Chapter 2

The ride home was rather solemn. Shock hovered over everybody's heads like mist, dense enough to cut with a knife. Because the driver had the day off, Ruby sat before the wheel, steadily guiding them out of the city. In an attempt to diffuse the tension, she played the radio. But no matter how many tunes filled the silence, anxiety and confusion returned as the last notes faded. Whenever she could, Ruby glanced at the rearview mirror. Master and the young man, Oswald - Master was right, it was a fine name - were fidgeting about like two children who'd been set up on a play-date. Every now and then one would ask the other a question - such as where they were from, what they did for a living, and so on - but they would quickly lapse back into quietude.

Ruby's own head was raging with questions, all revolving around this mysterious stranger that Master was opening their home to. Who was he? Why did he seem so familiar? Where did he come from? The obvious answer to the last one was 'Gotham', but really, Ruby had seen newborn kittens that were more menacing than this guy. He kept looking at...well, everything, from out the window to the car's rather expensive interior. He even uncorked the scotch that Master kept and sniffed it. Ruby found the whole display rather adorable.

But was this really genuine? Or was he faking it? Grace and her two failed abortions had seemed quite angelic in the beginning. Yet the moment that Master had slipped the wedding band on her finger, Grace had split into two beings. The first was a saint-like wife that worshipped her husband; it was the side that she always showed Master. The second was the face she gave the rest of the household: an uptight, snobby lady who treated her dog better than she did the servants.

Would Oswald undergo the same voluntary transfiguration? Would he transform into a douchebag the moment Master trusted him?

Ruby tightened her hold on the steering wheel. He wouldn't get the chance. Ruby's fingernails, which had lost their black varnish in all of this excitement, grew and sharpened into talons.

It was nice to arrive home at last. One of the other servants had set the fireplace ablaze, banishing the early evening chills. A disc was playing in one of the far-off rooms, giving the house a nice, cozy feel. Ruby shedded her coat the moment they were all inside, hanging it up next to the other servants'. Then, she approached Master and...Oswald. Bowed slightly when they turned to her. "May I have your jackets?"

"Of course, my dear. Thank you." Master slipped out of his fine cloak and held it out to Ruby. Oswald, clearly stunned, limited himself to simply parroting the older man's gesture. For a brief moment, their eyes met. Oswald, flustered, gave a timid smile of thanks. Ruby blushed all the way to her scalp. She took their garments wordlessly and hung them beside Madame Bitch's. She heard Master murmuring something to Oswald before he raised his voice, "Ruby, dear?"

Ruby spun around. Eager to please.

"Would you mind filling a hot bath for Oswald? And lay out some of my clothes for him to wear?" Master placed a hand on Oswald's back. The young man looked bewildered. And touched. Ruby pushed some curly hair out of her eyes and nodded. "O-of course, Master. I'll do that right away." She turned to Oswald, intended on telling him to follow her, but her tongue knotted itself up like a pretzel. Instead, she just smiled and began walking down the hallway. Thankfully, Master got the message and gave Oswald a gentle push towards her. With every step Oswald got a little closer to her. And her heart beat a little faster.

"Uh..." Oswald fingered his collar, looking at the high ceilings. "This is a...lovely house."

"Y-yes." Ruby didn't trust herself to say more. She turned a left. Oswald did the same. Another moment of silence passed. Then, Oswald spoke. "Um...can I ask you something?"

Ruby doubted that she could answer, but she nodded anyway. All guests had to be treated with the same respect as residents.

"Um..." Oswald trailed off, as if unsure how to word it. "Back at the graveyard, you...I mean, your hair. It changed color."

Ruby froze. Ran a hand through her hair and seized a lock. Held it over her eye. She felt her stomach curdle like old milk. Indeed, the lovely crimson flare had vanished completely. It must have happened when Master had made his grand announcement. God damn her! When would she learn to stabilize her disguises?

"Uh..." Ruby frantically searched for an excuse, something that didn't sound completely retarded. Finally, she found something. It wasn't fantastic, but it was still decent.

