Chapter 12: The Girl in the Room

"You say she was caught breaking into the kitchen?"

Muta nodded. "Yes, but I don't think she had enough time to take anything. She managed to enter through the staff door."

Toto on Baron's other side cackled. "I suppose your enormous appetite came in handy for once, eh, Butterball?"

"Hey, keep your trap shut, Birdbrain!"

Baron sighed and rubbed one gloved hand over his eyes. Another pair of whiskers had sprung up in the night; the bags under his eyes betrayed the sleepless night he'd experienced. "Not now, guys. We have a situation to deal with here. Although Toto is right in the fact that we were lucky that you got peckish in the night otherwise the girl may have been successful this time."

"So what's the plan?"

Baron raised an eyebrow. "Plan?"

"Yeah, plan. Are we turning her over to the police or what? We can't just keep her locked up in one of the spare bedrooms – we're having to keep someone at the door to make sure she doesn't escape as it is. She's already proven she's apt at unlocking doors twice."

"I'm not sure."

"Look, Baron – I don't like the idea that that girl could have snuck in and snuck out without any of us knowing the better–"

"Neither do I, Muta, but I doubt it's as simple as the black-and-white story you make it out to be."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I mean she has probably been driven to thieve in order to survive." Baron gave his friend a sidelong look. "Few people would steal just for the kicks of it."

"Yes, I know that, but–"

"Have you tried talking to her?"

At that suggestion, Muta snorted. "Baron, not to be disrespectful or anything, but I doubt she's in the mood to talk. She's a ruddy wildcat – her shouting woke the entire mansion."

The baron looked thoughtful. "Maybe she'll be in the mood to listen then."

"Good luck with that."

"Which room is she in?"

"The spare one on the second floor."

"That doesn't sound like the easiest room to drag her to."

Muta snorted again. "We had to be sure she wouldn't try to escape by the window. Are you going to talk to her?" He glanced at his half-feline friend. "I mean, remember what you are."

"I'm hardly likely to forget."

Toto rolled his eyes at Muta once Baron had left for the aforementioned spare room. "Great going, pudding-brains. Do you think he likes being reminded of what he's turning into?"

Baron ignored the bickering that was commencing on the floor below and instead focused on the door of the spare room. One of the staff – probably one of the cooks if Muta had organised this – was standing by the door with a guard-like stance. Baron waved him away, leaving only the door remaining between him and the girl. He hesitated with his hand ready to knock at the door. What was he meant to say? He didn't even know the girl's name.

Gathering his resolve, he knocked.

There came no reply.

He wondered whether Muta had given him the wrong room for a moment, but the fact that he had taken it upon himself to post a guard contradicted that thought.

"Are you in there? Can you hear me?"

Still, silence was the only answer.

"I just want to help."

'Yeah, because that's not clichéd at all...' a snide voice in his head commented.

"None of us here want to harm you – people are just shaken by your entrance." He ignored the slight understatement in his remark. "What's your name?"

He was becoming steadily frustrated with the silences.

"Alright, don't tell me your name then. I doubt you'll want to give any other details then." He paused. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to hold a one-sided conversation when someone isn't talking? It's surprisingly difficult."

Yet another silence.

"You know, you're not making this any easier on yourself. People want me to contact the police and bring the law into this." There was a slight sigh in his voice. "I'd rather not."

"Who are you? You don't talk like the others."

Baron's ears perked up at the hesitant question. "And how do the others talk?"

"They shout. Who are you?"

"I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingen. But I go by Baron mostly."

"You're the... the..."

"I'm the person you met the night before last, yes," said Baron, cutting in before she could use the word "cat" or even "monster". He had heard several variations of his description. "Cat" was the least offensive and "monster" wasn't even cutting it close to the worst.

The girl fell silent again. The baron wasn't sure how to interpret this. With his experience though, silence associated with his appearance was usually to be taken negatively.

"You won't be able to keep me in here forever," Haru suddenly said, her voice regaining some control. Suddenly she sounded like the full eighteen years she was. "You'll let me go sooner or later."

"What makes you think we're going to keep you in here?"

"No one outside this estate knows about your appearance; you wouldn't risk breaking your secret by getting the law involved. The police would probably want to talk to the head of the mansion, a failure to do so would look suspicious. That leaves you little choice."

"I'm sure we'll think of something."

"Is that a threat?" Haru growled.

"It wasn't meant to be. Will you at least give me your name?"

She returned to silence once again.

Baron sighed and moved away from the door. "Perhaps Muta was right. Perhaps I am wasting my time here."

ooOoo

On the other side of the door, Haru heard the baron walk away. She sighed and sat back down beside the window, staring down at the gardens below and thinking about the feline lord. Somehow she felt that that wouldn't be the last time she'd hear from him.

ooOoo

"I still say we should contact the police."

Baron growled under his breath. "But she was right, Muta! I can't risk attracting the attention of the police by bringing them here – it will look fishy if the baron of the estate won't talk to the police about a burglary."

Toto sighed, stirring a spoon in his tea. "It's times like these when you wish for the simpler days, isn't it?"

Muta snorted. "What simpler days? Baron's been cursed since he was fifteen. It's been downhill from there."

"The times when the extent of the curse could be covered with gloves."

"You mean when Baron could still be seen in public? Okay, yeah, those were simpler days."

Baron smiled ruefully, despite himself. "Sorry, but the tail quickly cut that period short."

"We still haven't worked out what we're going to do about the girl."

