A little time skip! From January to April 1847! :D
I hope that you all had a good start into the new year!
This time, some old characters reappear - and quite a lot of new characters are introduced. :D
Hopefully, you'll enjoy reading this chapter!
Chapter Seven:
The Countess, Celebrating
"Her family had always been a cheery lot."
Countryside, England, United Kingdom ‒ April 1847
I knew that today would be a noisy day from the moment I opened my eyes and saw the sun shining through the curtains.
Lisa Greene, my faithful, loyal, and competent maid, entered my room just a moment later. She heated up water for me so that I could take a bath. Then, Lisa helped me getting dressed and coiffed. Lisa wasn't a very talkative person, but when I started talking to her, she always found a way to answer me in a sophisticated way. Also, Lisa had very nimble hands and could button up my dress in less than a minute. Besides, she could tailor quite nice clothing. She was only a year older than me and already did her work brilliantly. I surely did great when I had employed her two years ago.
After I had finished breakfast, Lisa announced to me that the Duke and Duchess of Lanchester, together with their daughter, had arrived earlier in the morning, along with the Viscount and Viscountess of Wellington and the Baron and Baroness Woodward with their respective families. Even the Earl of Venetella and his wife had come.
And before Lisa had finished speaking, I knew that I had been right.
My mother was the third out of four sisters who had all married into noble families which was the reason why I could call quite a lot of important and famous people my family. However, this also meant that my family was rather big with all the aunts and uncles and cousins. What lacked me on the Phantomhive side of my family, was filled by the Houghton side.
After all, my father had been an only child, rather than "officially" being the elder brother of someone.
Before Lisa led me to the drawing room so that I could greet my family and get a headache from which I needed a week to recover, she told me that someone else had arrived for me – a man called Duke Kristopher Underwood.
"Duke Kristopher Underwood" was no one else than Cedric K. Rossdale – the Grim Reaper with whom I had made a deal. I had given him a fake name and identity soon after our arrangement.
The whole procedure of teaching him how to behave like a duke had swallowed up a lot of time, but in the end, I had been successful, and Cedric presentable. At least, I could drag him with me now without getting embarrassed – a death sentence for someone like me.
Cloudia walked to the entrance hall where Cedric stood, waiting for her in his lovely tailored clothes. She had told him to wear proper clothing and not his oversized Grim Reaper outfit when visiting or accompanying her.
"Welcome to my mansion, Duke Underwood," Cloudia greeted him, smiling her mischievous smile.
"Thank you for receiving me as a guest, Countess." He bowed in front of her, and she bet that he wanted to laugh quite badly due to that, but had to hold back as it was not the right moment to do such a thing.
Cedric was my investigative partner. Almost four months ago, we had investigated murders in Inner London, particularly in Westminster, Islington, and Camden. After that, Her Majesty the Queen had only given me three more cases as the Underworld had seemingly taken a break. He had helped me during all these cases. And even if there wasn't anything to do, Cedric would still come and visit me if his Grim Reaper duties allowed it.
Our partnership wasn't official by now. Only Lisa and Newman knew about it as they were the only two servants of the Phantomhive Household who actively helped me with my Watchdog duties. I hadn't even introduced Cedric to the Queen or my other partners, his fellow colleagues – "The Aristocrats of Evil."
And, certainly, my family didn't know about him either.
Apart from my cousin, the Countess of Venetella, and her husband who Cedric and I had accidentally met during the Inner London Murder case.
"Today, I will not have any time for Watchdog work," Cloudia said to Cedric. "So you can go home and do what Grim Reapers usually do. Hopefully, you're not too disappointed by the lack of work."
Cedric grinned. "Well, Mylady, I know fairly well that you're not able to fulfil any of your Watchdog duties today. After all, Alfred told me why."
She raised an eyebrow. "Newman?"
He nodded. "I asked him a few things about you during our last case. Of course, he didn't want to tell me anything without your approval at first, but I managed to persuade him to give me at least this one little piece of information as it would definitely improve his Lady's well-being. So..." Cedric's grin widened. "I wish you a wonderful day as the 5th of April marks your seventeenth birthday, Countess."
