Claude couldn't help the small smile at that, glad he hadn't disturbed the man, and having quiet forgotten for the moment that Rose was still down the hall he didn't mind letting it show. "For the wood and labor... amm" Claude looked down for a moment doing the math. "Three pence sir."

Rose frowned offended. If they both worked for this rich snob, why was he so much friendlier to Claude?

It would not be until later that Zechariah would be annoyed with his butler for shirking his duties. Instead, he reached into his pocket and dug around for a threepence. Too big, too big, too small, not enough of those...

He pulled out a sixpence and held it out to him.

“Sorry,” he said blandly. “Jeeves has the checkbook.”

Claude shook his head. "I can't accept that much sir..."

“Come back another time, then,” he decided a little too eagerly. “There is plenty that needs repair.”

Yes you can, you mo-ron! Rose rolled her eyes.

Well... he couldn't argue with more work. "Alright... when sir?" He asked trying not to sound to happy about it.

He did need a good excuse to get out of that ball. No doubt Penina would be trying to find him potential brides – and even worse, Uriel might waltz in with his!

“Are you busy on the 8th?”

Quietly, Rose started making her way down the stairs.

Claude thought for a moment. The 8th? There was something... oh! The ball. He was planning on getting work at the event, but work away from it sounded much more better - less of a hassle and less of a chance of being made to dance with the farm girls by their fathers despite the fact he was trying to work. Although it seemed odd that this well off man wouldn't go. Maybe he didn't know? Or maybe the Butler would be here instead?

...Not that Claude cared...

"I can do, what time sir?"