It's the day of the Gala and everyone is running at full speed as they set up one of the largest events of the year. Rin is trying to keep this place as organized as possible, however she figured out that it takes two to run this show. It isn't until Alex arrives and starts fixing things that Rin realizes how capable Alex is.

The Earl is watching the party being set up however he sees something familiar in Alex which raises the question who is this girl?

What will happen when Claude tells the Earl who she is?

Is Rin falling even further in love with Alex?

Who is the woman in the Midnight Blue Gown?

Why is Claude so distracted?

I hope you enjoy,

~The Dark Ringmaster

I do not own Kuroshitsuji.

Chapter 33: Curtain Call

The morning was complete chaos Rin had a hard time even keeping up, they spent the entire time on the Campbell Estate. Trucks were rolling in at different times, there were different incidents and naturally the Earl had his own business to conduct which made set up even more difficult. What was even worse was the fact that Rin had no idea where Alex was, something had happened with another contract and Alex was stuck dealing with it. "Where the hell do you want this?" called a delivery boy, Rin stared at the cases of wine and attempted to look through the pages of her planner. She was swarmed by delivery men who were complaining about how disorganized it was. She sighed, no matter how many times Alex ran through it oddly she couldn't concentrate. She was about to snap when she heard the click of heels and looked up, standing in a gray suite was an ocean blue eyed woman with short brown hair and a cupid's bow. Rin stared as Alex pulled out her tablet and said, "All right I need the wine in the cellar, leave the creates together, the china is going in the back and someone get that minivan out of the way so I can get the florist in here."

Rin was floored, it was as if they were afraid of her and they ran to work. Alex sighed as she looked over at Rin, she was in a black suit with a skirt. She couldn't believe that the woman in the gray suit was actually Alex, she stared and Alex walked over to her. "You should have called, that looked intense," she commented. Rin blushed and looked away, Alex was a different person in a suit and she noticed how well it was fitted. "The florist is here!" called one of the men from the front. Alex nodded and quickly walked through the foyer, the Earl and Lady Campbell had just returned from the hunt and noticed the guy with the head set in the foyer. "What the?" asked the Earl he was about to protest when he saw the flowers enter his home, "Oh my," whispered the Lady. The man was talking rapidly on his head set and was quick to gesture to the general direction the men were to move the flowers. Alex walked in and the man pointed to her. She seemed different and the pair watched as Alex held out her hand and smiled. "She really is a breath of fresh air most designers lack people skills," commented Lady Campbell.

The earl descended the stairs and waited patiently, "James we have the florists, Allen I need those lanterns hung and someone tell me where the electricians are I need to talk to them," she said. They watched as she tapped on her tablet, "This is quite impressive," commented the Earl. Alex turned to him and smiled, "I hope you don't mind the flowers coming in through this entry, the pots won't fit through the back," she said. The Earl stared at the plants and nodded, "I understand," he replied. He was about to turn away when he noticed something vaguely familiar, "I'm glad," she chimed, she noticed something over the Earl's shoulder, "James are those the banners?" she asked. He stared, Alex looked serious and as she looked over her shoulder she reminded him of someone. Those ocean blue eyes peering back innocently, her brown hair swaying and a bright smile across her lips. "Richard?" asked the Earl, his eyes widened. His wife was beside him and asked, "Dear?" The Earl's eyes narrowed and he looked at her, he swore he saw Richard's gaze it was warm and sweet with a hint of darkness. "Did Damien tell us what the name of the child Claude had was?" he asked skeptically. Lady Campbell looked at him curiously, she shook her head.

"I thought I saw Richard," he said after a moment, and Lady Campbell placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's been a chaotic day my dear," she whispered. The Earl was about to say something when he spotted Claude talking to the wine delivery boy. In seconds he was walking toward him, Claude looked in his direction and noticed the look of fury on his face. He sighed and said, "Here's the check I'll cover this personally." The Earl was standing before him and the delivery boy left the scene. "Is there an issue?" asked Claude and the Earl pointed to Alex. "Who is she really?" he asked bluntly. Claude looked at Alex and then back to the Earl it would appear that the blue eyes ran in the Campbell family as well as the hair. Claude paused and noticed the look in his eyes, it was as if he had been stabbed through the heart. "Let's talk in privet," said Claude smoothly. The Earl was about to argue when he noticed Alex had been looking in their direction. "I understand," replied the Earl and he lead Claude to his study.

"What was that about?" asked Rin and Sebastian replied, "I think we should focus on the party and leave the contract to Claude. Alex and Rin nodded as they ran off to finish with the garden. Sebastian's eyes narrowed as he watched the pair walk away, clearly something was amiss. "What are you up to?" asked Sebastian as he walked toward the dinning hall. It had been converted into an elegant display.

