A/N: Thank you to all my readers for the follows and favorites and to all the reviewers for the positive reviews – you all rock! As a big thank you here is the next chapter due to the amazing response I have received!

CHAPTER SEVEN

Two months had passed since Alice had hurt her foot and she was up and at it ironing and folding linens which she had been tasked with washing. To say the least she had almost lead herself to believe that Sebastian had forgotten about her punishment, yet in the end it had just been pending and when he decided to dish it out, she didn't even expect it.

From washing and ironing the linens to polishing all the silver ware and dusting every single surface that demonic man could find, to polishing the wooden surfaces to an inhumane shine. Alice was slowly growing sick of the treatment. As she finished with the last of the crisp white pillow slips Sebastian walked in and smirked. The small female couldn't help but cringe inwardly as she followed him into one of the few bathrooms.

"I want every surface pristine and the floors are to be washed, polished and washed again then dried." He stated as he left closing the door behind him.

"Damn it this is just getting ridiculous." Alice grumbled as she set to work washing out the basins and bath, drying the pristine white surfaces that they looked as though they had never been touched. Next she set to work on the floor, scrubbing it on her hands and knees, drying the surface, applying the polish and working it into the tiles until the surface looked like glass. With clean water she washed off the floor again ridding it of excess polish before drying it back to its mirror like sheens and sitting on her knees sighing while she admired her work.

A good few hours had passed and she was well aware of the sun as it started it decent across the sky, the work load she had been given was nothing short of humane and her muscles all over her body were starting to protest under the excess exertion she had placed them under. She let her gaze drop to her hands and groaned.

The once soft, creamy flesh of her knuckles were aggravated and tender and a vicious red. The once soft pads of her palms and fingertips sporting unsightly, painful blisters, she then understood that the butler was simply making her life hell for his own personal amusement. She grimaced as she stood up slowly, stretching out to try and relieve her aching joints from the constant strain of been in one position and sighed when she lifted the skirt of her dress to find that the skin on her knees matched the skin on her hands.

Been honest with herself, she didn't mind working at all, but the amount she had been given was ridiculous and to make matters worse, Sebastian had made sure she did not see the Undertaker either which only fueled her anger towards the demon.

"He most probably thinks I am avoiding him." she muttered as she turned with her buckets and rags in hand and headed over to the door. Opening it she stumbled backwards slightly when she almost walked into the butler's stomach.

"Whom thinks you are avoiding them my little maid?" he purred before chuckling at her when and annoyed expression flashed across her features.

"It's none of your business." She stated as she pushed past him and made her way to the kitchen only to have her arm grabbed by the butler.

"I didn't say you were done just yet little maid, you might have finished the Master's bathroom but you still have all of the others belonging to the guest rooms and I expect them to be done in the same fashion as we do have guests coming to stay for a while." He smirked before adding. "And make sure you are done by dinner, dressed in a clean uniform and ready to welcome the guests."

Alice growled under her breath and glared at the butler. "If you want them done so badly then go do them yourself, god do you have any fucking idea how long it takes to do one bathroom to your standards?" she snapped at Sebastian which earned her a stern glare.

"I thought we were past the stage where you used such foul language my little one, but it seems I shall just have to add to your punishment. You are to make sure that the guest room in the east wing has fresh linen for the guest and you are to prep thee said room and bathroom to the tastes of the guest before they arrive." He smirked watching as her face slowly flustered with rage.

"No." she stated bluntly.

She watched as Sebastian quirked a brow at her bold statement and chuckled darkly. "No? Oh do you really think you can defy me in your current situation?" he mocked her, amused by her current situation.

"I am a human not some demon who can do shit in the click of a finger, I have been cleaning since before dawn." she snapped.

"And you shall continue till after sunset if you do not watch your tongue." He retorted sharply watching her shoulders sag in defeat.

"Bastard." She muttered as she stomped away angrily to finish up her work.

Alice wiped the thin layer of sweat from her brow, her neat hair hung in damp tatters down her neck and the sides of her face. She had just managed to finish the bathrooms before dinner and prepare the guest room and an extra room in the servant's quarters. Her body was screaming at her for rest but she couldn't give in to its whim as she picked up all her items and tiredly headed to the kitchen before packing everything away.

