Maxine had to be literally dragged by Albin from her bed to the door merely five hours since she had fallen asleep.

"We cannot sleep longer than the masters, my friend," he urged, pushing Maxine to the door when she moaned in protest. "And do not make such sounds. You sound like a nancy!"

Maxine splashed water on her face, her eyes still quite heavy and joined the other servants in the kitchen.

Fanny was already busy cooking the food for the masters while they ate bread and butter and paired them with fresh milk.

Molly disappeared for a while in the middle of her meal and returned with a set of uniforms for Maxine. "I am quite excited to see you wearing them."

"Thank you, Molly. This is very nice of you," Maxine said in a low voice, clearing her throat. She looked over at Albin and asked, "What time does the master prefer the curtains to be drawn?"

"No specific time, Max," Albin said. "Simply count the number of hours since he had fallen asleep. He does love to sleep for over eight hours."

Maxine frowned. "With or without the influence of spirits?" she asked.

"Yes," Albin nodded, leaning over to whisper, "but since his brothers are here, you might want to see to them first."

"Why?"

"Lord Ralph prefers to be awakened by seven. Lord Max is a very light sleeper and he wakes up earlier than anyone. I would not be surprised if you walk into his chamber and find him already awake."

Maxine swallowed. She would not find Lord Maxwell in a bedchamber.

She looked around. "Where is Oscar?"

Everyone shrugged.

"He does have his own business to attend to every morning, tasks he believes are of paramount importance than anyone else's," Molly wryly uttered.

"And that is?"

"Read the Herald, of course, before the master does so he could recommend articles and answer questions if asked."

"It is part of his work?"

"Not really, no," Lottie uttered with a shake of her head. "But he is proud of it."

Albin threw the last piece of his bread into his mouth and rubbed his hands together. "'Twas a good bread, Fanny. Thank you." He slapped Maxine's back none too gently and added, "Finish at once, Max. Lord Maxwell, as I have said, is a very light sleeper."

"But should you not valet for him? You are in charge of guests."

Albin narrowed his eyes. "Counting tasks, Max?"

Her face flushed. "No, of course not."

Albin laughed. "Yes, I am in charge of the guests, but I'd rather wait on Lord Ralph. You take Lord Max."

"But Lord Nick might be up—"

"He will not," Molly uttered. "He sleeps a lot."

"Go on," Fanny said, taking Maxine's empty plate. "Tell his lordships breakfast shall be ready in a quarter of an hour."

Maxine wiped her mouth, rushed back to her room and changed into the set of uniform from Molly which were far better than yesterday's.

She dragged herself to the drawing room, entirely aware that Maxwell Everard would be there. Her heart was pounding heavily against her chest as she pushed the door open. She poked her head inside and her eyes widened when she found it empty.

"Who are you looking for?"

Maxine jumped to her feet in surprise, heart in her throat. At that very moment, she hoped it would be Oscar, there to reprimand her, but no, it was not Oscar.

The voice that spoke behind her was the same one that growled at her yesterday.

She could not move to face the man.

"Mayhap you have forgotten something last night?" the voice asked, closer now. "Or someone perhaps?"

Maxine's face flushed. "I am sorry, milord!" she uttered, whirling around to face him, head bent. She could not look at him. No, she would dare not look at him!

"Hmm," Maxwell Everard uttered. "Bloody inept of you, is it not?"

Her jaw tightened. She had merely been serving this household for one day and this man had the audacity to call her incompetent? Her head snapped up, light grey eyes alight with ferocity.

Emerald green eyes hooded by dark, thick brows stared back at her. His gaze was lacking of the rage she had seen yesterday. In fact, it was as if he found the moment rather tedious.

His long hair was everywhere, messily framing his edgy face. A corner of his lips quirked—not a smile, but more like a sneer. "Do you have something to say, valet?"

"No," she replied through gritted teeth. Taking a step back, she stepped away from Maxwell Everard's shadow. "Breakfast shall be ready in quarter of an hour, milord."

She bowed, sharply turned and walked away.

She did not realize how her heart had been pounding in her chest until she was safely in the kitchen. Before she completely disappeared, she looked over her shoulder and found Maxwell Everard staring at her before he turned and disappeared back into the drawing room.

*****

Maxine was standing in one corner, in wait with Albin and Oscar, while the three brothers were breaking their fast.

It was like watching three lions hungrily devouring a carcass after months without food. The way they did it was entirely improper. She could have sworn that the Everard brothers broke all etiquette in the duration of their meal.

Intent to never look at Maxwell Everard, Maxine contented herself by staring dreamily at Nicholas as he finished his food. He looked far more handsome in the morning, she concluded.

