Melinas Men

Chapter Four.

Chapter Four.

The next morning I was up bright and early, obviously not before anyone else, Jessa was always the first one up. But I was out of my room before her. Sitting on the alfresco with black coffee and a plate of fruit to pick at, I watched the world go by. I watched them, Eric and Jack, they had the horses and were gallivanting around the property. They both seemed to be naturals, hunting was a popular sport, so I assumed it was from that. I watched them both, polar opposites, have such a beautiful friendship. I realised that I was more watching Jack over Eric and it made me unsettled. Polar opposites, I thought. One good for me, one not. One I was drawn to, one I wasn’t.

It scrambled my brain. Considering I was never one to follow my families wishes Eric was probably the best suited suitor for me. I could potentially screw that up and then become what? A spinster? At least then I’d be free to make my own decisions, probably live in a castle with Jessa and whatever high-powered man she may marry. Or here with Michael as he became King Carmichael of Kensington. But if I’d become a spinster and not have to marry, then why couldn’t I love someone without status? Would that be so bad for the family? I would never be Queen of Kensington, King of Kensington was Carmichael’s title, along with whomever he married, then followed down to his children. Not me. Why did they care about me so much? To have allies. This wasn’t the olden days, there was no wars between families or countries or even towns.

“What are you doing?” Michael snapped me back to reality.

I realised I was still holding the same piece of fruit, with my mouth open.

I looked at the grape then quickly threw it in my mouth, “nothing.”

He sat down beside me and looked out towards the two men on horses, “were you drooling little sis?”

I laughed, I was in my own head, not drooling, “no.”

“Do you actually like Prince Eric? That’s not like you to want what our parents want, that’s enough to put you off it—,” he stopped in his tracks, looking back at me, staring at me.

“What?” I widened my eyes at him.

“It’s his assistant, isn’t it? Jackson?” Michael opened his mouth in shock.

I laughed, oh god, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It makes perfect sense, he’s a commoner, in mums eyes a servant. That must be so attractive to you.”

I laughed, throwing a blueberry at him, “you think so little of me?”

“Not at all, I think so highly of you that you know everyone is human. Status means nothing to you,” he smiled.

“Well, that’s nice of you, but no. I don’t even know Eric’s assistant. This is the first I’m seeing of him,” I stated. A lie.

“Really? The first thing I noticed when they all got here was the man with all the tattoos,” Michael said.

“Oh, are you the one with the crush?” I joked, wiggling my eyebrows.

He popped the blueberry I threw at him into his mouth, “fat chance.”

It was true, Carmichael had more opportunities than us girls to go venture and see what was out there, and for a time he was a womaniser.

“I’m going to be watching, see how this plays out,” he began, “this could be entertaining.”

“Have at it, you’ll be sorely disappointed,” I winked at him, getting up and heading inside.

The maids were placing down pastries and fruit for mum, dad and King Angus to sit and eat breakfast in the sunroom.

“Hello Georgia,” I smiled at my personal maid, and also a good friend.

“Hello, miss, is there something you need?” She gave me a playful look; she was the one that helped me stay hidden when I got up to no good.

“No, nothing today. Make sure you do get to relax; you are MY maid after all. Don’t let them pressure you into doing their duties,” I looked between the other two maids who smirked.

I was friendly with all our staff, not only because they turned a blind eye to me.

Georgia laughed, “they’d never let me get away with doing nothing all day.”

“Suit yourself,” I walked off, back towards my room.

I changed into my most casual clothes without looking too ‘common’ as my mum would say. That was dark denim jeans, my riding boots and a light grey blouse. I was allowed to do one job a day, and one I had to fight for.

Looking after the beagles, we had about six. They were there for when the men liked to practise hunting, and on the odd occasion actually hunt. I didn’t like hunting for the obvious reasons, but I liked being around the dogs. Every morning I would get up and feed them and give them a bit of exercise if I could. And if I couldn’t, Georgia would do it for me. We were both glad to finally get this job.

I walked out through the stables, grabbing the dog food, and towards the back to where the beagles resided. Once they saw me, they got super excited.

“Hello, hello,” I said in a baby voice, scratching the heads of all the dogs as they jumped up along the fence.

“Okay, back,” I called sternly. They all stepped back a few inches and sat, so I could get into their cage.

We were one of the few properties that had a large area for the beagles, most had to have them in separate cages, but ours were so well behaved.

I tried to name them once, but they are all too similar it never stuck, I had to forever look at their tags. So now they do have different coloured collars, but not names.

I just spoke to them by their colour.

They all sat there whining, moving their front paws ready to stampede to the food trays once I let them.

I filled up all six trays to the brim then stepped back.

“Okay, go,” they all ran forward and dug in. The bowls were colour coded and they all went straight to their own, devouring the food.

Whilst they did that, I turned on the tap and filled up their trough with drinking water.

“You’re very good with them,” I looked up to see Eric standing along the gate, holding his riding helmet.

“Thanks,” I smiled at him. Far behind him I could see Jack leant up against a tree watching us, watching me.

“I’ve never seen a princess have such duties as this,” he told me.

I laughed, “do not tell anyone out of this place, I fought very hard to have a job such as this, if at all.”

He smiled and nodded, “your secrets safe with me.”

I was still standing by the trough when the dogs had finished eating and was now bombarded by them trying to get to the water. I held onto the gate to steady myself.

“Maybe one day you’d be able to teach our dogs to be so well behaved together, we have five that have to be separated at all times.”

I looked at him, I didn’t really know how to answer that. That would mean I would move away to live with him, accepting this marriage.

He must have seen the fright in my eyes, “sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s okay,” I shook the thought of out of my head, “just caught me by surprise.”

“Well,” he looked back towards Jack and the horses, “better get these guys back to the stables. I will talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

I looked past him once again to Jack who was now laughing.

I got back to doing my duties with the dogs, I was way behind schedule which made things harder. Cleaning up their business while they ate was much better than doing it once they had finished. They were now jumping on me waiting for their routine play after breakfast as I tried to clean up their poop.

“Just give me a minute,” I laughed, speaking to no one, or dog, directly.

Once I finished, I tied the now full plastic bag and tossed it over the gate, to dispose of after I finished playing. I found multiple tennis balls and threw them all as far as I could without reaching the boundary as all the dogs ran off to retrieve them then saunter back for another. Except for Blue, Blue was my favourite and the oldest, well past his hunting time, but we kept him around. He just stood by my feet while the others played. He knew he’d get the most head scratches that way.

No other dog bothered him and his antics, he was still the boss of this litter.

After half an hour I finally bid my dogs farewell and left their area, taking the plastic bag with me to dispose in one of the bins in the stable.

“Fancy seeing you here,” a familiar voice said as I entered the stables.

“Were you waiting for me?” I asked, dumping the bag in the bin.

“Not at all, I do have jobs to do myself you know, Eric’s dirty work,” Jack said, continuing to groom the horse he was with.

“Yeah, so much for being a bodyguard, right?” I joked.

“That wasn’t all a lie, I do protect him as part of my job,” he smirked.

“Yeah, I guess so,” I continued to walk through the stables towards the house.

“I’ll probably be back out here later this afternoon as well,” he called to me as I kept walking.

“Is that an invitation?” I laughed, still walking, not waiting for an answer.