Heritage

vi. wild card

Let nothing come between us, was it? thought Ciel. He said what he had to save Elizabeth's face, and to throw Leopold off footing. Never mind that he did not have a plan behind his words. The man would draw his own conclusions, leaving Ciel more time to come up with something.

"It's such a pleasant day, Ciel," said Elizabeth. "Why don't we have a picnic later?"

"Hm?" Ciel looked up. "Ah, yes, of course."

"You're not listening, are you," Elizabeth shook her head. "Well, it's alright, you must be quite deep in thought. I hope I'm not keeping you from your work." She picked a flower and twisted it in her fingers. "Um…I'm not, am I?"

"Don't worry about me," said Ciel. When she did not smile, he squeezed her hand. "I don't want to trouble you with my work. Not when you have a wedding to worry about."

Elizabeth pursed her lips in a strange sort of smile and led him to the lakeside, where they sat on a bench facing the sun. Discomfited by her quiet, Ciel began combing his mind for things girls liked to talk about, but found his thoughts drifting towards Astor Durless and the complications of the night before.

Stop thinking about it, he scolded himself, and tried to conjure all he knew about the French variations of lace.

"About the wedding," said Elizabeth. "About what you said earlier...do you really not mind it? Being so sudden, I mean? It was—it was Father's suggestion, you know." She bit her lip. "When I first heard it, I was so taken aback that I agreed right away. And I…I didn't really take your feelings on the matter into account, did I?"

"Lizzie," said Ciel. The confession set off a guilt that wrenched his stomach and guided a gentle hand to her cheek. "It's all right. I'm not angry with you."

"You're not?"

"No," he closed his eyes. "I can never manage to stay angry with you, and you know it. I'm just—intrigued by the Lord's decision, I suppose."

"Oh. I see." She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. "I'm happy you aren't angry, Ciel. It means very much to me."

At that, Ciel nodded, and tried not to fidget as he segued into the real purpose behind his visit. "It does to me, too," he said. "That's why I am merely curious why your father made such a choice."

"He hasn't mentioned why, really," frowned Elizabeth, "but knowing my father, it must have something to do with his business. Whatever that might be."

"Ah." Ciel raised his brows. So Elizabeth could think that way. Perhaps…yes, perhaps it would be worth asking, if he phrased it well. He let a companionable silence wash over the topic before piping up once more.

"Elizabeth," he said, "have you, by any chance, heard from a cousin, the Duke of Durless? I...hear it is his birthday soon."

"Duke…Durless?" Elizabeth furrowed her brows. "Have I such a cousin?"

"You've never heard from him?"

"I don't think so," said Elizabeth. "I don't think I've met such a person at any of the parties I've been to, either. At any rate," she paused, "…I didn't know we were relatives with the Durlesses—I mean, you are, but I'm not…not immediately, at least. If I am, no one has told me about it."

"Really?" This came a surprise. "Your father's never mentioned it?"

"He hasn't."

"Hm." So even the upright Middlefords had skeletons in their closets. And by the looks of things, they hid them quite well.

This certainly puts a whole new twist on things, thought Ciel. They must have had a reason for keeping it secret. I must uncover it.

"Your father had an older sister, did he not?" Ciel looked over the water. The genealogy, if anything, would hold some clues.

"Did he?" blinked Elizabeth. "I've never heard anything like it!"

"…You haven't?"

"No! If it is true, they mustn't be on terribly good terms. But I don't remember seeing such person on the family tree, either, and you know how meticulous Father is about things like that. Perhaps she was disowned?" Elizabeth scrunched her face. "For not marrying well?"

Meanwhile, Ciel was busy processing the significance of one piece of information: that Phillipa Middleford was not on the genealogy. Whatever the reason behind her exclusion, a man like the Marquess would not have bothered maintaining good terms with her while she was alive. By extrapolation, he could take it to mean that Astor Durless and the Marquess were not on good terms, either.

And even the Marquess was not foolish enough to maneuver himself right between two unfriendly parties.

If he dared to…no, he was certain. The supposed conflict between the wedding date and his decision to expand Funtom was pure coincidence, and not some product of the Marquess's foresight. The Marquess's scheme had never taken a possible plan to increase his exports into account. He almost snorted. It was nice to have his belief in the mediocrity of the man's intelligence reaffirmed.

And because they are not on good terms, thought Ciel, we are on even ground.

No.

I have the upper hand. He knows nothing of my plans.

And if I play my cards right, I can trap him in his own little web.

"Actually," he interrupted Elizabeth's speculations, which were growing wilder by the second, "your aunt did marry well…she married one of the Durlesses. A bit farther related from Aunt Angelina and my mother, but a Durless all the same. She had a son, Astor, who is two years older than us, I think. He inherited the title."

Elizabeth raised her brows. "If that is true," she said slowly, "then it seems strange I haven't heard of him. I wonder why I haven't. This cousin of ours mustn't be very active in the social scene."

"No, I don't suppose he is," nodded Ciel. "It's such a shame. I'd like to get to know him better, myself…he is the last surviving Durless, after all. He's the last connection I have to my mother." Then, lowering his eyes in a way he knew would evoke pity, Ciel propped his face against a hand, and heaved his shoulders.

"Oh, Ciel," said Elizabeth, placing a gentle hand over his own. "I'd like to get to know him better, too. I can't believe such a thing was hidden from me! I, the keeper of England's gossips!" She cried indignantly, and then flushed when she realized what she had confessed to. "Uh…never mind that. In any case," she hastened, "I am planning one last party before we announce the wedding date to the public. Why don't we invite him?"

Aha! thought Ciel. "That would be perfect," he said, and plastered on a soppy smile. "It would mean very much to me, Lizzie."

"All right, then," smiled Elizabeth. Then she paused. "But…we are not acquainted. And if my family and his are indeed on bad terms, then inviting him would seem a bit…out of the blue, wouldn't it?"

"Let me take care of that." Gripping his cane, Ciel pushed himself off the bench, and stretched. "I will send him a letter explaining everything. I trust you can take care of the invitation right away?"

"Of course!" beamed Elizabeth. Standing, she patted down her dress, and tugged him onto the path back to the manor.

All right, thought Ciel, as he ambled down the gravel. In order to maintain the upper hand, I must control how Astor Durless perceives Leopold Middleford…I must make the fool look like someone no businessman worth his salt would ever think of working with.

I must make the better offer.

In any case, he thought, ignoring the tug on his elbow, I must first ascertain the Duke's attitude toward the both of us. I can do that if he attends the party. And he should attend, if I state my intentions clearly enough.

"Ciel," Elizabeth shook his arm, "there's a tree in front of you."

Blinking, he looked up, and found himself face to face with bark. "Sorry," he said. "I was lost in thought."

"I could see that," Elizabeth stifled a laugh. "Come on, the manor's that way."

"Of course."

Anyway, Ciel continued, disgruntled, where was I…ah, yes. I will state my intentions. If he is the astute businessman the files claimed him to be, then he won't turn me down. I'll make him an offer he can't refuse.

Then again, this all depends on what kind of person he is. That single element can change everything.

But I'm willing to take the risk.

Crossing the threshold after Elizabeth, he let his lips curl. Perhaps this wedding would work to his advantage after all.

A/N: I was planning on writing a second half for this chapter, but decided to have two separate chapters instead. I think it works better that way.

Stay tuned and leave a comment!

Edit: Okay I corrected this really weird sentence error in this chapter. FFnet ate up two words, which created a really confusing run on sentence. I hate you FFnet.