Narrator: It was at this moment she realized her main character is void of any personality.
2022 Wilma: Yeah, it makes editing a story you've been working on for 10 years pretty disheartening.
2014 Wilma: Angeline has personality!
2022 Wilma: Being soft and likeable and liking books aren't personality traits.
While Angeline enjoyed the fashion of her time, she often found it extremely difficult to dress. It was made more difficult by the lack of staff at the Phantomhive manor- Finny and Bard couldn't tighten a corset if their lives depended on it, and for some reason Angeline couldn't fathom, Mey-Rin seemed unwilling to help her.
She was struggling to lace her corset by herself when there was a knock at the door. "Just a moment," She said, her neck craned in an attempt to see the task she was trying to complete.
Sebastian's voice penetrated the door. "Is everything alright? It's quite late in the morning," He said.
"Fine," Angeline answered, biting her bottom lip as she continued trying to tie the strings together. "Just tired. It seems you've forgotten the exciting night we all had."
"Is there anything I can assist you with?" He asked from the other side of the door.
Angeline huffed with frustration. Her family had servants who were women to help her and her sister with their clothing, but it appeared that Angeline would have to ask Sebastian to help her and get used to being around a man in her state of undress. "Do you know how to tighten a corset?"
"Of course," He said, as if it were obvious, as if the idea that there was something he couldn't do was ridiculous. Sebastian let himself into the room and Angeline's skin went hot from head to foot. She thought it was impossible to feel more vulnerable in her life than she had since the earthquake, but she hadn't considered the notion of a man seeing her before she was fully dressed.
"Are you alright?" Sebastian asked for the second time. "You look flushed."
"Fine," She said again, but her face heated further as she did so and she had no doubt he noticed. He looked at her, contemplative, then shrugged.
Eager to be done with the situation, Angeline turned away from him. She could hear his footsteps approaching her and the room was quiet as he assessed the ties on her corset. "You only have it laced halfway, how long did that take you on your own?"
"Too long," Angeline admitted. "I'm sure there are plenty of women who are capable of lacing their own clothes, but I wasn't taught much about taking care of myself, if you remember."
"I remember," Sebastian said. She could feel the fabric shift as he adjusted the ties, fixing her sloppy work. "The first step of your independent life was picking out eggplants, the second is learning to tie your own corsets."
Angeline cracked a smile. "Perhaps you can teach me that, too. Sebastian, master teacher of eggplants, corsets, and chess," The last word of Angeline's sentence came out breathy as Sebastian finished lacing the corset and tugged slightly.
"One more big pull," Sebastian said and Angeline braced herself as the clothing tightened around her.
"One moment," Angeline said when he let go as she went to the armorium, pulling out one of the dresses she bought with Lizzie. "This one has ribbon in the back, if I can ask your help with one more thing."
"You can ask me for help with whatever your heart desires," He joked, "And I will make it happen. I am, after all, one Hell of a butler."
The lighthearted air between them dampened as he said this and Angeline remembered that the Phantomhive butler was most certainly not human. She forced a smile onto her face, saying "Be careful what you say, Sebastian, I have lost many important things. I won't go against God's will through Ash's cleanse, but there are some people I'd go against His will to bring back."
Once she had the dress on, she turned away from him once again and he helped her lace the ribbon. "I can do most anything," He corrected himself, "But not that."
Angeline's face flushed as Sebastian's deft fingers swiftly tied the ribbon and he rested his touch on the back of her neck for only a moment before he stepped back, indicating that he was finished. "Thank you." She said, moving her hair to cover her back once more, ignoring the way her body came to life where he had touched her neck, the shiver running through her whole body.
"Of course." Sebastian replied, bending at the waist.
"You don't have to bow for me, Sebastian. You work for Ciel," Angeline said.
Sebastian blinked at her, surprised. It wasn't often that guests at the manor treated him as more than the help. "If you insist," He said. "Ciel wants to see you in his study."
"Perfect," She said. "My favorite part of this new living situation is getting told what to do by a boy."
"He is a young boy with adult responsibilities, unfortunately," Sebastian agreed. "But if it makes a difference, he is acting on orders from the Queen."
"I suppose it does help to think of it that way," Angeline mused. "Thank you, Sebastian. I'm sure you were busy with much more important things, I'll let you get back to it."
Sebastian caught himself from bowing, choosing instead to give her a nod before exiting the room.
Angeline went to Ciel's study, knocking on the door. His voice sounded from inside, indicating her to enter, and she opened the door and slipped inside, closing it behind her.
"Good morning, Ciel," Angeline said, beginning to make her way further into the large room.
Ciel looked up at her from the documents on his desk. "I think it would be best for you to stay inside," He said, forgoing a greeting.
Angeline stopped in her tracks. "What?"
"I don't want Ash abducting while you're out, so I think you should stay in the manor where Sebastian and I can look after you," Ciel insisted.
"I'm not a child," Angeline argued indignantly.
"Of course not," Ciel said. "And of course I have no authority to tell you what to do. You may leave any time you please, though the Queen would be very unhappy with me. I only suggest this because it is likely the most effective way to keep you safe."
Angeline's first instinct was to argue, but she knew he was right. She was helpless on her own. If she left, where would she go?
"Fine," She huffed.
"Then it's settled. You'll remain on the estate. If there is ever a time you must leave, take Sebastian with you as an escort."
Despite knowing the precaution was necessary, she rolled her eyes. "Alright."
