The Knight of Slaughtaverty

Chapter 6 - Hanging out with Leopold

Present Day 

He suggested a horse!

According to Leopold, horses were the preferred method of transport for the lords of the manor since they liked the exercise, and horses were the best suited for most of the terrain they needed to visit.

Oh, lovely.

Well, that explains the subtle fragrance like honey and tea I catch whiffs of every time the wind changes. I rather like the smell of horses (the animals, not their manure), but I haven't been on one's back even once in my life, and I am not interested in starting an equestrian hobby now. I'll pet them and longingly gaze at them from afar, but I don't want to put my life in their hands... hoofs.

Besides, I can just imagine how obnoxious and powerful these animals would have to be to endure their masters. Alaric's horse will probably give me condescending looks and try to bite me, while Ransford's animal might lick me and offer to share his hay with me. Liam's horse might be suitable, but... no.

I asked Leopold if any transport was available to me of any shape or form that involved having an engine, and that is why I am now standing at the door of a vast garage I'd mistaken for a big barn. Well, it probably was one in a former life.

Leopold pulls dust covers from various large lumps neatly lined up in the obscenely clean garage. A couple of motorcycles. Uhm... hahaha... nope. The old-fashioned bicycle - with a basket - could be a possibility, but then I think of the steep, winding road along the cliff and the steady upward slope through the forest, and I realise that I'll end up pushing it more than riding it.

There is a car! My first reaction when Leopold mentions it is, 'Yay', and then he pulls off a section of the cloth covering it, and that reaction changes to 'Nay!' This vehicle consists of at least two cars attached nose to end. It's a limousine!

Very funny!

"How on Earth do you drive that vehicle on these insane roads, Leopold?"

"Very carefully, Miss," he answers in his dry manner, not even a hint of a smile on his face, causing me to have a fit of giggles.

"Leopold, did you just make a joke?" I ask, shocked to my core.

"I never joke, Miss."

"Do the Slatherties really drive around the island in that?" I cannot imagine navigating all those bends in such a long vehicle, let alone on the precarious edge of a cliff.

"I drive them on the rare occasions when they need to use it, Miss, but as I've said, they all prefer horses."

I wonder what those rare occasions might be. Their coronation ceremonies where they collect the adoration of the commoners while giving the rabble cold looks and tight nods? Thinking of Alaric makes my stomach churn, so I decide not to think about him anymore. Maybe it is Ransford who uses it to take some woman or another for a ride... No, thinking about Ransford is not much better.

My spirits are flagging again, and I felt so hopeful less than an hour ago. I woke up to the sound of the alarm on my phone this morning, and it was today, not two days from now. I had no visitors last night, not in my dreams or awake... that I'm aware of. I'd been nervous about going to sleep last night and thought I'd be lying awake all night since I pretended to be the sleeping beauty for almost two whole days. I even brought my book from the drawing room to keep me company, but I was out like a light shortly after getting into my bed.

Perhaps having that rather lovely wine with my dinner did the trick.

This morning, I felt refreshed and excited about meeting Billy later. I fetched my laptop from the office and spent quite a bit of time studying all the beautiful ornaments in my bedroom, making as many notes about them as I could after superficial once-overs. I ran into Leopold when I finally went to the kitchen, searching for a second cup of coffee, which I'm proud to say I made myself.