Chapter 48: Ciel POV

A knock on my door was not wholly unexpected as I flipped through the reports from the latest numbers from the French store. But was unexpected was the door opened before I could tell them to enter, and that my son came in instead of the usual round of King's men, businessmen, or other Nobles. Occasionally one of the heads of the Underbelly came by, bold and yet scared.

"Vincent! Ah, come in," I said as my son looked around and finally saw me on the couches. "Come sit here, you want some tea?"

He shook his head and quietly sat down.

"Some hot chocolate?" Again he shook his head and I moved to sit beside him. "Vincent, what is wrong?"

He mumbled something and I frowned. Usually he was was outspoken and a keen talker. I figured he took after his mother that way. I stroked his hair and asked him to repeat himself. He surprised me by lifting his head and turning his bright eyes toward me.

"I don't want Mister Hyde as my Tutor anymore! He is a liar!"

"Vincent! That is quite an accusation. Why do you not want Mr. Hyde as your Tutor?"

"He lied - he…. He isn't," Vincent leaned in and whispered into my ear: "a man."

I turned and looked at my son. Oh dear. I kept my gaze calm but I felt my blood boil. My damn Demon, what the bloody Hell did he do? Surely he had something to do with this sudden outburst and realization in my son. I brought him to my chest and rubbed his back. Closing my eyes I sighed. "Well, that is … a concern. And is that why you call Mr. Hyde a liar?"

He nodded his head and I felt hot tears splash on my hand. Oh, no, that would not do, not at all. "Stay here, I shall be back, will that be okay?" Again he nodded and I let him sit for a moment, looking at him, suddenly so small and no longer the smiling 9-year-old who eagerly sat for his picture to be made, to be given to the Tutor in utter pride. "There are pens and paper in the side cabinet if you wish to draw. Also a French book is somewhere…. I'll be back."

I'd sooner snap the bonds of our Contract then feel the pain of my son crying. It didn't take long to find him. The black swish of the tailcoat was disappearing into the music room and I followed.

"Just one more song, Sebastian. Ciel should be busy and I want to surprise him at the Ball." I pulled up short from entering as Lizzie was talking and I saw the Tutor crossing the room and holding her hands out to my wife. Sebastian looked over at where I stood and I bore my eyes into him.

I strood into the room and walked between Lizzie and the Tutor, making them each stumble in separate directions. "Lizzie, darling, please leave us. Sebastian and I have somethings to sort out. Actually, Tutor, you may stay as well." I glanced over at Lizzie and softened a bit. "Vincent is in my study, take Rachel and wait until this is over." I looked back at Sebastian as he still was sitting at the piano. "It shouldn't take very long."

"Ciel?"

I heard the small tremble of fear in her voice and looked over my shoulder. "Please, I'll be there as soon as this matter is cleared. Or illuminated, I should say."

Lizzie scooped Rachel up and I waited a few seconds after the close of the door to launch at Sebastian. "Do you have any idea what my son is doing right now in my study? Of course you do," I said, spinning around and staring at the other Demon. Gods alive! How… I took a deep breath and glared at the Tutor and back at Sebastian. "My son. Sebastian, my son knows that the Tutor is a woman. Or at the very least is very confused at what he saw. He… is admittedly is very scared about this whole thing. Just days ago he was celebrating his favorite Tutor in the world - we had to pry chocolates and stuffed animals from him - and now… now?"

I ran a hand through my hair and made a circle about the room, trying to clear my thoughts. "Why did this idea seem to be a good one to either of you?"

"We talked about it briefly," the Tutor said, breaking the silence. I looked at her and breathed out, trying to remain calm. A traitor in my own home! She took a step toward me and then paused. "It happened. Sebastian and I came home from a night out, and he was up. An innocent accident."

"So how did he know you were a woman if you were just coming back from a night out?"

"Danny was wearing a dress I gave her, my Lord," Sebastian said, smoothly playing the piano as he said it. I wanted to poke my own eye out and throw it at him for the very calmness he was exuding. "She is not at fault."

"No… never at fault. Just disguising, just blending, adapting, deceiving, manipulating, and then poof! Save the day!" I was getting hot as I slowly moved closer to Sebastian. "I want you, Tutor, packed and gone by tomorrow's end," I spat and turned and looked at the Tutor. "Your services are no longer needed. The Holidays are coming and you are done with the term. Leave."

"Earl -"

"No! It is one thing to waltz around teaching him, and being his Tutor, keeping him safe and tucking him in at night. You have given my son so many smiles and bright days since he… since his possession started. But you also have broken that and have confused him. He said you told him you were a woman. He called you a liar. He thinks you lied to him. He doesn't trust you - do you understand?" I was near the Tutor and took another step and was a foot before her. I saw the tears in her eyes and she looked away and took a shaky breath. I balled my fists. I wanted her to fight back - but there was nothing I could hear but my son's silent tears and his utter fear of telling me what he learned.

"Sebastian, don't you move. The Tutor is the problem, although I suspect you had a rather sinister role to play in this. You could have simply changed the dress to pants when you realized that Vincent was there," I said, turning to face him. He lifted his hands off the keys and the room was silent for a moment. "I know I took the news badly when you told me about the Tutor, all those times you suspected that he was something not Human, and then when he was changing into a Demon, it was your calm and soothing voice that guided me not to stop him, not to throw him out. And we talked about how this one secret could change my family - the whole household - and you," I shook my head and snorted as I looked at the Demon. "You made the decision in the dead of night, thinking that a boy would understand his Tutor was really a woman, and all would be fine." I set my hands on top of the piano and glared at the Demon who had protected me, emotionally and physically, and I felt betrayed.

"I would have remained a man for his sake," the Tutor said in a whisper. I sucked in a breath and turned toward her. "I know I promised -"

"Forget it. You need to leave." I turned hotly back to Sebastian and looked at him for a moment longer. "I don't have to command you to stay with me, and let her go, do I?"

"No, my Lord," he replied softly, as he looked at the Tutor.

I nodded. "Help get the Tutor settled somewhere else. Hire me a new Tutor while you are at it. Or maybe I will send Vincent back to boarding school." I waved my hand in my face, dismissing the thoughts. "Just escort the Tutor out of the house."

"And the servants? What should I tell them of Danny's leave?"

I shrugged and walked toward the door. "I don't know, make up a lie. You two are very good at revealing things best kept hidden. Name her a Demon for all I care. I have a son who needs his father, and a wife who, thankfully, has no idea what is going on." I wished for a long moment I didn't either, as I opened the door and walked out, leaving the two.

Did I mean to dismiss the Tutor in my rage? I pressed a hand to the wall as I walked back to my study. Yes. Yes - there was a better way to reveal her gender to Vincent. Hell, she even admitted, she never intended to do so! My damned Demon meddling! I let out a frustrated breath and walked back to my son and wife. My life was not easy, but having my son utterly devastated about Mr. Hyde was the tipping point of this very moment. What would have happened next? They tell him about Demons, Contracts, Souls, and making one with him? I pulled Vincent to me and placed a hand on his head, closing my eyes and hating with every bit of my fiber Danny Hyde and Sebastian Michaelis.