Re-Organizing - 6. Chapter 6

After stunning me with his faith in me, Opa excused himself and went to spend time with Chipper. I looked at Billy and Scott, and they just grinned at me. “Why does that shock you? You’re doing fine, Greg,” Scott said as he and I went to continue our talks with Bill Andrews, er, Andrew Mellon.

He said, “While you were touring your home, I contacted my office. At Scott’s request, a courier will deliver a variety of credit and debit cards for you, Scott, and Billy. I will pay the credit card bills monthly from your accounts and always keep one hundred thousand available in cash.”

“And if we decide to go on a spending spree, Mr. Mellon, er, sorry, Mr. Andrews?” I asked.

“If I am to call you Greg, I suggest you call me Andrew,” Mellon said.

“That might get confusing with my Lord Chamberlain. I think I’ll stick with Mr. Mellon,” I replied.

He nodded, then explained, “Each of you will receive a titanium AMEX, Greg; if you need to spend more than it will allow, call the concierge number, and they can help you. If they can’t, call me, and I can wire whatever you need.”

“We’re going to need to purchase a home in Boston this summer so we can attend Harvard. Plan on having the cash available.”

“You already own a home in Boston,” Mellon said. “It is currently occupied, but we can notify them that we will not be renewing the lease if you wish.”

Scott put his hand on my arm and said, “Greg, going to classes in Boston went out the window when you killed Gareth Evans.”

Scott’s words stunned me, but I knew he was right. I deflected, stammering, “We can look at options in the spring.”

Scott gave me a sympathetic look, then turned and said, “I think you gave us a good overview of things, Mr. Mellon. You and I can get together again next week once the dust has settled, and we have a better grasp on Baronial issues.”

Andrew Mellon shook our hands and said, “You are my only clients, My Lords. Anything I do at the bank takes a back seat to your needs. Feel free to call me at any time and thank you for lunch. Please tell Lady Amy it was wonderful, as always.”

On the way back to my office, Scott said, “I’m sorry, Greg.”

“For what?” I asked, confused.

“For messing up your life. If it weren’t for me, you’d be starting wrestling practice next week and going to Harvard next fall,” he said, sounding dejected.

I stopped and grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to face me. “Don’t you ever say that again. Who knows where my life would be if I hadn’t met you. Dad would still have died, and I might never have gone to Los Angeles. I would have been alone, and Charlie would be who knows where. You, Billy, Charlie, and Chipper are the best things in my life. You once said that you would be happy living in a tent as long as you were with me.”

“And I meant it,” Scott answered defensively.

“Well, I feel the same about all of you. If not for you, I wouldn’t have Billy, Charlie, or Chipper,” I argued. “If having you in my life means I’m stuck being a Baron with a boyfriend that my mate loves, two wonderful sons, and more money than I can spend in a century, I’ll suffer through it,” I said with a smirk.

“So, you’re saying you want a deluxe tent?” Scott asked, then pulled me into a passionate kiss. When he finally pulled back, he asked, “You’re okay about not going to Harvard? Really?”

I sighed. “You just caught me off guard by saying it, Scott. I haven’t thought about it.” We entered my office, and I sat at the desk. “We should talk to the guys about this.”

Scott nodded and went to gather my Council as I sat and reflected on how much things had changed in the last week, let alone the last five months. As if to accent this, Jenny came in following Charlie, who was walking much better than he was just yesterday. He waddled over and reached up, so I pulled him into my lap and fed him, telling Jenny that he could stay as Scott and Billy would soon be joining us. Mentioning their names must have summoned them because they came through the door, followed by Chris, Josh, Trevor, Jake, and Brian. A moment later, Paddy appeared with glasses and bottles of elk and wine. After serving us, he set the bottles on the side table and pulled the door shut behind himself as he exited.

In his typical, straight-to-the-point fashion, Jake asked, “So you finally realized we can’t take classes on campus?”

“Yes, Jake, I finally realized it,” I snarked. “Just when did you realize it?”

“When Josh told me about how you left downtown on Monday, I started wondering how it would work,” He replied. “When we had the motorcades in Los Angeles, I knew we wouldn’t be spending much time in the company of humans, especially as a group.”

“Are any of you upset that you won’t be getting a degree?” I asked.

