Chapter 38-2

"Greetings Sir William," Hoss bowed dramatically before William, who did little more than glare at the man who was leaving a muddy water mark on his carpet. "A beautiful day is it not?" He questioned, walking over to William's desk, plopping himself on its edge before hastily retreating from it as William rose to swipe at him with the now bunched up papers in this hand. It was raining outside, and had been for the last day, but Hoss had always been the sort of lunatic to enjoy the things most people did not. "Get your rain soaked ass off my desk." William barked. "It's bad enough your ruining my carpet, I'll not have you stain the only piece of furniture in the room that's functionally worth what I paid for it." he bit, pulling a handkerchief from his waist coat to polish the water from the wood where Hoss had sat. Tossing the used cloth aside William took a step back and pulled the note Hoss had sent him from his top desk drawer. "Now what the bloody hell is the meaning of this?" William asked, handing the note back to Hoss who glanced over his handwriting for but a moment before looking back to William with an arched puzzled brow. "She's dead." Hoss shrugged as though there was no further meaning beyond what the note so clearly stated already. "Yes, I can read that!" William barked, throwing a hand to the air before looking towards the door as it opened and Nan slipped in, quietly shutting it behind her as she cast uncertain eyes toward the two men. "You said you'd call for me when he returned." Nan reminded, looking to William before turning her attention to Hoss and his… well traveled form.  Her brow wrinkling deeply for what she saw."Good God man.  Did you come directly here? It looks as though you stopped for nothing." she marveled in shock by the sight of his wet and muddy appearance. "Save to changes horses. I didn't." Hoss admitted with a pleased nod, his cocky smile returning to grace his mouth in full. "You're a mad man." Nan gaped as she stared at Hoss with wide disbelieving eyes. She could not decide if she was more stunned by the ease with which he admitted his actions, or the knowledge that he had actually done what he was admitting to. "Now you know why I groan when you praise.  You think I had not care for my life. This one calls sailing head long into a Hurricane, delightful." William snapped tossing a hand at Hoss as he stood grinning like a fool for their conversation. "I still think it was." Hoss added with a cheery wobble of his head. "You're insane!" William shouted at the man, now tossing both hands into the air as he took a step towards his smaller but no less capable friend. "And soaked through." Nan added, her voice rising to be heard though her tone remained cool. Walking past the two Nan headed for the fireplace, ringing the servants bell with three strong tugs before turning back to the men. "Go to your room, get dried off and changed, then come back here.  I'll see Mr. Baringer has a meal brought for you here." "I thought you wanted to know of Sophia's circumstances as much as I?" William remarked, staring at Nan, disbelieving of her orders for Hoss. "I do." Nan replied sharply,  glaring at William with a great deal of annoyance. "But your wife is dead. And the last I heard of a person successfully returning from the grave he was the son of God. You'll forgive me if I don't think your wife will receive such a miraculous gift." Nan stated, leveling William an inarguable stare a moment before redirecting her attention to Hoss. "Hoss go." she ordered with a toss of her head towards the servants door. "Aye, my Lady." Hoss grinned, giving her a slight bow before taking his leave with chuckle. Like a man who had just been struck in the head William watched his man leave, unable to recall when his servants had placed Nan's order above his own. Or rather when Hoss had, as William well knew no other in the house would dare disregard him as Hoss just had. "When did Hoss start following your orders before mine?" William questioned, giving voice to private thought as he could come to no reasonable answer. "When I put his Master's well being before mine." Nan replied, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at William as she walked towards. "And best you be careful Sir William or the rest of your staff might follow his lead and do my bidding over your own." She smiled teasingly tracing a finger along the back of his shoulders as she walked past him. "If you'd be a sweet to me as you are to them I think I might join them." William replied, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back to him. His arm's snaking about her waist as he leaned down to kiss her, only to drop his head to her shoulder and growl when a knock sounded at the door. "What!" William shouted throwing his head up as glared at the door, then at Baringer as he entered a moment later. "You rang Sir?" Baringer asked, bringing himself into the room entirely to address his master. "No I--" William snappishly began only to have Nan throw a hand over his mouth to silence his barking.  While she tried to escape his hold, but only managed a small turn to the side, since the stubborn man refused to release her. "Yes he did, Mr. Baringer," Nan corrected. "Hoss has returned, would you be so kind as to see a meal made for him and brought here.  And if you can find Jamie would you ask him to prepare a one of my teas as well. Something for the weather." "Certainly Miss Harris. Will that be all?" Baringer queried. "Yes!" William barked, pulling Nan's hand from his mouth as he addressed his Butler. The elderly man quickly bowing leaving as Nan turned back to William with further annoyed frown. "You don't all ways have to yell at them." Nan remarked her irritation showing in her disgruntled tone.