We were working together for around four months now and got along quite well. My plan was absolutely successful, and I would never regret my decision to have made a deal with a Grim Reaper.
Also, Cedric seemed to be quite pleased about our arrangement too.
And, apparently, today was the day when I would have to introduce him to the rest of my family.
At least, I wouldn't be tortured alone.
"Do not remind me of that," Cloudia replied, sighing. "Every year, I wish for quietness and order; and every year, I get a headache due to my noisy family."
Cedric covered his mouth with his gloved hand and giggled decently as she had taught him. She hadn't been able to break him out of his ridiculous habit to laugh or giggle all the time, but at least it had worked to reduce it a bit. However, every time they were alone, his habit broke out again. "You're a really grumpy person, aren't you, Countess? My, my, your family comes from far away to make you smile and happy for this special day, and all you can do is being even grumpier than usual."
She glared at him. "Stop the teasing already, Cedric. I have no time or patience for your little games today."
Cloudia turned to Lisa. "Lisa! Due to the exceptionally lovely weather we can enjoy today, I guess that my family members arranged some festivity in the manor's garden?"
The maid nodded. "The Duke and Duchess of Lanchester, the Earl and Countess of Venetella, the Viscount and Viscountess of Wellington, the Baron and Baroness Woodward, and their children have set up a festivity together with us servants in the garden, Young Mistress." She could hear the annoyance in Lisa's voice. To have to list Cloudia's family members appropriately with their titles was always quite bothersome.
Cloudia sighed. "Like I feared." She turned back to Cedric. "I hereby invite you to the festivities of my seventeenth birthday, Duke Underwood. Do you accept?"
Cedric chuckled. "I accept, Countess."
"Happy birthday, Cloudia!" her cousins, her aunts and uncles yelled and clapped, when Cloudia arrived in the garden with Lisa and Cedric.
"Oh, I thank you so much, dear family!" she replied, smiling lovely. "But you shouldn't have put so much effort in a mere birthday!"
"What are you saying, Cloudia!" Her cousin, Lady Constantia Matthews, the only child of the Duke and Duchess of Lanchester, ran up to her and hugged her tightly. She was a year older and slightly taller than Cloudia. However, even though Constantia had never been trained like Cloudia, Constantia was surely no weakling. Cloudia gasped for air under her hug, and she could bet and win that Cedric was silently laughing to himself at this sight.
"Today is your birthday, Cloudia! You are seventeen now! Is that not marvellous?"
Constantia let her cousin go, and smiled widely at her. "We haven't seen each other for a while now! I am so happy that we are all together now."
"Constantia! Were you trying to kill her with that act of yours just now? Didn't you see that she had problems to breathe?"
Another one of Cloudia's cousins, The Honourable Clarissa Woodward, came over to them from the other end of the garden. Her glasses were glowing while she was glaring at them in the sunlight. As usual, Clarissa was scolding Constantia's behaviour, although she could be just as noisy as her.
"Of course, I didn't try to kill her, Lare! I was simply hugging her! Or did a hug become a murderous act?" Constantia replied.
"Calm down. There's no need to fight," Cathleen Milne said, and walked up to them. Her natural calm aura had already started to spread over the place.
"Congratulations, Cloudia," Cathleen said to Cloudia in her sweet voice, which made everyone fall in love with her immediately. "Today is your big day."
"Thank you, Cathleen," Cloudia replied, smiling. "And you too, Constantia and Clarissa. I thank you all for coming."
She turned to Constantia. "Come to think of it... I don't see Celeste anywhere."
"Lessie is at home," Constantia answered, sounding sad. "She is terribly sorry for not being able to come. She caught a fever, and is unable to leave her bed for the next couple of days."
Miss Celeste Triton was the ward of my aunt Eleanor and her husband – Isidore Matthews, the Duke of Lanchester. Her father, Ebenezer Triton, had been a good friend to Uncle Isidore. And after Ebenezer had died, Isidore took his only daughter under his wings, as her mother, Camilla Triton, had died due to an illness when Celeste was nothing more than a helpless, little child.
However, Celeste had inherited her mother's poor health and therefore was often sick.
And did I mention that it was quite funny that her name also started with a "C"?
Cloudia nodded, her face displaying concern for her uncle's ward. "Please tell the lovely Celeste that I hope that she will get well soon."