Alex sprinted through the hall way and Rin called, "One hour till guest Arrival!" Alex tossed a pair of keys to her and she caught them effortlessly, "Make sure the vans get out of the parking lot and into the back," she shouted as she dashed into the kitchen. Now was where it counted, Claude was standing in the kitchen and his eyes widened, "What the hell are you doing!" he questioned. Alex froze, for a moment she thought he was going to hit her. She winced unconsciously only to feel Claude turning her around, "Out you go, we have an hour and you aren't even dressed!" he shouted and Alex looked up. He seemed frustrated however a part of him was enjoying this. "Hurry up and get changed," said Claude as he went back into the kitchen she stared at the back of his black chef's jacket. She had never seen him wear something like it before and realized that he probably went to a culinary institute. Sebastian was at the end of the hall way and said, "Oh my looks like you aren't even ready, I sent Rin to get dressed not too long ago." Alex sighed and Sebastian smiled, "The evening is far from over," he placed a hand on her cheek and continued, "Let's get you ready." Alex nodded and fallowed him up the stairs she caught a glimps of Lady Campbell, she was in a beautiful white and silver dress.

They continued down the hall way until they arrived at the bed room and she noticed how large it was. It was very clear that the Campbell estate had a great deal of French influence in it's design however this was extravagant even for them. There was a massive canopied bed in the middle and a lot of space, it was beautiful however not as impressive as Shadow Pont. Sebastian slowly opened the wardrobe Alex gasped. He smiled as he pulled out the gown and then the shoes, with the jewelry and finally the clutch. "Would you like help getting ready?" he asked. Alex froze and realized he wasn't even ready. "Don't worry I can get dressed in record time, however I would love to help you with your makeup," he said sweetly. Alex sighed there was no way she could refuse him and she took a seat in front of the mirror. She closed her eyes and felt the gentle touch of a soft facial brush to her skin. "The dress reveals the shoulders, I will put make up on the scars to make them disappear," said Sebastian as she felt his fingers slowly turn her face. His movements were light and gentle as the brush moved over her skin. She felt safe in his hands as she felt him apply eye shadow and then bronzer. It was an unusual feeling and Sebastian whispered, "Open your eyes." She found herself gazing into a familiar pair of red orbs as he instructed, "Look up." She did so and she felt the pencil slide over the edge of her eye lids and realized he was putting eye liner on her. He reached behind himself and slowly pulled a neutral colored lipstick, Alex felt strange as he put it on and then applied the lip liner. He smiled and pulled a hair brush, Alex's hair was short however he knew he could make it seem as though it were longer. The brush slipped though her hair effortlessly and she felt him gently pin it back. There was a flicker of silver and she realized it was a hair accessory of some type. She closed her eyes and felt him tug at her shirt, "It's only your shoulders so you can leave your tank on," he said as Alex slipped out of the dress shirt. She felt a soft bush glide across her back as he covered the scars. "Finished," he said proudly. Alex opened her eyes however she didn't bother looking in the mirror, she simply walked over to the bed.

Sebastian took this as his sign to help her get the dress on, "You're lost in your thoughts," he said. Alex looked over her shoulder, he had managed to get her into the dress without a problem. "I'm just concerned," she replied, she closed her eyes as though she was about to silently pray when she heard the zipper of the dress. "Don't be, I'm certain it will be alright," he said simply. Alex smiled and nodded, she felt something rather heavy and cool wrap around her neck, it was hard and she slowly touched it. "Diamonds?" she asked hesitantly and looked up at him with concern. Sebastian snickered, his lips were curled in a smile and he whispered, "Don't worry about it, they've been in a box so long I thought it was time they saw the night." She snickered as he handed her a pair of long black silk gloves, they went half way up her bicep. As she slipped them on she felt Sebastian gently pick up one of her feet and slip them into the silver slippers. "Now for the mask," he said softly after slipping the other slipper on her foot. She closed her eyes and felt the touch of porcelain on her skin, it was comfortable and fit her face perfectly as he hid the strap in her hair. She opened her eyes and said, "Thank you." Sebastian nodded and disappeared, he was off to get into his tuxedo and she snickered. It wasn't until that moment that she finally realized that she would get to see the two demons in tuxedos and masks. The women at the gala were sure to go nuts with that sight.

Rin sighed as she waited at the bottom of the stairs; her long black hair was pulled back revealing her neck line and small shoulders. A black half mask was on her face, it was covered with feathers, Rin had selected it. Rin's body was covered in an long black dress with a red hue to it. It hung from her neck and had a plunging neck line which stopped at the tip of her sternum, her back was bear and the dress swooped to cover just enough so you couldn't see her bottom. Her back was perhaps one of the most beautiful things on her, she had tanned it and spent a great deal of time making sure it was muscled enough to keep a sleek shape but not too muscular A slit rose from the side which stopped midway at the hip and a short train. She wasn't wearing gloves and had an elegant pendent hanging from her neck. "I was nervous at first, however they have better taste then I thought," she commented. Claude and Sebastian entered and she stared. Claude was in a beautiful black tuxedo with a plum silk cravat rather than a tie and a pin in it of a spider. His hair was combed back and his rectangular glasses were gone as he wore a beautiful half mask, it was black with silver spider webs, his golden eyes stood out from the mask perfectly and Rin noticed that he was wearing white gloves and his waist coat was perfectly tailored. She hadn't seen anyone wear such a beautiful article in a long time, it was the same color as his cravat but with black accents, which made the gold spider pin stand out even more. A golden chain hung from his waste and she noticed a charm dangling from it. Sebastian was in black as well however his color of choice was very different, he had selected burgundy. She noticed his cravat was also silk however his pin was very different, it was a beautiful silver feather. His waist coat was black with dark burgundy accentuation, she stared at the silver pocket watch chain, and then looked at his pitch black coat, it was noticeable that Sebastian was significantly smaller than Claude. One of his black bangs was tucked behind his ear while the other was free, his mask was porcelain white with dark red details which made his eyes seem almost the color of wine. "I was right," she whispered, "Knock out."

