Ernie smiled at his master, gave his hand another squeeze, and let it go. The crush he was harboring was just that, a crush. Nothing else was going to come of it, and Ernie had all ready told himself it was time to move on. People like Zach didn't look to servants like him to spend their lives with. They had children with women they were arranged to marry. They strengthened bloodlines, produced heirs. Very much like Ernie had once upon a time been expected to do.
After eating a small portion of the food on his plate, he looked around, eyes settling on one of the shirts laying across that chest Zach kept. "There's a small rip in that shirt," he mentioned. "Would you like me to patch it up for you tomorrow? Is there any laundry you need me to do for you?"