Chris laughed. “Are you going to fire us because we’re not qualified?”

“Or cut our pay?” Josh asked. “While it might help us to take some classes in our field, do you imagine that the Barony will run itself while you’re taking notes in ‘American Literature 101’?”

“Or that you can bring an armed Marshal into your classes?” Billy added.

“You know you’re all free to go without me,” I argued.

“And do our sworn duties on breaks? You might be rich, but you’re not stupid; commuting every weekend would cost a fortune!” Brian replied.

“We’re all qualified to find the help we need until we learn the jobs, Greg,” Chris said. “Just accept it and let us help you do your job.”

“Like we all took an oath to do,” Jake stated, ending the argument.

I looked around the room at my friends, overwhelmed by their devotion and willingness to give up their own lives to serve me. In a weak attempt at repaying their loyalty, I said, “Well, we’re paying for any college classes you guys take online, and your children will be taken care of, at least as long as I’m alive.”

Brian laughed, “We’re your Baronial Council, Greg. The Barony pays for our housing, our food, and our salary. I think we’re set for life.”

Chris’ comment had triggered a thought and after a brief discussion, Jake was on the phone to the Harvard vampire liaison, asking her to visit at her earliest convenience. When he finished with her, he made similar calls to Wharton, MIT, and the University of Pittsburgh. While Jake was doing this, Billy was also on his phone, summoning the Baronets of the Barony to appear before their Baron on Friday evening. Billy was still making his calls when Paddy knocked, entered, and said that Alan was here. Josh said their conversation about the school should take about an hour, then they would come discuss the issues here in the castle.

I decided Scott, Billy, and I should spend some time with Opa, so I told everyone they could relax until Josh was ready for us, or they could continue digging into their workload. Jake said he was going to do some digging in the manuscripts we have to see if he could explain his issue, as he called it. Chris and Brian offered to help while Trevor seemed confused. I decided that I needed to trust those on my Council, so we filled him in on Jake’s unusual eye color. Once he was up to speed, he suggested asking Andrew if the late Baron’s library contained any possible sources of information. As Andrew was on my Council, I quickly agreed.

We found Opa in the game room surrounded by Chipper, Craig, Mandy, Tina, Lucas, Andy, and Lisa; every child in the castle. “My castle in Zell took ten whole years to build, but that was five hundred years ago. This one’s much nicer.”

“Why’s this one nicer, Opa?” Chipper asked.

Opa winked and replied, “Indoor plumbing!”

This got the desired giggle from the assembled children and gave me the needed break to interrupt. “Do you mind if I steal Opa for a bit?” I asked. “I bet Lady Amy could find some ice cream, if you ask her nicely.”

The mention of ice cream sent fourteen little feet scurrying towards the kitchen, leaving us alone with Opa. He looked at me, concerned, and asked, “What has you so worried? Is the barony in that bad a condition?”

I shook my head. “No, financially we’ve got very deep reserves, though my gut tells me we’ll go through a lot of them making repairs and upgrades the late Baron didn’t.”

“Are you worried that your Council isn’t up to the task?” he asked.

I thought for a moment, then said, “My Council is in over their heads, as am I, but we know that. Each of us is seeking guidance from someone either more experienced, better educated, or both, so I feel they’re up to the task.”

Opa gave me a knowing smile and asked, “Then why do I see that same worried face you had the day your parents told you about your mother’s cancer?”

“I’ve tried to read all the vampire lore I could find, but I didn’t see anything that…” I paused, then said, “I feel silly worrying about this, but… Can just anyone come in and kill me and become Baron? I mean, is my life in danger because someone’s power hungry?”

Opa sighed. “You should sit down, Greg. It’s both complicated and simple.” Scott, Billy, and I sat on the sofa and Opa sat on the other one that was facing us. He seemed to consider his words, then explained.

“The simple answer is, yes, you are in danger because you are a Baron. That’s not to say that you’re in danger from someone who is power hungry, but, like all leaders, there are some who will want to do you harm for their own personal reasons.”

“And whoever kills me becomes the next Baron?” I asked.

