The light swaying of the Baron's tent had picked up, shaking the fabric in a rhythmic beat similar to a bow being pulled across a violin.
However, as Sebastian and Ciel approached, all trembling left. The make-shift house seemed to relax at their appearance, despite the dark night and nearby swirling shadows.
Sebastian led the expedition, yet a whip stopped his hand from opening the tent.
Francine glared an obvious warning message.
"I'll go in first. He may be resting. And the last thing he needs is someone waking him up."
So she knows of the Baron's stressed state? Ciel glanced upwards, trying to see past the whip and into the quarters of the Baron.
Whether protectiveness or stubbornness drove her, Ciel couldn't be sure. However, Sebastian allowed the woman her request. He backed off with a smile, willing her to point her anger elsewhere. Francine strode into the tent slowly, closing the fabric behind her.
Sebastian and Ciel were left with the young smiling contortionist. Evelyn shrugged at Ciel's glance, almost as if she were brushing off Francine's rude behavior.
A silence passed over the time that Ciel couldn't think of anything to say. He mused to himself alone, adding up the information present and deducting the right course of action to catch his suspect. A light breeze passed over the three of them, chilling their bodies. However, as this breeze died down, Sebastian perked up like a dog catching a scent. His gaze shot towards the entrance of the tent.
"Sebastian?" Not many things could shake the smirk from this arrogant servant's lips, and what did often threw Ciel for a loop. Nonetheless, it didn't seem as though a comical event was taking place. The atmosphere was serious.
The demon whipped his body towards the tent. His eyes narrowed as his hand extended to nearly rip the fabric open.
From this reveal, Ciel could see exactly what had alerted Sebastian. The boy's teeth clenched. His brows furrowed into an angry expression.
Seated at her usual spot on the Baron's desk was the moonlit beauty, a lion-tamer unafraid of the largest teeth. She sat, legs crossed and black panty-hose seeming to burn at the lamp-light. Her long blonde hair lie unmoving, seeming more straight than ever. However, this was not what upset Ciel and drove Sebastian's quick steps towards the woman. To be quite honest, it was what was nestled in her pale hands.
Papers were held to the fire of a lamp, taking the seductive glow of the flame and erasing the words. The papers were soon engulfed, dropping to the ground in a pile of ashes before Sebastian was even half-way across the room. The butler stood over them, staring in silent anger and unsaid words. His maroon eyes burned as bright as the left-over embers.
"Franny, what did you-"
"Doesn't matter now." Francine hopped off of the desk, placing her hands to her hips. She showed no grand smile of triumph, only a solemn stare with thin lips. She directed her stare to behind the desk. Her blue eyes drooped.
"No... It... Doesn't matter at all." She concluded, taking a step past Sebastian. At least, she had meant to do so. A white gloved hand caught her arm, stopping her stride. She glared to the servant.
"Let go of me!"
"I'm afraid I can't allow that, miss." He squeezed her arm, smile regained in her wince. All the demon's frustrations seemed to focus on the flesh turning a white color.
"However, I may be so inclined to do so if you tell me what was contained in those documents you just burned." His deep vibrato chuckle froze her icy eyes, cementing her in the position several inches from him. Francine simply stared up, anger manifested in unsaid words.
Ciel strode past the two of them, accompanied by the worried Evelyn. She gave a passing glance to her fellow worker, but judging by the expression on Francine's face, and the butler's challenging smirk, she decided it best to keep up with the Earl.
They approached the desk, though the image held secret by the wood was swept away from the contortionist by the boy in front of her. Ciel stopped cold upon seeing the scene, spreading his body out, and walking backwards to hide the image from Evelyn.
"It matters little, Sebastian." Ciel spoke, loosening the grip the demon held on the lion tamer. He looked backwards, a small smile to his face.
"The dim miss would have most likely burnt those papers out her own frostbite than by destroying evidence. I'll repeat, it matters little. Let her go." He repeated, chuckling only a little bit in his insult.
Francine tore her hand away from the butler, glaring to both, but not knowing whom deserved it more. She elected to leave, quite finished with dealing with the bratty Earl.
