Part 4

Orlando shuddered as he reached down to pick up the dead bird. He himself hated
to see animals killed, so this whole exercise greatly disgusted him. He held the
dead bird by only a few feathers. He brought it back across the field to the 
satchel containing all the dead game. 

“Boys and their guns, what children they are” a cultured voice came from behind
him. Orlando turned to see an older man sitting on a stump, his hands folded and
resting on a walking stick. He gave the servant a smile and motioned for him to 
come closer. Orlando bit his lower lip and looked over at Lord Lee before 
walking over to the other man. Lord Lee had his pipe clenched in his teeth, one
eye clenched as he aimed his rifle towards a flying bird. He gave a gruff little
shout as he squeezed the trigger, and a curse when he missed.

“Good show, old man” the older man sitting on the stump called to him. Lord Lee
snorted at him and puffed his pipe in his general direction. “I would like to 
see you try your hand at this, ‘old man,’ but then again I enjoy my life and 
would hate to put it in jeopardy.”

“Oh posh” the other man said, rolling his eyes at Orlando. “Do not listen to 
him, I am a perfectly good shot. I just choose not to take the life of other 
creatures for sport.”

“Ha” Lord Lee snorted and made a point of aiming at another bird.

The other man ignored him and turned back to Orlando. “Come and keep me 
entertained, dear boy. Make the afternoon pass a little more quickly.”

Orlando looked back to Lord Lee to see if the man would object or need him. The
man was aiming again and once again missed, followed by another colorful curse.
The other Lord scoffed and lightly hit Orlando with his walking stick. “Do not 
worry about your master, child. I a sure he will not hit anything for at least 
ten minutes. There are other valets as well to pick up the carcasses. Now come 
here.”

Orlando did as he was told, walking to the other man and standing before him, 
folding his hands behind his back. The older man looked him over and then patted
to a log next to him. Orlando sit facing both the old man and the open field so
he could see if he was needed. 

“How now, spirit, what is the name to accompany that angelic countenance?” His 
eyes twinkled as he spoke, a sly smile crinkling his mouth. 

“Orlando” the boy said, his eyes moving to the ground to hide his shyness. The 
other man inhaled deeply, letting the name roll across his tongue, resting his 
chin on his hand as he examined the boy. “Orlando…Orlando…yes, it is perfect. 
The name matches you perfectly, very Shakespearian; a perfect balance of beauty
and grace. Your face is so well crafted, reminds me of a painting of an angel or
cherub in a cathedral…” 

Orlando was not sure if the man’s words were exactly directed at him, or to the
open air. He reddened slightly. “Thank you…my Lord…” he said quietly. “Please…do
not mind my asking…but are you Lord McKellen? I was never able to hear your 
name.”

“That is indeed my name, my boy. It is good for you to know, as you shall see 
very much of me. Your master and I have been good friends for many years, 
probably more than you have been alive. Now that my partner is dead, I have been
taking advantage of Christopher’s eternal hospitality. I despise these little 
hunting trips, but I enjoy seeing him as he was when we were young. He has a 
spark of his old happiness. I had always hoped…that through time…he would be 
able to find someone to share his life with…make the days more full instead of 
just ways to pass the time.”

Orlando thought back to his conversation with his master those nights ago in his
rooms, when he had mentioned having to turn his back on love. Lord McKellen 
watched him very closely, watching his expression change as he heard the words.
“I see you have some idea of what I am saying,” he said to the boy.

Orlando nodded. “I have…spoken to him. Please do not tell him I told you…”

“Worry not, my boy” Lord McKellen said, leaning in closer. “Did he mention some
of his troubles to you?” he asked the boy. Orlando was surprised that that man 
would talk to him in such a casual manner, but he remembered about how Miss 
Winslet had told him that the Lords and Ladies loved to gossip as much as the 
servants, if not more. He just hoped that his Lord would not be angry with him.
Orlando was torn, for he actually discovered he had a genuine concern for the 
old man. He felt like a dutiful grandson, or caretaker, like he had turned into
the nursemaid he had sworn he was not. He felt he owed it to the man who had 
taken him in ever though he did not have to, a feature so rare in the wealthy.

“I spoke with him the other night…he was talking to me about an…issue…in my 
life. He spoke to me about losing someone…the whole time I have worked for him,
he has been a fairly cold man. Not so much cold, I suppose, but untouchable.
When he spoke to me…he was so warm…so caring…” Orlando stopped to remember the
night in detail, and his eyes wandered over to the man, watching him give a 
grunt of satisfaction as he shot down a bird. He looked around for Orlando, and
they locked eyes momentarily. When Lord Lee saw that he was speaking to Lord 
McKellen and turned to another valet and ordered him to retrieve the bird. Lord
McKellen clapped for Lee and saluted his achievement of slaughtering the 
innocent creature. Lee scoffed at him and waived him away.

Lord McKellen turned back to Orlando. “I think it is quite a safe assumption to
say that Christopher finds some comfort in you…in your beauty …your innocence. 
You remind him of times past. Sometimes, for an old man who is so used to the 
world being an ugly, unforgiving place…it takes a sweet beautiful boy to remind
him of the worth of things, like love.”

Orlando was not sure what all just seeing him could do for his master, but he 
wanted to aid him, so he took the words of the other Lord and kept them in his 
mind. He looked over to see Lord Lee approaching them. Orlando stood up 
immediately, folding his hands behind him and standing at attention. Lord Lee 
walked over to them, his rifle resting on his shoulder, his pipe firmly in his 
mouth, clouds of gray smoke occasionally appearing. “Well, I am done for the 
day. We have a fairly good haul. Bloom, go with the other valet’s and tie the 
birds together and when we get to the manor, I want you to take them to the 
kitchen and tell Miss Blanchet that we are to have them tonight. Take assistance
from other servants if you require it.”

