Pendragon's Folly, Chapter 4
Title: Pendragon's Folly
Pairing: M/A, eventually.
Characters: in this chapter - Merlin, Arthur, Miss Kay, Gaius, Gwen, Lance, Gwaine, Morgana, Uther
Rating: PG maybe even U
Chapter Word Count: 8,200
Warnings: No sex
Summary: There's an out of work wizard, a museum, a sizeable donation that turns it into a building site, suspicious happenings and magic. A sort of 'take your fandom to work' story.
Author's note 1: When it comes to romance, this story is the definition of 'slow burn'.
Author's note 2: More thanks than I can say to my beta, plot wrangler and best friend, sparrow2000. And many, many thanks to DJ for (hopefully) catching the typos we missed. If you spot any more, please do let me know.
Comments are always greatly appreciated, loved and cherished.
Disclaimer: I write fan fic. All the characters from the Merlin series are the property of the BBC and Shine, etc. No infringement is intended and no profit is being made from this writing.
Chapter 4
It felt like a long time since Merlin had been out into the country. Not since he had arrived in Camelot. Every week he intended to catch the bus to the base of the Tor, one day, or in the other direction, to the cliffs above Rosebeck, but there were always things to do that got in the way. So, sitting in the comfortable leather passenger seat of Arthur's open topped MG, holding his printed out directions on top of his bag in his lap and with the wind whistling past his ears making him aware of how much he needed a haircut, he gazed around with pleasure at the hedgerows and the occasional burst of a view over neat fields and pocket handkerchief patches of woodland.
Heythorpe House was just off the back road out of Lillebrook. A pair of tall, wrought iron gates set between high pillars and a low stone wall topped by a large clipped hedge, stood open to a gravelled drive. Arthur backed in and pulled up just inside the gates, where he wasn't blocking access.
Outside, on the other side of the road, over a field hedge full of patched up holes and may blossom, the landscape opened out to rolling hills and peacefully grazing cows. Merlin hurried to clamber out of the car and catch up with Arthur, who was already walking towards the house.
The short drive led straight to the white doors of a double garage surrounded on three sides by trees, while the house itself, a solid, stone, Georgian box, was set off to the right. Opposite it, across the drive, a large lawn was bordered by flowerbeds full of hollyhocks, ornamental daisies, lupins and red hot pokers. A wrought iron table with three matching chairs stood in the centre of the lawn.
As they approached the bottom of the steps up to the front door, it opened and Miss Kay came out. She was dressed exactly as she had been when Merlin met her at the museum, complete with tweed hat. She inclined her head in Merlin's direction but concentrated her attention on Arthur as she came down the steps towards them.
"You're just in time for tea," she announced.
"Miss Kay?" Arthur asked. "Excuse me, we're -"
"Oh, I know who you are," she replied. She nodded to Arthur. "You're the prince of industry," and then to Merlin, "and you're the magician."
"Umm..." Merlin said.
She walked past them towards the table, still speaking over her shoulder. "It's such a lovely day; I put the tea things outside."
On the table stood a china tea setting, complete with a two tiered cake stand, all painted with overblown roses in red and gold. The cake stand held delicate little cakes and sandwiches. Merlin was ready to bet the sandwiches were cucumber. They had certainly had their crusts cut off.
"Tea?" she asked, sweeping an arm invitingly towards the table.
"Thank you," Arthur said. He held her chair for her as she sat down.
"How very like your mother, you look," she remarked, as if that was a normal statement to make to a total stranger.
"My mother?" Arthur asked, his voice flat.
"She was such a delightful gal. She was a great hit when she came out. Uther couldn't take his eyes off her."
"You knew my mother?"
"Not well," she replied. "But I saw her occasionally when she was a child. She was beautiful. A gentle soul. Her family, the Amlaws, held land here since before The Conquest. I would not say I knew Uther at all. He did not really move in my circles. He is not a good man. But I can see you are cut from different cloth." She poured tea as she spoke and handed them each a delicate cup on an equally delicate saucer. "Do help yourself," she said, indicating the cake stand. "You have some business with which you require my assistance?"
Reluctantly Arthur nodded and between them, over tea, cake and cucumber sandwiches, he and Merlin explained the proposal to give the mummies to the Fitzherbert Museum. Miss Kay seemed pleased by the suggestion and the business was dealt with quickly.
"Hand me the forms," she said. "I'll sign them for you. Those things don't belong in the Folly. I do not approve of them. The Fitzherbert is a better place for them to lie; it's already stuffed full of rubbish from all over the world. Let them have the expense of caring for them."
Merlin dug the forms he had brought with him from his bag and handed them over. Arthur pulled a silver pen from his inner pocket and clicked it open for her. She nodded in approval as she took it from him.
Spreading the papers out next to her untouched teacup, she signed them with a flourish, without reading them. When she handed them back to Merlin she caught and held his gaze.
Merlin blinked and Miss Kay was smiling at him like an indulgent maiden aunt, but for an instant, it had been as if something else had been looking out through her eyes. Something old and not wholly benevolent. Something dark, with the suggestion of scales. "More tea, dear?" she asked.
Merlin took the papers from her, folded them and slipped them back into his bag. He laid his hand over the rim of his cup. "No, thank you very much. I'm fine."
Miss Kay was already turning to Arthur and lifting the teapot in an unspoken question. Arthur pushed his cup and saucer forwards an inch. "Thank you," he said.
For the next half hour, Merlin kept his eyes focused on his plate while Miss Kay rewarded Arthur with more memories of his mother as a young girl. She also recounted how the various local families had married, bred and died, over hundreds of years. Merlin, who could not trace his ancestry back further than his grandparents on one side, was both fascinated and repelled by the history that suddenly appeared to crowd around Arthur, like a smothering cloak.
He continued to listen with half an ear, but he drew most of his attention back and began to concentrate on tentatively expanding his magic towards Miss Kay. It was something he had read about in the book Gaius had given him. The book was an eclectic mix of anecdotal accounts of magic, descriptions of magic beasts and a large number of spells and potions, as reported in various medieval manuscripts and gathered together by an academic historian who had obviously considered them a curiosity. He had only attempted this spell once before, sitting idly on the front steps of the museum, with no direction in mind. Totally relaxed, his magic had expanded to encompass the stone of the steps and path, the wood of the doors and the warm brick of the building behind him, the grass and young flowers in the ornamental beds and finally the few people walking past. He had felt their humanity, the living breathing lifeness of them. It was amazing, familiar and comforting, but he had stopped and pulled back. It had also felt too much like an intrusion on their privacy to do it on purpose. This time, he intended to intrude.
He concentrated on the feeling of the air moving across the skin of his hands. Slowly and carefully he expanded his awareness up his arms to the sensation of the sun on his face and around his eyes. His concentration kept slipping and on each occasion he had to begin again. It was a bit like meditating. Finally, he had it - a bubble of magic encompassed his upper body, extending an inch beyond his skin. He could smell the sunlight and taste the humidity in the air from the shower of rain that had fallen just before dawn.
Slowly, he raised his eyes to a point between Miss Kay and Arthur and lowered his lids until he was looking out through the net of his lashes. He traced a lawnmower stripe across the grass to give him direction and drew an imaginary line to take him further. He could see both Miss Kay and Arthur with his peripheral vision, but he focused on the trees visible between them. Then he began to expand the bubble.
His hold was secure and when it occasionally faltered he didn't have to re-start. He knew, with certainty, that with a little more practice this could become as easy as breathing. Arthur's voice was a gentle murmur that, like white noise, obliterated distractions. The edge of the bubble reached him first, skimming over his hand when he picked a sandwich from the cake stand. It felt like stroking angora wool and Merlin took a moment to simply enjoy the sensation. Miss Kay said something in reply and Arthur laughed. It wasn't the 'throw back his head', unrestrained laugh that Merlin had seen on occasion, it was more polite, but it sent shivery waves through Merlin.
Instinctively he pulled away and shifted his expansion towards Miss Kay.
She had laid one hand on the table next to her cup. His magic touched it.
And there was nothing. It wasn't that she felt exactly the same as the people in the street. It was as if she wasn't there. He allowed the bubble to push a little further, to her wrist. Her pulse echoed through his chest, strong, steady and calm. Across the table from her, Arthur's hand moved into the zone of Merlin's awareness and it was like liquid gold behind Merlin's eyes.
He pulled his magic back, picked one of the tiny cucumber sandwiches off the cake stand and took a bite. The spell had obviously not worked. It was Arthur, not Miss Kay, who caused Merlin's bones to shiver at their core. It was Arthur who was unsettling at a deeply personal level that Merlin didn't understand. Miss Kay was... it was strange.
Miss Kay glanced at him. Her smile could have been a polite attempt to include him in the conversation, or it could have been hiding amusement and an almost physical shiver ran up his spine. He stared at her while his heart hammered in his chest. He felt like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. It was not until she looked away, back to Arthur, that he was able to relax.
During the time he had been doing his illicit magic, and recovering from his illogical attack of fear, the conversation had moved on to the Pendragon family and what Arthur knew of his history. Merlin had heard Miss Kay's story of Thomas Pendragon, an itinerant peddler in the fourteenth century. He had absorbed without listening to the history of Prudence-is-a-virtue Pendragon, who had made a living as a ploughman in Devon in the seventeenth century. And he had been aware of Arthur's amusement at Miss Kay's account of the antics of Arthur Frederick Pendragon, soldier of fortune. But now he did listen and they had moved on to more recent history. "It was my great-grandfather who inherited the business from the Thomas Pendragon who bequeathed the Museum," Arthur said. "He was a nephew. But I'm afraid he was more suited to the army and his club, than to running a company. It was my father who built it up to its present strength. And since we are now so successful, we have the capacity to consider and support the family's legacy."
"The Pendragons were always warlike," Miss Kay observed. "Even those who were not soldiers were still fighters. The First World War depleted the family sadly. And the second finished off the rest." She smiled. "Apart from your grandfather, of course."
