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Chapter Twenty Seven
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2024-10-29 19:42:56It had been raining the whole day yesterday, but it had stopped earlier today and Oliver decided to take advantage of the relatively good weather.
He occasionally helped inside, especially during the past few days, but he knew he needed actual physical work.
It was bearable the first days, staying inside- but as time passed, he knew he'll need to move around more.
In the army, they'd been on foot for days. After the army- even worse.
Sitting in one place could only work for that long. H ealso didn’t know he couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened that night.
Oliver had changed into an old shirt and a coat, with the idea of finding something to do in the mansion's yard.
He found Percy grooming one of the big black mares in the stables.
"You need help with that?" Oliver pointed to the next horse, approaching the young man.
"Nay, there aint much to be done. " Percy smiled a toothy grin. "But you can keep m
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Gentleman Code Chapter Twenty Eight
"I found a spider. " Jenny announced and sat heavily on the chair, pulling it closer to the dinner table. "There are spiders the size of cats in here!""If you cleaned better, we wouldn't have them, " Percy said and she tore a piece from the bread near her and threw it at him.He caught it and ate it."Hey, that was mine, " Della complained, and Adelia scolded them "No shouting, eat your meals, come on."Oliver gave Della some of his and she smiled briefly before muttering a "thank you “.They were just finishing with their dinner when Thomas appeared and told Oliver he needed to be upstairs. The butler never ate with them, which was both to their relief and annoyance, as the man mostly thought of himself highly enough not to share his meal time with the rest of the servants.Oliver gave the ot
Gentleman Code Chapter Twenty Nine
"Then suddenly, this chap jumps out of nowhere and hits me." "You? But why you?" "Beats me, I think they mistook Callum for a girl back then and didn't want to hit a lady." "They did not," Callum muttered grumpily. The three of them laughed and Oliver poured more gin for each. There were different glasses, scattered all over the table and he wasn't sure which was whose anymore. After they’d told everyone in the manor they were going on a short visit in the countryside, they had left for Kent the same day at noon and Xiao was waiting for them there in a small inn in the evening. "It tastes awful, almost worse than the food," Xiao said, tasting the alcohol. The food they'd brought them was, indeed, quite bad but neither of them had voiced any protest. Oliver had long ago learned not to be picky about his meals. It literally never mattered what he had, as long as it was food and he could have
Gentleman Code Chapter Thirty
When they arrived at Easterwel, Oliver paused, watching the country side house, as Callum referred to it. It was anything but a country house. The building was a bit smaller than The Fernsbury Manor, but at the same time there was something that made the place different. Magical. Oliver almost slapped himself for gaping like a complete idiot at it, and since when did those associations came to his mind. Nevertheless, he continued admiring the piece of art. Because that was what he was looking at. That was the place the household maids talked about occasionally. It very much resembled an actual castle, it was as if taken out of the stories Emma used to read as a little girl and dreamed of living in. Seeing one of those in front of him made Oliver feel out of place. The other time he'd felt that way and so strongly about it had been during the ball. It was dark, but he coul
Gentleman Code Chapter Thirty- One
The sunlight was peeking through the window curtains and Callum's warm body was pressed hard next to his. The deeper breathing meant Cal still hadn't woken up yet, and Oliver turned on his side and looked at the lord's sleeping face. Callum came from one of the most powerful families in the entire world, but Oliver had learned one thing and knew for sure -the Lord didn't want to be exactly part of it. Whatever it was, it was something close to that notion. Oliver searched his face and saw the freckles had faded away again, gone in the daylight. A sunray had settled in Callum's bright hair, the place where the ray touched the strands had turned them into the most beautiful color Oliver had seen.Scarlet. Cal looked peaceful. For someone like Oliver, the sight of someone sleeping soundly by his side still felt unreal. Like everything else. He still wasn’t sure if what he was doing was what Callum wanted. He
Gentleman Code Chapter Thirty Two
They left an hour later. The carriage took them somewhere north from Easterwel. Oliver didn't lose orientation, but one didn't exactly need specific tracking skills to know they were getting pretty far away from everything that included people wandering around. The coachman stopped at the end of the road and the two of them headed to the place Callum was given the address of. They paused before the old, presumably empty building. "Did they choose this place?" Oliver asked and stopped to take the place in. " I wasn't in the position to negotiate. " "How many of them are going to be in there?" "Two." Oliver took another look around, confirming there really wasn't anything nearby. That was never a good sign. "You know they'll be more than that. " "I should hope not that many." The Lord adjusted his hat and straightened up. "
