Quick note: Beginning of this story is pretty similar to another fan fic that I fell in love with called Black Wife. I definitely recommend reading it. I did add some different twists to it and the ending will be 100% different. Tell me what you think!
Knock knock.
"Come in," Ciel Phantomhive said without looking up from his papers.
A tall man with a tailcoat opened the door and pushed a small trolley in with a pot of hot water and teacups. The man poured the water over the tea leaves while saying, "I brought you some Earl Grey, young master. You also have a letter"
Ciel set down the papers and grabbed the cup of tea out of the butler's hands. He closed his eyes and leaned back against his chair. "What does the letter say, Sebastian?"
The butler gave a slight nod opened the envelope, "It seems that there was another noble killed today. He was found in the middle of the street in London."
Ciel sighed and took a sip of tea, "at this rate, there will be no more nobles left." He glanced out the window and saw how late it was getting. He set his tea to the side and stood up, "We will go to the Undertaker tomorrow to check out the body, for now, it is time for bed."
Two maids were quickly walking down the sidewalk, holding bags of groceries in their hands. "Oh man, it's so late! We are going to get into so much trouble," Ella, one of the maids, exclaimed.
"I told you to not to talk to so many men for so long," Rayne snapped, not wanting a punishment because of the ditz beside her.
Ella pouted, "Well, I'm sorry that there were so many cute boys there."
Rayne rolled her eyes and grabbed Ella's wrist with her free hand, "follow me, I know a short cut." She started heading into a dark alleyway.
Ella stopped in her tracks. "I'm not going in there!"
"Why not? It's the quickest way back to the house, maybe we won't get into as much trouble if we get back soon." Rayne said, trying to pull her companion.
"No! Haven't you heard of the recent killings happening? I am not going into a creepy alleyway just because it's a shortcut."
"It's only been nobles that were killed. We're not nobles, we're fine."
"I don't care! I value my life way too much for that."
Rayne sighed, "Fine, suit yourself." She walked into the alleyway, leaving Ella standing there alone.
Rayne continued down the dark alleyway at a rather fast pace, trying to think of excuses why they were so late coming home and why they were split up.
CRUNCH.
She heard a loud noise just around the corner. Rayne leaned her back against the wall and quietly set her bags down. She peeked around the corner to see the backs of two burly men with large jackets holding baseball bats, heading into a carriage. A body was sprawled in a pool of blood behind them.
One of the men spoke with a deep rough voice, "Job well done, can't wait to get the thousand pounds now. I just wish we can strip this noble of his wealth too."
"You know we can't do that," the other one replied, sounding very similar, "the boss said we are not allowed to."
"I know but I don't understand why not." The other man shrugged as the continued getting into the carriage.
Rayne waited till the carriage was gone before walking up to the body. Looking closer, she could tell this man was a noble by the clothes he was wearing. She didn't really want to search the body for cash or jewelry in fear that her maid uniform will get all dirty, but she also really wanted the money. Gleaming on the dead man's left hand was a very expensive looking ring. With her gloved hand, Rayne slid the ring off the man's body.
This will do. Rayne thought to herself as she wiped any blood that may be still on the ring and slid it into the pocket of her dress. She took off her now bloodied glove carefully and tossed it behind her as she continued down the alleyway with the grocery bags and the ring to the house where she worked at.
"Another noble dead?" Ciel questioned. Ciel and his butler were standing in the Undertaker's shop, wanting to ask him questions about yesterday's murder.
"Indeed, it seems that just last night another noble has died," the Undertaker smiled, "you might find this one rather interesting though, my lord."
"And why is that?"
"This noble was found with a bloodied maid's glove nearby and an imprint on his finger where a ring used to be."
Ciel put his hand on his chin in concentration, "and since the usual murderer never made mistakes nor took anything from the bodies," he paused, "that means there was a witness. Come on, Sebastian, we're done here." He turned and started walking out of the door.
The Undertaker grinned and waved at the two men, "come by anytime and give me another laugh."
Ciel climbed into the carriage followed by Sebastian. Ciel then tapped the ceiling of the carriage with his cane to notify the coachman that they were ready.
"Sebastian, I will need information about the houses around the area where the body was found and notify them when we will be visiting," Ciel ordered.
"Visiting?" Sebastian questioned.
"We will make it seem like just a simple visit, when in reality you will be finding out about what you can about the witness. There are about five homes with servants in that area, it shouldn't take too long."