"Do you know anything about Thomas Pendragon?" Arthur asked.
"He had a profound dislike for the mayor," Miss Kay said. She chuckled. "I believe he might have wanted the job himself. You know what these parochial politics are like."
Merlin didn't know. He had never had any exposure to politics, parochial or otherwise. The closest he had come had been when he had almost put himself up for welfare officer at the students union, in his second year at university, but something had got in the way and then the deadline for nominations had passed.
Arthur laughed. "Indeed," he agreed.
"He made sure the donation was tied up very firmly," Miss Kay said. "Something about bequeathing it to the town, not to the Town Council. The Council inherited responsibility for it, but has no power to decide its fate. Except in one thing. It may decide that Camelot doesn't need a museum."
"Well, it's not going to do that," Arthur said. "And I think the councillors are more than happy to accept the cash to pay for its renovation."
"I imagine they are," Miss Kay agreed. "They are no better than their predecessors, after all."
Merlin began to wish for the refill of his cup of tea that he had turned down earlier.
***
When they eventually got up to leave, Miss Kay accompanied them back to the gravel drive and watched as they walked away.
Arthur was digging in his pocket for his keys when she called out, "Merlin."
Merlin turned around and took a few steps back towards her. "Yes?"
She smiled and on this occasion Merlin didn't doubt that she was amused. "Did I not say that destiny would come in its own time? You are two sides of the same coin. And you've felt that now, haven't you?" she said. "You will achieve great things for Albion."
Behind him Arthur started the car's engine.
Drawing herself up straight, Miss Kay said, "The bus to Staubridge stops outside the Red Dragon, just beyond those trees." She nodded towards the copse beside her garage. "There is a gate there which leads to my back door."
"Oh, um, right. Thank you," Merlin said. "I'll, um, I'll remember that. Thank you for the signatures. And the tea. Um, goodbye." He turned, hurried to the car and got in.
"There's something very odd about her," he observed as Arthur pulled out through the gates.
Arthur glanced at him before returning his attention to the road. He pulled out and turned the car towards Lillebrook. "Is that your magical intuition talking, Merlin the magician?" he asked. "Because really, she's just a harmless old lady."
"I didn't say there was any harm in her," Merlin protested, "but she is odd. Although, maybe not as odd as you."
Arthur shook his head in amusement but didn't say anything.
The road was narrow and they were caught behind a tractor through the village, so Merlin was more than happy to leave Arthur in peace while he pondered the strange sensations he had felt through his magic, but once they were out onto the main road to Camelot, Arthur spoke again. "I wanted to thank you letting me talk to Miss Kay. You were very patient, when you must have been quite bored."
"No, I wasn't," Merlin said. "I mean, I wasn't listening, but... um, well, it seemed like she was telling you stuff you didn't know."
"She was," Arthur said. He flicked on the indicator and accelerated past a Land Rover with a dog and a few bales of hay in the back. Ahead of them the road was clear and in the distance the Tor was visible through a haze. When he spoke again it was in a different tone of voice. "Pell's finally been released from hospital and has gone home," he said. "He's not going to be on his feet for a couple of weeks and even then he won't be able to write or walk properly."
Merlin nodded. "Yeah. I thought he was being optimistic about being released the same day."
Arthur snorted. "No chance. He had concussion and two broken bones." He glanced over at Merlin. "You did quite a good job with that spreadsheet of yours," he said. "And just because we started off on the wrong foot, doesn't mean I don't know how to recognise initiative."
"What, what are you saying?" Merlin asked.
The car accelerated slightly. "I want you to take his place," Arthur said. "Just until he's better."
"You want me to...?" Merlin took a breath. "What if I don't want to?" he asked.
Arthur looked across at him, his eyes wide and he frowned. "Why would you not want to?" He slowed down a little and moved back into the left lane.
Merlin shook his head. "Because you're a prat, maybe?"
"A what? You can't say things like that to people. It's highly unprofessional."
"Maybe that's because I'm not a professional."
"Nonsense. I'm sure if I speak to Gaius, he'll not mind me seconding you for a few weeks."
"Like I'm a piece of furniture."
They passed the first sign warning of their approach to the turn off for Camelot and Arthur began to decelerate. "No, like you're an employee of a museum that will be a disaster zone if we don't get it under control," he said.
"But I'm not."
"Not what? For God's sake Merlin, what are you going on about?" He flicked on the indicator and swerved smoothly onto the exit ramp.
"I'm not an employee. I'm a volunteer."
The car slowed even more and Arthur looked at him. "You lied to me? All this time you've allowed me to believe you were a paid employee?"
"Will you watch the road? No, I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you. Would you have been more polite if you'd known?"
Arthur didn't say anything.
"So if you want to," Merlin raised his hands up on either side of his head and crooked his fingers in the universal sign for 'you're being a pretentious ass', "second me," he said, "I want to know what I'll be paid and what my duties are. Also," he said, warming to his theme, "how long the contract's for. What the redundancy terms are at the end. How many days holiday I get and..." He paused, wracking his brain for anything else. "And what the hours are," he added. "Oh, and will I have to wear a suit?"
"Oh, for goodness sake," Arthur said, "just think about it, okay? Tell me on Monday. If you want to continue as a volunteer, I'm not going to beg. I can find someone else to replace Pell. Someone with more qualifications for the job."
They completed the journey in silence and when Arthur pulled up in front of the museum, Merlin got out. "Thanks for the lift," he said.
"You're welcome," Arthur replied, looking straight ahead.
Merlin stood back from the curb and Arthur drove away.
***
That evening, over their meal, Gaius asked, "You're not going to refuse?
"But he's a, a… He's such a prat."
"And you need a job." Gaius countered with a stern look "You've not had much success with your applications, so far."
Seeing Merlin's expression, he changed his tack. "Merlin, I have valued your help. It's obvious you enjoy working at the museum."
"I do. I love it."
"Exactly. But you also need to find paid employment. With this offer you have both."
That was true, although Merlin doubted that he'd be spending his time in the stores or pouring over the register if he was working for Arthur Pendragon. There was also the huge question of whether Arthur had magic and what it would mean if he did. "I suppose so," he said.
"Even after this project is done," Gaius added, "I doubt there'll be any new jobs at the museum. But working on a project for Arthur Pendragon might get you a job at another museum. One that has more resources. There are plenty of them, you know."
Merlin grimaced, but nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "It's only for a few months, after all." He brightened. "That's if he hasn't thought better of it by Monday."
"Well, you'd better hope that he hasn't," Gaius said.
***
Once he was in bed that night, and for the next two nights, Merlin practiced and refined his skill with the bubble of magic spell. The alley behind Francis Street was a shortcut for drinkers going home from the local working men's club and on both Friday and Saturday nights he became familiar with the signature of happy drunks, while their singing and yelling echoed off the high walls around them.
On Sunday night he allowed the bubble to expand beyond the alley, over the sleeping bodies in the houses on Milton Avenue. His instinctive recognition of what he was touching was getting clearer. The fear that he might unintentionally read their minds seemed to be unfounded and he skimmed past them with only a superficial appreciation of who they were and without intruding on their dreams.
He also became aware of other life, other signatures. A fox slinking through the gardens. A blackbird asleep on its chicks in a nest in a hedge. A cat prowling along the top of a wall.
Beyond Milton Avenue was Camelot Road, which was never completely still and he felt a night shift worker heading to work, a tired delivery driver ready for his bed and a young couple whose signature sent him to sleep with a smile for the joy of existence. None of these people caused him to shiver when he glanced through, past, over them and his concern about Arthur's nature increased.
***
Arthur didn't retract the offer, he didn't even make it difficult for Merlin to ask for the job, and Merlin didn't have to wear a suit. He moved into Gwen's office on Monday morning, his desk moved from Gaius's workroom and pushed into a corner behind the door. It made the already crowded room seem even smaller.
"Gaius's office is too much of a social space," Arthur said. "And Gwen is out on school visits much of the time. I do want you get some work done."
He acquired a company phone and took messages, attended site meetings and took notes, learnt how to maintain a risk register and put Pell on speed dial. He couldn't take over every job that Pell had done, but the tasks he did have forced him onto a steep learning curve. Leon was a great help, explaining the terminology of the building trade to him, with patience and tact. Pell, who gave the impression that he was being over-coddled at home with his parents, talked him through any number of new concepts, while complaining about his own forced inactivity. Even Gwen was able to point him in the right direction, occasionally, drawing on the things she had overheard while sharing her office with Pell for four weeks.
He also spent a lot of time pondering the enigma that was Arthur Pendragon and watching him for any signs of magic. He did learn that Arthur worked extremely hard at what he did. Merlin had never been a slacker, but working for Arthur was a whole new level of busy.
But no matter how closely he watched, he saw no evidence of magic.
***
It was on his second Tuesday in the job that he learnt how to take notes while walking. Leon was showing them where he would start drilling the floor in the Great Hall the next day, to remove the rubble that had been used to fill the space where the tracks should have been laid. It had settled over time, leaving dips and hollows in the floor. Arthur and Leon paced briskly back and forth and Merlin stumbled after them, trying to catch what they said and write it down.
"We'll start here," Leon indicated a line on the floor, spray painted in fluorescent orange." That was almost the last thing Merlin understood.
Afterwards, in Gwen's office, Arthur demonstrated a new side to his personality when, over coffee, he explained to Merlin what the discussion had been about. It was unexpected, but Merlin was grateful.
"Come on," Arthur said, putting his mug aside. "We have a meeting with Lance and Gwaine at their offices. Let's see whether you can keep up with them."
Merlin wondered if he was undergoing a series of probationary tests.
