She wouldn't dare look him in the eyes, her childhood story character standing right in front of her. Sebastian picked up the large trunk of Elzabeth's belongings and placed it on the ground in front of the doorway.
"Ciel! You look simply adorable! Blue is such a cute colour on you!" The Lady Elizabeth screeched, nearly squeezing the life out of her fiance. Catherine watched the pair, amused at how different they were and wondered how they were ever going to withstand married life together. She picked up her small suitcase out of the carriage.
"Would you like me to help you with that?" Sebastian asked her, smiling again.
"No, thank-you, I can manage." Catherine replied, avoiding all eye contact. Ciel managed once more to struggle out of Lizzie's embrace.
"Sebastian, please show Elizabeth and her maid to their rooms." Ciel asked his butler.
"Of course, master." Sebastian turned to the girls, "Please, come this way." He picked up the trunk once more and began to carry it up the stairs, closely followed by Lizzie and Catherine. They stopped in front of a wooden door on the second floor. Sebastian put the trunk down and opened the door to a beautiful bedroom with a four poster bed, a wardrobe, small table and chair, bookshelf and sofa.
"I hope this room is befitting to you, my lady." Sebastian said picking up the trunk and placed it at the end of her bed. "Please make yourself comfortable, afternoon tea will be in the drawing room in one hour. And tonight Madam Red will be joining us for dinner at 6."
"Thank-you, Sebastian, please can you tell Ciel that I might have a rest now?" Lizzie asked.
"Of course, my lady." Sebastian said. "Catherine, shall I show you your room?"
Avoiding eye contact again Catherine said, "I shall help my mistress get ready for her nap, I'll be with you in a minute."
"Alright." Sebastian smiled, bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him. Catherine opened up Elizabeth's trunk and got out her nightdress, helped her get out of her ordinary dress, and once she was under the duvet and closing her green eyes, the maid departed.
Sebastian was waiting outside patiently when Catherine emerged from her mistress' room. He smiled at her, "Shall we go to the servants quarters?" he said. Catherine nodded in reply. Sebastian lead her back down the huge staircase, through a door, down a smaller stair case until they reached a corridor with doors and windows on either side going all the way down. He walked down the corridor and stopped at a door on the right hand side.
"This is your room." He opened the door to show a bright room with a single bed, desk and chair, standing lamp and small wardrobe, it was a large improvement on some of the rooms the other servants, in the Midford household, had to live in. She put her suitcase on the bed and sat down.
"It's nice and bright, I like it, thank-you." She said smiling.
"You're welcome." Sebastian said. He sat down on the chair by the desk. "So, how long have you been working for Lady Elizabeth?"
"7 months, how about you and Ciel?" She asked.
"2 years." He replied.
"That's a, uh, long time." This was awkward, she'd been dreaming about this almost all her life and now that the time had come she had no idea what to say. She couldn't look him straight in the eyes, in general she would avoid looking at his face but after a long awkward silence she finally stole a glance at his face, taking in every detail but never looking into his eyes. He turned to face her, she looked away and blushed.
"Is it too hot in here?" He asked, standing up. "I'll open a window, if you like?" She nodded, blushing harder. The maid watched him walk across the room to open the window, as he opened it a soft breeze came into the room, blowing through his hair. Catherine watched intently. Sebastian turned and before she could look away they finally made eye contact. He smiled.
"Ah, I see, that's what you are." He said.
There was an explosion. Sebastian sighed and rushed out, followed by Catherine.
"Bloody hell!" A man said coming out of the kitchen, blackened by soot.
"Bardroy, what have you done now?" Sebastian asked while sighing again.
"I tried to speed up the dinner but using this flame thrower." the man said holding up a mangled stick.
"You really are incompetent aren't you?" Sebastian put his hand to his head and sighed once more, "Bardroy, this is Catherine, Lady Elizabeth's maid, Catherine this is Bardroy our chef."
"Hi there." Bardroy said, Catherine smiled.
"Hello." She said feebly. "Do you need any help with that?"
"Yes, do you know how to use a flame thrower?"
xxxxx
After spending 2 hours helping Bardroy clean the kitchen, and another hour helping him make the meal again, Catherine was called to the drawing room to greet Madam Red and her butler. She opened the door while hearing a woman's loud laughter.
"Ciel, you're working yourself far too hard!" a red-headed woman laughed. "You're throwing away your childhood, you should enjoy it while it lasts."
"Madam Red, I have my family duty to the Queen, I can't let the generations before me down." Ciel turned to notice Catherine in the door way. "Hello Catherine."
"Cathy!" Lizzie shrieked from her chair.
"Hello." She replied quietly.
"Sorry, I haven't introduced my aunt, Angelina Dalles." Ciel said, gesturing to the red-headed woman.
"Hello, dear. You can call me Madam Red and this is my butler Grell Sutcliff." Behind the woman was a rather weak-looking Grell, Catherine had never seen her brother look like that. His hair was back in a low ponytail and dyed to a dull brown, his glasses were round and wonky on his nose, missing the chain. He was dressed in formal butler attire and not in his usual extravagant red clothes. She was amused, she hadn't seen her brother in 7 months and never had she seen him like this.
"Nice to meet you both." She bowed her head and flashed Grell a look. A hint of smile showed in the corner of his mouth. Catherine went and stood behind Lizzie but always glancing at the reaper. Sebastian was standing behind Ciel watching the series of glances passing between the two servants. He couldn't understand it. He ignored it and left his master's side to go and check on dinner.
Sebastian returned 5 minutes later to announce that dinner was ready, the room was emptied apart from her and Grell.
"So this is your new life as a maid, Catherine." Grell smirked showing his dagger-like teeth. "I'm not sure a maid outfit suits you."
"I could say the same for you as a butler." Catherine laughed with her brother.
"You've finally met Sebastian! Isn't he just simply wonderful! Those eyes, those hands, muscles, cheekbones, that smile! Isn't he just to die for!" Grell went on for at least another 5 minutes, almost fainting as he spoke. Catherine zoned out part way through, an image of the dark-haired butler flashed in her thoughts, but was promptly, and strangely, replaced by her mistress. The brush of her long eyelashes against her cheek as she slept, the soft curl of her blonde hair grazing her pale, fragile throat, the slow rise and fall of her chest. She was so pure, so very different from him.
"Yes," she said softly. "To die for."
Hey, thanks for reading this far, and thank you anonymous guest for your kind review! :)
It really made my day and inspired me to release the chapter even sooner that I had planned!
I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and the next one will come soon.
Also I apologise for releasing the previous chapter so late, I was away in Japan and never had time to write!