"Ah m…my d..darling cousin".
Penelope's mouth hung open as the figure at the door leant against the door frame, his arms folded in a relaxed manner and his smile flashing a set of white teeth. Claude's name was well forgotten as she stared in surprise at the guest. She couldn't believe it. Out of all the people to be her cousin it was the man stood in front of her now.
"Leonard?" She asked, her voice full of shock. The memories of dancing with the stuttering man at the ball raced through her head and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She thought back to that day when she had chased Lucy through the streets and she had collided into a man who had looked very much like Leonard as he had stuttered as well. All this time he had been in her view yet she had been too fixated on Lord Davis being the master, she had ultimately missed the obvious. The more she stared at him the more she could see his resemblance to the cousin she knew all those years ago, he may have changed but he had similar features. As she could only gawp at him he made his way into the room and stopped when he was in front of Lord Davis. His presence was strong and unlike the ball he did not appear as a nervous young man, but rather a man in control. Tied around his neck was a bright green cravat and his suit was made of velvet in the shade of dark green. It was very similar to her own dress and Penelope couldn't help but feel as though he had even managed to plan his attire too mock her.
"I..I am a little offended you thought h..he was your c..cousin". He spoke calmly and gave her a disappointed look. Penelope felt like the whole situation was surreal as she was almost being chastised for her wrong assumptions. The sight of Lord Davis though was starting to make her feel sick and Penelope slowly started to make her way out. She didn't get very far though when a clammy hand clamped around her upper arm pulling her against a hard body. She looked up and for the first time fully took in his appearance, flinching when her eyes met his own pale ones.
The stuttering man was only slightly smaller than Claude but unlike Claude his face had a distinct pinched look. He had sharp high cheekbones and his eyes were deep within their sockets making the shadows under his eyes look as though he had never had a decent night's rest in his life. He had dark brown hair that curled towards the centre and his lips were thin, as though he was constantly pulling them back. Yet the most interesting characteristic was his pale eyes that seemed somewhat kind but there was something unsettling about them, especially as he didn't blink often. She stopped staring at his eyes and under the green cravat she suddenly noticed a large pattern peeking out. Her hands itched to grasp at it but a chuckle stopped her from doing so.
"You n..need to learn the skill of subtlety m..my dear, it is quite rude to stare b..but I am happy for you to s..see my mark. I am not a..ashamed after all". He murmured, his grey eyes not blinking. She didn't reply as she began to feel lightheaded due to the smell in the room and he cocked his head as though to consider her.
"W..we appear to be matching". He gestured to the outfits with a low chuckle and slowly he used his long fingers to undo the cravat that had been tied tightly around his slim neck. As the cravat was pulled away elegantly, twisting around his fingers, Penelope was finally able to see the contract mark fully. It was a circular shape and in the centre it looked as though there were a pair of wings which she could only guess were the mark of Lucy. The mark was also a bright red colour making it look quite sore, yet he showed no indication of it causing him any pain.
"Ah is the smell g..getting to you?" He asked with genuine concern causing Penelope to nod. He seemed to consider her for a moment and then much to her shock he escorted her out of the room and started to walk towards the stairs. His grip was strong and it didn't go with the soft smile he was directing at her. She had thought him to be acting far more cruelly yet here he was acting almost polite. But she had a feeling this was just another act. Whilst they were walking he manged to put the cravat on, with a little difficulty as he was doing it one handed and unlike before it didn't cover the pattern as well. She stopped watching him when he spoke.
"I..I never thanked you for k..killing off my father. Although I suppose i..it was your demon who did the actual killing". As he spoke, he kept pulling her further up the stairs and stopped suddenly to look her straight in the eyes. "He was a..an idiot with no ambition. Yet h..he was right about the i..inheritance. Rightfully some should have gone to h…him and in turn myself". He didn't seem annoyed despite his words and then carried on tugging her gently up the stairs in his firm grip.
"I take it this is your reasoning behind trying to kill me?" Penelope asked, nearly tripping on her skirts when they left the stairs and walked into an odd room. He didn't reply immediately but he did let her go as he went to a small side table to get a glass. She watched as his long spindly fingers undid the top on the decanter and slowly pour the sap like liquid into his awaiting glass. He then proceeded to take a sip all the while staring straight at her, not blinking once.
"I..I suppose at first it was a reason. But I did also intend to m…marry you although I do n..not believe y..you will be very a..accommodating on that matter". He chuckled and put the glass down quickly. Walking rather quickly to her position in the room he pulled her against him, one hand painfully around her cheeks making it hard to speak. He tilted his head and Penelope suddenly realised that there were loud bangs coming from down below.
"At the beginning I wasn't r..really prepared to k..kill you. But then dear L…Lucy told me you and your demon butler were engaged in 'o..other' activities. It's a shame, I had been willing to k..keep you for myself but it appears that i..is no longer an option". His tone had become bitter and she felt him squeeze her cheeks roughly, causing her eyes to water painfully. Fearing the worst, Penelope could still hear the bangs from downstairs and with the knowledge that Claude would not be able to get to her on time, Penelope made a decision.
