forum A Gentleman? // OxO // Closed

Started December 09, 2019 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

Jack glanced over. "Oh? Yes, it is." he agreed, looking at Francis. "The grounds are upkept very well." he wasn't sure why he had added anything to his original comment, not really wanting to continue the conversation anyway.

“Mhm…they are.” Their conversation was dry, as always. If they were to be forced to stay in each other’s company, at the least he could find some subject with the faintest amount of interest to talk about. Alas, Francis fell back into silence and turned his attention to the notebook. He doubted Jack would like to listen to him talk about the weather. Still, a slight part of him wanted the other man to be interested, like Elizabeth had been, even if he wasn’t entirely sure what the difference was.

Jack shifted a little, sighing faintly and shaking his head a tiny bit. He wanted to leave, but couldn't really sneak out until later anyways. So he was kind of stuck about what to do about this.

Sometime in the middle of the night, around midnight or so, after the nightly activities had long come to a conclusion, and all the inhabitants retired to their beds, the sound of piano notes drifted from the drawing room through the halls. Just a soft, hesitant tune. Experimental. Nothing professional or strictly read from a sheet, notes played with light fingertips careful not to stir the serene atmosphere of the manor.
The sandy-haired footman played on the instrument alone, uninterrupted by the duties he fulfilled during the day, or guests he had to attend. His own moment of peace.

Jack had been lying awake, and at the sound of the piano, he got up, padding on silent feet down the hallway. He was wearing only a long nightshirt, which dangled nearly to his knees. He poked his head into the room with the piano, pausing at the sight of the footman. He didn't speak, just watched quietly for a few minutes, a faint smile tugging at his face.

The footman didn’t notice Jack right off, not for a while, even. His tune gradually shifted into a butchering of a Scottish ballad, perhaps deliberately parodied in the chorus for his own enjoyment of the song. He wasn’t wearing his coat like he had been during the day. Instead it was slung over the bench beside him, leaving him in only his waistcoat and baggy-sleeves undershirt tucked informally in his pants. The ballad he was playing stopped abruptly once he caught the sight of Jack in the corner of his eye. “Monsieur—“

Jack smiled lightly. "Don't let me interrupt." He said. "Your playing was lovely." He came a little closer, not embarrassed about his state of undress at all. Though, he reflected, it was a bit chilly and perhaps he should have grabbed a dressing robe.

The footman couldn’t help but let his eye glance over Jack’s outfit—or lack thereof—quickly training his gaze back to the man’s face. “Why thank you.” He dipped his head at the compliment, and when he lifted there was a warm smile on his lips. His fingers danced over the keys for a moment. Hesitant to start up playing again since he had an audience. “Are…are you cold?” He looked down to Jack’s bare legs again, more out of concern than anything else, then pushed the jacket towards the edge of the bench, closer to Jack.

Jack blinked. "Just a little, I neglected to grab a dressing gown." He said, taking the jacket and slinging it around his shoulders. He looked at the footman with a tired softness in his gaze. "Thanks, I'll return it when I go to bed." He ran a hand through his hair, sighing faintly.

The footman nodded again. “You’re welcome. I have two others just like it, so…” He finished his statement off with a dismissive shrug, falling into awkward silence. In the middle of the night, technically after working hours, how was he supposed to act appropriately with one of the guests? “What keeps you up?” He finally said.

"Oh, I don't sleep well sometimes, it's fine." He replied easily, waving a hand in dismissal. "I heard your playing, though, and…I hope you don't mind? If you'd prefer solitude, just tell me and I'll leave you be." He offered up another soft, winning smile. "I don't want to intrude." His golden hair stuck up a bit on his head, and his blue eyes were bright, if tired.

He tapped his fingers on the keys again absently, studying Jack’s expression, his eyes wandering around the man’s face, his eyes, his hair. The look on his own face wasn’t filled with lust, or desire, not like Alexei. Instead he seemed more curious, admiring, even. Until after a few moments of contemplation he finally shook his head. “No, actually, I don’t mind the company.” He pulled his gaze away back to the piano, and resumed the Scottish ballad.

He smiled, sitting down to listen to the footman's playing. He realized after a moment that he had never gotten the young man's name, and made up his mind to ask as soon as he could. He liked having names to put to faces.

At last the song the footman played came to an end, more or less naturally. His hands fell from the keys down to his lap instead, and he looked at Jack from the corner of his eye. “So you like music, I take it? Certainly that’s the only reason you would stay to listen to my ramblings.”

Jack smiled a little. "Yes, I do. I play the violin. And, by the way, I'm afraid I never caught your name? Mine is Jack, if you didn't know." He replied, running his hands through his hair absently. "But yes, I enjoy listening to music. I enjoy playing it, s well, though I do not have anywhere near the piano skills you do."

“The violin?” He raised his brows with interest, about to ask more about it when Jack asked for his name. “Oh, I never gave it, did I? It’s Seth.” His job had never made his own name important to the guests, but he almost always knew their names. Seth laughed softly at Jack’s last comment. “Well, I’m nowhere near professional, I can’t even fluently read a music sheet. But if you want to learn…” He tapered himself off suddenly, looking conflicted as he tapped his on his leg.

"Good to meet you, Seth." He said. "And yes, the violin. It's portable, which is a bonus that I suppose the piano does not have." He cocked his head a little at the offer to learn. "Oh. I'd love to, if you're sure you're willing to teach me." He smiled, standing and stretching, looking over at Seth.