Constantia's face lit up. "I will! Lessie will be so happy to hear that!"
"And what about me? Won't you thank me individually, Cousin Cloudia?" Ceara asked furiously. She had just pounded towards them after hearing that Cloudia had thanked the others for coming but not her.
The Honourable Ceara Morrow, the daughter of the Viscount and Viscountess of Wellington, was the youngest member of Cloudia's family, and a very jumpy, lively, and a bit boyish young girl with wild, fire red hair, and fierce pale blue eyes.
And exactly with those, Ceara glared at Cloudia, who was a lot taller than her, with her hands on her hips.
"Of course. Thank you, Ceara, for coming."
"That was about time," Ceara snorted.
"Pff, you're such a brat, Ceara," her brother, Keegan, sighed. "You come and annoy the birthday kid before even saying 'hi.'"
The Honourable Keegan Morrow was Ceara's older brother, and older than Cloudia as well. He was Cloudia's only male cousin, and the only one apart from her who had inherited the large, dark blue signature eyes of the Houghton family.
After all, she didn't have a male cousin on her father's side of the family.
Ceara's face turned as red as her hair. "I'm not a brat! You're a..."
And then, the two of them started shouting at each other in Irish, making it impossible for Cloudia and the others to follow.
My mother and her three sisters – Eleanor, Felicity, and Joanna – had decided a long time ago, before any of them had been wedded, that they would give their children names starting with a "C" as some connection. After all, they would never be connected by their surnames. And for Keegan, the only male, Felicity hadn't chosen a name starting with "C," but with the letter closest to it.
"Who did you bring to our family feast, Cousin Cloudia?" Ceara wanted to know and eyed Cedric suspiciously. Usually, pale blue eyes looked calm and relaxing, but she somehow managed to let them burn like fire. And with that fire, she tried to torch Cedric.
"This is Duke Kristopher Underwood. He is an acquaintance of mine. We have met, for the first time, at one of Josephine Conner's, the Duchess of Caville's, parties. Then, for a couple of years, the Duke and I could only write letters as he originally lived in America before his move to England. In January, the Duke moved permanently to London, and we were reunited at one of Baron Charles Worthington's parties," Cloudia told Ceara.
"Oh, do you like him, Cloudia? Are you going to marry him? Is that the reason why he is here? Because he should meet your family as your future husband? That is so wonderful!" Constantia yelled, and happily hugged Cloudia again. "I am so happy for you, Cloudia! Congratulations!"
"Constantia! What are you saying? Cloudia is already betrothed to the Earl of Phantomhive!" Clarissa scolded, and helped Cloudia to get free from Constantia's grip.
She giggled. "Oh, I almost forgot that. Thanks for the reminder, Lare." Constantia turned to Cedric.
"Duke Underwood, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Lady Constantia Matthews, the only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Lanchester." She curtsied in front of him in all her grace, and Cedric almost started to laugh hysterically.
He cleared his throat. "My, my, it's a way bigger pleasure to meet you, Lady Constantia. And your lovely cousins. It's a pleasure to be able to meet you all." Cedric bowed in front of Cloudia's cousins. Constantia giggled like a little child, Clarissa lowered her head a bit to indicate a bow, Cathleen smiled sweetly at him, Ceara glared at him, and Keegan folded his arms in front of his chest and looked as grumpily as he could.
Cloudia sighed.
What a mess.
"Very well. Duke, do you feel like accompanying me? I still have to greet my aunts and uncles, and would do it preferably without any of my cousins."
After Cedric and Cloudia had talked with her various uncles and aunts, she took him by the arm and hurled him all the way to the labyrinth of tall hedges in the garden. As a little child, she had spent most of her time there. And even after so many years, this place was still special to her.
"One more minute, and I will explode," Cloudia said and sat down on a bench in the middle of the labyrinth. "Constantia doesn't like this place as she always manages to get lost. Clarissa sees no sense in following me around all day. Ceara and Keegan are banned from here because they have once destroyed the labyrinth because they haven't been able to find the way out properly. The only dangerous one is Cathleen, but, at least, she has enough patience to let me be on my own for a while."