"I, uh, had it dyed. But it was temporary." Ruby was grateful that she had her back to Oswald. Otherwise, her deceit would have been painted all over her face. When one of the bathroom doors appeared before her, Ruby sighed with relief. She quickly entered, leaving the door open for Oswald, and set to work. Going on autopilot, she switched the water boiler on. In attendance, she spun around towards the closet. Inside were dozens of soaps and bubbles, candles and incense. It took her a moment to find what she was looking for. "Aaah." Ruby smiled as she held up a clear bottles filled with what appeared to be transparent oil.

"What's that?" Oswald's question cropped up from behind her.

"Rosewater." Ruby replied, setting the bottle on the edge of the tub. Then, swiftly skirting past Oswald, she headed to the wardrobe right outside the bathroom. A second later, she returned with a black-and-gold robe. "Here." She held it out to Oswald, who stared at it as one would a sack of diamonds. "The Master hasn't worn this in a while, so I suppose he won't mind." She didn't mention that she'd saved up on her salary for months to buy it for him. Oswald broke into a wide smile as he collected it, holding it up in admiration. "This is...the most beautiful article of clothing I've ever seen."

"It will definitely be the warmest." Ruby couldn't help bragging, encouraged by his words. "It's a mix of linen, wool, and cloth. Soft on the skin but keeps the cold out."

"I..." Oswald looked up to her with his icy-blue eyes. There was nothing cold about them. Ruby couldn't look directly at them, so she focused on his forehead. It looked just like Master's: wide, but not too much. In fact, now that she had a better look, he did resemble Master a bit. The same heart-shaped face, with the slightly pointed chin. The same big ears. The same thin, yet rosy lips...

Ruby snapped herself back to reality. She should not be thinking about lips. Especially this guy's lips.

"Thank you." Oswald smiled. "All of this," he gestured to the bathroom, "is more than I ever hoped for."

Ruby smiled faintly. Followed his hand to the restroom. "It is lovely, isn't it?" The bathroom, which was roughly the size of some bedrooms, was carved entirely out of white marble with pale pink veins. Several candelabras cast the space in a soft, warm glow. A large mirror, with a frame cut from mother-of-pearl, hung directly in front of the bathtub, which could easily hold a bear.

Speaking of which...

Ruby twisted one of the tub's golden knobs. Hot water burst from the faucet, sloshing against the tub's porcelain floor. Pushing some hair out of her eyes, Ruby sat down and watched the water rise. Every now and then, she sprinkled the flow with rosewater and bubbles. Oswald was quiet the entire time, which Ruby was grateful for. She had no idea what to say had he tried to chat. Finally, when the tub was filled, Ruby turned back to Oswald. He gave her a bright, trusting smile that easily belonged to a child. "Okay," Ruby softened her tone, "enjoy your bath, and you can join the master for a...well, late lunch, in the west tea room once you're done."

"Where's that?" A confused Oswald asked.

"Oh!" Ruby blushed, looking away. "Sorry, I forgot you don't know your way around, so..." She glanced at her wristwatch. "Okay, how about I come back in, say, an hour? Will you be done by then?"

"Yes." Oswald smiled brightly. "Thank you...Ruby, is it?"

Why did her name suddenly sound so much prettier? She was blushing so much it almost hurt. "Y-y-yes. And don't worry, just doing my job." She gave a bow. "Have a nice bath, sir."

"Oh, Oswald." He placed a hand on his chest. "Please."

Ruby lingered. Smiling timidly. Nodded. "Oswald. Okay." With that, she headed for the door. She'd almost made it out when Oswald called out to her. "Hey!"

Ruby turned.

"I just want you to know that," Oswald scratched his ear, suddenly bashful, "I think your hair's nicer just the way it is."

Ruby froze. Stood there. Stared at Oswald, waiting for the catch. He just returned her glance, never blinking or looking away. After a long moment, a smile spread across her face. "That's...really kind of you." She said. Bowed once more. "Enjoy your bath...Oswald."

"I will." Oswald assured her. "Thank you!"

For the next hour, Oswald splashed and played in his bath, blowing up bubbles and scrubbing the filth away. He was just like a child, having fun in the tub without a care in the world. Ruby respectfully stayed on the other side of the door, hands folded behind her back. But as she listened to him laugh, she smiled.