Ralph Everard seemed better, his face gaining more color now as he read the latest issue of the Town Herald.

She wondered if Lottie had seen the spittoon from last night.

"These bloody photos are pathetic at best," the youngest of the three said, throwing the paper toward Nicholas, drawing Maxine back to the present.

Maxine's jaw tightened. She could not help it. Samuel was rather proud of the new Herald and Ralph, his own best friend, was making a mockery of it.

Nicholas flipped through the pages with a frown, his expression the same of that of Ralph's. "They never get it correctly. Have you seen this, Max?" he asked.

Maxwell merely shrugged, attention fully on his plate.

Nicholas shook his head. "Whoever this photographer is, I want to meet him. Should we consider consulting Devitt? This must be illegal!"

Maxine's brows arched at his statement. Surely he could not be serious?

And as though Nicholas had heard her thoughts, he turned to her. He motioned with his head, beckoning her to come to him. She did as ordered and he turned the paper so the photo faced her. "Tell me if you recognize me in this photo at all," he ordered. "And dare not lie."

Maxine looked at the photo. It appeared to have been taken from a ball. She cleared her throat and realized that Ralph and Maxwell were also looking at her, waiting for her reply. "Yes, milord, I do."

"How?" Nicholas demanded.

She cleared her throat once more, ignoring Maxwell Everard's vexing gaze. "I just do, milord. If you do not believe me, that is you, is it not?" she said, pointing at his picture standing beside his mother and Ysabella.

"Ha!" Nicholas said in disbelief. He waved with his hand and she returned to her corner.

Ralph was frowning as he snatched the paper from Maxwell. "I do not see what your valet sees, brother."

"So do I!" Nicholas said in agreement.

"You ought to have your eyes checked," he said to Maxine.

"My eyes are tremendously fine, milord," she retorted with pride, late to see Oscar's warning glare. She was not expected to offer a reply to Nicholas' statement.

Maxine thought she had to have a break from the tension in the room, both elicited by Oscar and Maxwell Everard. She walked over to Albin and whispered that she had not yet fixed Nicholas' room.

"Go," Albin whispered, "before Oscars sees it!"

*****

Maxwell saw the valet leave the room after talking to the other footman.

"Your valet is quite odd, Nick," he uttered dryly.

Nicholas frowned. "You mean the new one?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

He merely shrugged. "Just so."

"He is new and still is adjusting, but he is doing fine."

It was Maxwell's turn to frown. "He does not seem to be the one who could properly tie a cravat," he carefully said.

"Everyone is bloody incompetent for you," Nicholas shot back, reading between into his words. "And I do like the lad's name."

"Name?" Ralph asked. "Care share."

Nicholas smiled widely and his eyes glimmered with mirth as he looked at Maxwell to say, "Max."

"What?"

Nicholas shrugged. "Max."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"My valet's name is Max!" Nicholas elaborated with a laugh. He turned to Ralph. "Bloody famous is it not?"

Maxwell scowled as Ralph chuckled in amusement.

"I do feel as though I order you around whenever I call his name," Nicholas admitted, shoulders shaking in laughter.

"I do not see the humor," he said through his teeth.

"Ah, you shall not be served by him. Why do you care?" Nicholas as Ralph joined in his laughter. "Max is innocently funny, I tell you. I met him at the Theobald party where he was working as a footman. I invited him here."

"This year's Theobald party?"

"Of course!"

Maxwell stared at his brother for quite some time before asking, "And the lad agreed?"

"Not instantly, no," Nicholas said. "He simply appeared in my doorsteps yesterday, see?"

When he did not offer further comment, Nicholas narrowed his eyes at Maxwell. "Dare not apply your cynical thoughts upon my servants, Max. They are not under your employ to begin with."

He merely shrugged. What else could he say?

*****

Later that day, Ralph Everard finally left to go home but much to Maxine's disappointment, Maxwell stayed to sleep more in one of the chambers in the west wing.

She was on her way to Nicholas' study to inquire if he needed anything while he worked when she met Maxwell in the corridor. She stepped aside, head bowed, expecting him to walk past her.

But of course he did not.

He stopped to order, "Send food to the study at once."

"Yes, milord," she said through her teeth.

Nicholas barely gave her orders since breakfast and yet here was his brother, ordering her about.

She was wondering if their servants at Theobald were thinking the same thing every time they were to serve other guests. Was it normal for her to feel irked whenever she received a command from Maxwell Everard himself? Or was it simply the man?

As she entered the study with a plate of sandwiches and lemonade that Fanny hurriedly prepared minutes ago, she realized that Nicholas and Maxwell were talking about jewels.

"This year was not as great as the last," Nicholas said. "Mayhap we ought to change the designs?"

