Chapter 5

Ruby stood by the wall, hands folded behind her back. After saluting Oswald, and wishing him luck, she'd barely had time to dress for dinner. Of course, it was a trifle matter. No one would be looking at her. Most of the family would barely notice she was there at all. But she still liked to look as nice as her homely status allowed. In the end, she chose a holly blue agate necklace, the sharp stones the color of pale berries. Hanging from her ears were tear-shaped lapis lazulis, framed in silver. Ruby wore these last ones fondly. Her grandmother had left them to her when she'd died, nearly two decades ago. Even at that young age, Ruby had loved jewels. Shiny things in general.

The pleasant memory quickly soured when Ruby recalled what had happened immediately afterward. Her mother had gotten angry and upset that Grandma Sinclair had left such a valuable piece of jewelry to a mere child. Those were the words that Mommy Dearest had used: a mere child. Ruby had spent the rest of the night crying. Then, as if to punish the girl for her grandma's choice, Mom had starved Ruby for a whole day. No food, no water. The next morning, Ruby had gulped down expired milk and sour grape juice like they were ambrosia.

Ruby snapped herself back to reality just as the door opened. Oswald appeared, the white rose glowing softly in the candelight. His face, as white as polished ivory, was a mixture of anxiety and hope. Icy-blue eyes shone like frozen sapphires. There was a gentleness in his features, a sheer need to please, that was painful to look at. Oswald felt her eyes, broke out into a grin, and waved like a child on a roller coaster. Blushing Ruby returned the gesture. Then, as her status demanded, she gave him a small bow.

Their brief moment was destroyed when Grace waltzed in. Ruby's smile melted like putty from her round, chinless face. Grace wasn't necessarily an ugly woman. Yes, she was in her forties, and a bit chunky, but not bad. She had smooth, golden skin and shiny brown hair always collected in a bun. Her lips were full, and her fashion taste was sophisticated. Tonight, she wore a black dress and a diamond necklace framed in onyx. Grace would have been almost beautiful if it hadn't been for her eyes: small and beady, like a rodent's. Cruel, just like her children's.

"Hello." She smiled welcomingly at Oswald. "You must be Elijiah's...son."

Ruby sensed that Grace had been thinking of any word except for the one she picked. Oswald didn't notice. "Yes, I am!" He collected Grace's hand, well-manicured and soft, and kissed her knuckles. A true gentleman. Ruby felt a hot fork stab her nerves. "You must be Grace. You're even more beautiful than I imagined."

"Stop it, you charmer." Grace was still smiling, but her simper didn't reach her eyes. "Please," she gestured to the table, "sit."

Oswald was so pleased, so flustered, you'd think he was speaking to the queen of England. "Thank you." He sat down, quickly scooting close to the table. Whipping out the cloth napkin, he spread it across his lap. Then, he adjusted the white rose in his pocket. He turned to Ruby, who felt her breath freeze in her throat. They shared a secret smile.

"Well?" Grace sat down in her usual spot - at the head of the table. Her tone had gone vinegary as she turned to Ruby. "What're you waiting for? Ring the bell."

"Uh, right." Ruby cleared her throat. Embaressement bled into her cheeks. Walking to the large brass bell nailed into the wall, she rung it once. Twice. Thrice.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

A moment later, Ruby heard footsteps rumbling down the steps. "Everyone's on their way, Madame." She bowed.

"Hmm." Grace poured herself a glass of wine. "You're awfully chatty this evening."

Ruby was still bowing. Good. Her entire face was on fire. Oswald glanced between his stepmother and...new servant, unsure of what to think. Help came in the form of Sasha and Charles, groaning about how hungry they were. For the first time, Ruby was grateful for their presence. At least they were able to distract their mother long enough. Ruby watched, silent as the drapes behind her, as Sasha and Charles introduced themselves to Oswald. They were ear-to-ear smiles, talking as sweetly as songbirds and complementing him. It turned Ruby's stomach.

But where was the Master?

"Where's Father?" Oswald asked worriedly. "Is he alright?"

"Yes, my dear, don't worry." Grace stroked Oswald's hand as though they'd known each other for years. "Your father, you see..." She paused dramatically, "His health has seen better days, and sometimes the medicines make him tired."

The concern amplified on Oswald's face. His eyes widened, his lips parted, and his already pale skin went fish belly-white. Ruby could tell how natural he was being, without a mental script or higher purpose. "Oh." Oswald swallowed. Reached for his glass and drained its water in one gulp. Ruby wanted to say some word of comfort, but her position would never have allowed it. Not in front of these leeches. Whenever they were around, whatever bending of the rules Ruby allowed herself vanished. Doing otherwise would have been giving them ammunition.