“That depends on the fates, Greg. Just like you were chosen to be a Baron by the fates, your successor will be chosen.” Opa paused to gather his thoughts, then asked, “Did you kill Gareth Evans because you wanted his seat? Or did you do it out of some sense of justice? You’ve not told me the details of why you killed him.”

I told him what Samuel had told me about how Gareth Evans used the boy as a sexual slave until the boy passed through puberty, at which time he was sent to serve as Robert’s apprentice. Samuel had told me the late Baron had several children, both male and female, and used them until they were just over four, then moved on to others. I told Opa how we had planned to confront Gareth and hoped to convince him to change, but we knew that was unlikely.

Opa nodded in thought. “So, you killed him, not to gain his seat, but out of a personal sense of justice. To protect those he was abusing, and any others in the future, even though what he was doing was perfectly legal under the laws of Dracul?”

“Regardless of the laws of Dracul, what he was doing was wrong, and I stopped him,” I firmly stated.

“I am not defending his actions, Greg. I am merely stating the fact that he broke no laws. In your eyes, his death was just, correct?” I nodded. “As you were already a Baron, I cannot say if the fates would support you or not.”

I scowled. “You still haven’t told me if my life is in danger from someone who wants to be the next Baron.”

“If someone kills a noble, be they Baron or Prince, if the fates decide that the killing was just, and the one who served justice is a worthy leader, then yes, they will anoint that vampire with the office,” Opa explained. “Their eyes will change, their beast form will grow to fit the office, and they will be the rightful holder of that office. If the killing is unjust, or if the killer is not a worthy leader, the fates will choose another, and the killer will face justice under the laws of Dracul.

“Any vampire familiar with how the fates work will know that, unless they are worthy, they cannot take a noble’s seat simply by killing them. As a noble, the easiest way to avoid becoming a target is to be a good leader. The truth is, anyone with half a brain has no desire to take on the responsibility you have, let alone that of a Count or Prince.”

I thought for a moment, then asked, “So if I were to go kill Prince George, I wouldn’t automatically become Prince?”

“If his death is just, you would,” Opa replied. “If you killed him with the express intent of taking his office, the fates may decide to allow you to become the Prince, or they may choose another and leave you to face justice under the new Prince.”

I was about to ask him why I had become a Baron when I was changed when Josh sent me a message, mind to mind, saying that he and Alan were ready to discuss the castle whenever I was free. I decided I could finish this conversation at another time. I explained to Opa that I needed to meet with my Council and reminded him that he was welcome to stay as long as he liked. Scott, Billy, and I headed toward my office, and on the way, I sent mind to mind messages to my entire Council, asking them to meet us there.

“You don’t look happy, Josh. What’s wrong?” Scott asked as we entered.

“I’ll get to that, Scott. First, I want to fill you in on a fact that I discovered when Alan first met me here this evening,” Josh said. He paused for dramatic effect, then announced, “Alan is the architect who supervised the building of this castle in 1865.”

We all turned to Alan, who was nodding. “It’s true, My Lords. The late Baron asked me to design something that would remind him of Cardiff Castle, due to his Welsh roots. He wanted an actual keep, but I talked him out of that. Finally, he agreed on what you see. I patterned it after what is now, the Cardiff Castle Museum, the original residence hall at Cardiff.”

“I’m curious, Alan, how large is this place?” Billy asked.

“I can answer that question in many ways, My Lord, could you be more specific?”

“Just answer it in any way you like, Alan,” I said. “And explain the answer in terms we will understand. Then we can ask you to expand as we see fit.”

“Of course, My Lord,” Alan replied. “There are just under ten thousand square feet under roof, and the perimeter wall surrounds just over five acres.”

“I don’t doubt your word, Alan, so I’ll ask you to clarify. You say ten thousand square feet, yet this place feels like it’s four times the size of my father’s house at the farm, which is fourteen thousand square feet,” Scott said.

“Forgive me, My Lord. When I say ten thousand square feet under roof, I mean just that: under roof. If you’re asking how many square feet of floor space, I would have to go to the drawings of the various changes we’ve made over the years. My best guess would be about fifty thousand square feet, excluding the sub basements, tower rooms, and attic storage rooms.” Seeing our stunned expressions, he added, “For comparison, the White House, with the two wings, is fifty-five thousand square feet.”

