Phoenix Found (Brothers of Fire #5)

Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

This was the kind of place Oliver had read about in so many books. It was ancient and crumbling in places, with nature trying to reclaim the estate, yet also magical. There was a resonance that seemed to hum his bones as if greeting him.

As if this was where he belonged.

Allard was more than happy to walk through the house, or at least the main parts of it. Their first stop was a room that was already set up as an office for Perrin. It was in the wing that was also staff quarters. His house had an entire wing for staff, the laundry, and the kitchen as if that all needed to be kept hidden from him.

After leaving Perrin to sort out his office, Oliver had seen the library and the sitting room and the dining room, his office, and his rooms. His rooms included another sitting room as well as a bedroom and ensuite and rooms for his valet. Not that he had a valet.

Not that he had any staff, as these people all worked for Gerrit and would return to his lodge, which had once been a fortified outpost near the French border, according to Allard. Not only that, but Gerrit’s estate wasn’t only the remote hunting lodge he’d heard about; that was an outbuilding, and the main house was the actual lodge.

Which meant that when Perrin mentioned looking at the outbuildings, it was entirely possible that he had another secret house on this property.

While Gerrit’s had been a military post, Oliver’s estate had been like a little farm. A tiny pocket of mundane amongst the mountains. A river ran through the property, and on three sides, there were snowy peaks.

He could spend hours walking the grounds and not see it all, and he was sure Allard was aware of that and had only given him the immediate highlights and concerns. Pointing out things that needed to be attended to in the short term. Allard, or other staff had already walked around to show him what needed to be done.

There were paths that needed to be ripped up and re-laid because they were so weed-infested and tree root-infested, they were a hazard for deliveries and staff. The gardens, which were little more than a few straggly trees and bushes, and the water feature, which didn’t work, all needed attention. His house had been tended to ensure it didn’t fall apart, but the things that needed constant upkeep, like the gardens, had been let go. While sad, he understood why. No one had lived there for over two centuries; he’d been missing, so it didn’t make sense to keep the estate ready as if expecting him to turn up.

Was it Everest who’d made sure it was maintained over the centuries? Who’d made sure that electricity and plumbing were installed? He’d been the previous king and had hoped Oliver would return.

“And this is all that remains of the greenhouse.” Allard stopped in front of the structure.

All that remained was the metal frame. Trees had grown through the frame, and it appeared no one had done any gardening for a very long time. Had he once enjoyed being in the greenhouse and tending the plants, or had it simply been a place to grow food in the colder months?

“Is it essential to life here?”

“No, everything can be imported. That is from a time when oranges were a novelty, and pineapples were worth a fortune.”

“Like the goats, it once served a purpose but is no longer needed.” Much like him. There was no need for him to restore the greenhouse as it wasn’t needed. But he kind of liked the idea of both the greenhouse and the goats. Not that he knew anything about taking care of plants or goats.

He couldn’t even take care of himself.

“Indeed, sir. You do not need to make any decisions immediately. The most important ones are the ones regarding the house itself, and the head of maintenance will determine the best path forward.”

Over the last couple of hours, he’d learned maintaining the roof and windows were the bare minimum. Things like plumbing and electricity needed to be looked at if people were going to be living in the house on a permanent basis because while they had been up to standard when installed, regulations and requirements changed.

He didn’t know how permanent living there was going to be.

On the other hand, if he didn’t do something in this life, the list of things needing repairs was only going to increase. Not only that, but the staff had nowhere else to go until Gerrit’s lodge was repaired, which might take an entire year, according to Allard, who had no doubt discussed the situation with Perrin.

Spending a year living on his estate and fixing it up while learning magic and how to exist in this world didn’t seem like a bad idea. Yet, at the same time, this was just a bigger cage. A place to hide and avoid the rest of the world and his brothers.

How could he marry the two conflicting desires? The need to explore and the need to hide warred within him. He drew in a breath and exhaled slowly.

He didn’t need to make all these decisions at once.

He didn’t even have to stay at the house while the repairs were done. There were people who’d oversee them. He was beginning to understand what it meant to be part of the royal family and all the pieces that moved to make things happen.

All the pieces Everest had moved to make his rescue happen.

And while he could see them and appreciate the scope, he didn’t know how they worked and wasn’t sure he could learn as his brothers had been born into their roles and grown up around the rules. They’d absorbed it as they learned to speak.

“I’ll talk to Perrin and come up with a plan over the next couple of days.”

Allard’s eyebrow twitched.

He probably shouldn’t have used Perrin’s first name. Perrin called himself a handyman, said that he was the head of maintenance. But that didn’t hint at the full scope of what he did. Maintenance sounded like fixing taps, not arranging large-scale repairs of historic buildings.

Allard folded his hands behind his back. “May I offer a piece of advice, sir?”

“Of course.” It was clear Oliver had no idea what he was doing, while Allard could run this place with his eyes closed and no input from him at all.

“It may be better to refer to him as Mr. Shade until things are formalized. ”

“Formalized?” Did everything need to be formalized?

“As in your position and his relation to you.”

“It’s not exactly a secret? His clothes were put in my room.”

Allard smiled. “There is a difference between an open secret and it being formalized.”

“I see.” He did not see at all. But that was something he’d rather discuss with Perrin. “Can we return to the house? I’d like a cup of tea and to make some notes.”

“Where would you like to take your tea? There is a sunroom that is lovely in the afternoon. Or perhaps you would prefer your drawing room…”

How many rooms did he need? All he wanted was to sit down with a notepad and a cup of tea. “Sure, my drawing room. That will have some of the estate records?”

“It will, though they will all be in French. Perhaps I can have one of the staff send Mr. Shade to you to discuss your findings and assist with the records.”

Oliver nodded. He had no findings. They were Allard’s findings and recommendations. “And what do you need me to do so you can run this household?”

“For the moment, the maintenance. After that, I need to know your intentions. For example, if you intend to have a hobby farm again, I will need to make the appropriate hires. If you intend to make this your second residence, then I need to make the hires and do a handover before I return to the king’s property.”

Oliver pressed his lips together and fiddled with the end of his braid. “And how much notice do you need?”

“Two to three months should be enough.”

They started walking back toward the house. Now the initial excitement and wonder had worn off, and the sun was setting and casting long shadows, it was clear the house needed some love and attention. He was glad someone had taken care of the roof and windows so the house remained livable.

Everest was that someone. And while he wasn’t ready to face his rescuer, he could at least send a thank you note.

Allard could probably arrange that, too.

Allard could probably arrange anything that he asked for…but did he also report back to Gerrit?