It was the first time Merlin had seen Lance and Gwaine since Uther had put a hold on any further interior design work. Gwaine was still not happy and made it obvious. Lance was resigned and engaged with Arthur in trying to find a compromise that would not cause too many financial problems to either the project or their company. Morgana was silent, glowering at Arthur who ignored her. Once she had received confirmation that the Board of Trustees' view was that design work should not restart, she left.
Merlin took notes.
They discussed progress on the repair of the roof, both internal and external. With the rotten steelwork replaced and the whole roof area re-tiled, Leon was planning to get the glazers in during the following week.
"The building is not in a poor condition, considering the neglect it's suffered from," Lance said.
Merlin looked up. "But the cracks in the walls?" he asked.
Arthur frowned but Lance answered him. "Those are superficial," he said. "There's nothing wrong with the structure."
"That's not what Cedric told the Board," Merlin explained. "Gaius told me that Cedric reported the building contract was a lot bigger than originally estimated."
"No," Lance said, shaking his head. "The original estimate is still valid." He turned to Arthur. "Obviously, there was some variation after the false ceiling came down, but I wouldn't describe the total variations as 'big'."
"Leave that with me," Arthur said. "I'll get the accountants to do some digging."
They moved on to discuss the interior design work already done, which would now have to be scrapped. Arthur was in a difficult position. He obviously recognised the implications of the delay for DuLac and Lott, but he had clear instructions. He was trying, though. Even Merlin, considering the situation from a position of ignorance, could see that.
Arthur asked if they could look at examples of Gwaine's work and after considering the last set of plans, moved on to discuss what could be done once the Board of Trustees gave the go-ahead for work to start again. Now it became clear to Merlin why Arthur had spent so much time drinking tea with Gaius. He had a very clear picture of Gaius's ideas and hopes. He explained and discussed them with Lance, gradually drawing Gwaine back into the conversation. Gwaine started sketching out rough impressions of the things they talked about, with Arthur leaning over the table to watch.
After an hour he gathered his papers together. "Can you work those up into something I can present to the Board?" he asked.
"Will we get paid for them?" Gwaine asked.
"You'll be paid," Arthur said.
***
Leaving the Dulac and Lott office, Merlin asked, "Will the Board sanction more spend on design?"
"I'll pay for it myself," Arthur said. "But that's between you and me. I don't want to hear it from anyone else, so keep your mouth shut, okay?"
"That's, that's very generous of you."
"No it isn't. I'll reclaim it when the Board gets its finger out of its arse."
Merlin blinked in surprise and looked over at Arthur. Something in Arthur's expression warned him that further questions or comments would not be welcome, so he didn't attempt any, but he continued to study Arthur surreptitiously as they crossed the cobbles towards the road.
It was as well he did, because just as they reached the curb, Arthur seemed to stumble and fall, right into the traffic. There was a screech of brakes and Merlin acted without thought. He grabbed the tail of Arthur's jacket with one hand. Arthur was too heavy for him to pull back to safety by purely physical means, but with his attention already on him, he was able to visualise a lasso that he snaked around Arthur's chest, dragging him back from the brink.
The driver of the car pulled to a stop a couple of yards beyond them and Arthur shook off Merlin's hand in order to go over to the passenger side window. Merlin followed. The man behind the wheel was looking straight ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel. He was panting.
Arthur tried the door and pulled it open. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Slowly, the man turned his head. "I, I almost hit you," he said.
"I'm sorry. I think I tripped on a cobble. But I'm all right. Are you okay? Do you need anything?"
"I didn't hit you, did I?" the man asked.
"No. I'm fine. I'm really sorry to have given you such a scare. Are you okay?"
The man took a deep breath and let it out with a whooshing sound. His hand moved to the gear lever. "I'll be fine," he said. "Just, um… No, I'll be fine. Thanks." He put the car in gear. "I'll just… Could you close the door please?"
"Yeah, sure. Um, right. Well, thanks for your quick reactions and I'm sorry again." Arthur stood and gently pushed the door closed, giving it a shove with his hip to make it latch, then he stood back. The car slowly pulled away and Merlin and Arthur watched its progress, until it turned the corner into Charlotte Street and disappeared from sight.
"I think you just saved my life," Arthur said.
***
Merlin didn't have time to think about the incident further during the day, but that evening he voiced his half formed fears to Gaius. "Arthur almost got run over today," he said.
Gaius looked up from the pan of baked beans he was stirring. "Really? Is he okay?"
"Yeah. I used that spell in the book you gave me - the one with the lasso of light. No, he didn't notice. And I think the driver was more shaken than he was. He said he tripped on a cobble. It was in Market Square. But the cobbles are really flat next to the road."
"He still might have tripped."
"Or he might have been pushed."
"Not by you. Who else was there?"
"No one. But that doesn't mean he wasn't pushed."
Gaius smiled indulgently. "I agree that it was very lucky you were there, but don't you think you're allowing your imagination to run away with you? Just because he tripped and you used a bit of magic to save him, doesn't mean that there was any magic involved in causing it. Accidents happen, Merlin." His smile widened. "Should I interpret your overblown concern as proof that you're beginning to feel differently about Arthur?"
"No," Merlin retorted, with as much dignity as he could muster.
He caught Gaius's eye. Gaius gave a snort of laughter and Merlin started to laugh with him. In his case it was at least partly a reaction to the alternative image, conjured by his imagination, of what would have happened if he had not been able to draw upon his magic in time. "Okay, so he might not be as big a prat as I thought he was," he conceded.
Gaius appeared to consider the subject closed, but Merlin couldn't shake the feeling that it had not been a simple fall.
***
The following morning he would have retracted his more favourable judgement of his boss if he had been asked. He was woken half an hour before his alarm by Arthur phoning to say he was going to London. That was bad enough, but Arthur left him with a long list of tasks, including making calls to a number of local people who Cedric had apparently not paid, or had antagonised in some other way. Merlin spent most of the morning trying to pacify angry creditors with promises. He felt fully justified in telling them that Cedric was no longer involved with the museum. In the meantime, five, separate, urgent emails arrived from Arthur and had him running back and forth to Leon's site office and all over the museum in search of Gaius. That and the fact that the noise of drilling in the Great Hall was reverberating through the whole building, didn't make the Folly a restful place to be. When Gwen stuck her head around the door to invite him for lunch, he grabbed his sandwiches and jumped at the offer.
Gaius was not in his office, but Morgana was. When Gaius was there, she usually toned down her complaints about the Pendragons' sins, but with him absent she obviously felt the need for a sympathetic ear. "Can't you see what he's doing?" she asked. "Gwaine's so full of plans again and it's all going to come to nothing. It'll end up with us going bust. I just know it."
Handicapped by Arthur's injunction, Merlin left it to Gwen to make soothing noises and escaped back to the other office as soon as he could, pleading work. Morgana cast him a sympathetic look as he made his excuses. "I knew he'd be a slave driver," she said.
Just before he quit for the day, almost two hours after Gaius left the museum to go home, a final email arrived from Arthur:
From: Arthur Pendragon [mailto:APendragon@Pendragon.co.uk]
Sent: 30 April 2014 18:50
To: Merlin Emrys
Subject: Tomorrow
I'm returning tomorrow and my father is coming with me. Expect us at 9.30am.
Lance and Gwaine are meeting with us at 12. Please tell Gaius that his attendance would be appreciated, if he can make it.
Wear a suit.
Arthur
He shot back an acknowledgement and said he would tell Gaius as soon as he got home. Then he logged off and closed down his laptop before Arthur could reply.
***
Arthur phoned just before 9:00 to tell him they had arrived and parked next to the Greenswood site offices. He said they were going to inspect the Great Hall and the Kitchen Gallery before coming through to the front. A courier would be delivering a package from the accountants. He asked Merlin to keep an eye out for it and make sure it contained three collated copies of all the papers they were sending. Merlin went into Gaius's workroom and switched on the photocopier, just in case.
He then spent half an hour pacing the foyer, waiting for the courier, and took delivery when the package arrived. Taking it back to his desk, he checked through the papers and tried to understand what they said. It was a preliminary report. The executive summary was clear enough. There was a discrepancy in the accounts, but on first inspection it appeared to be negligence, rather than fraud. The accountants were still checking.
Merlin shuffled all three copies together, put them aside and returned to updating the risk register.
Just before noon the drilling stopped and he breathed a silent thanks for lunch breaks, even if they were not his own. Looking out of the window, he saw Lance, Gwaine and Morgana approaching. Grabbing the accountant's reports he went out onto the balcony. Below him, Arthur, Uther and Leon were standing in conversation by the temporary door to the Great Hall, so he detoured into Gaius's office.
"They're here," he said, putting the reports on the corner of Gaius's desk.
"Okay, thank you," Gaius said. "I'll put the kettle on."
Merlin went back outside and paused overlooking the foyer, watching the body language. Leon was standing with his back to Merlin, but there was something in his stance that implied deference. Arthur was in front of the open door. He stood straight and stiff and was studying his feet. Uther was turning away.
It could only have been something in the acoustics of the room that carried the grating sound across to Merlin's ears so clearly, because it wasn't loud. He looked around, trying to locate it and identified the source - the bust of Thomas Pendragon had moved on its plinth above the blocked in arch and was balanced precariously on the edge.
Uther took two steps towards the stairs and Leon said something to Arthur. The bust shifted again.
"Look out!" Merlin yelled.
Arthur started and looked up at him.
"Get back!" Merlin shouted. The bust toppled over the edge of its plinth and began to fall, too fast for him to focus on and influence. He knew Arthur though, his presence was familiar, so he used that and pushed.
Arthur stumbled backwards through the door into the Great Hall and the bust crashed to the ground directly in front of him.
Merlin ran for the stairs. Uther spun around with a cry and Leon started forwards.
As he took the stairs two at a time, Merlin saw Lance and Gwaine rushing towards the group and when he reached the turn he saw Morgana following them more slowly.
From the confusion, Arthur emerged. He appeared shocked but unharmed. He glared down at the broken bust, stepped over it and stared up at the plinth where it had stood.
