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Chapter 1
Aaron Masters had felt a surge of excitement while touring the grounds of Hardon with Thomas. The stories had all rang true; Hardon was a breathtaking place. The buildings were giant, the girls were pretty, and the air held that perfect balance of warmth to chill.
He felt as though he had found his new home away from home, and Aaron was going to make the most of it. The idea behind it all was that driving a rich man’s carriage would allow him to see the world and experience an adventure like no other. So far, Aaron’s journey had been going according to plan.
“We can look at the horses all day,” Thomas began. “But there is only so much that these beasts do. I find them rather boring after five minutes. They are quite astonishing upon first glance, though, I must admit.”
Thomas, a friend of a friend, looked as though he wanted to get away from the horse stables, and that sparked an urge within Aaron to make sure that he had still been there for the same job. “I agree, as different as these animals are from us, I must ask, you are still looking for a carriage driver, correct?”
The question had appeared to remind Thomas. “Right, yes, forgive me. My mind has been taken by other things as of late, yes. We are in need of a carriage driver. So, I guess you should get yourself familiar with the horses here. I am told some of them have quite the personality.”
Aaron could tell that Thomas had added the last part to make things more interesting. Something about the job had begun to not appeal to Aaron as much. He had begun to wonder whether or not the job of driving a horse carriage for a wealthy family would turn up the adventures that he was seeking.
The whole idea had come about when he realized two things: one of his only skills in life had been working with horses, and that to see the world, he would need to venture out of his own town. Leaving his family had been the hardest part, but he had told them in a year’s time, if things did not work out in his favour, he would return home and take on more practical work. That notion alone gave him more ambition to succeed.
Then came the idea of driving a horse carriage. Horse carriages were often only utilized in abundance for shipping and the wealthy. Shipping would only get him so far. But driving a carriage for the wealthy meant seeing other towns and getting paid to do so. And what laid ahead for him in those towns is what excited him.
Aaron knew from an early age that he did not want to live a life of routine and normalcy. A predictable day was a day that Aaron desired to avoid at all costs. With that mindset came opposition. His family had advised him to take on more stable work like carpentry, stone laying, or something that was always needed and guaranteed an income. Growing up, that had been his grandest fear—falling into stability and not seeing the world. And so, Aaron suggested a compromise. He would try his lifestyle for a time, and if it were to fail, he would heed the advice of the people closest to him and take on work that promised a future.
Listening to Thomas, Aaron was unsure whether or not becoming a horse carriage driver was the job he wanted or the type of job his family wanted for him.
“And they need to get fed just a little bit more often because of how much energy they will be expending,” Thomas went on.
“Who exactly would I be driving around if you don’t mind me asking. Frederick,” that was the friend who introduced Aaron to the idea of the job and Thomas,“informed me that uh, the family is somewhat wealthy.”
Thomas laughed, and Aaron was glad that he did not find his question to be too forward. “That is an honest question. You would be controlling these horses for the Earl. Now…,” Thomas continued to explain the job in more detail. Still,the stubbornness in Aaron had told him that he already knew everything there was to know about tending to the horses. After all, he had spent a good portion of his life working with them elsewhere.
As Thomas went on, Aaron looked around in subtle ways. He was fascinated by the town. Unlike where he was from, everyone appeared busy. But they did not appear busy in the way that they resented their work. They all took pride in what they did.
The salesman who had been selling fresh fruit in a stand not too far away had worn a smile each and every time he yelled out to promote his business.
“Fresh fruit! Fresh fruit!” The man would yell every now and then. The longest he went without saying it was when a customer stopped to check out his inventory.
Aaron felt envious. He knew that man could take his stand anywhere he wanted. He could sell his fruit in Ireland, England, Scotland, wherever, and have customers aplenty. Because everyone needed fruit. And he smiled the entire time. That was a man who did not work a day in his life. That was what Aaron wanted for himself.
Aaron gave a glance to Thomas, who did not smile when he spoke. He was just there to fill a job. And the fact that he was pretty much already training him led Aaron to believe that there wasn’t much of a challenge to the job, nor was the job hard to get. And that did not sit well with him. Sure, he was taking it to see the world and save for his own adventures, but was taking a job that anyone could get really what he wanted to do? The doubts in his mind continued to creep in further.
Just then, a man dressed as though he had just come from the Hardon House came walking up to Thomas. The man’s coat held giant buttons down the front. His pants had perfect creases on the sides of the legs. He had a receding hairline, and that seemed to oddly match his thinning beard. Was he middle-aged, or was he elderly? Aaron simply could not tell. But he could tell that he and Thomas knew each other. From the way Thomas seemed to change in demeanour and become a tad more submissive in his optimism, the man might have been royalty.
“My Lord,” Thomas said to the man, confirming Aaron’s suspicions. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Well, I was going to instruct someone to inform you that we are getting in new horses sometime soon. I remember you had told me that the older ones are nearing retirement. Instead of waiting for the day and being short-handed, I took it upon myself to get a head start. Perhaps you can look around for a suitable home for the older steeds to now live out the remainder of their lives.”
“Indeed,my Lord, that is wonderful news.” Thomas then wore the face of remembrance that washed over him before. Looking at Aaron, he could only assume that whatever he was about to say to the man, it must have been about him. “By the way, this here is the potential new driver of your carriage. I have been told that he is tremendous with horses.”
The man who Aaron figured must have been the Earl did not pay any mind to Aaron, giving him only a one-second glance. “That is rather good to hear as I have missed my trips to the fruit stand. Good day to you, Thomas. Expect the new horses within in the coming days.”
The Earl of Hardon took his leave after that and left Aaron with more questions than ambition. It was all too obvious that the Earl had meant the very fruit stand that was only a short walk away. And that offended Aaron to no end. “That was the Earl that I would be driving around, I presume?” He wasn’t sure why he asked when he knew the answer.
“Yes, he’s a swell man to be around. His stories are quite intriguing. Although most of us aren’t sure if they are all true, they are still entertaining. And what is life without a little bit of entertainment.”
“Right, um, but did he say that he takes his carriage over to the fruitstand…the one that is actually quite close to us?”
“Ah yes, the Earl has a rather bad back that doesn’t allow him to walk long distances. Well, I guess he could; he just chooses not to. Most would say that he is a homebody for sure.”
Homebody. The word scared Aaron and further instilled in him a doubt that maybe the job wasn’t for him. When he envisioned working for a wealthy family, he imagined one that travelled a lot. One that left their home to not leave a single stone unturned in the world. The wordhomebodywas one that would have been the opposite way to describe Aaron, and he did not want to work with someone who shared different values than he did. He wanted to be theman selling fruit, not the carpenter working for another man.
“I see. Do you mind if I just head over to that fruit stand myself? I have actually not eaten today and just want to make sure I am alert for everything you are telling me about the job.”