Oswald, on the other hand, felt like ants were crawling in his stomach, nipping and clawing. He had only known his father for a few hours, but he already felt close to the older man. Elijiah had spoken tenderly of Oswald's dear mother, speaking of their romance blossoming when Elijiah had been a young boy and Gertrud had been a cook. Oswald's grandparents had forbidden their romance, and shortly after Elijiah had threatened to run away with Gertrude, they'd sent her away. What none of them had ever suspected was that, deep inside Gertrud's warm womb, a tiny seed had been planted. The seed of life that was now sitting in a luscious dining room, dressed in an expensive suit and hoping to start anew.

Foosteps clambored towards the dining hall. Determined. Precise.

"Here he comes!" Grace rose from her seat. Clapping her hands, she sent the other maids into the kitchen. "You," she turned to Ruby, "be ready. Shoulders squared," she adjusted Ruby's shoulders, causing a wince, "mind cleared," she flicked Ruby's forehead, "and back straight!" She slapped Ruby's spine. Oswald stared, horrified, while Charles and Sasha chuckled. Ruby grumbled but did as she was told.

In that moment, Master walked in. His face was a bit white and damp, but other than that he was as elegant as ever.

"Father!" Oswald raised his voice, "Ruby was-"

Icy-blue met deep indigo. Ruby shook her head ever so slightly. Oswald understood. He pressed his lips together, albeit reluctantly.

"Yes, my boy?" Master asked warmly, clearly worried, "Is something the matter?" Charles, Sasha, and Grace were as still as trees, their eyes following their guest.

Oswald glanced at Ruby. Her expression was firm. Don't. He looked anything but happy about it. Yet he nevertheless changed the subject. "Ruby was...very kind to me today."

Ruby blinked. Blushed. Looked away.

"Ah, I know." Master said kindly, taking his place at the other head of the table. "I assigned her to you for that very reason. She has been here for many years. Almost a decade, in fact. If it hadn't been for her, I doubt the house would be as pristine as it is now."

Ruby hid a smile behind her palm. As if on cue, the other maids emerged from the kitchen. Each carried a steaming dish of lamb chops, greens, and mashed potatoes. Ruby grimaced behind her impassive mask. Thankful that she had her own dinner, wrapped up in aluminum foil, waiting for her in the kitchen. Once all of the plates had been placed before the family, Ruby stepped forward. Selecting a second bottle of wine - white, this time - she uncorked it with a bread knife. Then, one by one, she poured each one's glass except for the Master's. His health problem forbade alcohol consumption. Not for the first time, a knot of worry floated in Ruby's stomach.

"That will be all." Grace clapped her hands twice. Ruby internally sighed, set the bottle on the table, and returned to her post.

Half an hour later, the plates had been cleared. Dessert, vanilla custard, was served. All of the servants, but Ruby, had been dismissed. The serving girl herself was struggling to stay awake, given how boring the conversation was. First, Sasha prattled about some shoes she'd seen in the store. Then, Grace had discussed some dull affairs that Ruby had barely paid attention to. Oswald himself hardly spoke. Rather, he sat there, absorbing everything being told like a happy little sponge. Ruby liked watching him. He looked so enraptured now, as he listened to Charles' claim of seeing a ghost.

"There, clear as day," he said, "a ghost. She was a pale woman in a long, black dress." He gestured to the space between himself and Oswald. "She was this close."

"What did you do?" Oswald asked, entranced.

"Oh, I ran away screaming, of course!" Charles exclaimed, triggering laughter throughout the table. Ruby rolled her eyes, of course holding her tongue. She had known Charles long enough to know how he loved attention. He and Sasha had this much in common. Besides, Ruby had spent more time here than he and his dim-witted family, and she had never seen anything of the sort.

"Do you believe in ghosts, Oswald?" Grace asked.

Oswald looked somewhat bashful as he replied, "Yes, I do. I've seen them." Ruby quirked a pallid eyebrow, interested. Master spoke up, "This house has several of them." Ruby smiled, already knowing where this was going. He had talked of this matter shortly after Ruby had moved in, her maid's uniform ironed and waiting. She had found it silly then, and she found it silly now. Oswald, on the other hand, was staring at his father with eyes the size of kiwis.

