Part #3
Her Butler, Most Extraordinary
*8 months later*
Scarlett awoke to the sound of the heavy velvet curtains of her room being pulled back and the morning sunlight filtering through.
She yawned and sat up in her bed.
"Good morning, Claude," Scarlett said.
"Good morning, my lady." He responded. "I shall send Anna up to assist you." He said with a bow.
"Thank you," she said, her brown eyes meeting his yellow-gold ones for a brief moment before the butler left the room.
True to his word, Anna-Scarlett's maid-soon came in.
Scarlett pitied the woman. Anna knew nothing of the household she worked at. She didn't have a clue about it's dark secrets-nor did she even suspect a thing.
But Scarlett didn't have the heart to let her go. The woman had three young mouths to feed back home and Scarlett knew she needed every penny she could get.
"What would you like to wear today, my lady?" Anna asked.
Scarlett though for a moment before saying, "The navy blue dress."
Anna nodded and went to get the dress.
Crawling out of her bed, Scarlett sat down in front of her vanity and began to brush out her long, brown tresses. They were always in such disarray in the mornings. As the brush lightly touched the spot behind her ear-the spot where her contract seal lay-she sighed. The seal was proof that she had sold her soul to a monster-exactly what William T. Spears had predicted.
Scarlett frowned. Will had not crossed her mind in many months. Why did he have to now?
She tried to put all thoughts of him aside, but his face refused to leave her mind.
Mentally scolding herself, Scarlett turned her attention to Anna, who now had her clothing laid out.
Scarlett stood and allowed the woman to dress her. Once she was ready, Scarlett thanked her and informed her that she would have her hair pinned after breakfast.
"Yes, my lady." Anna curtsied.
Scarlett left her room and headed for the stair.
The estate she lived at had once belonged to a young man-Claude's former master, to be exact-and had currently been redone in blues and purples with touches of gold and dark red.
As she descended the staircase, she thought about what she knew about Alois Trancy-which was hardly anything. All Claude had told her had barely been enough to scratch the surface for, when she had asked, it had been obvious that it was not something her butler enjoyed speaking of and she got the feeling that he was leaving something out. But she had let the matter drop.
When Scarlett walked into the dining room, Claude was waiting.
"What's for breakfast?" she asked as the aroma of the meal wafted past her nose.
"Today's breakfast consists of 2 hard-boiled eggs, toast, a piece of sausage, and a glass of milk." The ever-stoic butler informed her.
She smiled. "That sounds wonderful, thank you."
He pulled out her chair for her, and, thanking him again, she took her seat.
As she ate, Claude went over her agenda for the day. "Today is more of a calmer day, my lady. Preparations for your birthday are underway and Madame Feennette should be finished with your dress by now and so after breakfast we will see to it that it is acquired before tomorrow. Your singing lessons are after lunch, but, other than that, your day is empty, my lady."
"Have all the invitations been sent out yet?" Scarlett inquired.
"Yes, my lady."
"Thank you."
Anna walked in. "Forgive me for intruding, my lady, but there is someone at the door."
Scarlett looked at Claude with curiosity and confusion. "I wonder who it could be."
"I shall go." Her butler left to answer the door.
"Anna, did you happen to see who it might be?" Scarlett asked.
"No. I'm sorry, my lady."
"It's alright, I'm just curious. That's all." Scarlett said before returning to her breakfast. "Oh, how are your children?"
Anna's eyes seemed to light up. "They're wonderful, my lady. Thank you for asking."
Scarlett just smiled.
Claude returned at that moment. "My lady, there's a Mister Crevan here to see you."
The Undertaker? Scarlett thought. Why is he here?
Scarlett stood, breakfast forgotten and hurried to meet her guest.
The Undertaker was standing in the parlor, inspecting a vase of roses that was resting on an end table.
"Adrian?" Scarlett said, having always preferred using his real name.
The silver-haired man turned and smiled at her. "Hello, my dear, how are you? Surprised to see me, I'm sure."
"Well, yes, but why are you here?"
"Just to give you something. Since you disappeared three and a half years ago, someone's been all up in arms with worrying about you. That butler wouldn't happen to be yours now, would he?"
Scarlett felt the ice dance through her veins.
"What do you want, Adrian?" She demanded, her voice cold.
"I only came to give you something, my dear." The Undertaker said, pulling out a little navy blue box wrapped with a purple ribbon. He held it out to her. "He hasn't stopped loving you."
Scarlett felt unwelcome tears spring to her eyes. "Why are you here? To break my heart? I don't care if he's begging for me to come back! I can't go back! I can't, Adrian!" She yelled in frustrated pain.
"I believe you should leave now, Mr. Crevan." Claude said, appearing at Scarlett's side.
"I'll just leave this here, then." The Undertaker set the box down by the rose vase before leaving.
Claude turned to the young woman who was now crying openly.
Anna came in and, upon seeing Scarlett in tears, rushed to her side.
"My lady, what has happened? Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.
The woman tried to cease crying but went right back to square one when thoughts of him sprung to her mind.
"Anna, please take the lady to her room," Claude said.
The woman nodded and ushered Scarlett out of the room.
Once they were gone, Claude's eyes fell upon the box.
"I have a few errands to run."
A/N: Duh Duh Duh! I still got some more surprises up my sleeves, guys!