Revelations part 2

Chapter 41

The Midford Estate sat on a prime piece of real estate at the edge of town. This area was known for its elaborate homes and high income earning families, however, none of the mini mansions were as welcoming or as lovely as the one which housed the family of Alexis and Francis Midford.

Grandiose and elegant, the 18th century two story residence was nowhere near to the scale of the Phantomhive manor, however it still boasted wealth and social standing. Red brick walls and white marble columns ensconced the architecture, making any visitor feel both welcomed and humbled at the same time. The three acres on which the home was perched spread out wide with large well maintained grassy lawns and huge trees that bloomed fragrant flowers in the spring and brightly colored leaves in the autumn.

This year, as the winter continued trudge on despite what the calendar said, there had yet to be a single blossom upon their branches. An anomaly that most just chalked up to global warming, however, those with insight into the spiritual world knew better.

Ciel listened as the muted crunch of the gravel driveway came to a halt and Bard skillfully parked the Mercedes near the front entrance. They exchanged a quick look in the rearview mirror, the chauffer not having to ask when the young master would be back or why he was visiting this estate. For years Bard had driven this route to Elizabeth's house, taking Ciel back and forth to visit with his family's old friends. Although, it had been a while since he had asked to come here and the gruff blond would be lying if he said he wasn't just the tiniest bit curious as to why.

A heavy slam of the car door signaled that the slayer was already out and making his way up the front steps. Ciel paused for a moment before knocking, knowing that if he wanted to he could have just let himself in, but felt the need to be polite and follow proper social protocol anyways. He waited until the housekeeper answered, a bright smile painted across his face as he was granted entrance into the familiar home once more.

Grunting and sharp slaps echoed down the hall and into the foyer, Ciel not needing any explanation for what was causing it. A smile played at the corner of his lips and his right hand twitched with the desire to once again wrap his fingers around the grip of a foil. Following behind the woman, the servant obediently lead him to the game room where the sounds intensified and he heard someone curse under their breath. The voice was distinctly male and he snickered as he envisioned what poor soul had been tricked into going up against the indomitable Elizabeth Cordelia Midford in a fencing match in her own home.

Walking into the large gallery that had been transformed into a game room of sorts, the angel immediately spotted the two sparring; both dressed in white regulation fencing outfits complete with masks and chest protectors. The pair danced back and forth on the mat attacking and counter attacking with decisive lunges and swift parries. Ciel felt a surge of adrenaline just from watching them go at it, just now realizing how much he had missed the sport. Being the Demon Slayer and school didn't give him much spare time and as a result, the young man had not been to a practice in what seemed like forever.

The smaller of the two feinted to the left, the blonde bobbing ponytail an obvious sign it was Lizzie. Her short stature and quick turns made her a dangerous competitor and her opponent fell for the move by extending his foil in an attempt to riposte. Ciel smirked as he saw the counter strike his friend would make before it even happened.

Lizzie spun on her heel, narrowly avoiding the larger fencer's lunge and quickly flicking her foil, the tip landing directly over her opponent's heart and effectively ending the match. A cheerful laugh could be heard as the girl taunted her adversary, throwing her arms over her head and jumping in the air. The loser groaned loudly in disappointment, hanging his head and shaking away the disbelief that he had not only lost to a woman, but someone nearly half his size.