A Malevolent Manner (Patrick Pierce #1) Read online

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  Closing the door behind him, Pierce looked down and cursed his feet. Place him in a fencing match and he turned quick, athletic, and even graceful. But put him in the company of an attractive woman and he could barely take two steps without stumbling into something. He’d been at the Manor for less than twenty four hours, but he hadn’t magically transformed into a suave gentleman.

  A grumbling from his stomach reminded Pierce that it was close to lunchtime. Deciding to clean up before the meal, he headed back towards his rooms. He tried to take the same route that had carried him to the Secretary’s office that morning. From what little he’d seen of the Manor, it was a huge labyrinthine building. Castle would be a much more apt description than manor.

  Down a long portrait lined gallery, right along a columned hallway, and finally out to the Main Hall. He took a large set of stairs down, once more marvelling at the size and majesty of the hall. Huge stone columns rose from the marble floor holding up a massive domed ceiling, its carved figures staring down at the mosaic designs on the floor below.

  He walked across the main floor, his new shoes silent against the hard stone. This made him reflect on the silence of the hall and building as a whole. He was currently the only one present in a hall as big as a train station. He whistled a short tune, the sound and its echo slicing through the air. He fought the urge to yodel and thoroughly disrupt the peaceful atmosphere.

  Glancing to his left he appraised the large main door. A behemoth of wood and iron, he could picture it being assaulted by a battering ram and mail clad intruders. There was something truly medieval and historic about the building, an air of past inhabitants flowed through it. Maybe it was haunted?

  He shook his head clear of these flights of fancy. Pierce continued to another staircase on the opposite side of the hall, the twin to the one he had just descended. Retracing his earlier steps, he made his way back along galleries, staircases, and halls to his rooms.

  From what he could tell, his apartment was isolated from the other members. He had yet to pass another door with a brass plaque on it. His rooms consisted of a single floor within one of the Manor’s many towers. -Entering inside he immediately found himself in the foyer, which then led into a comfortable lounge. This held a large stone fireplace, surrounded by leather club chairs. Paintings and tapestries depicting events in history adorned the walls. An arched opening led to his more private rooms; a well stocked office, a dressing room, and a bedroom. All of these areas were equally decorated and furnished in a rich though utilitarian fashion. And it’s all mine, he thought with a growing smile.

  Pierce kept wondering why he’d been recruited and what they really wanted from him. Nobody just hands you a new luxurious life out of nowhere just for being yourself. The whole ordeal had been a confusing whirlwind so far. But taking in the obvious richness of his environment, Pierce decided to just go with it. He would stay alert to everything, but he’d try and look as though he were a willing participant and follow along. It would actually be pretty easy, since that was how he usually dealt with things; he kept his head down, blended in, and brought as little notice to himself as possible.

  Chapter 4