"Before we start, I have a private matter to discuss with you two."

Lily, Grell, and Viscount Druitt were in the parlor. Lily said, "I will allow you both to be in the play if you do something for me."

"Why, Lady Athelward, how scandalous!" Viscount Druitt said, dramatically. "You are engaged!"

"I prefer tall, dark, and handsome men." Grell said.

Lily rubbed her forehead. "I didn't mean anything like that. I want information."

"Oh, I can tell you all about it," both of them said.

Lily tried not to lose her patience. "It has nothing to do with sex. I want to know how you two know each other and if you have any information about my parents' disappearance and my aunt and uncle's deaths. You will not be involved in the play if you aren't honest with me, and I won't let you leave until you tell me what I need to know."

Viscount Druitt said, seriously, "Meeting Grell was a chance encounter. He seemed like a nice fellow, so I offered for him to come to the party to make some extra money. As for your parents, all I know is something about one of your father's ships going to India. That's the last I heard about any of the Athelwards. I know nothing about the deaths of your aunt and uncle."

Lily nodded and looked at Grell. "Are you suggesting that I took part in the murders?" he asked, offended.

"I am saying nothing of the sort. I am simply asking what you know."

"Oh, I know a lot of things, but I can't tell you. It's against the rules as a reaper."

"I will give you anything that will be worth the punishment you'll face."

"Anything?"

"Yes."

"Then I want a night with Bassy to do whatever I want to him. Whatever I want." He grinned, showing his sharp teeth.

Infuriated, Lily slammed her fists on the table. "Never! I would never sell Sebastian or anyone else out like that!"

"Oh, my. It looks like someone is jealous. I guess you won't get information, then."

"I'll assume you had something to do with all of this." Lily walked to a suit of armor and pulled out a sword. She pointed it toward Grell, and Viscount Druitt ran out of the room.

"You really think you can kill me with that?"

"No, but I can damage that pretty face of yours. I don't want to." She lowered the sword a bit. "I just want to know what has happened to my family. Is that a bad thing to ask? I don't want to fight you. Please, Grell. Any information will help."

"Alright, but only since you are so pathetic and I'm not in the mood for a fight. I can tell you that your parents aren't dead and that the same person was involved in both your aunt and uncle's deaths. And no, it wasn't me. You're the only one out of your family that I have an issue with."

"I apologize. I don't like conflict."

"Well, if you won't give me Bassy for a day, at least give me a part in the play. I live for the theater."

"Of course. We need all the help we can, anyway."

"I am so excited! This will be my big break!"

Lily put the sword away. Once again, she was left with more questions than answers. She couldn't think about that now; all of the actors were in another room, ready to begin practicing.

First, the actors needed training before they could begin reading the script. Even with Sebastian as the teacher, things did not go well at all. Everyone was too distracted to focus, but eventually, Sebastian kept them in line.

Then it was time to read the script.

For that night, they only rehearsed everyone's main scenes. When they got to the balcony scene, Lily grimaced. Walter and she stood across from each other. It was Lily's turn to go first. She stared at her lines, then spoke. " O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet."

Her voice held no emotion. Sebastian frowned, but Walter just spoke his next lines. "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a 's Montague? it is nor hand-"

Sebastian interrupted. "This will not do. This scene is filled with passion, something you both aren't putting into your acting."

Lily was enjoying the lessons and was actually somewhat good at them, but doing the romantic scenes killed her enthusiasm.

"You all must put your heart and soul into your acting. You must become your character. Let me show you." He stood in front of Lily while Walter stood to the side. With passion, Sebastian recited, " But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!"

By the time Sebastian was finished with the monologue, his face was less than an inch away from Lily's. They looked into each others' eyes, and Lily was breathing, heavily. Sebastian walked away, then turned toward Walter and Lily. "That is how it should be done," the butler said. Walter was frowning, but Lily didn't notice.

Grell fawned over Sebastian's acting ability, but Sebastian ignored the reaper and went on with the lessons.

After weeks of practicing, the night of the performance finally arrived. Everyone stood backstage as the auditorium filled up. "This is riveting!" Finny said, shaking with excitement.

Viscount Druitt almost swooned. "Here we are, getting ready for one of the biggest nights of our lives! How grand it is!"

All of the people backstage talked at once. "Everyone, settle down. The play is about to begin," Sebastian said.

The curtain rose, and from the opening scene onward, the whole thing was a mess. Sebastian, Walter, and Lily were the only ones who didn't stray from the script. Somehow, though, the play held together, and then came the tragic death scene at the end.

Walter, as Romeo, lay down, pretending to be dead. Lily knew Juliet was to be devastated, but she felt nothing toward the one laying in front of her. " O happy dagger!" she said, then paused after picking up the fake dagger. She looked at it, then herself. She knew what she had to say. She had become Juliet for a short time, but she still knew who she really was, and who the man in front of her really was. She could not stab herself. Her life wasn't worth ending because of this man.

Lily looked up and saw Sebastian out of the corner of her eye. He was standing at the side of the stage, hidden from the audience. He looked at her. Everyone but Walter looked at her. Lily's eyes only focused on Sebastian. She then held the dagger in the air with the tip aimed at her chest. "This is thy sheath." She pretended to stab herself. Softly, she spoke her last line. "There rust, and let me die."

When the last curtain fell, the audience roared with applause. Lily was surprised. The performance did not go as it was supposed to, yet it was a success. She supposed that was all that was important. She stood proudly with the other cast and crew members and bowed with them. For one night, real life was put on hold and replaced with a world of fantasy.