Heart of Thorns - Nicolette Andrews

Chapter Two

The brush ran over the fabric of his dinner jacket with a scratch, scratch. Edward lost himself in the ministrations of long practice. Griffin had been in the family employ for the better part of two decades and had served his father before he had served Edward. Griffin's hair was grayer than black nowadays, and he had gone rather thick in the middle, but he still worked hard and had an eye for detail that was not easy to replicate.

Griffin put down the brush with a gentle clack. Edward opened his eyes and looked at the rain-streaked window. The weather had given them only a short reprieve. Once that afternoon, he had looked out his window to see the dim light pushing through the clouds. A glimpse of the sun was a welcome distraction from the tedium of estate management. The wheat was suffering from an overabundance of rain; the roots were rotting in the ground. A dozen sheep on another tenant farm had been killed by some kind of animal. Wolves, the tenant insisted. He swore he had heard howling the night it happened. Of course, that was not possible. It had to be wild dogs. Perhaps I should send out Mr. Wolfe to deal with this problem.

"What cufflinks tonight, my lord?" Griffin asked, bringing Edward back from matters of estate.

Edward was thoughtful for a moment. "I think the pearl." He pointed to the pair in the case that Griffin stood beside.

"Good choice, my lord," Griffin said in his rumbling baritone. There was something reassuring about the older man that Edward attributed to Griffin's longtime employ in his household. While Griffin worked to dress him, Edward let the day's worries slip away.

Griffin pulled out the cufflinks from their velvet-lined case and was preparing to attach them to Edward's dinner jacket when thunder rumbled through the sky and Edward startled. He knocked the older man's hand aside, and the cufflink went flying. It hit the wall and fell behind a bureau.

"My apologies. I don't know why I am so jumpy," Edward said somewhat sheepishly.

"Think nothing of it, my lord. It is normal for a young man to be excited about introducing his bride to his loved ones."

Edward smiled. I suppose I have a right to be excited. I imagine they will all fall in love with her in an instant, just as I did.

Griffin sank down on his knees and was hard-pressed to hide the groan as he did so.

"Griffin, is it your knees again? Let me fetch the cufflink."

Griffin's wide face was awash with shock. "My lord, please do not trouble yourself. It is no great pain, just the natural ailments of time."

Edward squatted down beside his valet, watching for signs of pain, prepared to offer assistance if there need be any. Griffin gave pretty speeches, but in truth he was getting on in years. Service was a difficult occupation even for the most stout of men. Perhaps it's time I consider a pension and retirement for Griffin. It would be a shame to lose him.

"Ah-ha, there you are," Griffin said as he retrieved the cufflink. He pulled his hand out, and though he tried to push away Edward's hand of assistance in getting him back to his feet, he succumb in the end.

Griffin opened his hand to reveal his prize, and sitting beside the missing cufflink was a silver locket. "My lord, I found this alongside the cufflink."

He held it out for Edward, who was hesitant to take the trinket. It was a pretty item, engraved silver of a tree with bare branches that wrapped around the curved edges. The trunk of the tree had been carved into, and there was a heart with tiny initials there: MLA. I thought I lost that.