I met Clara on the corridor near the bathroom, she"s carrying some jars on her hands."Hey, Clara…is that shampoo in your hands?"
"Yes, I"ve just finish made it"
"Great! What are you going to do after this?"
"Mmm…take a bath"
"What a coincidence. I also want to take a bath too"
We look at each other with smiles on our lips.
"Want to bath together, Clara?"
"Sure, I put this shampoo first"
"Okay, I"ll wait for you in the bathroom then, just come in because I don"t lock the door"
I enter the bathroom and start to strip my clothes while waiting for Clara to follow. When I finish take off my last pieces of clothes, Clara enters the bathroom. We take bath together and spend around twenty minutes in there because I let Clara do b.l.o.w.j.o.b on me to get her "medicine" as I promised before we take a nap this afternoon.
When time to give a briefing for the maids and servants approaching, I hurriedly go to the hall where maids and servants will gather. They already gather there when I arrive there. The big clock in the hall already shows a couple of minutes more to five o"clock in the afternoon. This big clock is something that my father bought in the capital a long time ago after spending a big amount of money. Originally, my father wants to build a tower and put the clock there so everyone in the castle can see the time, but with consideration for preserve the clock from weather corrosion like rain and sunlight, easier to maintain, the clock was put in the hall. My father didn"t like to put expensive decorations like paintings, ornaments etc. in his castle, something practical and have value like the clock is his preferences. That makes the big clock in the hall become the only decoration in that s.p.a.cious hall.
"Am I late? Did you all waiting too long?"
"No, young master. You come just in time"
The maids and servant reply in unison. A man with stern looks and stiff expression come approaching me. He"s Mr. Nicholas, the new head butler after uncle Jake resigns from his position as head butler. After giving me a salute, he speaking.
"Young master Henry, the maids and servants already gather here as your request and waiting for your instruction"
"Thank you, Mr. Nicholas. Since I know there"re still works to do for them, I"d try to make it brief and quick"
"Please, young master"
Mr. Nicholas retreat to the position where he comes from and continues his job to observes the maids and servants. Well, he looks suitable for the job, but if he can smile more maybe he can look friendlier. I start by looking at the appearance of the maids that gather here one by one. All of them are not bad looking. Even those who already married, their beauties in the younger time still can be seen. If I put Clara and Claire as the standard for grading, their level is grade A, while most young maids in here had grade B or B-. This finding is quite pleased me, at least our territory is not lack of good looking girls.
"You all, listen carefully…tomorrow our castle will have important guests and they will stay here for a few days. With their arrival, your workload automatically will increase and you also must keep good conduct in front of our important guest"
I"ve paused my speech a moment and continue again after looking at their reaction. It seems the news about Earl Stamfort visit already spread to the entire castle residents and everyone already knows it.
"First, I want you to pay attention for your clothes. I want you all to look neat and clean when serving Earl Stamfort party later. Pay attention even for a small matter like this"
I approaching a maid who has one b.u.t.ton on her shirt unb.u.t.toned and fix it. I feel her maid uniform shirt a bit tight when I fix it, so I ask her why
"Do you unb.u.t.ton your shirt because it"s too tight?"
The maid who I fix the shirt looks at me with blushing face. She seems surprised with my action, fixing her shirt"s b.u.t.ton, moreover the b.u.t.ton I fix on her shirt located on the top of her shirt.
"Young master, this is my old uniform. I had to wear this because my new uniform just washed and not dry yet"
"Alright, I"m not blaming you. Just don"t use your old uniform when serving Earl Stamfort, you understand?"
"Yes, young master"
I return to my original place to continue my speech. I see the maid which had her clothes fixed stand with fl.u.s.tered face while other maids look at her with an envious stare in their eyes. Huh? Why it becomes like this? Anyway, I still have to continue my speech.
"Second, please pay attention to your att.i.tude for the guest. Show hospitality and kind appearance since they aren"t accustomed to our castle. Like, help them when they ask where the bathroom, where the stable, etc. Always smiles when meeting with the guest and replies for their questions with a polite tone. Maybe some of the guards who come with Earl Stamfort will take interest at one of you and want to get acquaintance, if you interested with another party, it"s okay to make a relationship with them. But, keep your dignity intact, don"t easily say yes if they ask you to accompany them in bed"
Some of the maids chuckled when hearing my words but the sharp glare from Mr. Nicholas make them shut their mouth immediately. Well, I"m not upset just because they laugh, instead I glad because that means they listen to what I said.
"For those who serve the meal, I already order to some pushcart to help carry the dishes to the dining hall but since the number will be increased, surely there"ll need to more maids to help to serve the dishes. For that purpose, I want you all to look good in front of our guests, so I gift something for you all, to make your appearance look better"
I give a sign to Clara and Claire who hold a tray with soap and shampoo to come forward. I see curiosity on the maid"s eyes when seeing Clara and Claire bring something in the tray on their hands
"These things here are soap and shampoo. They will be used to clean your body and hairs which make you will look cleaner and look better. After this briefing, I let Clara and Claire here to demonstrate how to use the soap and shampoo. This soap can be used to wash clothes too, for this time only because the amount is limited, I only can give this soap to maids who will do serve duty to the guest but later all the resident in the castle will have a chance to get this soap too. Okay, you can come forward one by one to receive this soap and also this is the end of the briefing this afternoon. You will follow Clara and Claire to see a demonstration of shampoo usage after this"
The maids come forward one by one in an orderly manner to receive their share of soap and after all the maids receive their soap, it"s time for Clara and Claire to show the use of shampoo to them. They follow Clara and Claire to the women"s bathroom in the castle to attend the shampoo demonstration. Only I and Mr. Nicholas left in this big hall alone and he approaches me with a serious expression on his face
"Young master, after dinner tonight, master ask you to see him in the study room with miss Claire"
"Oh? My father wants to see me and Claire? May I know what the matter he wants to discuss with me?"
"I"m sorry young master, but Master didn"t say why he wants to see you and miss Claire"
"Alright, I will see him tonight with Claire"
"Thank you, young master. I will excuse myself now"
After that Mr. Nicholas left me to continue his work, leave me wondering what my father wants with Claire after dinner time tonight. My curiosity piqued because my father only mentions Claire and not Clara, what important issue he had with her? Anyway, this question only can be answered after I met my father tonight. I return to the kitchen to continue my cooking in there.
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For story without mature content : (Still under construction)