Chapter 25 - Ah, there they are
Eventually people from the estate arrived with a silver-coated carriage and a wooden wagon in tow. Two guards in light armor and gambesons, that Scarlett recognized as two of the men who sometimes guarded the front of the mansion's gates, jumped down from the front of the carriage. The driver was the same young man Scarlett had sent away to get help—she just now realized she'd never even thought of getting his name, even though she had been trying to learn the names of many of the mansion's other servants—who seemed to have gotten a change of clothes. The man that helmed the wagon wasn't someone she recognized, though. He might've been a stablehand of some kind.
Soon the doors on the carriage swung open and a man in a dark suit stepped outside, followed by a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair in a bun that Scarlett recognized as the head of the female servants. The woman, however, quickly returned to the carriage with a horrified expression after catching a glimpse of the dead bodies. The guards stood to the side as the man in the suit, Garside, walked up to Scarlett—who had now risen from her own impromptu seat—and threw a glance at the row of corpses, grimacing. He bowed before Scarlett. "My Lady, we began moving as soon as we heard the news. It gladdens me greatly to see that you are safe." He turned to Kat and gave her a bow too, though not quite as deep as the one he gave Scarlett. "Miss Breeden. You have my eternal gratitude for protecting the Lady."
Kat threw up a hand. "Erm...it's nothing, really. It's literally my job."
"Nonetheless, it is an indisputable fact that you have been of great help to our mistress," Garside said, his thick grey mustache trembling slightly as he spoke. "I realize some of our earlier interactions have not been entirely cordial, and for that, I apologize. I hope I have not caused any undue offense."
Kat took a step back. She looked uncomfortable having the old man apologizing to her. "Right, well, all's well that ends well and all that."
Scarlett raised an eyebrow. For a moment she'd almost thought that Kat had quoted Shakespeare, but she knew that wasn't the only place where that proverb was used. It did make her wonder where the proverb originated in this world, however, and how the Modern Imperial in this place shared so many idioms with the English she was used to. They didn't just pop into being; they had to have some etymological roots that differed from those in her world. Just another thing she could add to the ever-growing list she had of questions about the nature of this world.
"Thank you, Miss Breeden," Garside said before turning from Kat back to Scarlett. "My Lady, how should we deal with this situation?" he then asked, wrinkling his nose as he gestured his arm towards the bodies that were lined up close to them. The smell wasn't that bad, actually. The smell of scorched wood from the burning carriage largely overtook it, and Scarlett didn't mind that smell too much.
She examined the damaged bodies for a moment, before speaking. "Remove their equipment and bring it back to the estate. I want it stored away safely. Ensure that as few individuals as possible know of it."
The butler's eyes stayed on the unmoving figures. "...And the bodies, my Lady?"
Scarlett looked at him. "Deal with them in a suitable manner."