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Look. Scott didn't really know what he was getting into when he accepted this job.
He was new to the city, had washed up to shore in a freak accident. And after he learned the ropes, he just wanted enough money to go back home. Hence, the employment with a random aristocrat.
Sure, Martyn seemed okay from the outside, all prim and proper and clean edges. However, the moment he brought out that scented journal, Scott sensed some red flags.
Too bad he was attracted to bright colors.
Martyn was very cute, with a fantastic personality to boot, and the more they hung around each other, the more enamored Scott was with him. How could someone that beautiful just… exist? It felt unfair to the rest of them.
And not only that, but Scott was invisible to him. Hell, everyone was invisible to Martyn except for one person. One very reclusive, very irritable person.
Lady Cleo.
Martyn had been trying to win over their hand for years, so Scott had been told. Sending over chocolates, flowers, poems, everything under the sun. But perhaps they were turned off by men putting them on a pedestal, so Scott thought.
Today, he had to actually to in person to see Lady Cleo and personally read out Martyn's latest poem. He was not a bad writer and was very clever with words, but Scott felt that at some point, he should really get the hint.
The things he did for pretty men.
After getting some mildly tired and irritated looks from the staff, he was escorted in, where Lady Cleo was holding court. Their veil was still on, as they were mourning their brother's passing. Even if it was five years ago. Scott respected the move, to be honest.
"My lady," Scott bowed. "I have a gift for you from-"
"Let me guess," Lady Cleo interrupted him. "Martyn's got another love note for me."
"Yep," Scott said.
Lady Cleo sighed. "Look. I know you came all this way. But I really cannot be bothered to hear another sonnet from him. And no, I don't want to hear about how nice he is, or how big his treasury is."
"Honestly," Scott replied, before he could stop himself. "It's kind of a crap poem. I don't know what he was thinking."
Now that made the room pause.
"Go on," Lady Cleo said.
"I mean, like you said, what makes him think that this one is going to work? It's not even good writing, either. If I were writing a love poem, it would be very different," Scott knew he was rattling on, but he didn't really care. It wasn't about the poem, he just had to share some of the gripes of working for a rather eccentric boss with someone who clearly empathized with him.
Lady Cleo seemed to think about it. "How would you write a love poem, if you know so much?"
"I don't know," Scott said. "I'd probably complement their laugh, or the outfit they were wearing. Like yours right now, is that real pearls?"
Lady Cleo looked down. "That they are. Took me three hours to get on this morning."
"And it shows!" Scott exclaimed. "They go really well with your complexion!"
"Thank you," He could hear them grinning from behind the veil.
"And I would write something, maybe about how the world looks so different without them in it," Scott had started to feel that way about Martyn, loath as he was to admit it. "I would tell them how I made them a place in my heart that can't be replaced. That I will want them until the day I die. Build words out of my memories. Would that be enough, do you think?"
Lady Cleo didn't respond for a moment. "What's your name?"
"Scott Major, my lady."
"Well, Scott," Lady Cleo said. "What does Martyn pay you?"
"About fifty crowns a month," What were they about to do? Did Scott overstep? Was he about to get fired?
"One hundred and fifty," Lady Cleo said.
"One hundred and fifty what?" Scott tilted his head.
"I will pay you one hundred and fifty crowns a month to work for me. You seem fun to have around, and goodness knows I could use someone fun around here."
Scott thought about it. On the one hand, he could really use the money. He imagined himself on a ship back home, in mere months instead of two years. But on the other, did he really want to leave Martyn? He could build a life here. This island seemed like a good place to be, did he really need to return to home so soon? Also, Scott might be accused of stealing Cleo from Martyn, if he was feeling particularly paranoid. "Can you let me think on it?"
"Of course," Lady Cleo said. "The offer will stand open."
Scott grinned. "It was nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Lady Cleo nodded.
Either way, it felt like things were finally looking up for Scott Major.