CHAPTER TEN

Things had changed drastically since Alice had been staying by Madame Red and somehow the small beauty had led herself believe that Sebastian had finally accepted what she had told him many moons prior. She sat silently beside Madame Red with a book in her lap and a content smile on her lips. Been hard working she had taken up tending to the garden on the estate as a hobby and she was glad that her hands had healed.

It had been over a year since she had first arrived and the gossip had slowly eased to a halt about her which left Alice with a deep feeling of content. She didn't know when Ciel would want her to return and the longer she was left with Madame Red the happier she was. As her life had progressed so had her relationship with the town's oddest man, the Undertaker and it had been rumored in the deep social circles that they were to be married soon, though Alice knew all of it was just pitiful assumptions formulated by the weak human mind, she left the offenders to dwell in their idiocy.

"Madame Red who is to be expected today?" her soft voice chimed in the silent study.

"I do believe my nephew Ciel has asked for an audience today, but I do not mind, I love him like my own son." She smiled brightly petting Alice's silky hair adoringly. Alice had only grown fonder of the red haired woman, Madame Red had taken the time to share her tragic past with Alice and it had shocked the young woman, though her own life she had left behind was much better.

"I see… how am I supposed to address him Madame Red?" the worry laced in her words made the woman chuckle.

"Well after our audience we shall know for good my dear." She smiled watching as Alice's eyes widened in shock at the simple statement.

"Do you intend to ask him if I can stay more permanently?" her voice conveyed the shock her eyes held.

"It is worth a try." She smiled. "The original reason for you coming here was to help you learn to fit in better so the rumors would die down because they were nothing more than a hindrance to my darling nephew. He knew I would not make you work here which I thought was much better if you could focus souly on learning appropriate mannerisms."

Alice nodded with a small smile on her face.

"Anyway I would like to get to know you better Alice, you never really talk much about your previous life. You just took the treatment you received and went about each day here without much expression on that pretty little face of yours." She smiled warmly at the girl when Grell half broke the door to the study down gaining both women's attention.

"My Sebby-chan and his Master are on their way!" he chimed in a high pitch sing song voice.

Both Madame Red and Alice sweat dropped when a carriage was heard in the drive. Standing up Madame Red motioned for Alice to follow her with her butler or whatever he was following them.

"I shall speak with my nephew alone, Alice will you please see to Sebastian." She asked as she opened the door.

"Y-yes I will Madame Red." Alice felt the color drain from her face but forced on a smile none the less as she watched Sebastian help his master from the carriage.

Alice stood frozen on the spot as she watched Madame Red drag Ciel away to her study. Under the heavy gaze of the butler she couldn't move a single muscle as he approached her ignoring Grell's girly protests.

"Hmm it has been a while since I have seen you my little maid, I must say you clean up splendidly when not forced to work those delicate little hands to the bone." Sebastian purred as he eyed her carefully.

She had changed a little since he had last seen her. She filled her dresses out properly and her pale skin was glowing and healthy. Her cheeks held their own delicate pink tint and her hair had grown much longer. He allowed his eyes to wonder over her form noticing the fuller swell of her breasts which peaked over the low cut neck of her deep burgundy dress she wore.

"Why so silent my little maid has the cat got your tongue or has your time here made you nothing more than a meek little lamb?" he smirked leaning down so he could be eye level with her.

It was when she felt the smooth fabric of his glove cupping her cheek that she snapped out of her stupor and swatted his hand away flinching backwards, her features quickly contorting into a familiar scowl. "I am not yours and I suggest you refrain from touching me or you will lose your hand." She growled turning and walking away from the butler.

Sebastian couldn't stop his chuckle as it bubbled up darkly watching as it dragged her attention back to him. "So not even time with Madame Red could tame you it would seem I still have my work set out for me."

"Actually my time here on the estate has helped me a lot, but do not think it applies when it comes to the likes of you." Her words were laced with a venom that know woman he knew had ever possessed, which only drove the demon to want her even more. "Now I suggest you follow me, I was told to see to you while Madame Red speaks with the young Earl." She turned around and walked away from the butler.

When she finally stopped Sebastian took note of the small green house and smirked sitting at the small table in the middle where he observed Alice as she tended to her roses and other flowers. "I see you are still fond of gardening did yo plant all of these?" he questioned.

"Yes I did. When I arrived here I wasn't expected to do anything so I asked if I could tend to the garden. Madame Red believed that working would be no more than a distraction. She believed that learning the appropriate mannerisms for this time were to take up most of my time. I am grateful for the treatment." She spoke fondly of the red haired woman with her back facing the butler.

"I see you have grown attached to Madame Red more so that you did with the young Master." He chuckled deviously.

Alice simply shrugged her shoulders in a dismissive manner and continued tending to her garden.

"Is there anything else you learnt during your stay here little maid?" Sebastian was curious, while she was on the estate he did leave her, only following her when she left alone.

