Their butler and Mrs. Crouch were both happy to see them, coming down the steps to greet their master and mistress. A few of the servants who had stayed behind for the summer waited to eagerly greet them as well. Vincent forced a smile to his face and walked slowly down the line with Delaney, saying hello to each of them and asking them about their summer or some other bit of small talk.
Delaney always enjoyed seeing their people's love and loyalty to her husband. They served him well. Once they'd gone through everyone, the men and women scattered, going back to their tasks. With them gone, Vincent let his smile fall away and concentrated on getting up the first flight of stairs.
"Should we go to the dining room now?" Delaney asked him quietly, "I'm sure dinner is nearly ready and you could sit and rest and not have to move again."
