Work didn't stop in the Morton mansion until every member of the family had retired to their rooms. Then, work resumed even before the break of dawn.
That was his unwritten rule as the head butler, in charge of the smooth daily operation and maintenance of the house, including managing the entire household.
"You missed a spot."
"You're not being paid to chat."
"Take this. Bring this." And so on. And so forth.
Just the usual phrases that echoed in the hallways as he passed by and inspected the household staff's work, ensuring that everything was in place.
For decades, he had served three generations of the Morton family diligently and faithfully without fail.
More than that, he had sworn to keep every secret that his eyes had seen and had reached his ears. Nothing would spill out of his mouth, no matter how their enemies tried to squeeze it out of him. He would die carrying them on his grave.
