ACT I

Chapter 1: Family Matters

TWO MONTHS EARLIER…

The late Victorian Era was a time of great change throughout all of Europe. This was also true for two newlyweds who, against all odds, had been married at the chapel just outside their small town. The Everglot family had only permitted the wedding to proceed as they were deeply in debt, and desperate to marry off their daughter to the son of wealthy William and Nell Van Dort, nouveau riche fish merchants.

Despite their critical financial situation, Lord Finis and Madame Maudeline Everglot held reservations about their daughter's husband-to-be. Especially after the rumours that the misled young man had accidentally proposed to a "corpse bride" while practicing his wedding vows in the forest outside the town. The events that followed still seemed surreal, particularly when "the dead walked the earth" – when ghouls and skeletons appeared all over town. However, instead of wreaking havoc, the dead had joyously reunited with their still-living loved ones for a bizarre night.

To this day, no one knew why the dead had risen that evening. The esteemed Pastor Gallswells claimed it was a sign of a coming apocalypse, and urged everyone to atone for their sins. Attendance at church had doubled since the incident.

However, despite everything that had happened that night, the Van Dorts and the Everglots had made their way to the chapel to find their respective son and daughter in each other's arms, looking on as hundreds of butterflies scattered away into the night. The two professed their love for each other, before numerous witnesses.

And so, against all odds, Victor Van Dort and Victoria Everglot became man and wife. Victor's parents enjoyed their raised social status, and Victoria's parents were spared from being cast penniless into the streets.

The two young lovers enjoyed a happy year of marriage together. Victor taught Victoria to play the piano, and she shared her love of poetry with him. They lived in a small house on the edge of town that was decidedly less lavish than either of their parents' homes, not that either of them minded.

However, like the nature of the Victorian Era, their lives were about to undergo extreme change. It began when they extended an invitation to both of their parents to attend their home for dinner.

Victoria was presently pacing up and down in the dining room, wringing her hands nervously. "Oh dear… What if my parents do not take the news well?"

"It will be okay, Victoria. I promise."

The petite young woman brushed a stray lock of pale brown hair behind her ear and looked across the room at her husband, who was setting out the dining table. He looked up and cast her a shy smile. Behind his brave façade, however, she could tell that he was just as nervous as her.

"But this is big news," she said. "Huge news!"

"And we should be excited to tell it," Victor insisted.

He crossed the room and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop pacing and smile up at him. She reached out and straightened up his tie, while he brushed a hand against her hair.

"You always have it done up in a bun," he commented softly. "Perhaps… you should try letting it down sometime…?" He immediately felt extreme guilt for suggesting it. It was just how… she had always had her hair…

"Victor?" Victoria said, seeing his expression. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, oh yes," he stammered. "Just… thinking about the past, that's all."

"Well, perhaps we should start looking to the future?" she said softly. "Everything is about to change."

He gave a nervous chuckle to that as he went to the kitchen to remove a roasted chicken from the oven.

"That gas oven is a God-send," Victoria said lightly. "It even has temperature control!"

Her husband chuckled – the wonders of the era never ceased to amaze them. A loud knock on the front door caused him to jump with a startled yelp, just about dropping the entire chicken on the floor. "Would you get that, dear?"

He finished setting the table up for dinner just as all four parents bustled into the room. Nell Van Dort was fanning her plump face, chatting loudly as usual to no one in particular and clinging to her wiry husband's arm. William Van Dort lowered his tiny spectacles and winked at Victor.

"Good evening son."

"Father, Mother," he acknowledged. He gave a small and courteous bow to the other guests – an extremely short and rotund man with a perpetual grimace etched on his face, and a tall and ghoulish woman with an even ghastlier hairdo. "Lord and L-Lady Everglot," he managed to stammer out.

The hateful aristocrats responded with the slightest of nods.

His mother immediately attacked him, as she did every time she visited. "Victor! What are you doing still setting the table yourself? Why have you not yet hired servants?"

"Victoria and I do not f-feel the need to hire help w-with only the two of us living here – "

"That's not the point!" the plump woman pouted. "I deserve better than to be served by my own family like a commoner!"