"Yes, my lord." Sebastian gave a slight bow and jumped out of the carriage. A few minutes later Sebastian returned while the carriage was still moving. "There are indeed five houses in that area with servants. I notified them all that we will be visiting. Shall we get going then?"
Ciel nodded and Sebastian leaned out of the door of the carriage to let the coachman know of the change in direction.
Rayne walked into the kitchen when she saw the maids grouped together in excitement chatter. "What's going on?" Rayne asked them.
"Didn't you hear? Ciel Phantomhive is coming for a visit!" Ella leaped towards Rayne.
"So?"
"I heard his butler is super handsome!" All the maids giggled as Ella said this.
Rayne rolled her eyes, "When are they coming?"
"They are on their way here!" Ella grinned.
Rayne started preparing the tea for the young lord and her master. She turned to Ella, "When they are here, make sure to give this tea to them, I must help the mistress's daughters." Ella nodded and Rayne turned her heel and headed towards the sisters' room.
"There you are! I've been waiting forever!" Victoria exclaimed. Victoria and her sister Veronica were standing on small pedestals in the middle of their room.
"Sorry, madames." Rayne curtseyed the walked over to Victoria to help her with her corset.
"He should be coming any moment now! I can't wait to meet him!" Veronica said gleefully and twirled around Victoria and Rayne.
"Mother said that he might want to wed one of us. Wouldn't that be amazing?" Victoria jumped off the pedestal when Rayne finished and danced with Veronica.
Veronica jumped up on her pedestal and Rayne helped with her dress. "Can you imagine? Veronica Phamtomhive," she giggled, "it just sounds too perfect!"
"It will be Victoria Phantomhive! I have the same name as the queen! I am destined to marry a noble." Victoria exclaimed as she ran to the window. "He's here!"
Rayne just finished helping Veronica when they both dashed out of the room. Rayne sighed and shook her head. Has all women here gone mad? She collected the girls' dirty clothes and brought them to the laundry room. She then walked back into the kitchen to start lunch. As she walked in, she had a moment of de-Ja-Vu when she the heard the women chattered excitedly, but this time, there was a tall black haired man in the middle of their circle, smiling.
"Don't you ladies have something better to do?" Rayne snapped. The maids glared at her for a moment before dispersing out of the room to do their chores. "No wonder nothing gets done around here," Rayne mumbled to herself. She looked at the man in black, he's handsome but nothing to drool over, she thought to herself.
Sebastian bowed at her, "My name is Sebastian Michaelis, and I am the Phantomhive Butler."
Rayne ignored the introduction, "Did the mistress want anything?"
Sebastian stood straight, a bit surprised at the maid's rudeness towards him. "She asked for a Victoria sponge cake."
Great, Rayne thought to herself, couldn't have made it easy for me. She started grabbing the ingredients to prepare it.
"Are you the chef?" Sebastian wondered.
"Something like that, I am the head maid. But it seems like I am the only maid at this place."
"I know what you mean," Sebastian said to no one in particular.
Rayne slipped off her gloves and set it on the counter near her. Sebastian stared at the gloves for a bit, noticing how pristine the gloves looked, almost like they have never been worn before. He turned his attention back to Rayne. "Would you like any help?" he asked.
"If you would like, you can make the sponge cake while I make lunch," she said passing the bowl to Sebastian.
Sebastian nodded and looked down from her face a bit to a ring that was on a neck chain, "Is that a ring?" he asked.
Rayne looked down wide-eyed and quickly stuffed the chain into her top. "Yeah, it's nothing though." She turned and grabbed ingredients for lunch.
Of course, Sebastian saw the seal on the ring, a seal of a noble, the noble that had a witness when he died. He found his target, so easily too, considering this was the first house his master decided to visit.
"Have you heard of the murders of the nobles?" He asked.
Rayne froze for a bit in surprise but continued what she was doing. "Who hasn't? It's all over the news, I also heard that they are extremely clever and know how to cover their tracks."
"Did you know that the recent murder had a witness?" Sebastian said seductively into Rayne's ear, all of a sudden very close to her.
She jumped and her face paled. Shit, they know. They are going to kill me to cover up their tracks! SHIT! What do I do?! Rayne gulped and turned around to face Sebastian. In a nervous tone she squeaked, "nope, I didn't hear that." She tried slipping from between Sebastian and the table but Sebastian gripped her waist. His face was getting closer to hers, doing his usual routine of getting information out of women.