Because he no longer had to fight back his urge to laugh, Cedric began to laugh and giggle hysterically.
"My, my, Countess! Your family is way more hilarious than you are! Such a funny lot! I could be with them all day," he meant while bursting into laughter after every second word.
Cloudia scowled at him. "They are absolutely annoying. At least, they will all go home tomorrow, and I won't have to see them until any other birthday or feast."
"You're so grumpy, Countess. You should laugh more."
"Well... you laugh enough for the two of us, so me not laughing will be all right."
The moment after she had finished her sentence, someone shouted her name. And then, moments later, the someone arrived in the part of the labyrinth where Cedric and Cloudia had hidden.
August Milne, the Earl of Venetella, was a lot of years older than his wife, but still trained and sporty. The finely tailored dark suit which he was wearing today made his bright green eyes shine even more.
A smile appeared on his face when he realised that he had finally found them. "Cloudia! Cathy has sent me in here to search for you. But it's a very big labyrinth, so it took me a while. I should get you because it's time for tea." Then, August noticed Cedric and smiled friendly at him, putting forth his hand. "Oh, hello. Didn't we meet at Baron Salisbury's party in January? Duke Underwood, was it? It's a pleasure to meet you again."
Cedric took a step forward and shook August's hand. "The pleasure's all mine, Earl of Venetella."
Cloudia could hear Cedric laughing in his mind, and rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"So... won't our sister, Penelope, come down and grant us with her attendance?" Eleanor Matthews, the Duchess of Lanchester, asked, raising her cup to her mouth.
"I am afraid that Mother is still refusing to go outside or to meet people," Cloudia answered politely.
They were all sitting around a long table which they had set up in the garden. The sun was shining down on them, and the birds were singing their loveliest songs. Yesterday, the sky had been grey, and the air cold; but as if nature was also happily celebrating Cloudia's birthday, today's weather was like taken directly out of a novel.
Eleanor, the eldest of the Houghton sisters, sighed. "Penelope should move on. Simon is dead for years now. Staying in her room all day, refusing to see anyone, and only getting swallowed up in her grief cannot be good for her health. But can you go and see her at least, Cloudia, love?"
"Sometimes. But the last time, I've been able to go upstairs and into her room without her throwing me out immediately, was weeks ago."
The reason for my mother's status was not just the death of my father, but the fact that I, her only daughter, her only child, had to fulfil the same duty my father had died for.
"Penelope is behaving unreasonably. Every other woman would have already moved on. Simon is now almost thirteen years dead. She had enough time to grieve. Also, today is her only daughter's birthday. She should be here. And not locked tight in her room," Felicity Morrow, the Viscountess of Wellington and second-eldest of the Houghton sisters, agreed with Eleanor.
"Uncle Simon is already thirteen years dead?" Constantia blurted out. "For me, it seemed that it had not been that long."
"He is almost thirteen years dead, Darling," Felicity answered, rolling her eyes. "And don't you remember? Cloudia, the poor child, was merely four years old when it happened."
Constantia's eyes widened. "Oh. How could I be so foolish! I am sorry, Cloudia, that I almost forgot that! I am so sorry. I did not want to remind you of it!"
Cloudia put down her cup and smiled so sweetly that Constantia would probably get cavities. "It's fine, Constantia. Let's continue cherishing this fantastic dinner. Aunt Eleanor, Uncle Isidore, thank you for coming up with such a wonderful composition of dishes. I hope that I'm right with my assumption that you were the ones responsible for the menu?"
Isidore Matthews, the Duke of Lanchester, laughed, his thick moustache dancing above his lips. "You're as sharp as always, dear Cloudia."
She smiled. "Thank you, Uncle Isidore."
"Isn't it time that the birthday child receives her presents?" Isidore said, standing up. "As the oldest attending person, I, Isidore Matthews, shall start."
The Houghton family had a strange tradition: On birthdays, the presents were given in a particular order – from oldest to youngest – to the birthday child. Behind the child a large table would be placed, on which the presents would be put in the order they had been received. When all gifts had been exchanged, everyone would stand up and sing a song.
And even though no one held the Houghton name anymore – except Grandmother Hortense who was not here –, the tradition lived on. Isidore, Aidan, and Jonathan, my aunt's husbands, were quite delighted about this tradition. Hence, they happily participated in it and treated it like one of their own traditions.