"But don't worry, they're all quite friendly." Master smiled. It was times like these that it was hard to tell if he was joking or not. He always spoke with such a warm, kind, caring tone, that Ruby could never see him lying. The only time Master had ever jested with her had been on her first morning serving him breakfast. He'd eyed the eggs, bacon, and hash browns she'd slaved over, and claimed that he was watching his weight. Ruby had stared at him, stunned, before Master down into laughter. The two had chortled together, and Master had invited her to eat her breakfast with him.

"Don't listen to him." Grace advised Oswald. "There are no ghosts here." She fed her dog a chunk of lamb she'd been saving in her napkin. Stroked the hound as it chewed. Ruby grimaced.

"Oh, there's ghosts, all right." Master insisted. "This house was built by my grandfather. He died here. His wife, and two sisters also passed away upstairs." He spoke of these matters airily, as though they were simple facts of life. That was something Ruby had always admired about Master. He didn't shy away from harsher realities than the one he'd been exposed to. People lived. People died. Everyone's turn would come sooner or later, so why quake in your boots in anticipation?

"And my poor dear parents." Master finished. "Yes. Many ghosts."

An awkward silence cloaked the table. The only noise at all came from the same violin concerto that Grace had Ruby put every night. Ruby was sick to death of it even though she adored the violin. But in that moment, it was comforting. Seeing Sasha, Charles, and Grace with their feathers ruffled was welcomed as well. Oswald looked seriously uncomfortable for a moment. But then, he swiftly changed the subject with a soft, innocent, "How did you two meet?"

Oh, spare me. Ruby folded her arms.

"That's a boring story," Grace said dismissively, almost with embarressement, "really, I-"

"No, let me tell it, dear." Master said kindly. Ruby pinched the bridge of her nose, keeping it in. She swiped a stray lock out of her eyes just in time to hear the story...again.

"After my mother died, I sat alone in this house for months. Barely got out of bed, in fact." Master, again, spoke factually with no exaggeration. He made it sound bad, but Ruby had been there. It had been dreadful seeing her employer waste away, the meals she'd leave in front of his door untouched. She had been forced to bathe and shave Master when he'd gotten too depressed to do it himself. After a while, it had felt like she'd been serving the living dead. Still she had refused to leave.

"Then, with Ruby's encouragement," Master gestured to the handmaid, transferring all eyes on her, "I began to leave the house. Finally, I found a diner not too far from here. I'd go there every day at the same time, order the same thing."

"Chicken soup with a side salad." Grace quoted begrudgingly. Ruby internally smirked. It must have stung Grace to remember what she had been before the Master's generosity had brought her here. As the saying goes, the monkey that wears a dress is nevertheless a monkey.

Oswald, meanwhile, was listening with sparkling eyes and a big smile.

"Grace was my waitress." Master said fondly, looking at the woman as one would a Greek goddess. "and I grew very fond of her. She told me of her two poor children, Sasha and Charles, and how they suffered at the hands of their abusive father."

Sasha and Charles looked away. No doubt remembering what they were hiding beneath those fine clothes. Ruby already knew about the scars. Had seen them once or twice during the summer.

"I had to help." Master continued. "I offered her refuge, and she accepted."

Of course she did, Ruby thought bitterly.

"And this house heard laughter once again." Master smiled fondly at - ugh - his wife. "Then, one thing led to another. Love blossomed. And here we are." Master turned to his son once more, completely content. It both hurt and pleased Ruby to see that smile. Master deserved a woman who loved him truly, two children that called him 'Father' without asking for money at the end of a statement. Instead, he'd gotten...this. It was almost a blessing that Master couldn't see it.

"But you are my only true-blood relative, Oswald." Master told the young man. Oswald, in return, grinned sheepishly. There was a moment between the two men. Two who had found light at the end of a tunnel. Two who had only just met, but might as well have known each other for years. It was a father-son moment.

And Sasha didn't like it. Her champagne glass shattered in her fist. Everyone jumped, even the dog. Oswald gasped.

"Oh, my poor dear!" Master exclaimed. "Are you hurt at all?"

"No, no." Sasha smiled. Behind that simper, Ruby saw the remnants of a sneer. "I'm fine."

"Clumsy girl." Grace remarked. She, too, was hiding anger. Oswald seemed to sense that something was off, but did not know what to make of it.

Master did. He held up his glass. "To family."

Everyone echoed his words, Oswald with the most enthusiasm, and their glasses clinked. The 'family' continued to dine, and Ruby continued to watch with alert.