"You may do as you wish in your own house Mother, but this is the home of Victoria and I," he replied, with all the courage he could muster.

A surprised silence fell over the room at his retaliation – it was hardly considered proper behaviour for one to answer back to their parents. Victor himself was a little shocked – but also pleased with himself. It felt exhilarating to speak his mind.

"…Would anyone care for some tea?" Victoria spoke up, breaking the silence and ushering their guests into the small and cramped sitting room.

The first part of the visit passed without major incident. Victor chatted amiably with his father about the fishing business, while his mother threw only minor insults his way, pertaining to the horrible colour of the drapes, the outdated décor of the house, and so on. He sighed and nodded, having heard it all before.

Victoria's relationship with her parents had improved slightly, now that she was no longer living in the same house as them. Amidst the din of conversation, Victor could have sworn that he saw Maudeline crack a smile.

When they adjourned to the dining room for dinner, the two newlyweds took their places at their respective heads of the table and shot each other nervous looks. It was time.

"Mother, Father," Victoria began, "Mr and Mrs Van Dort. Victor and I have some… wonderful news to share with you." When four sets of eyes turned to her, she lost her nerve and looked to him for help.

"Er, well, yes, quite," he spluttered, tugging at his collar nervously under four critical stares. "You see… Victoria and I, we're very, extremely, to tell you – sorry, happy, I m-meant – that we are expecting a child… and, w-well, that's it, really."

"What Victor meant to say," she cut in, shooting him a look, "is that we are both very happy to tell you that we are expecting a child." She finished her news with happiness and pride, but wilted in the overpowering silence that followed. "…Aren't we, darling?"

"Oh, y-yes, quite," he said.

"Well, that's fantastic!" Nell exclaimed. "It's about time, too! Gosh, you two have been married for, what, two years now?"

"One actually, Mother."

"Oh, who cares – I'm going to be a grandmother!"

"Congratulations to you both," William chimed in, a smile breaking out beneath his curled and bushy moustache. Clearly the prospect of becoming a grandfather appealed to him highly.

The bubbly reception of the news by Victor's parents was in stark contrast to that of the Everglot in-laws. Finis continued to eat his dinner indifferently, while Maudeline shot her daughter a sharp look.

"Well, don't just sit there!" she barked. "How far along are you?"

"A-About two months," Victoria replied, looking rather taken aback.

"And it took you this long to inform us?"

"With all due respect, milady," Victor cut in, "we only just learned of this news yesterday." His mother-in-law redirected her steely gaze at him, and he inadvertently shrank back in his seat. After all, it was highly improper to interrupt a conversation. And, if he was being completely honest with himself, the tall and intimidating woman still scared him.

"Regardless, you should have notified us immediately," she sniffed haughtily. She turned back to Victoria. "Will you require hired help around the house? Considering you will soon be in no condition to do anything."

"N-No, we are quite alright at the moment, thank you for asking," the younger woman replied, shooting Victor a surprised look. They were both thinking the same thing – although the tone of Maudeline's voice heavily implied that the answer to her question should be 'No', the point was that she had actually shown concern.

"Congratulate them, Finis," she ordered her husband.

The rotund man cleared his throat awkwardly, clearly not at ease with the discussion. "Yes… Yes, congratulations, I suppose."

"Well, it's a relief to know that I will be getting some heirs out of this whole affair," Nell said. "Honestly, Victor, I was beginning to wonder if something was broken with you!"

"Mother!" he exclaimed, aghast. Victoria and Maudeline gaped, William cleared his throat uncomfortably, and Finis continued to eat indifferently.

Meanwhile, in the darkening twilight, the Town Crier made his way to the town square for an emergency announcement. The large, bulbous man began to pace the cobblestoned streets, ringing his handbell in a shrill monotone. Slivers of light appeared in a number of windows as drapes were parted for people to peer through.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" the bellman bellowed. "The Black Death re-emerges! Bubonic outbreaks reported in nearby villages! The Black Death re-emerges! Make your peace with this mortal coil, and be all your sins remember'd!"