Tears of a reaper

Chapter 1

The woman stepped out of the sunshine and into the dim shop, giving her eyes a moment to adjust to the relative darkness as the bell jingled above her. The man working on a corpse towards the back glanced up, and his mouth dropped open when he saw her.

She's stunning, he thought.

Her hair was the color of lilacs on a sunny day, and her eyes were large and brilliant blue.

"Hello?" the woman called in a soft voice.

The Undertaker stepped from the shadows, determined not to act like a fool even though he found her beautiful.

"Hehehe. Greetings, m'lady. What can I do for you today?"

"I would like for you to handle my mother's funeral. I can pay for your services."

"Of course," he said. "Let's discuss the arrangements, shall we?"

"I'll have my mother's body sent over later this afternoon. I want her buried on the grounds of the manor."

"Yes, yes," he agreed. "What sort of coffin would you prefer?"

"The most expensive one you have. She was beloved to many people."

"I'm sure that she was."

"Shall we discuss your compensation?"

"Hehehe," he chuckled. "If you can make me laugh, that will be payment enough."

"Hm," she answered thoughtfully. "A woman is touring apartments to find a new place to live. She says, 'Dear me! What lovely cupboards this flat has!'. The agent answers, 'Madam, those are not cupboards. They're bedrooms.' Will that joke suffice?"

Even though the Undertaker had heard it several times, he forced himself to laugh heartily.

"Very good, m'lady. Your mother's funeral is paid in full. Now when would you like the burial to take place?"

"This same day next week. That's not too soon for you, is it? I don't know how much work you need to do before it can happen."

"No, it isn't too soon."

"Good. I will return before then so that we can finalize the arrangements. Good day, Undertaker."

"And a good day to you, lass."

She turned to leave, and he called to her.

"Wait! What is your name?"

"I am Claudia Phantomhive."

"It's nice to make your acquaintance, Ms. Phantomhive."

"It's Mrs. I kept my family's name when I got married."

"I see. Thank you for coming in."

She waved a hand over her shoulder dismissively as she left, and the Undertaker drew in a deep breath as she closed the door behind her.

"Mrs. indeed. Not like she would ever be interested in me even if she wasn't married."

He returned to the body he was working on when she came in, readying it for the funeral that would be taking place the next day. He took special care with Claudia's mother before the funeral, subconsciously wishing to impress her with his talent. He skillfully put makeup on the corpse, then did her hair. He covered her with a sheet until Claudia was to return with the clothing she wanted the woman to be buried in, and she came back two days before the ceremony holding an expensive dress and shoes.

"Undertaker, will you be at the funeral?" Claudia asked after handing him the garments. "That's a stupid question, I suppose. Who else would officiate it?"