Baron's smile disappeared, to be replaced by a contemplative frown. "Well, the police option is off the list–" he tapped his index finger against the table "–unless either of you have any bright ideas that doesn't involve attracting any attention." He paused. When neither spoke up, he added, "I didn't think so. Right, so option number two–" he tapped his middle finger against the table, counting off his choices "–is that we let the girl go." He held up his hand to silence Muta's protests. "I know, I know, it's not desirable–"

"Desirable?" Muta echoed disbelievingly, ignoring Baron's gesture to remain silent. "It's idiotic! If you let her go, she'll go and raid some other poor bloke's house and maybe they won't be so lucky in catching the culprit. She won't learn from this! Also, what if she decides to go blabbing your secret? We've tried so hard over the years to keep your... appearance a secret and if this girl goes running around telling everyone that–"

"Yes, Muta, I know," insisted Baron, motioning for the larger man to let him get a word in. "So that rules out option two. Option three–" he tapped his ring finger against the table, indicating the final choice "–is the last option. The girl remains here."

Both the other two men started.

"Are you insane?!" Muta demanded. "Keep her here?"

"You can't keep her here against her will, Baron," Toto said in a slightly calmer voice.

"We only really have the three choices. I'm sure she's aware of that as well."

"Have you tried talking to her?"

Muta snorted. "Baron's already tried, Birdbrain."

"The Birdbrain comment again? Honestly, you need new insults."

"Can we focus on the task at hand, please? No, Toto, I don't plan on keeping her here against her will, but I believe we can convince her to stay."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"I still insist that she probably on thieved out of the need to survive. If she sees that it would be easier for her to stay here, maybe we can convince her."

Muta suddenly sat up in his seat, frowning. "You said "we"," he remarked darkly.

Baron gave his friend an icy stare. "Should I have said "I", then? Muta, if you can think of a better option, then I'm welcome to suggestions."

"I didn't say I could think of a better option."

"Are you still up for the police option then?"

"I just don't think we should discard it quite so readily. Most of the town accepts that you're a recluse – we could claim you had a disfigurement or something so the police wouldn't have to see you."

"I'm still wary. It's risky."

The larger man sighed and leant back in his chair. "Alright, try and win the little demon onto your side then. I refuse to take any responsibility for what happens. And if you do succeed, what then?"

"Maybe she could be taught a trade by one of the staff here," suggested Baron. "Something that would give her a chance to make an honest income."

Toto cackled. "With your luck, lardball, she'll probably want to be a cook."

Muta growled at that thought and abruptly leant forward towards the table. "Oh no, Baron, if she shows an interest in being a chief, do not, under any circumstances, put her with me. I have enough on my plate without having to ferry around pickpockets."

"Let me deal with that. I'm going to go and try to talk some sense into that girl."

"She won't even tell you her name," pointed out Muta in an exasperated voice.

Baron grinned. "Personally, since I was christened with the name "Humbert", I can understand the desire to keep a name a secret," he said, pulling his top hat over his ears. "She'll come around. You'll see."

Muta rolled his eyes at Toto once the baron had gone. "He's losing it."

"Maybe he's right though. Maybe this is the best option we have," Toto replied, leaving off the usual insults in his seriousness.

"And maybe this is a mistake."

"Maybe. But we should trust Baron. He's rarely been wrong before."

"There's a first time for everything."

ooOoo

Two flights of stairs above the two men, Baron was arriving at the door of the spare bedroom. He once again waved away the guard, leaving only him outside the room.

"Twice in one day; should I be flattered?" a voice from within asked flatly.

"We've come to a decision," Baron said bluntly. He heard the girl on the other side of the door move suddenly, eager to hear whether she'd be freed or not.

"You're letting me go?"

"Not exactly. We've decided... against alerting the police, but I fear not everyone is satisfied with that choice. And people are wary of just letting you go."

There was a coarse laugh from the girl. "They're afraid I'll come back? No fear." There was a pause. "Or is the fear that I'll spread nasty rumours?"

"There's... that as well, yes."

"So what's happening?"

"I've come to give you a... a choice."

"If it doesn't involve the law, I'm listening."

"You could stay here."

The girl didn't reply at once. Then, "Stay here?"

"You wouldn't have to worry about food or a roof over your head. And what do you have to go back to on the streets?"

He received no reply, so he just added, "I'll let you think it over," before leaving.

On the other side of the door, Haru was sitting on the floor, leaning her back against the bed.

"What do I have to go back to?" she whispered. "Hiromi's probably left with Oscar – and goodness knows which town they've headed to now – so I won't be able to find them again. What do I have left?" She picked up her necklace which she still had and unlatched it from around her neck, hanging it before her eyes. "What would you do, Mum? I don't know whether I can trust these people – and one isn't even human, but... he's the first one to show me any sort of consideration." She blearily closed her eyes. "The first one to show kindness... real kindness... for five long years. Maybe this is the break I've been needing."

She dropped the butterfly into her other hand; her fingers curled protectively around it. "You trusted Charles, right? Even though you didn't know him... How did you know that you were doing the right thing? Or was it just hope? Can I make the same decision?"

The azure wings of the butterfly sparkled in the sunlight as she uncurled her fist. "I suppose there's only one way to find out."

She got slowly to her feet and walked over to the door. She beat her fist against the wooden door, hoping she'd be listened to this time. "Hey, whoever's out there, pass on a message!"

"What is it?"

"Tell... tell the baron that..." She closed her eyes, sensing that if she accepted this proposition, she wouldn't be able to back out so easily. This was her final chance to say no and take the consequences.

But was that what she wanted?

"Tell him I accept."