Merlin clung to the carved ball on top of the newel post. With the danger past, he could feel himself shaking. The air smelt dry and brittle, like sun-baked cement when it is hit by the first drops of a summer shower. He looked around. Everybody seemed shocked, but his attention was caught by something in Morgana's expression that he couldn't interpret. Within a moment it was gone, she had joined the group and was asking if everybody was okay. Her voice was high with anxiety.
From above him Gaius called, "What was that crash? Is anyone hurt?"
Arthur turned and looked up. "No," he replied. He glanced across at Leon, who nodded. "A close call," Arthur said, "but we're all okay."
Merlin pushed himself upright but stayed near the bottom of the stairs. Uther put his hand on Arthur's shoulder and spoke quietly to him. Arthur's smile looked strained, but he was obviously trying to reassure his father. Lance, Gwaine, Morgana and Leon were standing gazing up at the plinth. Lance asked Leon a question and Leon shook his head. "I doubt it," he said, "but I suppose it's possible."
It was Uther who took control. He looked up at Gaius, who hadn't moved except that he was supporting himself against the balcony rail. "I think we should retreat to your office, Gaius," he called. Everyone else turned to him and obediently began to move towards the stairs.
"Yes, of course," Gaius said. "I have the kettle on. I think we all need a strong cup of tea. Please, do come up."
As he passed Merlin, Uther spoke to him for the first time. "Tidy that mess up, would you?" he said.
Merlin glanced at Arthur who nodded. "Of course," Merlin muttered.
As a group they walked past him and up the stairs. Merlin went into the Ladies Waiting Room and dug through the cupboard for the Museum Club broom and dustpan. They were propped up in a plastic storage box, so he took that too.
Returning to the foyer he lifted the larger lumps of bust into the box, swiftly swept up the rest and dumped the fragments on top. Leaving the broom and dustpan just inside the Great Hall, he pulled the door closed and made sure it was locked. Picking up the box, he climbed the stairs to join everyone else in Gaius's workroom.
When he entered, awkwardly manoeuvring the box in front of him until Leon held the door open for him, he saw that Uther had moved past shock to anger and was already in full flow. "-unsafe. Arthur could have been killed," he said. "Any of us could. How could this have been allowed to happen?"
Somewhat tentatively, Gaius suggested, "I suppose the vibration from the drilling might have shifted it."
"I don't care why it happened," Uther snapped. "I asked how it could have been allowed to happen."
"I don't know," Gaius admitted. He sounded tired. "That bust has been there for over a hundred and fifty years. There was no reason to believe it might fall."
Merlin looked around the room and saw that everybody else was still standing, unable to sit down while Uther stood. Uther began to pace and in spite of the fact that the room was overcrowded with so many people, everybody made space for him to do so. Leon backed right up to the door and stayed there.
Arthur was by the window with his back to everybody else, Lance and Morgana were standing in the space where Merlin's desk had been. Lance looked grave and Morgana was playing with her ring in a nervous manner, twisting it around her finger. Gwaine was beyond them, clutching a cardboard tube tightly in both hands. His brows were drawn together but Merlin couldn't read his expression. Gwen was sitting at the round mahogany table. She had a mug in front of her, held between her hands and looked like she was trying to avoid being noticed. Merlin didn't blame her.
He walked across to Lance's side and dumped the box on the floor. The sound caused everyone to look at him. "It was bad," he acknowledged. "It could have been terrible. Thankfully, it wasn't."
"It could have been terrible," Uther agreed. "It could also have been an unsuspecting member of the public."
A gasp from Gwen drew his attention and he glared at her. "What?" he barked. "Who are you?"
"I'm, I..." Gwen took a breath and sat up straight. "I'm Gwen Thomas," she said. "I run the Museum Club. We were expecting a Year Six visit this morning, but they cancelled yesterday."
"You make my point for me," Uther said. "It is obvious that the museum will have to close for the duration of the works." In a gentler tone of voice, he said, "Arthur?"
Arthur turned. "Yes, Father?"
"It's never safe to have the public anywhere near a building site. I rely on you to sort that out."
Bowing his head, Arthur murmured, "Yes, Father."
More briskly, Uther turned to the rest of the room. "I have to go. I've been invited to appear on Question Time this evening and I need to be in Camlann by 7pm. I think we are done here. I'll look at the accountant's report on the way."
Merlin hurried to fetch it and handed him one copy. Uther placed his briefcase on Gaius's desk, opened it and slipped the report inside with a nod of thanks.
"But Father-"
"Yes?"
Arthur straightened his back. "You agreed to take a look at the rough sketches Gwaine has put together." He glanced at his watch. "It's only 12:30. And it won't take more than an hour of your time. If you wouldn't mind?" He indicated Gwaine. "Gwaine Lott," he said. Turning slightly, he raised his arm in Lance and Morgana's direction. "His partner, Lance DuLac, and their Office and Accounts Manager-"
"Morgana," Morgana said, interrupting him and stepping forward. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Pendragon," she said, holding out her hand.
Leaving his briefcase on Gaius's desk, Uther shook it, studying her. He smiled tightly. "A pleasure," he replied. Looking over to Arthur his smile softened and his shoulders seemed to relax. "Very well," he said. "One hour."
Merlin felt the tension in the room decrease dramatically. Arthur smiled and indicated the round table. Uther pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. Gwen pushed her own chair back and stood. "I'll, I'll get out of your way," she mumbled.
"No, stay," Gaius said, taking the seat next to Uther. "Your views as an educator are just as valuable as everybody else's."
Gwen blushed and looked around. Lance was smiling warmly at her and Morgana nodded encouragement. She settled back nervously into her chair. "Okay, thank you," she agreed.
Lance caught Arthur's eye and indicated the last seat at the table, but Arthur shook his head so Lance sat down next to her. Leon edged away from the door, to a place where he could see the table top.
Gwaine pulled the lid off his cardboard tube, drew out a roll of paper and went to stand between Uther and Gaius.
"And we could all do with that cup of tea, I think," Gaius said. "The kettle's just boiled."
"I'll make it," Merlin said.
"I'll help you," Morgana offered. She smiled at Lance and Gwaine. "I can listen in from over there, if you need me." She got up and went over to the kettle. Merlin joined her and flicked it back on, while Morgana started assembling mugs and dumped a dozen tea bags into the big teapot. Merlin glared at the kettle, silently begging it to come quickly back to the boil.
Finally it did and he poured the water into the teapot. Morgana had found a tray and arranged the sugar bowl, milk carton and half a dozen teaspoons on it. "You take that," she said. "I'll hand out the tea." She gave the teapot a swirl and started pouring it out.
She passed the first mug to Uther, the second to Gaius and then stood behind him to watch. He looked up at her and offered her his seat, but she shook her head.
Merlin managed to fit the other mugs on the tray, but recognising the hierarchy, he went first to Uther's side to offer milk and sugar. Uther added both to his mug. Merlin then walked around the table so everybody else could take their own and do the same.
Returning to the tea area, he grabbed the last mug and re-joined the group, standing next to Arthur, where he had a clear view past Lance's head.
Gwaine talked fast, pulling one sheet after another off the top of the table and dropping them on the floor behind him, showing them different views and possibilities.
Merlin had missed much of it, but Gaius was already beaming with delight. He reached out to squeeze the back Gwen's free hand which was resting on the edge of the table. Uther did not look so impressed.
Eventually, Gwaine finished and stood up straight again.
No one said anything for a long moment. Gwaine bent to pick up his papers and walked around the table to a position from where he had a view of Uther's face.
Gaius broke the silence by clapping his hands together. "That is wonderful," he said.
"They need more work," Gwaine explained, "but from what Arthur said about the collections and your basic concept..."
"Very impressive," Uther agreed. He looked up at Arthur. "It is certainly a good basis for future work." Switching his attention to Gwaine, he added, "And as Chair of the Board of Trustees I would like to thank you for the effort you have put into producing them." He stood up. "But I can't sanction any further work on them until the Board has had a chance to see them and gives its approval. You will understand that."
Gwaine looked understandably disappointed. Morgana went over to him, once more twisting her ring around her finger. Lance frowned but nodded. "Of course," he said.
Gaius slumped slightly in his chair, but offered a consoling, "I'm sure they'll agree, though."
On his way to fetch his briefcase Uther said, "We will see at the next Board meeting." He turned. "Now I really must go; I don't want to keep the BBC waiting."
Hauling himself to his feet, Gaius said, "Thank you for coming up. I know how busy you are."
"Of course," Uther said. He left the room with Gaius, and Leon slipped out behind them.
Arthur turned to Gwaine. "They will say yes," he said. "That's a good concept design. There's no way they won't approve it."
Gwaine nodded. "Yeah, things always take longer that we'd wish, eh?" He started straightening the papers and rolled them up but didn't try to put them back into the cardboard tube. "We'd best be going then." With a grimace for Morgana, he added, "I'm sorry we dragged you down with us, Morgs. Looks like fate didn't want us discussing the accountant's report, after all."
Arthur held out his hand and Merlin put the second copy of the report into it. "Here," Arthur said. "Take it with you. At least you'll have time to read it properly before we do meet to discuss it." He handed it to Gwaine who passed it straight to Morgana. "We might even have the final report by then."
Morgana nodded. She looked tired. Merlin thought she was more disappointed than Gwaine by the reception his plans had received.
Arthur went over to the door and Lance, Gwaine and Morgana followed him. He held it for them to leave and went with them to see them out.
Merlin collapsed into a chair. "Bloody hell," he said. "What a fucking disaster."
"Yeah," Gwen agreed. "What if the school party had been there? It would have been worse than a disaster." She paused. "Not that I'm saying it would have been okay if it had hit Arthur. I mean, obviously, that would have been terrible, too."
Merlin laid his hand over hers and gave it a squeeze. "I know," he said.