Raising one knee, she managed to hit him straight in the crotch and almost smiled when he fell to the floor with a grunt. Her small victory didn't last long however when a loud crash from what appeared to be the room next door rumbled through the house. Even by being distracted for a few seconds, she had ultimately allowed Leonard to grab her ankle and to pull her awkwardly to the ground. She felt her body get dragged backwards and before she could blink she was being pinned by someone much heavier.
"This game has been fun b..but we are s..starting to run out of time".
"You still haven't explained why you have gone to all this trouble Leonard. Was there even a point?" She asked, knowing damn well she sounded desperate for answers. He in response went to open his mouth but the crashing from the next room caught his attention. He quickly straightened himself up, wincing ever so slightly and firmly dragged her up by the arms before practically yanking her out of the room. He made his way back to the stairs and all the while Penelope fought back trying to get out of his brutal hold.
"W..why did I do this?" He grunted, his voice starting to sound exhausted from constantly trying to pull her further up the stairs.
"It was amusing". He answered simply and Penelope gave him a distressed look.
"Amusing? You have put me through all this hell for your own amusement! You are responsible for the deaths of so many as with your uncle and your excuse is for pure amusement. You must be sick in the head Leonard". She shouted, her anger getting the better of her. She couldn't believe it, in fact she truly believed there had to be another reason behind his deranged plan that had taken the lives of so many. She would understand the inheritance debacle; she would even understand avenging his father but she could not comprehend how he found this fun. Her thoughts were abruptly halted when a sharp stinging slap burned her cheek.
"You are f..far too talkative for your own g..good". He snapped but Penelope could see minor panic in his eyes as though he could tell she didn't believe him. They had now reached the very top and from below Penelope swore she could hear Lucy's voice or rather screeches. Leonard also seemed to notice this as he ran one skeletal hand through his hair as though he was considering his options. Penelope wondered if she could stall him for a few seconds when he suddenly shoved her against the bannister. She let out a startled scream when she realised how high up they truly were. Her arms flailed but she managed to grasp onto the bannister to steady herself. All the while Leonard was looking at her and she swore she saw a glimmer of pity flash through. Knowing that he could very well push her, she started to talk hoping to get through to him, or at least find out the truth.
"You wanted to marry me, didn't you?" She accused softly although her voice trembled when she felt his body press against her. Very slowly he inclined his head and Penelope watched as he took a deep shuddering breath. He seemed hesitant to speak and she carefully moved one of her hands that was steadying her and pressed it against his chest.
"But Leonard we have only really just met now, surely that can't have been the driving force behind your plan?" She asked, her voice as calm as possible. He seemed to consider her and using one hand he played with a red curl which had been framing her face.
"A..as I said before the i..inheritance was the reason at first. And like I s..said, I intended to marry you. But that was o..only after the b..ball I came to that conclusion. I…I hadn't seen y..you in such a long time and I..I had not expected you to look so…" He paused and for the first time Penelope felt as though he was starting to get frustrated at his stutter. He took a deep breath and went to open his mouth when he glanced down the stairs, his eyes widening a fraction before returning to their normal size. Suddenly he pushed her even further against the ornate bannister and Penelope quickly grasped his coat lapels with both hands to steady herself.
Her back was aching painfully now and her neck was straining to stay up straight. He seemed to have regained his composure and a small smile tugged at his lips. He then looked down below again at the staircase and Penelope felt a few tears run down her face thinking Lucy had somehow managed to get to them. She pleaded quickly, begging softly for him to not act rash but his attention seemed elsewhere. His calm appearance hinted as much and the realisation that Claude may not be able to reach her terrified her. She was unable to look herself as if she was to move, her body would surely fall. Leonard had pushed her so forcefully against the wood that her feet were completely off the ground. She closed her eyes awaiting the inevitable.
"Ah it l…looks like Lucy failed. What a pity. I would love to stay and chat b..but alas it appears to be m..my time to go. Farewell dear c..cousin". The minute the words came out of his lips, Penelope's eyes snapped open. Hearing that Lucy had failed, her eyes flickered straight to his neck and was thankful his cravat was not tied as tight as it had been when she had first met him earlier on. His pale skin was completely clear of any marks whatsoever and she couldn't believe that Lucy had finally disappeared. She wanted to look down at Claude when Leonard suddenly yanked her forward by her chin and feeling a warm breath of air against her lips, she felt his lips smash onto her own. She barely registered the desperation of the kiss and before she knew it, he pushed her with one forceful shove.
The first thing Penelope registered was the sudden rush of air around her and she swore time froze as she began spiralling downwards. A scream echoed in her ears and all the breath from her body felt as though it had disappeared. As she fell further and further, her eyes remained transfixed on the ever disappearing body of Leonard as he grew smaller in the distance. But she knew as she fell he had watched the whole thing. She didn't have enough time to fear death and in her final moments of tumbling the last thing that flickered through her mind was the idea that Claude would finally be free if she hit the ground.
Her scream was then cut off with a large sudden thud.