"Miss Francine, if you don't mind..." Ciel called her attention one last time, motioning towards the girl he still blocked vision from. She seemed stuck on seeing the attraction behind the desk, but Ciel held his position.
"Would you please take Miss Evelyn with you? I'm rather sure you both could put on an act to extend the circus just a bit longer..?"
Begrudgingly, Francine took a hold on the contortionist. Unlike other exchanges though, she looked to the Earl with curiosity.
"Have you figured it out, then? The entire thing?" A glint of hope was in her eye, and for a first time, the Earl felt in control of the situation.
"Perhaps. However, it's far to early to say. It would be best to figure every detail before stating to know the whole."
With this notion, the contortionist was taken away from the tent by the lion tamer. Yet again, the boy was left with only his servant. His smile left him as he strode a few steps back to the desk he had fled. His blue eyes trailed down, unimpressed.
"What a fool. If he truly wished to pay for his crimes, he should have confessed before... This." Ciel sighed in annoyance. He was joined by a like-minded servant, whom only offered a smirk.
Lying motionless in a pool of his own blood was the Baron Bampton. His head was pointed downwards, and most likely contorted to a shameless expression that would turn Ciel's stomach in disgust. Never before had he seen a beautiful death, and he didn't expect to find one in this man of all people.
Sebastian placed his hands on his hips.
"If only we had gotten here before that delightful lion tamer. Perhaps his true profession was hidden in those papers." His glance towards the ashes did not lessen his twisted lips.
Ciel looked upwards, glaring.
"You know as well as I do what was contained in those papers. You saw them before she set them aflame, didn't you?" Ciel bent down to the Baron, examining the many stabs into the man's back. His eyes flitted towards the chair. Upon closer examination, he could identify several marks that had been cut into the back.
"But of course. They were useless dribble. Though..." Sebastian's red glance behind him sent a small chuckle to his throat.
"Skimming through those fiery letters of passion between the Baron and the lion tamer was nearly enough to turn myself into a bonfire. Who knew a lady of arrogant expressions and a flaming demeanor was capable of such a sweet written letter from the heart. Why do you suppose she wanted to rid the evidence?" He still seemed to be stuck on the affair.
Ciel straightened himself out, ignoring the words. His pupils focused back to the body.
A similar style to William Pandora. The murderer, judging by the sheer number of wounds, held great contempt for the Baron. Bampton probably accepted the punishment without a fight, judging by how clean and contained the scene is. Nothing's moved on the desk, and everything is exactly where it's supposed to be, minus the slightly stirred chair. That's right; the chair.
Ciel ran several light fingers over the marks on the chair. Red stained his fingers, though he only winced at the thought of an annoying stain.
The murderer probably entered from the front, knowing that the Baron was resigned to his fate. Perhaps he had listened to our conversation.
Ciel glanced to the entrance of the tent, then again to the chair.
He jammed the blade several times through the Baron, making marks on the back on the chair. When Bampton slumped to the ground, he continued with even more slashes and stabs into the back.
"Perhaps the murderer is sated now. The Baron didn't mention of any other associates. We haven't much time if that's the case."
"Then perhaps we should be going." Ciel seemed to finish up at the scene, as he exited promptly, leaving the butler alone in the tent. He looked to the floor, spotting only the fading embers. A smirk came across his face as he bent downwards.
Sebastian gathered up the ashes from the ground, carefully clamping the entirety in his hands. He squeezed the black soot, opening up his hands to reveal white paper just as Ciel had seen it in Francine's hands. With careful fingers, the butler unraveled the wrinkled mess. He gazed down to the words in interest.
My Baron,
I always yearn for you, my dear. Never have I known a love quite as fiery and as passionate as the one we possess. You've told me of your ways, and I choose to ignore them. Make me one of the many mistresses you have, and I will continue to love you as I do now. There is no changing the great fire in my heart, or the beast that cries out for you, and only you. My Baron, let me lie as your secret, but let me stay by your side, for it is the only one I desire.
With the Love of a Thousand Lions,
Francine Germane Alexandria Pothos