Gentleman Code Chapter Thirty Three
"You saved my life there. No, not just my life." "No, they wanted to hear you, I just...scared the big guy a bit." Callum turned to him and said "You know...I sometimes feel like there are two of you. " "I could say the same. " "No, no Oliver. I am what you see. That's what has always been the issue with me. But you...I realize now why Charles entrusted you with...errands, as you call them. I only hope he doesn't regret giving you off." "He doesn't." Something passed between them in the look they exchanged and Callum turned to face the water. "I need to apologize to you." The beach was completely empty. It was the late afternoon, the hour and time of the year too inappropriate for walks by the cold sea. Callum's eyes were mirroring the color of the gray horizon ahead and the wind was playing with his bright red hair- it was scattered brightness on the dull background. "What for?" "I s
Gentleman Code Chapter Thirty Four
He crossed the spacious hallway, the butler politely showing him to Charles' study. "Allow me to say- I'm glad you're visiting us again, Mister Liam, " the man said and gave him a warm smile. "I'm glad to be here as well. And I'm always delighted to meet Charles." The numerous Chinese vases were decorating the long corridor and Liam took a mental note Charles had brought with him even more things from Canton this time. The place had started resembling a mansion that didn't belong in England and was more like one that was in the East. Liam really liked that. The butler retreated and Liam knocked on the door. "Yes?" Charles answered from inside and quickly got up once he saw the visitor was Liam. "My dear boy, " "Charles, I'm so glad to see you're fine and well." They shook hands and Liam remembered how welcoming Charles had always been with him. He always got that strange feeling he was very
Gentleman Code Chapter Thirty Five
"Please ask the maids to prepare two sets for dinner downstairs," Callum said. The butler nodded. "Are you expecting guests, My Lord?" "No, it's for me and Oliver. " The man and Oliver exchanged a look, but the servant acknowledged them only with a "Very well, Sir. " and went away. "I can't have dinner with you." "I don't see why not.” “You do. “ “It's only the two of us here today. Or do you prefer to dine downstairs with the servants? I don't mind, I sometimes do." "You're unbelievable. " Callum laughed and knew he'd have his way, the way he always did with people. The servant filled Oliver's glass and made for Callum's but the Lord shook his head. "I'll have some more later, thank you." It had been one of the rare cases Callum had eaten anything at all, and even though it hadn't been that much, it was still better than nothing at all. The candles in
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Gentleman Code Author's Note
A divine move is one that is non-obvious and it balances strategy and tactics to turn a losing game into a winning play.It comes from the神の一手Kami no Itte, meaning "move of God" or "Godly move".It is used in teaching as a motivation to look again at positions in games and consider not just the obvious moves but the less apparent and more innovative ones as well.A divine move is singular-they are of such a rarity that a full-time Go player might play a single such move in a lifetime.When I began Callum and Oliver's journey, I had already decided on the title. It was supposed to be The Lord’s Divine Move.However, the more I wrote, the more I realized it wasn't only Callum's, but Oliver's chance to change the turn of events and break the chains, binding him to his past.It’s a story of two people, constantl
Gentleman Code Chapter Forty- Seven
This takes place after Xiao and Henriette’s first meeting in chapter 37 The smoke is lazily curling in a spiral around his long, gentle fingers. Then it’s wrapping them in its blue cloud only to dissolve into the air a few seconds later when he exhales and his breath destroys the dancing shapes. It vanishes. The way he always does, always coming and going. He looks troubled and fails to conceal it this time. I can’t tell why. And normally I’m very good at telling what’s going on in someone’s head. He looks at me and it’s like he wants to ask me something, but doesn’t know how to turn his thoughts into words and voice them. One of Ella’s girls sits next to Xiao and runs her hand over his back. He ignores her and looks back at the table. Albert and him have been playing for the past half an hour in silence and it’s one of the rare cases they seem to be completely lost to just everyth
Gentleman Code Chapter Forty Six
Oliver came back to the manor late. After Nathaniel and him had split, Oliver took a carriage back to Central London, and then walked blindly around the city. This was happening. They had had an agreement and Oliver wasn't going to just go on another mission after that. He'd been waiting for this for years. For the chance to get out of this, to repay his debt to Nathaniel and just be done with it. Forever. To be free. And maybe even speak to Callum and explain everything. Oliver wasn't just going to let go. He was going to find whatever he needed to finish his job here, even if it was the last thing he was going to do. Once he was back in his room in Fernsby's, he took his coat off and changed. The cloth was soaked with the heavy smell of cigarettes and cheap food from the places he'd stopped at, so he hung his clothes by to the opened window. Tennyson was supposed to be leaving early tomor
