It was his room, but at the same time it seemed a poor imitation of it. The black substance that had flooded the floor other times was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't the first time he dreamt about his house, after all. He went to the door and opened it without sound. The hall was even more darker than his room, but it was his home and he knew it well. The child walked on tiptoe until he reached Ciel's room. And he waited. In all his nightmares he had been alone before, and in unknown places. It was the first time he recognized the place. From the other side of the corridor, a flutter of feathers reached his ears, and he hurried to enter the room. Maybe for once his father was right and he shouldn't read Poe anymore. The room was exactly the same as his brother's, yet when he went to the window and peered outside, he saw nothing. He frowned and turned around to exit; his brother was nowhere to be seen, and he didn't like the cold sweat that fell down his back. He stepped on a puddle, then another. The black liquid poured from the rich carpet each time he rested his feet on it. When he reached the threshold it reached his hips. The wooden door wouldn't open because of the tar-like substance. The boy froze in place when someone, no… something, knocked the window behind him.
"'Tis some visitor, tapping at my chamber door– Only this and nothing more.'" *
"... lizabeth is coming! Wake up, we have… time to lose… pretend!"
He opened his eyes and found Ciel hovering over him. The child was still wearing his nightgown and his hair was messy. His older brother knelt on the duvet and looked at him with big, bright eyes.
"What?"
"Elizabeth is coming this afternoon with Aunt Frances. We could play pretend."
The boy scratched his head and rested his weight on his left elbow. At his side, Ciel had started to hop on his site.
"Like when we fooled mother one time?"
"Yes, but with Lizzie. How well can you imitate me?"
"It's easy" he retorted with a cunning smirk. Maybe his tumultuous brother wasn't the best way to wake up from a nightmare, but he knew how to keep him busy. The boy knelt on the bed at his side and started to bounce in his spot. "Elizabeth is coming today! Why are you still sleeping? You are always sleeping around! Later we can get Sebastian and play hide and seek the four of us."
"Not bad" conceded Ciel with a big smile on his face. He got up from the bed and put on the slippers he had left on the carpet. The boy waited for his brother to get ready and they left the room.
"Where is mother, by the way?"
"Dunno. It's early, and it's Sunday."
He had to jog to reach his older brother, and when he did he grabbed his arm. He didn't understood the sudden change on his mood.
"Ciel, are you angry?"
The boy huffed and stood still. He averted his eyes when his little brother stared at him. When he looked at him with those lamb eyes he couldn't get mad at him.
"Not with you."
"What is it then?"
It wasn't fair to blame him because he hadn't chosen to be sick. Ciel inhaled and moved his hand away.
"It's just that father is always busy, and mother is always with you" he muttered in an undertone. He rubbed the place where his brother had dug his thin fingers, when he wanted he had enough strength. "And we can't play as much as before, the tutors are giving me more homework, and it's cold outside."
"I'm sorry."
Ciel looked up to his brother and shook his head. He knew he wasn't being fair at all.
"I didn't want you to feel bad."
"It's my fault, isn't it?"
The little child hiccuped and turned his back on his older brother. He fixed his eyes on the green terrains that extended as far as he could see. Ciel followed him in silence to the picture window in the middle of the hall. They stood in silence, each one lost in his own thoughts. Ciel didn't move away when his brother entwined their fingers and grabbed his hand.
"Elizabeth, don't run like that!"
Frances Midford closed her gloved hand over the air. With her little lemongrass dress flowing behind her, the blonde girl got away from the carriage. She rolled her eyes and took the hand offered by the Phantomhive butler.
"Thank you, Tanaka. Can you take care of the carriage?"
"Of course, madam. The Earl and the Countess are waiting in the breakfast solarium. May I retire?"
"Yes, I know my way there."
"Have a nice afternoon, the Countess ordered some new tea varieties and pastries."
"She always has a good taste."
