The Earl of Phantomhive (DemonCielXLizzy fic)

Chapter Four

The Lady Phantomhive

~

Elizabeth had noted the bloody clothing Sebastian had so vigorously been bleaching, she hadn't said anything, she only crossed her arms gently and proceeded about her business. There had been somethings about the manor she had seen before that she had just decided not to question, not that she had been naive to it.

Master Phantomhive had insisted on keeping Elizabeth in the dark about most everything going on involving business proceedings. It had been something she had grown used to, it hadn't been some new development since their marriage. Ciel's actions dated way back to when they had been just children. For as long as she had remembered he felt it safe and necessary to just not tell her anything.

If she had said she hadn't been constantly insulted in regards to his lack of faith in her ability she would have been lying. Somewhere inside Lady Elizabeth she had known she was strong, but she just hadn't been able to pin point how strong she had really been. It had been almost like her mind had been erased or she had been subconsciously blocking an important part of her life out, something she hadn't been ready to face maybe...

Elizabeth hadn't been the particularly needy type of woman. She hadn't minded that Ciel stayed busy all the time, she had needed her space just as much as he. Still, little things he and Sabastian had done from time to time, the way they kept secrets and talked low when she had been around, had irked her to say the least.

Lizzie tried her best not to think about it, she had even busied herself with her mother's care from afar. As it had turned out, her father hadn't wanted to deal with the pre-death arrangements, he had just casted it off on she and Edward, her older brother. Edward had been in a demanding line of work, however, and so her mother's death bed preparations had been left to Elizabeth.

The young lady had not wished to prepare for such an occasion, but the doctor had made it clear that her mother had been suffering from the incurable Tuberculosis. Had she told Ciel of her mother's sickness? Yes, he had known she had been ill, but not the extent of her illness. Elizabeth found that every time she had tried to discuss her mother's wellbeing she would cry and she simply would not allow herself to cry in front of those around her. Ciel had been so busy that he just couldn't stop what he had been doing long enough to be bothered with his other family problems, Elizabeth had assumed, so she hadn't made a move to interject her worries.

To those who had visited the manor, Lady Phantomhive had been a gorgeous sight for sore eyes. She had been the perfect Lady in every aspect of the title. Lizzie had been the conceited type but she had indeed heard from many passersby that they would kill for the chance to have married her. However, they may have had a change of mind once they had realized that behind her pretty face had been a heart of black cancerous abyss.

It hadn't been the fault of her new marriage or her new husband, Lizzie had been this way before all of that. Depression had been a mild definition concerning her condition. It had been to the point that she had been left to grasp at straws for sanity's sake, just to maybe catch something to help maintain her once revered reflection from so long ago. For example, a child.

Depression had been no excuse to bring a child into the world, under any circumstances, but Lizzie had craved it. Out of everything in the world she had craved the one thing her spouse wouldn't provide her with, and he had good reasons.  But as she had said before, she respected his wishes.
Elizabeth had peeled open a letter addressed to her from her brother, Edward, and had sat at her vanity to read it.

'My dearest little sister,
                              I pray that this finds you in good health as I wish to apologize to you for my lack of influence in this matter. This is a journey best ended by a family, but you see, father and I are not as strong as you. I know you and mother had been very close, maybe even closer than she and I, that is how we know you will do the best job in this case.  Following any proceedings, you may decide to take involving her pre-death arrangements you have my blessing.  Forever yours,