Chapter 8: The Daffodil

Rachel stared back at him, stunned. "U-undertaker…" She breathed out his name softly. Her body rose of its own volition, her mind too stunned to control it. A moment before she was cursing this demon, now she was falling into his arms. "Oh, what have we done? What have we done?" Rachel cried, shaking her head against his chest. The mortician smiled, saying nothing but wrapping his arms around the frail woman. He rested his head atop hers, his lips placed a small kiss against her golden hair.

"Humans are such fickle creatures…" He murmured, low against her hair so that the words found themselves tangled in her hair and could not find their way to her ears. "It's alright, dear." He spoked louder.

"But it's not—"

"Of course it is. We've done nothing wrong, after all." Rachel rose her head quickly, pushing his lean body just far enough away so she could look up at him, to see if those were truly the lips that had spoken such a ridiculous sentence.

"I've betrayed my husband!" Rachel exclaimed, forgetting for a moment the weight of the words she spoke. They hung thick in the air around them, an unspeakable sin set free from Pandora's Box. Rachel's head fell upon realizing what she had admitted. It was true. She had betrayed her husband. She had betrayed her family. She had betrayed God. The mortician simply smiled back at her, that beguiling smile that turned her stomach and set her body aflame all at once.

"Tsk, tsk… How so? We haven't had sex after all—"

"Shh!" Panicked, Rachel jumped to cover his mouth with her hand. How could he say such a vulgar thing? Did he not know how quickly the wind carried words in this mansion? Even though she herself had just spoken so carelessly… If the servants were to ever find out… If anyone were to ever find out…

The mortician reached up and grabbed her hand. Gently caressing it with his thumb, he guided it to rest on his cheek. He tilted his head against it and Rachel could see through silver strands that he had closed his eyes as if he were delighting in the feeling of her skin against his. Neither of them spoke. After a moment the mortician turned his head to place a gentle kiss against her palm.

Rachel was undone. She was a mere human, a mere woman, at that. Weak in heart and conviction. Weak in body and mind. What battle could she wage against the demons that surrounded her? What hope had she to resist such an enticing trap? Just the night before, had she not resolved to surrender herself to him while she sat in her bath? As Maude had spoken so bluntly: she was only human, too weak to defend herself against him. With just one, simple kiss, she was ready for him to bridge the gap between the two things she wanted most. She was ready for him to warp reality to his will and to calm her hysteric mind. She looked up at him with questioning eyes, ready for him to deceive her. When he spoke again his voice was lower, as if he had caught on to what Rachel was frightened of.

"We've consummated no relation, not the way a husband and wife do." He spoke so certainly, so kindly to her. "I simply helped you with your affliction the best way I knew how, under the circumstances…" He released her hand and held his in the air, showing her the long, black nails that adorned his skeletal fingers. He let out a chuckle. "Such a nasty, nasty bout of hysteria you had. Poor thing, to think it would drive you all the way to East End… That's no place for a lady such as yourself…" Rachel held her breath, drinking in every word he spoke to her.

"I… " She breathed. "We…" Undertaker closed the distance between them, placing a hand on either side of her face and placing a faint kiss on her forward.

"Such a precious woman… Such a flawed woman…" Just as Rachel was finding comfort in his touch, it disappeared. She hadn't noticed she had closed her eyes, but when she opened them he was on the other side of the room. "I'm glad to see you're doing alright. I'll be sure to return to keep that illness of yours at bay, lest you venture out into that cold, scary world again, ihihihihi…."

"W-wait!" But her words had reached him a moment too late. He was gone. How could this man enter and leave her home so freely? Surely the servants had seen him. Another man… Alone in the mansion with her. She had to find a way to explain it. Rachel continued to stand in the room, staring at the place he once stood. Against her better judgment, she wished he was still there, reassuring her. What he said was true. They had not known each other as a husband knows a wife, not the way a wife must know her husband in order to bear him children. He had seen her body, he had touched her most intimate area, but she would never bear him a child. She swore to herself she wouldn't. Despite this sentiment, the shame still remained. Though, not as strong and crippling as it had been before. Rachel walked out of the room into the empty hallway. As she walked to the end of the hall she was stopped by one of the servants.

"Lady Phantomhive!" The maid exclaimed, a look of relief washing over her face. "Thank goodness we've found you. Lady Bellamy had told us you took ill and ran from her. Are you feeling alright?"

"I… Ah, yes. I'm sorry. I'm fine now." How could she have forgotten about Maude already? That man had a way of scrambling her thoughts, but she certainly didn't resent him for it.

"M'lady… We were so worried. I know it is not our place to do so, but Abigail had phoned the Earl Phantomhive…" In that instant, Rachel's world froze. Her body had turned to stone. She stood watching the maid, eyes wide in terror. It felt as though she were underwater, sinking and unable to stop herself. Water filled her lungs as she watched herself drift away from everything that was important to her. The maid's voice still reached her, but muffled and fading in and out. "…strange behavior…. Worried… return…" The world above the water was whirling above her. The water was clouding her vision and freezing her blood. She opened her mouth in one final attempt to breathe in something other than the water, and then everything went black.