Gentleman Code Chapter Forty Five
Oliver’s hand shot immediately to the knife lying next to the letters. He grabbed it and jammed it into the wooden table."What next time?"Nathaniel didn't even flinch and Oliver hissed, tightening his hold around the handle.“You know perfectly well what I mean.” The man said, hit tone borderline sympathetic. That made Oliver’s blood boil even more and he said, all emotion gone from his voice."You said this will be my last mission,""What did you exactly think- that you'd leave everything and start a normal life?"Oliver’s mind went blank.“No…”“Oliver, look...”"No…You were never actually planning on letting me go, did you?" He said, surrendering whatever plans he’d been holding on to. Nathaniel placed his palms on the table and began speaking.Oliver knew what was following, his boss always did that when he was about
Gentleman Code Chapter Forty Four
"Did you have to explain anything before you came here?" "I just told them it's my day off." "Do valets have days off?" "They do now." "Well, I guess you know better. You're supposed to be one, after all." "Yeah, one who doesn't know how to fold shirts properly. " Nathaniel moved to the window and closed the curtains. "I don't want to know how that goes. But I see you’ve been walking around freely, so maybe you didn’t really have to explain and they trust you." The cloth was torn at places, but it was probably better than nothing. “I didn’t.” The room was facing another old, crumbling building. Everything here in the so-called Darkest- London was in the poorest possible state. They were in one of the Whitechapel's workhouses and the place was brimming with sounds coming from the other rooms and the people inhabiting them. It was still the sa
Gentleman Code Chapter Forty Three
Oliver was standing in front of the shelves in the family library. He sometimes thought it was enough to just spend time there, surrounded by some of the rarest editions of books. He was trying not to think about what had happened last night, so he'd come here. He hadn’t seen Callum in a day. Again. He turned his attention back to the rows in front of him. Oliver had begun understanding why Callum preferred it here. It was different from the one Tennyson had in his study not only by size. The collections here were much more different and wondered how many years it had taken to gather them, how many generations of noblemen had held them in their hands. A great number of them were on political topics, but Oliver found with a surprise the collection contained various other types of stories in other genres. The books were prevailingly in English, but some were in German and French.
Gentleman Code Chapter Forty Two
The sound of the music traveled in the quiet of the night. Callum put on a robe over his nightshirt and headed for the drawing-room. It was was past midnight and the entire manor was asleep. Besides his brother, obviously. He could never mistake the sound of his melody. Callum stood at the entrance and watched Liam play. Every time his brother was behind the piano, it was like he stopped being human for as long as the piece he was playing was going on. Liam was also in a nightshirt, although Callum was sure he hadn't even tried to sleep before coming here. Liam looked up from the keys and stopped immediately, startled. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I'd wake someone up. " "You didn't. I wasn't sleeping either. " Callum moved closer and took one of the nearest chairs and put it next to his brothers'. "I don't want to interrupt you." "You aren't. I should stop anyway. What time is it?"
Gentleman Code Chapter Forty One
Callum was in the sofa in the smaller library. It was the one Oliver occasionally found him in the evening, and not in his study. The Lord had said studies made him feel anxious for no reason and "Something that Liam prefers." Oliver had laughed then, but seeing him now, he thought the room indeed was more fitting to him. Callum was lying down on the small sofa, drowsing. He'd rested his head on his outstretched hand and it was dangling over the armrest.Oliver wanted to kiss the inside of his wrist, but he knew he can’t. Callum looked almost peaceful. Somehow warmer. Oliver walked in with a candle, but put it off when he saw the fire was still burning, its light drawing dancing shadows over Cal's face. Cian had curled in a ball close to the fire and the animal was most likely asleep too. At Oliver's approach, the dog only opened one eye and closed it back again. Oliver knelt in front of the ch
Gentleman Code Chapter Forty
"It's such false piety, " the priest said, exaggerating his pittance and the sad tone of his voice and Liam exchanged a look with his brother.Callum was trying to suppress a smile and was failing miserably."Women, " the priest waved a hand around "are using their charms to make people buy their...whatever they've made.... ""But it is for a good cause, Father Clarke." Liam said and the old man shook his head."You really think so, my dear boy?"“It is for charity, Father. Why wouldn’t it be a good thing?”The man produced a grumpy humph, which that time brought Callum to the laughter he could no longer suppress.Liam had to admit the women helping his mother organize the bazzar had done a great job in such a short time.They had started the tradition of organizing events of the sort every year.And even though it was still something new among the society, people reacted very w
