To Love A Myth - Book 1: Mr. Higgs and the Maid🎩✔️

30

Despite what Higgs thought, all seemed to be going well between Kans and Merida. A little too well, if he had any say in it. They spent a lot of time together, Merida trying new things on Kans to help with the Midas touch or she was checking in on Edgar, who seemed to be doing better. Although he loved his uncle dearly, Merida was his maid...

***********************

"Ms. Dunbrough."
"Hmm?" Merida said, looking around. She finally looked up. "Oh, Mr. Higgs. What are ye doing up there?"
"I've been here practically all month..." he said with a growl as he slowly descended the webbing. "Or have you completely forgotten about me since you've discovered the travesty of my uncle?"
Merida blinked for a minute and then smiled, patting Higgs on the cheek.
"Yer eenil, I ken ye. I havenae forgotten ye, Mr. Higgs."
He pulled away from her. "I am not anal."
"Not anal, eenil. It means yer jealous."
"I am not jealous. Don't treat me as if I were a child."
"Then ye best act like an adult."
"Why are you getting angry with me? I was just making a statement."
Merida sighed. "Mr. Higgs, I ken ye for a good moment to know that ye dinnae just call me out on a whim. Ye ken I've been trying to help ye uncle."
"I know that..."
"Do ye miss me?" she asked, batting her eyes as she leaned into his torso.
Higgs moved out of her way and crossed his arms. "That- that's not why I called you out."
"Then what would it be for?"
"I just... I... I want to make sure you're not getting carried away."
Merida smiled pensively at her employer as he tried so hard to seem unaffected by the lack of attention.
"Higgs, I ken ye feelings. I'm spending most of my time with yer uncle and Edgar than with ye. Ye dinnae have to be ashamed of that."
"Who said that's what it was in the first place? You're making accusations."
"Alright, alright... An it makes ye feel better, Kans feels bad aboot keeping me to himself. He's mentioned it several times. It's just that he's becoming more confident and watching him realize his own potential... Ye were good practice, Mr. Higgs."
"I see... well... I mean... if he's happy..."
Merida grabbed one of his hands and held it in hers.
"Ye will always have me, Mr. Higgs. Yer uncle is verra interesting and has so much emotional trauma that I could spend months just trying to tame it all, but I became yer maid and I will remain in yer company. Ye dinnae have to worry about me switching sides."
Higgs looked away, embarrassed, and pulled his hands from hers.
"Of course... but... I will tell you what I told Uncle Kans. He got mad at me for it but it's for your own good: don't get carried away. Please... He's opening up and that's great, but with new life comes stupid mistakes. Please just try..."
"Trying is the best I can do for ye."
She pat his arm and walked away as Higgs blew out and ran his fingers through his hair.
"For someone who isn't jealous, you sure are acting that way."
"Why do you keep sneaking in on my conversations?" Higgs grumbled, looking up.
"It's part of being a vampire. One of the few quirks I like. Besides, even if I wasn't a vampire, I could have heard your desperation halfway across the mansion."
"I'm not desperate."
"Didn't look that way to me. 'Oh, Merida, you haven't noticed me all week!' 'You like my uncle better than me.' 'Don't get too carried away with my uncle (because I want you for myself).'" Radek mocked as he put his hands to his face.
Higgs sneered and then yanked the webbing he was holding onto and made Radek lose his grip. He landed on his feet (of course) but he snarled just the same.
"You know nothing." Higgs snarled.
"I've lived a lot longer than you have, kid, and I know desperation when I see it. Don't sell yourself short or invulnerable to an infatuation. To be honest, I think the girl is good for you. You should ask her to court you."
"Ew, no, not Merida. She's a combination of a sister, mother, and companion. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, I've tried getting close to my maids before and all I've ever gotten was disappointed and betrayed. She knows it's all platonic."
"What if Kans liked her? What if he got all the boldness he needed and finally got the nerve to confess to her? I mean, they're closer in age than you two are..."
"I told you, I don't like her like that. And if Merida could make him do that, then all power to him and to her. She helped him mold his own path, so why not give him the prize as well?"
"You're settling."
"I'm being practical. You said it yourself, he's closer to her age..."
Higgs just grumbled and pushed his uncle away from him. Radek watched his nephew carefully and then tapped his finger on the banister.
"Your maid is good at threats, right?"
"What?"
"Ms. Dunbrough; her main exhibit is her use of colorful and hard to understand threats, right?"
"I guess... what's this about?"
"I'm going to take a page from her book from me to you: Kans is happy with her, the happiest I have ever seen. He's stood up for himself, he is actually able to eat, and I've never seen him smile so bright as he has in all this time. My little brother deserves happiness like this. If you try and take that away from him in any way, shape, or form, I don't care if you're my baby brother's son, I will rip your fucking head off."
Higgs turned swiftly to his uncle as he gripped the banister, the marble crumbling under his fingers.
"If you think I would do that then you're an idiot, Uncle Radek. I'm only trying to keep bad things from happening to ruin that happiness. I've been on edge ever since things have been going so well. Merida is sunlight but for some reason, rain clouds always follow. Somehow, someway (and not by me), something will go wrong. She's too impulsive for it not to..."
"Adding to my threat then, if I feel you get some sort of satisfaction in those rain clouds, the same ending applies."
"I think you need to feed. You're becoming murderous-"
Suddenly a horrified scream filled the mansion and a crash in the kitchen caught Higgs and Radek off-guard.
"I'M SORRY! NO!!! I'M SORRY!" Kans yelled.
Higgs took off but Radek was quicker and pulled Higgs out of the way and into the wall as he ran fast as lightning to the kitchen.