“It’s large, Greg,” Josh said, “but it’s far from the largest in the country. The Biltmore, in North Carolina, is the largest private home in the US, at one hundred seventy-five thousand square feet, then there’s Oheka Castle on Long Island: it’s one hundred fifteen thousand square feet. The Breakers, Vanderbilt’s famous summer home in Rhode Island, is seventy thousand square feet. Locally, Andrew Carnegie’s home was of a similar size, while Ambassador Mellon’s was a mere thirty-five thousand square feet.”

“Considering we’re hosting two Counts at Christmas, I can understand why it’s so large,” I said. “But let’s move on. Josh, why are you concerned?”

“Well, as I said, Alan built this in 1865,” Josh explained. “Since then, there have been some changes to the original design. Nothing external, but indoor plumbing was added just before the turn of the century, and electricity in the 1920s. The original heat came from the fireplaces in each room, but in the 1890s a coal fired boiler was installed, with radiators in each room fed by gravity and convection. When summer comes around, you’re going to be glad you’re a vampire, because the only air conditioning in the castle is provided by window units.”

“The late Baron felt that money spent on comfort was money wasted, My Lord,” Alan explained. “There was talk of installing a modern ductless system in the public spaces, family areas, and guests’ quarters.”

“Sorry, Greg, but we have to go over the background, so you’ll understand how the castle has gotten to where it is today,” Josh said.

“And just where is that, Josh?” Billy asked. “Is it about to fall down?”

“That depends on how you define ‘about to fall down’, Billy,” Josh replied. “Is it unsafe? No, I’m not worried about things falling down around us. If I was, I wouldn’t be discussing options.”

“So far Josh, you haven’t discussed anything,” Scott admonished.

Josh shrugged. “I forget I’m not talking to tradesmen. If you were, you’d already know what I’m going to say.”

Jake nodded and said, “What he’s saying, Greg, is that in its one hundred and fifty years, this castle has been updated in a patchwork of fixes and you have to make some hard decisions.” He turned to his twin and asked, “Is that about right?”

Josh sighed and said, “You have several choices, Greg; you can keep adding Band-Aids, do minor surgery, or do a complete renewal.”

“Help me understand the problem,” Scott said.

“I’ll use the wiring as an example. This castle has a combination of every generation of wiring there ever was, Scott. I found knob and tube, cloth sheathed wire, metal sheathed wire, aluminum wire, and modern Romex; there are fuse boxes and breaker boxes hidden in closets all around. In short, it’s a mess, and a fire hazard. Ideally, I would strip all the wiring and replace it all,” Josh said.

“In addition to the wiring, there are still lead pipes carrying water to the upper floors. As vampires aren’t susceptible to the dangers of lead poisoning, the late Baron didn’t bother to replace all the plumbing, but he did replace those that feed the kitchens. They’re fed by galvanized steel in some places, copper in others,” Alan added.

I digested what they were saying, then said, “It sounds like you want to strip the place to the studs and replace all the wiring and plumbing. While major, it doesn't sound that bad, considering the age.”

“If only it was that simple, Greg. Not all of the renovations were done by the best craftsmen. In some places, they’ve cut floor joists to allow pipes to pass through and not placed proper reinforcement. In other places, the wood is rotted where it joins with the stone exterior.”

“So what are you saying, Josh?” Billy asked.

“That depends on what you want. How long do you see this as your home?”

Scott, Billy and I exchanged looks, then I said, “The late Baron lived here 150 years, Josh. I’d like to think I’ll live that long.” Scott nodded his agreement. “If we’re going to renovate, we should do it right, but I don’t know how much money we can spend. I think I’d have to call George for approval of the funds.”

Chris said, “You own the castle, Greg, my team showed me the deeds. We found a letter from Baron Evans to the Council of Princes in which he requested permission to build his own residence and use Dracul funds to maintain it. He spelled out how it would save Dracul money, and in their reply, they agreed to his terms. The Barony receives ten thousand dollars a year for maintenance of the castle, but he owned this place.”

“You’re dancing around the issue, Josh. Tell us what you would do, if you were in our place,” Scott said.

“I would gut the place, Scott. Take down everything except the exterior stone walls, then use steel girders with concrete floors, and steel studs. Build an entirely new structure that uses the existing stone as a facade. We should reenforce the stone walls with some hidden steel as well.”