"You must leave…"

Rachel stood in the garden, hands clasped tightly in front of her bare chest. The flowers were wilting. The dill had come back. It was overgrown and strangling the flowers. She watched as they died in front of her. She was helpless, but desperate to save them. She reached out a hand, for a moment believing that if she could just pull the dill away -its repulsive flowers blooming like sores, it's stems reaching out like arteries feeding a beast- she could save her precious garden.

"Just leave…"

But as she touched the plant, its flowers burst and its limbs attached themselves to her like a vine. Rachel opened her mouth but could not scream. Her feet shuffled back but her body would not move. She violently yanked her arm back and was able to save herself, but the remains of the dill plant still sat on her skin. In horror, Rachel watched as the plant burrowed underneath her skin, joining themselves with her veins and disappeared as they changed color to match her body. She scuttled away from the flowers and left them to their fate.

"Just leave, Rachel. There's no helping them now."

That voice, she could never forget that voice. Rachel fell to the ground and turned its source. There he stood, as handsome as the day she first met him. He looked down at her with the same calm, controlled smile he always wore. Whatever he hid behind that smile, she never wanted to know.

"Vincent…"

"It's time to go."

"Go… where?"

Vincent shrugged nonchalantly. "Away from here. It doesn't matter where you choose to go. But you can't remain here."

"W-why? Our garden… I have to save our garden…"

"You can't save it."

"Why!?"

Vincent walked over to her, a slow, leisurely stroll that betrayed no sense of hostility, urgency, or irritation. He stopped next to her. He did not look down at her but at the dill that was blooming.

"You planted the wrong plant."

"No! I never—"

"Yes you did. Don't lie to me Rachel." He looked down at her, his smile unchanging, his olive eyes flickering with amusement. "You planted it, and you nurtured it with every thought you had of him. I should have known… You can't eat flowers after all… But dill… That was the spice you were after—"

"Vincent, please!" Rachel cried, her heart too weak to allow her body to rise. "Please! Please try to understand—"

"You must leave now" He knelt down and place a hand on her naked shoulder. "There's nothing left here." He stood up and began to walk away.

"Vincent, Vincent!" Rachel desperately called out to him. Her legs still refused to move. She began to crawl towards him, but it was as though every inch she moved pushed him even farther away. "Vincent!"

When Rachel awoke she was in her bed. Light still filtered in through the window, but it was softer, as though the day itself was drifting off to sleep. The room was empty, but Rachel could hear voices on the other side of the door. As she become more alert, she could make out the voices more clearly. One voice, loud, shrill, and frantic, belonged to Anne.

"…hit her head? Did she hit her head?"

"No, ah, Tanaka was able to catch her…"

"We must take her to the hospital—" The word hospital grated against Rachel's ears. The syllables were sharp and hideous.

"No!" She shouted, sitting up in her bed. Anne and the maid from earlier quickly ran in.

"Rachel—"

"No. It's fine. Anne, I'm fine. I'm so sorry, dear sister—"

"Don't apologize—"

"No, no this is all my fault. I sincerely do apologize. I haven't… I haven't been as careful as I should have been. Please, I truly am fine."

"But…"

"Unfortunately, fainting is a common affliction for ladies." Rachel smiled and forced out a weak chuckle. How it struggled to find its way out of her lips, it would have been better if she had never tried to fake a laugh at all. Her smiled quickly faded, and she looked down to where her hands rested in her lap. "I… I foolishly thought… pushing myself would strengthen my body-"

"How could you think that!" Anne shouted, taking a step forward. Her beautiful youthful face was contorted into a scowl, and though she tried to hide her sorrow with anger, Rachel could still see it. She wanted to cry. The maid placed a hand on Anne's shoulder and she relaxed.

"I'm sorry… I'll listen to you. Please, ah, please give me the medication you recommended…" Rachel struggled to smile, but her lips trembled and refused to take the shape. "Just… just give me a few days of bed rest, and I'll be fine, I promise."

"Will you really?" Anne asked, her voice was softer, gentler.

"Yes, dearest sister." Rachel turned to look at the maid. "And about Abigail's call to Vincent."

"T-the Earl Phantomhive gives his sincerest apologies. He is unfortunately unable to return just yet—"

"That's fine. You call him back and tell him not to worry about me. And bring Abigail here, I have a word or two to say to her."

"Don't take it out on Abigail," Anne interjected. "She did the right thing, Rachel. You fainted. Luckily you hadn't hit anything. But what if it ended up worse?" Rachel's gaze fell again.

"I just didn't want him to worry… His work is so stressful and…"

"It's fine. I'll… I'll let Vincent know."

"Diederich will be visiting," The maid added.

"Diederich!?" Rachel yelped. "Why would he send him…"

"Diederich is a close friend of Vincent's after all. I'm sure he just wants someone who is close to him to make sure you are alright…"

"But still…" To send a man to check on his wife… As much as she loved Vincent, she couldn't always understand his way of thinking. But, who was she to question her husband? Especially since she proved negligent of formal etiquette herself.