"Yes, I learnt to play the piano, well I could play before I arrived here so my skills have only improved, Madame Red wishes to hold a Gala soon where she would like me to play a few songs for the guests. I have no qualm about the request she made." Alice felt uneasy under the gaze of the butler.

"Well then, will you play for me?"

She spun around to look at the butler, slightly shocked at the request he had made, he had never asked her to do anything, he always ordered her to do everything. She shrugged and motioned for him to follow her to the ball room where the Grand Piano stood in solitude waiting for its melody to cut through the silence.

Removing her gloves she seated herself on the piano bench lifting the cover and slowly brushed her slender fingers over the cool ivory keys. Sebastian stood to the side and watched as she inhaled and exhaled a deep breath before her fingers gently coaxed the beautiful notes from the piano. As he listened carefully he noticed they had been joined by an uneasy looking Madame Red and his Master who both watched her play.

She looked so beautiful, her eyes shut delicately as she played the elegant song, the notes rising and falling in a perfect harmony as gracefully as her breathing, like the song was pouring from her heart. It was a song known by Sebastian, his Master and Madame Red both, Beethoven's moonlight sonata. Alice played it so perfectly never skipping a note or faltering, oblivious to her surroundings, Sebastian noticed how vulnerable she was when she played.

Slowly the song ebbed into its ending as Alice slid her slender fingers from the cool ivory keys and looked up to find Madame Red smiling down warmly at her, her strange red eyes brimming with tears. "How beautiful that was Alice! I have some news my dear."

Alice looked from Ciel to Madame Red and tilted her head to the side not daring say a word.

Ciel cleared his throat. "Seeing as Madame Red has made quite an improvement and her lousy excuse of a butler is never really around to tend to her anymore I have agreed to let you stay with her until further notice." With that Ciel looked up at his aunt and bowed his head. "You have made quite the lady of Alice her skills on the piano alone are of a higher standard than those of nobles who have learnt to play."

Alice looked up at Sebastian who looked upset about his master's decision. "Oh how thrilled the Undertaker shall be when her heard of this Alice." Madame Red teased as a bright blush flushed the young woman's cheeks.

"M-Madame Red, how embarrassing." Alice spluttered out almost incoherently watching as the spunky red head dragged Ciel out again leaving her and the butler in silence and alone.

"So you still decided to pursue a relationship after what I told you the night before you left, though I am well aware of how your relationship has progressed with the man." Sebastian's voice held something Alice had never heard before in it.

She looked up at him and then it all clicked. Suddenly her treatment before she had left the hiding of the letters and his incessant questioning all made sense to her. It was as clear as day light that Sebastian Michealis was jealous.

"Sebastian, are you jealous?" she taunted darkly knowing she was rubbing salt on an open wound.

The butler looked down at her and chuckled. "Of course I am not."

"Do you think I will just believe what you tell me, I can see that you're in denial Sebastian, you still seek what you cannot have, that it sad tell me, be honest with me." Alice knew she was pushing buttons. For once she had him where she wanted him.

When Sebastian gave no reply she eyed him suspiciously. "You saw us kiss didn't you?" she smirked darkly when she noticed his jaw tighten at the question. The butler was good at hiding his emotions but Alice was no fool to men like him. As far as she knew demons weren't supposed to have emotions.

At hearing the words leave her mouth Sebastian felt something inside him unravel. In his chest where his heart should have been was a stabbing sensation he couldn't even begin to comprehend. 'You play with fire my little maid.' he thought to himself as he closed the gap between them.

"Yes I did, it should have been me in his place, he has knowingly taken what is mine and I want it back." He growled out closing in on her like a predatory cat hunting its prey. "You have a beautiful pure soul and I will not let some reaper defile what is mine."

Alice felt a horrible sense of unease wash over her as the butler caged her to the piano. "Sebastian stop this, I o not belong to you, after what I have been through I doubt my soul is anything to even write home about, now let me go this instant." She warned sternly only to end up cut off by his lips on hers stealing the oxygen from her lungs.

Alice shoved against his broad, strong chest in a desperate attempt to free her lips from his, what he was doing was wrong. "Sebby-chan what on earth do you think you are doing cheating on me with her!" a gratingly shrill voice interrupted the demon as he growled pulling his lips from hers and snapped his attention to the source of the interruption.

Alice had never been so grateful for Grell's terrible timing as she pushed herself free and rushed from the ball room. The flamboyant red haired reaper turned his attention to Sebastian he too had grown fond of Alice and knew that she deeply loved the Undertaker even though she had only expressed her deep undying adoration for the man. That alone had made it clear that she didn't want his Sebby and in so he was happy about that.

"You do know that Alice is in love with the Undertaker and they are happy together, here I thought it was her who couldn't behave yet the bad boy is you. And I like bad boys." Grell taunted gaily as he circled the butler.

Annoyed Sebastian shoved past the reaper and returned to his Masters side.

A/N: another long chapter done – over two thousand words! I really hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed typing it out.