“Okay, Josh. Why do it that way? I hope you’re not suggesting we live in a modern office building.” I asked.

“Once I’m done, it will still have the same overall feel, Greg. Doing it my way will make it structurally stronger while giving us the ability to remodel the rooms on any floor quickly and with no damage to the structure. Some areas will be more difficult to remodel in the future though. I’d make the ceiling on the main floor the same fifteen feet it is now, but the areas that are more than one floor high, like the main hall, will be permanent. Well, permanent without major work, I mean. Depending on how extensive you want to go, Alan and I will need to inspect the tunnels before we set up a crane on the grounds.”

“Tunnels?” Billy asked.

“There are several tunnels under the grounds, Billy,” Alan explained. “They were originally root cellars, wine cellars, cold storage for food and blood in the days before modern refrigerators. They were expanded to serve as bomb shelters over the years, and some were personal storage for the use of the late Baron.”

On hearing this last part, Scott, Billy, and I exchanged glances with the twins, Chris, and Brian. We were all thinking the same thing. Josh gave a knowing nod and said, “The few that I’ve looked at seem to be in good shape, but several end long before Alan’s drawings say they should. I’ve ordered a ground penetrating radar unit, and when it gets here, I want to go over the entire area inside the walls.”

“You should extend that, Josh,” Andrew said. “I think you’ll find several of the tunnels go well beyond the perimeter walls.”

“Will we be able to live here while you do all this, Josh?” Billy asked. “It sounds rather extensive.”

“And expensive,” Brian added.

“If you want me to do more patchwork fixes, you can live here while we work. If you want me to do everything, we’ll need to find housing for everyone. I’ll have to empty the castle entirely. As to expense,” Josh paused for a moment, then continued, “Depending on what you want, I’d guess somewhere around forty million dollars.”

Brian’s shocked expression matched that of almost everyone else, but Scott simply said, “If the castle belongs to us, then that is a small price to have what we want. The average home in the area is worth two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and those homeowners wouldn’t balk at spending fifty thousand dollars to renovate. This is comparable, and humans only live in their homes for sixty years or so.”

“If I may suggest,” Andrew said. I nodded, so he continued, “If you’re going to house the staff elsewhere once these renovations are done, you’ll need to consider parking, or transportation, for the staff.”

“Alright, Josh, if I say I want to go with the complete rebuild, when would you start? And how long will we be homeless?” I asked.

“Regardless of how you want to approach it, it will take a few weeks to do the ground surveys and such. If we’re going with the gut and rebuild option, you’ll be out of the castle for six to nine months, or more. If everything goes well, we could start any time after Christmas.”

We spent the next hour discussing where everyone would live. Of course, Chris and Brian didn’t live here yet, so they didn’t need to worry about it, but the twins, Craig, Scott, Billy, and I, as well as our entire staff, needed to make plans. Scott called James and confirmed what we already knew; we were welcome to stay at his farm. The problem with this was simple. Unlike before, I was now the Baron of Pittsburgh and would have need of an office and space to entertain other nobles. We tossed around several ideas and finally decided that a bit of time might give us perspective, so we moved to another issue. What features did we want Josh and Alan to incorporate into the rebuilt castle?

We quickly agreed that we needed to add a pool and hot tub, workout facilities, and an attached shower area. This started a debate about where to locate everything. As it currently stood, most of the main floor was dedicated to the ‘business’ of the barony, with my office, Billy’s office, and the office that the rest of the former Council shared sharing the hallway that held the library. Beyond this was the private bedroom suite we shared with Charlie’s nursery. The main hall, formal dining room, and formal sitting rooms were also included in what we considered Barony rooms, as they were primarily spaces where I would host other nobles and businessmen.

Scott suggested that, as we planned to include a few elevators, we could move the family spaces to the third floor without causing us any inconvenience. This would leave the second floor for guests, and the first floor entirely dedicated to Barony business. He felt, and I agreed, that each of my Council members needed their own office, even if they only used them occasionally, in order to provide them with a space to meet with others as needed. Billy observed that we lacked a conference room and pointed out that my office, while large, was rather crowded with my entire Council in attendance.

