The Bertie Mansion

XIII

A jaunty piano tune began from the depths of the attic and they started in surprise. Then Rob's voice rang out:

"Ah, I haven't played this for years! Too many people thought this place was haunted when I did."

"Well, it is haunted. By you!" Jeremy called back as Caleb giggled. "You can play?"

"A little bit. My mother wanted me to be able. This one can play itself," Rob responded. He joined the other two and eyed the box with a fond expression. "Those little guys came in through a hole over by the other side and kept me company from the beginning. Too bad this one is a little crazy."

Will came upstairs and announced the Downys had arrived for dinner. He looked on at the scene, unimpressed. "What's a box doing in the middle of the floor? Oh, god, is that another squirrel? Jeremy, I told you we should have called some pest people about this."

Jeremy shrugged; he didn't feel like defending his actions. The piano stopped playing and the attic. Will, not receiving an answer, sighed and left with the promise that he would call someone to take care of the animal.

"The Downys?" Rob asked. "Their son was a menace. Wouldn't stop following me around even when Jeremy told him to stop."

Jeremy pushed his glasses up. "You knew them?"

"Of course. They were another prominent family. Probably still are," said Rob. "Have fun. I think I'll stick this one out."

Caleb moved towards the stairs, close to stumbling multiple times in his haste. He held on to whatever he could with an iron grip as he navigated the shaky steps.

Jeremy followed and patiently waited for his chance to get down to the second floor hallway. Once he finally made it he pushed the stairs up and out of the way.

Caleb yawned, putting his hand in front of his mouth to block it. "Mmm. It's been a long day."

"It's been a long day for me too. Did I mention I woke before the squirrels?" Jeremy couldn't help yawning at the end of his words. The adrenaline of the day was fading just like the sun was setting.

"I believe you put it, 'the butt-crack of dawn,'" Caleb said. His tone was low as if he was embarrassed by the words and hesitated to say them loud enough for anyone else to hear. He wasn't crude by far, and even the silliest words that children giggled over could cause him to flush.

"Well, I thought it was funny," Jeremy replied. His friend groaned.

The two young men bantered a little more on their way to the dining room. Will was already there and setting the table; the meal was another proper one. Jeremy couldn't wait to begin, except for the guests also sitting at the table. There were four extra people: one little girl, her parents, and the old man he had seen at the train station.

Jade entered to see the progress of the table and smacked her elder son's hand away from the green beans. "You have to wait, Jeremy. We have company."

He muttered under his breath, crossed his arms, and stole a green bean out of spite when his mother left the room.

"We'll eat soon, Jer," Caleb said. He was just a smidge too short to casually wrap his arm around Jeremy's shoulders, so it fell around his waist. He held that position for a few moments before eyeing the aluminium foil-covered dish.

Jeremy snuck himself another bean, feeding one to Caleb before they sat together across from the parents. Will raised his eyebrows at that but Jeremy just stared back at him. "Did you really think I would let him starve?"

The girl bounced in her seat next to her grandfather and was telling him stories about her day as they waited for Jade and Will to finish bringing in the food they had prepared that afternoon.

"So," Mrs. Alexandra Downy began when they were all seated. "This is my dad. He's here to visit for a few weeks and I thought I'd start by introducing him to the neighbors."

"And a few weeks too many if this is what the town has succumbed to! Why are you hosting these Slickies in your home? I suppose the Findale honor has been defeated since the Great War. Who's bright idea was it to change the name to that traitor, Frier?" the old man burst out with ancient gusto for complaining.

Mrs. Downy was aghast. "Dad!"

"That's my son and his friend you're talking about," Jade warned.

Jeremy was about to speak in his defense when he felt a warm hand on his leg. He looked over and saw Caleb shake his head, telling him it wasn't worth it. Sighing, Jeremy filled his mouth with food.

The rest of dinner was tense but they made it through. The old man, Alexander as his name turned out to be, went home early to get some sleep. The rest of the Downys stayed for s'mores.

Jeremy used the protective glove to arrange the logs in the fireplace as it was burning, to keep it lasting longer. Then he stepped back and took a marshmallow to roast.

"Oh, this is so thrilling! I don't think Alyssa has ever done this before!" Alexandra spoke of her daughter while she held her one s'more delicately and bit into it with care not to smush the marshmallow outside the graham cracker.

The only one of the family to have a name that didn't start with the letter "A" was Thomas, the husband. He didn't have the same rich air as his wife and looked like a kid again. He wasn't paying much attention to the rest of the group as he devoured his portion of the treat. Alexandra hissed at him to stop, probably pretending to be subtle, but everyone noticed.

Alyssa had sticky fingers from her own marshmallows and didn't appear to notice as she watched Jeremy with the fire. After he finished, she swarmed him, trying to sit on his lap.

Caleb laughed at this and had to reiterate that there was something children liked about his friend. Perhaps it was the way he spoke to her, or how he didn't mind the company or tell her off for sticking her dirty fingers all over his clothes. It was adorable nonetheless and softened his rough exterior.

Jeremy propped the little girl, no more than ten, up in his lap and fed her as many marshmallows as she liked, having none himself. It was clear she was already on the way to a sugar high.

"She's never going to sleep now," Alexandra complained. "Alyssa, get off that man's lap right now and clean up."

"Oh, I don't mind," said Jeremy as he pulled another gooey treat out of the fire. Alyssa giggled and to repay him for his kindness, stuffed the marshmallow into his mouth. He obliged and hummed in enjoyment. "Thank you."

Now that she found a new game, feeding her chair, it wasn't long before the sugar lost its impact and she crashed, falling asleep in his arms as the adults talked. Jeremy gently cleaned off her fingers with a tissue and stroked her hair. Caleb watched for a moment and then scooted closer since they were both on the couch.

"How do you do it? I thought for sure she'd start running and screaming," he whispered. "I didn't peg you as a kid person. It's not your ego, is it? Being the manly man of the house and being all protective? Because those parents are usually emotionally detached."

Jeremy looked at him and grimaced. "I don't force ideas on her. Everyone from the government to her parents do that. I treat her like she's human, with her own mind and feelings. What she wants."

"Yeah, but how do you know that's what she wants?" Caleb asked, tone still hushed.

"Because that's what I want," Jeremy replied, simply. He shrugged and then pulled Caleb close, his eyes glittering in the firelight. "Because sometimes all you need is that one person who cares."

Caleb tried to smile. It wobbled and almost fell. "Jer," he said, soft and almost not heard. "I'm sorry. For everything. I shouldn't have yelled at you or called you names."

Jeremy breathed in deeply, as if smelling his friend, and held him to his chest for a few seconds. They had apologized in their own ways, forgiving each other fully. They were good now.

Jade butted in, ignorant to the scene. "Come say good-bye to the Downys. They're heading off now."

"I would stay longer," Alexandra said, "But you know the paranoia old men have. Just because I mentioned the floors have been creaking more than normal the past few months, my dad thinks our house is being haunted."

Caleb and Jeremy exchanged a glance before the latter handed over the sleeping child to Thomas.