“Yes sir” Orlando said, bowing before heading off to perform the tasks allotted
him. Lord Lee watched him leave before turning back to Lord McKellen. “You old 
dog…what game are you at? He is just a boy and a servant…”

“Oh…shove off Christopher…you know I have no plots for the boy. I merely wanted
some civilized company while you were out playing with guns with the others. 
There was not one other person worth carrying on a conversation with or looking
at.” As Lord McKellen said this, he looked over at Lord Cox and his son, 
Hubert…a boy that looked more like a horse than his father…and shuddered. “A 
most pleasant distraction from the gloomy day and dismal company.”

Lee looked at the horse boy and shared in a laugh with the other old man. He 
looked up to the sky and squinted. “It looks as though there shall be rain
tonight” he said, eyeing the clouds in their bulk and color. “We had better get
back before the pour.”

Orlando went over to the cart with all the birds and began to help tie them up 
in groups of two. He looked to the sky and saw all of the clouds forming above 
them, covering the earlier white clouds with a blanket of dark, almost black 
ones. They shut out the light like a curtain, and they only promised several 
hours of heavy rain. Orlando was glad when they finally left in the carriages. 
He had to sit up top with the driver, but the ride home only took about fifteen
or twenty minutes, so with any luck, they would make it back in time. Then he 
would have to help prepare the dining room for supper. He climbed up onto the 
bench next to the driver. The man was old, but had piercing blue eyes. His hands
slightly shook as he held the reigns, and his lips were pursed tightly, he 
nodded at Orlando as he sat up on the bench. Orlando greeted him and sat, 
folding his hands in his lap. 

The carriages started with a jolt, and Orlando darted his hand to the sides, 
catching the bench for support. The old man next to him looked at him and 
chuckled. “No worries, lad…it just takes some getting used to. You won’t fall.”

Orlando smiled at him. “I do not usually ride on top like this,” he explained. 
“I suppose I worry too much.” He said apologetically. The old man set the paces
of the horses with the reigns. “You are new at the house” he man said, quite 
sure of it. “I have worked here as a driver for the past forty six years, and I
know everyone here, and yet I do not know you…so you must be new.”

“I am” Orlando said. “I started working a few weeks ago. I have not been out of
the house yet…far too much work.”

“I never would have suspected the Lord to take on a personal valet…it is not 
quite in his nature to accept sure care and endow such trust. Even to such an 
alluring boy such as yourself. You must have some other qualities not visible to
the human eye.”

“I do not know sir. Lord Lee himself admitted that he would not have kept me on
if I did not look the way I do.”

The old man smiled. “He would like to think that…but that is not the whole 
reason. Lord Lee is not a man that would tolerate an empty, dull person…no 
matter how lovely they are. There must be something else to you child.”

Orlando shook his head. “I do not know anymore,” he said quietly to himself more
than to the old man.

“Come again, boy, my hearing is not what it once was.” He said, leaning in
towards Orlando as he said it. Orlando looked at him flightingly and then turned
his eyes to the ground. “Sorry…it just seems that all people ever seem to see 
are my looks. I hate them really. I do not like attention, because it all seems
to fake.”

The man looked sympathetic to him, understanding the shy boy’s dilemma. “My
dear, throughout history men have admired beautiful things…beautiful people 
included. It is only natural that you would be admired by men. You seem a good
boy, so it is unfortunate that you should have to fend off unwanted advances, 
however…you have to think about the motivation of the one that flatters you. Are
they doing it out of pure lust, or is it merely true appreciation…or is it 
love.”

Orlando looked up at the man through his dark lashes, but the man’s gaze was now
focused on the road. Orlando let his eyes wander there as well, his thoughts 
wandering with them. “I long for someone to love.” 

“You shall find someone, my lad.” The old man said, patting his shoulder as he 
had the horses turn into the drive of Lord Lee’s manor house. He pulled on the
reigns to stop the horses. Orlando thanked him and began to step down from the
top, but a surprisingly firm hand stopped him. Orlando turned to see the old man
looking at him, and then extend a hand. “The name is Peter O’Tool, my boy…who 
are you now?”

“Orlando Bloom” he said, taking the old man’s warm hand in his own.

“Ahh…Orlando…how fitting. Well, young Orlando, now that we know each other’s 
name, we may be friends. I shall see you again boy. Now, go tend to your 
master.”

“Pleasure meeting you, Mr. O’Tool. Thank you for the conversation.”

Orlando went down to open the door of the carriage and aid Lord Lee in exiting.
The old man huffed as he left the carriage, looking back over his shoulder to
tease Lord McKellen as his body groaned when he tried to exit the vehicle 
himself. Lord McKellen grumbled at him in response, and Orlando tried not to 
smile at his quiet curses. 

“Bloom” Lord Lee said to him. Orlando looked up at him and awaited his orders. 
“I do believe that the supply of firewood is running low. Have Bean cut up some
more wood. Also, tell him that the roof above the west library has a leak, and
must be repaired in the next day or so. Help him if he requires it…I shall not
require your services until later tonight when we all retire.”

Lord McKellen gave a jovial snort at that declaration, and Lord Lee turned to 
him. “Oh, come off it now, Ian…mind out of the gutter.”

There came the blush again, and Orlando bit his lip and nodded. “Of course sir”
he said. He turned and left the two men as they went to go meet the rest of the
company again to go and do his chores. 

TBC…

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