Last Minute Jitters

Writers: Eimi, Kaysea
Date Posted: 31st January 2008

Characters: Causton, Daigoro
Description: Causton's family finally arrives at the Hall
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 8, day 14 of Turn 4

He had been feeling on edge all morning, the excitement hard to contain and he knew the boys were feeling the same way. Finally they would be a complete family again - he couldn't wait to lay eyes upon his wife and the girls. He had been lost in a day dream for the better part of a candlemark, aware that elsewhere in the Hall grounds the new family residence was being made ready for the new arrivals.

"You look about as nervous as I felt on my wedding day," his Hallsecond grinned as he put a hand on his shoulder. "Fidgiting won't make the boat sail any faster."

"May be not, but I feel as if the day is crawling and I'm moving quickly
- does that make sense?" he asked, shaking his head. "I'm a sixes and sevenses." he dropped the pen on the desk in front of him. "Let's go have a klah. I feel the need to stretch my legs and get the jitters out of me."

"Sounds like a good plan. And if I know our lovely kitchen staff, I'd say they have a batch of cookies in the works too." And he knew the kitchen staff very well indeed.

"Oh...really?" Causton looked across at Daigoro, "Inside knowledge? Am I to think that maybe the cookies were a request and this is favouritism?" he grinned, opening the door and ushering Daigoro through.

"Most definitely. My wife takes good care of me. She caught my stomach first and then wooed me with her charms. She's devious that way."

Causton let out a bellow of laughter, "She certainly does. And that's only one of the things I have been missing since Geni and I have been separated. She used to spoil me as much as the children. Sometimes I think she thinks I _am_ one of the children."

"You're not going to change her mind, are you?" his second asked as they turned a corner. "You can get away with a lot more if she think you're charming in a boyish sort of way."

"I'd like to think I have enough charm, to get me out of trouble with her, without being boyish - Ednes and Bryton can give her enough of that." he countered with a smile. "But shards, I've not had anyone to practice on for months now and I miss being spoilt by her, it would make a nice change of pace right now."

"By the way, a quick change of subject." he said, "How have the boys been behaving? Geni will expect a good report when she arrives. Have any of the Masters or journeymen had any complaints about them?"

"I haven't heard any complaints. They get into no more trouble then the rest of the young lads we have running around here." Daigoro did remember finding the boys sneaking around in places where they didn't belong, but he had discouraged any thoughts of trouble they might get into by making them scrub out his brewing vats. No harm done really.

"That's good, I'm pleased to hear they've been keeping within normal bounds. Things should improve, even with them, once Geni and Teene arrive. Teene keeps pretty much on top of all of the children, for us.
So you should see an improvement in them the moment she arrives." he smiled thinking the boys may not be so pleased.

"I'll be moving into the Hallmaster residence with them within the next day or so. Once Desree and her willing band have finished the overhaul.
It's looking quite grand now, compared to the way it was when I first went to have a look around when I arrived here."

"You weren't a fan of Fielton's re-decorating scheme?" Daigoro asked, rather amused. Of course, getting the rest of the Hall in working order had been first priority when they had all moved in. It was no wonder the new Hallmaster didn't approve of the half-hearted attempt at making it presentable. He hadn't seen the buildings before they moved in.

"No, I can't say I was." Causton laughed aloud, "Though something tells me he had other things on his mind. Though if he was a miserable man I could understand why. That place was _depressing_."

"I think his misery had more to do with the fact that his young wife had just died." As soon as he said it Daigoro wished he could take the words back. It had been rather insensitive of Causton to say, but he shouldn't have been so quick to jump to Fielton's defense. How was Causton really to know of the sorrows they had all endured over the last turn. He hadn't been there, after all. "But I'm sure they're looking lovely now."

"Oh Daigoro, I'm...I didn't know." Causton said quietly. "How insensitive you must think me." his face registered his remorse. "And he stayed in that place, too." he shook his head, feeling even worse for the man he had replaced.

"It's all right," Daigoro assured him, feeling the heel himself. "She was one of the ones we lost when part of the old Hall collapsed in the quake."

"So many loses." Causton shook his head sadly. "And I fear things didn't improve for the man while he was here." his eyes caught and held Daigoro's for a moment, "Have you heard from him since he left? I-" he held up his hand, "I just wondered, I'm not trying to pry. He was your friend, I expected you to stay in touch."

No he hadn't stayed in touch, and it rather worried Daigoro more than he cared to admit for several reasons. "Fielton was always a private and complicated man. I have a feeling he thought it best for everyone that he make a clean break from the Hall."

"I see..." he hesitated for a moment, "Do you think he would have told his children?" he knew it would sound like a strange question, and decided to tell Daigoro why. "It's just, well..." another pause, this was awkward, "I had a visit from an unfamiliar flit a little while ago, With a message from Fielton's daughter. I - I had to break the news of her father, I - I didn't know what else to do."

"Fieayz? Ah yes. Well perhaps he was afraid his leaving would have an effect on her fostering at the Smith Hall and decided on purpose not to mention it, just in case." Though he should have thought to tell _her_.
Poor girl. "How is she? Was she doing all right? Perhaps I should send her a letter myself."

"Yes, I think that was her name." Causton paused thinking hard, "I'm sure she mentioned the Smith Hall in the message I received. But I'm not sure how well she would have done, hearing from me about her father." he shook his head. "It was a day or so after I arrived, so maybe he didn't have time before she sent the message to him here." he shrugged, "I suppose a message to her from you, wouldn't go astray."

"I will write her then." They had been on friendly terms, after all, and Daigoro did miss the girl. "Thank you for bringing it to my attention." As they opened the door to the kitchen the Hallsecond breathed in deeply. "I smell cookies."

Causton burst out laughing at the expression on Daigoro's face.
"Honestly, you'd think you were no more than ten turns old, with that look on your face."

"My Cinale loves this face enough to keep supplying cookies to stuff it with, so I shan't take any offense this time," Daigoro replied with mock disdain at the Hallmaster's comment. "Now, I bet there'd be a fresh pot of klah somewhere. You find the mugs, I'll find the goodies."

"You're on." Causton nodded, looking around, "And we'd better be quick, I'd hate for Desree or Cinale to come in and catch us in the act. Then I'd feel like I was no better than my sons." he chuckled deeply, as he spied the mugs up on the shelf.

The Hallsecond chuckled as he gave the Hallmaster a gentle clout on the shoulder. "Ah, no fear now, Hallmaster. You outrank Desree, and as far as Cinale... You can leave her to me and my ten-turn-old charm."

"I may outrank them both, but it still wouldn't make me feel any less childish for sneaking those cookies," he sniffed the air, "which do smell absolutely delicious, by the way. Hmm, I'll have to get Geni to ask Cinale for the recipe, I'd love walking in to our place at the end of the day and smelling that..." he said wistfully.

"Oh yes." His companion grinned liked a feline who had caught the avian. Coming home to the smell of Cinale's cooking was always a delight. "Well, we'd best hurry before we're caught."

With a nod, Causton poured out two mugs of klah, added some sweetning to both, and turned back to see Daigoro with a plate of the freshly baked cookies. "Ready when you are!"

Last updated on the February 2nd 2008

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Last Minute Jitters