The woman held her hat in place with one hand and held her purse with the other. She wore a green set consisting on a white blouse, a green bottle skirt, and a dark jacket fitted at the waist. Her ash blonde hair was combed and held in place in a tight top knot. The woman adjusted her black leather gloves and went to the manor entrance. The door was already being held open by a young footman with a fitted uniform. The boy nodded with a smile on her face and Frances took off her hat. When he opened his mouth to ask for anything else, the woman waved her hand. She fixed her green eyes in the family portrait and a smile crossed her features for half a second. Elizabeth was right before her, petting the family dog.
"Elizabeth, those aren't manners of a girl of your status."
"But mother, he's so fluffy!"
Frances squinted her eyes but conceded the girl some minutes more. Meanwhile, she inspected her surroundings. The entrance hall was impolute as always, with scarce decorations and the usual landscape paintings hanging from the walls. From the servant's ale reached her ears a low murmur and she nodded to herself. Of course, her brother knew how to take care of one's house. She went to her daughter and fixed one of the ribbons on her hair.
"Come, you can pet him later, I'm sure your cousins can't wait to see you."
"Neither do I!"
The little girl ran to the staircase giggling and Frances held another scold in her mouth. It had been a month since they had visited them, so of course the child was excited. The woman watched her as she climbed the stairs with her thin legs covered in thick white thighs. It wouldn't kill her not to quarrel her daughter for an afternoon.
Ciel took another strawberry jam pastry and munched slowly. Playing pretend included everything, from the way he had to speak, to the things he ate. It was nice to enjoy a calm Sunday like that. He was sitting next to his mother, his father presided the polished wooden table; his brother was at Vincent's left, and then Aunt Frances and Elizabeth. As usual. It was a miracle that their parents hadn't caught them yet. He choked with the sweet when Elizabeth tried to feed his brother a pastry. The child blushed deeply and their cousin giggled happy. It was quite easy to entertain Lizzie, and as much as Ciel liked her, it was nice to spend an afternoon pretending. It was just that she could be too intense with everything. The adults were chatting about their things and he was starting to be bored. He made eye contact with his brother and cousin and the other children rolled their eyes.
"Uncle Vincent, can we go to play?"
The Earl stopped his conversation and looked down to the blonde girl. He smiled at her with kindness.
"Of course, Elizabeth. I know how boring these reunions can be for you three."
"Thanks!"
The girl got up and grabbed her cousin by his hand.
"I have a new hand game to teach you, Ciel, Paula showed it-"
Ciel blinked with perplexity. It was odd to hear someone else being called by his name. But they were still playing pretend and he had to stay in character. He cleaned his hands with a napkin before he followed the other two.
"And be careful with Sebastian, don't let him swallow anything" added Rachel as they left the room. Without the children, it suddenly became quiet. The young woman giggled and patted her husband's hand with affection. "Did you notice, didn't you?"
"Of course, I wonder if Elizabeth did."
Frances sipped her tea and left the teacup on its saucer.
"These two look like two drops of water, it's just a matter of time that one of them fail impersonating each other."
Vincent peered at his older sister and, slowly, a smile appeared on her lips. The Earl chuckled as he shook his head. He had to concede Rachel a point whenever she said they were more like him. Frances and him had never played pretend like that, but he used to be the troublemaker one.
Elizabeth Midford was a blonde girl, a bit taller than her cousins, who wore her long blonde locks gathered in two pigtails. She laid her back on the carpet that covered all the floor of the play room and stared at the creamy coloured ceiling. When she heard the rumble of paws trotting over the carpet, it was too late to cover her face. She laughed and rolled over the floor trying to pet the borzoi. Ciel let out a chuckle from his seat a couple of feet away. He watched as his cousin got up and cleaned her face with one hand. His brother sat at her side and didn't miss the chance of petting the black dog too.
"Sebastian, come here."
The dog turned his head to him and tilted it. His tail wagged from side to side with enthusiasm, and the hound sneezed. Elizabeth got up and circled his neck with her arms.
"Is he catching a cold?"