However, this year, Isidore was wrong – he wasn't the oldest one attending, and thus shouldn't be starting. But then, I couldn't possibly tell anyone that Cedric or rather "Kristopher Underwood" was actually some centuries, or at least quite a lot of decades, old.
After Cloudia had packed out Isidore's gift, and Lisa had put it silently on the table, Eleanor stood up. "As the second oldest attending person, I, Eleanor Matthews, shall be next."
After August had finished, Cathleen was about to stand up when suddenly Cedric arose. The profile, Cloudia had constructed for him, contained every aspect a real one also had. From blood types to ancestry, past illnesses, allergies, chronic diseases, favourite things, dead pets, etc. – and thus also birth dates. According to the profile, "Kristopher Underwood" was twenty-five years old, and therefore younger than thirty-year-old August Milne, and older than nineteen-year-old Cathleen Milne.
"As the next oldest attending person," Cedric proclaimed to everyone's surprise, "I, Kristopher Underwood, shall be next."
He walked up to Cloudia, and from the look on his face, he was rolling on the meadow and laughing like a maniac in his mind. Like the tradition said, Cedric bowed in front of her and then held out a small package.
"Shall this ensure your happiness and excellent health for the following year and all the years which would come."
Cloudia took the present but didn't open it. A wide grin rested on Cedric's face, a grin only Cloudia could see before he turned around and went back to his seat. Cloudia ordered Lisa to take the gift and put it on the table when Constantia spoke up.
"Don't you want to open it, Cloudia?"
Cloudia smiled. "My friend, Duke Underwood, has a horrible taste of humour. I do not want to pack out something in front of you which could possibly give you all a heart attack."
I didn't expect Cedric to get me something for my birthday. I didn't even know that he knew about it. So I had no clue what he could possibly give me.
"As the youngest attending person, I, Ceara Morrow, shall be last."
After Ceara had given Cloudia her gift, and the exchange procedure was finally done, Ceara returned to her seat and everyone stood up except Cloudia.
And then, everyone began to sing the special Houghton family birthday song and Cloudia was sure that Cedric would explode from laughter every minute.
"Happy birthday..."
When they were done, Cloudia forced herself to put on a brilliant smile.
"Thank you very much, beloved family."
Exhausted, Cloudia leaned back on her armchair. After it had got late, she had excused herself, saying that she was tired but thankful for the wonderful party, and had gone to her private chambers, which consisted of her bedroom, a dressing room, a bathroom, and an anteroom, filled with bookcases and comfortable seating of every kind.
Cedric had stayed a bit with her family before retreating himself. But because he was a Grim Reaper, he could easily sneak out of his room and enter Cloudia's without anyone noticing. Now, he was sitting on an end table opposite from her. Immediately after he had come through the window, Cedric had burst into laughter, and now he was wiping away the last of his tears.
"I can't remember the last time I've laughed so much on a single day," he said. "My, my, Countess, your family is truly hilarious."
Cloudia sighed. "You already told me that."
He grinned. "But you and your dear mother are the exceptions. Why doesn't she come out again?"
Cloudia leaned back and closed her eyes. "Father's death was a shock to her. Many people do not marry out of love, but, surprisingly, my parents did. And when Father passed away so suddenly, he left a huge emptiness in Mother. She behaved even worse than now back then. After Father's funeral, I didn't see her for a whole year. I was so little at that time that I couldn't even properly mourn for Father. Of course, I was sad that he wasn't there anymore, but then, I didn't really know him and didn't fully understand the situation. Mother, however, knew him the best out of every person in the whole world, so she weeps for him the most."
She opened her eyes again. "But then, of course, my aunts are right: Mother is behaving irresponsibly. Father is gone for almost thirteen years now."
"Sometimes, no matter how much time has passed, the wounds you got from losing someone won't heal."
Cloudia looked up. All of a sudden, Cedric had said something in an all serious manner. And when she looked at him, his yellow-green eyes were sparkling with seriousness. The next time she blinked, it was gone again, and he looked like always.
