A Malevolent Manner (Patrick Pierce #1) Read online

Pierce had actually taken his first step in blending in to life at the Manor earlier that morning. He knew that he couldn’t afford to make any new enemies, especially if some unknown ones already existed and were the reason for his presence here.

  Thus, after breakfast Pierce had travelled to Mr. Drummond’s office for a quick apology. Pierce didn’t feel bad about breaking his nose in the least. However, he felt it was best to try and get on Mr. Drummonds good side. Although sometimes ignorant in interpersonal situations, Pierce could nevertheless always perceive where power lay. From what he could tell Drummond held an inordinate amount of power for the position he held.

  Reminiscing on one of the plush leather chairs in his lounge, he could not help but feel his morning trip had been futile. The look on Drummond’s face during his apology would have done a poker player proud. He didn’t flinch, nor smile, nor sneer. The stony veneer had only slipped after the appearance of the girl.

  That Girl. Drummond had called her Jane and despite her uniform she’d seemed like more than just a simple maid. She had been a welcome change after spending a solid five minutes with Drummond. She was a black haired beauty with clever eyes that had scanned him with more than just passing curiosity. Maybe he’d try and track her down in the afternoon if he didn’t end up drugged again.

  Pierce’s reveries were broken by a small cough from behind him, followed immediately by the crisp voice of his valet.

  “Sir, the members are still out on a hunt. Shall I bring your lunch up and serve it in your office?”

  “Sure. I think it would be pretty awkward eating lunch in a giant room by myself. But I suppose I can’t just grab a sandwich from the kitchen, can I?””

  “No sir, that simply wouldn’t do. I’ll ring the kitchen and your meal should be up momentarily.”

  After a quick wash in his bathroom, Pierce made his way across the hall into his private office. Sitting in the leather office chair, he swivelled back and forth, taking in the room for the first time. In front of him was a massive cherry desk; its size seemed to double by the absence of anything on it. There was a collection of well-stocked bookcases surrounding the room, each adorned with a bust of the world’s great thinkers. The windows were large floor-to-ceiling affairs that provided the same view that he had witnessed in the early morning. Apart from that, it was the same type of office one might find in any number of great houses spread across Europe. Much more elegant and rich than anything he was used to.

  Eyeing the window once more, Pierce moved over to it to see the offered view. If the idea of escaping through the window with a collection of bed sheets tied together like a rope had ever been in his mind, the view before him dispelled it immediately. By his reckoning the window was easily forty feet above the ground below. The height his window provided actually made the view more spectacular than the one he had witnessed earlier. The hills seemed to roll more, the mountain peaks were closer and jagged, and the lake was larger and darker. Looking closer he thought he could see a collection of buildings in a bay off the lake.

  Seeing Melrose enter into the room from the corner of his eye, he decided to inquire about it.

  “Melrose, am I seeing things or is that a village down by the bay?”

  “You have a good eye sir, that’s Rooks Bay,” he replied placing the tray of food on the desk. Then coming up beside Pierce he continued, “I grew up there. It was quite pleasant.” Then he added while motioning toward the tray on the desk, “lunch sir?”

  “Yes of course,” he said, turning slowly from the window. Despite having lived a very middle class life until now, Pierce found that he was not opposed to some of these new luxuries. Smiling, he returned to the large desk in his new office, rubbing his hands together hungrily. “So what have they made for lunch?”