"What excuse should I make?" Lily asked, drinking her tea in the parlor. "I simply cannot just show up at the Viscount's for no reason."

"Yes, being straightforward may not be the best idea. You tend to use that strategy, my lady," said Sebastian as he set a plate of sweets in front of her.

"It is a part of my personality; it can't be helped. However, you are right; I must tread carefully." Lily looked at the tray of sweets. "Sebastian, I order you to bring the other three servants in here."

The butler bowed. "Yes, my lady."

Soon, the maid, gardener, and cook were in the parlor with them. Lily looked at them above her cup. "All of you, sit down, including Sebastian."

All of them sat down, and Lily motioned toward the tray of sweets. "Help yourselves."

The servants stared at her, perplexed. "You want us to eat with you?" Finny asked.

Lily nodded. "You four work so hard, and I want to be generous. Besides, I would like to have pleasant company surrounding me at the moment."

"This is taboo, yes it is," said Mey-Rin, shocked.

Bard said, "Lady Lillith gave us an order, so let's eat!"

As the three eagerly grabbed some pastries, Sebastian said, "Your generosity knows no bounds, mistress."

Lily nodded. She relaxed and smiled as she looked at her servants. They seemed so happy. She saw something out of the corner of her eye and frowned. "When you're all done, get rid of the roaches."

"Roaches?"

Lily pointed to the other side of the room. "Cockroaches. I saw a few scurrying around."

Bard immediately stood up. "We'll take care of them, my lady! They don't stand a chance!"

Lily sighed as the three got up and ran to get rid of the roaches. As soon as they left the room, she said, "One of the last things the manor needs is an infestation."

"I haven't seen any cockroaches, my lady."

"They probably just showed up. It must be dealt with before it gets worse."

"Indeed. Now, back to the other matter at hand. You could say that you have business with him. I can set the stage for that."

Lily put down her cup. "Sebastian, you are a genius."

"I hardly think that-"

"The Viscount is known to like theater. Perhaps he would agree to be in a play, one that I could put on."
"Why would you want to do that? It seems like a lot of trouble."

"Come now, Sebastian. It sounds like fun. I could donate the money to a charity. Perhaps if I flatter the Viscount enough, he will agree to tell me anything I want to know. This is the best idea you've ever had."

"But it wasn't-"

"Don't be so modest. Oh, this is so exciting! I have never put on a play before!"

"Wouldn't it be simpler just to hire a troupe?"

"Perhaps, but let me have my fun and live my life…while I can."

"If you wish," Sebastian said, bowing. "But who will be the actors and stagehands."

"The five of us, and any volunteers."

"Oh, dear. My lady…"

"What? Are you telling me you can't help with this?"

"Of course I can. If I couldn't put on a play, what kind of butler would I be?"

"We will be doing Romeo and Juliet," Lily said to her servants, Visount Druitt, Walter, and the Undertaker. "and the sales from the tickets will be donated to the homeless shelter."

Walter raised his eyebrow. "Wouldn't it be better just to keep the money?"

Before Lily could respond, the Viscount said, dramatically, "Romeo and Juliet! The most romantic of all plays! Such a masterpiece!"

Lily nodded. "Yes. Now, we need to figure out who will be doing what. Bard, Mey-Rin, could you be the stagehands?"

"Of course, my lady."

"Now for the parts. Hmm…It seems that I am the only other woman, so I'll have to be Juliet."

"What are you talking about? I would be better qualified. I am an actress, after all."

Everyone turned toward the voice. Grell was standing in the room. Lily immediately stood up and grabbed a candlestick in the parlor. She stood in front of him, ready to hit him if she needed to. "What do you want?"

"Oh, don't be so hostile. I'm over what happened the other night. Let's let bygones be bygones. What do you say?" He winked at Sebastian, who grimaced.

Lily frowned. "I suppose. Alright, take a seat." As soon as Grell did, she continued. "Anyway, we have to assign parts. I'll be Juliet. Finny, you can be the narrator. Undertaker, you can be the friar. Viscount Druitt, you can be Romeo's father. Grell, you can be Juliet's mother."

Immediately, the Viscount and Grell complained about their parts. Lily simply said, "We'll work something out."

"Well, if you're going to be Juliet, then I have to be Romeo," Walter stated.

Lily looked less than thrilled. Sebastian said, "Forgive me, Lord Walter, but concerning theater, parts are not given based on the relationships with the other actors."

"Then, I shall prove that I am best suited for the part."

Lily was exasperated, but did not feel like dealing with it at the moment. Sebastian said, "Then I shall be Paris."

Unhappily, Lily said, "So, we have all the parts assigned. Let's start preparing."