The Earl and Lady were down stairs and standing with the group. They looked wonderful and were about to compliment Rin when they looked upstairs. Rin's lips which had been parted hung agape as she stared at the sight at the top of the stairs. Standing alone was a woman in midnight blue gown, it was a strapless dress with silver accents at the bottom, she stared as the woman moved. A silver mask covered her face, it was like nothing she had ever seen, it was covered with vines, her eyes seemed as though they were sapphires; a layer of black eye shadow was surrounding them which made her seem even more enigmatic. As she descended the staircase she noticed a pair of silver shoes slip out from under the dress. It was perfectly fitted, she could see the perfect hourglass figure under it, she had a rather large bust and beautiful white skin, which seemed to glow just a little. Rin felt her heart pound, wrapped around the woman's neck was a beautiful wreath of silver and diamonds, which sparkled effortlessly. Her fingers which were wrapped in black silk gloves trailed the railing and Rin was speechless. The Earl and his wife stared as Claude offered his hand to her, she bowed beautifully and accepted his hand. "Well done," he whispered. The woman smiled and responded, "Thank you." Rin knew this voice and was in shock, "Alex?" she asked and slowly reached to touch her arm. The woman turned to her and asked, "Yes?"

Sebastian was grinning and Claude looked at him, he smiled knowing that most of this was Sebastian's work. Rin blushed and whispered, "You really are beautiful." Alex shook her head and said, "Tonight is beautiful." She could hear the musiains warming up in the other room and she decided to check on them. Rin fallowed diligently when the Earl whispered, "She really does look like them." Claude looked over at him, his golden eyes weren't like they had been earlier, they were sympathetic. He could still hear their conversation in his head. He had no choice but to tell the Earl however he didn't expect how the earl would respond. He closed his eyes and remembered what had occurred in his study.

"She must be our Grandchild! She looks just like Richard!" he hollered. It was as though he was unwilling to accept that Alex even existed. "I'm aware," he responded and the Earl turned to him. "How could you possibly understand?" he shouted. Claude took a seat in one of the chairs before his desk, "We didn't believe it either at first," he said. The Earl turned to him and his eyebrows peaked, "We?" he asked. Claude looked up at him and replied, "Sebastian and myself." The Earl was silent and he looked confused, "What do you mean?" Claude sighed and noticed how curious and distraught the Earl looked. He slowly took of his mask and replied, "We've known Alex for a little over a month. Sebastian had hired her for her talent to work as a Graphic designer." The Earl took a seat across from him and said, "Go on." Claude closed his eyes for a moment and continued, "She was given one of the largest contracts, the Intrigue contract and asked to be their official designer. Everything was alright until Sebastian and I got close to her. Suddenly we learned that Ms. Stark wasn't Ms. Stark." He sighed and looked up at the Earl, "She was going through a tough stage so Sebastian and I decided to watch over her. It wasn't until I did some more digging into her history in an attempt to find two years of her life which didn't exist on paper, that I learned that Ms. Stark was both Ms. Kimbal and your Grandchild," he finished. The Earl was still confused and Claude asked, "Do you know what happened to you son?" The Earl was silent, his eyes were filled with regret, "No," he muttered.

Claude was still and realized that this was all over the fact that this man loved his son very dearly and this girl which he had been protecting might be the only thing left of his family. "I refused to accept the woman he married, so he left. I didn't want him to leave but at the time I was so angry. She wasn't a noble, she was simply a wealthy woman from New York, hardly suitable," he replied, his voice was filled with pain and anger, "I didn't even know I had grandchildren until two years ago." Claude froze, "Two years ago?" he asked. The Earl nodded and Claude shook his head, "According to the report she was hospitalized when you learned of her existence," said Claude. The Earl glared and said, "Strange I checked all of the hospitals and they said no one had come in with an unknown background."

"Claude," said a familiar voice beside him, it was sweet and soft which made Claude snap back to reality. Beside him was his beautiful raven. "What's wrong, you're hear and yet you seem miles away," said Sebastian. Claude looked at Sebastian and replied, "I'll tell you later." Sebastian didn't like the sound of this however he had no choice but to accept it as the guests started to arrive.