He's a flirt and a tease and a fop and a snob. And everyone's favorite uncle. Jacques Smythe brazens his way into Stately House and shows no sign of departing. Like it or not, Lord Mettlebright has himself a butler. **Unique format! A story in 100-word chapters that was originally serialized on forthright's blog, beginning in 2018. Now complete! Set behind the scenes of the Amaranthine Saga, Jacques' story begins immediately after the events of Bk1: Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox and concludes with the events leading up to Bk4: Mikoto and the Reaver Village. Cozy Fantasy. Slice-of-Life. Family. The print edition includes the short story Suuzu and the Nine Nippets of Legend (Amaranthine Interludes, #2)! He's more accustomed to speaking for others than speaking up for himself. Stranded at Stately House, Suuzu Farroost is restless and fretful and lonesome for Akira. Waiting is a misery, and all he has to hold onto is the memory of a fleeting kiss, a circlet of nippet eggs, and one very stubborn, very outspoken valet. To keep him from wallowing, Suuzu's friends find ways to distract him, and as one story leads to another, the phoenix learns about the special place nippets hold in avian lore, especially where courtship is concerned. **A short story set immediately after the events of Bk5: Fumiko and the Finicky Nestmate. Cozy Fantasy. Slice-of-Life. Family. Courtship.