Pendragon's Folly, Chapter 5
Pairing: M/A, eventually.
Characters: in this chapter - Merlin, Arthur, Miss Kay, Gaius, Gwen, Lance, Gwaine, Morgana, Uther
Rating: PG maybe even U
Chapter Word Count: 8,200
Warnings: No sex
Summary: There's an out of work wizard, a museum, a sizeable donation that turns it into a building site, suspicious happenings and magic. A sort of 'take your fandom to work' story.
Author's note 1: When it comes to romance, this story is the definition of 'slow burn'.
Author's note 2: More thanks than I can say to my beta, plot wrangler and best friend, sparrow2000. And many, many thanks to DJ for (hopefully) catching the typos we missed. If you spot any more, please do let me know.
Comments are always greatly appreciated, loved and cherished.
Disclaimer: I write fan fic. All the characters from the Merlin series are the property of the BBC and Shine, etc. No infringement is intended and no profit is being made from this writing.
Chapter 4
It felt like a long time since Merlin had been out into the country. Not since he had arrived in Camelot. Every week he intended to catch the bus to the base of the Tor, one day, or in the other direction, to the cliffs above Rosebeck, but there were always things to do that got in the way. So, sitting in the comfortable leather passenger seat of Arthur's open topped MG, holding his printed out directions on top of his bag in his lap and with the wind whistling past his ears making him aware of how much he needed a haircut, he gazed around with pleasure at the hedgerows and the occasional burst of a view over neat fields and pocket handkerchief patches of woodland.
Heythorpe House was just off the back road out of Lillebrook. A pair of tall, wrought iron gates set between high pillars and a low stone wall topped by a large clipped hedge, stood open to a gravelled drive. Arthur backed in and pulled up just inside the gates, where he wasn't blocking access.
Outside, on the other side of the road, over a field hedge full of patched up holes and may blossom, the landscape opened out to rolling hills and peacefully grazing cows. Merlin hurried to clamber out of the car and catch up with Arthur, who was already walking towards the house.
The short drive led straight to the white doors of a double garage surrounded on three sides by trees, while the house itself, a solid, stone, Georgian box, was set off to the right. Opposite it, across the drive, a large lawn was bordered by flowerbeds full of hollyhocks, ornamental daisies, lupins and red hot pokers. A wrought iron table with three matching chairs stood in the centre of the lawn.
As they approached the bottom of the steps up to the front door, it opened and Miss Kay came out. She was dressed exactly as she had been when Merlin met her at the museum, complete with tweed hat. She inclined her head in Merlin's direction but concentrated her attention on Arthur as she came down the steps towards them.
"You're just in time for tea," she announced.
"Miss Kay?" Arthur asked. "Excuse me, we're -"
"Oh, I know who you are," she replied. She nodded to Arthur. "You're the prince of industry," and then to Merlin, "and you're the magician."
"Umm..." Merlin said.
She walked past them towards the table, still speaking over her shoulder. "It's such a lovely day; I put the tea things outside."
On the table stood a china tea setting, complete with a two tiered cake stand, all painted with overblown roses in red and gold. The cake stand held delicate little cakes and sandwiches. Merlin was ready to bet the sandwiches were cucumber. They had certainly had their crusts cut off.
"Tea?" she asked, sweeping an arm invitingly towards the table.
"Thank you," Arthur said. He held her chair for her as she sat down.
"How very like your mother, you look," she remarked, as if that was a normal statement to make to a total stranger.
"My mother?" Arthur asked, his voice flat.
"She was such a delightful gal. She was a great hit when she came out. Uther couldn't take his eyes off her."
"You knew my mother?"
"Not well," she replied. "But I saw her occasionally when she was a child. She was beautiful. A gentle soul. Her family, the Amlaws, held land here since before The Conquest. I would not say I knew Uther at all. He did not really move in my circles. He is not a good man. But I can see you are cut from different cloth." She poured tea as she spoke and handed them each a delicate cup on an equally delicate saucer. "Do help yourself," she said, indicating the cake stand. "You have some business with which you require my assistance?"
Reluctantly Arthur nodded and between them, over tea, cake and cucumber sandwiches, he and Merlin explained the proposal to give the mummies to the Fitzherbert Museum. Miss Kay seemed pleased by the suggestion and the business was dealt with quickly.
"Hand me the forms," she said. "I'll sign them for you. Those things don't belong in the Folly. I do not approve of them. The Fitzherbert is a better place for them to lie; it's already stuffed full of rubbish from all over the world. Let them have the expense of caring for them."
Merlin dug the forms he had brought with him from his bag and handed them over. Arthur pulled a silver pen from his inner pocket and clicked it open for her. She nodded in approval as she took it from him.
Spreading the papers out next to her untouched teacup, she signed them with a flourish, without reading them. When she handed them back to Merlin she caught and held his gaze.
Merlin blinked and Miss Kay was smiling at him like an indulgent maiden aunt, but for an instant, it had been as if something else had been looking out through her eyes. Something old and not wholly benevolent. Something dark, with the suggestion of scales. "More tea, dear?" she asked.
Merlin took the papers from her, folded them and slipped them back into his bag. He laid his hand over the rim of his cup. "No, thank you very much. I'm fine."
Miss Kay was already turning to Arthur and lifting the teapot in an unspoken question. Arthur pushed his cup and saucer forwards an inch. "Thank you," he said.
For the next half hour, Merlin kept his eyes focused on his plate while Miss Kay rewarded Arthur with more memories of his mother as a young girl. She also recounted how the various local families had married, bred and died, over hundreds of years. Merlin, who could not trace his ancestry back further than his grandparents on one side, was both fascinated and repelled by the history that suddenly appeared to crowd around Arthur, like a smothering cloak.
He continued to listen with half an ear, but he drew most of his attention back and began to concentrate on tentatively expanding his magic towards Miss Kay. It was something he had read about in the book Gaius had given him. The book was an eclectic mix of anecdotal accounts of magic, descriptions of magic beasts and a large number of spells and potions, as reported in various medieval manuscripts and gathered together by an academic historian who had obviously considered them a curiosity. He had only attempted this spell once before, sitting idly on the front steps of the museum, with no direction in mind. Totally relaxed, his magic had expanded to encompass the stone of the steps and path, the wood of the doors and the warm brick of the building behind him, the grass and young flowers in the ornamental beds and finally the few people walking past. He had felt their humanity, the living breathing lifeness of them. It was amazing, familiar and comforting, but he had stopped and pulled back. It had also felt too much like an intrusion on their privacy to do it on purpose. This time, he intended to intrude.
He concentrated on the feeling of the air moving across the skin of his hands. Slowly and carefully he expanded his awareness up his arms to the sensation of the sun on his face and around his eyes. His concentration kept slipping and on each occasion he had to begin again. It was a bit like meditating. Finally, he had it - a bubble of magic encompassed his upper body, extending an inch beyond his skin. He could smell the sunlight and taste the humidity in the air from the shower of rain that had fallen just before dawn.
Slowly, he raised his eyes to a point between Miss Kay and Arthur and lowered his lids until he was looking out through the net of his lashes. He traced a lawnmower stripe across the grass to give him direction and drew an imaginary line to take him further. He could see both Miss Kay and Arthur with his peripheral vision, but he focused on the trees visible between them. Then he began to expand the bubble.
His hold was secure and when it occasionally faltered he didn't have to re-start. He knew, with certainty, that with a little more practice this could become as easy as breathing. Arthur's voice was a gentle murmur that, like white noise, obliterated distractions. The edge of the bubble reached him first, skimming over his hand when he picked a sandwich from the cake stand. It felt like stroking angora wool and Merlin took a moment to simply enjoy the sensation. Miss Kay said something in reply and Arthur laughed. It wasn't the 'throw back his head', unrestrained laugh that Merlin had seen on occasion, it was more polite, but it sent shivery waves through Merlin.
Instinctively he pulled away and shifted his expansion towards Miss Kay.
She had laid one hand on the table next to her cup. His magic touched it.
And there was nothing. It wasn't that she felt exactly the same as the people in the street. It was as if she wasn't there. He allowed the bubble to push a little further, to her wrist. Her pulse echoed through his chest, strong, steady and calm. Across the table from her, Arthur's hand moved into the zone of Merlin's awareness and it was like liquid gold behind Merlin's eyes.
He pulled his magic back, picked one of the tiny cucumber sandwiches off the cake stand and took a bite. The spell had obviously not worked. It was Arthur, not Miss Kay, who caused Merlin's bones to shiver at their core. It was Arthur who was unsettling at a deeply personal level that Merlin didn't understand. Miss Kay was... it was strange.
Miss Kay glanced at him. Her smile could have been a polite attempt to include him in the conversation, or it could have been hiding amusement and an almost physical shiver ran up his spine. He stared at her while his heart hammered in his chest. He felt like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. It was not until she looked away, back to Arthur, that he was able to relax.
During the time he had been doing his illicit magic, and recovering from his illogical attack of fear, the conversation had moved on to the Pendragon family and what Arthur knew of his history. Merlin had heard Miss Kay's story of Thomas Pendragon, an itinerant peddler in the fourteenth century. He had absorbed without listening to the history of Prudence-is-a-virtue Pendragon, who had made a living as a ploughman in Devon in the seventeenth century. And he had been aware of Arthur's amusement at Miss Kay's account of the antics of Arthur Frederick Pendragon, soldier of fortune. But now he did listen and they had moved on to more recent history. "It was my great-grandfather who inherited the business from the Thomas Pendragon who bequeathed the Museum," Arthur said. "He was a nephew. But I'm afraid he was more suited to the army and his club, than to running a company. It was my father who built it up to its present strength. And since we are now so successful, we have the capacity to consider and support the family's legacy."
"The Pendragons were always warlike," Miss Kay observed. "Even those who were not soldiers were still fighters. The First World War depleted the family sadly. And the second finished off the rest." She smiled. "Apart from your grandfather, of course."
