"Eden," Sung a light hearted voice cheery voice from the other side of the room door. The voice came Delilah Abelle Hurst, maid of the James estate. After not hearing anything for a few moments she crept open the door entering her mistress chambers. A light tsking sound escaped her lips as her eyes fell upon her mistress. In the center of the bed laid a clearly deep in sleep girl no more than 12. The maid chuckled at her mistress before going to open the curtains. earning a groan from her mistress "Eden , come on it's time to get up." Delilah said sitting beside her tired mistress, her hand pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Another annoyed groan escaped Eden's lips as she turned away from the light, pulling her light blue sheets over her head.
"Just a few more minutes Lilah." her tired voice said. Sighing Delilah complied and laid down beside her mistress. "You get five minutes, got it?" The motion of her nodding came from under the cover. And just like that five minutes passed. The moment it did Delilah shot up from the bed and in a swift motion yanked the covers off her mistress , " . Up. Now." In that unexpected motion Eden was sprung onto the floor.
"What the hell !" She shot a violent gaze at her maid who now towered her.
"I gave you your five minutes now come on get up dear. Things to do places to go. you know that whole stick." Eden,in a struggle, attempted to crawl away but was stopped by the heel of her maid on her night gown.
"Eden don't be stubborn. Come on you have a packed schedule, m'lady." The girl sighed and nodded in agreement before Delilah released her.
"I guess the early we start the quicker we finish." she lightly sighed standing , heading into the washroom.
Delilah followed after her mistress, by the short time she entered she Eden was already soaking in the water, body covered in bubbles. The maid knelled beside the bath. rolling up the sleeves of her shirt.
"Anyway, did you have a pleasant rest?" Her lady simply respond with a nod. "Any good dreams?"
"No, it was just another boring dream after all." She answered impassively.
"You're lying then huh Eden?" Delilah slowly began to massage and lather massaging her mistress sclep. Eden didn't respond but sank deeper in bath. "I'll take that as a yes then. Did you have another nightmare?"
"does that even matter, a dream is nothing but an empty void." she said coldly.
"wrong,"corrected the maid rinsing the soap from her mistress hair. "My mother always said a dream is where your heart expresses its true desires."
"And a nightmare?"
"Will that expresses your fears, what you are afraid of becoming I suppose." Eden just rolled her eyes submerging her head under her water . Doing so Delilah sighed.
"You're so stubborn."
Once Eden was cleaned Delilah began to dress her mistress.
"What's on today's schedule."Eden more demanded rather than asked as Delilah rolled up her mistress black stockings,clipping them with sock garters, followed by sliding on her black buckled shoes.
"Later on today you have three lessons scheduled, that being marketing, then a dance lesson, and piano." The lessons were the same as every Friday. Once Delilah was done fixing her mistress lower half Eden stood from her bed, brushing off her navy blue dress, Delilah adjusted the ruffles of her collar.
"And after that?"
"You have a meeting with the lord of the Hartford Estate, discussing a growth in both companies." The maid continued.
Boringly Eden began walking to her bedroom door, Delilah opened it for the girl. "Henry most likely wants to request a merger? I thought I made it clear I had no interest in such things."
"You did m'lady but he would not take no for an answer. He simply insisted on meeting with you."
Eden silver gaze narrowed turned her nose up, "Fine, I hope he realize that this will not make any difference."
After completing her lessons
Eden stood from her bed, brushing off her navy blue dress, Delilah adjusted the ruffles of her collar.
"And then?"
"You have a meeting with the lord of the Hartford Estate, discussing a merger between your two companies." the maid continued.
Eden began walking to her bedroom door, Delilah opening it for the girl. "Merger? I thought I made it clear I have no interest in margarine my company any father with any other of his."
"You did milady but he would not take no for an answer and insist on with you."
Eden turned her nose up, "Fine, I hope he realize that this will not make any difference."
A sigh passed Delilah's lips at her mistress's words. "Lets just get started Eden. your tutor is here. Nodding she was escorted to her first lesson before Delilah took a leave to undergo business.
During her time alone Delilah was skimming through her mistress mail."Hm?" Delilah's brown eyes read over her mistress's mail. There was nothing interesting or important enough that it required her mistress admit attention. Aleast that's how it seemed until the queen's seal was drawn to her attention. "The queen?" She mumbled to herself opening the letter. Her eyes scaled across the letter widening the more she progress. A low disgusting snarl like noise came from Delilah as she finished reading , the letter clutched in her fist . Once the morning affairs were over Delilah wheeled a cart of treats and tea into her mistress study, shutting the door with her foot. Eden sat behind her desk, her head resting on her ungloved hand, a bored look on her face as she played with her little figurines, a small black sheep being surrounded by villagers with pitchforks.
"You didn't knock." She said coldly not looking up at the maid. Delilah still kept her sunny disposition. ignoring her coldness
"I've brought snacks and such for Sir Hartford's arrival. He should be here in a hour or so." Eden slouched in her chair, with a groan.
"Oh come now it's not that bad," Delilah insisted pouring her mistress tea, "beside it'd be nice to have some company here, don't you think?" She sat the cup down in front of the 12 year old.
"No."
"Ya know it is very unbecoming of a lady to be socially impaired. If your are unable to stomach being around others how do you to expect to fall in love,marry, have children." Eden blushed at the thought and quickly denied it.
"I have no interest in that Delilah. Now go prepare the servants or something." She ordered waving the brunette off. The maid laughed tossing her mistress hair.
