"And as we stood amidst the smouldering wreckage of the caravan, I figured that nothing further needed to be said. And so I dropped my traveling nail and the last of my plates at his feet, gave him the slightest of nods, and made my way into town." Bartholomew concluded the recount of his latest adventures to the three other littlings he was sharing a table with.
"My my, you've certainly had an eventful journey this time around." One of the two other Boggarts at the table said.
"Eventful?" Bartholomew asked with an incredulous grin. "Well I suppose that's one way of putting it, Marian." Bartholomew turned his gaze away from his wife then, and looked to his daughter and her employer. "But my travels weren't nearly as eventful as our Margerie's work with the Detective here down in the Basement." He beamed proudly at the younger of the two Boggart women sitting with him.
Bartholomew had been closely following the news regarding the series of crimes in Viletia that his daughter's employer had been solving ever since he'd first seen a picture of Margerie in the papers. Given their family's past, Bartholomew had been slightly caught off guard by his daughter's decision to become a Detective's assistant. But he'd supported the choice none the less, and he was glad he had. Knowing that she was out there helping to do some good in the House rather than following in his footsteps never failed to put a smile on his face whenever he read about it.
A hasty deposit of water mugs shook Bartholomew from his thoughts as he lifted his head to regard the innkeeper's grand daughter as she took initial drink orders. Bartholomew had a great deal of respect for Old Abbott's lot. When the Restoration Pact had been signed and the Boggarts had finally been allowed back into the house, Old Abbott had been the one sent to confront the bandit clan Bartholomew had grown up in.
Up until that point, the clan had allied themselves with the Slaugh, acting as guides and mercenaries to the invading force in exchange for a chance to do more damage to the Faeries and Sprites than they had ever been capable of on their own. But when Old Abbot arrived, all that changed. Through charisma, intelligence, prowess, or underhandedness, the old Boggart had convinced, debated, coerced, or tricked much of the clan into joining Hearthworth's host against the Slaugh they once aided or simply laying down their arms and taking no further part in the conflict. But while most chose to leave, one way or another, some chose to continue their way of life. Bartholomew and his family were among that number, in no small part due to his own persuasion.
That last part was something he would hate himself for until the day he died.
After the Battle of Quillwaters, where he had learned the hard way the true cost of clinging to old hatreds, Bartholomew was surprised to find a friend in Old Abbott when the two met again in the battle's aftermath. It had been with Old Abbott's help that Bartholomew and his family escaped the shadow of their past to start afresh with new names and a new life.
Bartholomew was once more pulled from his thoughts when Marian nudged him, making the old fool realize that he was the last person Elizabeth was waiting on an order from now. Having arrived in Stairside skint broke and having lacked the opportunity to change that between then and now, Bartholomew could afford nothing more than the complimentary water he'd already been provided. And so he waved the girl off with a simple "I'm fine with just the water, thanks."
Elizabeth was a nice littling as well. That was pretty much the sum of his knowledge regarding the girl. Staying in the Entry Hall for too long had never been something the old Boggart could bring himself to do. Too many painful reminders. Which was why he traveled a lot despite his old age. As a result, he'd never really gotten to know the rest of Old Abbott's family all that well.
"Right then. Enough about me." Bartholomew said to Margerie and the Slaugh Detective once Elizabeth had moved off. "Tell me about these cases in Viletia. I only know what the papers have mentioned, so I'm curious to hear the stories straight from the stars of the show."
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