They Have Always Lived In The Castle

Chapter Seven

The next morning, you get up early, leaving a gentle kiss on Charles's head. To make the plan work, you needed not to be seen this morning by the family, but to defiantly be seen by the people in the hughstreet, the ones that loved gossip and trusted you so implicitly.  

. . . WITH CHARLES. . .

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Charles stands above the bed, Connie behinds him, looking goofy and odd. 

"The Cicada maculate is the water hemlock, one of the most poisonous of wild plants if taken internally....The Apocynum cannabinum is not a poisonous..." Merricat starts to rattle off the poisonous plants pleased with the reaction she seems to have gotten. 

"Stop it!" Charles almost snaps, it was playing well to the plan, still annoying non the less. 

"May I have my lunch, Constance?" Merricat looks up at Constance, a slight smile on her face. 

"Of course." She beams

"Constance..." Charles gives her a look.

"But first you have to explain to Cousin Charles." Unhappy at this, Merricat storms off downstairs. "Please don't be angry, Charles" Constance rubs his arm gently, Charles tries hard not to shrug it off, you were the only one he wanted to be touched by, but he needed this to work. "I'll clean your room right away or get Y/N to do it." Connie smiles as if that makes everything ok, he gives her another glare before following Merricat downstairs. 

"Mary Katherine!" He marches into the kitchen, throwing the twigs onto the kitchen table angrily. "I'm gonna give you one last chance to explain. Why did you make a mess in my room?"

"I cannot work in here if Charles is going to talk all the time." Julian mutters as they all come into the kitchen.

"This is none of your business." Charles says sternly to Julian... "Answer me!" He looks towards Merricat who continues to ignore him, thinking to herself how impressed you would be and how much she wished you were here to detracted Charles from Constance. 

"John, how often must I tell you, I know nothing about it and it is none of my concern." Julian says as if mid argument with his brother, his words harsh and directed at Charles. 

. . . END OF CHARLES POV. . . 

"Thats Charles Julian, John is dead..." You suddenly appear in the kitchen behind Charles, putting down some grocery bags in the kitchen. 

"It is a quarrel between the women and it is none of my affair."

"May I have my lunch, Y/N?" Merricat looks at you hopefully as you place a freshly bought sandwich onto a plate and hand it to her. 

"Of course." 

"I do not involve myself in my wife's petty squabbles..." Julian continues to talk at Charles as if he's John, the conversation being familiar to you. 

"Shut up! Please." He looks at Julian angrily and then turns to you, "I'd advise you to do the same."

"Excuse me?" You stand shocked, or at least pretend to be for the benefit of the others. 

"The sooner you're out of here the better." He points at you.

"I will not be told to shut up by my own brother! We will leave your house, John, if that is really your desire. I will ask you, however, to reflect." You all look at Julian who looks rather angry and distressed. 

"Charles, when are you leaving? You are upsetting everyone!" You say in a forceful tone standing behind Merricat. 

"I'm not leaving. I'm staying." He says, in with an almost comical 'ha' as he looks at you, almost goading you to argue with him.

"This is all my fault. All of this is my fault." A very distressed and manic Constance clears away the mess on the table frantically as Charles comes towards Merricat, moving to get past Julian.

"This is a crazy house." He says with a raise of the brow as Julian almost screams at him.