"As you wish mylady."
Delilah humbly bowed before leaving out her mistress office. She stood in front of the door chuckling to herself. "So very Stubborn."
"Delilah! Delilah!" One of the servants, Karin, a small blond girl with freckles called running down in Delilah's direction. Once in front of her the girl curtsied, panting slightly to her superior.
"M-miss H-hurst, there is a call for you from the Phantomhive manor. Would you like me to request they call back later?" Delilah eyes frowned knowing why the Estate was calling. She however did not expect it so sudden.
"No I'll take the call Karin, thank-you." Delilah took a deep breath before pressing the phone to her ear.
"Hello, this is Delilah Hurst, Head maid of the James Estate, may I ask whom I am speaking to."
On the other line was a deep voice, soft as silk and low as hell.
"Good evening Miss Hurst, I am Sebastian Michaelis, head butler of the Phantomhive manor . I am calling to assure your mistress has received the same letter as my young master did from her majesty?" Delilah thought back to this morning looking over the letter, realizing that the queen's request would put her mistress in danger she quickly burned the it.
"I apologize but Lady James has not received any letter from the queen." That was not a lie. Delilah had not shown the letter to her mistress in order to protect her.
"I see then. Today my master has been asked to travel to London due to a series of murders of several young women. As you can imagine this has caused the queen great distress. Her magistery has requested your mistress and my young master work together to solve this case and put an end to theses gruesome murders. I'm sure you understand as a woman yourself the importance of this."
Delilah paused thinking of her mistress well being, but sighed knowing Eden Would be upset if she hid this from her.
"Yes I do, Please bring your master to the Estate around noon tomorrow so our masters may discuss this personally."
Sebastian smiled slyly to himself, "Understood Miss Hurst, I am looking forward to meeting you tomorrow."
"Good Day, Sebastian." She said coldly before slamming the phone down.
'She's not going to like this at all.' She thought out loud leaning against the brick wall of the kitchen.
Outside of the manor all ten of the James servants stood at attention for Sir Hartford's arrival. Delilah walking past all of them to insure nothing but the utmost perfection.
"Very good then, be sure that all of you are present at noon tomorrow as well. Another guest will be arriving and we will not have a repeat of last time we had a guest." All the servants bowed their head remembering Delilah having to quickly fix all their mistakes at the last minute.
"Yes Miss Hurst." All saluted her but Eden and another servant Mary.
"Another guest, who would that be?" The girl asked her eyebrow cocked in annoyance. "I thought I said I didn't want anyone else in this home."
Delilah smiled sweetly, not alarming the servants, "The Earl of Phantomhive will arrive tomorrow at noon to discuss a case with you, by order of the queen."
"The queen!" she whispered in disgust, "Then how come I didn't receive a letter or something." The maid only shrugged, whistling suspect, "will maybe it was lost in the mail or she forgot to-" Eden burned her silver eyes into the maids.
"We will discuss this later, Delilah." She looked onto the driveway seeing a carriage pulling up. "Let's get this over with."
...
"Oi, Sebastian, what did you find out about this girl already?!" Ciel demanded from behind his desk.
The tall, thin butler, Sebastian Michaelis, poured his master a cup of Earl Grey then pulled out a stack of papers from the inside pocket of his tail coat, all information he could find on the girl and her Estate.
"Evelyn Eden James, Head of James's interior company. In fact an ancestor in her family originally decorated the your estate during first reconstruction . Two years ago she was adopted by Sir James, The previous Raven to the Queen. During a business trip to France the maid of the Estate was purchased, Delilah Hurst, in order to look after Evelyn when he was away. " He began. Even if those little details didn't matter to Ciel he knew it would come in handy at some point.
"A year after her adoption Sir James disappeared returning from another business trip. Since taking over .the household Lady Evelyn has had many servants but only one currently lives in the Estates with her, that being Miss Delilah. Countless attacks have been planned on her property but only one was successful, that being the abduction of her maid. She was returned the same day return though the damage had been done." He continued ."The maid is will be entering her third month of pregnancy."
"And the captives?" Ciel asked raising an eyebrow.
A wide grin spread across Sebastian porcelain features, "All involved in the abduction of the young maid were found either murdered or are currently located in a mental institution, they say they have seen the face of the 'evil'." He said questionably . Ciel thought to himself for awhile.
"The face of evil," he repeated slowly before speaking out loud, "Sounds like she got her revenge then." Sebastian nodded in agreement , his chin held between his thumb and index finger as he thought.
"Indeed. It is bizarre however."
"What do you mean?"Ciel looked questionably.
"I viewed the men, whatever they have seen was too much for any human to handle, almost if they have seen hell itself." Ciel paused for a moment to think. Sebastian was correct things like this surely was bizarre A girl younger than Ciel in less than a day destroyed her attackers? It wasn't logical.
"Are you saying there is something not human about her?"
"No my lord. I am not saying that at all. I have inspected the grounds of her home. I hear it, the beating heart, the sound of blood coursing through her veins. Her body is not a simple illusion. She indeed is human as is her staff. No sent on the premises suspected me to believe otherwise."
Ciel saw no point in continuing the story of his new partner if it was just rambling. "Did you arrange for the meeting as I said?"Ciel asked.
Sebastian placed his hand over his chest and bowed, " Yes young master tomorrow we leave for the James manor."
Ciel smirked staring at the picture of the girl. "Stop standing around and prepare from our departure then."
"Yes My Lord"