"I do not see problems with my designs," Maxwell snapped. "Ben said that last year was simply big because harvest had been good. Harvest means money to many. This year had been poor to many plantations."

Maxine carefully placed the tray to one side and carried the plate to Nicholas' desk. She turned and walked back to get the lemonade.

"No, I do not—" Maxwell started to protest when she placed his glass in front of him, moving his hand in the process and causing the glass to tilt in her hand. The contents poured over the table and on his lap. "Bloody hell!" he shouted and she jumped back in alarm.

His face had gone dark as he stared at her in disbelief and fury.

Nicholas was chuckling as he stood to escape the running liquid.

"P-pardon me, milord," she stammered, eyes wide. "I did not mean to—"

"Get the butler!" Maxwell ordered.

"But—"

"If you cannot do your task properly, valet, get the bloody butler!"

"But I would have done my task without accident if you did not wave your hand, milord!"

"What did you say?" Maxwell demanded, voice raised higher.

"I merely wanted to point out, milord, that—"

"Get the bloody butler!"

Nicholas' chuckle turned to laughter. Maxine veered her head to look at Nicholas, unsure if she ought to follow his brother's orders. Nicholas gave her a gentle smile and nodded. "Go find Oscar. My brother's fury shall not subside if you do not," Nicholas said.

"Bloody tarnation!" Maxwell was saying as Maxine stormed to the door. "What the bloody hell do you find amusing?" she heard him ask as she closed the door.

"Max, of course." Maxine stopped to listen through the small opening.

"The valet."

"Of course! No one would dare answer back when you are that furious, Max—no one! And I say I have finally found the perfect valet!"

She smiled with relief. Nicholas was not angry. That was the only thing she was concerned of at the moment. He was her master after all.

With that thought in mind, she turned and found Oscar in the hall. "His lordship is looking for you," she informed him and escaped to the kitchen before Oscar could learn of the accident in the study.

*****

Molly was having a rest in the kitchen, drinking lemonade and the same sandwiches their master was eating upstairs, talking about her own first day as a servant many years past, when finally Oscar found Maxine.

The look on his face was evidence enough that he learned of the accident. Molly stopped talking when Oscar came forward to say to Maxine, "If you cannot do your tasks well, remember that I do have the power to have you fired and evicted from the house." He threw Molly a look before he returned his dark gaze on her. "And do stop flirting with the maids and do your job!"

Maxine jumped to her feet as Molly scowled at the young butler. She rushed to the doorway and stopped. "Sir," she said, turning to Oscar. "Do you mean I ought to go back to the study? I was given the impression that Lord Maxwell does not wish me to serve him."

Oscar's jaw tightened. "He ordered for more sandwiches. Go and take a tray to them and apologize once more!"

"Yes, sir!" Maxine jumped and ran over to Fanny.

At the door, Maxine stopped to listen. Mayhap by doing so she could get a sense of the lion's current mood.

She sighed with relief when she heard them talking about something entirely different.

"Do you truly believe that Osmund Trilby's death years before had given way for Noah Trilby to be amongst the Town Leaders this year?" Nicholas was asking as Maxine reentered the room.

She immediately saw Maxwell glowering at her but she ignored it.

"Yes, although we shall not see the same sentiments on the Herald, considering how the paper does not truly does its job," he answered his brother, eyes still on her. She did not have to see to know for she could feel it. Placing the tray of sandwiches on the table, she started to turn.

"I thought I asked for the butler?" Maxwell told her before Nicholas could say anything in reply.

"Bloody hell, Max, give my valet a break!" Nicholas groaned.

Maxine slowly turned and to face Maxwell. She forced a smile on her face. "I was ordered by the same butler to return and deliver the sandwiches, milord. And to relay my pardon once more."

Maxwell Everard stayed silent. She smiled as he glared at her. "And?" he finally asked.

"And I just relayed my pardon, milord," she answered his unspoken question.

Nicholas guffawed.

Maxine bowed and left the room to wait outside, fully aware that Maxwell's eyes were throwing daggers at her back.

*****

Very much later, after almost an hour inside the study, the door finally opened and Maxwell walked out. She straightened her back as he walked by, intending to return inside the study to wait on Nicholas.

But as if it had already become a habit of his, the lion paused right in front of her and said, "I am leaving."

"Yes, milord. Have a nice day, milord," she replied with a bow.

"You must be happy to see me go," he said, voice almost menacing and filled with warning. He was telling her he was leaving but he would soon be back and he did not expect the same incident to happen again.

He did not wait for her response and walked away but she could not help but say, "Quite so, yes," as response to his statement.

He glared over his shoulder and she rushed inside Nicholas' study to escape before he could come back and strangle her.