My argument against moving the family to an upper floor revolved around the pool and the idea of having our children having to troop through the house to get to it. Josh suggested we create a family recreation room in the basement with the gym and shower room attached. This room would have direct access to the pool and have a dedicated elevator that only accessed this area and the family area. I agreed with a minor change; the fourth floor would be the apartments for my Council, and they would have access to this elevator as well. I also made it clear that the staff and their families were welcome to use the pool, hot tub, and gym anytime they liked, provided we didn’t have VIP guests.

Josh suggested we incorporate the higher tower rooms into the private residence, and Alan came up with the idea of, rather than the family being on the third floor, we take parts of the third and fourth floors, as well as the upper tower rooms. This would leave him free to design apartments for the Council on both floors as well, some being single level with others spanning two floors. This, of course, led to the question: what we do when my Council started having families. Josh shut that down quickly.

“I already have a son, Greg, and if I find a mate, he or she will be sharing my bed. If we have more children, I happen to know a good contractor,” Josh said with a smirk. “And who’s to say we won’t want to live away from the castle like most of the staff? Will you forbid that?”

Every head turned when Jake gave a loud, dramatic sigh. “You’re all idiots, you know that, right?” I raised an eyebrow, so he explained, “We’re all family, Greg. I understand that you’d want some private space, but why are you thinking about separating our living quarters into apartments? Personally, I’d be happy sharing a house with you, Scott, Billy, and these other goofballs for the next hundred years. Why not just take half of the third floor, all of the fourth, and these tower rooms Andrew keeps mentioning, and make it the private residence for all of us?”

“He’s right, you know?”, Josh said.

“That we’re idiots? Or that we should all just share the private space?” I asked, knowing the answer.

As one, everyone said, “Both!”

I looked at my Council, my friends, and tried to read their emotions. The twins, Chris, and Brian were all in, but Tommy and Andrew had reservations. I looked at Josh and asked, “Did I understand your description of the castle correctly? Each floor above the main level has approximately eight thousand square feet?”

“Not exactly, Greg, but if we’re starting from scratch, we can do whatever you want,” he replied. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m still working on it, Josh.” I turned to Andrew. “You said the formal dining room can host sixty-six?”

“That is correct, Greg,” Andrew replied. “The only times it caused a problem was when all the Baronets were here for court. With their mates, their stewards and their mates, and some bringing other functionaries, we couldn’t seat them all for dinner. Once a year, he would host the Baronets and their mates, but usually he simply took care of business and sent them away.”

James had told me that a man would say things over dinner that he wouldn’t say in a business meeting, and I’d seen how, in George’s court, he was unapproachable. The only input he got from his courts was from direct interrogation of his nobles. In that setting, their answers were couched to show themselves in the best light.

“I’d like a main hall large enough to host a reception for two hundred, Josh. Considering the size, I’d think the ceiling should be high, possibly three stories. If you can, reuse the timbers from the current main hall in the ceiling. We also need a dining room large enough to seat the same number. Like the current formal dining room, I’d like the ceiling to be two stories.”

“If you do that, My Lord, you will take up most of the existing main floor, and reduce the second-floor guest quarters substantially,” Alan said. “We might rectify that by making the new wing three stories high and using some of that space as guest quarters.”

“Will you be able to match the stone?” Scott asked. “I don’t want to ruin the exterior by building something that doesn’t fit the rest of it.”

“All of the fireplaces and chimneys are built of the same stone as the exterior,” Alan explained. “We can use that to match up to the existing walls and use new stone for those portions of the new fireplaces that are seen. We can find a close match, and since they won’t be near the old stone, no one will notice.”

I looked at Scott, and when he nodded, I said, “Alright Alan, I want you to draw up plans for this additional wing, as well as plans for redoing the entire castle. Josh, I’d like Alan to manage this project. No offense to you, but he did design the original, and he’s done a fantastic job with the school. You’re going to be busy finding housing for everyone and arranging for that housing to be renovated before allowing our people to move.”

Josh and Alan nodded then, sensing we were done, Alan excused himself to go work on drawing up plans. Now my Council and I had to figure out what I was going to tell the Baronets of the Barony, and what to do if any of them refused to accept me as their Baron.