Chapter One: A Most Unusual Meeting

April 5, 1848

The Phantomhive Manner

It was in the early hour of the morning when the servants of Phantomhive Manner got up for the day. The beams from the sunrise were peaking through closed currents, allowing a golden hue to submerge the long, narrow hallways. Some of the maids rubbed their eyes as they went to their posts. The butlers let out yawns, and the gardeners stretched to prepare for their long day of work. For today was unlike any other day within the confides of the manner – today was the young mistress's eighteenth birthday. A day where a child would now become a woman.

The servants all began their work as the master of the house rose from his bedchamber. His wife was soon to follow. Lord Phantomhive made his way into the dining room where a cup of warm, Earl Grey tea awaited him. He sat down while his wife made her way across from him. One of the butlers walked in and handed the Earl a newspaper. Earl Phantomhive took it and glanced down, nearly choking on his tea.

Lady Phantomhive glanced up at him. She had already began her morning needlework. "What is wrong, Alexander?"

"Another damn article about Karl Marx," the Earl said through clenched teeth.

Lady Phantomhive continued her sewing. "More uprisings?"

The Earl nodded. "I fear that hear soon, half of Europe will be in turmoil. All because of those damn liberals…"

"Oh Father, some are just tired of the wrongdoings of their monarchies." Claudia, the young mistress of the household, had made her way down to the dining room. Her dark, navy-like hair was pulled back into a tight bun. She sported a long, black gown that exposed her shoulders. The gown also had puffed sleeves – something that Claudia adored in her dresses. She had opted not to wear a corset and enjoyed being able to breathe freely.

"A new age is coming, Father dear." Claudia winked at the Earl as she sat down next to her mother. She looked over at the fabric her mother was stitching. Claudia could not excel at needlework, she was too impatient. She preferred to spend her free time reading and coming up with lavish story ideas – stories that would make Jane Austen blush.

"Ah, and so the birthday girl has decided to become a politician," Lord Phantomhive chuckled.

"I'd rather die."

Lady Phantomhive laughed. "Here, here."

Shortly after, the head butler came in to give the Phantomhive family their breakfast which consisted of smoked salmon, eggs benedict, toast, and a variety of fruit. All were the mistress's favorite foods. Claudia smiled as she filled her plate; she looked around at her mother and father and began to chat about politics and other frivolous things. She enjoyed these moments with her family – they were carefree, but she knew that these moments were to be ending soon. For she was the next head of the Phantomhive family. Her eighteenth birthday was another reminder that her childhood had faded and was now a mere memory to her. She didn't know if she was ready for the responsibilities that awaited her.

"Cedric will be arriving her shortly. He wants to escort you downtown. I think he has a present for you to pick up," the Earl said, snapping Claudia out of her thoughts. She looked over at her father, he had went back to reading his newspaper. Cedric was Claudia's fiancé; the two had been engaged since birth. He was a viscount of the Ros family and also owned a popular tobacco company. He was constantly traveling to America and had a home in the heart of Virginia. Claudia hoped to visit some day – she had always wanted to go see America, even if her father viewed Americans as a bunch of "lowly traitors."

"I'm sure that you will be very excited to spend some time with Cedric. He misses you dearly whenever he is over in Virginia," the Lady Phantomhive said.

Claudia nodded. "I shall go freshen up and wait for his arrival."

Cedric's carriage arrived at the Phantomhive manor. The sun had fully risen by this time, exposing the full effects of spring on the manor. Flowers were in full bloom, and blossoms graced the apple and cherry trees out front. Cedric breathed in the fresh aromas as he approached the manor. He could not wait to see his lovely Claudia. He had made sure that he looked dashing for her – he was sporting a tailored black jacket with plaid trousers. On top of his head was a large top hat that made him even more giant like than he already was (Cedric was already over six feet tall).

He walked through the doors of the manor, and one of the footmen announced his arrival. Claudia was already at the base of the stairs. She ran over to embrace him.

"Oh my dear Cedric. I have missed you so!" She pulled away and looked into his deep green eyes. She rested a hand on his pale cheek.

"I thought that I should have died of loneliness, Claudia. The maidens of Virginia cannot touch the beauty that radiates from you," Cedric said as he gently kissed the palm of her hand. "I have the whole day scheduled for us, my love. So we must be leaving very soon."

"Oh do come say hello to my parents first, Cedric! It has been months since they last saw you, after all."

Cedric nodded and followed Claudia into the parlor room. The Earl was sorting through some papers with a pipe sticking out from his lips. His cheeks were red with what Cloudia thought was anger. He kept muttering about communists under his breath. The Earl never ceased to amuse Claudia; he could rant and complain about anything. He fueled his life. For a man to be in such a constant state of misery, he was a very rosy looking Earl. His eyes were a gentle hazel, and his hair was a light brown. He was an Earl that mothers would invite to the christening of their children (until they realized how grumpy he actually was). Lady Phantomhive was the polar opposite. She would put anyone's welfare before her own. It was "the Christian way, after all." This was her daily philosophy – do onto others as you would do onto yourself. She, however, had a cold demeanor in comparison to that of her husband. Her skin was very fair, her eyes a deep gray, and her hair was dark. Claudia thought that the two's outward appearances should have been switched. And of course, as the Earl griped about the communists, Lady Phantomhive was reading her Bible.

"Mother, Father, Cedric has arrived," Claudia said.