"Do you know anything about Thomas Pendragon?" Arthur asked.
"He had a profound dislike for the mayor," Miss Kay said. She chuckled. "I believe he might have wanted the job himself. You know what these parochial politics are like."
Merlin didn't know. He had never had any exposure to politics, parochial or otherwise. The closest he had come had been when he had almost put himself up for welfare officer at the students union, in his second year at university, but something had got in the way and then the deadline for nominations had passed.
Arthur laughed. "Indeed," he agreed.
"He made sure the donation was tied up very firmly," Miss Kay said. "Something about bequeathing it to the town, not to the Town Council. The Council inherited responsibility for it, but has no power to decide its fate. Except in one thing. It may decide that Camelot doesn't need a museum."
"Well, it's not going to do that," Arthur said. "And I think the councillors are more than happy to accept the cash to pay for its renovation."
"I imagine they are," Miss Kay agreed. "They are no better than their predecessors, after all."
Merlin began to wish for the refill of his cup of tea that he had turned down earlier.
***
When they eventually got up to leave, Miss Kay accompanied them back to the gravel drive and watched as they walked away.
Arthur was digging in his pocket for his keys when she called out, "Merlin."
Merlin turned around and took a few steps back towards her. "Yes?"
She smiled and on this occasion Merlin didn't doubt that she was amused. "Did I not say that destiny would come in its own time? You are two sides of the same coin. And you've felt that now, haven't you?" she said. "You will achieve great things for Albion."
Behind him Arthur started the car's engine.
Drawing herself up straight, Miss Kay said, "The bus to Staubridge stops outside the Red Dragon, just beyond those trees." She nodded towards the copse beside her garage. "There is a gate there which leads to my back door."
"Oh, um, right. Thank you," Merlin said. "I'll, um, I'll remember that. Thank you for the signatures. And the tea. Um, goodbye." He turned, hurried to the car and got in.
"There's something very odd about her," he observed as Arthur pulled out through the gates.
Arthur glanced at him before returning his attention to the road. He pulled out and turned the car towards Lillebrook. "Is that your magical intuition talking, Merlin the magician?" he asked. "Because really, she's just a harmless old lady."
"I didn't say there was any harm in her," Merlin protested, "but she is odd. Although, maybe not as odd as you."
Arthur shook his head in amusement but didn't say anything.
The road was narrow and they were caught behind a tractor through the village, so Merlin was more than happy to leave Arthur in peace while he pondered the strange sensations he had felt through his magic, but once they were out onto the main road to Camelot, Arthur spoke again. "I wanted to thank you letting me talk to Miss Kay. You were very patient, when you must have been quite bored."
"No, I wasn't," Merlin said. "I mean, I wasn't listening, but... um, well, it seemed like she was telling you stuff you didn't know."
"She was," Arthur said. He flicked on the indicator and accelerated past a Land Rover with a dog and a few bales of hay in the back. Ahead of them the road was clear and in the distance the Tor was visible through a haze. When he spoke again it was in a different tone of voice. "Pell's finally been released from hospital and has gone home," he said. "He's not going to be on his feet for a couple of weeks and even then he won't be able to write or walk properly."
Merlin nodded. "Yeah. I thought he was being optimistic about being released the same day."
Arthur snorted. "No chance. He had concussion and two broken bones." He glanced over at Merlin. "You did quite a good job with that spreadsheet of yours," he said. "And just because we started off on the wrong foot, doesn't mean I don't know how to recognise initiative."
"What, what are you saying?" Merlin asked.
The car accelerated slightly. "I want you to take his place," Arthur said. "Just until he's better."
"You want me to...?" Merlin took a breath. "What if I don't want to?" he asked.
Arthur looked across at him, his eyes wide and he frowned. "Why would you not want to?" He slowed down a little and moved back into the left lane.
Merlin shook his head. "Because you're a prat, maybe?"
"A what? You can't say things like that to people. It's highly unprofessional."
"Maybe that's because I'm not a professional."
"Nonsense. I'm sure if I speak to Gaius, he'll not mind me seconding you for a few weeks."
"Like I'm a piece of furniture."
They passed the first sign warning of their approach to the turn off for Camelot and Arthur began to decelerate. "No, like you're an employee of a museum that will be a disaster zone if we don't get it under control," he said.
"But I'm not."
"Not what? For God's sake Merlin, what are you going on about?" He flicked on the indicator and swerved smoothly onto the exit ramp.
"I'm not an employee. I'm a volunteer."
The car slowed even more and Arthur looked at him. "You lied to me? All this time you've allowed me to believe you were a paid employee?"
"Will you watch the road? No, I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you. Would you have been more polite if you'd known?"
Arthur didn't say anything.
"So if you want to," Merlin raised his hands up on either side of his head and crooked his fingers in the universal sign for 'you're being a pretentious ass', "second me," he said, "I want to know what I'll be paid and what my duties are. Also," he said, warming to his theme, "how long the contract's for. What the redundancy terms are at the end. How many days holiday I get and..." He paused, wracking his brain for anything else. "And what the hours are," he added. "Oh, and will I have to wear a suit?"
"Oh, for goodness sake," Arthur said, "just think about it, okay? Tell me on Monday. If you want to continue as a volunteer, I'm not going to beg. I can find someone else to replace Pell. Someone with more qualifications for the job."
They completed the journey in silence and when Arthur pulled up in front of the museum, Merlin got out. "Thanks for the lift," he said.
"You're welcome," Arthur replied, looking straight ahead.
Merlin stood back from the curb and Arthur drove away.
***
That evening, over their meal, Gaius asked, "You're not going to refuse?
"But he's a, a… He's such a prat."
"And you need a job." Gaius countered with a stern look "You've not had much success with your applications, so far."
Seeing Merlin's expression, he changed his tack. "Merlin, I have valued your help. It's obvious you enjoy working at the museum."
"I do. I love it."
"Exactly. But you also need to find paid employment. With this offer you have both."
That was true, although Merlin doubted that he'd be spending his time in the stores or pouring over the register if he was working for Arthur Pendragon. There was also the huge question of whether Arthur had magic and what it would mean if he did. "I suppose so," he said.
"Even after this project is done," Gaius added, "I doubt there'll be any new jobs at the museum. But working on a project for Arthur Pendragon might get you a job at another museum. One that has more resources. There are plenty of them, you know."
Merlin grimaced, but nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "It's only for a few months, after all." He brightened. "That's if he hasn't thought better of it by Monday."
"Well, you'd better hope that he hasn't," Gaius said.
***
Once he was in bed that night, and for the next two nights, Merlin practiced and refined his skill with the bubble of magic spell. The alley behind Francis Street was a shortcut for drinkers going home from the local working men's club and on both Friday and Saturday nights he became familiar with the signature of happy drunks, while their singing and yelling echoed off the high walls around them.
On Sunday night he allowed the bubble to expand beyond the alley, over the sleeping bodies in the houses on Milton Avenue. His instinctive recognition of what he was touching was getting clearer. The fear that he might unintentionally read their minds seemed to be unfounded and he skimmed past them with only a superficial appreciation of who they were and without intruding on their dreams.
He also became aware of other life, other signatures. A fox slinking through the gardens. A blackbird asleep on its chicks in a nest in a hedge. A cat prowling along the top of a wall.
Beyond Milton Avenue was Camelot Road, which was never completely still and he felt a night shift worker heading to work, a tired delivery driver ready for his bed and a young couple whose signature sent him to sleep with a smile for the joy of existence. None of these people caused him to shiver when he glanced through, past, over them and his concern about Arthur's nature increased.
***
Arthur didn't retract the offer, he didn't even make it difficult for Merlin to ask for the job, and Merlin didn't have to wear a suit. He moved into Gwen's office on Monday morning, his desk moved from Gaius's workroom and pushed into a corner behind the door. It made the already crowded room seem even smaller.
"Gaius's office is too much of a social space," Arthur said. "And Gwen is out on school visits much of the time. I do want you get some work done."
He acquired a company phone and took messages, attended site meetings and took notes, learnt how to maintain a risk register and put Pell on speed dial. He couldn't take over every job that Pell had done, but the tasks he did have forced him onto a steep learning curve. Leon was a great help, explaining the terminology of the building trade to him, with patience and tact. Pell, who gave the impression that he was being over-coddled at home with his parents, talked him through any number of new concepts, while complaining about his own forced inactivity. Even Gwen was able to point him in the right direction, occasionally, drawing on the things she had overheard while sharing her office with Pell for four weeks.
He also spent a lot of time pondering the enigma that was Arthur Pendragon and watching him for any signs of magic. He did learn that Arthur worked extremely hard at what he did. Merlin had never been a slacker, but working for Arthur was a whole new level of busy.
But no matter how closely he watched, he saw no evidence of magic.
***
It was on his second Tuesday in the job that he learnt how to take notes while walking. Leon was showing them where he would start drilling the floor in the Great Hall the next day, to remove the rubble that had been used to fill the space where the tracks should have been laid. It had settled over time, leaving dips and hollows in the floor. Arthur and Leon paced briskly back and forth and Merlin stumbled after them, trying to catch what they said and write it down.
"We'll start here," Leon indicated a line on the floor, spray painted in fluorescent orange." That was almost the last thing Merlin understood.
Afterwards, in Gwen's office, Arthur demonstrated a new side to his personality when, over coffee, he explained to Merlin what the discussion had been about. It was unexpected, but Merlin was grateful.
"Come on," Arthur said, putting his mug aside. "We have a meeting with Lance and Gwaine at their offices. Let's see whether you can keep up with them."
Merlin wondered if he was undergoing a series of probationary tests.
It was the first time Merlin had seen Lance and Gwaine since Uther had put a hold on any further interior design work. Gwaine was still not happy and made it obvious. Lance was resigned and engaged with Arthur in trying to find a compromise that would not cause too many financial problems to either the project or their company. Morgana was silent, glowering at Arthur who ignored her. Once she had received confirmation that the Board of Trustees' view was that design work should not restart, she left.
