correct it and give stern warnings to everyone not to overspend again.
Meanwhile the guard still followed, clearly having been given orders to mark on all that she did and the places she went. After she had sort of fixed the household - a week of hard work probably ahead of her as well - she looked at him for the first time and announced she was heading to her bedroom. As she climbed the stairs he wordlessly trailed after. When she paused, he did also, and it took her to actually walk fully into her fancy, panelled room for him to stop.
And speak.
"I'll wait out here, Miss," he said quietly.
She nodded back. "Please do." And she closed the door loudly in his face.
Once in her eyes glanced around the room, blinking slowly and directly comparing it to her old one - now Sable's. It was richly decorated, but far more homely. There was no need to drape the room, because the walls themselves were a fine panelled wood. The colour of the room had recently been changed, from red to a series of blues and greys. Heavy dark indigo curtains hung around a bay window, the main light in the room. A massive oak four poster bed, that matched the grand furniture, a woollen rug on the floor. A huge bookshelf held a series of books that she had collected over the six months of employment, as well as trinkets from her travels. It was a good room, a personalised room, with a gorgeous en suite beyond.
Stare fell onto her feathers bed, sighing with desdain and exhaustion.
It was not long before she curled up into a tight ball and sobbed her experience of yet another hell away.
