pte

rd and looked towards the window. There was no fairy staring

ding and stretching. Jamie thought about the

miled again, this time it was tinged with sadness. Albe was gone. He didn't know why the dream made him believe it more than the visit with the lawyer, but it did.

egan loading the car with his belongings. It took two trips, followed by a third to remove the trash. The sky was still nearly night dark with only a tinge of pearl tracing along its edge when

o ring. Marilyn Manson signaled the fact that his mother was awake. He let it ring as he took his first bite of biscuit. The phone fell to silence. He

ss inclined to be amiable when the third rotation of calls began. He set his biscuit down in the wrapper and pi

s breakfast, but still ended up with crumbs raining down the front of his shirt. When he finished eating he brushed them away, idly wondering wher

ional vacuuming helps, " he said. Not that he actually vacuumed. Jamie was pretty sure when he took his car to have the

the bag and took a great big gulp of his soda. The cup was almost too large to fit in his one hand c

he had not shown his family when they had come out with him. Mostly he supposed it was because their presence did not create a conditi

ehind." After the various turns and twists, he turned into the drive and stopped his car at the gate.

task without others waiting in the car w

d the day before. Jamie found his hand dropping to the medallion Albe left him. He had fallen asleep with it on and had not bothered removing it when he dressed. He looked at the house. There was

use. The stairs were solid under his feet and he wondered if he would have to publicly acknowledge the house before it would actually start speaking to hi

th the keys for a moment and wondered if the house could only talk when he was inside

when you didn't know if she was aller

ncomfortable and quite silly. "Sorry I

where the voice was coming from than he has the day before. The voice was neither male nor female but a ra

then. May I come in?"

idn't rub off on the others. You may of course enter. You a

" Jamie asked a

t in the sunlight. It didn't look any more im

t this Keeper stuff?"

hings it didn't know. "However I would appreciate it if you would come inside for this conversation since after all it tires me to

at his questions would be answered. The house smelled clean and fresh, as if a troop of maids had just completed their

bout this Keeper deal? Everyone

fairly complicated." House began. "You

er had admired. He looked at the brass card holder his brother had picked up. It had been empty when h

, " House said. "I would never allow tha

onsoling it. "But these car

der for your approval." Jamie flipped through the cards. The names all sounded rather alien and he place

that once I have figured o

between and live in one or the other and others never leave. Some stay in the woods. They need to be watched. You are of course neutral and not involved i

lds?" he

r. 'Well unseen for most. You can see obviously, otherwise you wouldn't be of mu

e of the fairy from the bird's nest flashed across his mind. He thought of Albe erasing the trail of prints leading to a bird that the fairy had not known to hide. Jamie shrugged and started to put the cards down when

inventory the lawyers gave me and technically I am supposed to be checking things off

ted. "Although, you will need to look into getting a housekeeper soon." Jamie

nd really I could just stock the freezer with frozen dinners and a couple boxes of cereal a

ndered what it would be like to have a woman here. Would the house turn away like a poli

n having much company,

you on occasion to let you know the status of things. I'm certain you don't know the specific dietary requirements of many of them, after all they are not exactly humans." House sniffed loudly.

Jamie thought about it and wondered where one would hire a housekeeper with that sort of requ

sekeeper?" Jamie asked. Perhaps there was

ut. One who is appropriate will show up. Would y

s a tightening tingle in his belly and then a

ith itself. "I have sent the message. I

u know if Albe got int

ability to serve on your own. If there is nothing else, talking like this and

tire you out, pleas

ed realizing that he was now standing in the foyer of a perfectly ordinary house. He shook his

first page. The inventory was quite detailed and there were notes for nearly every item. There was a

s, "It might actually tell me what several family members have been up to." Jamie saw the first page was entitled front formal parlor. Jamie turned to the left of the main hall and walke

then take Jamie back to the kitchen until the visitor left and Albe joined them in the kitchen. Jamie had asked Millie about the visitors

e room had to be kept in a state of readiness for surprise visitors and Millie didn't think it was appropriate for them to

p. Besides, " Albe had told him with a confessional wink. "I'm not a big fan of this room. I always feel odd about even denting the seats cushions with my bottom.

and tell stories about. With a start Jamie realized that those stories might not have been just stories. If all of this Keeper stuff was true then all of those stories might be true. That bro

be the easiest and most boring room to go through so he was glad he was getting it out of the way quickly. He reached the last major item of the room which was the secretary. He checked the heavy piece of furniture off his

with a red and gold runner and an antique lamp that turned on with a key. The set reminded him of something out of a Victorian novel and he wondered if they had originally been purchased when the house was first built. He picked up the left chair and flipped i

keeper is here, " The

de a small man was revealed. He stood at about five feet tall and was wearing a deep purple suit that reminded Jamie of ripe plums. Under the

olished to a high gloss. They had the most impossibly pointed toes he had ever seen curling up on the ends like high end Christmas elf shoes.