She still had to see to the fresh flower arrangements and she had but an hour to do so and get ready herself to see to the guests when they finally arrived. Sometime during the afternoon the weather had seemed to have taken a turn for the worst as wind lashed at the sides of the estate and the trees surrounding it. She wasn't really adverse to thunder storms and did little to try and entertain the idea of running out into the bad weather to collect fresh flowers.

Placing the last of her cleaning items away she made her way to the kitchen door and sighed harshly while wiping her hands on her soiled apron only to be knocked off her feet by Finny and Bard who rushed in with large bunches of fresh cut flowers for her.

Lying on the floor amongst some red roses she couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up from deep within her as she allowed the small blonde to help her up. Quickly she moved to pull out vases and soon she had to two men trimming flowers and helping her arrange them. Smiling at their handy work they quickly set off to replace the old vases of flowers with the new ones and sighed in relief when they were back in the kitchen throwing out all the old flowers and washing the vases.

"Thank you so much Finny and you too Bard, you really saved me with the flowers." She sighed after packing away the final vase.

Sebastian entered the kitchen as Alice pulled the two men into a hug and cleared his throat, the strange boiling feeling flaring up as he did. "I see you managed to complete everything I had set out for you, now go clean yourself and get ready to receive the Masters guests I will be here in the kitchen seeing to dinner." Sebastian ordered curtly before setting to work.

Alice grumbled and stormed off to her room where she made quick work of washing herself off then walked to her closet and smirked deviously. Her muscles were killing her and the idea of forcing herself into a corset sounded like hell. In her towel she rushed to Sebastian's room and picked out a pair of his black pants before rushing back to her room.

As the first day she had arrived she slipped on the pants and tucked them into her knee length black boots she had managed to polish. Slipping on a white blouse she settled into an under bust corset made of black leather with thin white ribbon stripes. Leaving the blouse to hang loosely at the bottom, then she pulled out the black coat that Madame Red had got for her, it was a fitted jacket that was long on the back and sides and open in front, something designed for when riding a horse. Leaving the few buttons on top undone she brushed out her long locks and used a simple hair pin to keep the sides swept up and away from her face even though her fringe hung freely to frame her face.

Grinning in triumph she made her way to the front door and waited for the guests when she heard the carriage in the drive. She was well aware that Sebastian would make himself present to take them to his Master and she chuckled when she saw the furious look that crossed his features upon seeing her.

"What do you think you are wearing little maid?" he hissed under his breath as he watched the carriage pull up.

"Awe I thought you would like it Sebastian, I did it to try and match you since I am the only female here and my body it aching far too much to be shoved into a corset." She chimed in a sickeningly sweet voice which masked the devious glint in her eyes.

"You know it is improper." He growled watching her.

"Oh look the Masters guests have arrived." She chirped then left the butler to welcome the guests.

What Alice found shocked her. She was greeted by a tall man with snow white hair, olive skin and eyes the color of slate, yet he was friendly as he bowed down to greet her. "There is no need for such formalities." She chuckled. "I am Alice, the new maid of the Phantomhive estate."

"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, my name is Agni and this is my Master Prince Soma."

She bowed as the Prince smiled at her then turned to Sebastian. "I believe Ceil is expecting me?"

"Yes Prince, please follow me, Miss Alice please show Agni to his quarters and then head to the kitchen, I expect Bard and Finnian to be there too." He ordered as he led the Prince away.

Alice sighed as she irked. "Please follow me." She said tiredly before leading the massive Indian man to where he would be staying then to the kitchen where she seated herself by the table in an unceremonious fashion.

Bard simply chuckled as Agni gave a rather confused glance at the small woman. "What happened to Miss Meyrin?" he asked quietly.

"We aren't too sure but one morning she was gone and in her place Sebastian found her, as you can see she is a handful." Bard turned his attention to Alice and smiled. "Oh, Alice nice outfit by the way how did Sebastian feel about you stealing his pants again?"

She looked up at the blonde man and grinned deviously. "You'll see in five, four, three, two, one." With that the Butler appeared and scowled at Alice as she simply raised a brow at him.

"You are in deep trouble little maid." The butler purred in a sickening tone making sure only she could hear before turning his attention to everyone else in the kitchen.