Chapter 248: A big slumber party
Fiona didn’t get to pursue more of the conversation as Lucian came back, with Sir Forsythe and Edgar.
Edgar looked very worse for wear. He looked tired, exhausted actually, and his hat was a little bent out of shape. His clothes were askew, and both Cass and Fiona stiffened. It was Lady Ava who rushed to him, pushing her chair back and letting out a cry.
"Eddie! Did you get into a fight with Father?" She asked, concern written all over her face. It didn’t seem fake, either. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for his cheek and Edgar chuckled.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, is it? But no, this time it was from Gideon." Edgar said, and a weight filled the garden. Cass had thought he had a lot to unpack, but Edgar and Lord Ridgewood were best friends since childhood. There had to be a lot that they needed to unpack because of his actions.
Lucian whistled, looking disinterested.
"Cass, your Forsythe is back." He called, shoving Sir Forsythe by the shoulder towards Cass, but making sure he didn’t stumble into the ’siblings’. "Your realtor looked terrified like I was going to eat him." Lucian said and Cass felt his lips turn up just thinking about that. There were two ways the eating could go.
The first was obvious. He was dragon, Mr. Collins was assumingly a regular human, nom nom, there he goes.
The second way...Well, it made sense why Mr. Collins would be terrified each way. Cass had learned things about Lucian that he wasn’t all that happy that he’d learned. Cass felt his gaze drift to Lucian’s lower body and then jerked his gaze back up.
He should not be thinking that, or doing anything like that right now. Holy hell, Cass. The dragon could read your damn fucking mind. Do not have idle thoughts. Especially about him. It will only encourage him.
It didn’t seem like anyone had noticed, and that was the only saving grace that Cass got. Sir Forsythe looked a little pissed to be referred to as Cass’, but he clearly held his tongue as he stumbled, recovered quickly, and made his way towards Cass.
"Mr. Collins was kind enough to give me directions, but I have been there before, my Lord." Sir Forsythe told him and Cass nodded.
"I wasn’t sure, so I wanted to make sure you were covered. You should eat something before you go." Cass told him and his eyes widened slightly.
"I’m okay, my Lord. I don’t-"
"Let me rephrase that." Cass said, cutting off the knight. "You must eat something before you go. Understood?" Cass told him and Sir Forsythe bit his tongue, sighed, and then nodded.
"Of course, my Lord." He muttered and Cass smiled.
"Glad to see you understand. Are Sir Sanders and Ser Hune here with you?" Cass asked. Sir Forsythe nodded.
"Yes. They are in the sitting room on the lower floor. They...brought food for lunch." He admitted and Cass felt a smile touch his lips. His friends knew him, and Cass was glad for it.
"We’ve had a rather eventful day. Go eat with them, catch your breath, and then go get the keys. Did Mr. Collins tell you where we’re moving?" Cass asked and he shook his head. He adjusted his stance, his feet spaced equally apart, his shoulders low, relaxed, But he wasn’t fully relaxed. He was just waiting.
"No, he did not, my Lord." Cass sighed, before he gave him a wide grin.
"We, I, own the mansion next door to the Blackburn estate." Cass said casually, and watched how Sir Forsythe’s shoulders jerked. Lucian’s gaze widened too, since he was listening in and not even hiding it. Sir Forsythe, however, understood what that meant.
While Cass hadn’t been fully aware that the Blackburn family had been trying to buy the estate next door, he was sure that Sir Forsythe had known. The relaxed expression shifted, and Sir Forsythe raised a hand to his mouth, covering it to hide his smile.
"Oh. That’s...wonderful, my Lord. Is that where you plan to stay when you come to the capital from now on?" There he was, just rolling with the punches. What a great guy. Cass nodded.
"Yes. That’s the plan. How soon do you think my grandfather will hear about this?" Cass asked and Sir Forsythe chuckled.
"Oh, I bet he’s already heard that there is activity next door." Sir Forsythe, much like Mr. Collins, clearly had beef with the old man. Unlike Mr. Collins, but also, who was Cass to judge, Sir Forsythe’s hatred seemed to stem from a different issue. The treatment of the previous Duke, and also the treatment of Lord Blackburn. Hell, he might even have some beef about how he was treated as well.