of supernatural housekeeper ad. The man looked up at him and smiled. His face moved as if

wink. "I've come as to be the housekeeper." Jamie blinked and let his eyes notic

e High Talbot if that makes you feel any better." The little man took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and held it out to Jamie. Jamie took the page and unfolded it. For a moment the

cations needed as a member of the Keeper's staff." Jamie read. It

albot?" The man looked su

the one who certifies that we be okay to work in the

is there a

t be, I tend not to mess with the l

e up remembering Albe's stories. "My apologies, I am still a little fuzzy this morning. Not eno

d all so you can call me Delta Harmony. Del for short I believe." Jamie smiled and wonder

e in?" Jamie gestured towards the par

ther one. Jamie noticed that the chair appeared to almost lower itself a little so th

ur current name? It is quite ... dis

passing through New Orleans. Seemed like somethi

een a housekeeper or

nd then winked at Jamie. "Now back in the day, of course there were other human homes I've tended, but those days are long past. I had a mind to try my hand at something and well this

know how to deal with some of the visitors?" Dell nodded. And he seemed for a second a bit surprised

ettling in ahead of you." Dell stood up and the chair went back to its normal size. Jamie wondered if it was t

about pay?" he ask

High Talbot." Del told him in a

oms were towards the back beh

ed. "I'll settle my bags and

to the kitchen. Jamie shook his head. Suddenly a m

ed hard and tried to reconcile the man in the purple suit

rter than Del was if his brain was remembering correctly. She hadn't seemed that small since she had mostly been around when he was still a child. He wondered if they were

one time or another read most of them. Since Albe had no television when he either went off for a bi

surface suitable for writing. The desk was covered with green velvet that was worn in places. There was an ink stain on the right hand corner as if someone with an ink pen had dawdled too long when trying to come up wit

le metal lever would be pumped to suck ink into the chamber and then snapped into place so the ink would not run out of the tip. Jamie turned the pen over in his hands and looked at

cept that he had never been able to find one. Apparently they had stopped making this particular type long ago. He had a f

ck of sealing wax and a stamp for marking the pooled wax in the first one he opened. The stamp, or seal he supposed it would be called, had a worn wooden handle. He turned it up to look

placed the seal back in the drawer. He took a deep shaky breath and let it out slowly. Apparently, he was going to have to get used to little things like this happening. He was not quite sure how many of thes

y. It was a small packet of papers. Jamie slid the set of papers out. It was wrapped in water proof oilskin and had ties around it like an old deed. He untied the stiff strings and folded it open. They were random letters and notes on

marks above them. Jamie checked the inventory again. No mention was made of this packet. He checked the date on the letters and saw the first of them were dated two months a

aw office, how may

om question for Jim if he's got the ti

waited to the sound of Aerosmith musack and wondered how

lly expecting to hear from you again so s

lem as a random questio

my best to find

pdated?" Jamie heard an indrawn breath and he wond

se. Jamie had hummed along. "I see by our files that we have a record of him coming in June 15th." Jamie looked at the date of the first letter. The letter was dated two weeks after the inventory

nks, " h

ething wrong?

ering how accurate it would be once I started going through the list and if I would have to be searching rooms for items

much so he would not have really moved anything since the last inventory without

elps a lot." Jamie said, p

e was about to hang up. "Will you be

Jamie

asked to make appointments with you to settle their affairs with Albe and

n I should be able to make some headway on the inven

one about his uncle's friends. "I was wondering, your brother called this morning and he wanted to know how soon I thought the estate would

haven't been answering his calls. So he probably thought he could get more out of you." He tho

d that I stay on for at least six months after his estate passed to you. I have alrea

ecided that as a lawyer there were a few things Jim might want

cour

t Albe's for a while and that I have no plans to sel

say there will be several peo

d on it. I drove the other day and they weren't exactly paying attention to directions. So I'm not worried that they will show up with a moving van or anything, but my brother, well he could possibly bring investors to the notice of, well, you. And te

he tries that it will be a pleasure to deal with him." Jamie could almost see Jim smile through the phone. There was nothing like settling

t Albe's estate had passed to him. Jamie folded the papers back up and tucked them into his back pocket. He tugged his t-shirt over the edge protruding out of the top of his pocket so it wouldn't be noticea

ie knew too much about. There might perhaps be information up in the library. Later he would have

e key to the underside of the chair where he had found it. It seemed a little excessive, but if he was going

er of entries listed for the little room. Jamie smiled. Here he had spent a great deal of time with Albe. He looked at the odd

claim her for his bride against the wishes of her father? Had Albe seen her safely to her grandfather's house where she married her true love