"He does that when he gets excited" explained Ciel when he got up and went to their side. It was a miracle that Lizzie hadn't discovered them yet. He touched the dog's snout and smiled when Sebastian sneezed again. "With all that fur I doubt he can catch a cold."
"Ciel" she called looking over her shoulder. The child blinked and looked at them. "Can we get a blanket for him?"
"I dunno."
For a second, Elizabeth stared at the both of them with a puzzled look on her round face. The next one, she was hugging the borzoi and burying her face in the soft, black fur. When she looked up her eyes were starting to get watery. Both brothers looked at each other and twitched their mouths. That had been a fault on Ciel's plan, because he was more accustomed to treat with the girl. Being his fiancee and all, whatever that meant exactly.
"Hey, Lizzie, don't get like that."
"It was just a joke."
"Is it funny to trick me, huh?"
Ciel huffed and looked at his feet. Near Elizabeth, his little brother caressed her hand with affection. The girl didn't move away but she looked tense.
"We were just playing pretend. It worked with mother."
"Once."
"But why did you try to fool me?"
"Come on, we weren't trying to make fun of you" that time it was his brother who spoke in a soft tone. Ciel wouldn't admit it out loud, but maybe his brother was better when treating with her. At least he knew how to avoid her weepings. "You spot us rather easily."
"Ciel always agrees, no matter the thing I propose."
The boy smiled at her and stretched his limbs.
"That's because you have good ideas, Lizzie."
The girl smiled slowly and wiped her watery eyes with one hand. She grabbed each boy by their hands. They went to a wooden table near the window and sat there. Sebastian walked behind them with long steps, still wagging his tail around.
"Now, what have you been doing these weeks? It's been a month since I don't see you two, you silly geese."
The Earl was sitting in his bureau, revising some documents. It was late in the evening, and hours had passed since Frances and Elizabeth had parted. Their visit had managed to keep him distracted for some hours. But he knew himself; even when he had been talking about preparations for his older son's birthday, his mind was mulling about the last reunion. Vincent got up from his seat and let out a sigh. He had barely slept the last night. Nor the night before, neither the other. He knew he could talk with Rachel, but the last thing she needed was to be worried. No, the Watchdog duties were his and his alone. His wife knew things, of course, she knew who she was marrying. But he wouldn't let her get marred by that. It was his leash, and his alone. The man opened the top drawer of the desk and looked for some clean paper. He didn't understand why he hadn't been informed about the dog head in the warehouse. But he trusted Diederich. They knew each other since their young days in Weston; they had parted ways when Dee joined the military, but he had found in him one of his most loyal informants. And friends. Vincent picked up a clean quill and started to compose a letter for the warehouse chief. He had to go to the city soon but it would be a family trip. He got up and pulled the cord near the desk. He needed Tanaka to fetch some things. The man rested on the rich seat again and contemplated the empty bureau. After five minutes someone knocked at the door.
"Come in."
Tanaka entered the room with a polite bow, his left hand carrying a little candleholder, his right one still over the doorknob. He went to the desk and waited for the Earl to voice his requirements.
"I need you to send this letter tomorrow, to the fifth warehouse in the London Docks. Give it to a footman you trust. And, just in case, tell the gatekeeper to do an extra round at midnight."
The butler nodded, took the letter from the desk, and saved it inside his jacket.
"Anything else, my Lord?"
"Tell the same to the ground keepers" Vincent rubbed his eyelids with his index and thumb in slow circles. He blinked and looked at the older man again. "Don't spread it too far, I don't want anyone slipping their tongue and causing a ruckus. That would be an inconvenience."
When the earl got up from his desk and walked to the door, Tanaka went after him. He held the wooden panel open for his master and examined him from head to toe. The young man was exhausted to say the least. The butler closed the door behind them and walked before him.
"I'll retire to my chambers now, bring me a calming brew."
"Understood."
The candles shed a soft light around and gave the walls a warmer tone. It also made the shadows longer, Vincent noted as he walked behind the tall man. He needed a night of sleep, just one would be fine.
* From E. A. Poe's "The Raven".