The two stopped what they were doing and greeted Cedric. Next thing Claudia knew, the three were having a conversation about the United States. Her mother seemed truly interested on what all Cedric had to say about Virginia, but the Earl kept shaking his head and saying that he preferred England. Claudia wondered if her father had ever gone on a drunken rant about "the damn bastards that just wanted to get rid of taxes." She laughed at the thought of it. How many times would he have said "traitors" or "rebels" in his rant?

An hour passed before Claudia could pull Cedric from her parents. Soon the two were off to the heart of London; it has been quite sometime since Claudia visited the city. She had been cooped up with her studies and preparation for becoming the next head of the Phantomhive family. It was nice to be able to get out for a little while.

"So, how is your studies coming along?" Cedric asked Claudia. He sat on the opposite side of the carriage for the sake of modesty (something that Claudia believed to be extremely outdated).

"It is going well. I think my French is almost as good as yours. Madame Dubois has been an excellent tutor."

"Très bon."

Cedric had the carriage stop beside a dress shop. He helped Claudia step down and escorted her to the toy store that was just next door. "I need you to do me a favor. Wait here for me, for I must check on something. I will come for you as soon as I can; this should only take a moment."

Claudia nodded. "Take your time, my dear. I am in no hurry."

Cedric smiled and left her in the shop. Claudia began to walk around, her fingers gently grazed over the porcelain dolls. They were all wearing bright pastel colors with rosy cheeks and ruby lips. Each strand of hair on their heads was perfectly curled. Claudia remembered her days of when she would play with dolls. Her best friend, Amelia, would come over and play as well. The two would pretend that the dolls were their own children – oh how they could not wait to be mothers! It was just here recently that Claudia had received the news that Amelia died in childbirth.

She quickly moved on from the dolls and went over to look at all the toy trains. A little boy was playing with one while his mother was chatting with another woman. Claudia smiled at him. He looked up.

"You're too old to be in a toy shop," he said.

"Perhaps I am, but there is a part of me that wants to keep my inner child alive and well."

"What does that mean?"

Claudia looked at him. "It means that even as we grow older, the child that we once were does not have to fully vanish. You'll understand when the time comes."

"Are you going to buy a toy or something?"

"Perhaps."

"Do you have a child?"

"No."

"A niece or nephew?"

"No."

The little boy looked up to her, his blue eyes wide in confusion. "So why are you looking at toys if you're an adult?"

Claudia ruffled the boy's hair. "I have already explained it to you. I look at the toys and I am reminded of my childhood."

The child's mother called him away. He sighed and placed the toy back on the shelf. "Well, have a nice day, miss." The child ran to his mother's side, and the two exited the store.

Claudia stared at the train for a moment. She recalled that Cedric had a train just like that one. She picked it up; it was a red engine. She went over to the cashier to pay for the item, but as she glanced through the window, she saw that the boy from earlier was being dragged by a raggedy man. Claudia frowned and quickly ran out of the shop. She reached for the gun that she always kept hidden in her right sock. She could hear the boy's cries and watched as the man pulled him into the alley way.

"You'll fetch a nice penny on the market, ya will," the raggedy man said. He smirked at the boy and dragged him by the collar. The child was kicking frantically and was screaming for help. Cloudia ran into the alleyway and shot a warning bullet.

"Hault!" She yelled, holding her gun in place. "The next shot will not be a miss."

The man chuckled and through the child on the ground. "Hmm, I never thought that I would be chased after by a woman. Yer a pretty little thing, ain't ya." He walked towards Claudia and saw that her finger was on the trigger.

"What are you planning on doing with that boy?"

"Who are ya to ask? Yer just a maid."

"I am Claudia Phantomhive," she barked. "I am the rightful heir to the Phantomhive name and am the Queen's Guard Dog. I will take down any threat to her well being that I see. So I do compel you to tell me exactly what you are planning."

"It's simple, Lady Phantomhive. Human trafficking. These kids of the elite class are worth some money."

"You are disgusting!"

"And you are dead."

Claudia heard a voice coming from behind her. The next thing she heard was the sound of a gun shot. It pierced her right in the chest, and she collapsed onto the ground. The image of the man and the child faded away. "N-no," she muttered. She could taste a metallic liquid in her mouth, there was so much gushing from her. She wondered if she would choke on it.

"S-someone h-help," she whispered. "I-I don't want to die."

"No one does, dearie." Claudia looked up and saw a man standing over her. He had hair that was a white as snow, and his eyes were a glowing green. He held a staff in his hands that had a blade on the end. Claudia could feel her limbs shaking in fear.

The man pulled out a book and turned the pages. "Ah, here you are. Claudia Phantomhive. Born April 5, 1830. Such a young little dove."

Claudia tried to crawl away from the man, but he laughed and stepped in front of her. "Oh no you don't! I have reaped so many souls, and you will be no exception."

Claudia began to weep. "P-please. I-I can't die! M-y mother and m-my father. T-they need me!" She reached out and touched the man's shoe. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

He knelt down to her and raised her head. It was then that he noticed just how beautiful this young girl was. He gently pulled her hair from her bun and watched as it cascaded down her back. Her hazel eyes completely captivated him. He was in complete shock. He had not felt this way towards a woman since his days as a mortal man. He smirked at Claudia.

"Well, miss Claudia, today is your lucky day. I've decided to let you live." The man began to cackle. "Oh this will be an awfully big adventure. An awfully big one indeed."