"It is odd, I do agree Lady Phantomhive." The maid responded. "But, we must respect Earl Phantomhive's wishes."

"Yes… yes, I agree."

"Please do not fret, Abigail and I will be in the room with you."

"Yes," Rachel smiled effortlessly. "Thank you."

"I'll… I'll grab your medication." Anne said, leaving the room. Rachel nodded.

"Thank you." She turned back to the maid. "When will Diederich be arriving?"

"Very soon, my lady."

"A-alright…"

When Anne returned she placed a small box carved of oak on Rachel's nightstand. The box was wrapped with black crepe paper which formed a delicate bow at the top. The sun had all but vanished behind the forest outside. The maid had left after opening the windows, and a cool gentle breeze wafted into the room.

"Vincent doesn't have to know," Anne said suddenly. She was referring to Rachel's previous shock at the suggestion, but Rachel's mind went somewhere else. "It's… It's fine to keep some secrets, Rachel." Rachel's heart stopped for an instant. Her breath caught in her throat. She never expected to hear such a thing from her sister. "After all, a husband doesn't have to know everything about his wife, not everything she does to stay beautiful to him. As long as you are healthy Rachel. As long as you are healthy and able to serve as his wife for many more years, it's fine."

Anne was not aware of the weight of her words. The redhead lifted the box again, placed it on the ground, and with one swift push it disappeared underneath the nightstand. "It will be our secret." She put a finger to her lips and winked. Rachel let out a genuine laugh that filled the room.

"Alright, alright. Thank you Anne."

"Of course," Anne rose and stood still for a moment before collapsing onto the bed and wrapping her arms around Rachel. "Please don't scare us like that again."

"I won't. I promise." Anne pulled away and stood back up.

"I'm sorry, I have to go back to the hospital."

"I understand. Thank you, Anne. For everything." Anne nodded, a look of worry still on her face. As she was leaving the room Abigail, Diederich, and the maid were entering. Anne's cheeks exploded into multiple shades of red as she stuttered out a greeting. Diederich grunted in response, not even bothering to meet her eyes. Rachel chuckled at her sister's timidity. It was adorable. How Anne had not found herself a husband yet she could never understand. Rachel knew if it was her she would have scooped Anne up in an instant. Her laughter stopped abruptly when Diederich came to stand at her bedside.

"Hello Diederich" He didn't answer immediately. With the same, stern look he always wore he silently examined her. She watched his dark green eyes scan over her before he finally answered, closing them.

"Hello Lady Phantomhive." He walked over to the chair in the corner and sat before looking impatiently at the maids. "No refreshments for your guests?"

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Abigail and the maid scurried away. Diederich looked back at Rachel.

"You okay?"

"Yes…"

"Are you really?" Rachel nodded. Diederich leaned back in the chair, his legs carelessly splayed out before him. "Vincent was worried sick."

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry, I never wanted to make him worry." Diederich nodded, obviously bored with the meeting. They sat in silence until the maids returned pushing a small cart of sandwiches, pastries, and tea. Diederich wasted no time digging in. "You should eat," He said to Rachel suddenly between mouthfuls of food. "Food's energy. You probably wouldn't have fainted if you had eaten enough." Rachel nodded politely.

"Yes, I will." Silence reclaimed the room again. Diederich was a close friend of Vincent's but to Rachel he was almost a stranger. He hardly ever spoke to her, except to say a short greeting or a short goodbye. He visited her more out of concern for Vincent than for her, she knew. Half a plate of food later Diederich stood up.

"Well, everything seems to be fine." He walked over to Rachel's bedside and looked her over once more, not daring to reach out a hand to check her temperature or pulse. "There's still color in your cheeks…" He muttered. "I'll be taking my leave then."

"Thank you, Diederich." He nodded back at her and turned to leave.

"Make sure you cook her a good meal tonight," He said flatly to the maids. "She can't be expected to fight this if she doesn't have the strength." The maids frantically nodded. Diederich looked over his shoulder back at Rachel. "Take care."

"Thank you, have a safe trip Diederich." Diederich nodded as he left the room, followed by one of the maids. Abigail stayed behind.

"Lady Phantomhive… I'm sorry, I—"

"It's fine, Abigail. I understand. But please, please don't worry so much." Abigail, with her hands behind her back, looked down at the floor shamefully.

"I'll fix you dinner. We will bring it to your room."

"Thank you," Abigail left, closing the door behind her and leaving Rachel alone with her thoughts. Rachel turned to look out of the window at the shadows of the trees that were abandoned by the sun. She thought back to what Anne had said, back to the mortician's words, back to Maude's smug smile. She was calling too much attention to herself. He already had her in his talons. Struggling against it would only make it worse. She had to get control of herself, or her sin will show itself to everyone. She closed her eyes, and before dinner arrived she had fallen asleep.