Angeline found that the Phantomhive manor housed a library and busied herself by reading for hours.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Angeline closed her book and started down the hall to prepare for bed. She looked out a window and saw Ash hovering a few feet away from the glass, a dangerous glint in his eyes. Her heart crashed through her insides, dread filling her body from head to toe.
Before she could think, she screamed for Sebastian, his name escaping her lips before the panic bubbling in her stomach could make its way into her throat and prevent her from calling for help.
"Angeline," Ash mumbled. "It's time to go."
Angeline couldn't move. She was too scared.
Her eyes flew open as she shot upward, her breathing erratic and heavy, and a dull "thunk" sounded beside her. Her head whipped around, taking in her surroundings. Indeed, she was in the library, but Ash was nowhere to be found. She looked at the floor where the book she'd been reading fell from her lap upon waking.
Her gaze focused on Sebastian, who was crouched next to her where she had fallen asleep on a chaise, his hand on her shoulder where it had shaken her awake. His brows were knitted in concern as he looked at her. "You called for help, are you alright?"
She gulped as she tried to steady her breathing, her hand clutching the fabric of her dress near her wildly beating heart. "Bad dream," She choked out.
She rubbed at her temple with her free hand as she tried to put her panicked thoughts in order. Her throat burned and closed up as tears welled in her eyes. She felt like she was always crying lately.
"It's alright," Sebastian said, his thumb sweeping across her shoulder comfortingly.
A small sob broke out of her, the tears breaking free and running down her face. Sleep gave her no solace from the loss of her family or the fear that Ash would come back and her days were never ending, fear lingering inside her even in the safety of the manor. How was it that even when she awoke, she was still in a nightmare?
After Angeline calmed herself, she insisted that Sebastian be on his way. "I know you must have other priorities," She insisted.
She always does this, Sebastian thought. This would not be the first time Angeline sent him away because she felt she was keeping him from his duties.
"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked. Angeline nodded firmly and watched as Sebastian contemplated a moment before nodding and exiting the room.
Angeline watched him leave and took a few minutes to gather herself. She was grateful to have so much time alone in the manor so that her thoughts might roam free without the burden of keeping up with socializing.
When she decided her thoughts were orderly enough, she stood and picked up her book where it had fallen, putting it on a table to continue tomorrow.
She leisurely made her way down the corridor that passed Ciel's study and branched to her sleeping quarters, stifling a yawn. As she passed the study, she heard Ciel and Sebastian's hushed voices. She would have continued on her way and left them to their conversation had she not heard Ciel say her name.
She stopped short. She could hear her mother's voice in her head discouraging her from eavesdropping and gossip, but she couldn't help her curiosity. She leaned into the door, which was left ajar, so she could hear better.
"I've been losing sleep," Ciel admitted. "Waking at every sound worried it might be Ash. If I lose the girl, the Queen will have my head."
"I don't believe she would go to those lengths," Sebastian mused.
"Figuratively, Sebastian," Ciel sighed. He paused, then continued with an order. "I have decided to make Angeline your priority. Watching after her comes first, she's not to leave your sight. Take care of the rest of your duties where you can. The others will fill in the gaps, which I'm sure will cause a chaotic household, but we'll manage."
"Yes, master."
Angeline's heart jumped into her throat. While Sebastian was always there for her to call, she didn't see much of him because his duties kept him so busy. The only time she knew she would see him was for their chess games after Ciel retired, when she would seek Sebastian out (or call him when he was particularly hard to find in the expansive mansion) and ask if he wanted to play. He always said yes. Why was her heart racing so quickly at the thought of being escorted everywhere with him?
"Maybe I'll finally get a full night's rest," Ciel mused. "Knowing your demon abilities, I'm sure you're better suited to keep her safe than anyone else in this house."
Angeline stifled a gasp, her eyes widening and shoulders leaden as she heard the new information. She knew Sebastian wasn't human, but... a demon?
Angeline grew up in the church as most people did. She grew up believing angels were on the side of God and demons were to be feared, but Ash tormented her. Sebastian helped her, protected her. Sebastian was kind to her.
Her thoughts had never been so muddled. Ciel and Sebastian's conversation grew warbled in her ears as they began roaring. She enjoyed the little time she had with Sebastian- was that a sin? It was, she was certain. When she passed, would she be sent to Hell for rejecting an angel and keeping a demon as a companion? Surely it wasn't God's will for Angeline to support the murders that Ash desired to commit, but it was certainly against his will to involve herself with Sebastian instead.
Then, there was the matter of the way she felt when she was around Sebastian. She felt safe with him, comforted. She didn't see how she could be at fault, surely anyone would feel that way when they had been protected as Sebastian protected her. But she couldn't deny how her body reacted to his touch when he woke her from her nightmares- or this morning, when his fingertips on her neck made her body sing.
You can't be thinking like this, Angeline scolded herself. You must repent for these thoughts, the sins you've committed.
Yes, she decided. She did not knowingly commit her sins- surely God could forgive her.
As quietly as she could, she shuffled down the corridor. There was no helping the sound the heavy front door made when she opened it, but she could stay in this house no longer, even if it meant going against Ciel's wishes for her to stay inside.
Angeline shivered at the chill of the October evening as she stepped outside, wrapping her arms around herself as she left he estate.
The wind howled, strands of her hair loosening from her braided hairstyle and whipping around her face. The sun had gone down, leaving London in a dusky glow. Leaves fell around Angeline as she hastened down the roads and through the streets.
It felt as though she had walked for hours when she came upon the church. Angeline quickly ascended the front steps and opened the heavy door, slipping inside.