Cedric blinked at a vase with white lilies in it, his lips forming a smile. He whistled. "Were these flowers sent from a certain someone to a certain someone who celebrates her seventeenth birthday today?" He chuckled.
Cloudia sighed. "You are right. They are from Milton."
"By the way... what is the good old Baron Milton doing after his villa blew up?"
She leaned back. "He's currently living in his manor in the countryside. The Salisbury Villa still had not been rebuilt; not even plans had been made for it because Milton is still uncertain about rebuilding it. He never really liked it, but he has to fulfil some duties as a Baron. And these duties include cherishing the family inheritance." Cloudia shrugged. "It will take him a bit of time, but I am confident that he will figure out the perfect solution for his dilemma."
"Hihi." Cedric grinned widely. "So Milton got you flowers. Now, won't you see what I got you?" he asked, sounding very amused.
Cloudia stood up, hesitating for a split second before going to the pile of presents which Lisa, Newman, and some other servants had brought up from the garden to the anteroom. She picked up Cedric's packed gift and returned to the armchair. He smiled quizzically when she unwrapped it. Out of the package came a petite necklace with a clear pendant, in which a fragile four leaf clover was enclosed. The necklace was simple – but also stunningly beautiful.
"There is an old Irish verse about these clovers," Cedric explained. "'One leaf is for fame, /And one leaf is for wealth, /And one is for a faithful lover, /And one to bring you glorious health, /Are all in the four-leaved clover.' I thought it was suitable for you and your situation."
She chuckled a little bit. "Do you want to make fun of me, Undertaker?"
He grinned. "I would never dare, Countess." Cedric leaned back, resting his hands behind him on the tabletop so that he wouldn't fall backwards. His grin grew bigger, and he looked at her in absolute amusement, his strangely coloured eyes shining enigmatically in the pale light of the anteroom. "In your townhouse in London you asked me if I had any friends," he began. "It was in January after you got injured in the Salisbury Villa. You fell asleep before I could ask you the same question on that day, but, thankfully, your cousin's husband reminded me of it with his presence. So... do you have any friends, Countess?"
Cloudia gazed at him without showing any emotion like she had been taught. "As the Queen's Watchdog, I simply do not have time to establish friendships. Also, most people I interact with are either fairly annoying or very shady people, so it's quite impossible for me to find any friends."
"And how about our dear Baron Milton Salisbury? Isn't he your friend?"
She sighed. "He is just an admirer. I like his modesty, but that's all. I don't even really know him, so he isn't a friend of mine."
Cedric chuckled. "My, my, Countess, you're a very lonely girl, aren't you?"
"You don't have any friends either, Undertaker," Cloudia pointed out.
Cedric shrugged. "Then we're both lonely. Deliberately, but still lonely."
She tilted her head. "What do you want, Undertaker?"
"I have just asked you if you had any friends, Countess. After all, you're a young and lively girl. Young and lively girls usually have friends." He started to chuckle anew. "Except you, of course, Countess."
"You're impossible."
"Why? Because I remind you that you're actually quite lonely?"
"No. You're impossible because you try getting your amusement out of it." Cloudia rose from her chair and glared down at him. "The day is over, Undertaker. You can go home now."
Puh.
This chapter was actually much longer with having cut passages which fill nine pages (this is even longer than the finished chapter which was only seven pages long in my formatting). For example, the chapter's ending was slightly longer with their conversation being a bit continued. But the rest was horrible, so I cut it. Also, in the beginning, Cedric gave Cloudia a clove-shaped emerald pendant before I realised that it would be strange that a Grim Reaper could get someone such an expensive gift (unless he took a lot of her money which wouldn't be nice as it's a birthday present after all). Uff. I'm so happy that I won't have to edit this chapter anymore...
Well, whatever.
Next weekend the longest chapter I've written so far for this story will come. (Not even the Christmas Special could outnumber it.) It's also one of my favourites so far. It was really funny to write, but in the end, I had to stop myself before I could fill an entire arc with this nonsense. (And the next chapter has a LOT of nonsense in it.)
Also: The next chapter's "event" was mentioned in the Christmas Special...
Okay, I've talked enough here. See you next week!
(And to all who have to go to school tomorrow again like I have to (unfortunately): Good luck!)