The gentleman had arrived by carriage complete with liveried footmen the previous day and spent the night, Martha said with a sneer, in the guest room...under the eaves."I think Missy done galloped wif him 'fore she put him to bed," Martha said as she handed me some buttered toast."How old is he?" I asked"Lordy, I don' know, ole as sin." Martha shook her head despairingly. "Wish she'd find her a man more your age but in better shape."Charlotte, unhappy with her mother's un-widowly behavior, had. Pulling up Renée's profile, I found not only her genetic additions, but a vast amount of code detailing the changes she had implemented before her abilities kicked in. Most of it had to do with looks, but there were also details on health. She couldn't contract a disease or virus. Her chances for what had to be every form of cancer were bottomed out. She would live a long healthy life, short of accidents. I copied that code and applied it to all the rest of us. It was a benefit everyone could. We set everything on the sideboard, and Suzy started handing out bowls and cups.“That smells really good ma’am, what is it?”“Please call me Suzy, it’s a venison bone broth with veggies. Some from my garden, some wild. It’s hot and nutritious.”Nigel was trying to elbow his way to the front of the line when I stopped him. “Hang on your highness. The kids get theirs first. You and I can have what’s left. There’s plenty.” He glared at me but stopped trying to force the issue.When it was his turn,. So I patted his hand for a while, as you do, then I took myself off to the office to go and rally the troops. Well, OK, to catch up with the news, or chat with people I thought of as friends ... or something. Maybe I was just being responsible, I thought, taking myself up the stairs into the office.Which was pretty much as it always had been ... laid back, perhaps, or relaxed ... or maybe just a chaotic mess. Still, it was gratifying to see the crew hard at work, accept the warmth of their.