"How are you so sure?" Lucian asked, curious, and Sir Forsythe glanced at Lucian, and then looked at the people who were still around. They were still speaking to each other, but Fiona was listening to all the conversations. Cass was sure that Edgar was listening in as well, even as Lady Ava comforted and checked up on him.
Cass nodded when Sir Forsythe looked back at him for confirmation. He didn’t really care if others knew things about his grandfather. He was a piece of shit, to Lord Blackburn, and to Cass. Cass hadn’t even met the man and he didn’t like him through the actions of those he hired and for the things he’d seen he’d done to Lord Blackburn.
"The old man watches everything around him. He wouldn’t be caught dead in the countryside during the social season, and he’s had his eye on that estate for a long time. I am curious, my Lord, how you were able to convince the previous owners to part with it? Sir Forsythe asked and Cass wondered that as well.
He looked internally for a moment, and felt a whisper of power before his mouth opened and another spoke for him.
"I bought it through a fake name, and also disclosed that the Blackburn family would never own it." Lord Blackburn said, speaking through him for the first time in a long time. Cass felt a little shiver run down his spine after he closed his mouth and Sir Forsythe nodded. Lucian knitted his brows, looking confused.
"But you’re a Blackburn." He pointed out and Cass chuckled.
"Yeah, in name. They don’t exactly treat me like family, Lucian." Cass said with a little smirk. "But, enough about my sad story, we should eat. Edgar, you’re truly okay?" Cass confirmed, and Edgar nodded.
"Yeah." He said and Cass stared at him for a long time. He’d never had a best friend before. Maybe a friend here and there. The only person who he believed could fit that title was his sister, so he had no understanding of what the other man was going through. He had a feeling though, that the outer appearance of Edgar only bellied how terrible he was feeling inside.
"I don’t think either of you should go back to the Vespertine house tonight. I don’t think it’s safe." Cass said, realising he was the one who just said that they should eat and drop it, but honestly, it needed to be said.
Fiona nodded, along with Lucian.
"Yeah. I agree. As much as seeing your pretty face all ruined makes my heart happy, I don’t like who is doing it. Stay here." Lucian said and Edgar gave him a look. Lady Ava turned big, wide eyes to everyone else.
"What? Why?" She asked and Fiona gave a soft sigh.
"They could restrict your movement. Keep you at the house." She said, pointing out the obvious to Lady Ava. Lady Ava blinked a few times, before her face flushed and she dropped her head.
"Yes. Right. You’re all right, I just..." She trailed off, before she shut her mouth. She didn’t look happy, but did look...relieved. Probably that someone else had said it. Cass had a feeling her defense was more knee jerk than anything else.
"Lady Ava can stay with me in one of my guest rooms. So can Edgar, but I don’t have-"
"Fiona, I’m literally getting an estate again. It won’t be as big as our current home, but everyone can stay there if they want. It would make a bigger point to them if we did that anyway. I’m sure Lord Ridgewood would get fomo as well." He knew he was going to have to explain that term, and he didn’t really care.
That was what Lord Ridgewood was going to get, and the man deserved it. Especially if his interaction with his ’best friend’ ended the way that it had. Edgar deserved a safe place to rest his head, and there was a completely selfish reason Cass wanted them out of the house.
They would have no idea what was going on to Lord Ridgewood or their father if they weren’t home. Especially Edgar.
They would just wake up after whatever Lucian and the knights decided was a ’prank’ that fell within Cass’ limitations. Cass was only slightly worried about what they had planned.
"Fomo?" Fiona asked tentatively and Cass nodded.
"It means that someone is afraid that they are missing out on something. Fear of missing out, fomo." Cass explained and Lucian nodded.
"Ah. Interesting, and I agree. The man might not be obvious about it, but he does get quite jealous." Lucian agreed. "I’ve woken up several times with him staring at me, a knife out." Fiona gasped, the first time she’d heard of that, and Cass just shook his head.
"Well, let him suffer for now. If he wants to be untrustworthy, he can deal with the consequences." Cass said, knowing damn well that Lord Blackburn was also untrustworthy, and had been slowly working on a plan to steal from the party. The longest of cons, but Cass wasn’t about that life. He wasn’t allowed to be about that life.
Fiona shook her head.
"Let’s...just eat." She muttered and Cass agreed. Sir Forsythe made himself scarce.