CHAPTER TWO – THE MAN WITH THE CHESIRE CAT GRIN

She woke up squinting around her. Gently rubbing the sleep from her eyes she sat up feeling her blood freeze when she realized what she was sleeping in. hastily she jumped out staring in disbelief, all she remembered was falling asleep on the strange mans lap by his fire place. She blushed at the idea of him carrying her and placing her in a coffin to sleep. She glanced over glanced over at the clock watching as its pendulum swung rhythmically from side to side then clearly took note of the time. It barely even five in the morning as she walked around to the front of the shop. "It seems you're up bright and early my dear." The man chuckled as he worked diligently on her father's body. She felt a pang of hurt deep down when she looked at his lifeless form but it was true what the man had said the night before, his murder was gory yet under the skilful hand of the Undertaker he seemed like new with some optional extra's.

She was quite shocked to notice that even when seated the man was taller than her as he rose to greet her, his toothy smile plastered on his face. "I suggest you start planning a funeral for him my dear." She looked up at him and nodded. "Will you assist me?" "I'd be absolutely delighted to assist you my dear." Grinned the man as he went to make some tea for the two of them. In his kitchen the Undertaker started formulating plans to keep the young girl around, he thoroughly enjoyed the girls company and he too got lonely only been surrounded by the dead when he looked at the invitation he had received a week before to a masquerade ball which was to be held at Phantomhive estate, gently tapping it with a long finger nail he grinned to himself when he heard her quietly enter his small kitchen. "My dear I would like to ask you a question, I do not want to seem hasty but I do enjoy your company last week I received an invitation to a ball which is to be held by master Phantomhive on his grand estate and I was wondering if you would be so kind as to attend the ball with me?" he asked with his toothy smile.

She looked up at the man and smiled a small smile. "I'd like that very much, to attend the ball with you." She replied watching as the man's grin grew even wider. She watched as he walked over to her and bowed offering his hand, confused she gracefully took it when he pulled her close placing his other hand on the small of her back. "Well now we shall have to see if your any good at dancing Miss Chief Detective." He whispered in her ear as he started twirling her around the shop. She smiled widely. "Been a Lady of the Holmes estate one is expected to be as light as a feather on their feet." She looked up at the man."A Lady you say?" "Yes I was knighted for my achievement of becoming chief detective and having my own business going. I ventured off in the footsteps of my great grandfather and expanded my horizons." She said softly as all the memories came flooding back to her.

She didn't know what it was about the man that held her in his arms as they slowly twirled around his funeral parlor. He was always so cheerful in the worst of situations, she felt so comfortable around him. She felt like she didn't have to put up any walls around her. The chiming of his clock snapped her out of her thoughts and ended their dance as she realized she had to go back to the office and break the news to Adam about the body. She looked at the dress she wore and then up at the Undertaker ever so apologetically, he gave her a toothy grin. "Keep it on my dear you look simply breath taking in it, your coat is dry and on the coat rack by the door, shall I see you later?" she smiled and nodded giving him a quick kiss on his cold cheek as she ran out grabbing her coat and throwing it on as she ran to her office. When she arrived she walked straight into her office to be greeted by Adam. He looked all disheveled and tired. All the signs that he had been up all night again in the office instead of going back to the estate and getting some rest, he looked up at her smiling sleepily holding a stack of papers in one of his hands. "So Cassy how did the viewing of the body go, was it a match or another dead end?" he frowned when he noticed a pained expression cross her delicate features. "It wasn't a match Adam, but it has definitely opened a new case I am personally taking on." "Who was it Cassy, I know that look in your eye, this has personal written all over it. I contacted the estate to see if you made it home safely last night, they said you never came home, I was worried sick about you." The large man stood right before her his hands trembling as they held her shoulders.

She took a step back and looked up at Adam. "Well as you can see I am quite okay, I ended up spending the night at the funeral parlor, the weather was simply to dreadful and there was not a carriage in sight, the stream near the estate flooded over so my driver could not fetch me himself." "You spent the night where?" he questioned her, appalled by what he was hearing. "You know I do not repeat myself Adam." She sighed as she pried her shoulders free from the man's tightening grasp. "The body was that of my father." She stated bluntly watching as Adams features dropped suddenly. "And you better get used to the idea of me spending more time around the Undertaker; he is helping me with my father's funeral." Adam stared at her in disbelief.

To Adam the day had passed to quickly as Cassidy gave him strict instructions to return to the estate and get some rest, when he inquired about where she was heading he wasn't too thrilled about the answer he received. "Seriously Cassy, you're a Lady you shouldn't be in the company of that man, you are a role model, what will the towns folk think? It will become a scandal if it were to get out that you are in the company of the Undertaker." She glared coldly at Adam, something she had never done before reaching out a fragile looking hand she slapped him. With that he knew he had crossed a line somewhere. She didn't say a word more as she stormed off towards the funeral parlor in the light evening rain.

When she arrived she was yet again greeted by the smell of death and the pale light of candles as she was greeted by his smile. He giggled when she stared at the coffin he had started preparing for her father. His giggle was an eerie sound she was yet to get used to. It gave her chills every time. As the clock struck midnight she smiled at the man and bid him farewell as she mounted her horse she had brought into town for her, the undertaker himself stood watching as her small figure vanished into the dark alley. When she arrived at her estate she was greeted coldly by her ladies maid who looked deeply upset. "Madam we have a minor problem with master Adam." She spoke in a low voice. As she tried to enter her home her ladies maid tried to block her from entering. "Madam I don't think it wise if you remain on the premises with the current state master Adam is in, you would be much safer else were." "Don't be silly Eliza it is the middle of the night, I just rode all the way home from town, let me enter at once." As she tried to move Eliza she noticed bruising on the woman's arms and neck. "Eliza who on earth did this to you?" before she could answer a drunken voice cut through the tension filled silence.

"So you decided to return home to me." Adam slurred as he lunged himself towards Cassy. Eliza stood in the way blocking him when he grabbed her and flung her roughly out of the way. "Worthless woman." Adam hissed as he turned his attention to Cassy. "Don't you dare lay a finger on me." She hissed at him turning and walking to the staircase where Eliza sat up. After seen to her ladies maid she locked herself in her chamber. That morning she stood up before the crack of dawn and prepared herself for the long day ahead of her with the funeral plans. The funeral loomed closer and so did the ball she was to attend with the mysterious man. She found that the closer her relationship got with the Undertaker, the worse her relationship with Adam got even though theirs was strictly professional.

The funeral had passed and was a success. The Undertaker did everything so beautifully it was like a living work of art from the start till the end. The days lingered after as now the ball they were to attend loomed closer. Deciding she needed a dress to wear and a mask, Cassy set off to town while Adam busily sorted out the archives back at the office. It was an unusual day as she walked slowly down the street, the sun was out and the air smelt of freshly fallen raindrops. She smiled to herself wondering what the Undertaker would be doing. She had noticed though that the wealthy circles had started talking about her been in the man's company she was slightly shocked at the scandal it had caused but shook it off as she was only a human. After finding everything she had needed she returned back to her offices to find a bunch of red roses in her office with a note in them. Adam looked at her like a dog that had been kicked. That man was here, that man with the chesire cat grin you hold so dear. He dropped these off personally off you." He said bitterly as he walked back into the archive.