"Oh, really? Then tell me," he slid his hands up her waist, sending shivers through Rayne's body, "Why do you look so nervous?"
"I just don't like people being this close to me," she replied pushing Sebastian away with ease.
She walked away from Sebastian and grabbed the sponge cake that was surprisingly done already but she didn't want to be in the same room with the man anymore, so she took the opportunity and grabbed small plates and a trolley along with the cake and exited the room.
Sebastian followed her closely. She was about to enter the tearoom when Sebastian whispered into her ear, "If only we knew who the witness was."
Rayne rolled the trolley into the room; she looked at the young lord and saw Sebastian leaning down to whisper into his master's ear. Then Ciel looked at her. She held her breath as she served them the cake.
Oh god, I am going to die tonight. They are going to come kill me, shit why do I have to be so greedy and grabbed the stupid ring?!
Both Rayne and Sebastian stood against the wall, waiting for any more commands. Rayne continued to hold her breath in fear of dying because of the butler and his master.
Maybe I can run away tonight. I can find another job somewhere else. I know people who owe me, I'll ask them. Yes, that is what I'll do; I will pack up and run. Tonight.
Rayne was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't catch what the lord was saying.
"Mrs. Atwood, this has been a very pleasant afternoon," Ciel smiled, "I would be honored if you and your lovely daughters," the girls giggled as he mentioned them, "would come to my ball Saturday night." Ciel tried his best to not cringe at what he was saying. He hated balls and he definitely wasn't a big fan of this widow and her disgusting floozy daughters.
"Oh! My lord! You flatter me so! We would love to attend to your ball," the mistress grinned.
"But I must confess, I am a bit short on maids, and Sebastian has been telling me how wonderful your maids were to him."
Rayne was finally listening to the young lord. She knew exactly what was about to come next, and she couldn't escape it.
Ciel continued, "I was wondering if it would be alright with you to borrow one of your maids to help us prepare for the ball." If our witness doesn't want to tell us on her own, we have no other way but to force it out of her later. Ciel thought to himself.
The mistress looked very pleased with Ciel's request. "Oh my! I am sure any of my maids will be delighted to be a service to you. Is there a certain one you would like?"
At any other circumstance, Rayne would have been annoyed at the mistress's question, making it sound like her maids were just mere objects for someone to borrow. But right now, Rayne was terrified. She knew it would be her and she was about to die. She continued racking her brain for an escape but she was panicking too much to concentrate.
Ciel replied, "It is not fair to the other maids if we just chose one, let's make it random. If would so kindly have them all line up."
Mrs. Atwood eagerly obliged, "Alice!" she looked at Rayne. "Go fetch the other maids."
Rayne curtseyed and walked out of the room to call for the other maids. This is my chance, she thought.
The maids excitedly walked into the room, wondering which lucky lady gets to work with the devilishly handsome butler. The maids blushed as the butler looked over all of them.
"I believe we are missing one. Alice was her name?" Sebastian looked at Mrs. Atwood quizzically.
Mrs. Atwood looked at the young earl. "Oh that Alice is such a trouble maker, it's probably best if we continue without her."
"With all do respect, Mrs. Atwood, we would like to be fair to all of your maids. Maybe she had to step out for a bit, we shouldn't leave her out of it."
The mistress blushed, embarrassed. "O-of course. Terra! Go find Alice and bring her back."
None of the maids were named Terra, but since Ella was the only brave one that actually talks to Rayne, she decided to go find her friend. Ella walked into the maid's quarters to find Rayne packing a few things in a small bag.
"Rayne? What are you doing?" Ella asked.
"Look, Ella, you don't understand but those men are here to kill me," Rayne said hurriedly.
"What are you talking about? Come on! The mistress is waiting." Ella grabbed Rayne's wrist and dragged her with her. Rayne clutched onto her small bag of possessions while they walked into the tearoom where the mistress and the young lord were sitting. Mrs. Atwood and her daughters were glaring at Rayne for being so rude.
"Excuse my rudeness," Rayne curtseyed, still holding onto her bag. "I was just about to step out for a bit." Rayne then lined up beside Ella.
"Now that we are situated, Sebastian will close his eyes and randomly choose," Ciel said.
The maids started to giddily chatter. Rayne watched Sebastian carefully as he closed his eyes and held his arm straight with a finger up. He moved his arm back and forth along the line then seemingly stopped randomly. He opened his eyes and smirked. His was pointing straight at Rayne.
Fuck.