Merlin took notes.
They discussed progress on the repair of the roof, both internal and external. With the rotten steelwork replaced and the whole roof area re-tiled, Leon was planning to get the glazers in during the following week.
"The building is not in a poor condition, considering the neglect it's suffered from," Lance said.
Merlin looked up. "But the cracks in the walls?" he asked.
Arthur frowned but Lance answered him. "Those are superficial," he said. "There's nothing wrong with the structure."
"That's not what Cedric told the Board," Merlin explained. "Gaius told me that Cedric reported the building contract was a lot bigger than originally estimated."
"No," Lance said, shaking his head. "The original estimate is still valid." He turned to Arthur. "Obviously, there was some variation after the false ceiling came down, but I wouldn't describe the total variations as 'big'."
"Leave that with me," Arthur said. "I'll get the accountants to do some digging."
They moved on to discuss the interior design work already done, which would now have to be scrapped. Arthur was in a difficult position. He obviously recognised the implications of the delay for DuLac and Lott, but he had clear instructions. He was trying, though. Even Merlin, considering the situation from a position of ignorance, could see that.
Arthur asked if they could look at examples of Gwaine's work and after considering the last set of plans, moved on to discuss what could be done once the Board of Trustees gave the go-ahead for work to start again. Now it became clear to Merlin why Arthur had spent so much time drinking tea with Gaius. He had a very clear picture of Gaius's ideas and hopes. He explained and discussed them with Lance, gradually drawing Gwaine back into the conversation. Gwaine started sketching out rough impressions of the things they talked about, with Arthur leaning over the table to watch.
After an hour he gathered his papers together. "Can you work those up into something I can present to the Board?" he asked.
"Will we get paid for them?" Gwaine asked.
"You'll be paid," Arthur said.
***
Leaving the Dulac and Lott office, Merlin asked, "Will the Board sanction more spend on design?"
"I'll pay for it myself," Arthur said. "But that's between you and me. I don't want to hear it from anyone else, so keep your mouth shut, okay?"
"That's, that's very generous of you."
"No it isn't. I'll reclaim it when the Board gets its finger out of its arse."
Merlin blinked in surprise and looked over at Arthur. Something in Arthur's expression warned him that further questions or comments would not be welcome, so he didn't attempt any, but he continued to study Arthur surreptitiously as they crossed the cobbles towards the road.
It was as well he did, because just as they reached the curb, Arthur seemed to stumble and fall, right into the traffic. There was a screech of brakes and Merlin acted without thought. He grabbed the tail of Arthur's jacket with one hand. Arthur was too heavy for him to pull back to safety by purely physical means, but with his attention already on him, he was able to visualise a lasso that he snaked around Arthur's chest, dragging him back from the brink.
The driver of the car pulled to a stop a couple of yards beyond them and Arthur shook off Merlin's hand in order to go over to the passenger side window. Merlin followed. The man behind the wheel was looking straight ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel. He was panting.
Arthur tried the door and pulled it open. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Slowly, the man turned his head. "I, I almost hit you," he said.
"I'm sorry. I think I tripped on a cobble. But I'm all right. Are you okay? Do you need anything?"
"I didn't hit you, did I?" the man asked.
"No. I'm fine. I'm really sorry to have given you such a scare. Are you okay?"
The man took a deep breath and let it out with a whooshing sound. His hand moved to the gear lever. "I'll be fine," he said. "Just, um… No, I'll be fine. Thanks." He put the car in gear. "I'll just… Could you close the door please?"
"Yeah, sure. Um, right. Well, thanks for your quick reactions and I'm sorry again." Arthur stood and gently pushed the door closed, giving it a shove with his hip to make it latch, then he stood back. The car slowly pulled away and Merlin and Arthur watched its progress, until it turned the corner into Charlotte Street and disappeared from sight.
"I think you just saved my life," Arthur said.
***
Merlin didn't have time to think about the incident further during the day, but that evening he voiced his half formed fears to Gaius. "Arthur almost got run over today," he said.
Gaius looked up from the pan of baked beans he was stirring. "Really? Is he okay?"
"Yeah. I used that spell in the book you gave me - the one with the lasso of light. No, he didn't notice. And I think the driver was more shaken than he was. He said he tripped on a cobble. It was in Market Square. But the cobbles are really flat next to the road."
"He still might have tripped."
"Or he might have been pushed."
"Not by you. Who else was there?"
"No one. But that doesn't mean he wasn't pushed."
Gaius smiled indulgently. "I agree that it was very lucky you were there, but don't you think you're allowing your imagination to run away with you? Just because he tripped and you used a bit of magic to save him, doesn't mean that there was any magic involved in causing it. Accidents happen, Merlin." His smile widened. "Should I interpret your overblown concern as proof that you're beginning to feel differently about Arthur?"
"No," Merlin retorted, with as much dignity as he could muster.
He caught Gaius's eye. Gaius gave a snort of laughter and Merlin started to laugh with him. In his case it was at least partly a reaction to the alternative image, conjured by his imagination, of what would have happened if he had not been able to draw upon his magic in time. "Okay, so he might not be as big a prat as I thought he was," he conceded.
Gaius appeared to consider the subject closed, but Merlin couldn't shake the feeling that it had not been a simple fall.
***
The following morning he would have retracted his more favourable judgement of his boss if he had been asked. He was woken half an hour before his alarm by Arthur phoning to say he was going to London. That was bad enough, but Arthur left him with a long list of tasks, including making calls to a number of local people who Cedric had apparently not paid, or had antagonised in some other way. Merlin spent most of the morning trying to pacify angry creditors with promises. He felt fully justified in telling them that Cedric was no longer involved with the museum. In the meantime, five, separate, urgent emails arrived from Arthur and had him running back and forth to Leon's site office and all over the museum in search of Gaius. That and the fact that the noise of drilling in the Great Hall was reverberating through the whole building, didn't make the Folly a restful place to be. When Gwen stuck her head around the door to invite him for lunch, he grabbed his sandwiches and jumped at the offer.
Gaius was not in his office, but Morgana was. When Gaius was there, she usually toned down her complaints about the Pendragons' sins, but with him absent she obviously felt the need for a sympathetic ear. "Can't you see what he's doing?" she asked. "Gwaine's so full of plans again and it's all going to come to nothing. It'll end up with us going bust. I just know it."
Handicapped by Arthur's injunction, Merlin left it to Gwen to make soothing noises and escaped back to the other office as soon as he could, pleading work. Morgana cast him a sympathetic look as he made his excuses. "I knew he'd be a slave driver," she said.
Just before he quit for the day, almost two hours after Gaius left the museum to go home, a final email arrived from Arthur:
From: Arthur Pendragon [mailto:APendragon@Pendragon.co.uk]
Sent: 30 April 2014 18:50
To: Merlin Emrys
Subject: Tomorrow
I'm returning tomorrow and my father is coming with me. Expect us at 9.30am.
Lance and Gwaine are meeting with us at 12. Please tell Gaius that his attendance would be appreciated, if he can make it.
Wear a suit.
Arthur
He shot back an acknowledgement and said he would tell Gaius as soon as he got home. Then he logged off and closed down his laptop before Arthur could reply.
***
Arthur phoned just before 9:00 to tell him they had arrived and parked next to the Greenswood site offices. He said they were going to inspect the Great Hall and the Kitchen Gallery before coming through to the front. A courier would be delivering a package from the accountants. He asked Merlin to keep an eye out for it and make sure it contained three collated copies of all the papers they were sending. Merlin went into Gaius's workroom and switched on the photocopier, just in case.
He then spent half an hour pacing the foyer, waiting for the courier, and took delivery when the package arrived. Taking it back to his desk, he checked through the papers and tried to understand what they said. It was a preliminary report. The executive summary was clear enough. There was a discrepancy in the accounts, but on first inspection it appeared to be negligence, rather than fraud. The accountants were still checking.
Merlin shuffled all three copies together, put them aside and returned to updating the risk register.
Just before noon the drilling stopped and he breathed a silent thanks for lunch breaks, even if they were not his own. Looking out of the window, he saw Lance, Gwaine and Morgana approaching. Grabbing the accountant's reports he went out onto the balcony. Below him, Arthur, Uther and Leon were standing in conversation by the temporary door to the Great Hall, so he detoured into Gaius's office.
"They're here," he said, putting the reports on the corner of Gaius's desk.
"Okay, thank you," Gaius said. "I'll put the kettle on."
Merlin went back outside and paused overlooking the foyer, watching the body language. Leon was standing with his back to Merlin, but there was something in his stance that implied deference. Arthur was in front of the open door. He stood straight and stiff and was studying his feet. Uther was turning away.
It could only have been something in the acoustics of the room that carried the grating sound across to Merlin's ears so clearly, because it wasn't loud. He looked around, trying to locate it and identified the source - the bust of Thomas Pendragon had moved on its plinth above the blocked in arch and was balanced precariously on the edge.
Uther took two steps towards the stairs and Leon said something to Arthur. The bust shifted again.
"Look out!" Merlin yelled.
Arthur started and looked up at him.
"Get back!" Merlin shouted. The bust toppled over the edge of its plinth and began to fall, too fast for him to focus on and influence. He knew Arthur though, his presence was familiar, so he used that and pushed.
Arthur stumbled backwards through the door into the Great Hall and the bust crashed to the ground directly in front of him.
Merlin ran for the stairs. Uther spun around with a cry and Leon started forwards.
As he took the stairs two at a time, Merlin saw Lance and Gwaine rushing towards the group and when he reached the turn he saw Morgana following them more slowly.
From the confusion, Arthur emerged. He appeared shocked but unharmed. He glared down at the broken bust, stepped over it and stared up at the plinth where it had stood.
