Chapter 9

In the kitchen, Lily was boiling the water for tea, it was just Sebastian and herself there.

"You are such a pretty little maid, it's a miracle you can lift such a heavy kettle…"

"Laugh it up, lanky," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Little… I am hardly that… And a maid… Funny how he got your title right," she said, shaking her head. "Stuck up ponce… I knew I didn't like him the minute I smelled him…" Sebastian looked up at this, "er, the minute I saw him." He let her unusual slip up slide, nodding.

"Yes, I have reason to believe he is not as he appears… We will have to ensure tonight is a night he never forgets…"

"Surely that goes without saying, Seb? We do work for the Phantomhives…" He smirked, nodding.

"Quite right, Miss Lilith, quite right indeed… Is the tea nearly ready?"

"Yes, just bout to pour the water in."

"Good, good."

Not long after Sebastian had left to take the tea to their Master and his guest, the kitchen door squeaked open. Lily turned, smiling softly as she watched a small slender black cat walk in, heading straight towards her.

"Well hello there, you must be the eighth member Sebastian mentioned," she said, kneeling down, the cat rubbing itself against her, purring softly as she picked it up. "Though where have you been hiding? Most rude, I've been here two months and you've only just introduced yourself to me… How very hound of you, I have to say, not lady like at all." The cat mewed in her ear, nudging her with her head. "What? Why does he need to use the phone? That's most rude…"

"Merow…"

"He was discussing what..?

"Meoow"

"I see. Did you tell Sebastian…?"

"Meww"

"Sebastian, the lanky one with the black hair…"

"Nuur"

"Yes, the butler, honestly…"

"Hisk"

"I'm sorry, I'm sure you have been busy…" The cat purred, curling into her, making the housekeeper smirk. "Well… I suppose since you have been working hard, so…" She placed the cat down carefully, pulled out a small dish before pouring milk into it. Between feverish laps the cat mewed softly "You're welcome… Though I must insist you tell Sebastian."

"Mew."
"He does? Nice of him to share… Do excuse me…" She said walking to the door, "and I have counted how much meat and fish we have, so don't get any ideas…"

"Merow…"

"Cheeky thing," she said as she left.

Lily made her way down the corridor, brow creased, her step quicker than usual, the umbrella she had still on her skirt tapping a pattern on her behind.

"Where is that fool, honestly. I know he's the butler, but taking on everything by himself… Foolishness, nothing else…" She shook her head, a soft smile on her lips, as she fiddled with a piece of her hair, "and yet…" She shook her head, snapping out of it, "must find that fool." She paused, hearing someone cry out in pain, looking around, sniffing lightly. It wasn't one of the lads, definitely not Mey-Rin… Their guest. She rushed towards it, only finding that the corridors seemed to lead away from where they usually did. "I am clearly overly tired… This is silly." She said, the walls seeming to hear appeared to settle back to their usual layout. She shook her head, closing her eyes, as she rubbed them, "once I find that fool I'm going straight to bed." She said, walking on.

She eventually came across the three servants, raising an eyebrow at Finny and Baldroy carrying the portrait of their Masters mother and father.

"Have any of you seen Sebastian?" She asked, only just seeing their guest, leg bent, twisted, the wrong way. "Urgh, that doesn't look fun at all…" She said, following after him, only to get pulled back by Mey-Rin.

"I don't think you should follow him, I don't…"

"He is injured, one of us should at least… Observe him, besides I may stumble across our butler as I do…" She said, walking on.

The hallways soon seeming to play their tricks on her again.

"Something must be in the air…" She felt something brush the back of her neck, before a fwoop and smack on the back of her legs. She leapt up, letting out a loud screeching hiss landing on top of one of the cabinets in the hallways. Eyes once again large and searching. Looking around, she soon recognised where she was, the hallway back to the kitchen. She sat up, having been laying down, she was sure she was going the other way. She looked to umbrella, laughing slightly, it had opened up. Clearly what had hit the back of leg. "But how... Tonights never ending I swear…" She muttered to herself, closing the umbrella before beginning to ease herself down, stopping suddenly. She heard voices, Sebastian and their guest, before a loud scream. "Well… Up here never gets dusted so I may as well… Stay put, just for a bit longer."

She lay up there, soon getting rather comfy, the umbrella hanging down slightly, swaying to and fro. She felt a light tug on it, sitting up once again, she smiled softly down at the butler, his hand resting on her umbrella. She swung her legs around, so she was sitting.

"We must stop meeting like this, Seb, people will talk." She said, with a dramatic swing of her head. He chuckled softly, nodding.

"Of course," he said, offering her his hand. She leapt down, landing on her feet beside him. "Our guest has left us."

"I see, a good visit would you say?" She asked, as the pair walked along together.

"He's not going to forget it, I am certain of that."

"Sounds like it was ideal then…"

"Yes, I suppose it was…"

Lily joined him as he made his nightly inspection of the manor, walking side by side, silent but content. He stopped, looking to where the grand portrait had been.

"It would appear we'll be needing to hang new wallpaper as well…"

"I shall ask Jameson to bring us what we will need," Sebastian smiled softly at her, nodding.

"Thank you, Lilith."

"Of course, Seb."