Merlin clung to the carved ball on top of the newel post. With the danger past, he could feel himself shaking. The air smelt dry and brittle, like sun-baked cement when it is hit by the first drops of a summer shower. He looked around. Everybody seemed shocked, but his attention was caught by something in Morgana's expression that he couldn't interpret. Within a moment it was gone, she had joined the group and was asking if everybody was okay. Her voice was high with anxiety.
From above him Gaius called, "What was that crash? Is anyone hurt?"
Arthur turned and looked up. "No," he replied. He glanced across at Leon, who nodded. "A close call," Arthur said, "but we're all okay."
Merlin pushed himself upright but stayed near the bottom of the stairs. Uther put his hand on Arthur's shoulder and spoke quietly to him. Arthur's smile looked strained, but he was obviously trying to reassure his father. Lance, Gwaine, Morgana and Leon were standing gazing up at the plinth. Lance asked Leon a question and Leon shook his head. "I doubt it," he said, "but I suppose it's possible."
It was Uther who took control. He looked up at Gaius, who hadn't moved except that he was supporting himself against the balcony rail. "I think we should retreat to your office, Gaius," he called. Everyone else turned to him and obediently began to move towards the stairs.
"Yes, of course," Gaius said. "I have the kettle on. I think we all need a strong cup of tea. Please, do come up."
As he passed Merlin, Uther spoke to him for the first time. "Tidy that mess up, would you?" he said.
Merlin glanced at Arthur who nodded. "Of course," Merlin muttered.
As a group they walked past him and up the stairs. Merlin went into the Ladies Waiting Room and dug through the cupboard for the Museum Club broom and dustpan. They were propped up in a plastic storage box, so he took that too.
Returning to the foyer he lifted the larger lumps of bust into the box, swiftly swept up the rest and dumped the fragments on top. Leaving the broom and dustpan just inside the Great Hall, he pulled the door closed and made sure it was locked. Picking up the box, he climbed the stairs to join everyone else in Gaius's workroom.
When he entered, awkwardly manoeuvring the box in front of him until Leon held the door open for him, he saw that Uther had moved past shock to anger and was already in full flow. "-unsafe. Arthur could have been killed," he said. "Any of us could. How could this have been allowed to happen?"
Somewhat tentatively, Gaius suggested, "I suppose the vibration from the drilling might have shifted it."
"I don't care why it happened," Uther snapped. "I asked how it could have been allowed to happen."
"I don't know," Gaius admitted. He sounded tired. "That bust has been there for over a hundred and fifty years. There was no reason to believe it might fall."
Merlin looked around the room and saw that everybody else was still standing, unable to sit down while Uther stood. Uther began to pace and in spite of the fact that the room was overcrowded with so many people, everybody made space for him to do so. Leon backed right up to the door and stayed there.
Arthur was by the window with his back to everybody else, Lance and Morgana were standing in the space where Merlin's desk had been. Lance looked grave and Morgana was playing with her ring in a nervous manner, twisting it around her finger. Gwaine was beyond them, clutching a cardboard tube tightly in both hands. His brows were drawn together but Merlin couldn't read his expression. Gwen was sitting at the round mahogany table. She had a mug in front of her, held between her hands and looked like she was trying to avoid being noticed. Merlin didn't blame her.
He walked across to Lance's side and dumped the box on the floor. The sound caused everyone to look at him. "It was bad," he acknowledged. "It could have been terrible. Thankfully, it wasn't."
"It could have been terrible," Uther agreed. "It could also have been an unsuspecting member of the public."
A gasp from Gwen drew his attention and he glared at her. "What?" he barked. "Who are you?"
"I'm, I..." Gwen took a breath and sat up straight. "I'm Gwen Thomas," she said. "I run the Museum Club. We were expecting a Year Six visit this morning, but they cancelled yesterday."
"You make my point for me," Uther said. "It is obvious that the museum will have to close for the duration of the works." In a gentler tone of voice, he said, "Arthur?"
Arthur turned. "Yes, Father?"
"It's never safe to have the public anywhere near a building site. I rely on you to sort that out."
Bowing his head, Arthur murmured, "Yes, Father."
More briskly, Uther turned to the rest of the room. "I have to go. I've been invited to appear on Question Time this evening and I need to be in Camlann by 7pm. I think we are done here. I'll look at the accountant's report on the way."
Merlin hurried to fetch it and handed him one copy. Uther placed his briefcase on Gaius's desk, opened it and slipped the report inside with a nod of thanks.
"But Father-"
"Yes?"
Arthur straightened his back. "You agreed to take a look at the rough sketches Gwaine has put together." He glanced at his watch. "It's only 12:30. And it won't take more than an hour of your time. If you wouldn't mind?" He indicated Gwaine. "Gwaine Lott," he said. Turning slightly, he raised his arm in Lance and Morgana's direction. "His partner, Lance DuLac, and their Office and Accounts Manager-"
"Morgana," Morgana said, interrupting him and stepping forward. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Pendragon," she said, holding out her hand.
Leaving his briefcase on Gaius's desk, Uther shook it, studying her. He smiled tightly. "A pleasure," he replied. Looking over to Arthur his smile softened and his shoulders seemed to relax. "Very well," he said. "One hour."
Merlin felt the tension in the room decrease dramatically. Arthur smiled and indicated the round table. Uther pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. Gwen pushed her own chair back and stood. "I'll, I'll get out of your way," she mumbled.
"No, stay," Gaius said, taking the seat next to Uther. "Your views as an educator are just as valuable as everybody else's."
Gwen blushed and looked around. Lance was smiling warmly at her and Morgana nodded encouragement. She settled back nervously into her chair. "Okay, thank you," she agreed.
Lance caught Arthur's eye and indicated the last seat at the table, but Arthur shook his head so Lance sat down next to her. Leon edged away from the door, to a place where he could see the table top.
Gwaine pulled the lid off his cardboard tube, drew out a roll of paper and went to stand between Uther and Gaius.
"And we could all do with that cup of tea, I think," Gaius said. "The kettle's just boiled."
"I'll make it," Merlin said.
"I'll help you," Morgana offered. She smiled at Lance and Gwaine. "I can listen in from over there, if you need me." She got up and went over to the kettle. Merlin joined her and flicked it back on, while Morgana started assembling mugs and dumped a dozen tea bags into the big teapot. Merlin glared at the kettle, silently begging it to come quickly back to the boil.
Finally it did and he poured the water into the teapot. Morgana had found a tray and arranged the sugar bowl, milk carton and half a dozen teaspoons on it. "You take that," she said. "I'll hand out the tea." She gave the teapot a swirl and started pouring it out.
She passed the first mug to Uther, the second to Gaius and then stood behind him to watch. He looked up at her and offered her his seat, but she shook her head.
Merlin managed to fit the other mugs on the tray, but recognising the hierarchy, he went first to Uther's side to offer milk and sugar. Uther added both to his mug. Merlin then walked around the table so everybody else could take their own and do the same.
Returning to the tea area, he grabbed the last mug and re-joined the group, standing next to Arthur, where he had a clear view past Lance's head.
Gwaine talked fast, pulling one sheet after another off the top of the table and dropping them on the floor behind him, showing them different views and possibilities.
Merlin had missed much of it, but Gaius was already beaming with delight. He reached out to squeeze the back Gwen's free hand which was resting on the edge of the table. Uther did not look so impressed.
Eventually, Gwaine finished and stood up straight again.
No one said anything for a long moment. Gwaine bent to pick up his papers and walked around the table to a position from where he had a view of Uther's face.
Gaius broke the silence by clapping his hands together. "That is wonderful," he said.
"They need more work," Gwaine explained, "but from what Arthur said about the collections and your basic concept..."
"Very impressive," Uther agreed. He looked up at Arthur. "It is certainly a good basis for future work." Switching his attention to Gwaine, he added, "And as Chair of the Board of Trustees I would like to thank you for the effort you have put into producing them." He stood up. "But I can't sanction any further work on them until the Board has had a chance to see them and gives its approval. You will understand that."
Gwaine looked understandably disappointed. Morgana went over to him, once more twisting her ring around her finger. Lance frowned but nodded. "Of course," he said.
Gaius slumped slightly in his chair, but offered a consoling, "I'm sure they'll agree, though."
On his way to fetch his briefcase Uther said, "We will see at the next Board meeting." He turned. "Now I really must go; I don't want to keep the BBC waiting."
Hauling himself to his feet, Gaius said, "Thank you for coming up. I know how busy you are."
"Of course," Uther said. He left the room with Gaius, and Leon slipped out behind them.
Arthur turned to Gwaine. "They will say yes," he said. "That's a good concept design. There's no way they won't approve it."
Gwaine nodded. "Yeah, things always take longer that we'd wish, eh?" He started straightening the papers and rolled them up but didn't try to put them back into the cardboard tube. "We'd best be going then." With a grimace for Morgana, he added, "I'm sorry we dragged you down with us, Morgs. Looks like fate didn't want us discussing the accountant's report, after all."
Arthur held out his hand and Merlin put the second copy of the report into it. "Here," Arthur said. "Take it with you. At least you'll have time to read it properly before we do meet to discuss it." He handed it to Gwaine who passed it straight to Morgana. "We might even have the final report by then."
Morgana nodded. She looked tired. Merlin thought she was more disappointed than Gwaine by the reception his plans had received.
Arthur went over to the door and Lance, Gwaine and Morgana followed him. He held it for them to leave and went with them to see them out.
Merlin collapsed into a chair. "Bloody hell," he said. "What a fucking disaster."
"Yeah," Gwen agreed. "What if the school party had been there? It would have been worse than a disaster." She paused. "Not that I'm saying it would have been okay if it had hit Arthur. I mean, obviously, that would have been terrible, too."
Merlin laid his hand over hers and gave it a squeeze. "I know," he said.
Pendragon's Folly, Chapter 5